II. KINGS, CHAP. IX.

1 Elisha fendeth a young Prophet with Inftructions to anoint Jehu at Ramoth-gilead. 4 The Prophet having done his Meffage, fleeth. 11 Jehu being made King by the Soldiers, killeth Foram in the Field of Naboth. 27 Ahaziah is flain at Gur, and buried at Jerufalem. 30 Proud Jezebel is thrown down out of a Window, and eaten by Dogs.

Ver. 1 ND Elisha the Prophet called one of the Children of the Prophets, and faid unto him, Gird up thy Loins, and take this Box of Oil in thine Hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead.

z And when thou comeft thither, look out there Jehu the Son of Jehoshaphat, the Son of Nimfhi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his Brethren, and carry him to an inner Chamber.

3 Then take the Box of Oil, and pour it on his Head, and fay, Thus SAITH the LORD, I have anointed thee King over Ifrael: then open the Door, and flee, and tarry not.

4 So the young Man, the Prophet, went to Ramothgilead.

5 And when he came, behold, the Captains of the Hoft were fitting; and he faid, I have an Errand to thee, O Captain. And JEHU faid, Unto which of all us? And he faid, To thee, O Captain.

6 And he arose, and went into the House, and he poured the OIL on his Head, and faid unto him, Thus faith the LORD GOD of Ifrael, I have ANOINTED thee King over the People of the LORD, even over Ifrael.

7 And thou shalt fmite the House of AHAB thy Mafter, that I may AVENGE the BLOOD of my Servants the Prophets, and the Blood of all the Servants of the LORD at the Hand of Jezebel.

8 For the whole HOUSE of AHAB fhall perish.

9 And I will make the Houfe of Ahab like the House of Jeroboam, the Son of Nebat, and like the House of Baafha the Son of Ahijah.

10 And the DOGS fhall eat Jezebel in the Portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the Door, and fled.

11 Then Jehu came forth to the Servants of his LORD,

and

and one faid unto him, Is all well? wherefore came this mad Fellow to thee? And he faid unto them, Ye know the Man, and his Communication.

12 And they faid, It is falfe, tell us now, and he faid, Thus and thus fpake he to me, faying, Thus SAITH the LORD, I have ANOINTED thee KING Over Ifrael.

13 Then they hafted, and took every Man his Garment, and put it under him on the top of the Stairs, and blew with Trumpets, faying, Jehu is King.

14 So Jehu confpired against Joram: (Now Joram had kept Ramoth-gilead, he and all Ifrael, becaufe 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.) And Jehu faid, If it be your Minds, then let none go forth, nor escape 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) and Ahaziah King of Judah was come down to fee Joram.

17 And there ftood a Watchman on the Tower in Jezreel, and he fpied the Company of Jehu as he came, and faid, I fee a Company. And Joram faid, Take an Horseman, and fend to meet them, and let him fay, Is it PEACE?

18 So there went one on Horfeback to meet him, and faid, Thus faith the King, Is it Peace? And Jehu faid, What haft thou to Do with PEACE? turn thee behind me. And the Watchman told, faying, The Meflenger came to them, but he cometh not again.

19 Then he fent out a fecond on Horfeback, which came to them, and faid, Thus faith the King, Is it PEACE? And Jehu anfwered, What haft thou to do with PEACE? turn thee behind me.

20 And the Watchman told, faying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again: and the Driving is like the Driving of Jehu; for he driveth furiously.

21 And Joram faid, Make ready. And his Chariot was made ready. And Joram King of Ifrael, and Ahaziah King of Judah went out each in his Chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the Portion of NABOTH.

22 And it came to pafs when Joram faw Jehu, that he faid, Is it PEACE, Jehu? And he anfwered, WHAT PEACE, Y y y

fo

fo long as the WHOREDOMS of thy Mother JEZEBEL, and her WITCHCRAFTs are so many?

23 And Joram turned his Hands and fled, and faid to Ahaziah, There is Treachery, O Ahaziah.

24 And Jehu drew a Bow with his full Strength, and fmote Jehoram between his Arms, and the Arrow went out at his Heart, and he funk down in his Chariot.

25 Then faid Jehu to Bidkar his Captain, Take up, and caft him in the Portion of the Field of NABOTH the Jezreelite for remember, how that when I and thou rode together after Ahab his Father, the LORD LAID this Burden. upon him.

26 Surely I have seen Yesterday the Blood of Naboth, and the Blood of his Sons, faid the LORD, and I will REQUITE thee in this PLAT, faith the LORD. Now therefore take and caft him into the Plat of Ground, according to the WORD of the LORD.

27 But when Ahaziah the King of Judah faw this, he fled by the way of the Garden-house, and Jehu followed after him, and faid, Smite him alfo in the Chariot: And they did fo, at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam: and he fled to Megiddo, and died there.

28 And his Servants carried him in a Chariot to Jerufalem, and buried him in his Sepulchre with his Fathers in the City of David.

29 And in the eleventh Year of Joram the Son of Ahab, began Ahaziah to reign over Judah.

30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and the painted her Face, and tired her Head, and looked out at a Window.

31 And as Jehu entred in at the Gate, fhe faid, Had Zimri Peace, who flew his Mafter?

32 And he lift up his Face to the Window, and faid, Who is on my fide, who? And there looked out to him two or three Eunuchs.

33 And he faid, Throw her down. So they threw her down; and fome of her Blood was fprinkled on the Wall, and on the Horfes: and he trode her under foot.

34 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and faid, Go fee now this CURSED WOMAN, and bury her for fhe is a King's Daughter.

35 And they went to bury her, but they found no more

of

of her than the SCULL, and the FEET, and the PALMS of her HANDS.

36 Wherefore they came again, and told him and he faid, This is the WORD of the LORD, which he SPAKE by his Servant ELIJAH the TISHBITE, faying, In the Portion of Jezreel shall Dogs eat the Flesh of Jezebel :

37 And the Carcafe of Jezebel fhall be as Dung upon the Face of the Field, in the Portion of Jezreel, so that they fhall not fay, This is Jezebel.

С НА Р. Х.

Jehu by his Letters caufeth seventy of Ahab's Children to be beheaded. 8 He excufeth the Fact by the Prophecy of Elijah. 12 At the Shearing-house he flayeth two and forty of Abaziah's Brethren: 15 He taketh Jehonadab into his Company: 18 By Subtilty he deftroyeth all the Worshippers of Baal. 29 Jebu followeth Jeroboam's Sins. 32 Hazael oppresseth Ifrael. 34 Jehoahaz fucceedeth him.

ND Ahab had feventy Sons in Samaria: and Je

Ver.hu wrote Letters, and fent to Samaria, unto the

Rulers of Jezreel, to the Elders, and to them that brought up Ahab's Children, faying,

2 Now affoon as this Letter cometh to you, feeing your Master's Sons are with you, and there are with you Chariots and Horses, a fenced City also, and Armour:

3 Look out the MEETEST of your Master's Sons, and set him on his Father's Throne, and fight for your Master's House.

4 But they were exceedingly AFRAID, and faid, Behold, two Kings stood not before him: how then fhall we stand?

5 And he that was over the House, and he that was over the City, the Elders alfo, and the Bringers up of the Children fent to Jehu, faying, We are thy Servants, and will do all that thou fhalt bid us; we will not make any King: do thou that which is good in thine Eyes.

6 Then he wrote a Letter the second time to them, faying, If ye be mine, and if you will hearken unto my Voice, take ye the Heads of the Men your Master's Sons, and come to me to Jezreel by To-morrow this time: (now the King's Sons being feventy Perfons, were with the Great Men of the City which brought them up)

7 And it came to pafs when the Letter came to them,

Yyy z

that

that they took the King's Sons, and flew SEVENTY Perfons, and put their Heads in Bafkets, and fent him them to Jezreel.

8 And there came a Meffenger, and told him, faying, They have brought the Heads of the King's Sons. And he faid, Lay ye them in two Heaps at the entring in of the Gate, until the Morning.

9 And it came to país in the Morning, that he went out, and ftood, and faid to all the People, Ye be righteous: be hold, I confpired against my Mafter, and flew him but who flew all these?

Io Know now, that there fhall fall unto the Earth NoTHING of the WORD of the LORD, which the LORD fpake concerning the Houfe of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he fpake by his Servant Elijah.

11 So Jehu flew all that remained of the House of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his Great Men, and his Kinsfolks, and his Priefts, until he left him none remaining.

12 And he arofe and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the Shearing-houfe in the Way,

13 Jehu met with the Brethren of Ahaziah King of Judah, and faid, Who are ye? And they anfwered, We are the Brethren of Ahaziah, and we go down to falute the Children of the King, and the Children of the Queen.

14 And he faid, take them alive. And they took them alive, and flew them at the Pit of the Shearing-houfe, 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 faluted him, and faid to him, Is thine HEART RIGHT, as my HEART is with thy HEART? 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 Cha

riot.

16 And he said, Come with me, and fee my Zeal for the LORD, fo they made him ride in his Chariot.

17 And when he came to Samaria, he flew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had deftroyed him according to the Saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.

18 And Jehu gathered all the People together, and faid unto them, Ahab ferved Baal a little, but Jehu fhall ferve him much.