Day 131 – May 11, 2022

4 Kingdoms 8:7-9:37

⁷ Then Elisha went to Damascus at a time when the son of Hadad the king of Syria was sick. And they brought word to him saying, “The man of God is here.” ⁸ And the king said to Hazael, “Take in your hand a present and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord by him, asking, ‘Shall I recover from this disease?’ ” ⁹ So Hazael went to meet him. In his hand, he took a present plus all the good things of Damascus, forty camel-loads, and he came and stood before him and said, “Your son the king of Syria, the son of Hadad, sent me to ask you whether he would recover from this disease.”

¹⁰ So Elisha said to him, “Go tell him, ‘You shall live.’ However, the Lord made known to me that he will die by being put to death.” ¹¹ The man of God wept and sat there until he was ashamed, then he stood up in the presence of Hazael. ¹² At this Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” He answered, “Because I know the evil you will do to the sons of Israel. You will utterly destroy their strongholds with fire, and you will kill their young men with the sword. You will dash their children and rip open their pregnant women.” ¹³ Then Hazael said, “What is your servant that I should do such a thing, a dead dog?” Elisha answered, “The Lord has shown me that you will become king over Syria.”

¹⁴ Then he departed from Elisha and came to his lord, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he answered, “He told me you will live.” ¹⁵ But on the next day, Hazael took a thick cloth and dipped it in water, and spread it over the face of the king, the son of Hadad, and he died. Hazael reigned in his place.

Jehoram Is King of Judah

¹⁶ Now in the fifth year of Joram, the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Joram, the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, began to reign. ¹⁷ He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he ruled for eight years in Jerusalem. ¹⁸ And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the eyes of the Lord. ¹⁹ Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah for the sake of his servant David, as He promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.

²⁰ In his days, Edom revolted against Judah’s authority and made a king over themselves. ²¹ So Joram went to Seir with all his chariots, and it came to be, after he raised his troops, he struck Edom and the captains of the chariots who had encircled him. The people fled to their tents. ²² Even so, Edom revolted from being subordinate to the authority of Judah to this day. At the same time Libnah revolted as well. ²³ Behold, the rest of the acts of Joram, and everything he did, are these not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah? ²⁴ So Joram rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. Then Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

Ahaziah Is King of Judah

²⁵ In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram began to reign. ²⁶ Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he ruled for one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel. ²⁷ And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the eyes of the Lord, like the house of Ahab.

²⁸ Now he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram. ²⁹ Then King Joram went back to Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Syrians inflicted on him at Ramah, where he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

Jehu Is King of Israel

​¹ Then Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Prepare yourself, take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead. ² Now when you arrive at that place, look there for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, and go in and awaken him from among his brethren, and take him to the innermost chamber. ³ Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I have anointed you king over Israel.” Then open the door and flee, and do not delay.” ⁴ So the young man, the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead. ⁵ When he arrived where the captains of the army were sitting, he said, “I have a message for you, O captain.” Jehu said, “For which one of us?” And he said, “For you, O captain.” ⁶ Then he arose and went into the house. And he poured the oil on his head, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘I have anointed you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel. ⁷ You shall destroy the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the Lord at the hand of Jezebel ⁸ and by the hand of all the house of Ahab, and you shall cut off from the house of Ahab every male held captive, those looked after and those in solitary confinement. ⁹ Then I will deliver the house of Ahab, like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. ¹⁰ The dogs shall eat Jezebel on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and there shall be no one to bury her.’ ” And he opened the door and fled.

¹¹ Then Jehu came out to the servants of his master, and they said to him, “Peace to you. Why did this possessed man come to you?” And he said to them, “You know the man and his babble.” ¹² And they said, “Liar! Now you tell us.” And Jehu said to them, “Thus and thus he spoke to me, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I anointed you king over Israel.” ’ ” ¹³ When they heard this, they hastened to take their garments and to place them beneath him on the top of the stairs. And they blew trumpets, saying, “Jehu is king!”

Israel’s King Joram Is Killed

¹⁴ So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram; and Joram was defending Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, against Hazael king of Syria; ¹⁵ and King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Syrians had inflicted on him when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. Jehu said, “If your heart is with me, let no one leave or escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel.” ¹⁶ So Jehu rode ahead and came down to Jezreel; for Joram, king of Israel, was being restored to health in Jezreel from the arrow wounds the Syrians inflicted on him with the bow in Ramoth, in the battle with Hazael king of Syria; for he was powerful and a man of strength. And Ahaziah king of Judah came down to see Joram.

¹⁷ Now a watchman went up on the tower in Jezreel, and saw Jehu’s dust as he came, and said, “I see dust.” And Joram said, “Get a horseman and send him to meet them. Let him say, ‘It is a time for peace.’ ” ¹⁸ So the horseman went to meet him, and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Let there be peace.’ ” And Jehu said, “What do you have to do with peace? Turn around and follow me.” So the watchman reported, saying, “The messenger went to them, but is not coming back.” ¹⁹ Then he sent out a second horseman, who came to them and said, “Thus says the king, ‘It is time for peace!’ ” And Jehu answered, “What do you have to do with peace? Turn around and follow me.”

²⁰ So the watchman reported, saying, “He went up to them and is not coming back. And he brought Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he was in a frenzy!” ²¹ Then Joram exclaimed, “Make ready! Harness a chariot!” Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, for a meeting with Jehu. They found him on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite. ²² Now it happened when Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Jehu, let there be a time of peace.” And he answered, “How can there be a time of peace? The sexual immorality of Jezebel your mother and her sorceries are still many.”

²³ Then Joram turned the reigns in his hand to flee, and said to Ahaziah, “This is treachery, Ahaziah!” ²⁴ But Jehu drew back on his bow fully and shot Joram with an arrow between his shoulders. The arrow came out through his heart, and he buckled at his knees. ²⁵ Then Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Cast him into the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for I remember when you and I were mounting onto a pair of chariots behind Ahab, Joram’s father, and the Lord took upon Himself this promise against Ahab, saying, ²⁶ ‘Yesterday,’ says the Lord, ‘I surely saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons. I will recompense to him in this same portion.’ Therefore now, pick him up and cast him into the portion of ground, according to the word of the Lord.”

Judah’s King Ahaziah Is Killed

²⁷ But when Ahaziah king of Judah saw this, he fled on the road to Beth Haggan. So Jehu pursued after him, saying, “Him, too!” And on the ascent of Gur, one struck him in the chariot, near Ibleam. He then fled to Megiddo and died there. ²⁸ From here, his servants carried him in the chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb in the City of David. ²⁹ And in the eleventh year of Joram king of Israel, Ahaziah became king over Judah.

The Bloody Death of Jezebel

³⁰ Now Jehu returned to Jezreel, and Jezebel received the news of it. She put black makeup on her eyes and adorned her head, and she stooped down and peeked through the window. ³¹ As Jehu entered into the city, she said, “Peace, Zimri, the murderer of his master.”

³² Jehu raised his eyes upward toward the window and saw her, and said, “Who are you? Come down by me.” Then two eunuchs looked down at him. ³³ He exclaimed, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down, and her blood splattered against the wall, even on the horses which trampled her. ³⁴ Then Jehu went in, and he ate and drank, and said, “Indeed, have care for this cursed woman. Give her a proper burial, as she is the daughter of a king.” ³⁵ So they went to bury her, but no more of her was found but the skull, the feet, and the palms of her hands.

³⁶ They came back and told Jehu. And he said, “This is the word the Lord spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel, dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; ³⁷ and Jezebel’s corpse shall be like dung on the face of the field in the plot at Jezreel, so that they shall not say, “Here lies Jezebel.” ’ ”

Psalm 106:1–14

¹ Alleluia.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,

For His mercy endures forever.

² Let those redeemed by the Lord say so,

Whom He redeemed from the hand of the enemy.

³ He gathered them from the countries,

From the east and the west and the north and the south.

⁴ They were led astray in the desert, in a place without water;

They did not find a road to an inhabited city;

⁵ While hungering and thirsting,

Their soul fainted in them;

⁶ And they cried out to the Lord in their affliction,

And He delivered them from their distresses;

⁷ And He led them in a straight path,

So they might go to a city of habitation.

⁸ Let them give thanks to the Lord for His mercies

And His wonders to the sons of men;

⁹ For He fed the empty soul

And filled the hungry soul with good things,

¹⁰ Those sitting in the darkness and shadow of death,

Bound in poverty and fetters;

¹¹ For they rebelled against the teachings of God

And provoked the counsel of the Most High;

¹² Thus their heart was humbled by troubles;

They were weak, and there was no one to help them;

¹³ Then they cried out to the Lord in their afflictions,

And He saved them from their distresses;

¹⁴ And He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,

And broke their chains to pieces.

Proverbs 23:19–23

¹⁹ Hear, my son, and become wise,

And direct aright the thoughts of your heart.

²⁰ Do not be a wine-bibber,

Neither provide contributions of meats or goods at drinking parties.

²¹ For every drunkard and fornicator shall become impoverished,

And every sluggard shall clothe himself with tattered and ragged garments.

²² Hear, my son, your father who begot you,

And do not despise your mother because she has grown old.

²³ A righteous father rears his child well,

And his soul rejoices in a wise son.

John 1:29–51

 ²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

³⁰ “This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’

³¹ “I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.”

³² And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.

³³ “I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

³⁴ “And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

The First Disciples

³⁵ Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.

³⁶ And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

³⁷ The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

³⁸ Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”

³⁹ He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).

⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ).

⁴² And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).

Philip and Nathanael

⁴³ The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.”

⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

⁴⁶ And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”

⁴⁸ Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

⁴⁹ Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

⁵⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”⁵¹ And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”