Study Desk

And Jezebel's body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.'"

Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying:

So the palace administrator, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: "We are your servants, and we will do whatever you say. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your sight."

So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his great men and close friends and priests, leaving him without a single survivor.

Then Jehu ordered, "Take them alive." So his men took them alive, then slaughtered them at the well of Beth-eked-forty-two men. He spared none of them.

When he left there, he found Jehonadab son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked, "Is your heart as true to mine as my heart is to yours?" "It is!" Jehonadab replied. "If it is," said Jehu, "give me your hand." So he gave him his hand, and Jehu helped him into his chariot,

saying, "Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD!" So he had him ride in his chariot.

And Jehu commanded, "Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal." So they called one.

And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, "Bring out garments for all the servants of Baal." So he brought out garments for them.

When he had finished making the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and officers, "Go in and kill them. Do not let anyone out." So the guards and officers struck them down with the sword, threw the bodies out, and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal.

So the time of Jehu's reign over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

So the commanders of hundreds did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men-those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty-and came to Jehoiada the priest.

So they seized Athaliah as she reached the horses' entrance to the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.

So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols into pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. And Jehoiada the priest posted guards for the house of the LORD.

So King Joash called Jehoiada and the other priests and said, "Why have you not repaired the damage in the temple? Now, therefore, take no more money from your constituency, but hand it over for the repair of the temple."

So the priests agreed they would not receive money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves.

So King Joash of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his fathers-Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah-along with his own consecrated items and all the gold found in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram. So Hazael withdrew from Jerusalem.

So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them continually into the hands of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad.

So the LORD gave Israel a deliverer, and they escaped the power of the Arameans. Then the people of Israel lived in their own homes as they had before.

Elisha told him, "Take a bow and some arrows." So he himself took a bow and some arrows.