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2 Kings 7-10
New American Standard Bible

Elisha Promises Food

7 Then Elisha said, “Listen to the word of the Lord; this is what the Lord says: ‘(A)About this time tomorrow a [a]measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’” 2 (B)The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning responded to the man of God and said, “(C)Even if the Lord were to make [b]windows in heaven, could this thing happen?” Then he said, “Behold, you are going to see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat [c]any of it.”

Four Men with Leprosy Report Arameans’ Flight

3 Now there were four (D)leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? 4 If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ then the famine is in the city and we will die there; but if we sit here, we will also die. Now then come, and let’s go over to (E)the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, then we will die.” 5 So they got up at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans; when they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans, behold, there was no one there. 6 For (F)the Lord had made the army of the Arameans hear a sound of chariots, a sound of horses, that is, the sound of a great army; and they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired (G)the kings of the Hittites and (H)the kings of the Egyptians against us, to [d]attack us!” 7 So they (I)got up and fled at twilight, and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—indeed the camp itself, just as it was; and they fled for their lives. 8 When these men with leprosy came to the outskirts of the camp, they entered one tent and ate and drank, and (J)carried from there silver, gold, and clothes, and they went and hid them; then they returned and entered another tent, and carried valuables from there also, and went and hid them.

9 Then they said to one another, “We are not doing the right thing. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent about it; if we wait until the morning light, punishment will [e]overtake us. Now then come, let’s go and inform the king’s household.” 10 So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and told them, saying, “We came to the camp of the Arameans, and behold, there was no one there, nor a human voice; only the horses tied and the donkeys tied, and the tents just as they were.” 11 And the gatekeepers called and announced it inside the king’s house. 12 Then the king got up in the night and said to his servants, “I will now tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that (K)we are hungry; so they have left the camp (L)to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and get into the city.’” 13 One of his servants responded and said, “Please, have some men take five of the horses that remain, which are left [f]in the city. Behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it; behold, they will be like all the multitude of Israel who have already perished, so let us send them and see.” 14 Therefore they took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them after the army of the Arameans, saying, “Go and see.”

The Promise Fulfilled

15 They went after them to the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away when they fled in a hurry. Then the messengers returned and informed the king.

16 So the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. Then a [g]measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two [h]measures of barley for a shekel, (M)in accordance with the word of the Lord. 17 Now the king appointed (N)the royal officer on whose hand he leaned [i]to be in charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said, (O)who spoke when the king came down to him. 18 So it happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “(P)Two [j]measures of barley for a shekel and a [k]measure of fine flour for a shekel, will be sold about this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria.” 19 At that time the royal officer had responded to the man of God and said, “Now even if (Q)the Lord were to make windows in heaven, could such a thing as this happen?” And he had said, “Behold, you are going to see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat [l]any of it.” 20 And this is what happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died.

Jehoram Restores the Shunammite’s Land

8 Now (R)Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go [m]with your household, and live wherever you can live; for the (S)Lord has called for a famine, and (T)it will indeed come on the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman arose and acted in accordance with the word of the man of God: she went with her household and resided in the land of the Philistines for seven years. 3 Then at the end of seven years, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went to [n]appeal to the king for her house and for her field. 4 Now the king was speaking with (U)Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please report to me all the great things that Elisha has done.” 5 And as he was reporting to the king (V)how he had restored to life the one who was dead, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life [o]appealed to the king for her house and for her field. And Gehazi said, “My lord the king, this is the woman and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.” 6 When the king asked the woman, she told everything to him. So the king appointed an officer for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers and all the produce of the field from the day that she left the land even until now.”

Elisha Predicts Evil from Hazael

7 Then Elisha came to (W)Damascus. Now (X)Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, was sick, and it was told to him, saying, “(Y)The man of God has come here.” 8 And the king said to (Z)Hazael, “(AA)Take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and (AB)inquire of the Lord by him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’” 9 So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift in his hand, even every kind of good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ loads; and he came and stood before him and said, “(AC)Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’” 10 Then Elisha said to him, “(AD)Go, say to him, ‘You will certainly recover’; but the (AE)Lord has shown me that he will certainly die.” 11 And he [p]stared steadily at him (AF)until Hazael was embarrassed, and then (AG)the man of God wept. 12 And Hazael said, “Why is my lord weeping?” And he [q]answered, “Because (AH)I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel: you will set their fortified cities on fire, you will kill their young men with the sword, their little ones you (AI)will smash to pieces, and you will rip up their pregnant women.” 13 Then Hazael said, “But what is your servant—(AJ)a lowly dog—that he could do this great thing?” And Elisha [r]answered, “(AK)The Lord has shown me that you will be king over Aram.” 14 So he left Elisha and came to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he [s]answered, “He told me that (AL)you would certainly recover.” 15 But on the following day, he took the [t]cover and dipped it in water, and spread it over his face, (AM)so that he died. And Hazael became king in his place.

Another Jehoram Reigns in Judah

16 Now in the fifth year of (AN)Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king. 17 He was (AO)thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. 18 He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for (AP)Ahab’s daughter was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 19 However, the Lord did not want to destroy Judah, for the sake of David His servant, (AQ)since He had [u]promised him to give him a [v]lamp through his sons always.

20 In his days (AR)Edom broke away from the [w]rule of Judah, and appointed a king over themselves. 21 Then Joram crossed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him. And he got up at night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots; (AS)but [x]his army fled to their tents. 22 (AT)So Edom has broken away from [y]Judah to this day. Then (AU)Libnah broke away at the same time. 23 Now the rest of the acts of Joram and everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

Ahaziah Succeeds Jehoram in Judah

24 So Joram [z]lay down with his fathers and (AV)was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and his son (AW)Ahaziah became king in his place.

25 (AX)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 (AY)Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. 27 (AZ)He walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab, because he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.

28 Then he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against (BA)Hazael king of Aram at (BB)Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans [aa]wounded Joram. 29 So (BC)King Joram returned to have himself healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Arameans had [ab]inflicted on him at (BD)Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then (BE)Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick.

Jehu Reigns over Israel

9 Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of (BF)the sons of the prophets and said to him, “[ac](BG)Get ready and (BH)take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to (BI)Ramoth-gilead. 2 When you arrive there, then look there for (BJ)Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in and (BK)have him get up from among his brothers, and bring him to an inner room. 3 Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head, and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: “(BL)I have anointed you king over Israel.”’ Then open the door and flee, and do not wait.”

4 So (BM)the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. 5 When he arrived, behold, the commanders of the army were sitting, and he said, “I have a word for you, commander.” And Jehu said, “[ad]For which one of us?” And he said, “For you, commander.” 6 He then got up and went into the house, and the prophet’s servant poured the oil on his head and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘(BN)I have anointed you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel. 7 And you shall strike the house of Ahab your master, (BO)so that I may avenge (BP)the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, (BQ)at the hand of Jezebel. 8 For the entire house of Ahab shall perish, and (BR)I will eliminate from Ahab (BS)every male person (BT)both [ae]slave and free in Israel. 9 (BU)I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and (BV)like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. 10 (BW)The dogs will eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and no one will bury her.’” Then he opened the door and fled.

11 Now Jehu went out to the servants of his master, and one said to him, “(BX)Is everything well? Why did this (BY)crazy fellow come to you?” And he said to them, “You know very well the man and his talk.” 12 And they said, “It is a lie; tell us now.” And he said, “Such and such he said to me, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says: “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’” 13 Then (BZ)they hurried, and each man took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and (CA)blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king!”

Jehu Assassinates Jehoram (Joram)

14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (CB)Now Joram [af]with all Israel was [ag]defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, 15 but (CC)King [ah]Joram had returned to Jezreel to have himself healed of the wounds which the Arameans had [ai]inflicted on him when he fought Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said to the other men, “If this is your [aj]intent, then let no [ak]one escape from the city to go tell about it in Jezreel.” 16 Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, since Joram was lying there recovering. (CD)And Ahaziah the king of Judah had come down to see Joram.

17 Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and he saw the [al]company of Jehu as he came, and he said, “I see a [am]company.” And [an]Joram said, “Take a horseman and send him to meet them and have him [ao]ask, ‘Is your intention peace?’” 18 So a horseman went to meet him and said, “This is what the king says: ‘Is your intention peace?’” But Jehu said, “[ap](CE)How is peace any business of yours? Turn and follow me.” And the watchman [aq]reported, “The messenger came to them, but he did not return.” 19 Then he sent a second horseman, and he came to them and said, “This is what the king says: ‘Is your intention peace?’” And Jehu [ar]answered, “[as]How is peace any business of yours? Turn and follow me.” 20 And the watchman [at]reported, “He came up to them, but he did not return; and (CF)the [au]driving is like the driving of (CG)Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.”

21 Then [av]Joram said, “[aw]Get ready.” And they [ax]made his chariot ready. (CH)Then [ay]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 on the [az](CI)property of Naboth the Jezreelite. 22 When [ba]Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is your intention peace, Jehu?” And he [bb]answered, “What ‘peace,’ (CJ)so long as your mother Jezebel’s acts of prostitution and witchcraft are so many?” 23 So [bc]Joram [bd]turned back and fled, and he said to Ahaziah, “(CK)There is treachery, Ahaziah!” 24 Then (CL)Jehu [be]drew his bow with his full strength and [bf]shot [bg]Joram between his arms; and the arrow went [bh]through his heart, and he sank in his chariot. 25 And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and (CM)throw him on the [bi]property of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember, when [bj]you and I were riding together after his father Ahab, that the (CN)Lord brought this (CO)pronouncement against him: 26 ‘(CP)I have certainly seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,’ declares the Lord, ‘and (CQ)I will repay you on this [bk]property,’ declares the Lord. Now then, pick him up and throw him on the [bl]property, in accordance with the word of the Lord.”

Jehu Assassinates Ahaziah

27 (CR)When Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by way of the garden house. But Jehu pursued him and said, “[bm]Shoot him too, in the chariot.” So they shot him at the ascent of Gur, which is at (CS)Ibleam. But he fled to Megiddo and died there. 28 (CT)Then his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his grave with his fathers in the city of David.

29 Now in (CU)the eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, Ahaziah became king over Judah.

30 When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it, and (CV)she put makeup on her eyes and adorned her head, and looked down through the window. 31 As Jehu entered the gate, she said, “(CW)Is your intention peace, Zimri, his master’s murderer?” 32 Then he raised his face toward the window and said, “Who is with me, who?” And two or three officials looked down at him.

Jezebel Is Killed

33 Then he said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her underfoot. 34 When he came in, he ate and drank; and he said, “See now to (CX)this cursed woman and bury her, for (CY)she is a king’s daughter.” 35 So they went to bury her, but they found nothing of her except the skull, the feet, and the palms of her hands. 36 Therefore they returned and informed him. And he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘(CZ)On the [bn]property of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; 37 and (DA)the corpse of Jezebel will be like dung on the face of the field in the [bo]property of Jezreel, so they cannot say, “This is Jezebel.”’”

Judgment upon Ahab’s House

10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in (DB)Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the officials of Jezreel, the elders, and to the guardians of the children of Ahab, saying, 2 “And now, (DC)when this letter comes to you, since your master’s sons are with you, [bp]as well as the chariots and horses, and a fortified city and the weapons, 3 select the best and most capable of your master’s sons and seat him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.” 4 But they feared greatly and said, “Behold, (DD)the two kings did not stand firm before him; how then can we stand?” 5 And the one who was in charge of the household, and the one who was in charge of the city, and the elders, and the guardians of the children, sent word to Jehu, saying, “(DE)We are your servants, and everything that you tell us we will do. We will not appoint any man king; do what is good in your sight.” 6 Then he wrote them a letter a second time, saying, “If you are on my side, and will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men, your master’s sons, and come to me at Jezreel about this time tomorrow.” Now the king’s sons, seventy men, were with the great people of the city, who were raising them. 7 When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and (DF)slaughtered them, seventy men, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezreel. 8 When the messenger came and informed him, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons,” he said, “Put them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.” 9 Now in the morning he went out and stood and said to all the people, “You are [bq]innocent; behold, (DG)I conspired against my master and killed him, but (DH)who [br]killed all these? 10 Know then that (DI)nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab, shall [bs]fall to the earth, for the Lord has done (DJ)what He spoke [bt]through His servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu [bu]killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in (DK)Jezreel, and all his great men, his acquaintances, and his priests, until he left him without a survivor.

12 Then he set out and [bv]went to Samaria. On the way while he was at [bw]Beth-eked of the shepherds, 13 (DL)Jehu [bx]encountered the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah, and he said, “Who are you?” And they [by]answered, “We are the relatives of Ahaziah; and we have come down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.” 14 Then he said, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive, and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.

15 Now when he had gone from there, he [bz]encountered (DM)Jehonadab the son of (DN)Rechab coming to meet him; and he [ca]greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart right, just as my heart is with your heart?” And Jehonadab [cb]answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, (DO)give me your hand.” And he gave him his hand, and he pulled him up to him into the chariot. 16 Then he said, “Come with me and (DP)see my zeal for the Lord.” So [cc]he had him ride in his chariot. 17 When he came to Samaria, (DQ)he [cd]killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had eliminated [ce]them, (DR)in accordance with the word of the Lord which He spoke to Elijah.

Jehu Destroys Baal Worshipers

18 Then Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, “(DS)Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now, (DT)summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests; let no one go missing, because I have a great sacrifice for Baal; whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it in deception, in order to eliminate the worshipers of Baal. 20 And Jehu said, “(DU)Proclaim a holy assembly for Baal.” And (DV)they proclaimed it. 21 Then Jehu sent word [cf]throughout Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a person left who did not come. And when they entered (DW)the house of Baal, the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. 22 And he said to the one who was [cg]in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out the garments for them. 23 Then Jehu entered the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab; and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search carefully and see to it that there is here with you none of the servants of the Lord, but only the worshipers of Baal.” 24 Then they entered to [ch]offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.

Now Jehu had stationed for himself eighty men outside, and he had said, “(DX)The one who allows any of the men whom I bring into your hands to escape [ci]shall give up his life in exchange.”

25 Then it came about, as soon as he had finished [cj]offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the [ck](DY)guard and to the royal officers, “(DZ)Go in, [cl]kill them; let none come out.” So they [cm]killed them with the edge of the sword; and the [cn]guard and the royal officers threw them out, and went to the [co]sanctuary of the house of Baal. 26 They brought out the (EA)memorial stones of the house of Baal and burned them. 27 They also tore down the memorial stone of Baal and tore down the house of Baal, and (EB)made it a latrine as it is to this day.

28 So Jehu eradicated Baal from Israel. 29 However, (EC)as for the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, into which he misled Israel, from these Jehu did not desist, including the (ED)golden calves that were at Bethel and at Dan. 30 Yet the Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in performing what is right in My eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab in accordance with everything that was in My heart, (EE)your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” 31 But Jehu (EF)was not careful to walk in the Law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart; (EG)he did not desist from the sins of Jeroboam, into which he misled Israel.

32 In those days the (EH)Lord began to cut off pieces from Israel; and (EI)Hazael [cp]defeated them throughout the territory of Israel: 33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites; from (EJ)Aroer, which is by the Valley of the Arnon, that is, (EK)Gilead and Bashan.

Jehoahaz Succeeds Jehu

34 Now as for the rest of the acts of Jehu and everything that he did and all his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 35 And Jehu [cq]lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And his son Jehoahaz became king in his place. 36 So the [cr]time which Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 7:1 Heb seah
  2. 2 Kings 7:2 Or hatches
  3. 2 Kings 7:2 Lit from there
  4. 2 Kings 7:6 Lit come against
  5. 2 Kings 7:9 Lit find
  6. 2 Kings 7:13 Lit in it
  7. 2 Kings 7:16 Heb seah
  8. 2 Kings 7:16 Heb seah
  9. 2 Kings 7:17 Lit over the gate
  10. 2 Kings 7:18 Heb seahs
  11. 2 Kings 7:18 Heb seahs
  12. 2 Kings 7:19 Lit from there
  13. 2 Kings 8:1 Lit you and your
  14. 2 Kings 8:3 Lit cry out
  15. 2 Kings 8:5 Lit cried out
  16. 2 Kings 8:11 Lit made his face stand fast and he set
  17. 2 Kings 8:12 Lit said
  18. 2 Kings 8:13 Lit said
  19. 2 Kings 8:14 Lit said
  20. 2 Kings 8:15 I.e., item of woven material
  21. 2 Kings 8:19 Lit said to him
  22. 2 Kings 8:19 I.e., descendant on the throne
  23. 2 Kings 8:20 Lit hand
  24. 2 Kings 8:21 Lit the people
  25. 2 Kings 8:22 Lit under the hand of
  26. 2 Kings 8:24 I.e., died
  27. 2 Kings 8:28 Lit struck
  28. 2 Kings 8:29 Lit struck
  29. 2 Kings 9:1 Lit Belt up your waist
  30. 2 Kings 9:5 Lit To whom of us all?
  31. 2 Kings 9:8 Or child and adult
  32. 2 Kings 9:14 Lit he and
  33. 2 Kings 9:14 Lit protecting
  34. 2 Kings 9:15 Heb Jehoram
  35. 2 Kings 9:15 Lit struck
  36. 2 Kings 9:15 Lit soul
  37. 2 Kings 9:15 Lit escapee leave
  38. 2 Kings 9:17 Lit crowd
  39. 2 Kings 9:17 Lit crowd
  40. 2 Kings 9:17 Heb Jehoram
  41. 2 Kings 9:17 Lit say
  42. 2 Kings 9:18 Lit What to you and to peace
  43. 2 Kings 9:18 Lit reported, saying
  44. 2 Kings 9:19 Lit said
  45. 2 Kings 9:19 See note 1 v 18
  46. 2 Kings 9:20 Lit reported, saying
  47. 2 Kings 9:20 I.e., of the chariot
  48. 2 Kings 9:21 Heb Jehoram
  49. 2 Kings 9:21 Lit Harness the chariot
  50. 2 Kings 9:21 Lit harnessed
  51. 2 Kings 9:21 Heb Jehoram
  52. 2 Kings 9:21 Lit portion
  53. 2 Kings 9:22 Heb Jehoram
  54. 2 Kings 9:22 Lit said
  55. 2 Kings 9:23 Heb Jehoram
  56. 2 Kings 9:23 Lit turned his hands
  57. 2 Kings 9:24 Lit filled his hand with the bow
  58. 2 Kings 9:24 Lit struck
  59. 2 Kings 9:24 Heb Jehoram
  60. 2 Kings 9:24 Lit out from
  61. 2 Kings 9:25 Lit portion
  62. 2 Kings 9:25 Lit I and you
  63. 2 Kings 9:26 Lit portion
  64. 2 Kings 9:26 Lit portion
  65. 2 Kings 9:27 Lit strike
  66. 2 Kings 9:36 Lit portion
  67. 2 Kings 9:37 Lit portion
  68. 2 Kings 10:2 Lit and with you the
  69. 2 Kings 10:9 Lit righteous
  70. 2 Kings 10:9 Lit struck
  71. 2 Kings 10:10 I.e., fail to come true
  72. 2 Kings 10:10 Lit by the hand of
  73. 2 Kings 10:11 Lit struck
  74. 2 Kings 10:12 Lit came in and went
  75. 2 Kings 10:12 I.e., house of binding
  76. 2 Kings 10:13 Lit found
  77. 2 Kings 10:13 Lit said
  78. 2 Kings 10:15 Lit found
  79. 2 Kings 10:15 Lit blessed
  80. 2 Kings 10:15 Lit said
  81. 2 Kings 10:16 Lit they
  82. 2 Kings 10:17 Lit struck
  83. 2 Kings 10:17 Lit him
  84. 2 Kings 10:21 Lit in all
  85. 2 Kings 10:22 Lit over the
  86. 2 Kings 10:24 Lit make
  87. 2 Kings 10:24 Lit his soul for his soul
  88. 2 Kings 10:25 Lit making
  89. 2 Kings 10:25 Lit runners
  90. 2 Kings 10:25 Lit strike
  91. 2 Kings 10:25 Lit struck
  92. 2 Kings 10:25 Lit runners
  93. 2 Kings 10:25 Lit city
  94. 2 Kings 10:32 Lit struck
  95. 2 Kings 10:35 I.e., died
  96. 2 Kings 10:36 Lit days
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2 Kings 7-10
New International Version

7 Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah[a] of the finest flour will sell for a shekel[b] and two seahs[c] of barley for a shekel(A) at the gate of Samaria.”

2 The officer on whose arm the king was leaning(B) said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates(C) of the heavens, could this happen?”

“You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat(D) any of it!”

The Siege Lifted

3 Now there were four men with leprosy[d](E) at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? 4 If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”

5 At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, 6 for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound(F) of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired(G) the Hittite(H) and Egyptian kings to attack us!” 7 So they got up and fled(I) in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.

8 The men who had leprosy(J) reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also.

9 Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.”

10 So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers and told them, “We went into the Aramean camp and no one was there—not a sound of anyone—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just as they were.” 11 The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported within the palace.

12 The king got up in the night and said to his officers, “I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving; so they have left the camp to hide(K) in the countryside, thinking, ‘They will surely come out, and then we will take them alive and get into the city.’”

13 One of his officers answered, “Have some men take five of the horses that are left in the city. Their plight will be like that of all the Israelites left here—yes, they will only be like all these Israelites who are doomed. So let us send them to find out what happened.”

14 So they selected two chariots with their horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army. He commanded the drivers, “Go and find out what has happened.” 15 They followed them as far as the Jordan, and they found the whole road strewn with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown away in their headlong flight.(L) So the messengers returned and reported to the king. 16 Then the people went out and plundered(M) the camp of the Arameans. So a seah of the finest flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel,(N) as the Lord had said.

17 Now the king had put the officer on whose arm he leaned in charge of the gate, and the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died,(O) just as the man of God had foretold when the king came down to his house. 18 It happened as the man of God had said to the king: “About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.”

19 The officer had said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates(P) of the heavens, could this happen?” The man of God had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!” 20 And that is exactly what happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died.

The Shunammite’s Land Restored

8 Now Elisha had said to the woman(Q) whose son he had restored to life, “Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the Lord has decreed a famine(R) in the land that will last seven years.”(S) 2 The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years.

3 At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to appeal to the king for her house and land. 4 The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, “Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.” 5 Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored(T) the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to appeal to the king for her house and land.

Gehazi said, “This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” 6 The king asked the woman about it, and she told him.

Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, “Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.”

Hazael Murders Ben-Hadad

7 Elisha went to Damascus,(U) and Ben-Hadad(V) king of Aram was ill. When the king was told, “The man of God has come all the way up here,” 8 he said to Hazael,(W) “Take a gift(X) with you and go to meet the man of God. Consult(Y) the Lord through him; ask him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

9 Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him as a gift forty camel-loads of all the finest wares of Damascus. He went in and stood before him, and said, “Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

10 Elisha answered, “Go and say to him, ‘You will certainly recover.’(Z) Nevertheless,[e] the Lord has revealed to me that he will in fact die.” 11 He stared at him with a fixed gaze until Hazael was embarrassed.(AA) Then the man of God began to weep.(AB)

12 “Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael.

“Because I know the harm(AC) you will do to the Israelites,” he answered. “You will set fire to their fortified places, kill their young men with the sword, dash(AD) their little children(AE) to the ground, and rip open(AF) their pregnant women.”

13 Hazael said, “How could your servant, a mere dog,(AG) accomplish such a feat?”

“The Lord has shown me that you will become king(AH) of Aram,” answered Elisha.

14 Then Hazael left Elisha and returned to his master. When Ben-Hadad asked, “What did Elisha say to you?” Hazael replied, “He told me that you would certainly recover.” 15 But the next day he took a thick cloth, soaked it in water and spread it over the king’s face, so that he died.(AI) Then Hazael succeeded him as king.

Jehoram King of Judah(AJ)

16 In the fifth year of Joram(AK) son of Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram(AL) son of Jehoshaphat began his reign as king of Judah. 17 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 18 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter(AM) of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 19 Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the Lord was not willing to destroy(AN) Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp(AO) for David and his descendants forever.

20 In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king.(AP) 21 So Jehoram[f] went to Zair with all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night; his army, however, fled back home. 22 To this day Edom has been in rebellion(AQ) against Judah. Libnah(AR) revolted at the same time.

23 As for the other events of Jehoram’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 24 Jehoram rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king.

Ahaziah King of Judah(AS)

25 In the twelfth(AT) year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. 26 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah,(AU) a granddaughter of Omri(AV) king of Israel. 27 He followed the ways of the house of Ahab(AW) and did evil(AX) in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was related by marriage to Ahab’s family.

28 Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead.(AY) The Arameans wounded Joram; 29 so King Joram returned to Jezreel(AZ) to recover from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramoth[g] in his battle with Hazael(BA) king of Aram.

Then Ahaziah(BB) son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to see Joram son of Ahab, because he had been wounded.

Jehu Anointed King of Israel

9 The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company(BC) of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak into your belt,(BD) take this flask of olive oil(BE) with you and go to Ramoth Gilead.(BF) 2 When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room. 3 Then take the flask and pour the oil(BG) on his head and declare, ‘This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run; don’t delay!”

4 So the young prophet went to Ramoth Gilead. 5 When he arrived, he found the army officers sitting together. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said.

“For which of us?” asked Jehu.

“For you, commander,” he replied.

6 Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured the oil(BH) on Jehu’s head and declared, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the Lord’s people Israel. 7 You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge(BI) the blood of my servants(BJ) the prophets and the blood of all the Lord’s servants shed by Jezebel.(BK) 8 The whole house(BL) of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab every last male(BM) in Israel—slave or free.[h] 9 I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam(BN) son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha(BO) son of Ahijah. 10 As for Jezebel, dogs(BP) will devour her on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and no one will bury her.’” Then he opened the door and ran.

11 When Jehu went out to his fellow officers, one of them asked him, “Is everything all right? Why did this maniac(BQ) come to you?”

“You know the man and the sort of things he says,” Jehu replied.

12 “That’s not true!” they said. “Tell us.”

Jehu said, “Here is what he told me: ‘This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.’”

13 They quickly took their cloaks and spread(BR) them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet(BS) and shouted, “Jehu is king!”

Jehu Kills Joram and Ahaziah(BT)

14 So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth Gilead(BU) against Hazael king of Aram, 15 but King Joram[i] had returned to Jezreel to recover(BV) from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him in the battle with Hazael king of Aram.) Jehu said, “If you desire to make me king, don’t let anyone slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel.” 16 Then he got into his chariot and rode to Jezreel, because Joram was resting there and Ahaziah(BW) king of Judah had gone down to see him.

17 When the lookout(BX) standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, he called out, “I see some troops coming.”

“Get a horseman,” Joram ordered. “Send him to meet them and ask, ‘Do you come in peace?(BY)’”

18 The horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king says: ‘Do you come in peace?’”

“What do you have to do with peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.”

The lookout reported, “The messenger has reached them, but he isn’t coming back.”

19 So the king sent out a second horseman. When he came to them he said, “This is what the king says: ‘Do you come in peace?’”

Jehu replied, “What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me.”

20 The lookout reported, “He has reached them, but he isn’t coming back either. The driving is like(BZ) that of Jehu son of Nimshi—he drives like a maniac.”

21 “Hitch up my chariot,” Joram ordered. And when it was hitched up, Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah rode out, each in his own chariot, to meet Jehu. They met him at the plot of ground that had belonged to Naboth(CA) the Jezreelite. 22 When Joram saw Jehu he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?”

“How can there be peace,” Jehu replied, “as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel(CB) abound?”

23 Joram turned about and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery,(CC) Ahaziah!”

24 Then Jehu drew his bow(CD) and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart and he slumped down in his chariot. 25 Jehu said to Bidkar, his chariot officer, “Pick him up and throw him on the field that belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember how you and I were riding together in chariots behind Ahab his father when the Lord spoke this prophecy(CE) against him: 26 ‘Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth(CF) and the blood of his sons, declares the Lord, and I will surely make you pay for it on this plot of ground, declares the Lord.’[j] Now then, pick him up and throw him on that plot, in accordance with the word of the Lord.”(CG)

27 When Ahaziah king of Judah saw what had happened, he fled up the road to Beth Haggan.[k] Jehu chased him, shouting, “Kill him too!” They wounded him in his chariot on the way up to Gur near Ibleam,(CH) but he escaped to Megiddo(CI) and died there. 28 His servants took him by chariot(CJ) to Jerusalem and buried him with his ancestors in his tomb in the City of David. 29 (In the eleventh(CK) year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king of Judah.)

Jezebel Killed

30 Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she put on eye makeup,(CL) arranged her hair and looked out of a window. 31 As Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, you Zimri,(CM) you murderer of your master?”[l]

32 He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him. 33 “Throw her down!” Jehu said. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot.(CN)

34 Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of that cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.”(CO) 35 But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. 36 They went back and told Jehu, who said, “This is the word of the Lord that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs(CP) will devour Jezebel’s flesh.[m](CQ) 37 Jezebel’s body will be like dung(CR) on the ground in the plot at Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, ‘This is Jezebel.’”

Ahab’s Family Killed

10 Now there were in Samaria(CS) seventy sons(CT) of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel,[n](CU) to the elders and to the guardians(CV) of Ahab’s children. He said, 2 “You have your master’s sons with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons. Now as soon as this letter reaches you, 3 choose the best and most worthy of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne. Then fight for your master’s house.”

4 But they were terrified and said, “If two kings could not resist him, how can we?”

5 So the palace administrator, the city governor, the elders and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servants(CW) and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best.”

6 Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”

Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them. 7 When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy(CX) of them. They put their heads(CY) in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. 8 When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the princes.”

Then Jehu ordered, “Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.”

9 The next morning Jehu went out. He stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? 10 Know, then, that not a word the Lord has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The Lord has done what he announced(CZ) through his servant Elijah.”(DA) 11 So Jehu(DB) killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.(DC)

12 Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria. At Beth Eked of the Shepherds, 13 he met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?”

They said, “We are relatives of Ahaziah,(DD) and we have come down to greet the families of the king and of the queen mother.(DE)”

14 “Take them alive!” he ordered. So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth Eked—forty-two of them. He left no survivor.(DF)

15 After he left there, he came upon Jehonadab(DG) son of Rekab,(DH) who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, “Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?”

“I am,” Jehonadab answered.

“If so,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.”(DI) So he did, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot. 16 Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zeal(DJ) for the Lord.” Then he had him ride along in his chariot.

17 When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab’s family;(DK) he destroyed them, according to the word of the Lord spoken to Elijah.

Servants of Baal Killed

18 Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served(DL) Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now summon(DM) all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.

20 Jehu said, “Call an assembly(DN) in honor of Baal.” So they proclaimed it. 21 Then he sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; not one stayed away. They crowded into the temple of Baal until it was full from one end to the other. 22 And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring robes for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them.

23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rekab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look around and see that no one who serves the Lord is here with you—only servants of Baal.” 24 So they went in to make sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had posted eighty men outside with this warning: “If one of you lets any of the men I am placing in your hands escape, it will be your life for his life.”(DO)

25 As soon as Jehu had finished making the burnt offering, he ordered the guards and officers: “Go in and kill(DP) them; let no one escape.”(DQ) So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then entered the inner shrine of the temple of Baal. 26 They brought the sacred stone(DR) out of the temple of Baal and burned it. 27 They demolished the sacred stone of Baal and tore down the temple(DS) of Baal, and people have used it for a latrine to this day.

28 So Jehu(DT) destroyed Baal worship in Israel. 29 However, he did not turn away from the sins(DU) of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves(DV) at Bethel(DW) and Dan.

30 The Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”(DX) 31 Yet Jehu was not careful(DY) to keep the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins(DZ) of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.

32 In those days the Lord began to reduce(EA) the size of Israel. Hazael(EB) overpowered the Israelites throughout their territory 33 east of the Jordan in all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh), from Aroer(EC) by the Arnon(ED) Gorge through Gilead to Bashan.

34 As for the other events of Jehu’s reign, all he did, and all his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals(EE) of the kings of Israel?

35 Jehu rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son succeeded him as king. 36 The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 7:1 That is, probably about 12 pounds or about 5.5 kilograms of flour; also in verses 16 and 18
  2. 2 Kings 7:1 That is, about 2/5 ounce or about 12 grams; also in verses 16 and 18
  3. 2 Kings 7:1 That is, probably about 20 pounds or about 9 kilograms of barley; also in verses 16 and 18
  4. 2 Kings 7:3 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin; also in verse 8.
  5. 2 Kings 8:10 The Hebrew may also be read Go and say, ‘You will certainly not recover,’ for.
  6. 2 Kings 8:21 Hebrew Joram, a variant of Jehoram; also in verses 23 and 24
  7. 2 Kings 8:29 Hebrew Ramah, a variant of Ramoth
  8. 2 Kings 9:8 Or Israel—every ruler or leader
  9. 2 Kings 9:15 Hebrew Jehoram, a variant of Joram; also in verses 17 and 21-24
  10. 2 Kings 9:26 See 1 Kings 21:19.
  11. 2 Kings 9:27 Or fled by way of the garden house
  12. 2 Kings 9:31 Or “Was there peace for Zimri, who murdered his master?”
  13. 2 Kings 9:36 See 1 Kings 21:23.
  14. 2 Kings 10:1 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate of the city
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