Study Desk

The king sent a messenger to Elisha. Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, "Look, that son of a murderer is sending men to cut off my head. When the messenger arrives, shut the door. Hold the door and don't let him in. I hear the sound of his master's feet coming behind him."

It was night, but the king got up from bed and said to his officers, "I will tell you what the Aramean soldiers are doing to us. They know we are hungry. They left the camp to hide in the field. They are thinking, ‘When the Israelites come out of the city, we will capture them alive. And then we will enter the city.'"

So Hazael went to meet Elisha. Hazael brought a gift with him. He brought all kinds of good things from Damascus. It took 40 camels to carry everything. Hazael came to Elisha and said, "Your follower, King Ben-Hadad of Aram, sent me to you. He asks if he will get well from his sickness."

Then Hazael left Elisha and went to his king. Ben-Hadad said to Hazael, "What did Elisha say to you?" He answered, "Elisha told me that you will live."

But Jehoram lived as the kings of Israel and did what the Lord saw as evil. He lived as the people from Ahab's family, because his wife was Ahab's daughter.

But the Lord would not destroy Judah because of the promise to his servant David. He had promised David that someone from his family would always be king.

Then Jehoram and all his chariots went to Zair. The Edomite army surrounded them, but Jehoram and his officers attacked them and escaped. Jehoram's soldiers all ran away and went home.

Jehoram died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Jehoram's son Ahaziah became the new king.

Ahaziah was 22 years old when he began to rule. He ruled one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah. She was the daughter of King Omri of Israel.

Ahaziah did what the Lord said was wrong. He did many bad things, just as the people from Ahab's family had done. He lived like this because his wife was from Ahab's family.

When you arrive, find Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Then go in and make him get up from among his brothers. Take him to an inner room.

Jehu went back to his king's officers. One of the officers said to Jehu, "Is everything all right? Why did this crazy man come to you?" Jehu answered the servants, "You know the man and the crazy things he says."

Then each officer quickly took his robe off and put it on the steps in front of Jehu. Then they blew the trumpet and made the announcement, "Jehu is king!"

Joram was resting in Jezreel, so Jehu got in his chariot and drove to Jezreel. King Ahaziah of Judah had also come to Jezreel to see Joram.

The guard told Joram, "The second messenger went to the group, but he has not come back yet. There is a man driving his chariot like a mad man. He is driving like Jehu son of Nimshi."

But Jehu grabbed his bow and shot Joram in the middle of his back, through the heart. Joram fell dead in his chariot.

Jehu said to his chariot driver Bidkar, "Take Joram's body up and throw it into the field of Naboth from Jezreel. Remember when you and I rode together with Joram's father Ahab, the Lord said this would happen to him.

The Lord said, ‘Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and his sons. And I, the Lord , am telling you that I will punish Ahab in this field.' So take Joram's body and throw it into the field, just as the Lord said."

King Ahaziah of Judah saw this and ran away. He tried to escape through the garden house, but Jehu followed him. Jehu had said, "Shoot Ahaziah too!" Ahaziah was wounded when he was in his chariot on the road to Gur near Ibleam. He got as far as Megiddo, but he died there.

Ahaziah's servants carried his body in the chariot to Jerusalem. They buried him in his tomb with his ancestors in the City of David.