 CHAPTER I Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab, and Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick, and he sent messengers and said unto them, Go, inquire Baalzebub, the God of Ekron, where I shall recover of this disease. But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the King of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that ye go to inquire Baalzebub, the God of Ekron? Now therefore, thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed. And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why ye now turned back? And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the King that sent you, and say unto him, thus saith the Lord, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that thou sendest to inquire Baalzebub, the God of Ekron? Therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words? And they answered him. He was an hairy man, and girded with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite. Then the King sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty, and he went up to him. And behold, he sat on the top of an hill, and he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the King hath said, Come down. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. Then also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the King said, Come down quickly. And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life and the life of these fifty thy servants be precious in thy sight. Behold, they came fire down from heaven and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties. Therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight. And the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah, Go down with him. Be not afraid of him. And he arose and went down with him unto the King. And he said unto him, Thou sayeth the Lord, For as much as thou hast sent messengers to inquire bals above the God of Echron, Is it not because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? Therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. So he died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, because he had no son. Now the rest of the Acts of Ahaziah, which he did, are they not written in the books of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? CHAPTER II OF SECOND KINGS OF THE BIBLE, KING JAMES VERSION This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. CHAPTER II And it came to pass when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Terry here I pray thee, for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to-day? And he said, Yea, I know it. Hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, Terry here I pray thee, for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to-day? And he answered, Yea, I know it. Hold your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Terry I pray thee, here, for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they too went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood to view afar off, and they too stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle and wrapped it together and smoked the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they too went over on dry ground. And it came to pass when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elijah said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing, nevertheless if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee, but if not it shall not be so. And it came to pass as they still went on and talked, that, behold, they appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder. And Elijah went up by whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horseman thereof. And he saw him no more, and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back and stood by the bank of Jordan. And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither, and Elisha went over. And when the two sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha, and they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him. And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men. Let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master, lest per-adventure the spirit of the Lord hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men, and they sought three days, but found him not. And when they came again to him, for he tarried at Jericho, he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, go not? And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant as my Lord seeth, but the water is nought, and the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new cruise, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thou sayeth the Lord, I have healed these waters, there shall not be from fence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. And he went up from fence unto Bethel, and as he was going up by the way, they came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up thou bold head, go up thou bold head. And he turned back and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And they came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tear forty and two children of them. And he went from fence to Mount Carmel, and from fence he returned to Samaria. CHAPTER III Now Jehoram, the son of Ahab, began to reign over Israel and Samaria, the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat King of Judah, and reigned twelve years. And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord, but not like his father and like his mother, for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless, he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin. He departed not therefrom. And Misha, King of Moab, was a sheep-master, and rendered unto the King of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams with the wool. But it came to pass when Ahab was dead, that the King of Moab rebelled against the King of Israel. And King Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel. And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the King of Judah, saying, The King of Moab hath rebelled against me, wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up. I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses. And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom. So the King of Israel went, and the King of Judah, and the King of Edom. And they fetched a compass of seven days' journey, and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them. And the King of Israel said, Alas, that the Lord hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab. But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord that we may enquire of the Lord by him? And one of the King of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha, the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah. And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him. So the King of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the King of Edom went down to him. And Elisha said unto the King of Israel, What have I to do with thee? Get thee to the prophets of thy father and to the prophets of thy mother. And the King of Israel said unto him, Nay, for the Lord hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab. And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the King of Judah, I would not look toward thee nor see thee. But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him. And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches. For Thus saith the Lord, ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain, yet that valley shall be filled with water that ye may drink, both ye and your cattle and your beasts. And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord. He would deliver the Moabites also into your hand, and ye shall smite every fenced city and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones. And it came to pass in the morning when the meat offering was offered, and, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armor and upward, and stood in the border. And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood. And they said, This is blood! The kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil. And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them. But they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country, and they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone and filled it, and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees. Only in Coheraseth left they the stones thereof, how be it the slingers went about it and smote it. And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords to breakthrough even unto the king of Edom, but they could not. Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall, and there was great indignation against Israel, and they departed from him and returned to their own land. CHAPTER IV Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant, my husband, is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord, and the creditors come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what has thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid hath not anything in the house save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, and empty vessels, borrow not a few, and when thou art come in thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him and shut the door upon her, and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her, and she poured out. And it came to pass when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel, and he said unto her, There is not a vessel more, and the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God, and he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest. And it fell on a day that Elisha passed to Shunam, where was a great woman, and she constrained him to eat bread, and so it was that as oft as he passed by he turned in thither to eat bread. And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall, and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick, and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. And it fell on a day that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there. And he said to Kahasi his servant, Call this Shunamite! And when he had called her she stood before him. And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care. What is to be done for thee? What's thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among my known people. And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Kahasi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. And he said, Call her! And when he had called her she stood in the door. And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmade. And the woman conceived and bear a son at that season that Alasha had said unto her, according to the time of life. And when the child was grown it fell on a day that he went out to his father to the reapers. And he said unto his father, My head, my head! And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. And when he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him and went out. And she called unto her husband and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God and come again. And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath. And she said, It shall be well. Then she saddled an ass and said to her servant, Drive and go forward, Slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee. So she went and came unto the man of God to Mount Carmel. And it came to pass when the man of God saw her far off, that he said to Kahazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that a shunamite. Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well. And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Kahazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her learn for her soul is vexed within her, and the Lord hath hid it from me and hath not told me. Then she said, Did I desire a son of my Lord? Did I not say, Do not deceive me? Then he said to Kahazi, Goet up thy loins and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way, if thou meet any man, salute him not, and if any salute thee, answer him not again, and lay my staff upon the face of the child. And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose and followed her. And Kahazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child, but there was neither voice nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. And when Elisha was coming to the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. And he went up and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and stretched himself upon the child, and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned and walked in the house to and fro, and went up and stretched himself upon him, and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And he called Kahazi and said, Call this Junomite. So he called her, and when she was coming unto him, he said, Take up thy son. Then she went in and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out. And Elisha came again to Gilgal, and there was a dearth in the land, and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him. And he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot and seethe potage for the sons of the prophets. Then one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of potage, for they knew them not. So they poured out for the men to eat, and it came to pass as they were eating of the potage, that they cried out and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot, and they could not eat thereof. But he said, Then bring meel. And he cast it into the pot, and he said, Pour out for the people that they may eat, and there was no harm in the pot. And there came a man from Baal Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people that they may eat. And his servitor said, What, should I set this before one hundred men? He said again, Give the people that they may eat, for thus saith the Lord, they shall eat and shall leave thereof. So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord. End of CHAPTER IV. Now Naaman, captain of the hearse of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria. He was also a mighty man in Valar, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive of the land of Israel a little maid, and she waited on Naaman's wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my Lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria, for he would recover him of his leprosy? And one went in and told his Lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talons of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, Behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. And it came to pass when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he renteth his clothes, and said, Am I God to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? Wherefore consider I pray you, and see how he seeketh the quarrel against me. And it was so when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had renteth his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore has thou renteth thy clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman came with his horses, and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha, and Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Anod Abana and Phapah, roovers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel, may I not wash in them, and be clean. So he turned, and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, which thou not have done it, how much rather than, when he said to thee, wash and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God, and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came and stood before him, and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God on all the earth but in Israel. Now therefore I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. But he said, As the Lord liveth before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it, but he refused. And Naaman said, Shall there not then I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules burden of earth, for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord. In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimon. When I bow down myself in the house of Rimon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing. And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way. But Gahazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman, this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought. But as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him. So Gahazi followed after Naaman, and when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from Mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Give them I pray thee a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants, and they bear them before him. And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house, and he let the men go, and they departed. But he went in, and stood before his master, and Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gahazi? And he said, Thy servant went no wither? And he said unto him. Let not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive-yards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and men-servants, and maid-servants? The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow. CHAPTER VI And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too straight for us. Let us go, we pray thee unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. So he went with them, and when they came to Jordan they cut down wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water, and he cried, and said, Alas, master, for it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place, and he cut down a stick and cast it in thither, and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee, and he put out his hand and took it. Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou past not such a place, for thither the Syrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was so troubled for this thing, and he called his servants and said unto them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king. But Elijah, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. Therefore sent he thither horses and chariots and a great host, and they came by night and compassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early and gone forth, Behold and host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servants said unto him, Alas, my master, how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elijah prayed and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elijah. And when they came down to him, Elijah prayed unto the Lord and said, Smite this people I pray thee with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elijah. And Elijah said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria. And it came to pass when they were come into Samaria, that Elijah said, Lord, open the eyes of these men that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. And the king of Israel said unto Elijah when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them, shall I smite them? And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them, which thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow. Set bread and water before them that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. And he prepared great provision for them. And when they had eaten and drunk he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel. And it came to pass after this that Ben Haddad, king of Syria, gathered all his hosts, and went up, and besieged Samaria. And there was a great famine in Samaria. And behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for four score pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of doves dung for five pieces of silver. And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help my Lord, O king! And he said, If the Lord do not help thee, when shall I help thee, out of the barn floor or out of the wine-press? And the king said unto her, What aleeth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son that we may eat him to-day, and we will eat my son to-morrow. So we boiled my son and did eat him. And I said unto her the next day, Give thy son that we may eat him, and she hath hid her son. And it came to pass when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes, and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked. And behold, he had sat cloth within upon his flesh. Then he said, God do so, and more also to me, if the heard of Elisha, the son of Shaphat, shall stand on him this day. But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him. And the king sent a man from before him. But ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent a take-away mind-head. Look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door, is not the sound of his master's feet behind him. And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him, and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord! What should I wait for the Lord any longer? End of Chapter 6 Chapter 7 of Second Kings of the Bible, King James Version This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Joy Chan. The Bible. King James Version. Second Kings. Chapter 7. Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord. First sayeth the Lord. Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. Then a Lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shall not eat thereof. And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate, and they said one to another. Why sit we here until we die? If we say we will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city and we shall die there, and if we sit still here we die also. Now therefore come and let us fall unto the hosts of the Syrians. If they save us alive we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die. And they rose up in the twilight to go unto the camp of the Syrians, and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold there was no man there. For the Lord had made the hosts of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host, and they said one to another. Lo! the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to come upon us. Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried tents silver and gold and raiment, and went and hid it, and came again and entered into another tent, and carried tents also, and went and hid it. Then they said one to another, We do not well, this is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace. If we tarry till the morning light some mischief will come upon us, now therefore come that we may go and tell the king's household. So they came and called unto the porter of the city, and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied and asses tied, and the tents as they were. And he called the porter's, and they told it to the king's house within. And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry, therefore they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city we shall catch them alive and get into the city. And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it. Behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed. And let us send and see. They took therefore two chariot horses, and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. And they went after them unto Jordan, and lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned and told the king. And the people went out and spoiled the tents of the Syrians, so a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel according to the way of the Lord. And the king appointed the Lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate. And the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him. And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel shall be to-morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria. And that Lord answered the man of God, and said, Now behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be. And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shall not eat thereof. And so it fell out unto him, for the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died. CHAPTER VIII. Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn, for the Lord hath called for a famine, and it shall also come upon the land seven years. And the woman arose and did after the saying of the man of God, and she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. And it came to pass at the seven years end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines, and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land. And the king talked with Gahazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me I pray thee all the great things that Elisha hath done. And it came to pass as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that behold the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gahazi said, My Lord, O king, this is the woman and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life. And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now. And Elisha came to Damascus, and then her dad, the king of Syria, was sick, and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither. And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son, Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thy may us certainly recover, hath be it the Lord hath showed me that he shall surely die. And he settled his countenance steadfastly, until he was ashamed and the man of God wept. And Hazael said, Why weepeth my Lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel. Their strong halts wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child. And Hazael said, But what is thy servant a dog that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria. So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou should surely recover. And it came to pass on the morrow that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face so that he died. And Hazael reigned in his stead. And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign. Thirty and 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 evil in the sight of the Lord. Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give him all way and light, and to his children. In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. So Jehoram went over to Zaire, and all the chariots with him. And he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots, and the people fled into their tents. Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah until this day. Then Libna revolted at the same time. And the rest of the acts of Jehoram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And Jehoram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead. In the twelfth year of Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel, did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign. Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Athalia, the daughter of Omri, king of Israel, and he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, as did the house of Ahab, for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab. And he went with Jehoram the son of Ahab to the war against Ahaziah, king of Syria, in Ramoth Gilead, and the Syrians wounded Jehoram. And King Jehoram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the ruins which the Syrians had given him at Rama, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick. CHAPTER IX And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets and said unto him, Gird up thy loins and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead. And when thou comest thither, look out there, Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimchi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber. Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thou sayeth the Lord, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door and flee, and tarry not. So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead. And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting, and he said, I have an errand to thee, O 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 he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thou sayeth the Lord God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the Lord, even over Israel. And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants, the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nibbat, and like the house of Bashar, the son of Ahija. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezebel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door and fled. Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his Lord, and once said unto him, Is all well? Wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? And he said unto them, You know the man and his communication. And they said, It is false, tell us now. And he said, Thus and Thus speak he to me, saying, Thus sayeth the Lord, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then they hasted and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpet, saying, Jehu is king. So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimchi, conspired against Joram. Now Joram had kept Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael, king of Syria. But king Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael, king of Syria. And Jehu said, If it be your minds, then let none go forth nor escape out of the city, to go to tell it in Jezreel. So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram. And they stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take an horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace? So they went one on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus sayeth the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What has thou to do with peace? Turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he cometh not again. Then he sent out a second on horseback, which came to them, and said, Thus sayeth the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What has thou to do with peace? Turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again, and the driving is like the driving of Jehu, the son of Nimshi, for he driveeth furiously. And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram, king of Israel, and Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite. And it came to pass when Joram saw Jehu that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace so long as the Hordoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? And Joram turned his hands and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smirked Ahoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot. Then said Jehu to Bidkar, his captain, Take up and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite, for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the Lord laid this burden upon him. Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, saith the Lord, and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the Lord. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the Lord. But Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this. He fled by the way of the garden-house, and Jehu followed after him and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the going up to Go, which is by Iblim. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there. And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David. And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah. And when Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her face and tied her head, and looked out at a window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace who slew his master? And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side, who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses, and he trod her underfoot. And when he was coming he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter. And they went to bury her, but they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. Wherefore they came again and told him, and he said, This is the word of the Lord which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezebel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel. And the carcass of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezebel, so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel. CHAPTER X or second kings of the Bible, King James Version This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Joy Chan. The Bible, King James Version, 2 Kings, CHAPTER X And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria, and Jehu wrote letters and sent to Samaria unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab's children, saying, Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour, look even out the best and neatest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne and fight for your master's house. But they were exceedingly afraid and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him. How then shall we stand? And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us. We will not make any king, do thou that which is good in thine eyes. Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men, your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time. Now the king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city which brought them up. And it came to pass when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel. And there came a messenger and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning. And it came to pass in the morning that he went out and stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous, Behold, I conspired against my master and slew him. But who slew all these? Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spake concerning the house of Ahab, for the Lord hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah. So Jehu slew all that remain of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kin's folks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining. And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing-house in the way, Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah, king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah, and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen. And he said, Take them alive! And they took them alive and slew them at the pit of the shearing-house, even two and forty men, neither left he any of them. And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jeho Nadab, the son of Rishab, coming to meet him. And he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jeho Nadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand, and he took him up into the chariot. And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord. So they made him ride in his chariot. And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the Lord, which he spoke to Elijah. And Jeho gathered all them people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little, but Jeho shall serve him much. Now therefore call on to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests, let none be wanting, for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal. Whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jeho did it in subtlety to the intent that he might destroy the worshipers of Baal. And Jeho said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal, and they proclaimed it. And Jeho sent through all Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was full from one end to another. And he said unto him that was over the vestry. And he brought forth vestments for all the worshipers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments. And Jeho went, and Jeho n' adab the son of Reshab into the house of Baal, and said unto the worshipers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the Lord, but the worshipers of Baal only. And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jeho appointed four score men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that leteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him. And it came to pass as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jeho said to the garden to the captains, Go in and slay them, let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword, and the garden the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal. And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them. And they break down the image of Baal, and break down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day. Thus Jeho destroyed Baal out of Israel. How be it from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jeho departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan. And the Lord said unto Jeho, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel. But Jeho took no heed 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 to sin. In those days the Lord began to cut Israel short, and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel. From Jordan, eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gaddites, and the Rubenites, and the Manasites, from Oroa, which is by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan. Now the rest of the acts of Jeho, and all that he did, and all his might, and they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. And Jeho slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jeho, as his son, reigned in his stead. And the time that Jeho reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years. And when Athalia, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed-royal. But Jehoshaba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joesh, the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons which were slain, and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bed-chamber from Athalia, so that he was not slain. And he was with her hidden in the house of the Lord six years, that Athalia did reign over the land. And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the Lord, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the Lord, and showed them the king's son. And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do. A third part of you that enter in on the Sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of the king's house, and a third part shall be at the gate of Sur, and a third part at the gate behind the guard. So shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be not broken. And two parts of all you that go forth on the Sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord about the king. And ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand, and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain, and be ye with the king as he goeth out, and as he cometh in. And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they took every man his men that were to come in on the Sabbath, with them that should go out on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king David's spheres and shields that were in the temple of the Lord. And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, round about the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, along by the altar and the temple. And he brought forth the king's son and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony, and they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, God save the king. And when Athalia heard the noise of the garden of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the Lord. And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar as the manor was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced and blew with trumpets, and Athalia rent her clothes and cried, treason, treason. But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the rangers, and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, let her not be slain in the house of the Lord. And they laid hands on her, and she went by the way by which the horses came into the king's house, and there was she slain. And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord's people, between the king also and the people. And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal and break it down. His altars and his images break they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Maten the priest of Baal before the altars, and the priest appointed officers over the house of the Lord. And he took the rulers over hundreds and the captains and the guard, and all the people of the land, and they brought down the king from the house of the Lord, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king's house. And he sat on the throne of the kings. And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet. And they slew Athalia with the sword beside the king's house. Seven years old was Jehoish when he began to reign. End of CHAPTER XI CHAPTER XII OF SECOND KINGS OF THE BIBLE King James Version This is a Librivox recording. All Librivox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Librivox.org. Recording by Joy Chan, the Bible, King James Version. SECOND KINGS CHAPTER XII In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoish began to reign, and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Zibia of Piershiba. And Jehoish did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. All his days when Jehoidah the priest instructed him. But the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. And Jehoish said to the priests, all the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the Lord, even the money of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any man's heart 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 breaches of the house, whosoever any breach shall be found. But it was so that in the three-and-twentieth year of King Jehoish, the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house. Then King Jehoish called for Jehoidah the priest and the other priests and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? Now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house. And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house. But Jehoidah the priest took a chest and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one cometh into the house of the Lord, and the priests that kept the door put there in all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord. And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the King's scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags and told the money that was found in the house of the Lord. And they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the Lord, and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders that wrought upon the house of the Lord, and to masons and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the Lord, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it. Albeit they were not made for the house of the Lord bowls of silver, snuffers, basins, trumpets, any vessels of gold or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the Lord. But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the Lord. Moreover, they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen, for they dealt faithfully. The trispas money and sin money was not brought into the house of the Lord, it was the priests. Then Hazael, King of Syria, went up and fought against Gath and took it, and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. And Jehoash, King of Judah, took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahazai, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and in the king's house, and sent it to Hazael, King of Syria, and he went away from Jerusalem. And the rest of the acts of Jehoash and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Jehoash in the house of Milo, which goeth down to Silla. For Jozaka, the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad, the son of Shoma, his servants, smote him, and he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Ahmezai, his son, reigned in his stead. End of CHAPTER XII. In the three-and-twentieth year of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, King of Judah, Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin. He departed not therefrom. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael, King of Syria, and into the hand of Ben-Hadad, the son of Hazael, all their days. And Jehoahaz besought the Lord, and the Lord harkened unto him, for he saw the oppression of Israel because the King of Syria oppressed them. And the Lord gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians, and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as before time. Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein, and there remained the grove also in Samaria. Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz, but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen, for the King of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Jehoahaz, his son, reigned in his stead. In the thirty and seventh year of Jehoahaz, King of Judah, began Jehoahaz, the son of Jehoahaz, to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. He departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nibbat, who made Israel sin, but he walked therein. And the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might were with he fought against Amaziah, King of Judah, and they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat upon his throne, and Jehoahaz was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died, and Jehoahaz, the king of Israel, came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, oh my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horseman thereof. And Elisha said unto him, take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. And he said to the king of Israel, put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it. And Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands. And he said, open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, shoot. And he shot. And he said, the arrow of the Lord's deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria, for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Ephek, till thou have consumed them. And he said, take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice and stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, thou shouldest have smitten five or six times, then hence thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it, whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice. And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. And it came to pass as they were burying a man that, behold, they spied a band of men, and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha. And when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood up on his feet. But Hazael, king of Syria, oppressed Israel all the days of Jehovah has. And the Lord was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet. So Hazael, king of Syria, died, and Ben-Hadad, his son, reigned in his stead. And Jehovah, the son of Jehovah has, took again out of the hand of Ben-Hadad, the son of Hazael, the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehovah has his father by war. Three times did Jehovah beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel. End of chapter 13. Chapter 14 of Second Kings of the Bible. King James Version. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Joy Chan. The Bible. King James Version. Second Kings. Chapter 14. In the second year of Joash, son of Jehovah has, king of Israel, reigned Amaziah, the son of Joash, king of Judah. He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Jehovahudan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like David his father. He did according to all things as Joash his father did. Humbly at the high places were not taken away, as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places. And it came to pass as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king, his father. But the children of the murderers he slew not, according unto that which is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, wherein the Lord commanded, saying, the fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers, but every man shall be put to death for his own sin. He slew of Edom in the Valley of Salt, ten thousand, and took Sela by war, and called the name of Jockthiel unto this day. Then Amaziah sent messengers to Joash, the son of Jehovah's, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, come, let us look one another in the face. And Joash, the king of Israel, sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, the thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, give thy daughter to my son to wife. And there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon and trod down the thistle. Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart had lifted thee up, glory of this and tarry at home, for why shouldst thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldst fall, even thou and Judah with thee? But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehovah's king of Israel went up, and he at Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemish, which belonged to Judah. And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to their tents. And Jehovah's king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehovah's, the son of Ahaziah at Bethshemish, and came to Jerusalem, and break down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim, unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits. And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria. Now the rest of the acts of Jehovah's, which he did in his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, and they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. And Jehovah's slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam, his son, reigned in his stead. And Amaziah, the son of Jehovah's king of Judah, lived after the death of Jehovah's, son of Jehovah's, king of Israel, fifteen years. And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah. Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lakish, but they sent after him to Lakish and slew him there. And they brought him on horses, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. And all the people of Judah took Azaria, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers. In the fifteenth year of Amaziah, the son of Jehovah's king of Judah, Jeroboam, the son of Jehovah's king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. He departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath, unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amatai the prophet, which was of Gathophah. For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter, for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel. And the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam, the son of Joash. Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did and his might, how he warred and how he recovered Damascus and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel, and Zechariah, his son, reigned in his stead. End of chapter 14. Chapter 15 of Second Kings of the Bible, King James Version. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Joy Chan. The Bible, King James Version. Second Kings, Chapter 15. In the 27th year of Jeroboam, King of Israel, began Azariah, son of Amaziah, King of Judah to reign. Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Jacolia of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father, Amaziah, had done. Saved that the high places were not removed, the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places. And the Lord smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in the several house, and dwelt them the king's son was over the house, judging the people of the land. And the rest of the acts of Azariah and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. So Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and dwelt them his son reigned in his stead. In the 38th year of Azariah, King of Judah, did Zechariah, the son of Jeroboam, reign over Israel in Samaria, six months. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done. He departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. And Shalom, the son of Jerosh, conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. And the rest of the acts of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. This was the word of the Lord, which he spoke unto Jehu, saying, thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass. Shalom, the son of Jabesh, began to reign in the ninth and thirtieth year of Azariah, King of Judah, and he reigned a full month in Samaria. For Menahem, the son of Gadhi, went up from Terza, and came to Samaria, and smote Shalom, the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. And the rest of the acts of Shalom, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. The Menahem smote Sifsa, and all that were therein, and the coast thereof from Terza, because they opened not to him. Therefore he smote it, and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up. In the ninth and thirtieth year of Azariah, King of Judah, began Menahem, the son of Gadhi, to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. He departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. And pull the King of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave pull a thousand talents of silver that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand. And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver to give to the King of Assyria. So the King of Assyria turned back and stayed not there in the land. And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. And Menahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead. In the fiftieth year of Azariah, King of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. He departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria in the palace of the King's house, with Agob and Ariah, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites. And he killed him and reigned in his room. And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah, King of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. He departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. In the days of Pekah, King of Israel, King Tiglath-Peliza, King of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel Methmachah, and Janoa, and Kadesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naftali, and carried them captive to Assyria. And Hoshia, the son of Ila, made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham, the son of Uzair. And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. In the second year of Pekah, the son of Remaliah, King of Israel, began Jotham, the son of Uzair, King of Judah, to reign. Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zalok. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. He did according to all that his father Uzair had done. Humbi at the high places were not removed. The people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the Lord. Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. In those days the Lord began to send against Judah, resin the King of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, his father. And Ahaz, his son, reigned in his stead. End of Chapter 15. Chapter 16 of Second Kings of the Bible, King James Version. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Joy Chan. The Bible, King James Version. Second Kings, Chapter 16. In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, King of Judah, began to reign. Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord his God, like David his father. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places and on the hills, and under every green tree. Then resin King of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah, King of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to war, and they besieged Ahaz and could not overcome him. At that time resin King of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and grave the Jews from Elath, and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day. So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pelisa, King of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son. Come up and save me out of the hand of the King of Syria, and out of the hand of the King of Israel, which rise up against me. And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the King of Assyria. And the King of Assyria hearkened unto him, for the King of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kerr and slew resin. And King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pelisa, King of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus. And King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest the fashion of the altar and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof. And Uriah the priest built an altar according to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus. So Uriah the priest made it against King Ahaz came from Damascus. And when the King was come from Damascus, the King saw the altar, and the King approached to the altar and offered thereon. And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering and poured his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings upon the altar. And he brought also the brazen altar, which was before the Lord, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the Lord, and put it on the north side of the altar. And King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest saying, upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering and the evening meat offering, and the King's burnt sacrifice and his meat offering with the burnt offering of all the people of the land and their meat offering and their drink offerings and sprinkle upon all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice and the brazen altar shall be for me to inquire by. Thusted Uriah the priest according to all that King Ahaz commanded. And King Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases and removed the laver from off them and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it and put it upon the pavement of stones. And the covert for the Sabbath that they had built in the house and the King's entry without turned he from the house of the Lord for the King of Assyria. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. And Ahaz slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead. CHAPTER XVII In the twelfth year of Ahaz King of Judah began Hoshia the son of Eila to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord but not as the kings of Israel that were before him. Against him came up Shalmaniza, King of Assyria and Hoshia became his servant and gave him presents. And the King of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshia for he had sent messengers to sow King of Egypt and brought no present to the King of Assyria as he had done year by year. Therefore the King of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison. Then the King of Assyria came up throughout all the land and went up to Samaria and besieged it three years. In the ninth year of Hoshia the King of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away into Assyria and placed them at Hala and in Hebor by the river of Gozan and in the cities of the Medes. For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, King of Egypt and had feared other gods and walked in the statutes of the heathen whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel and of the kings of Israel which they had made. And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God and they built them high places in all their cities from the tower of the Watchmen to the fenced city. And they set them up images and groves in every high hill and under every green tree. And there they burnt incense in all the high places as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger. For they served idols whereof the Lord had said unto them you shall not do this thing. Yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah by all the prophets and by all the seers saying turn ye from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. Notwithstanding they would not hear but hardened their necks like to the neck of their fathers that did not believe in the Lord their God. And they rejected his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and his testimonies which he testified against them. And they followed vanity and became vain and went after the heathen that were round about them concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them. And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God and made them molten images even two calves and made a grove and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire and used divination and enchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger. Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only. Also Judah kept not the commandments of the Lord their God but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers until he had cast them out of his sight. For he rent Israel from the house of David and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king and Jeroboam draped Israel from following the Lord and made them sin a great sin. For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did. They departed not from them until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria on to this day. And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Kutah and from Ava and from Hamath and from Safaviam and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel. And they possessed Samaria and dwelt in the cities thereof. And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there that they feared not the Lord. Therefore the Lord sent lions among them which slew some of them. Wherefore they speak to the king of Assyria saying the nations which thou hast removed and placed in the cities of Samaria know not the manner of the God of the land. Therefore he hath sent lions among them and behold they slay them because they know not the manner of the God of the land. Then the king of Assyria commanded saying carry through the one of the priests whom ye brought from Thence and let them go and dwell there and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land. Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel and taught them how they should fear the Lord. Howbeit every nation made gods of their own and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made. Every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt. And the men of Babylon made Sikoth Benoth and the men of Cuth made Nurgal and the men of Hamath made Ashima and the Avites made Niphas and Tatak and the Sephavites burnt their children in fire to Adramalek and Anamalek, the gods of Sephaveim. So they feared the Lord and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. They feared the Lord and served their own gods after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from Thence. And to this day they do after the former manors. They fear not the Lord, neither do they after their statutes or after their ordinances or after the law and commandment which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob whom he named Israel. With whom the Lord had made a covenant and charged them saying, ye shall not fear other gods nor bow yourselves to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them. But the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear and him shall ye worship and to him shall ye desercrifice. And the statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore and ye shall not fear other gods. And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget, neither shall ye fear other gods. But the Lord your God ye shall fear and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies. Habeat they did not hearken but they did after their former manor. So these nations feared the Lord and served their graven images, both their children and their children's children as did their fathers. So do they unto this day. End of chapter 17. Chapter 18 of Second Kings of the Bible, King James Version. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Joy Chan. The Bible, King James Version. Second Kings, Chapter 18. Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshia, son of Elah, King of Israel, that Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, King of Judah began to reign. Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Habeat, the daughter of Zachariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places and break the images and cut down the groves and break in pieces the brace and serpent that Moses had made. For unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it. And he called it Nehushdan. He trusted in the Lord God of Israel so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah nor any that were before him. For he claved to the Lord and departed not from following him but kept his commandments which the Lord commanded Moses. And the Lord was with him and he prospered with it so ever he went forth and he rebelled against the king of Assyria and served him not. He smote the Philistines even unto Gaza and the borders thereof from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. And it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah which was the seventh year of Hoshia son of Elah king of Israel that Shamanesah king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it. And at the end of three years they took it even in the sixth year of Hezekiah that is in the ninth year of Hoshia king of Israel Samaria was taken. And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria and put them in Hala and in Hebor by the river of Gozan and in the cities of the Midis. Because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord their God but transgressed his covenant and all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded and would not hear them nor do them. Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah and took them. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish saying I have offended return from me that which thou puttest on me will I bear and the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the king's house. At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria. And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rab-Syrus and Rabshaka from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem and when they were come up they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool which was in the highway of the Fullers field. And when they had called to the king they came out to them Eliachim the son of Hezekiah which was over the household and Shebna the scribe and Joa the son of Asaph the recorder. And Rabshaka said unto them speak ye now to Hezekiah thus sayeth the great king, the king of Assyria what confidence is this wherein thou trustest thou sayest but they are but vain words I have counsel and strength for the war now on whom dost thou trust that thou rebellest against me now behold thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed even upon Egypt on which of a man lean it will go into his hand and pierce it so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him but if ye say unto me retrust in the Lord our God is not that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah have taken away and have said to Judah and Jerusalem ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem now therefore I pray thee give pledges to my Lord the king of Assyria and I will deliver thee two thousand horses if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them how then what thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen am I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it the Lord said to me go up against this land and destroy it then said Eliachim the son of Hezekiah and Shibna and Joa and to Rabshaka speak I pray thee to thy servants in the Syrian language for we understand it and talk not with us in the Jews language in the ears of the people that are on the wall but Rabshaka said unto them hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall that they may eat their own dung and drink their own piss with you then Rabshaka stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews language and spake saying hear the word of the great king the king of Assyria thus saith the king let not Hezekiah deceive you for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord saying the Lord will surely deliver us and the city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria how could not the Hezekiah for thus saith the king of Assyria make an agreement with me by your present and come out to me and then eat ye every man of his own vine and every one of his fig tree and drink ye every one of the waters of his cistern until I come and take you away to a land like your own land a land of corn and wine a land of bread and vineyards a land of oil-olive and of honey that ye may live and not die and harken not unto Hezekiah when he persuadeeth you saying the Lord will deliver us have any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad where are the gods of Sepeveim, Hena and Eva have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand who are they among all the gods of the countries that have delivered their country out of mine hand that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand but the people held their peace and answered him not a word for the king's commandment was saying answer him not then came Eliachim, the son of Hezekiah which was over the household and Shebna the scribe and Joa the son of Asaph the recorder to Hezekiah with their clothes, rent and told him the words of Rabshike and it came to pass when King Hezekiah heard it that he rent his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord and he sent Eliachim which was over the household and Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amos and they said unto him thus sayeth Hezekiah this day is a day of trouble and of rebuke and blasphemy for the children are come to the birth and there is not strength to bring forth it may be the Lord thy God will hear all the words of Rabshike whom the king of Issyria, his master, hath sent to reproach the living God and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left so the servants of Hezekiah came to Isaiah and Isaiah said unto them first shall ye say to your master first sayeth the Lord be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard with which the servants of the king of Issyria hath blasphemed me behold I will send a blast upon him and he shall hear a rumour and shall return to his own land and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land so Rabshike returned and found the king of Issyria warring against Libna for he had heard that he was departed from Lakish and when he heard say of Turhaka, king of Ethiopia behold he has come out to fight against thee he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah saying thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah saying let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceived thee saying Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Issyria behold thou hast heard what the kings of Issyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly and shall thou be delivered have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed as Gozan and Heran and Rizef and the children of Eden which were in Thalassar where is the king of Hamath and the king of Apad and the king of the city of Seveveem of Hena and Eva and Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers and read it and Hezekiah went up into the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord and Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said oh Lord God of Israel which dwellest between the cherubim thou art the God even thou alone of all the kingdoms of the earth thou hast made heaven and earth Lord bow down thine ear and hear open Lord thine eyes and see and hear the words of Senor Cherub which hath sent him to reproach the living God of a truth Lord the kings of Issyria have destroyed the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire for they were no gods but the work of men's hands wood and stone therefore they have destroyed them now therefore oh Lord our God I beseech thee save thou us out of his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God even thou only then Isaiah the son of Amos sent to Hezekiah saying thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel that which thou has prayed to me against Senor Cherub king of Issyria I have heard this is the word that the Lord had spoken concerning him the virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee whom has thou reproached and blasphemed and against whom has thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high even against the holy one of Israel by thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord and hath said with the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains to the sides of Lebanon and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof and the choice fir trees thereof and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders and into the forest of his camel I have digged and drunk strange waters and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of besieged places has thou not heard long ago how I have done it and of ancient times that I have formed it now have I brought it to pass that thou should be to lay waste fenced cities into ruinous heaps therefore their inhabitants were of small power they were dismayed and confounded they were as the grass of the field and as the green herb as the grass on the house tops and as corn blasted before it be grown up but I know thy abode and thy going out and thy coming in and thy rage against me because thy rage against me and thy tumult has come up into mine ears therefore I will put my hook in thy nose and my bridle in thy lips and I will turn thee back by the way which thou camest and this shall be a sign unto thee ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves and in the second year that which springeth of the same and in the third year so ye and reap and plant vineyards and eat the fruits thereof and the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward and bear fruit upward for out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant and they that escape out of Mount Zion the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria he shall not come into the city nor shoot an arrow there nor come before it with shield nor cast a bank against it by the way that he came by the same shall he return and shall not come into the city saith the Lord for I will defend the city to save it for mine own sake and for my servant David's sake and it came to pass that night that the angel of the Lord went out and smoked in the camp of the Assyrians and 104 score and 5000 and when they arose early in the morning behold they were all dead corpses so senator of king of Assyria departed and went and returned and dwelt at Nineveh and it came to pass as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroq his god that Adramalek and Sharazer his son smoked him with the sword and they escaped into the land of Armenia and Esser had and his son reigned in his stead end of chapter 19 chapter 20 of Second Kings of the Bible King James Version this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Joy Chan the Bible King James Version Second Kings chapter 20 in those days was Hezekiah sick unto death and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amos came to him and said unto him thus saith the Lord set thine house in order for thou shalt die and not live then he turned his face to the wall and prayed unto the Lord saying I beseech thee oh Lord remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight and Hezekiah wept sore and it came to pass a four Isaiah was gone out into the middle court that the word of the Lord came to him saying turn again and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people thus saith the Lord the God of David thy father I have heard thy prayer I have seen thy tears behold I will heal thee on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord and I will add unto thy days fifteen years and I will deliver thee in this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria and I will defend this city for mine own sake and for my servant David's sake and Isaiah said take a lump of figs and they took and laid it on the boil and he recovered and Hezekiah said unto Isaiah what shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day and Isaiah said this sign shall thou have of the Lord that the Lord will do the thing that he had spoken shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go back ten degrees and Hezekiah answered it is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees nay but let the shadow return backward ten degrees and Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward by which he had gone down in the dial of Ahaz at that time Barodak Baladon the son of Baladon king of Babylon sent letters and a present under Hezekiah for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick and Hezekiah harkened unto them and showed them all the house of his precious things the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious ointment and all the house of his armor and all that was found in his treasures there was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah showed them not then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah and said unto him what said these men and from whence came they unto thee and Hezekiah said they are come from a far country even from Babylon and he said what have they seen in thine house and Hezekiah answered all the things that are in mine house have they seen there is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed them and Isaiah said unto Hezekiah hear the word of the Lord behold the days come that all that is in thine house and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day shall be carried into Babylon nothing shall be left sayeth the Lord and of thy sons that shall issue from thee which thou shalt beget shall they take away and they shall be unix in the palace of the king of Babylon then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah good is the word of the Lord which thou has spoken and he said is it not good if peace and truth be in my days and the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and all his might and how he made a pool and a conduit and brought water into the city are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah and Hezekiah slept with his fathers and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead. CHAPTER XXI Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Hezba and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel for he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed and he reared up altars for Baal and made a grove as did Ahab king of Israel and worshipped all the host of heaven and served them and he built altars in the house of the Lord of which the Lord said in Jerusalem will I put my name and he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord and he made his son pass through the fire and observed times and used enchantments and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger and he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house of which the Lord said to David and to Solomon his son in this house and in Jerusalem which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel will I put my name forever neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded but they hearkened not and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel and the Lord spoke by his servants the prophets saying because Manasseh king of Judah had done these abominations and had done wickedly above all that the Amorites did which were before him and had made Judah also to sin with his idols therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel behold I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah that whosoever heareth of it both his ears shall tingle and I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipe at the dish wiping it and turning it upside down and I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies because they have done that which was evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt even unto this day moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much till he filled Jerusalem from one end to another beside his sinware with he made Judah to sin in doing that which was evil in the sight of the Lord now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and all that he did and his sin that he sinned are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah and Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his own house in the garden of Uzzah and Amon his son reigned in his stead Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign and he reigned two years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Meshulimeth the daughter of Harus of Jotba and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord as his father Manasseh did and he walked in all the way that his father walked in and served the idols that his father served and worshipped them and he forsook the Lord God of his fathers and walked not in the way of the Lord and the servants of Amon conspired against him and slew the king in his own house and the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against King Amon and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah and he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzzah and Josiah his son reigned in his stead end of chapter 21 chapter 22 of Second Kings of the Bible King James Version this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Joy Chan the Bible King James Version Second Kings chapter 22 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Jadidah the daughter of Adair of Boscath and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left and it came to pass in the eighteenth year of King Josiah that the king sent Shefan the son of Azaliah the son of Meshalam the scribe to the house of the Lord saying go up to Hulkayah the high priest that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the Lord which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people and let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work that have the oversight of the house of the Lord and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the Lord to repair the breaches of the house after carpenters and builders and masons and to buy timber and hewnstone to repair the house how be it there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand because they dealt faithfully and Hulkayah the high priest said unto Shefan the scribe I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord and Hulkayah gave the book to Shefan and he read it and Shefan the scribe came to the king and brought the king word again and said thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work that have the oversight of the house of the Lord and Shefan the scribe showed the king saying Hulkayah the priest had delivered me a book and Shefan read it before the king and it came to pass when the king had heard the words of the book of the law that he rent his clothes and the king commanded Hulkayah the priest and Ahikam the son of Shefan and Akhbor the son of Makaya and Shefan the scribe and Asahaya a servant of the kings saying go ye inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah concerning the words of this book that is found for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us because our fathers have not harkened unto the words of this book to do according unto all that which is written concerning us. So Hulkayah the priest and Ahikam and Akhbor and Shefan and Asahaya went unto Hulda the prophetess the wife of Shalom the son of Tikvah the son of Haas keeper of the wardrobe now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college and they communed with her and she said unto them thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel tell the man that sent you to me thus sayeth the Lord behold I will bring evil upon this place and upon the inhabitants thereof even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read because they have forsaken me and have burned incense unto other gods that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place and shall not be quenched but to the king of Judah which sent you to inquire of the Lord thus shall ye say to him thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel as touching the words which thou hast heard because thine heart was tender and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place and against the inhabitants thereof that they should become a desolation and a curse and has rent thy clothes and wept before me I also have heard thee sayeth the Lord behold therefore I will gather thee unto thy fathers and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place and they brought the king word again. End of chapter 22