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of Elisha in Israel, he applied to the King of Syria to intercede for him, that he might go to Elisha. The King of Israel, on being applied to for leave for Naaman, rent his clothes, feeling himself insulted that he should be mixed up with the application. Elisha, hearing of this, went to the king, and said, Let Naaman come to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman came, with his horses and chariots, and stood before the door of Elisha; and Elisha sent a messenger to him, to tell him to go and wash in the river Jordan seven times, and he should be clean. But at this message Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Are not the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel? Naaman's servant, however, said unto him, Master, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? Naaman, therefore, went and dipped himself seven times in the river Jordan, and was cured. He immediately went to Elisha, and urged him to take presents, but he refused, and told Naaman to go in peace. But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, secretly followed after Naaman, with an excuse that his master would accept of two bags of silver and two changes of raiment; and Naaman gave them unto him. At his return, he denied that he had been with Naaman; but Elisha knew it, and told his servant that, for his treachery, the leprosy should cleave unto him. And he sent him away a leper as white as snow.

At this time the King of Syria warred against Israel, but was discomfited by Elisha, who informed the King of Israel of the intentions of the King of

VOL. I. G

Syria. This so troubled the King of Syria, that he encompassed the city of Dothan, where the prophet Elisha lived, on purpose to take him. Elisha, however, prayed unto the Lord that this multitudinous army might be struck with blindness; and it was so, and Elisha led the King of Syria's army into Samaria, instead of into Dothan. Then he prayed to God to open their eyes; which was done, and Elisha gave them meat and drink, and sent them home. Benhadad, on returning home, heard that there was a great famine in Samaria, and he gathered together all his host, and went up to besiege Samaria, and the famine was so severe that an ass sold for eighty pieces of silver. The people murmured, but Elisha said unto them, Hear ye the word of the Lord. By this time to-morrow, a measure of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel. There were four leprous men at the gate, and they said one to another, If we go into the city we shall die, and if we remain outside we shall die. So they determined to fall back on the camp of the Assyrians; but, on their arrival, they found that the Assyrians had all fled, leaving their tents and stores behind them. The lepers returned, and informed the King of Israel, who went out and spoiled the tents; and their stores and provision, were so great, as to permit a measure of fine flour to be sold for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord by Elisha.

Hazael, a principal adviser of the King of Syria, whom the Lord ordered Elisha to anoint, to be a future king of Syria, informed Elisha, that his master was very ill, and could not live; and, in

fact, he hastened his death and proclaimed himself his successor. He was a cruel king, and executed upon Israel all the evils which Elisha foretold. Elisha now sent one of the children of the prophets, and said, Take a box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead, and say, Thus said the Lord, I have anointed Jehu, the captain of the host, to be king over Israel, and he shall smite the house of Ahab. The soldiery declared Jehu, king over Israel. And Jehu rode in his chariot, and drove furiously to Jezreel, and smote Joram, the son of Ahab, king of Israel, and successor to his eldest brother Ahaziah, who died without issue: he smote him with an arrow, and he sank down in his chariot, and Jehu told his captain to cast him into the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, according to the word of the Lord. Jehu then followed Ahaziah, and smote him also in his chariot. And Jehu advanced to Jezreel, and Jezebel hearing of it, she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out of the window. Jehu commanded the eunuchs who attended her to throw her out of the window, which they did; and the dogs came and eat her flesh, according as the Lord had said, and which he spoke by his servant Elisha, In the portion of Jezreel shall the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel.

There were seventy sons of Ahab residing at Samaria, and Jehu ordered, by letter, that they should be slain, and all the house of Ahab, in conformity to the prophecy of Elisha. He also slew forty-two of Ahaziah's brethren, and destroyed the worshippers of Baal; but after this Jehu followed in the sins of Jeroboam, so far as related to the

823 B. C.

golden calf in Bethel and in Dan. He reigned in Israel, the capital being then Samaria, twenty-eight years, and his son Jehoahaz reigned in his stead. The Lord said that, in consequence of Jehu being the instrument against the house of Ahab, his children of the fourth generation should reign over Israel.

Now it appears that Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, was saved from the massacre by Athaliah, a daughter of Ahab, and mother of Ahaziah. He was stolen from among the king's sons, and was supposed to have been slain. Some time after, Athaliah was, by order of Jehoiada the priest, also slain, and Jehoash, thus saved, was placed upon the throne of David as king of Judah.

Jehoash gave the tribute-money to Jehoiada the priest to repair the house of God, and did that which was right; but Hazael, king of Syria, came to attack Jerusalem, which so alarmed Jehoash, that he bought him off by giving him most of the treasures of Jerusalem, for which act he was slain by his servants, and Joash his son reigned in his stead. He followed the sins of Jeroboam, but reinstated the affairs of the kingdom of Israel during his reign of sixteen years.

Amaziah, his son, and the eighth king of Judah, succeeded him as king of Israel, the capital being Samaria. The Lord's anger was at this time kindled against all Israel for still following the sins of Jeroboam.

Amaziah, king of Judah, having been victorious over the Edomites, challenged Jehoash, king of Israel, for he thought himself invincible, and would

continue to worship the false gods which he had taken from Edom. Jehoash, however, defeated him, and entered Jerusalem, and carried off the gold and silver vessels that belonged to the temple.

The reign of Jehoash, king of Israel, was a wicked one; he died and was buried in Samaria. He was succeeded by Jeroboam, his son, as king of Israel, the capital being Samaria. Hazael, king of Assyria, died, and Benhadad, his son, reigned in his stead. Benhadad besieged Samaria, and the famine became extreme, but Elijah promised abundance the next day, and the prediction was verified by the flight of the Syrians, which will be seen in the second book of Kings, chapter sixth. Jeroboam reigned in Samaria forty-one years; he recovered Damascus and Amath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel. Jeroboam died, and was buried with his fathers, the kings of Israel. Zachariah, his son, reigned in his stead, but after reigning six months was treacherously killed by a chief called Naphtali; who, however, held Israel only one month, he being a usurper, for Menahem, the son of Gadi, went to Samaria, and smote him, and reigned king of Israel; he also smote all the inhabitants of the cities on the coast which did not surrender to him, and he continued his wickedness to such an extent, as to destroy all the women and children. But the King of Syria came against him, and Menahem bought himself off for one thousand talents of silver, about £350,000 of English money.

Menahem died, and Pekahiah, his son, reigned in his stead, as king of Israel. He reigned, however, only two years, and was succeeded by Pekah, who

819 D. C.

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