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escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kìshon, and slew them here.

CURE OF NAAMAN.

2 KINGS v. 1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his máster, and hònourable; because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour; but he was a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. 3 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. 4 And one went in and told his lord, saying,

Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. 5 And the king of Syria said, Go tò, gò, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of I'srael, 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. 7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alíve, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his léprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. 9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his cháriot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again unto thee, and thou shalt be cleàn. 11 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 re

cover the leper. 12 Are not Abána and Phárpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be cléan? So he turned away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wàsh, and be clean? 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of Gòd: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little chìld, and he was clean.

15 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 in all the earth, but in Israel; now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. 16 But he said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive nòne. And he urged him to take it; but he refused. 17 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 sàcrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord. 18 In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon; when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing. 19 And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.

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20 But Gehazi 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 hìm. 21 So Gehazi 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? 22 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 pròphets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. 23 And Naaman said, Be contènt, 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 bare them before him. 24 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. 25 But he went in, and stood before his master and Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither. 26 And he said unto him, Went 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 shéep, and óxen, and ménservants, and máid-servants? 27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed forever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

ELISHA ANOINTS JE H U.

JEHU KILLS JORAM

AND JEZEBEL.

2 KINGS IX.-1 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: 2 And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chàmber: 3 Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the Lord, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.

4 So the young man, even the young man the prophet went to Ramoth-gilead. 5 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 us! And he said, To thee, O captain. 6 And he arose and went into the house: and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him ( ··) thūs sāith the Lord God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the Lòrd, even over Israèl.

11. Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord: and one said unto him, Is all well? wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the

man and his communication. 12 And they said, It is false : tèll us now. And he said, Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, thus saith the Lord, I have anointed thee king over Israel. 13 Then they hásted, and took every man his garmént, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, (..) Jehu is king. 14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram had kept Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria. 15 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. 16 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. 17 And there 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 hòrseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace? 18 So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. And the watchmen told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he cometh not again. 19 Then he sent out a second on horseback, which came to them and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peáce? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thes behind me. 20 And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again; and the driving is like the driving of Jehù the son of Nìmshi: for he driveth fùriously. 21 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. 22 And it came to pass when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jéhu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcraft are so many? 23 And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. 24 and Jehu drew a bow with his

* That is, "under Jehu' see Luke xix. 36.

full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chàriot.

30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jèzebel heard of it, and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. 31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his máster? 32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? whò? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. 33 And he said, Throw her down. they threw her down and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.

So

REHOBOAM REFUSING THE OLD MAN'S
COUNSEL.

2 CHRON. X.-1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king. 2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. 3 And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came, and spake to Rehoboam, saying, 4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee. 5 And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed. 6 And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? 7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever. 8 But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the yoùng men that were brought up with him, that stood before him. 9 And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us? 10 And the young men that were brought up with him, spake unto him, saying,

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