CHAPTER 84.

ELISHA'S MIRACLES.

AND the sons of the Prophets said unto Elisha, Behold the place where we dwell with thee is too straight for us, let us go unto Jordan, and take thence every Man a Beam, and make a place there. So they went there, and eut down Wood. And as one was felling a Beam, the Axe head fell into the water, and he cried, Alas master! for it was borrowed. And the Man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place; and he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and the Iron did swim; and he said, Take it up. So he put out his hand and took it.

Then the King of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such a place shall be my Camp. And the Man of God sent unto the King of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place, for thither the Syrians are come down.So the King of Israel saved himself at that place, not once nor twice. Therefore the heart of the King of of Syria was troubled, and he said to his servants, Will ye not shew me which of us is treacherous? And one said, None my Lord; but Elisha the Prophet, that is in Israel, telleth the King of Israel the words that thou speaketh in thy bed-chamber. And he said, Go and spy where he is; and they said, He is in Dothan. So he sent thither Horses and Chariots, and a great Host, and they came by night, and compassed the City.

Aud when the servant of Elisha was risen early and gone forth, behold they compassed the City, and the servant ran and said, Alas my master what shall we do? —And Elisha said, Fear not, they that be with us are more than they that be with them; and he prayed, and

said, Lord open his eyes; and the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of Horses and Chariots of Fire round about Elisha.

And Elisha prayed, and the Lord smote the Syrians with blindness; and Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the City, follow me and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek, but he led them to Samaria. And there the Lord opened their eyes, and beheld they were in the midst of Samaria. And the King of Israel said, Shall I smite them; but Elisha said, Wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive? set Bread and Water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. So the bands of Syria returned to their own Country.

Now after this, Benhadad, King of Syria, gathered all his Host, and went up and besieged Samaria. And there was a great famine in Samaria, and the King of Israel was wroth with Elisha, and sent a Messenger to take his head, but Elisha sat in his house, and the Elders with him, and ere the Messenger came, he said, See how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away my head, shut the door and hold him fast; is not the sound of his master's feet behind him? And while he yet talked behold the Messenger came, and he said, Behold this evil is of the Lord, why should I wait any longer? And he said, Hear ye the word of the Lord : To-morrow about this time, shall a measure of fine Flour be sold for a shekel in the Gate of Samaria.Then a Lord on whose hand the King leaned said, Behold if the Lord would make windows in Heaven, could this thing be? And Elisha said, Thou shalt see with thine eyes but shalt not eat thereof.

And four beggars who were dying with hunger

rose up in the twilight to go into the Camp of the Syrians, and behold there was no man there. For the Lord had made the Host of the Syrians to hear a noise of Chariots and of Horses, even a great Host; and they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their Tents, their Horses, and their Asses, even the Camp as it was, and fled for their life. And the People went and spoiled the Tents of the Syrians; so a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. And the King appointed the Lord on whose head he leaned to have charge of the Gate, and the people trode upon him in the Gate, and he died, as the Man of God had said.

CHAPTER 85.

JEHU.

AND Elisha the Prophet called one of the Children of the Prophets, and said, Take this box of oil and go to Ramoth Gilead, and look out Jehu, the son of Nimshi, and take him into an inner chamber, and pour the oil on his head, and say, Thus saith the Lord, I have anointed thee King over Israel; then open the door and flee. So the young man went, and found the Captains of the Host sitting, and he said, I have an errand unto thee O Captain; and Jehu said, Unto which? And he said, To thee O Captain. And he arose, and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have anointed thee King over Israel, and thou shalt smite the House of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the Prophets; for the whole House of Ahab shall perish, and dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel.

N

And when Jehu came forth, they said, Is all well? Wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? And he told them; then they hasted, and spread their garments under him and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is King.

So Jehu conspired against Joram, and came down in a Chariot to Jezreel, where Joram was laying sick of his wounds which the Syrians had given him,—and Ahaziah, King of Judah, was there to see him.

And there stood a Watchman on the Tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu; and Joram sent a Messenger to say, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace, turn thee behind me.

And so he did to a second Messenger. And the Watchman said, He came unto them, and cometh not again, and the driving is like the driving of Jehu, the son of Nimshi, for he driveth furiously. — And Joram said, Make ready; and Joram and Abaziah went out each in his Chariot, and met Jehu in the portion of Naboth, and Joram said, Is it peace, Jehu ?— And Jehu said, What peace, so long as the witchcrafts of thy mother Jezebel are so many.

And Joram turned and said, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. And Jehu drew a bow and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his Chariot. And Jehu cast him in the portion of Naboth, as the Lord had said by the Prophet Elijah. And Ahaziah also was slain.

And when Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? And Jehu said, Who is on my side? Throw her down. And they threw her down, and her blood was sprinkled on

the wall, and they trod her under foot, and her carcase did the dogs eat as the Lord had said. And Jehu slew also the seventy sons of Ahab.

CHAPTER 86.

THE FURTHER HISTORY OF THE KINGDOMS OF JUDAH AND ISRAEL.

THUS in the year 884 before Christ, Jehu reigned over Israel; and by the counsel of the good Jehonadab the son of Rechab, he destroyed all the Prophets of Baal. Howbeit he departed not from the sins of the wicked Jeroboam; and he reigned over Israel, in Samaria, twenty-eight years, and died: And Jehoahaz, his son, reigned in his stead. And in that day the Lord began to cut Israel short. And Hazael took from them all the Country that was beyond Jordan.

And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah, King of Judah, a wicked and ambitious woman, saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. But Jehoshaba the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, his son, and stole him from among the King's sons that were slain, and hid him and his nurse in the bed-chamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. And he was with her hid in the house of the Lord six years; and Athaliah did reign over the Land.

And in the seventh year, Jehoiada the Priest, sent and fetched the Rulers, and Captains, and Guard, and brought them into the House of the Lord, and took an oath of them, and shewed them the King's son. And the Guard stood every Man with his weapon in his hand round about the King's son. And he brought forth the King's son and put the Crown upon him, and gave him the testimony, and they made him King, and