The Divided Kingdom

And Jehoram saith, `Harness;' and his chariot is harnessed, and Jehoram king of Israel goeth out, and Ahaziah king of Judah, each in his chariot, and they go out to meet Jehu, and find him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.

And it cometh to pass, at Jehoram's seeing Jehu, that he saith, `Is there peace, Jehu?' and he saith, `What is the peace, while the whoredoms of Jezebel thy mother, and her witchcrafts, are many?'

And Jehoram turneth his hands, and fleeth, and saith unto Ahaziah, `Deceit, O Ahaziah!'

And Jehu hath filled his hand with a bow, and smiteth Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow goeth out from his heart, and he boweth down in his chariot.

And Jehu saith unto Bidkar his captain, `Lift up, cast him into the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite--for, remember, I and thou were riding together after Ahab his father, and Jehovah lifted upon him this burden:

Have I not the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons seen yesternight--the affirmation of Jehovah--yea, I have recompensed to thee in this portion--the affirmation of Jehovah; --and now, lift up, cast him into the portion, according to the word of Jehovah.'

And Ahaziah king of Judah hath seen, and fleeth the way of the garden-house, and Jehu pursueth after him, and saith, `Smite him--also him--in the chariot,' in the going up to Gur, that is Ibleam, and he fleeth to Megiddo, and dieth there,

and his servants carry him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and bury him in his burying-place, with his fathers, in the city of David.

And in the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab reign did Ahaziah over Judah.

And Jehu cometh in to Jezreel, and Jezebel hath heard, and putteth her eyes in paint and maketh right her head, and looketh out through the window.

And Jehu hath come into the gate, and she saith, `Was there peace to Zimri--slayer of his lord?'

And he lifteth up his face unto the window, and saith, `Who is with me? --who?' and look out unto him do two or three eunuchs;

And he saith, `Let her go;' and they let her go, and some of her blood is sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses, and he treadeth her down.

And he cometh in, and eateth, and drinketh, and saith, `Look after, I pray you, this cursed one, and bury her, for she is a king's daughter.'

And they go to bury her, and have not found of her except the skull, and the feet, and the palms of the hands.

And they turn back, and declare to him, and he saith, `The word of Jehovah it is , that He spake by the hand of this servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel do the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel,

and the carcase of Jezebel hath been as dung on the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, that they say not, This is Jezebel.'

And Ahab hath seventy sons in Samaria, and Jehu writeth letters, and sendeth to Samaria, unto the heads of Jezreel, the elders, and unto the supporters of Ahab, saying,

`And now, at the coming in of this letter unto you, and with you are sons of your lord, and with you are the chariots and the horses, and a fenced city, and the armour,

and ye have seen the best and the uprightest of the sons of your lord, and have set him on the throne of his father, and fight ye for the house of your lord.'

And they fear very greatly, and say, `Lo, the two kings have not stood before him, and how do we stand--we?'

And he who is over the house, and he who is over the city, and the elders, and the supporters, send unto Jehu, saying, `Thy servants we are , and all that thou sayest unto us we do; we do not make any one king--that which is good in thine eyes do.'

And he writeth unto them a letter a second time, saying, `If ye are for me, and to my voice are hearkening, take the heads of the men--the sons of your lord, and come unto me about this time to-morrow, to Jezreel;' and the sons of the king are seventy men, with the great ones of the city those bringing them up.

And it cometh to pass, at the coming in of the letter unto them, that they take the sons of the king, and slaughter seventy men, and put their heads in baskets, and send unto him to Jezreel,

and the messenger cometh in, and declareth to him, saying, `They have brought in the heads of the sons of the king,' and he saith, `Make them two heaps at the opening of the gate till the morning.'