The Sacred Bible: The Second Book of Kings
{1:1} Then, after the death of Ahab, Moab transgressed against Israel.
{1:2} And Ahaziah fell down through the lattices of his upper room, which he had in Samaria, and he was injured. And he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go, consult Beelzebub, the god of Ekron, as to whether I may be able to survive this infirmity of mine.”
{1:3} And an Angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah, the Tishbite, saying: “Rise up, and ascend to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria. And you shall say to them: ‘Is there not a God in Israel, so that you would go to consult Beelzebub, the god of Ekron?
{1:4} For this reason, thus says the Lord: From the bed to which you have ascended, you shall not descend. Instead, dying you shall die.’ ” And Elijah went away.
{1:5} And the messengers returned to Ahaziah. And he said to them, “Why have you returned?”
{1:6} But they responded to him: “A man met us, and he said to us: ‘Go, and return to the king who sent you. And you shall say to him: Thus says the Lord: Is it because there was no God in Israel that you are sending to consult Beelzebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore, from the bed to which you have ascended, you shall not descend. Instead, dying you shall die.’ ”
{1:7} And he said to them: “What was the appearance and dress of that man, who met you and who spoke these words?”
{1:8} So they said, “A hairy man, with a belt of leather wrapping his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah, the Tishbite.”
{1:9} And he sent to him a leader of fifty, with the fifty who were under him. And he ascended to him, sitting at the top of a hill, and he said, “Man of God, the king commanded that you should descend.”
{1:10} And responding, Elijah said to the leader of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire from heaven descend and devour you and your fifty.” And then fire from heaven descended and devoured him and the fifty who were with him.
{1:11} And again, he sent to him another leader of fifty, and the fifty with him. And he said to him, “Man of God, thus says the king: Hurry, descend.”
{1:12} Responding, Elijah said, “If I am a man of God, let fire from heaven descend and devour you and your fifty.” And fire from heaven descended and devoured him and his fifty.
{1:13} Again, he sent a third leader of fifty men and the fifty who were with him. And when he had arrived, he bent his knees before Elijah, and he pleaded with him, and said: “Man of God, do not choose to despise my life and the lives of your servants who are with me.
{1:14} Behold, fire from heaven descended and devoured the two previous leaders of fifty and the fifties who were with them. But now I beg you to take pity on my life.”
{1:15} Then the Angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah, saying, “Descend with him; fear not.” And so, he arose and descended with him to the king.
{1:16} And he said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Because you sent messengers to consult Beelzebub, the god of Ekron, as if there were no God in Israel, from whom you would be able to seek a word, therefore, from the bed to which you have ascended, you shall not descend. Instead, dying you shall die.”
{1:17} And so he died, in accord with the word of the Lord, which Elijah spoke. And Jehoram, his brother, reigned in his place, in the second year of Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. For he had no son.
{1:18} But the rest of the words of Ahaziah that he worked, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
{2:1} Now it happened that, when the Lord willed to lift up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were going out of Gilgal.
{2:2} And Elijah said to Elisha: “Remain here. For the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” And Elisha said to him, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” And when they had descended to Bethel,
{2:3} the sons of the prophets, who were at Bethel, went out to Elisha. And they said to him, “Do you not know that today the Lord will take away your lord from you?” And he responded: “I know it. Be silent.”
{2:4} Then Elijah said to Elisha: “Remain here. For the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” And when they had arrived at Jericho,
{2:5} the sons of the prophets, who were at Jericho, drew near to Elisha. And they said to him, “Do you not know that today the Lord will take away your lord from you?” And he said: “I know it. Be silent.”
{2:6} Then Elijah said to him: “Remain here. For the Lord has sent me as far as the Jordan.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” And so, the two of them continued on together.
{2:7} And fifty men from the sons of the prophets followed them, and they stood opposite them, at a distance. But the two of them were standing above the Jordan.
{2:8} And Elijah took his cloak, and he rolled it up, and he struck the waters, which were divided into two parts. And they both went across on dry ground.
{2:9} And when they had gone across, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what you wish that I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “I beg you, that twice your spirit may be accomplished in me.”
{2:10} And he responded: “You have requested a difficult thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, you will have what you requested. But if you do not see, it shall not be.”
{2:11} And as they continued on, they were conversing while walking. And behold, a fiery chariot with fiery horses divided the two. And Elijah ascended by a whirlwind into heaven.
{2:12} Then Elisha saw it, and he cried out: “My father, my father! The chariot of Israel with its driver!” And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own garments, and he tore them into two parts.
{2:13} And he picked up the cloak of Elijah, which had fallen from him. And turning back, he stood above the bank of the Jordan.
{2:14} And he struck the waters with the cloak of Elijah, which had fallen from him, and they were not divided. And he said, “Where is the God of Elijah, even now?” And he struck the waters, and they were divided here and there. And Elisha went across.
{2:15} Then the sons of the prophets, who were at Jericho, watching from a distance, said, “The spirit of Elijah has rested upon Elisha.” And approaching to meet him, they reverenced him prone on the ground.
{2:16} And they said to him, “Behold, with your servants there are fifty strong men, who are able to go forth and to seek your lord. For perhaps, the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley.” But he said, “Do not send them.”
{2:17} And they urged him, until he acquiesced and said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men. And after they had searched for three days, they did not find him.
{2:18} And they returned to him, for he was living in Jericho. And he said to them: “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not send them?’ ”
{2:19} Also, the men of the city said to Elisha: “Behold, this city is a very good habitation, as you yourself perceive, O lord. But the waters are very bad, and the ground is barren.”
{2:20} And so he said, “Bring a new vessel to me, and place salt in it.” And when they had brought it,
{2:21} he went out to the source of the waters, and he cast the salt into it. And he said: “Thus says the Lord: I have healed these waters, and no longer shall there be death or barrenness in them.”
{2:22} Then the waters were healed, even to this day, in accord with the word of Elisha, which he spoke.
{2:23} Then he went up from there into Bethel. And as he was ascending along the way, little boys departed from the city. And they were mocking him, saying: “Go up, bald head! Go up, bald head!”
{2:24} And when he had looked back, he saw them, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two bears went out from the forest, and they wounded forty-two boys among them.
{2:25} Then he went away from there to mount Carmel. And he returned from there into Samaria.
{3:1} Truly, Joram, the son of Ahab, reigned over Israel, in Samaria, in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. And he reigned for twelve years.
{3:2} And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as his father and mother did. For he took away the statues of Baal, which his father had made.
{3:3} Yet truly, he did adhere to the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin; neither did he withdraw from these.
{3:4} Now Mesha, the king of Moab, raised many sheep. And he repaid to the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs, and one hundred thousand rams, with their fleece.
{3:5} And when Ahab had died, he transgressed the pact that he had with the king of Israel.
{3:6} Therefore, king Joram departed on that day from Samaria, and he took a count of all of Israel.
{3:7} And he sent to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, saying: “The king of Moab has withdrawn from me. Come to battle with me against him.” And he responded: “I will go up. What is mine, is yours. My people are your people. And my horses are your horses.”
{3:8} And he said, “Along which way shall we ascend?” So he responded, “Along the desert of Idumea.”
{3:9} Therefore, the king of Israel, and the king of Judah, and the king of Idumea, traveled, and they went by a circuitous path for seven days. But there was no water for the army or for the beasts of burden which were following them.
{3:10} And the king of Israel said: “Alas, alas, alas! The Lord has gathered we three kings, so that he might deliver us into the hands of Moab.”
{3:11} And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord here, so that we may appeal to the Lord through him?” And one of the servants of the king of Israel responded, “Elisha, the son of Shaphat, is here, who poured water upon the hands of Elijah.”
{3:12} And Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” And so, the king of Israel, with Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, and with the king of Idumea, descended to him.
{3:13} Then Elisha said to the king of Israel: “What is there between you and me? Go to the prophets of your father and your mother.” And the king of Israel said to him, “Why has the Lord gathered these three kings, so that he might deliver them into the hands of Moab?”
{3:14} And Elisha said to him: “As the Lord of hosts lives, in whose sight I stand, if I was not humbled by the face of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, certainly I would neither have listened to you, nor have looked upon you.
{3:15} But now, bring a musician to me.” And while the musician was playing, the hand of the Lord fell upon him, and he said:
{3:16} “Thus says the Lord: Make, in the channel of this torrent, pit after pit.
{3:17} For thus says the Lord: You shall not see wind or rain. And yet this channel shall be filled with water. And you shall drink, you and your families, and your beasts of burden.
{3:18} And this is small in the sight of the Lord. So, in addition, he will also deliver Moab into your hands.
{3:19} And you shall strike every fortified town and every elect city. And you shall cut down every fruitful tree. And you shall obstruct all the sources of water. And you shall cover every excellent field with stones.”
{3:20} Then it happened that, in the morning, when the sacrifices were usually to be offered, behold, water was arriving along the way of Idumea, and the land was filled with water.
{3:21} Then all the Moabites, hearing that the kings had ascended so that they might fight against them, gathered all who had been girded with a belt around them, and they stood at the borders.
{3:22} And rising up in early morning, and when the sun was now rising before the waters, the Moabites saw the waters opposite them, which were red like blood.
{3:23} And they said: “It is the blood of the sword! The kings have fought among themselves, and they have slain one another. Go now, Moab, to the spoils!”
{3:24} And they went into the camp of Israel. But Israel, rising up, struck Moab, and they fled before them. And since they had prevailed, they went and struck down Moab.
{3:25} And they destroyed the cities. And they filled up every excellent field, each one casting stones. And they obstructed all the sources of water. And they cut down all the fruitful trees, to such an extent that only brick walls remained. And the city was encircled by the slingers of stones. And a great part of it was struck down.
{3:26} And when the king of Moab had seen this, specifically, that the enemies had prevailed, he took with him seven hundred men who draw the sword, so that he might break through to the king of Idumea. But they were unable.
{3:27} And taking his firstborn son, who would have reigned in his place, he offered him as a holocaust upon the wall. And there was great indignation in Israel. And they promptly withdrew from him, and they turned back to their own land.
{4:1} Now a certain woman, from the wives of the prophets, cried out to Elisha, saying: “My husband, your servant, is dead. And you know that your servant was one who fears the Lord. And behold, a creditor has arrived, so that he may take away my two sons to serve him.”
{4:2} And Elisha said to her: “What do you want me to do for you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” And she responded, “I, your handmaid, do not have anything in my house, except a little oil, with which I may be anointed.”
{4:3} And he said to her: “Go, ask to borrow from all your neighbors empty vessels, more than a few.
{4:4} And enter and close your door. And when you are inside with your sons, pour from the oil into all those vessels. And when they are full, take them away.”
{4:5} And so, the woman went and closed the door upon herself and her sons. They were bringing her the vessels, and she was pouring into them.
{4:6} And when the vessels had been filled, she said to her son, “Bring me another a vessel.” And he responded, “I have none.” And there was oil remaining.
{4:7} Then she went and told the man of God. And he said: “Go, sell the oil, and repay your creditor. Then you and your sons may live on what remains.”
{4:8} Now it happened that, on a certain day, Elisha passed by Shunem. And there was a great woman there, who took him to eat bread. And since he frequently passed by there, he turned aside to her house, so that he might eat bread.
{4:9} And she said to her husband: “I have noticed that he is a holy man of God, who passes by us frequently.
{4:10} Therefore, let us prepare a small upper room for him, and place a bed in it for him, and a table, and a chair, and a lampstand, so that when he comes to us, he may stay there.”
{4:11} Then it happened that, on a certain day, arriving, he turned aside into the upper room, and he rested there.
{4:12} And he said to his servant Gehazi, “Call this Shunammite woman.” And when he had called her, and she stood before him,
{4:13} he said to his servant: “Say to her: Behold, you have ministered to us attentively in all things. What do you want, that I might do for you? Do you have any business, or do you want me to speak to the king, or to the leader of the military?” And she responded, “I live in the midst of my own people.”
{4:14} And he said, “Then what does she want, that I might do for her?” And Gehazi said: “You need not ask. For she has no son, and her husband is elderly.”
{4:15} And so, he instructed him to call her. And when she had been called, and was standing before the door,
{4:16} he said to her, “At this time, and at this same hour, with life as a companion, you will have a son in your womb.” But she responded, “Do not, I ask you, my lord, a man of God, do not be willing to lie to your handmaid.”
{4:17} And the woman conceived. And she bore a son, in the time and at the same hour as Elisha had said.
{4:18} And the boy grew. And on a certain day, when he had gone out to his father, to the harvesters,
{4:19} he said to his father: “I have a pain in my head. I have a pain in my head.” But he said to his servant, “Take him, and lead him to his mother.”
{4:20} But when he had taken him, and he had led him to his mother, she placed him upon her knees, until midday, and then he died.
{4:21} Then she went up and laid him out on the bed of the man of God, and she closed the door. And departing,
{4:22} she called her husband, and she said: “Send with me, I beg you, one of your servants, and a donkey, so that I may hurry to the man of God, and then return.”
{4:23} And he said to her: “What is the reason that you would go to him? Today is not the new moon, and it is not the Sabbath.” She responded, “I will go.”
{4:24} And she saddled a donkey, and she instructed her servant: “Drive, and hurry on. You shall cause no delay for me in departing. And do whatever I instruct you to do.”
{4:25} And so she set out. And she came to the man of God, on mount Carmel. And when the man of God had seen her at a distance, he said to his servant Gehazi: “Behold, it is that Shunammite woman.
{4:26} So then, go to meet her, and say to her, ‘Does all go well concerning you, and your husband, and your son?’ ” And she answered, “It is well.”
{4:27} And when she had arrived at the man of God, on the mount, she took hold of his feet. And Gehazi drew near, so that he might remove her. But the man of God said: “Permit her. For her soul is in bitterness. And the Lord has concealed it from me, and has not revealed it to me.”
{4:28} And she said to him: “Did I ask a son from my lord? Did I not say to you, ‘You should not deceive me?’ ”
{4:29} And so he said to Gehazi: “Gird your waist, and take my staff in your hand, and go. If any man will meet you, you shall not greet him. And if anyone greets you, you shall not respond to him. And place my staff upon the face of the boy.”
{4:30} But the mother of the boy said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not release you.” Therefore, he rose up, and he followed her.
{4:31} But Gehazi had gone before them, and he had placed the staff upon the face of the boy. And there was no voice, nor any response. And so he returned to meet him. And he reported to him, saying, “The boy did not rise up.”
{4:32} Therefore, Elisha entered the house. And behold, the boy was lying dead upon his bed.
{4:33} And entering, he closed the door upon himself and the boy. And he prayed to the Lord.
{4:34} And he climbed up, and lay across the boy. And he put his mouth over his mouth, and his eyes over his eyes, and his hands over his hands. And he leaned himself over him, and the body of the boy grew warm.
{4:35} And returning, he walked around the house, first here and then there. And he went up, and lay across him. And the boy gasped seven times, and he opened his eyes.
{4:36} And he called Gehazi, and said to him, “Call this Shunammite woman.” And having been called, she entered to him. And he said, “Take up your son.”
{4:37} She went and fell at his feet, and she reverenced upon the ground. And she took up her son, and departed.
{4:38} And Elisha returned to Gilgal. Now there was a famine in the land, and the sons of the prophets were living in his sight. And he said to one of his servants, “Set out a large cooking pot, and boil a soup for the sons of the prophets.”
{4:39} And one went out into the field, so that he might collect wild herbs. And he found something like a wild vine, and he gathered from it bitter fruits of the field, and he filled his cloak. And returning, he cut these up for the pot of soup. But he did not know what it was.
{4:40} Then they poured it out for their companions to eat. And when they had tasted the mixture, they cried out, saying, “Death is in the cooking pot, O man of God!” And they were unable to eat.
{4:41} But he said, “Bring some flour.” And when they had brought it, he cast it into the cooking pot, and he said, “Pour it out for the group, so that they may eat.” And there was no longer any bitterness in the cooking pot.
{4:42} Now a certain man arrived from Baal-Shalishah, carrying, for the man of God, bread from the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and new grain in his satchel. But he said, “Give it to the people, so that they may eat.”
{4:43} And his servant responded to him, “What amount is this, that I should set it before a hundred men?” But he said again: “Give it to the people, so that they may eat. For thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat, and there shall be still more.’ ”
{4:44} And so, he set it before them. And they ate, and there was still more, in accord with the word of the Lord.
{5:1} Naaman, the leader of the military of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man with his lord. For through him the Lord gave salvation to Syria. And he was a strong and rich man, but a leper.
{5:2} Now robbers had gone out from Syria, and they had led away captive, from the land of Israel, a little girl. And she was in the service of the wife of Naaman.
{5:3} And she said to her lady: “I wish that my lord had been with the prophet who is in Samaria. Certainly, he would have cured him of the leprosy that he has.”
{5:4} And so, Naaman entered to his lord, and he reported to him, saying: “The girl from the land of Israel spoke in such a manner.”
{5:5} And the king of Syria said to him, “Go, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” And when he had set out, he had taken with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand gold coins, and ten changes of fine clothing.
{5:6} And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, in these words: “When you will receive this letter, know that I have sent to you my servant, Naaman, so that you may heal him of his leprosy.”
{5:7} And when the king of Israel had read the letter, he tore his garments, and he said: “Am I God, so that I could take or give life, or so that this man would send to me to cure a man from his leprosy? Take notice and see that he is seeking occasions against me.”
{5:8} And when Elisha, the man of God, had heard this, specifically, that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent to him, saying: “Why have you torn your garments? Let him come to me, and let him know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
{5:9} Therefore, Naaman arrived with his horses and chariots, and he stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
{5:10} And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will receive health, and you will be clean.”
{5:11} And becoming angry, Naaman went away, saying: “I thought that he would have come out to me, and, standing, would have invoked the name of the Lord, his God, and that he would have touched the place of the leprosy with his hand, and so have healed me.
{5:12} Are not the Abana and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel, so that I might wash in them and be cleansed?” But then, after he had turned himself away and was leaving with indignation,
{5:13} his servants approached him, and they said to him: “If the prophet had told you, father, to do something great, certainly you ought to have done it. How much more so, now that he has said to you: ‘Wash, and you will be clean?’ ”
{5:14} So he descended and washed in the Jordan seven times, in accord with the word of the man of God. And his flesh was restored, like the flesh of a little child. And he was made clean.
{5:15} And returning to the man of God, with his entire retinue, he arrived, and stood before him, and he said: “Truly, I know there is no other God, in all the earth, except in Israel. And so I beg you to accept a blessing from your servant.”
{5:16} But he responded, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it.” And though he urged him strongly, he did not agree at all.
{5:17} And Naaman said: “As you wish. But I beg you to grant to me, your servant, that I may take from here the burden of two mules from the ground. For your servant will no longer offer holocaust or victim to other gods, except to the Lord.
{5:18} But there is still this matter, for which you will entreat the Lord on behalf of your servant: when my lord enters the temple of Rimmon, so that he may adore there, and he leans on my hand, if I will bow down in the temple of Rimmon, while he is adoring in the same place, that the Lord may ignore me, your servant, concerning this matter.”
{5:19} And he said to him, “Go in peace.” Then he went away from him, in the elect time of the earth.
{5:20} And Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, said: “My lord has spared Naaman, this Syrian, by not receiving from him what he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him, and take something from him.”
{5:21} And so, Gehazi followed after the back of Naaman. And when he had seen him running toward him, he leaped down from his chariot to meet him, and he said, “Is all well?”
{5:22} And he said: “It is well. My lord has sent me to you, saying: ‘Just now two youths from the sons of the prophets have come to me from mount Ephraim. Give them a talent of silver, and two changes of clothing.’ ”
{5:23} And Naaman said, “It is better that you accept two talents.” And he urged him, and he bound the two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing. And he set them upon two of his servants, who carried them before him.
{5:24} And when now he had arrived in the evening, he took them from their hands, and he stored them in the house. And he dismissed the men, and they went away.
{5:25} Then, having entered, he stood before his lord. And Elisha said, “Where are you coming from, Gehazi?” He responded, “Your servant did not go anywhere.”
{5:26} But he said: “Was my heart not present, when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? And now you have received money, and you have received garments, so that you might buy olive groves, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and men and women servants.
{5:27} So then, the leprosy of Naaman shall adhere to you, and to your offspring forever.” And he departed from him a leper, as white as snow.
{6:1} Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha: “Behold, the place in which we live before you is too narrow for us.
{6:2} Let us go as far as the Jordan, and let us each take from the forest a piece of timber, so that we may build for ourselves a place to live there.” And he said, “Go.”
{6:3} And one of them said, “Then you, too, should go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.”
{6:4} And he went with them. And when they had arrived at the Jordan, they were cutting down wood.
{6:5} Then it happened that, while someone was cutting timber, the iron of the ax fell into the water. And he cried out and said: “Alas, alas, alas, my lord! For this thing was borrowed.”
{6:6} Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he indicated to him the place. Then he cut off a piece of wood, and he threw it in. And the iron floated up.
{6:7} And he said, “Take it.” And he extended his hand, and took it.
{6:8} Now the king of Syria was fighting against Israel, and he took counsel with his servants, saying, “In this and that place, let us set up an ambush.”
{6:9} And so the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying: “Take care not to pass by that place. For the Syrians are there in ambush.”
{6:10} And so the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God had told him, and he prevented it. And he preserved himself, concerning that place, not merely once or twice.
{6:11} And the heart of the king of Syria was disturbed over this matter. And calling together his servants, he said, “Why have you not revealed to me the one who is betraying me to the king of Israel?”
{6:12} And one of his servants said: “By no means, my lord the king! Rather it is the prophet Elisha, who is in Israel, who is revealing to the king of Israel every word whatsoever that you will speak in your conclave.”
{6:13} And he said to them, “Go, and see where he is, so that I may send and capture him.” And they reported to him, saying, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”
{6:14} Therefore, he sent horses, and chariots, and experienced soldiers to that place. And when they had arrived in the night, they encircled the city.
{6:15} Now the servant of the man of God, arising at first light, went out and saw the army all around the city, with horses and chariots. And he reported it to him, saying: “Alas, alas, alas, my lord! What shall we do?”
{6:16} But he responded: “Do not be afraid. For there are more with us than with them.”
{6:17} And when Elisha had prayed, he said, “O Lord, open the eyes of this one, so that he may see.” And the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire, all around Elisha.
{6:18} Then truly, the enemies descended to him. But Elisha prayed to the Lord, saying: “Strike, I beg you, this people with blindness.” And the Lord struck them, so that they would not see, in accord with the word of Elisha.
{6:19} Then Elisha said to them: “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will reveal to you the man whom you are seeking.” Then he led them into Samaria.
{6:20} And when they had entered into Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these ones, so that they may see.” And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw themselves to be in the midst of Samaria.
{6:21} And the king of Israel, when he had seen them, said to Elisha, “My father, should I not strike them?”
{6:22} And he said: “You should not strike them. For you did not capture them with your sword or bow, so that you might strike them. Instead, set bread and water before them, so that they may eat and drink, and then go to their lord.”
{6:23} And a great preparation of foods was placed before them. And they ate and drank. And he dismissed them. And they went away to their lord. And the robbers of Syria no longer came into the land of Israel.
{6:24} Now it happened that, after these things, Benhadad, the king of Syria, gathered together his entire army, and he ascended and was besieging Samaria.
{6:25} And a great famine occurred in Samaria. And it was blockaded for a long time, until the head of a donkey was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and one fourth part of a pint of pigeons’ dung sold for five silver coins.
{6:26} And as the king of Israel was passing by the wall, a certain woman cried out to him, saying, “Save me, my lord the king!”
{6:27} And he said: “If the Lord does not save you, how am I able to save you? From the grain floor, or from the wine press?” And the king said to her, “What is the matter with you?” And she responded:
{6:28} “This woman said to me: ‘Give your son, so that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’
{6:29} Therefore, we cooked my son, and we ate him. And I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, so that we may eat him.’ But she concealed her son.”
{6:30} When the king had heard this, he tore his garments, and he passed along the wall. And all the people saw the haircloth that he had worn underneath, beside his flesh.
{6:31} And the king said, “May God do these things to me, and may he add these other things, if the head of Elisha, the son of Shaphat, will remain on him this day!”
{6:32} Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And so he sent a man ahead. And before that messenger arrived, he said to the elders: “Do you not know that this son of a murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? Therefore, watch, and when the messenger arrives, close the door. And you shall not permit him to enter. For behold, the sound of his lord’s feet is behind him.”
{6:33} While he was still speaking to them, the messenger appeared who was sent to him. And he said: “Behold, such a great evil is from the Lord! What more should I expect from the Lord?”
{7:1} Then Elisha said: “Listen to the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: Tomorrow, at this time, one measure of fine wheat flour will be one silver coin, and two measures of barley will be one silver coin, at the gate of Samaria.”
{7:2} And one of the leaders, upon whose hand the king leaned, responding to the man of God, said, “Even if the Lord will open the floodgates of heaven, how can what you say possibly be?” And he said, “You will see it with your own eyes, and you will not eat from it.”
{7:3} Now there were four lepers beside the entrance of the gate. And they said one to another: “Should we choose to stay here until we die?
{7:4} If we choose to enter the city, we will die from the famine. And if we remain here, we also will die. Therefore, come and let us flee over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare us, we will live. But if they choose to kill us, we will die anyway.”
{7:5} Therefore, they rose up in the evening, so that they might go to the camp of the Syrians. And when they had arrived at the beginning of the camp of the Syrians, they found no one in that place.
{7:6} For indeed, the Lord had caused them to hear, in the camp of Syria, the sound of chariots and horses, and a very numerous army. And they said one to another: “Behold, the king of Israel has paid wages to the kings of the Hittites and of the Egyptians against us. And they will overwhelm us.”
{7:7} Therefore, they rose up and fled away in the dark. And they left behind their tents and horses and donkeys in the camp. And they fled, desiring to save so much as their own lives.
{7:8} And so, when these lepers had arrived at the beginning of the camp, they entered one tent, and they ate and drank. And they took from there silver, and gold, and clothing. And they went away and hid it. And they returned again to another tent, and similarly, carrying away from there, they hid it.
{7:9} Then they said one to another: “We are not doing the right thing. For this is a day of good news. If we remain silent and refuse to report it until morning, we will be charged with a crime. Come, let us go and report it in the court of the king.”
{7:10} And when they had arrived at the gate of the city, they explained to them, saying: “We went into the camp of the Syrians, and we found no one in that place, except horses and donkeys tied, and the tents still standing.”
{7:11} Therefore, the gatekeepers went and reported it in the palace of the king.
{7:12} And he rose up in the night, and he said to his servants: “I tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are suffering from famine, and therefore they have gone out from the camp, and they lie hidden in the fields, saying: ‘When they will have gone out from the city, we will capture them alive, and then we will be able to enter the city.’ ”
{7:13} But one of his servants responded: “Let us take the five horses that remain in the city (for there were no more amid the entire multitude of Israel, since the rest had been consumed), and sending, we will be able to explore.”
{7:14} Therefore, they brought two horses. And the king sent them into the camp of the Syrians, saying, “Go, and see.”
{7:15} And they went away after them, as far as the Jordan. But behold, the entire way was filled with clothing and vessels, which the Syrians had thrown aside when they were disturbed. And the messengers returned and told the king.
{7:16} And the people, going out, pillaged the camp of the Syrians. And one measure of fine wheat flour went for one silver coin, and two measures of barley went for one silver coin, in accord with the word of the Lord.
{7:17} Then the king stationed that leader, on whose hand he leaned, at the gate. And the crowd trampled him at the entrance of the gate. And he died, in accord with what the man of God had said when the king had descended to him.
{7:18} And this happened in accord with the word of the man of God, which he had spoken to the king, when he said: “Two measures of barley will be one silver coin, and one measure of fine wheat flour will be one silver coin, at this same time tomorrow, at the gate of Samaria.”
{7:19} Then that leader had responded to the man of God, and he had said, “Even if the Lord will open the floodgates of heaven, how can what you say possibly happen?” And he said to him, “You will see it with your own eyes, and you will not eat from it.”
{7:20} Therefore, it happened to him just as it had been predicted. For the people trampled him at the gate, and he died.
{8:1} Now Elisha spoke to the woman, whose son he had caused to live, saying: “Rise up. Go, you and your household, and sojourn in whatever place you can find. For the Lord has called forth a famine, and it shall overwhelm the land for seven years.”
{8:2} And she rose up, and she acted in accord with the word of the man of God. And going with her household, she sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days.
{8:3} And when the seven years had ended, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines. And she departed, so that she might petition the king on behalf of her house and on behalf of her fields.
{8:4} Now the king was speaking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Describe for me all the great deeds that Elisha has done.”
{8:5} And as he was describing for the king the manner in which he had raised the dead, the woman appeared, whose son he had restored to life, crying out to the king on behalf of her house and on behalf of her fields. And Gehazi said, “My lord the king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha raised up.”
{8:6} And the king questioned the woman. And she explained it to him. And the king appointed a eunuch to her, saying, “Restore to her all that is hers, with all the proceeds of the fields, from the day that she left the land until the present.”
{8:7} Also, Elisha arrived in Damascus, and Benhadad, the king of Syria, was ill. And they reported to him, saying, “The man of God has arrived here.”
{8:8} And the king said to Hazael: “Take with you gifts. And go to meet the man of God. And consult the Lord through him, saying: ‘Will I be able to escape from this, my infirmity?’ ”
{8:9} And so, Hazael went to meet him, having with him gifts, and all the goods of Damascus, the burdens of forty camels. And when he had stood before him, he said: “Your son, Benhadad, the king of Syria, sent me to you, saying: ‘Will I be able to be healed from this, my infirmity?’ ”
{8:10} And Elisha said to him: “Go, tell him: ‘You will be healed.’ But the Lord has revealed to me that, dying he shall die.”
{8:11} And he stood beside him, and he was so troubled that his face became flushed. And the man of God wept.
{8:12} And Hazael said to him, “Why is my lord weeping?” And he said: “Because I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel. Their fortified cities you will burn with fire. And their young men you will kill with the sword. And you will destroy their little ones, and tear open the pregnant women.”
{8:13} And Hazael said, “But what am I, your servant, a dog, that I would do this great thing?” And Elisha said, “The Lord has revealed to me that you will be the king of Syria.”
{8:14} And when he had departed from Elisha, he went to his lord, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he responded: “He said to me, ‘You shall receive health.’ ”
{8:15} And when the next day had arrived, he took a small covering, and poured water on it, and he spread it over his face. And when he died, Hazael reigned in his place.
{8:16} In the fifth year of Joram, the son of Ahab, the king of Israel, and of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah: Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, reigned as the king of Judah.
{8:17} He was thirty-two years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem.
{8:18} And he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had walked. For the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.
{8:19} But the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah, because of David, his servant, just as he had promised him, so that he might grant a light to him and to his sons, for all days.
{8:20} In his days, Idumea drew apart, so as not to be under Judah, and they appointed a king for themselves.
{8:21} And so, Jehoram went to Zair, and all the chariots with him. And he rose up in the night, and he struck down the Idumeans who had surrounded him, and the leaders of the chariots. But the people fled to their tents.
{8:22} And Idumea drew apart, so as not to be under Judah, even to this day. Then Libnah also drew apart, at the same time.
{8:23} Now the rest of the words of Jehoram, and all that he did, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Judah?
{8:24} And Jehoram slept with his fathers, and he was buried with them in the city of David. And Ahaziah, his son, reigned in his place.
{8:25} In the twelfth year of Joram, the son of Ahab, the king of Israel: Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, the king of Judah, reigned.
{8:26} Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri, the king of Israel.
{8:27} And he walked in the ways of the house of Ahab. And he did what is evil before the Lord, just as the house of Ahab did. For he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab.
{8:28} Also, he went with Joram, the son of Ahab, in order to fight against Hazael, the king of Syria, at Ramoth Gilead. And the Syrians had wounded Joram.
{8:29} And he turned back, so that he might be cured at Jezreel. For the Syrians had wounded him at Ramoth, fighting against Hazael, the king of Syria. Then Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, the king of Judah, descended to visit Joram, the son of Ahab, at Jezreel, because he was sick there.
{9:1} Now the prophet Elisha called one of the sons of the prophets, and he said to him: “Gird your waist, and take this little bottle of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead.
{9:2} And when you arrive in that place, you will see Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. And upon entering, you shall raise him up from the midst of his brothers, and you shall lead him into an inner room.
{9:3} And taking the little bottle of oil, you shall pour it upon his head, and you shall say: ‘Thus says the Lord: I have anointed you as king over Israel.’ And you shall open the door and flee. And you shall not remain in that place.”
{9:4} Therefore, the young man, a servant of the prophet, went away to Ramoth Gilead.
{9:5} And he entered that place, and behold, the leaders of the army were sitting there, and he said, “I have a word for you, O prince.” And Jehu said, “For which one among us all?” And he said, “For you, O prince.”
{9:6} And he rose up and entered into the room. And he poured the oil on his head, and he said: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I have anointed you as king over Israel, the people of the Lord.
{9:7} And you shall strike down the house of Ahab, your lord. And I will avenge the blood of my servants, the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, from the hand of Jezebel.
{9:8} And I will destroy the entire house of Ahab. And I will cause to pass away from Ahab, whatever urinates against a wall, and whatever is lame, and whatever is least in Israel.
{9:9} And 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.
{9:10} Also, the dogs will consume Jezebel, in the field of Jezreel. Neither will there be anyone who may bury her.’ ” And then he opened the door, and he fled.
{9:11} Then Jehu went out to the servants of his lord. And they said to him: “Is everything well? Why has this insane man come to you?” And he said to them, “You know the man, and what he said.”
{9:12} But they responded, “That is false; instead, you should tell us.” And he said to them, “He said to me these certain things, and he said, ‘Thus says the Lord: I have anointed you as king over Israel.’ ”
{9:13} And so they hurried away. And each one, taking his cloak, placed it under his feet, in the manner of a seat for judgment. And they sounded the trumpet, and they said: “Jehu reigns!”
{9:14} Then Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. Now Joram had besieged Ramoth Gilead, he and all of Israel, against Hazael, the king of Syria.
{9:15} And he had returned, so that he might be cured at Jezreel, because of his wounds. For the Syrians had struck him, while he was fighting against Hazael, the king of Syria. And Jehu said, “If it pleases you, let no one depart, fleeing from the city; otherwise he may go and give a report in Jezreel.”
{9:16} And he climbed up and set out for Jezreel, because Joram was sick there, and Ahaziah, the king of Judah, had gone down to visit Joram.
{9:17} And so the watchman, who was standing upon the tower of Jezreel, saw the crowd of Jehu arriving, and he said, “I see a crowd.” And Joram said: “Take a chariot, and send to meet them. And those who go should say, ‘Is everything well?’ ”
{9:18} Therefore, he who had climbed into the chariot went away to meet him, and he said, “The king says this: ‘Is everything peaceful?’ ” And Jehu said: “What peace is there for you? Pass by and follow me.” Also the watchman gave a report, saying, “The messenger went to them, but he did not return.”
{9:19} And then he sent a second chariot of horses. And he went to them, and he said, “The king says this: ‘Is there peace?’ ” And Jehu said: “What peace is there for you? Pass by and follow me.”
{9:20} Then the watchman gave a report, saying: “He went all the way to them, but he did not return. But their advance is like the advance of Jehu, the son of Nimshi. For he advances precipitously.”
{9:21} And Joram said, “Yoke the chariot.” And they yoked his chariot. And Joram, the king of Israel, and Ahaziah, the king of Judah, departed, each in his chariot. And they went out to meet Jehu. And they met him in the field of Naboth, the Jezreelite.
{9:22} And when Joram had seen Jehu, he said, “Is there peace, Jehu?” And he responded: “What is peace? For still the fornications of your mother, Jezebel, and her many poisons, are thriving.”
{9:23} Then Joram turned his hand, and, fleeing, he said to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!”
{9:24} But Jehu bent his bow with his hand, and he struck Joram between the shoulders. And the arrow went through his heart, and immediately he fell in his chariot.
{9:25} And Jehu said to Bidkar, his commander: “Take and cast him into the field of Naboth, the Jezreelite. For I remember, when you and I, sitting in a chariot, were following Ahab, this man’s father, that the Lord lifted this burden upon him, saying:
{9:26} ‘Certainly, I will repay you in this field, says the Lord, for the blood of Naboth, and for the blood of his sons, which I saw yesterday, says the Lord.’ Therefore, take him now, and cast him into the field, in accord with the word of the Lord.”
{9:27} But Ahaziah, the king of Judah, seeing this, fled along the way of the garden house. And Jehu pursued him, and he said, “Strike this one also in his chariot.” And they struck him on the ascent to Gur, which is beside Ibleam. But he fled into Megiddo, and he died there.
{9:28} And his servants placed him upon his chariot, and they took him to Jerusalem. And they buried him in the sepulcher with his fathers, in the city of David.
{9:29} In the eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, Ahaziah reigned over Judah.
{9:30} And Jehu went into Jezreel. But Jezebel, hearing of his arrival, painted her eyes with cosmetics, and adorned her head. And she watched through a window,
{9:31} as Jehu was entering through the gate. And she said, “Is it possible for there to be peace for Zimri, who killed his lord?”
{9:32} And Jehu lifted up his face to the window, and he said, “Who is this woman?” And two or three eunuchs bowed down before him.
{9:33} And he said to them, “Throw her down with force.” And they threw her forcefully, and the wall was splattered with her blood, and the hoofs of the horses trampled her.
{9:34} And when he had entered, so that he might eat and drink, he said: “Go, and see to that cursed woman, and bury her. For she is the daughter of a king.”
{9:35} But when they had gone, so that they might bury her, they found nothing but the skull, and the feet, and the ends of her hands.
{9:36} And returning, they reported to him. And Jehu said: “It is the word of the Lord, which he spoke through his servant, Elijah the Tishbite, saying: ‘In the field of Jezreel, the dogs will consume the flesh of Jezebel.
{9:37} And the flesh of Jezebel will be like dung upon the face of the earth, in the field of Jezreel, so that those who pass by may say: Is this that same Jezebel?’ ”
{10:1} Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And so Jehu wrote letters, and he sent to Samaria, to the nobles of the city, and to those greater by birth, and to those who had raised Ahab’s sons, saying:
{10:2} “Immediately when you receive these letters, you who have your lord’s sons, and chariots, and horses, and reinforced cities, and weapons,
{10:3} choose him who is better and who pleases you from among the sons of your lord, and set him on the throne of his father, and fight for the house of your lord.”
{10:4} But they were vehemently afraid, and they said: “Behold, two kings were not able to stand before him. So how will we be able to withstand him?”
{10:5} Therefore, those who were in charge of the house, and the prefects of the city, and those greater by birth, and those who raised the sons, sent to Jehu, saying: “We are your servants. Whatever you will order, we will do. But we will not appoint a king for ourselves. Do whatever pleases you.”
{10:6} Then he again wrote letters to them a second time, saying: “If you are mine, and if you obey me, take the heads of the sons of your lord, and come to me at Jezreel at this same hour tomorrow.” Now the sons of the king, being seventy men, were being raised with the nobles of the city.
{10:7} And when the letters had arrived to them, they took the sons of the king, and they killed the seventy men. And they placed their heads in baskets, and they sent these to him at Jezreel.
{10:8} Then a messenger arrived and reported to him, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” And he responded, “Place them in two piles, beside the entrance of the gate, until morning.”
{10:9} And when it had become light, he went out. And standing there, he said to all the people: “You are just. If I have conspired against my lord, and if I have killed him, who has struck down all of these?
{10:10} Now therefore, see that none of the words of the Lord has fallen to the ground, which the Lord spoke over the house of Ahab, and that the Lord has done what he spoke by the hand of his servant Elijah.”
{10:11} And so, Jehu struck down all who had remained from the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his nobles and friends and priests, until no remnant of them was left behind.
{10:12} And he rose up and went to Samaria. And when he had arrived at the shepherds’ cabin along the way,
{10:13} he found the brothers of Ahaziah, the king of Judah, and he said to them, “Who are you?” And they responded, “We are the brothers of Ahaziah, and we are going down to greet the sons of the king, and the sons of the queen.”
{10:14} And he said, “Take them alive.” And when they had taken them alive, they cut their throats at the cistern beside the cabin, forty-two men. And he did not leave any of them behind.
{10:15} And when he had gone away from there, he found Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, coming to meet him, and he blessed him. And he said to him, “Is your heart upright, just as my heart is with your heart?” And Jehonadab said, “It is.” Then he said, “If it is, then give me your hand.” He gave his hand to him. And so he lifted him up to himself in the chariot.
{10:16} And he said to him, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord.” And he gave him a place in his chariot.
{10:17} And he led him into Samaria. And he struck down all who were left behind of Ahab in Samaria, even to the last one, in accord with the word of the Lord, which he spoke through Elijah.
{10:18} Then Jehu gathered together the entire people. And he said to them: “Ahab worshipped Baal a little, but I will worship him even more.
{10:19} Now therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, and all his servants, and all his priests. Let no one be permitted not to come, for great is the sacrifice from me to Baal. Whoever will fail to come, he shall not live.” Now Jehu was doing this treacherously, so that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
{10:20} And he said: “Sanctify a day of solemnity for Baal.” And he summoned
{10:21} and sent into all the borders of Israel. And all the servants of Baal came. There was left behind not even one who did not arrive. And they entered into the temple of Baal. And the house of Baal was filled, all the way from end to end.
{10:22} And he said to those who were over the vestments, “Bring forth vestments for all the servants of Baal.” And they brought forth vestments for them.
{10:23} And Jehu, upon entering the temple of Baal with Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, said to the worshippers of Baal, “Inquire and see that there is no one with you from the servants of the Lord, but only from the servants of Baal.”
{10:24} Then they entered, so that they might offer victims and holocausts. But Jehu had prepared for himself eighty men outside. And he had said to them, “If anyone escapes from among these men, whom I have led into your hands, your life will take the place of his life.”
{10:25} Then it happened that, when the holocaust had been completed, Jehu ordered his soldiers and officers, saying: “Enter and strike them down. Let no one escape.” And the soldiers and officers struck them down with the edge of the sword, and they cast them out. And they went into the city of the temple of Baal,
{10:26} and they took away the statue from the shrine of Baal, and they burned it up
{10:27} and crushed it. They also tore down the temple of Baal, and they made it into a latrine, even to this day.
{10:28} And thus did Jehu wipe away Baal from Israel.
{10:29} Yet truly, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. Neither did he forsake the golden calves, which were in Bethel and Dan.
{10:30} Then the Lord said to Jehu: “Since you have diligently carried out what was right and pleasing in my eyes, and since you have accomplished, against the house of Ahab, all that was in my heart, your sons shall sit upon the throne of Israel, even to the fourth generation.”
{10:31} But Jehu did not take care, so that he might walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. For he did not withdraw from the sins of Jeroboam, who had caused Israel to sin.
{10:32} In those days, the Lord began to be weary of Israel. And Hazael struck them throughout all the parts of Israel,
{10:33} from the Jordan opposite the eastern region, in all the land of Gilead, and Gad, and Reuben, and Manasseh, from Aroer, which is above the torrent Arnon, in both Gilead and Bashan.
{10:34} But the rest of the words of Jehu, and all that he did, and his strength, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
{10:35} And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz, his son, reigned in his place.
{10:36} Now the days during which Jehu reigned over Israel, in Samaria, were twenty-eight years.
{11:1} Truly, Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, seeing that her son was dead, rose up and put to death all the royal offspring.
{11:2} But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, taking Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, stole him away from the midst of the sons of the king who were being killed, out of the bedroom, with his nurse. And she hid him from the face of Athaliah, so that he would not be killed.
{11:3} And he was with her for six years, hidden in the house of the Lord. But Athaliah reigned over the land.
{11:4} Then, in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for and took centurions and soldiers, and he brought them to himself in the temple of the Lord. And he formed a pact with them. And taking an oath with them in the house of the Lord, he revealed to them the son of the king.
{11:5} And he commanded them, saying: “This is the word that you must do.
{11:6} Let one third part of you enter on the Sabbath, and keep watch on the house of the king. And let one third part be at the gate of Sur. And let one third part be at the gate behind the dwelling place of the shield bearers. And you shall keep the watch on the house of Mesha.
{11:7} Yet truly, let two parts of you, all who depart on the Sabbath, keep watch over the house of the Lord concerning the king.
{11:8} And you shall surround him, having weapons in your hands. But if anyone will have entered the precinct of the temple, let him be killed. And you shall be with the king, entering and departing.”
{11:9} And the centurions acted in accord with all the things that Jehoiada, the priest, had instructed them. And taking each one of their men who would enter on the Sabbath, with those who would depart on the Sabbath, they went to Jehoiada, the priest.
{11:10} And he gave to them the spears and weapons of king David, which were in the house of the Lord.
{11:11} And they stood, each one having his weapons in his hand, before the right side of the temple, all the way to the left side of the altar and of the shrine, surrounding the king.
{11:12} And he led forth the son of the king. And he placed the diadem on him, and the testimony. And they made him king, and they anointed him. And clapping their hands, they said: “The king lives!”
{11:13} Then Athaliah heard the sound of the people running. And entering to the crowd at the temple of the Lord,
{11:14} she saw the king standing upon a tribunal, according to custom, and the singers and trumpets near him, and all the people of the land rejoicing and sounding the trumpets. And she tore her garments, and she cried out: “Conspiracy! Conspiracy!”
{11:15} But Jehoiada gave orders to the centurions who were over the army, and he said to them: “Lead her away, beyond the precinct of the temple. And whoever will have followed her, let him be struck with the sword.” For the priest had said, “Do not allow her to be killed in the temple of the Lord.”
{11:16} And they laid hands on her. And they pushed her through the way by which horses enter, beside the palace. And she was killed there.
{11:17} Then Jehoiada formed a covenant between the Lord, and the king and the people, so that they would be the people of the Lord; and between the king and the people.
{11:18} And all the people of the land entered the temple of Baal, and they tore down his altars, and they thoroughly crushed the statues. Also, they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altar. And the priest placed guards in the house of the Lord.
{11:19} And he took the centurions, and the legions of the Cherethites and Pelethites, and all the people of the land, and together they led the king from the house of the Lord. And they went by way of the gate of the shield bearers into the palace. And he sat upon the throne of the kings.
{11:20} And all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quieted. But Athaliah was slain with the sword at the house of the king.
{11:21} Now Jehoash was seven years old when he had begun to reign.
{12:1} In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash reigned. And he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Zebiah from Beersheba.
{12:2} And Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord, during all the days that Jehoiada, the priest, taught him.
{12:3} Yet still he did not take away the high places. For the people were still immolating, and burning incense, in the high places.
{12:4} And Jehoash said to the priests: “All of the money for the holy things, which has been brought into the temple of the Lord from those who pass by, which is offered for the price of a soul, and which they bring into the temple of the Lord willingly, from their own free heart:
{12:5} let the priests, according to their ranks, take and use it in order to repair the surfaces of the house, wherever they see anything in need of repair.”
{12:6} And yet, even until the twenty-third year of king Jehoash, the priests did not repair the surfaces of the temple.
{12:7} And king Jehoash called the high priest, Jehoiada, and the priests, saying to them: “Why have you not repaired the surfaces of the temple? Therefore, you may no longer accept money according to your ranks. Instead, return it in order that the temple may be repaired.”
{12:8} And so the priests were prohibited from accepting any more money from the people to repair the surfaces of the house.
{12:9} And the high priest, Jehoiada, took a certain chest, and he opened a hole in the top, and he placed it beside the altar, to the right of those who were entering the house of the Lord. And the priests who kept the doors put all the money in it which was being brought into the temple of the Lord.
{12:10} And when they saw that there was a great amount of money in the chest, the scribe of the king and the high priest went up and poured it out. And they counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord.
{12:11} And they gave it out, by number and measure, to the hands of those who were over the masons of the house of the Lord. And they weighed it out to the carpenters and masons, to those who were working in the house of the Lord
{12:12} and restoring the surfaces, and to those who were cutting stones, and buying timber and stones to be cut, so that the repairs to the house of the Lord might be finished: for all that was needed toward the expenses in order to strengthen the house.
{12:13} Yet truly, from the same money, they did not make for the temple of the Lord water pitchers, or small hooks, or censers, or trumpets, or any vessel of gold or silver, from the money that was brought into the temple of the Lord.
{12:14} For it was given to those who were doing the work, so that the temple of the Lord might be repaired.
{12:15} And they did not ration the money to the men who received it in order to distribute it to the artisans. Instead, they bestowed it with faith.
{12:16} Yet truly, the money for offenses and the money for sins, they did not bring into the temple of the Lord, since it was for the priests.
{12:17} Then Hazael, the king of Syria, ascended and fought against Gath, and he captured it. And he directed his face, so that he might ascend against Jerusalem.
{12:18} For this reason, Jehoash, the king of Judah, took all the sanctified things, which Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, the kings of Judah, had consecrated and which he himself had offered, and all the silver that could be found in the treasuries of the temple of the Lord and in the palace of the king, and he sent it to Hazael, the king of Syria. And so he withdrew from Jerusalem.
{12:19} Now the rest of the words of Jehoash, and all that he did, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Judah?
{12:20} Then his servants rose up and conspired among themselves. And they struck down Jehoash, at the house of Millo, on the descent of Silla.
{12:21} For Jozacar, the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad, the son of Shomer, his servants, struck him, and he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David. And Amaziah, his son, reigned in his place.