The account of other events of this reign not given here, and how the king, already sick from arrow wounds received in battle, was killed by an arrow from the strong bow of Jehu, will be found in the "Stories of Elijah and Elisha" in this volume. Joram was a fighting king, but he was not always successful. The battle in which he received his wounds previous to his death was an attempt to take Ramoth-gilead in company with Ahaziah of Judah, but the Syrian archers wounded him so severely that he was forced to retire. The story given below is of an attack made upon Mesha, "sheep-master" king of Moab, who, it seems, refused two years previously the tribute of wool which he had paid to Israel.
Joram called the kings of Judah and Edom together, and the three made an expedition to punish the Moabites. The armies would have perished miserably had it not been for a miracle performed by Elisha. The expedition, while momentarily successful, ended in the retreat of the allies without having fully accomplished their purpose.)
Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not like his father, and like his mother; for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
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Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master; and he rendered unto the king of Israel the wool of a hundred thousand lambs, and of a hundred thousand rams. But it came to pa.s.s, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. And King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered 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, my horses as thy horses."
And he said, "Which way shall we go up?"
And he answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom."
So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they made a circuit of seven days" journey: and there was no water for the host, nor for the beasts that followed them.
And the king of Israel said, "Alas! for 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 inquire of the Lord by him?"
And one of the king of Israel"s servants answered and said, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who 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.
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[Ill.u.s.tration]
RUINS AT THE ANCIENT JERICHO.
Used by special permission of the Detroit Photograph Company.
The modern village of Jericho, near the ruins of ancient Jericho.
With its mud walls and thatched roofs, it is one of the poorest and most miserable villages in all Palestine.
[End ill.u.s.tration]
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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 pa.s.s, 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 trenches." For thus saith the Lord, "Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain, yet that valley shall be filled with water: and ye shall drink, both ye and your cattle and your beasts."
"And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: he will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all fountains of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones."
And it came to pa.s.s in the morning, about the time of offering the oblation, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.
Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all that were able to put on armor, and upward, {392} and stood on the border. And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water over against them as red as blood: and they said, "This is blood; the kings are surely destroyed, and they have smitten each man his fellow: 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: and they went forward into the land smiting the Moabites. And they beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land they cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the fountains of water, and felled all the good trees: until in Kir-hareseth only they left the stones thereof; howbeit 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 sword, to break through 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 wrath against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
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[Ill.u.s.tration]
THE PLAINS OF JERICHO.
Now almost uninhabited, covered with wild growth. The mounds in the middle distance cover the ancient city.
[End ill.u.s.tration]
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JEHU.
[Footnote: How Jehu, a captain in the army, came to the throne of Israel, is told in the "Stories of Elijah and Elisha" in this volume.]
_How Jehu Destroyed the Children of Ahab and the Children of Ahaziah, and the Priests of Baal_.
Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and unto them that brought up the sons of Ahab, saying, "And 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 armor; look ye out the best and meetest 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, the two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?"
And he that was over the household, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and they that brought up the children, sent to Jehu, saying, "We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any man king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes."
Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, "If ye be on my side, 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 to-morrow this time."
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Now the king"s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up. And it came to pa.s.s, when the letter came to them, that they took the king"s sons, and slew them, even seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them unto him 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 pa.s.s 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 smote all these?
Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab: for the Lord hath done that which he spoke by his servant Elijah."
So Jehu smote all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him none remaining. And he arose and departed, and went to Samaria.
And as he was at the shearing house of the shepherds 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."