150 brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning. 145 And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who smote all these? Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab : for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah. So Jehu smote all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men,1 and his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him none remaining. And he arose and went to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house of 155 the shepherds in the way, Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah: and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen. And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at 160 the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them. 15 And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right,2 as my heart is with thy heart? 165 And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot. And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they 3 made him ride in his chariot. And when he came to Samaria, he smote all that remained unto Ahab in 170 Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah. And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little ; but Jehu shall serve him much. Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal. And Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it. And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the wor180 shippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of 175 1 For great men read kinsmen. 2 After right add with my heart (S). 3 For they read he. Baal was filled from one end to another. And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments. And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of 185 Baal; and he said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only. And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had appointed him fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I 190 bring into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him. And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard 195 and the captains cast them out, and went to the house of Baal. And they brought forth the pillars that were in the house of Baal, and burned them. And they brake down the pillar 1 of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house, unto this day. 1 200 32 In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel; from Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan. Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and 205 all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Jehu slept with his fathers and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead. And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years. 1 For pillar read altar (1 Kings 16. 32). 210 LESSON LXII JOASH AND THE HOUSE OF JEHU Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, usurps the throne of Judah for six years. Jehoiada the priest kills her and sets Jehoash on the throne. Jehoash repairs the Temple. He is succeeded by Amaziah. Jehoahaz succeeds Jehu as king of Israel, and is followed by Jehoash. Hazael oppresses both Israel and Judah for some years, but is defeated by Jehoash. Amaziah challenges Jehoash, and is defeated. Jeroboam II. succeeds Jehoash, and enlarges the borders of Israel. 2 KINGS XI.-XIV. 11 1 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons that were slain, even him and his nurse, and put them in the bedchamber; 1 and they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land. 4 And in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the сар10 tains over hundreds, of the Carites and of the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD; and he made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king's son. And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you, 15 that come in on the sabbath, shall be keepers of the watch of the king's house; and the two companies of you, even all that go forth on the sabbath, shall 2 keep the watch of the house of the LORD ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and he that cometh within the ranks, 20 let him be slain: and be ye with the king when he goeth out, and when he cometh in. And the captains over hundreds did 1 For bedchamber read store chamber (lit. chamber of beds). |