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The 1527 Original Word of God In English


God's Truth To Us

 

 

The Second Book of Kings

Fourth Book of Kings (after the Latin)

 

Chapters 1-6 | 7-12 | 13-18 | 19-end | Next Book


 

The 7th Chapter

      Then Eliseus said: hear the word of the Lord: for thus saith the Lord: tomorrow this time a bushel of fine flour shall be sold for a sickle and two bushels of Barley for another in the gates of Samaria. Then a great Lord on whose hand the king leaned, answered the man of God and said, though the Lord would make windows in heaven, yet would not this be. And he said again: Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes and shalt not eat thereof.
      And there were four lepers set without the gate of Samaria. And they said each to his companion, what sit we here until we die? though we thought that we might come into the city, yet is the *dearth so great in the city, that we shall there die. And if we tarry here, we are but dead also. Now therefore come and let us flee to the Host of the Sirians: if they save our lives, we shall live: And if they kill us, then are we dead. And so they arose in the dark to go to the Host of the Sirians. And when they were come to the side of the Host of Siria: see, there was no man there.
      For the Lord had made the Host of the Sirians hear a noise of chariots and a noise of horses, and the noise of a great Host. In so much that they said one to another: see, the king of Israel hath hired against us, the kings of the Hethites and the kings of Egypt, to come upon us. And upon that they arose and fled in the dark, and left their tents, their horses, their Asses and the field they had pitched even as it was, and fled for their lives. And when these lepers came to the edge of the Host, they went into a tent and did eat and drink and carried thence silver, gold and raiment, and went and hid it: and came again and entered into another, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.
      Then they said one to another: it is not well that we do, for this day is a day to bring tidings. And if we hold our peace, and tarry till it be daylight, we shall find a mischief. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the kings household. And so they went and called to the porter of the city and told them saying: we came to the pavilions of the Sirians: and see, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses and Asses tied, and the tents even as they were.
      Then the porters called and told the kings house within. And the king arose in the night and said to his servants: I will show you, how the Sirians have served us. They know that we are oppressed with hunger, and therefore are gone out of their pavilions to hide themselves in the field saying: They will come out of the city, and then we shall catch them alive and get into the city. And one of his servants answered and said: Let men take five of the horses that remain and are left in the city. Behold they are as good as all the multitude that are left in the city: and as good as all the multitude of the city that are consumed, and let us send and see. And they took two chariots of horses, and the king sent after the Host of the Sirians saying: go and see. And they followed after them even unto Jordan: and see, all the way was full of clothes and vessels which the Sirians had cast from them for haste.
      And the messengers returned and told the king. And then the people went out and robbed the tents of the Sirians. And so a bushel of flour was sold for a sickle, and two bushels of barley for a sickle, according to the word of the Lord. And the king set the Lord on whose hand he leaned, to keep the gate. And the people trod him in the gate, that he died, according to the saying of the man of God which he said, when the king came down to him. And it came to pass according to the word of the man of God to the king saying: two bushels of barley for a sickle and a bushel of flour for another shall be tomorrow this time in the gates of Samaria. And the Lord answered the man of God and said: though the Lord made windows in heaven, yet would this not be. And the other said: Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, and shalt not eat thereof. And so it chanced: for the people trod him under feet in the gate, that he died.

 

*dearth (famine)

 

 

 

The 8th Chapter

      Then spake Eliseus unto the woman whose son he had restored to life again, saying: up and go both thou and thine house, and sojourn where thou thinkest best, for the Lord will call a *dearth which shall come on the land seven years. And the woman arose and did after the saying of the man of God, and went both she and her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. And at the seven years end, when the woman was come again out of the land of the Philistines she went out to speak to the king for her house and for her land. And the king was talking with Gihezi the servant to the man of God saying: tell me I pray thee, all the great deeds which Eliseus did. And it chanced as he was telling the king how he restored a dead body to life again that the woman whose son he revived, cried to the king for her house and her land. Then said Gihezi: My Lord king, this is the woman and this is her son which Eliseus brought to life again. And the king asked the woman, and she told him. And so the king sent with her one of his chamberlains saying: restore all that pertaineth to her, with all the fruits of the field, since the day she left the land, unto this time.
      After that Eliseus went to Damasco, Benhadad the king of Siria being sick. And one told the king saying: The man of God is come hither. Then said the king to Hazael: take a present with thee and go against the man of God and ask the Lord by him whether I shall recover of this my disease or no. And Hazael went to meet him and took presents with him, even of all the good things of Damasco, as much as forty Camels could bear, and came and presented himself before him and said: thy son Benhadad King of Siria hath sent me to thee, saying: shall I recover of this my disease.
      And Eliseus said to him: go and say to him, thou shalt recover, how be it the Lord hath showed me that he shall surely die. And the man of God began to look earnestly, in somuch that he was ashamed: and the man of God wept. And Hazael said: why weepeth my Lord: And he answered: for I know that thou shalt do evil unto the children of Israel: their strong cities thou shalt set on fire, and their young men thou shalt slay with the sword, and shalt dash out the brains of their sucking children: and all to tear their women with child.
      And Hazael said: what is thy servant which am but a dog, that I should do this great thing? And Eliseus said: for the Lord hath showed me, that thou shalt be king of Siria. And so he departed from Eliseus and came to his master, which said to him. What said Eliseus to thee? And he said: he told me that thou shouldest recover. And on the morrow he took a rough cloth and dipped it in the water and spread it on his face, and he died, and Hazael reigned in his stead.
      The fifth year of Jehoram son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehosaphat being yet king of Juda, Jehoram the son of Jehosaphat, king of Juda, began to reign. Thirty two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab for the daughter of Ahab was his wife, and he did that displeased the Lord. Neverthelater the Lord would not destroy Juda because of David his servant, as he promised him to give him a light in his children always.
      And in his days Edom fell away from under the hand of Juda, and made them a king of their own. And Jehoram went to Seir, and all his chariots with him. And he rose by night and laid on the Edomites, which compassed him in, and the captains of his chariot and the people fled into their tents. And so the Edomites slipped away from under the hand of Juda unto this day. And then Lobnah slipped away too, even that same time.
      The rest of the deeds of Jehoram and all he did, are written in the chronicles of the kings of Juda. And Jehoram rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Ohoziah his son reigned in his stead. The twelfth year of Jehoram son of Ahab, king of Israel, did Ohoziah the son of Jehoram king of Juda begin to reign. Two and twenty year old was Ohoziah when he began to reign, and reigned one year in Jerusalem, his mothers name was Athaliah daughter of Amri king of Israel. And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab: for he was a son in law to the house of Ahab.
      And Jehoram the son of Ahab went to war with Hazael king of Siria, at Ramoth in Galaad, and the Sirians wounded him. Wherefore king Jehoram went back again, to be healed in Jezrahel of the wounds which the Sirians had given him at Ramoth, when he fought with Hazael king of Siria. And Ohoziah the son of Jehoram king of Juda went down to see Jehoram of son of Ahab in Jezrahel because he was sick.

 

*dearth (famine)

 

 

 

The 9th Chapter

      And Eliseus the prophet called unto one of the children of the prophets, and said to him: gird up thy loins and take this box of oil in thine hand and get thee to Ramoth in Galaad. And when thou comest thither, thou shalt there see Jehu the son of Jehosaphat the son of Namsi and go to him, and make him arise up from among his brethren and carry him to a secret chamber. And take the box of oil and pour it on his head and say, thus saith the Lord: I have anointed thee to be king over Israel. And then open the door and flee, and tarry not. And the servant of the prophet got him to Ramoth in Galaad, and when he came, the captains of the Host were sitting together. And he said: I have an errand to thee Sir captain. And Jehu said, unto which of all of us? And he said: to thee O captain. And he arose and went into the house.
      And the other poured the oil on his head and said to him, thus saith the Lord God of Israel: I have anointed thee to be king over Israel the people of the Lord, that thou slay the household of Ahab thy master. For I (saith the Lord) will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, of the hand of Jezabel (for the whole house of Ahab shall be destroyed) and I will destroy unto Ahab what pisseth against the wall, and so much as the prisoned or that is forsaken in Israel, and will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nabat, and like the house of Baasa the son of Ahiah. And as for Jezabel the dogs shall eat her in the field of Jezrahel, and none shall bury her. And he opened the door and fled.
      And when Jehu was come out to the servants of his Lord, they said to him: is all peace? Wherefore came this mad fellow unto thee? And he said to him: ye know the person and his communication. And they said: it is not so. But tell us a fellowship. And he said, thus and thus spake he to me saying: Thus saith the Lord: I have anointed thee to be king over Israel. And they hasted and took every man his mantle and put under him on an high bench at the top of the steps, and blew a trumpet and said: Jehu is king. And so Jehu the son of Jehosaphat the son of Namsi conspired against Jehoram. And Jehoram had been waiting at Ramoth Galaad, and all Israel with him for fear of Hazael king of Siria, and was returned to be healed in Jezrahel, of the wounds which the Sirians had given him as he fought with Hazael king of Siria.
      Then said Jehu: If it be your minds, then let no man escape out of the city, to go and tell in Jezrahel. And Jehu rode and went to Jezrahel: for Jehoram lay there, and Ohoziah king of Juda was come to Jehoram. And the watchmen that stood on the tower in Jezrahel spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said: I see a company. And Jehoram said: take an horseman and send against them, and let him ask whether it be peace. And there went one on horseback against him and said: thus saith the king: is it peace? And Jehu answered: what hast thou to do with peace? turn and come after me. And the watchman told saying: the messenger came to them but he cometh not again.
      Then he sent out another on horseback, which came to them and said, thus saith the king: is it peace? And Jehu answered, what hast thou to do with peace? turn and come after me. And the watchman told saying: he came to them, but he cometh not again, and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Namsi, for he driveth as he were mad.
      Then said Jehoram, make ready. And they made ready his chariot. And Jehoram king of Israel, and Ohoziah king of Juda went out either in his chariot against Jehu, and met him in the furlong of Naboth the Jezrahelite. And when Jehoram saw Jehu, he said: is it peace Jehu? And he said, what peace should there be, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezabel and her witchcrafts are so great? And Jehoram turned his hand and fled, and said to Ohoziah: there is falsehood Ohoziah. And Jehu took a bow in his hand and smote Jehoram between the shoulders, that the arrow came out at his breast. And he fell down three fold in his chariot. Then he said to Badakar a lord of his, take and cast him in the plat of ground of Naboth the Jezrahelite. For I remember as I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, how the Lord spake these words against him: I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and of his sons, said the Lord, and I will quit him in this ground, saith the Lord. Now therefore take him and cast him in the plat of ground according to the word of the Lord. And when Ohoziah the king of Juda saw that, he fled the way to the garden house. And Jehu followed after him and said: smite him also. And they smote him in his chariot at the going up to Sur by Jeblaam, and he fled to Magedo and there died. And his servants carried him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David. And in the eleventh year of Jehoram son of David, began Ohoziah to reign over Juda. And when Jehu was come to Jezrahel, Jezabel heard of it, and starched her eyes and tired her head and looked out at a window. And as Jehu entered at the gate she said: had Zamri peace which slew his master? And he lifted up his eyes to the window and said, who is of my side who ? And there looked out to him two or three lords that were chamberlains. And he said: Throw her down. And they threw her down. And he sprinkled of her blood upon the walls and on the horses, and trod her under foot.
      And then when he was come in and had eaten and drunk, he said: go and visit I pray you, yonder cursed creature, and bury her, for she is a kings daughter. And when they came to bury her, they found no more of her, than the skull and the two feet and the two hands. And they came again and told him. And he said: it is the word of the Lord which he spake by the hand of his servant Eliah the Thesbite saying: in the field of Jezrahel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezabel, and the carcass of Jezabel shall be dung upon the earth, in the field of Jezrahel, that men shall not say, this is Jezabel.

 

The 10th Chapter

      Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria unto the elders that were lords of Jezrahel, and to them that nursed up Ahabs children saying: now at the coming of these letters to you, ye have with you your masters sons, and ye have with you chariots and horses, and a strong city and harness. Therefore choose the best, and him that most pleaseth you of your masters sons, and put him on his fathers seat, and fight for your lords house. And they were accordingly afraid, and said: see, two kings were not able to stand before him, how shall we then stand? And the governor of the kings house and of the city and of the elders and the nurses sent to Jehu saying: we are thy servants and will do all that thou shalt bid us: we will make no man king: but do thou what seemeth good in thine eyes.
      Then he wrote another letter to them saying: If ye be mine and will obey my voice, then take the heads of your masters sons and come to me to Jezrahel, by tomorrow this time. And the kings sons were seventy persons with the great men of the city which nourished them. And when the letter came to them, they took the kings children and slew them in number, seventy persons, and put their heads in coffins and sent them to him to Jezrahel. And there came a messenger and told him saying: they have brought the heads of the kings sons. And he said: let them put them on two heaps in the entering of the gate, till it be day.
      And in the morning he went out and stood and said to all the folk, ye be righteous: for see, I conspired against my master and slew him: But who slew these? consider now how there is nothing of the Lords word fallen to the earth, which he spake against the house of Ahab: for the Lord hath done that he spake to his servant Eliah. And so Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab, in Jezrahel, and all that were great with him, and his companions and his priests, until he had left him naught remain. And he arose and departed and went to Samaria. And as Jehu was come even to the house where the shepherds bind their sheep by the high way side, he met with the brethren of Ohoziah king of Juda, and said what are ye? and they said, the brethren of Ohoziah are we, and go to salute the children of the king and of the queen. And he said: take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the well beside the house where the shepherds bind their sheep, in number forty two persons, that he left none of them.
      And when he was departed thence he met with Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming against him. And Jehu saluted him and said to him: is thine heart right, as mine heart is with thine. And Jehonadab said, yee that it is. If it be, then give me thine hand. And he gave his hand, and the other took him up to him into the chariot and said: go with me and see the zeal I have to the Lord, and made him ride with him in his chariot. And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had wiped him out, according to the saying of the Lord which he spake to Eliah.
      After that Jehu gathered all the people together and said to them: Ahab served Baal a little: but Jehu shall serve him a good. Now therefore call unto me all the Prophets of Baal and all his servants and all his priests that none be lacking . For I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal: and if any be missed, he shall not live. But Jehu did it for a subtlety, to destroy the servants of Baal. Wherefore Jehu said: Appoint a solemn feast for Baal, and they proclaimed it. Then Jehu sent throughout all Israel. And all the servants of Baal came, that there was not a man left behind that came not. And when they were come into the temple of Baal, the temple was full from one end to another.
      Then he said to the keeper of the *vestry, bring forth garments for the servants of Baal. And he brought them out garments. And Jehu went with Jehonadab son of Rechab into the house of Baal: and said to the servants of Baal: search and look that there be none here with you of the servants of the Lord, but the servants of Baal only. And they went in, to offer sacrifice and burnt offerings. But Jehu appointed him four score men without and said: If any of the men that I shall bring unto your hands escape, he that letteth him go shall die for him.
      And as soon as he had made an end of offering of burnt sacrifice, he said to them of the guard and to the Lords: go in and slay them, let none come out. And they smote them with the edge of the sword. And the guard and the Lords cast them out, and went unto the city of the house of Baal, and fetched out the image out of the house of Baal and burnt it. And they brake the Image of Baal, and brake the house of Baal, and made a siege of it ever after. And so Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. But from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nabat which made Israel sin with the golden calves in Bethel and Dan, Jehu departed not.
      Then the Lord said to Jehu, because thou hast lustily done that pleaseth me, and hast done to the house of Ahab all that was in mine heart, therefore shall thy children in the fourth generation sit on the seat of Israel. But Jehu cared not to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam which made Israel sin.
      In those days the Lord began to cut Israel short, for Hazael slew them in all the coasts of Israel, from Jordan Eastward: even all the land of Galaad, the Gadites, the Rubenites and the Manassites, from Aroer upon the river of Arnon, with Galaad and Basan. The rest of the acts of Jehu, and all he did, and all his power, are written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel. And when Jehu was laid to rest with his fathers, they buried him in Samaria, and Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead. And the time that Jehu reigned upon Israel in Samaria, was twenty eight years.

 

*vestry, (garment room)

 

 

 

The 11th Chapter

      And Athaliah the mother of Ohoziah, when she saw that her son was dead, she arose and slew all the seed of the kingdom. But Jehosaba the daughter of king Jehoram and sister of Ohoziah, took Jehoas the son of Ohoziah and stole him from among the kings sons that were slain, and his nurse with him, out of a sleeping chamber, and hid him from Athaliah, that he was not slain. And he was with her, hid in the house of the Lord six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land.
      And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds with the captains and them of the guard, and took them into him into the house of the Lord, and made a bond with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the Lord, and showed them the kings son. And he commanded them saying: this is that ye must do: one third part of you shall come on the Sabbath day and keep the watch of the kings house: And another third part shall be at the gate Sur: and another third part shall be at the gate behind the guard chamber, and so shall ye keep the watch of the house of Mesah, and two portions of you: that is, all that go out the Sabbath day, shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord about the king, and shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapon in his hand. And whosoever cometh within the ranges shall die for it. And see that ye be with the king as he goeth out and in.
      And the captains over the hundreds did all the things as Jehoiada the priest commanded: and took every man his men, that is, them that came in the Sabbath day with them that went out the Sabbath day, and went to Jehoiada the priest. And the priest gave to the captains over hundreds the spears and shields that were king Davids and had remained in the temple. And the guard stood every man with his weapon in his hand round about the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left along by the altar and the temple. And he brought out the son of the king and put the crown upon him, and delivered him the witness, and made him king and anointed him. And they clapped their hands and said: God save the king.
      And when Athaliah heard the noise of the running of the people, she came to the people into the house of the Lord. And when she saw the king stand by a pillar (as the manner was) and the singers and the trumpets by the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing, and the blowing of the trumpets, she rent her clothes and cried, treason, treason. And Jehoiada the priest commanded the Captains of the hundreds that had the rule of the host, and said to them: have her out without the ranges, and if any follow her, let him die with the sword: for the priest said, she may not be slain in the house of the Lord. And they laid hands on her, and she went the way that the horses of the kings went out and was slain there.
      And Jehoiada made a bond both between the Lord and the king, and between the people and the Lord, that they should be the Lords people: and also between the king and the people. Then all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and destroyed his altars, and brake down his Images lustily, and slew Nathan the priest of Baal before the altar. And the priest set watchmen in the house of the Lord, and took the rulers over hundreds and the captains and the guard and all the people of the land: And they brought the king from the house of the Lord and went the way of the gate of the guard of the kings house. And he sat him down on the seat of the kings. And all the people of the Lord rejoiced, and the city was in quiet. And they slew Athaliah with the sword in the house of the king.

 

 

The 12th Chapter

      Jehoas was seven years old when he was made king. And he began to reign the seventh year of Jehu, and reigned forty year in Jerusalem. His mothers name was Zebiah Bersabe. And he did that pleased the Lord, as long as Jehoiada the Priest informed him. But they took not away the hill altars, for the people slew and offered still in the hill altars.
      And Jehoas said to the priest: all the silver that is dedicate and brought to the house of the Lord in current money, that is to say, the money that every man is set at, with all the money that every mans heart giveth him to bring into the house of the Lord, let the priests take it to them, every man of his acquaintance, and let them repair the broken places of the temple in all the places where ought is found decayed.
      Neverthelater the priests had not mended unto the twenty third year of Jehoas, that was decayed in the temple. Then king Jehoas called for Jehoiada the priest and for the other priests also, and said to them: why repair ye not the broken places of the temple? Now therefore see ye receive no more money of your acquaintance, but deliver it to repair the temple withal. And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people: But that it should go to the mending of the temple.
      Then Jehoiada the priest took a coffer and bored a hole in the lid of it, and put it beside the altar on the right side as a man cometh in to the house of the Lord. And into that did the priests that kept the doors, put all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord. And when they saw that there was much money in the coffer the Kings scribe and the high priest came, and knit up the money that was found in the house of the Lord, after they had told it.
      And they gave the money by sums into the hands of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the Lord: and they brought it out to the carpenters and builders that wrought upon the house of the Lord, and to masons and hewers of stone, to buy timber and free stone, to repair the decay in the house of the Lord and all that, that needeth repairing in the house: how be it there was not made in the house of the Lord, bowls of silver, shredding knives, basins, trumpets or any other instruments of gold or silver, of the money that was brought for the house of the Lord. For they gave that to the workmen, to repair therewith the house of the Lord. Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hands they delivered that money to be bestowed on workmen: But they did it even of fidelity. How be it trespass money and sin money might not be brought into the house of the Lord, for it was the priests.
      Then came Hazael king of Siria, and fought against Geth and took it, and appointed himself to go up to Jerusalem. But Jehoas king of Juda took all the dedicate things that Jehosaphat, Jehoram and Ohoziah his fathers, kings of Juda, had dedicate, and that he himself had dedicated, and all the gold that could be found in the treasure of the house of the Lord and of the kings house, and sent it to Hazael King of Siria: and so he departed from Jerusalem.
       The remnant of the acts of Jehoas and all he did, are written in the chronicles of the kings of Juda. And his own servants arose and wrought treason, and slew Jehoas in the house Mello, in the way down to Sela. Jozabar the son of Semaath and Jehozabad the son of Somer his servants, smote him, that he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

 


 

 

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