Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 14 May 2016
Cold and rainy out. We are planning (Lord willing) to take a run in about an hour to a nearby town. There is a garden club there, one possessed of a couple of nice greenhouses, that holds a big two-weekend plant sale every year, it's their main fundraising effort. We've gone the last two years, planning to do so again. Good way to get tomatoes, for example. The tomatoes and many other plants are "heirloom" varieties. And they also introduce some varieties that are interesting if unfamiliar to most of the untutored. Like us.
The retirement check is expected to "hit the bank" Tuesday, Wednesday at the latest. I have $18 to my name, and will have to put $5 in the gas tank. Not sure how many plants that can get us, but we'll try. If, of course, Dear Wife is Up To It. She's snoozing right now after having breakfast.
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The Old Testament reading is chapters 9, 10, and 11 of 2nd Kings. Had Moses and Joshua known that this state of affairs would be the result of all their struggles, I doubt that they would have been pleased. I don't think that the Lord was, either.
1
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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 Ramothgilead:
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2
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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 chamber;
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3
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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.
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4
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So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramothgilead.
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5
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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.
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6
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And
he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head,
and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed
thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel.
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7
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And
thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy 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.
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8
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For
the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him
that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in
Israel:
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9
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And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah:
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10
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And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled.
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11
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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.
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12
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And
they said, It is false; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus spake
he to me, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over
Israel.
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13
|
Then
they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on
the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king.
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14
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So
Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram.
(Now Joram had kept Ramothgilead, 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.
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16
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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.
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17
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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 horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace?
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18
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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 watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them,
but he cometh not again.
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19
|
Then
he sent out a second on horseback, which came to them, and said, Thus
saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do
with peace? turn thee behind me.
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20
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And
the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not
again: and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi;
for he driveth furiously.
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21
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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.
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22
|
And
it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu?
And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother
Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?
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23
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And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah.
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24
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And
Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his
arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his
chariot.
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25
|
Then
said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion
of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and
thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden
upon him;
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26
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Surely
I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons,
saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD.
Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to
the word of the LORD.
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27
|
But
when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the
garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in
the chariot. And they did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam.
And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.
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28
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And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David.
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29
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And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah.
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30
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And
when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her
face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.
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31
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And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?
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32
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And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs.
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33
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And
he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood
was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under
foot.
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34
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And
when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this
cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king's daughter.
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35
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And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.
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36
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Wherefore
they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the
LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the
portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel:
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37
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And
the carcass of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in
the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.
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1
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And
Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to
Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that
brought up Ahab's children, saying,
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2
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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;
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3
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Look even 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.
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4
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But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?
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5
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And
he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders
also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are
thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make
any king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.
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6
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Then
he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, 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. Now the
king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the
city, which brought them up.
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7
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And
it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the
king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets,
and sent him them to Jezreel.
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8
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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.
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9
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And
it came to pass 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 slew all these?
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10
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Know
now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the
LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD
hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.
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11
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So
Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all
his great men, and his kinsfolk, and his priests, until he left him none
remaining.
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12
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And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way,
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13
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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.
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14
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And
he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at
the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he
any of them.
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15
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And
when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab
coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart
right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If
it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up
to him into the chariot.
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16
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And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.
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17
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And
when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in
Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD,
which he spake to Elijah.
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18
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And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.
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19
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Now
therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and
all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do
to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it
in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of
Baal.
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20
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And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
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21
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And
Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so
that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the
house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.
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22
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And
he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for
all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.
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23
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And
Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and
said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here
with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal
only.
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24
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And
when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu
appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have
brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall
be for the life of him.
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25
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And
it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt
offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and
slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the
sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the
city of the house of Baal.
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26
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And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.
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27
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And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.
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28
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Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
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29
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Howbeit
from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin,
Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were
in Bethel, and that were in Dan.
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30
|
And
the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that
which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab
according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth
generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.
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31
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But
Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all
his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made
Israel to sin.
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32
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In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;
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33
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From
Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the
Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon,
even Gilead and Bashan.
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34
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Now
the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might,
are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of
Israel?
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35
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And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.
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36
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And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.
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1
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And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.
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2
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But
Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash
the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons which were
slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from
Athaliah, so that he was not slain.
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3
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And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land.
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4
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And
the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds,
with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house
of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in
the house of the LORD, and showed them the king's son.
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5
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And
he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; A third
part of you that enter in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the
watch of the king's house;
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6
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And
a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; and a third part at the gate
behind the guard: so shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be
not broken down.
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7
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And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king.
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8
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And
ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in
his hand: and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain: and be
ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in.
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9
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And
the captains over the hundreds did according to all things that
Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men that were
to come in on the sabbath, with them that should go out on the sabbath,
and came to Jehoiada the priest.
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10
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And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king David's spears and shields, that were in the temple of the LORD.
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11
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And
the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, round about
the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the
temple, along by the altar and the temple.
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12
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And
he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and gave
him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they
clapped their hands, and said, God save the king.
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13
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And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD.
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14
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And
when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was,
and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of
the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her
clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason.
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15
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But
Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the
officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the
ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest
had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD.
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16
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And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the king's house: and there was she slain.
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17
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And
Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people,
that they should be the LORD's people; between the king also and the
people.
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18
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And
all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it
down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and
slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest
appointed officers over the house of the LORD.
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19
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And
he took the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard, and
all the people of the land; and they brought down the king from the
house of the LORD, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the
king's house. And he sat on the throne of the kings.
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20
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And
all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: and
they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king's house.
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21
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Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.
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The New Testament reading is verses 1-24 in the 5th chapter in the Gospel of John.
1
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After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
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2
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Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
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3
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In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
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4
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For
an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the
water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in
was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
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5
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And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
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6
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When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
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7
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The
impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is
troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another
steppeth down before me.
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8
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Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
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9
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And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
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10
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The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
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11
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He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
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12
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Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
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13
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And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
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14
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Afterward
Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art
made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
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15
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The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
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16
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And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
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17
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But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
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18
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Therefore
the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken
the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal
with God.
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19
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Then
answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The
Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what
things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
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20
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For
the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself
doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may
marvel.
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21
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For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
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22
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For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
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23
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That
all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that
honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
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24
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Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him
that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
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