2 Kings 13:1-25 Elisha, the Lord's Prophet, Dies

 

Elisha, the Lord's Prophet, Dies

2 Kings 13:1-25                              2 Kings [in Smaller Chunks]

In the 23rd year of Joash, [Ahaziah's] son, [Judah's] king, Jehoahaz, [Jehu's] son, began to [rule] over Israel in Samaria & [ruled] 17 years.

[Jehoahaz] did evil in the sight of the Lord & followed the sins of Jeroboam, [Nebat's] son, who made Israel sin [by making 2 gold calves & had Israelites worship them instead of going to Jerusalem to make sacrifices to the Lord God]. [Jehoahaz] didn't depart from [them].

The Lord's anger [grew] against Israel & [the Lord God] delivered them into the hand of Hazael, [Syria's] king & into the hand of BenHadad, [Hazael's] son, all their [lives].

Jehoahaz sought the Lord & the Lord [listened] to him, for [God] saw the oppression of Israel [by Syria's] king. (And the Lord gave Israel, [someone to deliver them], so they [were rescued from] the hand of the Syrians. The children [people] of Israel, [lived] in their tents, [as in the past].

[Still,] they didn't depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked [in them] & there also remained the grove [to worship false gods] in Samaria.)

Neither did [Syria's] king leave [any] of the people [in the army] to Jehoahaz, but 50 horsemen, 10 chariots, & 10,000 foot [soldiers, because] he had destroyed them & made them like the dust [during] threshing [time].

Now, [aren't] the rest of the [actions] of Jehoahaz & all he did & his [strength,] written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? Jehoahaz [died] & slept with his [forefathers] & they buried him in Samaria.

Jehoash, [a.k.a. Joash,] his son, [ruled] in his [place]. In the 37th year of Joash, [Judah's] king, Jehoash [Jehohaz'] son, began to [rule] over Israel in Samaria & [ruled] 16 years.

[Jehoash] did [what] was evil in the sight of the Lord & didn't depart from all the sins of Jeroboam, [Nebat's] son, who made Israel sin [by worshiping gold calves & false gods] & he [continued doing them].

[Aren't the rest of the [actions] of [Jehoash] & all that he did & his [strength used to fight] against Amaziah, [Judah's] king, written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

And [Jehoash died] & slept with his [forefathers] & Jeroboam sat upon his throne & [Jehoash] was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Now, [prior to the death of Jehoash,] Elisha, [the prophet of the Lord God,] had fallen sick [of the illness that would cause him to die].

Jehoash, [Israel's] king [had come] down to [Elisha] & wept over [him] & said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel & the horsemen [of it there]. Elisha said to [Jehoash,] Take [the] bow & arrows & [he did].

Elisha said to [Israel's] king, Put your hand on the bow & Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands. [Elisha] said, Open the east window & [he did]. Then, Elisha said, Shoot & [Jehoash] shot.

[Elisha] said, The arrow of the Lord's deliverance & the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for you shall [attack] the Syrians in Aphek [until] you have [destroyed] them.

And [Elisha] said, Take the arrows & [Jehoash did]. Elisha said to [Israel's] king, [Strike] the ground with them. [Jehoash struck the ground] 3 [times & stopped].

[Elisha,] the man of God, was [angry] with [Jehoash] & said, You should've [struck the ground] 5 or 6 [times]. Then [ you would have attacked] Syria until you had [destroyed] it, [but] now, you shall [only defeat] it 3 [times].

Elisha died & they buried him. The bands of Moabites invaded the land at the [beginning] of the year. It [happened] as they were burying a man & they [saw] the band of men [coming] & [dropped] him into the [grave] of Elisha.

When the man was let down & touched the bones of Elisha, [the man] revived & stood [up].

But Hazael, [Syria's] king, oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. The Lord was gracious to them & [showed] respect to them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac & Jacob & wouldn't destroy them, neither would [the Lord] cast them from [His] presence.

So Hazael, [Syria's] king, died & BenHadad, his son, [ruled] in his [place]. And Jehoash, [Jehoahaz'] son, took [back] the cities out of the hand of BenHadad, [Hazael's] son, [who] had taken them [from] Jehoahaz, his father, [through] war. [Jehoash defeated] BenHadad 3 times & recovered the cities of Israel.

2 Kings 12:1-21 The Money Collected to Repair the Lord's House

 

The Money Collected to Repair the Lord's House

2 Kings 12:1-21                              2 Kings [in Smaller Chunks]

In the 7th year [Jehu ruled,] Joash [a.k.a. Jehoash,] began to [rule & he ruled] 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Ziba of BeerSheba. Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days [that] Jehoiada, the priest, instructed him.

But the high places where people still sacrificed & burnt incense [to false gods] in the high places, weren't taken away.

Joash said to the priests, Let the priests take all the money that was brought to the Lord's house [for: sacred offerings, collected in the census, received from vows, or free-will offerings].

Let the priests take it & it to [acquaintances they know] to repair the [damages of the Lord's house, that they find]. In the 23rd year [Joash ruled,] the priest's hadn't repaired the [damage] of the [Lord's] house.

King Joash, called for the priests, Jehoiada & the other priests & said to them, Why [haven't you] repaired the [damage] of the [Lord's] house? Therefore, don't give your acquaintances [any] more money, but deliver it for the [damage] of the [Lord's] house.

And the priests [agreed] not to receive [any] more money [from] the people [& not] to repair the [damage of the Lord's] house. But [instead,] Jehoiada, the priest, took a chest & [drilled] a hole in the lid & set it beside the altar on the right side, as one comes into the house of the Lord.

The priests [who] kept the door, put [in it] all the money that was brought into the [Lord's] house. When they saw there was much money in the chest, the king's scribe & the high priest came & put it into bags & [counted] the money found [in the chest] in the [Lord's] house.

They [weighed it out] & gave the money into the hand of [those who] did the work & had oversight of [the repairs of] the [Lord's] house.

They [paid] it to the carpenters & builders, masons & stone cutters, to buy [lumber] & [cut] stone, & for all that was [paid] out [to those who worked] to repair the [damage] of the [Lord's] house.

[But] there weren't silver bowls, [candle] snuffers, basins, trumpets & gold & silver vessels made for the [Lord's] house [from] the money [collected]. But they gave that [money] to the workmen [who] repaired the [Lord's] house.

[Also, they didn't have to watch over] the men [they gave the money to for the] workmen, [because] they dealt faithfully, The money for the trespass & sin [offerings wasn't] brought into the [Lord's] house. It was the priests].

Then, Hazael, [Syria's] king, went up & fought against Gath & [captured] it & Hazael [set his mind on going] up to Jerusalem.

And Joash, [Judah's] king, took all the [holy] things that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah & his [forefathers,] kings of Judah had dedicated & his own [holy] things & all the gold found in the treasury of the [Lord's] house & the king's house & sent it Hazael, [Syria's] king & [Hazael] went away.

[Aren't] the rest of the [actions] of Joash & all he did, written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? [Joash's] servants arose & [conspired & killed] Joash in the house of Millo, that goes down to Silla.

[Those who killed him were:] Jozachar, [Shimeath's] son; Jehozabad, [Shomer's] son & his servants. They buried [Joash] with his [forefathers] in the city of David & Amaziah, his son [ruled] in his [place].

2 Kings 11:1-21 Joash is Hidden in the Lord's House and Then Made King

 

Joash is Hidden in the Lord's House and Then Made King

2 Kings 11:1-21                              2 Kings [in Smaller Chunks]

When Athaliah, [Ahaziah's] mother, saw her son [Ahaziah] was dead, she arose & [killed all the royal heirs]. But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram & sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, [a.k.a. Jehoash,  Ahaziah's] son, & [sneaked him away] from the king's sons, [who] were killed.

[Jehosheba] hid [Joash] & his nurse in the [bedroom] from [queen] Athaliah, so he wasn't killed. [Joash] was [hidden] with her in the house of the Lord [for] 6 years & [Queen] Athaliah [ruled] over the land.

The 7th year, Jehoiada sent & [had] the rulers over 100's, with the captains & the guards brought to him, into the house of the Lord. [Jehoiada] made a covenant [contract] with them & took an oath [from] them in the [Lord's] house & showed them [Joash,] the king's son.

[Jehoiada, the priest,] commanded them, saying, This is [what] you shall do. [Those  of you who are on duty in the Lord's house on the Sabbath Day,] 1/3 of you shall keep the watch [& guard] the kings' house.

And 1/3 [of you] shall be at the gate of Sur & 1/3 [of you] at the gate behind the guard: so you can [watch over] the [Lord's] house, [so it's] not broken down. Two parts of all [of] you [who are going off duty] on the Sabbath, shall keep the watch of the [Lord's] house [around] the king.

You shall [circle] around king [Joash,] every man with his weapons in hand & [anyone who comes close] to him shall be [killed]. You [go] with the king [wherever] he [goes].

The captains over the 100's did all according to [what] Jehoiada, the priest, commanded. [Every captain] took his men [who were to come on duty] on the Sabbath & [the other captains] took their men [who were going off duty] on the Sabbath & came to Jehoiada, the priest.

The priest gave king David's spears & shields that were in the [Lord's] temple to the captains over 100's. Every guard stood with his weapons in his hand [around king Joash by the altar, & formed a line] from the right corner of the temple to the left corner.

[Jehoiada] brought [out Joash,] the king's son & put the crown on him & gave him the Testimony [10 Commandments & laws] & they made him king & anointed him & they clapped their hands & said, God save the king.

When, [Queen] Athaliah heard the noise [by] the guards & the people, she went into the [Lord's] temple & came to the people. When she looked, she [saw that] the king stood by the [column, like the custom] was, & the princes & trumpeters [were] by the king. All the people of the land rejoiced & blew with trumpets.

[Queen] Athiliah [tore] her clothes & cried [out], Treason, Treason. But Joiada, the priest, had commanded the captains & the officers of the [army & told] them, [Take her outside] & the [person who] follows her [shall] kill her with the sword. The priest [had] said, [Don't] let her be [killed] in the [Lord's] house.

They [seized Athaliah when] she went [where] the horses [entered the path of] the king's house & they killed her there. Jehoiada made a covenant [contract] between the Lord, the king & the people, [so] they [would] be the Lord's people. Also, between the king & the people.

All the people of the land went into the house of Baal [a false god] & [broke] it down. They broke down [its] altars & images [idols], into small pieces & [killed] Mattan, [Baal's] priest, in front of] the altars.

[Jehoiada, the Lord God's] priest, appointed officers over the [Lord's] house. He took the rulers over 100's, the captains, the [guards] & all the people of the land & they brought down king [Joash] from the [Lord's] house & came by the [gate entrance] of the guard's [path] to the king's house.

And [Joash] sat on the [king's] throne. And the city was quiet & Athaliah was [struck down by] the sword beside the king's house. [Joash, a.k.a. Jehoash] was 7 years old when he began to [rule].

2 Kings 10:1-36 Ahab's 70 Sons are Killed

 

Ahab's 70 Sons are Killed

2 Kings 10:1-36                            2 Kings [in Smaller Chunks]

Ahab had 70 sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote & sent letters to the [rulers] of Jezreel, the elders & to [the guardians of Ahab's] children in Samaria, saying, You are in a [walled] city & have armor, chariots & horses.

As soon as this letter comes to you, [since] your master's sons are with you, [search for] the best & [strongest] of your master's sons & [put] him on his father's throne to fight for your master's house.

They were [very] afraid & said, [Look,] 2 kings couldn't stand [against Jehu,] how shall we stand [against him]? The [officers] over the house, the city, the elders & [the children's guardians,] sent to Jehu, saying, We are your servants & will do all you [ask of] us. Do [what] is good in your eyes.

[Jehu] wrote a letter to them a 2nd time, saying, Take [all] the heads of your master's sons & come to Jezreel to me this time tomorrow. King [Ahab's] 70 sons were with [important] men of the city [who] brought them up.

It [happened] when the letter came to them, they [killed] the 70 sons [of Ahab] & put their heads in baskets & sent them to Jezreel. A messenger came & told [Jehu,] saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons.

[Jehu] said, Lay them in 2 [piles] at the [entrance] of the gate until morning. In the morning, it [happened,] that [Jehu] went out & stood & said to all the people, You are [innocent].

[See,] I was the one who conspired against my master & [killed] him, but who [killed] these? [You should] know [that not] a word the Lord has [spoken against] the house of Ahab, [will be left undone].

For the Lord has done what he spoke by His servant, Elijah. [Because King Ahab shed innocent blood & Jezebel worshiped false gods, did witchcraft & killed all the Lord's prophets, except for Elijah].

So, Jehu [killed all who] remained of the house of Ahab, his [important] men, relatives & his high priests [of false gods,] until none were left remaining. [Jehu left & went] to Samaria.

Since [Jehu] was at the shearing-house [on] the way, Jehu met with the [relatives] of Ahaziah [Judha's] king, & said, Who are you? They answered, We are the [relatives] of Ahaziah & we [are] going down to salute the children of the king & queen.

[Jehu] said, Take them alive. They took 42 [of] them alive & killed them at the pit of the shearing house & [he didn't leave] any of them. When [Jehu left] from [there,] & he [came upon] Jehonadab, the son of [Rechab a.k.a Rekab,] coming to meet him.

[Jehu greeted] him & said to him, Is your heart [as loyal to me, as I am to you]? Johonadab answered, It is. [Jehu said,] If it [is,] give me your hand & he gave [Jehu] his hand, [Jehu] took [Jehonadab] into his chariot.

[Jehu] said, Come with me & see my zeal for the Lord [God]. So, they made [Jehonadab] ride in [Jehu's] chariot. When [Jehu] came to Samaria, he [killed] all [who] remained to Ahab in Samaria, [until] he had destroyed [them,] according to [what] the Lord [said when] He spoke to Elijah.

Jehu gathered all the people together & said to them, Ahab served Baal [a false god] a little, but Jehu shall serve him [a lot]. Therefore, now call to me all the [false] prophets of Baal [a false god,] all [Baal's]  servants & all his [false] priests.

Let [none who worship Baal be left:] for I have a great sacrifice to do for Baal. [Whoever doesn't come] shall not live. But Jehu [had secretly plotted] to destroy the worshipers of Baal, [a false god].

Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. Jehu sent throughout Israel & they proclaimed it & all the worshipers of Baal came, so there weren't [any] left [who] didn't come.

They [went] into the house of Baal & it was full from 1 end to the other. [Jehu] said to him [who was in charge of the wardrobe for Baal worshipers,] bring [out] the vestments for all the worshipers of Baal.

Jehu & Jehonadab went into the house of Baal & said, Look & make sure that there [are] none of the servants of the Lord [in here,] but only the worshipers of Baal.

When they went in to offer sacrifices & burnt offerings, Jehu appointed 80 men [outside] & said, If [you let anyone] escape, [whoever] lets him go, shall give his life, for the life of [the 1 who escapes].

It [happened] as soon as the burnt offering [ended,] Jehu said to the guards & the captains, Go in & [kill] them & let [none] come [out]. They [struck them down] with the edge of the sword & [threw the bodies [outside].

And [they] went to the city of the house of Baal [a false god] & brought out all the images [idols] out of the house of Baal [a false god] & burned them. They [broke] down the image [idol] of Baal & [tore] down the house of Baal [a false god] & made it [into a latrine to] this day.

[So,] Jehu destroyed Baal [a false god] out of Israel. [However,] Jehu didn't depart from the sins of Jeroboam, [Nebat's] son, [who] made Israel sin [Jeroboam had the Israelites worship 2 gold calves that he made as their gods, instead of the Lord God]. The golden calves were in Bethel & in Dan.

The Lord said to Jehu, Because you have done well in executing what was right in My eyes & [you have] done to the house of Ahab, according to all that was in My heart, your children shall sit on the throne of Israel, [until] the 4th generation.

But Jehu wasn't [careful] to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart. For [Jehu] didn't depart from the sins of Jeroboam, [who] made Israel sin [by worshiping the gold calves].

[During] those days, the Lord began to [reduce the size of Israel's territory]. Hazael [destroyed the Israelites] in all [their coastal borders] of Israel; east of [the] Jordan [River, in] all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, Reubenites & the Manassites, from Aroer, by the River Arnon, even [to] Gilead & Bashan.

Now, [aren't] the rest of [Jehu's actions] & all he did & all his [strength] written in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? Jehu [died] & slept with his [forefathers] & they buried him in Samaria. Jehoahaz, his son, [ruled] in his [place]. Jehu [ruled] over Israel in Samaria [for] 28 years.

2 Kings 9:1-37 Jehu is Anointed as King Over Israel

 

Jehu is Anointed as King Over Israel

2 Kings 9:1-37                             2 Kings [in Smaller Chunks]

The prophet, Elisha, called on one of the children of the prophets & said to him, [strap a belt around your waist] & take this box of oil in your hand & go to Ramoth Gilead.

When you [get there,] look for Jehu [the grandson of Jehoshaphat who] was [Nimshi's] son. Go in & make him [stand up & leave from] his brethren & [take] him to an inner [room].

Then, take the box of oil & pour it on his head & say, The Lord has said [this,] I, [the Lord God,] have anointed you [to be the] king over Israel. Then, don't [wait,] open the door & flee.

So, the young prophet went to Ramoth Gilead. When he came, [he saw] the captains of the [army] were sitting & he said, I have an errand [for] you, O captain. Jehu [asked,] To which of us? [The young prophet said,] To you, O captain.

[Jehu] arose & went into the house & [the prophet] poured the oil on [Jehu's] head & said to him, The Lord God of Israel says [this,] I have anointed you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel.

You shall [destroy] the house of Ahab, your master, [so] I may avenge the blood of My servants & prophets & the blood of all the servants of the Lord, at [Jezebel's hand,] [who had more than 100 prophets slaughtered].

For the whole house of Ahab shall perish [in addition to all his bloodshed, also for all his wickedness of worshiping false gods & pagan rituals] & I will cut off all [the males] of Ahab & [those of his who are] shut up & left in Israel.

I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam [who made 2 gold calves & told the Israelites to worship them as their god instead of going back to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the Lord God,] [& was Nebat's] son & like the house of Baasha, [who also worshiped false gods,] [& was Ahijah's] son.

The dogs shall eat Jezebel in Jezreel & there shall be [no one] to bury her. [Then, the young prophet] opened the door & fled. Then, Jehu came out to the servants of his lord & [someone] said, Is all well?

[Why did this crazy man] come to you? [Jehu] said to them, You know the man & [the type of things he says]. They said, It's a lie. Tell us now.

[Jehu] said, He spoke [this & that] to me & [said,] The Lord said [this,] I have anointed you king over Israel. They hurried & laid out their [clothing] on the top of the stairs [like a red carpet] & blew their trumpets, saying, Jehu is king.

So, Jehu, the [grandson] of Jehoshaphat, [who was] the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram, [Ahab's son,] (Now, Joram had kept Ramoth Gilead, he & all Israel, because of Hazael, [Syria's] king.

But king Joram, [a.k.a. Jehoram, had] returned to be healed in Jezreel [from] the wounds the Syrians had given him when he had fought with Hazael, [Syria's] king.)

Jehu said, Don't let it even cross your mind [to] let [anyone] go [out or] escape out of the city, to go & tell it in Jezreel. So, Jehu rode a chariot & went to Jezreel; for [Joram, Ahab's son] lay there [wounded].

Ahaziah, [Judah's] king, came down to see Joram, [his uncle]. There stood a [guard] on the tower in Jezreel & he spied the company with Jehu, as he came. [The guard] said, I see a company.

Joram said, Send a horseman to meet him & say, Is it [that you come in] peace? The [guard] told them, The messenger [went] to them, but didn't come [back] again.

Then, he sent a 2nd [messenger] on horseback to them & said, [Are you coming] in peace? Jehu answered, What do [you have] to do with peace? [Join with me]. The [guard] said, [The messenger] went to them & didn't [return].

The [person] driving [looks] like the driving of Jehu, [Nimshi's] son, for he drives furiously. Joram said, [Get my] chariot ready [& they did]. Joram, [Israel's] king & Ahaziah, [Judah's] king, each went out in his [own] chariot against Jehu.

[They] met him in the [land] of Naboth, the Jezreelite [who had owned this plot of land, but king Ahab wanted it & Naboth wouldn't give his inheritance to Ahab & Jezebel made a deceitful plot & had Naboth killed, so Ahab could have the plot for his garden].

It [happened] when Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is it peace, Jehu? [Jehu] answered, What peace [is there] as long as there are so many [unfaithful harlotries] of your mother, Jezebel, [& her many witchcrafts]?

Joram turned & fled & said to Ahaziah, O Ahaziah, there is treachery. Jehu drew a bow with his full strength & [struck] Joram [a.k.a. Jehoram, between the shoulders] & the arrow went out [by] his heart & he sank down in his chariot.

Then, Jehu said to Bidkar, his captain, Take up [the corpse] & [throw] him into the portion of Naboth's field, the Jezreelite.

Remember how you & I rode together after Ahab, his father, [when] the Lord [spoke this prophecy against Ahab,] The Lord says, Surely, I [saw] yesterday the blood of Naboth & the blood of his sons & I will [repay] you in this [property].

Therefore, now [throw] him into this [plot] of ground, according to the word of  the Lord.  But when Ahaziah, [Judah's] king, saw this, he fled by the [road] of the garden house.

Jehu followed after [Ahaziah] & said, [Shoot] him in the chariot. They did so, [on the way up to] Gur, by Ibleam. [Ahaziah] fled to Migiddo & died there. His servants carried [Ahaziah] in a chariot to Jerusalem & buried him in his [tomb] with his [forefathers] in the city of David.

In the 11th year of Joram, [Ahab's grandson, ruled,] Ahaziah began to [rule] over Judah. When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it & painted her face & [adorned] her head & looked out a window.

As Juhu entered at the gate, [Jezabel] said, [Do you come in] peace, Zimri, [who has slain] his master? [Jehu looked] up to the window & said, Who is on my side? Who? 2 or 3 [officials] looked [down to Jehu]. [Jehu] said, Throw her down [& they did].

Some of [Jezebel's] blood sprinkled on the wall & on the horses & [Jehu trampled] her under foot. When [Jehu] came in, he [ate & drank] & said, Go & see now, this cursed woman & bury her; for she is a king's daughter. They went to bury her; but they [only] found her skull, feet & the palms of her hands.

They [went back] & told [Jehu]. He said, This is the word of the Lord, [that] He spoke by his servant, Elijah, the Tishbite.

Saying, in [Naboth's plot in] Jezreel, the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel [since she killed many of the Lord's prophets, worshiped idols & did witchcraft]. The [corpse] of Jezebel shall [be like human fertilizer on top of] the field, in [the plot in] Jezreel, so they won't [be able to] say, Jezebel [lies] here.