Day 98: 2 Kings 7-10
Famine, Revolution, Jehu, and the Destruction of Ahab’s House
2 KINGS 7
1 Elisha said, “Hear Yahweh’s word. Yahweh says, ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.’”
2 Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, “Behold, if Yahweh made windows in heaven, could this thing be?” He said, “Behold, you will see it with your eyes, but will not eat of it.”
3 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate. They said to one another, “Why do we sit here until we die?
4 If we say, ‘We will enter into the city,’ then the famine is in the city, and we will die there. If we sit still here, we also die. Now therefore come, and let’s surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they save us alive, we will live; and if they kill us, we will only die.”
5 They rose up in the twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. When they had come to the outermost part of the camp of the Syrians, behold, no man was there.
6 For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians to hear the sound of chariots and the sound of horses, even the noise of a great army; and they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us.”
7 Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.
8 When these lepers came to the outermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate and drank, then carried away silver, gold, and clothing and went and hid it. Then they came back, and entered into another tent and carried things from there also, and went and hid them.
9 Then they said to one another, “We aren’t doing right. Today is a day of good news, and we keep silent. If we wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let’s go and tell the king’s household.”
10 So they came and called to the city gatekeepers; and they told them, “We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, not even a man’s voice, but the horses tied, and the donkeys tied, and the tents as they were.”
11 Then the gatekeepers called out and told it to the king’s household within.
12 The king arose in the night, and said to his servants, “I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry. Therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive, and get into the city.’”
13 One of his servants answered, “Please let some people take five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they are like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it. Behold, they are like all the multitude of Israel who are consumed. Let’s send and see.”
14 Therefore they took two chariots with horses; and the king sent them out to the Syrian army, saying, “Go and see.”
15 They went after them to the Jordan; and behold, all the path was full of garments and equipment which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. The messengers returned and told the king.
16 The people went out and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to Yahweh’s word.
17 The king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to be in charge of the gate; and the people trampled over him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.
18 It happened as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria;”
19 and that captain answered the man of God, and said, “Now, behold, if Yahweh made windows in heaven, might such a thing be?” and he said, “Behold, you will see it with your eyes, but will not eat of it.”
20 It happened like that to him, for the people trampled over him in the gate, and he died.
2 Kings 8
1 Now Elisha had spoken to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise, and go, you and your household, and stay for a while wherever you can; for Yahweh has called for a famine. It will also come on the land for seven years.”
2 The woman arose, and did according to the man of God’s word. She went with her household, and lived in the land of the Philistines for seven years.
3 At the end of seven years, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines. Then she went out to beg the king for her house and for her land.
4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.”
5 As he was telling the king how he had restored to life him who was dead, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life begged the king for her house and for her land. Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.”
6 When the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed to her a certain officer, saying, “Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.”
7 Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick. He was told, “The man of God has come here.”
8 The king said to Hazael, “Take a present in your hand, and go meet the man of God, and inquire of Yahweh by him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’”
9 So Hazael went to meet him and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him and said, “Your son Benhadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’”
10 Elisha said to him, “Go, tell him, ‘You will surely recover;’ however Yahweh has shown me that he will surely die.”
11 He settled his gaze steadfastly on him, until he was ashamed. Then the man of God wept.
12 Hazael said, “Why do you weep, my lord?”
He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel. You will set their strongholds on fire, and you will kill their young men with the sword, and will dash their little ones in pieces, and rip up their pregnant women.”
13 Hazael said, “But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he could do this great thing?”
Elisha answered, “Yahweh has shown me that you will be king over Syria.”
14 Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?”
He answered, “He told me that you would surely recover.”
15 On the next day, he took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it on the king’s face, so that he died. Then Hazael reigned in his place.
16 In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being king of Judah then, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
17 He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign. He reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
18 He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did Ahab’s house, for he married Ahab’s daughter. He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight.
19 However, Yahweh would not destroy Judah, for David his servant’s sake, as he promised him to give to him a lamp for his children always.
20 In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.
21 Then Joram crossed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him; and he rose up by night and struck the Edomites who surrounded him with the captains of the chariots; and the people fled to their tents.
22 So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.
23 The rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
24 Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in David’s city; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.
25 In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.
26 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri king of Israel.
27 He walked in the way of Ahab’s house and did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, as did Ahab’s house, for he was the son-in-law of Ahab’s house.
28 He went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead, and the Syrians wounded Joram.
29 King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel from the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
2 Kings 9
1 Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and said to him, “Put your belt on your waist, take this vial of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead.
2 When you come there, find Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him rise up from among his brothers, and take him to an inner room.
3 Then take the vial of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, ‘Yahweh says, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’ Then open the door, flee, and don’t wait.”
4 So the young man, even the young man, the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead.
5 When he came, behold, the captains of the army were sitting. Then he said, “I have a message for you, captain.” Jehu said, “To which of us all?” He said, “To you, O captain.”
6 He arose, and went into the house. Then he poured the oil on his head, and said to him, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I have anointed you king over the people of Yahweh, even over Israel.
7 You must strike your master Ahab’s house, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Yahweh, at the hand of Jezebel.
8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish. I will cut off from Ahab every man-child, and him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel.
9 I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah.
10 The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her.’” He opened the door, and fled.
11 Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord. One said to him, “Is all well? Why came this mad fellow to you?” He said to them, “You know the man and what his talk was.”
12 They said, “It is false. Tell us now.” He said, “Thus and thus spoke he to me, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, I have anointed you king over Israel.’”
13 Then they hurried, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king.”
14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. Now Joram was keeping Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria;
15 but king Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. Jehu said, “If this be your mind, then let none escape and go forth out of the city, to go to tell it in Jezreel.”
16 So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram.
17 Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, “I see a company.” Joram said, “Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’”
18 So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’” Jehu said, “What have you to do with peace? Turn you behind me.” The watchman told, saying, “The messenger came to them, but he isn’t coming back.”
19 Then he sent out a second on horseback, who came to them, and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’” Jehu answered, “What have you to do with peace? Turn you behind me.”
20 The watchman told, saying, “He came even to them, and isn’t coming back; and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he drives furiously.”
21 Joram said, “Make ready.” They made ready his chariot. Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu, and found him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.
22 It happened, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” He answered, “What peace, so long as the prostitution of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft abound?”
23 Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, “There is treachery, Ahaziah.”
24 Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and struck Joram between his arms; and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.
25 Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, “Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember how that, when I and you rode together after Ahab his father, Yahweh laid this burden on him:
26 ‘Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons,’ says Yahweh; ‘and I will requite you in this plat,’ says Yahweh. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of Yahweh.”
27 But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden-house. Jehu followed after him, and said, “Smite him also in the chariot.” They struck him at the ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. He fled to Megiddo, and died there.
28 His servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in the city of David.
29 In the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah.
30 When Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her eyes, and attired her head, and looked out at the window.
31 As Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, “Is it peace, you Zimri, your master’s murderer?”
32 He lifted up his face to the window, and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” There looked out to him two or three eunuchs.
33 He said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses; and he trod her under foot.
34 When he was come in, he ate and drank; and he said, “See now to this cursed woman, and bury her; for she is a king’s daughter.”
35 They went to bury her; but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.
36 Therefore they came back, and told him. He said, “This is the word of Yahweh, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘In the portion of Jezreel shall the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel;
37 and the body of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, so that they shall not say, ‘This is Jezebel.’”
2 Kings 10
1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and to those who brought up Ahab’s sons, saying,
2 “Now as soon as this letter comes to you, since your master’s sons are with you, and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and armor,
3 select the best and fittest of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”
4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, “Behold, the two kings didn’t stand before him! How then shall we stand?”
5 He who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders also, and those who raised the children, sent to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, and will do all that you ask us. We will not make any man king. You do that which is good in your eyes.”
6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men who are your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time.” Now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who brought them up.
7 When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and killed them, even seventy people, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Jezreel.
8 A messenger came and told him, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” He said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.”
9 In the morning, he went out and stood, and said to all the people, “You are righteous. Behold, I conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these?
10 Know now that nothing will fall to the earth of Yahweh’s word, which Yahweh spoke concerning Ahab’s house. For Yahweh has done that which he spoke by his servant Elijah.”
11 So Jehu struck all that remained of Ahab’s house in Jezreel, with all his great men, his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him no one remaining.
12 He arose and departed, and went to Samaria. As he was at the shearing house of the shepherds on the way,
13 Jehu met with the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, “Who are you?” They answered, “We are the brothers of Ahaziah. We are going down to greet the children of the king and the children of the queen.”
14 He said, “Take them alive!” They took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, even forty-two men. He didn’t leave any of them.
15 When he had departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. He greeted him, and said, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?” Jehonadab answered, “It is.” “If it is, give me your hand.” He gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.
16 He said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for Yahweh.” So they made him ride in his chariot.
17 When he came to Samaria, he struck all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed them, according to Yahweh’s word which he spoke to Elijah.
18 Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much.
19 Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all of his worshipers, and all of his priests. Let no one be absent, for I have a great sacrifice to Baal. Whoever is absent, he shall not live.” But Jehu did deceptively, intending to destroy the worshipers of Baal.
20 Jehu said, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal!” So they proclaimed it.
21 Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that didn’t come. They came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another.
22 He said to him who kept the wardrobe, “Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal!” So he brought robes out to them.
23 Jehu went with Jehonadab the son of Rechab into the house of Baal. Then he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search, and see that none of the servants of Yahweh are here with you, but only the worshipers of Baal.”
24 So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had appointed for himself eighty men outside, and said, “If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape, he who lets him go, his life shall be for the life of him.”
25 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, “Go in and kill them! Let no one escape.” So they struck them with the edge of the sword. The guard and the captains threw the bodies out, and went to the inner shrine of the house of Baal.
26 They brought out the pillars that were in the house of Baal and burned them.
27 They broke down the pillar of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a latrine, to this day.
28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
29 However, Jehu didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin—the golden calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan.
30 Yahweh said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in executing that which is right in my eyes, and have done to Ahab’s house according to all that was in my heart, your descendants shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”
31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of Yahweh, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel to sin.
32 In those days Yahweh began to cut away parts of Israel; and Hazael struck them in all the borders of Israel,
33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.
34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
35 Jehu slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria. Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place.
36 The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
Scripture: World English Bible (WEB), public domain.
