87. Hereupon, when Benhadad, the king of Syria, had escaped to Damascus, and understood that it was God himself that cast all his army into this fear and disorder, and that it did not arise from the invasion of enemies, he was mightily cast down at his having God so greatly for his enemy, and fell into a distemper. Now it happened that Elisha the prophet, at that time, was gone out of his own country to Damascus, of which Berthadad was informed: he sent Hazael, the most faithful of all his servants, to meet him, and to carry him presents, and bade him inquire of him about his distemper, and whether he should escape the danger that it threatened. So Hazael came to Elisha with forty camels, that carried the best and most precious fruits that the country of Damascus afforded, as well as those which the king’s palace supplied. He saluted him kindly, and said that he was sent to him by king Berthadad, and brought presents with him, in order to inquire concerning his distemper, whether he should recover from it or not. Whereupon the prophet bid him tell the king no melancholy news; but still he said he would die. So the king’s servant was troubled to hear it; and Elisha wept also, and his tears ran down plenteously at his foresight of what miseries his people would undergo after the death of Berthadad. And when Hazael asked him what was the occasion of this confusion he was in, he said that he wept out of his commiseration for the multitude of the Israelites, and what terrible miseries they will suffer by thee; “for thou wilt slay the strongest of them, and wilt burn their strongest cities, and wilt destroy their children, and dash them against the stones, and wilt rip up their women with child.” And when Hazael said, “How can it be that I should have power enough to do such things?” the prophet replied, that God had informed him that he should be king of Syria. So when Hazael was come to Benhadad, he told him good news concerning his distemper but on the next day he spread a wet cloth, in the nature of a net, over him, and strangled him, and took his dominion. He was an active man, and had the good-will of the Syrians, and of the people of Damascus, to a great degree; by whom both Benhadad himself, and Hazael, who ruled after him, are honored to this day as gods, by reason of their benefactions, and their building them temples by which they adorned the city of the Damascenes. They also every day do with great pomp pay their worship to these kings, and value themselves upon their antiquity; nor do they know that these kings are much later than they imagine, and that they are not yet eleven hundred years old. Now when Joram, the king of Israel, heard that Berthadad was dead, he recovered out of the terror and dread he had been in on his account, and was very glad to live in peace.
87. Ὁ δὲ τῶν Σύρων βασιλεὺς Ἄδερος διασωθεὶς εἰς Δαμασκὸν καὶ μαθών, ὅτι τὸ θεῖον αὐτόν τε καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν αὐτοῦ πᾶσαν εἰς τὸ δέος καὶ τὴν ταραχὴν ἐκείνην ἐνέβαλεν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐξ ἐφόδου πολεμίων ἐγένετο, σφόδρα τῷ δυσμενῆ τὸν θεὸν ἔχειν ἀθυμήσας εἰς νόσον κατέπεσεν. ἐκδημήσαντος δὲ κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν εἰς Δαμασκὸν Ἐλισσαίου τοῦ προφήτου γνοὺς ὁ Ἄδερ τὸν πιστότατον τῶν οἰκετῶν Ἀζάηλον ἔπεμψεν ὑπαντησόμενον αὐτῷ καὶ δῶρα κομίζοντα, κελεύσας ἔρεσθαι περὶ τῆς νόσου καὶ εἰ διαφεύξεται τὸν ἐξ αὐτῆς κίνδυνον. Ἀζάηλος δὲ μετὰ καμήλων τεσσαράκοντα τὸν ἀριθμόν, αἳ τὰ κάλλιστα καὶ τιμιώτατα τῶν ἐν Δαμασκῷ γινομένων καὶ ὄντων ἐν τῷ βασιλείῳ ἔφερον δῶρα, συμβαλὼν τῷ Ἐλισσαίῳ προσαγορεύσας αὐτὸν φιλοφρόνως ἔλεγεν ὑπὸ Ἄδερος τοῦ βασιλέως πεμφθῆναι πρὸς αὐτὸν δῶρά τε κομίσαι καὶ πυθέσθαι περὶ τῆς νόσου καὶ εἰ ῥᾴων ἀπʼ αὐτῆς ἔσοιτο. ὁ δὲ προφήτης τὸν μὲν Ἀζάηλον ἐκέλευε μηδὲν ἀπαγγέλλειν τῷ βασιλεῖ κακόν, ἔλεγε δʼ ὅτι τεθνήξεται. καὶ ὁ μὲν οἰκέτης τοῦ βασιλέως ἐλυπεῖτο ταῦτʼ ἀκούσας, ὁ δʼ Ἐλισσαῖος ἔκλαιε καὶ πολλοῖς ἐρρεῖτο δακρύοις προορώμενος ἃ πάσχειν ὁ λαὸς ἔμελλε κακὰ μετὰ τὴν Ἄδερος τελευτήν. ἀνακρίναντος δʼ αὐτὸν Ἀζαήλου τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς συγχύσεως κλαίω, φησί, τὸ πλῆθος τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν ἐλεῶν, ὧν ἐκ σοῦ πείσεται δεινῶν· ἀποκτενεῖς γὰρ αὐτῶν τοὺς ἀρίστους καὶ τὰς ὀχυρωτάτας πόλεις ἐμπρήσεις, καὶ παιδία μὲν ἀπολεῖς προσρηγνὺς πέτραις τὰς δʼ ἐγκύους ἀναρρήξεις γυναῖκας. τοῦ δὲ Ἀζαήλου λέγοντος· τίνα γὰρ ἰσχὺν ἐμοὶ τηλικαύτην εἶναι συμβέβηκεν, ὥστε ταῦτα ποιῆσαι; τὸν θεὸν ἔφησεν αὐτῷ δεδηλωκέναι τοῦθʼ, ὅτι τῆς Συρίας μέλλει βασιλεύειν. Ἀζάηλος μὲν οὖν παραγενόμενος πρὸς τὸν Ἄδερα τῷ μὲν τὰ βελτίω περὶ τῆς νόσου κατήγγελλε, τῇ δʼ ἐπιούσῃ δίκτυον ἐπιβαλὼν αὐτῷ διάβροχον τὸν μὲν στραγγάλῃ διέφθειρε, τὴν δʼ ἀρχὴν αὐτὸς παρέλαβε δραστήριός τε ὢν ἀνὴρ καὶ πολλὴν ἔχων παρὰ τῶν Σύρων εὔνοιαν καὶ τοῦ δήμου τῶν Δαμασκηνῶν, ὑφʼ οὗ μέχρι νῦν αὐτός τε ὁ Ἄδερ καὶ Ἀζάηλος ὁ μετʼ αὐτὸν ἄρξας ὡς θεοὶ τιμῶνται διὰ τὰς εὐεργεσίας καὶ τῶν ναῶν οἰκοδομίας, οἷς ἐκόσμησαν τὴν τῶν Δαμασκηνῶν πόλιν. πομπεύουσι δʼ αὐτοὶ καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐπὶ τῇ τιμῇ τῶν βασιλέων καὶ σεμνύνονται τὴν τούτων ἀρχαιότητα οὐκ εἰδότες, ὅτι νεώτεροί εἰσι καὶ οὐκ ἔχοντες οὗτοι οἱ βασιλεῖς ἔτη χίλια καὶ ἑκατόν. ὁ δὲ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν βασιλεὺς Ἰώραμος ἀκούσας τὴν Ἄδερος τελευτὴν ἀνέπνευσεν ἐκ τῶν φόβων καὶ τοῦ δέους ὃ διʼ αὐτὸν εἶχεν ἀσμένως εἰρήνης λαμβανόμενος.
95. Now Jehoram the king of Jerusalem, for we have said before that he had the same name with the king of Israel, as soon as he had taken the government upon him, betook himself to the slaughter of his brethren, and his father’s friends, who were governors under him, and thence made a beginning and a demonstration of his wickedness; nor was he at all better than those kings of Israel who at first transgressed against the laws of their country, and of the Hebrews, and against God’s worship. And it was Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab, whom he had married, who taught him to be a bad man in other respects, and also to worship foreign gods. Now God would not quite root out this family, because of the promise he had made to David. However, Jehoram did not leave off the introduction of new sorts of customs to the propagation of impiety, and to the ruin of the customs of his own country. And when the Edomites about that time had revolted from him, and slain their former king, who was in subjection to his father, and had set up one of their own choosing, Jehoram fell upon the land of Edom, with the horsemen that were about him, and the chariots, by night, and destroyed those that lay near to his own kingdom, but did not proceed further. However, this expedition did him no service, for they all revolted from him, with those that dwelt in the country of Libnah. He was indeed so mad as to compel the people to go up to the high places of the mountains, and worship foreign gods.
95. Ἰώραμος δὲ ὁ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων βασιλεύς, καὶ τούτῳ γὰρ ἦν ταὐτὸν καθὼς προειρήκαμεν ἔμπροσθεν ὄνομα, παραλαβὼν τὴν ἀρχὴν εὐθὺς ἐπὶ σφαγὴν τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν πατρῴων φίλων οἳ καὶ ἡγεμόνες ἦσαν ἐχώρησε, τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ τὴν ἐπίδειξιν τῆς πονηρίας ἐντεῦθεν ποιησάμενος καὶ μηδὲν διενεγκὼν τῶν τοῦ λαοῦ βασιλέων, οἳ πρῶτοι παρηνόμησαν εἰς τὰ πάτρια τῶν Ἑβραίων ἔθη καὶ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ θρησκείαν. ἐδίδαξε δʼ αὐτὸν τά τʼ ἄλλα εἶναι κακὸν καὶ δὴ καὶ ξενικοὺς θεοὺς προσκυνεῖν Γοθολία θυγάτηρ μὲν Ἀχάβου συνοικοῦσα δʼ αὐτῷ. καὶ ὁ μὲν θεὸς διὰ τὴν πρὸς Δαυίδην ὁμολογίαν οὐκ ἐβούλετο τούτου τὸ γένος ἐξαφανίσαι, Ἰώραμος δʼ οὐ διέλειπεν ἑκάστης ἡμέρας καινουργῶν ἐπʼ ἀσεβείᾳ καὶ λύμῃ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων ἐθισμῶν. ἀποστάντων δὲ αὐτοῦ κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν τῶν Ἰδουμαίων καὶ τὸν μὲν πρότερον ἀποκτεινάντων βασιλέα, ὃς ὑπήκουεν αὐτοῦ τῷ πατρί, ὃν δʼ ἐβούλοντο αὐτοὶ καταστησάντων Ἰώραμος μετὰ τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν ἱππέων καὶ τῶν ἁρμάτων νυκτὸς εἰς τὴν Ἰδουμαίαν ἐνέβαλε, καὶ τοὺς μὲν πέριξ τῆς αὑτοῦ βασιλείας διέφθειρε, περαιτέρω δʼ οὐ προῆλθεν. ὤνησε μέντοι τοῦτο ποιήσας οὐδὲ ἕν· πάντες γὰρ ἀπέστησαν αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ τὴν χώραν τὴν καλουμένην Λαβίναν νεμόμενοι. ἦν δʼ οὕτως ἐμμανής, ὥστε τὸν λαὸν ἠνάγκαζεν ἐπὶ τὰ ὑψηλότατα τῶν ὀρῶν ἀναβαίνοντα προσκυνεῖν τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους θεούς.
99. As he was doing this, and had entirely cast his own country laws out of his mind, there was brought him an epistle from Elijah the prophet which declared that God would execute great judgments upon him, because he had not imitated his own fathers, but had followed the wicked courses of the kings of Israel; and had compelled the tribe of Judah, and the citizens of Jerusalem, to leave the holy worship of their own God, and to worship idols, as Ahab had compelled the Israelites to do, and because he had slain his brethren, and the men that were good and righteous. And the prophet gave him notice in this epistle what punishment he should undergo for these crimes, namely, the destruction of his people, with the corruption of the king’s own wives and children; and that he should himself die of a distemper in his bowels, with long torments, those his bowels falling out by the violence of the inward rottenness of the parts, insomuch that, though he see his own misery, he shall not be able at all to help himself, but shall die in that manner. This it was which Elijah denounced to him in that epistle.
99. Ταῦτα δʼ αὐτῷ πράττοντι καὶ τελέως ἐκβεβληκότι τῆς διανοίας τὰ πάτρια νόμιμα κομίζεται παρʼ Ἠλίου τοῦ προφήτου ἐπιστολή, ἣ τὸν θεὸν ἐδήλου μεγάλην παρʼ αὐτοῦ ληψόμενον δίκην, ὅτι τῶν μὲν ἰδίων πατέρων μιμητὴς οὐκ ἐγένετο, τοῖς δὲ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν βασιλέων κατηκολούθησεν ἀσεβήμασι καὶ συνηνάγκασε τὴν Ἰούδα φυλὴν καὶ τοὺς πολίτας Ἱεροσολύμων ἀφέντας τὴν ὁσίαν τοῦ ἐπιχωρίου θεοῦ σέβειν τὰ εἴδωλα, καθὼς καὶ Ἄχαβος τοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας ἐβιάσατο, ὅτι τε τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς διεχρήσατο καὶ τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς ἄνδρας καὶ δικαίους ἀπέκτεινεν· τήν τε τιμωρίαν ἣν ἀντὶ τούτων ὑφέξειν ἔμελλεν ἐσήμαινε τοῖς γράμμασιν ὁ προφήτης, ὄλεθρον τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ φθορὰν γυναικῶν αὐτοῦ [τοῦ βασιλέως] καὶ τέκνων, καὶ ὅτι τεθνήξεται νόσῳ τῆς νηδύος ἐπὶ πολὺ βασανισθεὶς καὶ τῶν ἐντέρων αὐτοῦ διʼ ὑπερβολὴν τῆς τῶν ἐντὸς διαφθορᾶς ἐκρυέντων, ὥστʼ αὐτὸν ὁρῶντα τὴν αὑτοῦ συμφορὰν καὶ μηδὲν βοηθῆσαι δυνάμενον ἔπειθʼ οὕτως ἀποθανεῖν. ταῦτα μὲν ἐδήλου διὰ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ὁ Ἠλίας.
102. It was not long after this that an army of those Arabians that lived near to Ethiopia, and of the Philistines, fell upon the kingdom of Jehoram, and spoiled the country and the king’s house. Moreover, they slew his sons and his wives: one only of his sons was left him, who escaped the enemy; his name was Ahaziah; after which calamity, he himself fell into that disease which was foretold by the prophet, and lasted a great while, (for God inflicted this punishment upon him in his belly, out of his wrath against him,) and so he died miserably, and saw his own bowels fall out. The people also abused his dead body; I suppose it was because they thought that such his death came upon him by the wrath of God, and that therefore he was not worthy to partake of such a funeral as became kings. Accordingly, they neither buried him in the sepulchers of his fathers, nor vouchsafed him any honors, but buried him like a private man, and this when he had lived forty years, and reigned eight. And the people of Jerusalem delivered the government to his son Ahaziah.
102. Μετʼ οὐ πολὺ δὲ στρατὸς Ἀράβων τῶν ἔγγιστα τῆς Αἰθιοπίας κατοικούντων καὶ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων εἰς τὴν Ἰωράμου βασιλείαν ἐνέβαλε καὶ τήν τε χώραν διήρπασαν καὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ βασιλέως, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ κατέσφαξαν καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας. εἷς δὲ αὐτῷ περιλείπεται τῶν παίδων διαφυγὼν τοὺς πολεμίους Ὀχοζίας ὄνομα. μετὰ δὲ ταύτην τὴν συμφορὰν αὐτὸς τὴν προειρημένην ὑπὸ τοῦ προφήτου νόσον ἐπὶ πλεῖστον νοσήσας χρόνον, ἐπέσκηψε γὰρ εἰς τὴν γαστέρα τὸ θεῖον αὐτοῦ τὴν ὀργήν, ἐλεεινῶς ἀπέθανεν ἐπιδὼν αὐτοῦ τὰ ἐντὸς ἐκρυέντα. περιύβρισε δʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν νεκρὸν ὁ λαός· λογισάμενος γὰρ οἶμαι τὸν οὕτως ἀποθανόντα κατὰ μῆνιν θεοῦ μηδὲ κηδείας τῆς βασιλεῦσι πρεπούσης ἄξιον εἶναι τυχεῖν, οὔτε ταῖς πατρῴαις ἐνεκήδευσεν αὐτὸν θήκαις οὔτε ἄλλης τιμῆς ἠξίωσεν, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἰδιώτην ἔθαψε, βιώσαντα μὲν ἔτη τεσσαράκοντα, βασιλεύσαντα δὲ ὀκτώ. παραδίδωσι δὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁ δῆμος ὁ τῶν Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ Ὀχοζίᾳ.
105. NOW Joram, the king of Israel, after the death of Benhadad, hoped that he might now take Ramoth, a city of Gilead, from the Syrians. Accordingly he made an expedition against it, with a great army; but as he was besieging it, an arrow was shot at him by one of the Syrians, but the wound was not mortal. So he returned to have his wound healed in Jezreel, but left his whole army in Ramorb, and Jehu, the son of Nimshi, for their general; for he had already taken the city by force; and he proposed, after he was healed,: to make war with the Syrians; but Elisha the prophet sent one of his disciples to Ramoth, and gave him holy oil to anoint Jehu, and to tell him that God had chosen him to be their king. He also sent him to say other things to him, and bid him to take his journey as if he fled, that when he came away he might escape the knowledge of all men. So when he was come to the city, he found Jehu sitting in the midst of the captains of the army, as Elisha had foretold he should find him. So he came up to him, and said that he desired to speak with him about certain matters; and when he was arisen, and had followed him into an inward chamber, the young man took the oil, and poured it on his head, and said that God ordained him to be king, in order to his destroying the house of Ahab, and that he might revenge the blood of the prophets that were unjustly slain by Jezebel, that so their house might utterly perish, as those of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and of Baasha, had perished for their wickedness, and no seed might remain of Ahab’s family. So when he had said this, he went away hastily out of the chamber, and endeavored not to be seen by any of the army.
105. Ἰώραμος δὲ ὁ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν βασιλεὺς μετὰ τὴν Ἄδερος τελευτὴν ἐλπίσας Ἀραμώθα πόλιν τῆς Γαλαδίτιδος ἀφαιρήσεσθαι τοὺς Σύρους στρατεύει μὲν ἐπʼ αὐτὴν μετὰ μεγάλης παρασκευῆς, ἐν δὲ τῇ πολιορκίᾳ τοξευθεὶς ὑπό τινος τῶν Σύρων οὐ καιρίως ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς Ἱεζερήλην πόλιν ἰαθησόμενος ἐν αὐτῇ τὸ τραῦμα, καταλιπὼν ἐν τῇ Ἀραμώθα τὴν στρατιὰν ἅπασαν καὶ ἡγεμόνα τὸν Ἀμασῆ παῖδα Ἰηοῦν· ἤδη γὰρ αὐτὴν ᾑρήκει κατὰ κράτος. προύκειτο δʼ αὐτῷ μετὰ τὴν θεραπείαν πολεμεῖν τοῖς Σύροις. Ἐλισσαῖος δʼ ὁ προφήτης ἕνα τῶν αὑτοῦ μαθητῶν δοὺς αὐτῷ τὸ ἅγιον ἔλαιον ἔπεμψεν εἰς Ἀραμώθα χρίσοντα τὸν Ἰηοῦν καὶ φράσοντα, ὅτι τὸ θεῖον αὐτὸν ᾕρηται βασιλέα· ἄλλα τε πρὸς τούτοις εἰπεῖν ἐπιστείλας ἐκέλευε τρόπῳ φυγῆς ποιήσασθαι τὴν πορείαν, ὅπως λάθῃ πάντας ἐκεῖθεν ἀπιών. ὁ δὲ γενόμενος ἐν τῇ πόλει τὸν μὲν Ἰηοῦν εὑρίσκει καθεζόμενον μετὰ τῶν τῆς στρατιᾶς ἡγεμόνων μέσον αὐτῶν καθὼς Ἐλισσαῖος αὐτῷ προεῖπε, προσελθὼν δὲ ἔφη βούλεσθαι περί τινων αὐτῷ διαλεχθῆναι. τοῦ δὲ ἀναστάντος καὶ ἀκολουθήσαντος εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖον λαβὼν ὁ νεανίσκος τὸ ἔλαιον κατέχεεν αὐτοῦ τῆς κεφαλῆς καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἔφη βασιλέα χειροτονεῖν αὐτὸν ἐπʼ ὀλέθρῳ τοῦ γένους τοῦ Ἀχάβου, καὶ ὅπως ἐκδικήσῃ τὸ αἷμα τῶν προφητῶν τῶν ὑπὸ Ἰεζαβέλας παρανόμως ἀποθανόντων, ἵνʼ ὁ τούτων οἶκος τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ὅνπερ Ἱεροβάμου τοῦ Ναβαταίου παιδὸς καὶ Βασὰ πρόρριζος διὰ τὴν ἀσέβειαν αὐτῶν ἀφανισθῇ καὶ μηδὲν ὑπολειφθῇ σπέρμα τῆς Ἀχάβου γενεᾶς. καὶ ὁ μὲν ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν ἐξεπήδησεν ἐκ τοῦ ταμιείου σπουδάζων μηδενὶ τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς στρατιᾶς ὁραθῆναι.
110. But Jehu came out, and went to the place where he before sat with the captains; and when they asked him, and desired him to tell them, wherefore it was that this young man came to him, and added withal that he was mad, he replied, — “You guess right, for the words he spake were the words of a madman;” and when they were eager about the matter, and desired he would tell them, he answered, that God had said he had chosen him to be king over the multitude. When he had said this, every one of them put off his garment, and strewed it under him, and blew with trumpets, and gave notice that Jehu was king. So when he had gotten the army together, he was preparing to set out immediately against Joram, at the city Jezreel, in which city, as we said before, he was healing of the wound which he had received in the siege of Ramoth. It happened also that Ahaziah, king of Jerusalem, was now come to Joram, for he was his sister’s son, as we have said already, to see how he did after his wound, and this upon account of their kindred; but as Jehu was desirous to fall upon Joram, and those with him, on the sudden, he desired that none of the soldiers might run away and tell to Joram what had happened, for that this would be an evident demonstration of their kindness to him, and would show that their real inclinations were to make him king.
110. Ὁ δὲ Ἰηοῦς προελθὼν ἧκεν ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον ἔνθα μετὰ τῶν ἡγεμόνων ἐκαθέζετο. πυνθανομένων δὲ καὶ φράζειν αὐτοῖς παρακαλούντων τί πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀφίκοιτο ὁ νεανίσκος καὶ προσέτι μαίνεσθαι λεγόντων αὐτόν, ἀλλʼ ὀρθῶς γε εἰκάσατε, εἶπε, καὶ γὰρ τοὺς λόγους μεμηνότος ἐποιήσατο. σπουδαζόντων δʼ ἀκοῦσαι καὶ δεομένων ἔφη τὸν θεὸν αὐτὸν ᾑρῆσθαι βασιλέα τοῦ πλήθους εἰρηκέναι. ταῦτʼ εἰπόντος ἕκαστος περιδύων αὑτὸν ὑπεστρώννυεν αὐτῷ τὸ ἱμάτιον καὶ σαλπίζοντες τοῖς κέρασιν ἐσήμαινον Ἰηοῦν εἶναι βασιλέα. ὁ δὲ ἀθροίσας τὴν στρατιὰν ἔμελλεν ἐξορμᾶν ἐπὶ Ἰώραμον εἰς Ἰεζέρελαν πόλιν, ἐν ᾗ καθὼς προεῖπον ἐθεραπεύετο τὴν πληγήν, ἣν ἔλαβε πρὸς τῇ Ἀραμώθα πολιορκίᾳ. ἔτυχε δὲ καὶ ὁ τῶν Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν βασιλεὺς Ὀχοζίας ἀφιγμένος πρὸς τὸν Ἰώραμον· υἱὸς γὰρ ἦν αὐτοῦ τῆς ἀδελφῆς ὡς καὶ προειρήκαμεν· ἐπισκέψασθαι δὲ πῶς ἐκ τοῦ τραύματος ἔχοι διὰ τὴν συγγένειαν ἐληλύθει. Ἰηοῦς δὲ βουλόμενος αἰφνιδίως τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἰώραμον προσπεσεῖν ἠξίου μηδὲ τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀποδράντα τινὰ μηνῦσαι ταῦτα τῷ Ἰωράμῳ· τοῦτο γὰρ ἔσεσθαι λαμπρὰν ἐπίδειξιν αὐτῷ τῆς εὐνοίας καὶ τοῦ διακειμένους οὕτως ἀποδεῖξαι αὐτὸν βασιλέα.
114. So they were pleased with what he did, and guarded the roads, lest somebody should privately tell the thing to those that were at Jezreel. Now Jehu took his choice horsemen, and sat upon his chariot, and went on for Jezreel; and when he was come near, the watchman whom Joram had set there to spy out such as came to the city, saw Jehu marching on, and told Joram that he saw a troop of horsemen marching on. Upon which he immediately gave orders, that one of his horsemen should be sent out to meet them, and to know who it was that was coming. So when the horseman came up to Jehu, he asked him in what condition the army was, for that the king wanted to know it; but Jehu bid him not at all to meddle with such matters, but to follow him. When the watchman saw this, he told Joram that the horseman had mingled himself among the company, and came along with them. And when the king had sent a second messenger, Jehu commanded him to do as the former did; and as soon as the watchman told this also to Joram, he at last got upon his chariot himself, together with Ahaziah, the king of Jerusalem; for, as we said before, he was there to see how Joram did, after he had been wounded, as being his relation. So he went out to meet Jehu, who marched slowly, and in good order; and when Joram met him in the field of Naboth, he asked him if all things were well in the camp; but Jehu reproached him bitterly, and ventured to call his mother a witch and a harlot. Upon this the king, fearing what he intended, and suspecting he had no good meaning, turned his chariot about as soon as he could, and said to Ahaziah, “We are fought against by deceit and treachery.” But Jehu drew his bow, and smote him, the arrow going through his heart: so Joram fell down immediately on his knee, and gave up the ghost. Jehu also gave orders to Bidkar, the captain of the third part of his army, to cast the dead body of Joram into the field of Naboth, putting him in mind of the prophecy which Elijah prophesied to Ahab his father, when he had slain Naboth, that both he and his family should perish in that place; for that as they sat behind Ahab’s chariot, they heard the prophet say so, and that it was now come to pass according to his prophecy. Upon the fall of Joram, Ahaziah was afraid of his own life, and turned his chariot into another road, supposing he should not be seen by Jehu; but he followed after him, and overtook him at a certain acclivity, and drew his bow, and wounded him; so he left his chariot, and got upon his horse, and fled from Jehu to Megiddo; and though he was under cure, in a little time he died of that wound, and was carried to Jerusalem, and buried there, after he had reigned one year, and had proved a wicked man, and worse than his father.
114. Οἱ δὲ τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἡσθέντες ἐφύλαττον τὰς ὁδούς, μή τις εἰς Ἱεζέρελαν διαλαθὼν μηνύσῃ αὐτὸν τοῖς ἐκεῖ. καὶ ὁ μὲν Ἰηοῦς τῶν ἱππέων τοὺς ἐπιλέκτους παραλαβὼν καὶ καθίσας ἐφʼ ἅρματος εἰς τὴν Ἱεζέρελαν ἐπορεύετο, γενομένου δὲ ἐγγὺς ὁ σκοπός, ὃν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰώραμος καθεστάκει τοὺς ἐρχομένους εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἀφορᾶν, ἰδὼν μετὰ πλήθους προσελαύνοντα τὸν Ἰηοῦν ἀπήγγειλεν Ἰωράμῳ προσελαύνουσαν ἱππέων ἴλην. ὁ δʼ εὐθὺς ἐκέλευσεν ἐκπεμφθῆναί τινα τῶν ἱππέων ὑπαντησόμενον καὶ τίς ἐστιν ὁ προσιὼν γνωσόμενον. ἐλθὼν οὖν πρὸς τὸν Ἰηοῦν ὁ ἱππεὺς ἐπερωτᾷ περὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ· πυνθάνεσθαι γὰρ ταῦτα τὸν βασιλέα. ὁ δὲ μηδὲν μὲν περὶ τούτων πολυπραγμονεῖν ἐκέλευσεν, ἕπεσθαι δʼ αὐτῷ. ταῦτα ὁ σκοπὸς ὁρῶν ἀπήγγειλεν Ἰωράμῳ τὸν ἱππέα συγκαταμιγέντα τῷ πλήθει τῶν προσιόντων σὺν ἐκείνοις παραγίνεσθαι. πέμψαντος δὲ καὶ δεύτερον τοῦ βασιλέως ταὐτὸ ποιεῖν προσέταξεν Ἰηοῦς. ὡς δὲ καὶ τοῦτʼ ἐδήλωσεν ὁ σκοπὸς Ἰωράμῳ, τελευταῖον αὐτὸς ἐπιβὰς ἅρματος σὺν Ὀχοζίᾳ τῷ τῶν Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν βασιλεῖ, παρῆν γὰρ αὐτὸς ὡς ἔφην ἔμπροσθεν ὀψόμενος αὐτὸν πῶς ἐκ τοῦ τραύματος ἔχοι διὰ συγγένειαν, ἐξῆλθεν ὑπαντησόμενος. σχολαίτερον δὲ καὶ μετʼ εὐταξίας ὥδευεν Ἰηοῦς. καταλαβὼν δὲ ἐν ἀγρῷ Ναβώθου τοῦτον Ἰώραμος ἐπυνθάνετο, εἰ πάντα ἔχοι καλῶς τὰ κατὰ τὸ στρατόπεδον· βλασφημήσαντος δὲ πικρῶς αὐτὸν Ἰηοῦ, ὡς καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ φαρμακὸν ἀποκαλέσαι, δείσας ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτοῦ καὶ μηδὲν ὑγιὲς φρονεῖν αὐτὸν ὑπονοήσας στρέψας ὡς εἶχε τὸ ἅρμα ἔφυγε, φήσας πρὸς Ὀχοζίαν ἐνέδρᾳ καὶ δόλῳ κατεστρατηγῆσθαι. Ἰηοῦς δὲ τοξεύσας αὐτὸν καταβάλλει τοῦ βέλους διὰ τῆς καρδίας ἐνεχθέντος. καὶ Ἰώραμος μὲν εὐθὺς πεσὼν ἐπὶ γόνυ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀφῆκεν, Ἰηοῦς δὲ προσέταξε Βαδάκῳ τῷ τῆς τρίτης μοίρας ἡγεμόνι ῥῖψαι τὸν Ἰωράμου νεκρὸν εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν τὸν Ναβώθου ἀναμνήσας αὐτὸν τῆς Ἠλία προφητείας, ἣν Ἀχάβῳ τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ τὸν Νάβωθον ἀποκτείναντι προεφήτευσεν, ὡς ἀπολεῖται αὐτός τε καὶ τὸ γένος αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ ἐκείνου χωρίῳ· ταῦτα γὰρ καθεζόμενος ὄπισθεν τοῦ ἅρματος Ἀχάβου λέγοντος ἀκοῦσαι τοῦ προφήτου. καὶ δὴ τοῦτο συνέβη γενέσθαι κατὰ τὴν πρόρρησιν τὴν ἐκείνου. πεσόντος δὲ Ἰωράμου δείσας περὶ τῆς αὑτοῦ σωτηρίας Ὀχοζίας τὸ ἅρμα εἰς ἑτέραν [ὁδὸν] ἐξένευσε λήσεσθαι τὸν Ἰηοῦν ὑπολαβών. ὁ δʼ ἐπιδιώξας καὶ καταλαβὼν ἔν τινι προσβάσει τοξεύσας ἔτρωσε, καταλιπὼν δὲ τὸ ἅρμα καὶ ἀναβὰς ἵππῳ φεύγει τὸν Ἰηοῦν εἰς Μαγιαδδὼ κἀκεῖ θεραπευόμενος μετʼ ὀλίγον ἐκ τῆς πληγῆς τελευτᾷ. κομισθεὶς δʼ εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα τῆς ἐκεῖ ταφῆς τυγχάνει βασιλεύσας μὲν ἐνιαυτὸν ἕνα, πονηρὸς δὲ καὶ χείρων τοῦ πατρὸς γενόμενος.
122. Now when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel adorned herself and stood upon a tower, and said, he was a fine servant that had killed his master! And when he looked up to her, he asked who she was, and commanded her to come down to him. At last he ordered the eunuchs to throw her down from the tower; and being thrown down, she be-sprinkled the wall with her blood, and was trodden upon by the horses, and so died. When this was done, Jehu came to the palace with his friends, and took some refreshment after his journey, both with other things, and by eating a meal. He also bid his servants to take up Jezebel and bury her, because of the nobility of her blood, for she was descended from kings; but those that were appointed to bury her found nothing else remaining but the extreme parts of her body, for all the rest were eaten by dogs. When Jehu heard this, he admired the prophecy of Elijah, for he foretold that she should perish in this manner at Jezreel.
122. Τοῦ δὲ Ἰηοῦ εἰσελθόντος εἰς τὰ Ἱεζέρελα κοσμησαμένη Ἰεζαβέλα καὶ στᾶσα ἐπὶ τοῦ πύργου καλός, εἶπε, δοῦλος ὃς ἀποκτείνει τὸν δεσπότην. ὁ δὲ ἀναβλέψας πρὸς αὐτὴν ἐπυνθάνετο τίς εἴη καὶ καταβᾶσαν ἥκειν πρὸς αὑτὸν ἐκέλευσεν καὶ τέλος τοῖς εὐνούχοις προσέταξεν αὐτὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ πύργου βαλεῖν. καταφερομένη δʼ ἤδη τό τε τεῖχος περιέρρανε τῷ αἵματι καὶ συμπατηθεῖσα ὑπὸ τῶν ἵππων οὕτως ἀπέθανε. τούτων δὴ γενομένων παρελθὼν Ἰηοῦς εἰς τὰ βασίλεια σὺν τοῖς φίλοις ἑαυτὸν ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ ἀνεκτᾶτο τοῖς τε ἄλλοις καὶ τραπέζῃ. προσέταξε δὲ τοῖς οἰκέταις ἀνελομένοις τὴν Ἰεζαβέλαν θάψαι διὰ τὸ γένος· ἦν γὰρ ἐκ βασιλέων. εὗρον δʼ οὐδὲν τοῦ σώματος αὐτῆς οἱ προσταχθέντες τὴν κηδείαν ἢ μόνα τὰ ἀκρωτήρια, τὸ δὲ ἄλλο πᾶν ὑπὸ κυνῶν ἦν δεδαπανημένον. ταῦτʼ ἀκούσας Ἰηοῦς ἐθαύμαζε τὴν Ἠλίου προφητείαν· οὗτος γὰρ αὐτὴν ἐν Ἱεζερέλα προεῖπε τοῦτον ἀπολεῖσθαι τὸν τρόπον.
125. Now Ahab had seventy sons brought up in Samaria. So Jehu sent two epistles, the one to them that brought up the children, the other to the rulers of Samaria, which said, that they should set up the most valiant of Ahab’s sons for king, for that they had abundance of chariots, and horses, and armor, and a great army, and fenced cities, and that by so doing they might avenge the murder of Ahab. This he wrote to try the intentions of those of Samaria. Now when the rulers, and those that had brought up the children, had read the letter, they were afraid; and considering that they were not at all able to oppose him, who had already subdued two very great kings, they returned him this answer: That they owned him for their lord, and would do whatsoever he bade them. So he wrote back to them such a reply as enjoined them to obey what he gave order for, and to cut off the heads of Ahab’s sons, and send them to him. Accordingly the rulers sent for those that brought up the sons of Ahab, and commanded them to slay them, to cut off their heads, and send them to Jehu. So they did whatsoever they were commanded, without omitting any thing at all, and put them up in wicker baskets, and sent them to Jezreel. And when Jehu, as he was at supper with his friends, was informed that the heads of Ahab’s’ sons were brought, he ordered them to make two heaps of them, one before each of the gates; and in the morning he went out to take a view of them, and when he saw them, he began to say to the people that were present, that he did himself make an expedition against his master [Joram], and slew him, but that it was not he that slew all these; and he desired them to take notice, that as to Ahab’s family, all things had come to pass according to God’s prophecy, and his house was perished, according as Elijah had foretold. And when he had further destroyed all the kindred of Ahab that were found in Jezreel, he went to Samaria; and as he was upon the road, he met the relations of Ahaziah king of Jerusalem, and asked them whither they were going? they replied, that they came to salute Joram, and their own king Ahaziah, for they knew not that he had slain them both. So Jehu gave orders that they should catch these, and kill them, being in number forty-two persons.
125. Ὄντων δʼ Ἀχάβῳ παίδων ἑβδομήκοντα τρεφομένων δʼ αὐτῶν ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ πέμπει δύο ἐπιστολὰς Ἰηοῦς τὴν μὲν τοῖς παιδαγωγοῖς τὴν ἑτέραν δὲ τοῖς ἄρχουσι τῶν Σαμαρέων, λέγων τὸν ἀνδρειότατον τῶν Ἀχάβου παίδων ἀποδεῖξαι βασιλέα· καὶ γὰρ ἁρμάτων αὐτῷ εἶναι πλῆθος καὶ ἵππων καὶ ὅπλων καὶ στρατιᾶς καὶ πόλεις ὀχυρὰς ἔχειν· καὶ τοῦτο ποιήσαντας εἰσπράττεσθαι δίκην ὑπὲρ τοῦ δεσπότου. ταῦτα δὲ γράφει διάπειραν βουλόμενος λαβεῖν τῆς τῶν Σαμαρέων διανοίας. ἀναγνόντες δὲ τὰ γράμματα οἵ τε ἄρχοντες καὶ οἱ παιδαγωγοὶ κατέδεισαν, καὶ λογισάμενοι μηδὲν δύνασθαι ποιεῖν πρὸς τοῦτο, δύο γὰρ μεγίστων ἐκράτησε βασιλέων, ἀντέγραψαν ὁμολογοῦντες αὐτὸν ἔχειν δεσπότην καὶ ποιήσειν ὃ ἂν κελεύῃ. ὁ δὲ πρὸς ταῦτα ἀντέγραψεν αὑτῷ τε ὑπακούειν κελεύων καὶ τῶν Ἀχάβου παίδων τὰς κεφαλὰς ἀποτεμόντας πέμψαι πρὸς αὐτόν. οἱ δὲ ἄρχοντες μεταπεμψάμενοι τοὺς τροφεῖς τῶν παίδων προσέταξαν ἀποκτείνασιν αὐτοὺς τὰς κεφαλὰς ἀποτεμεῖν καὶ πέμψαι πρὸς Ἰηοῦν. οἱ δʼ οὐδὲν ὅλως φεισάμενοι τοῦτο ἔπραξαν καὶ συνθέντες εἴς τινα πλεκτὰ ἀγγεῖα τὰς κεφαλὰς ἀπέπεμψαν εἰς Ἰεζέρελαν. κομισθεισῶν δὲ τούτων ἀγγέλλεται μετὰ τῶν φίλων δειπνοῦντι τῷ Ἰηοῦ, ὅτι κομισθεῖεν αἱ τῶν Ἀχάβου παίδων κεφαλαί. ὁ δὲ πρὸ τῆς πύλης ἐξ ἑκατέρου μέρους ἐκέλευσεν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀναστῆσαι βουνούς. γενομένου δὲ τούτου ἅμα ἡμέρᾳ πρόεισιν ὀψόμενος καὶ θεασάμενος ἤρξατο πρὸς τὸν παρόντα λαὸν λέγειν, ὡς αὐτὸς μὲν ἐπὶ τὸν δεσπότην στρατεύσαιτο τὸν αὑτοῦ κἀκεῖνον ἀποκτείνειε, τούτους δὲ οὐκ αὐτὸς ἀνέλοι· γινώσκειν δὲ αὐτοὺς ἠξίου περὶ τῆς Ἀχάβου γενεᾶς, ὅτι πάντα κατὰ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ προφητείαν γέγονε καὶ ὁ οἶκος αὐτοῦ, καθὼς καὶ Ἠλίας προεῖπεν, ἀπόλωλε. προσδιαφθείρας δὲ καὶ τοὺς παρὰ τοῖς Ἰεζερελίταις εὑρεθέντας ἐκ τῆς Ἀχάβου συγγενείας [ἱππεῖς] εἰς Σαμάρειαν ἐπορεύετο. κατὰ δὲ τὴν ὁδὸν τοῖς Ὀχοζία συμβαλὼν οἰκείοις τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν ἀνέκρινεν αὐτούς, τί δή ποτε παρεγένοντο. οἱ δʼ ἀσπασόμενοί τε Ἰώραμον καὶ τὸν αὑτῶν βασιλέα Ὀχοζίαν ἥκειν ἔφασκον· οὐ γὰρ ᾔδεσαν αὐτοὺς ἀμφοτέρους ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ πεφονευμένους. Ἰηοῦς δὲ καὶ τούτους συλληφθέντας ἀναιρεθῆναι προσέταξεν ὄντας τὸν ἀριθμὸν τεσσαράκοντα καὶ δύο.
132. After these, there met him a good and a righteous man, whose name was Jehonadab, and who had been his friend of old. He saluted Jehu, and began to commend him, because he had done every thing according to the will of God, in extirpating the house of Ahab. So Jehu desired him to come up into his chariot, and make his entry with him into Samaria; and told him that he would not spare one wicked man, but would punish the false prophets, and false priests, and those that deceived the multitude, and persuaded them to leave the worship of God Almighty, and to worship foreign gods; and that it was a most excellent and most pleasing sight to a good and a righteous man to see the wicked punished. So Jehonadab was persuaded by these arguments, and came up into Jehu’s chariot, and came to Samaria. And Jehu sought out for all Ahab’s kindred, and slew them. And being desirous that none of the false prophets, nor the priests of Ahab’s god, might escape punishment, he caught them deceitfully by this wile; for he gathered all the people together, and said that he would worship twice as many gods as Ahab worshipped, and desired that his priests, and prophets, and servants might be present, because he would offer costly and great sacrifices to Ahab’s god; and that if any of his priests were wanting, they should be punished with death. Now Ahab’s god was called Baal; and when he had appointed a day on which he would offer those sacrifices, he sent messengers through all the country of the Israelites, that they might bring the priests of Baal to him. So Jehu commanded to give all the priests vestments; and when they had received them, he went into the house [of Baal], with his friend Jehonadab, and gave orders to make search whether there were not any foreigner or stranger among them, for he would have no one of a different religion to mix among their sacred offices. And when they said that there was no stranger there, and they were beginning their sacrifices, he set fourscore men without, they being such of his soldiers as he knew to be most faithful to him, and bid them slay the prophets, and now vindicate the laws of their country, which had been a long time in disesteem. He also threatened, that if any one of them escaped, their own lives should go for them. So they slew them all with the sword, and burnt the house of Baal, and by that means purged Samaria of foreign customs [idolatrous worship]. Now this Baal was the god of the Tyrians; and Ahab, in order to gratify his father-in-law, Ethbaal, who was the king of Tyre and Sidon, built a temple for him in Samaria, and appointed him prophets, and worshipped him with all sorts of worship, although, when this god was demolished, Jehu permitted the Israelites to worship the golden heifers. However, because he had done thus, and taken care to punish the wicked, God foretold by his prophet that his.sons should reign over Israel for four generations. And in this condition was Jehu at this time.
132. Συναντᾷ δʼ αὐτῷ μετὰ τούτους ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς καὶ δίκαιος Ἰωνάδαβος ὄνομα φίλος αὐτῷ πάλαι γεγονώς, ὃς ἀσπασάμενος αὐτὸν ἐπαινεῖν ἤρξατο τῷ πάντα κατὰ βούλησιν πεποιηκέναι τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐξαφανίσας τὴν Ἀχάβου. Ἰηοῦς δὲ ἀναβάντα ἐπὶ τὸ ἅρμα συνεισελθεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς Σαμάρειαν παρεκάλει λέγων ἐπιδείξειν, πῶς οὐδενὸς φείσεται πονηροῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ψευδοπροφήτας καὶ τοὺς ψευδιερεῖς καὶ τοὺς ἐξαπατήσαντας τὸ πλῆθος, ὡς τὴν μὲν τοῦ μεγίστου θεοῦ θρησκείαν ἐγκαταλιπεῖν τοὺς δὲ ξενικοὺς προσκυνεῖν, τιμωρήσεται· κάλλιστον δʼ εἶναι θεαμάτων καὶ ἥδιστον ἀνδρὶ χρηστῷ καὶ δικαίῳ κολαζομένους πονηρούς. τούτοις πεισθεὶς ὁ Ἰωνάδαβος ἀναβὰς εἰς τὸ ἅρμα εἰς Σαμάρειαν παραγίνεται. ἀναζητήσας δὲ πάντας τοὺς Ἀχάβου συγγενεῖς Ἰηοῦς ἀποκτείνει. βουλόμενος δὲ μηδένα τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν μηδʼ ἱερέων τῶν Ἀχάβου θεῶν τὴν τιμωρίαν διαφυγεῖν ἀπάτῃ καὶ δόλῳ πάντας αὐτοὺς συνέλαβεν· ἀθροίσας γὰρ τὸν λαὸν ἔφη βούλεσθαι διπλασίονας ὧν Ἄχαβος εἰσηγήσατο θεῶν προσκυνεῖν καὶ τοὺς ἐκείνων ἱερεῖς καὶ προφήτας ἠξίου καὶ δούλους αὐτῶν παρεῖναι· θυσίας γὰρ πολυτελεῖς καὶ μεγάλας ἐπιτελεῖν μέλλειν τοῖς Ἀχάβου θεοῖς· τὸν δʼ ἀπολειφθέντα τῶν ἱερέων θανάτῳ ζημιώσειν. ὁ δὲ θεὸς Ἀχάβου Βαὰλ ἐκαλεῖτο. τάξας δὲ ἡμέραν, καθʼ ἣν ἔμελλε ποιήσειν τὰς θυσίας διέπεμπεν ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν Ἰσραηλιτῶν χώραν τοὺς ἄξοντας πρὸς αὐτὸν τοὺς ἱερεῖς τοῦ Βαάλ. ἐκέλευσε δʼ Ἰηοῦς τῷ ἱερεῖ δοῦναι πᾶσιν ἐνδύματα· λαβόντων δὲ παρελθὼν εἰς τὸν οἶκον μετὰ τοῦ φίλου Ἰωναδάβου μή τις ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀλλόφυλος εἴη καὶ ξένος ἐρευνῆσαι προσέταξεν· οὐ βούλεσθαι γὰρ τοῖς ἱεροῖς αὐτῶν ἀλλότριον παρατυγχάνειν. τῶν δὲ εἰπόντων μὲν οὐδένα παρεῖναι ξένον καταρξαμένων δὲ τῶν θυσιῶν περιέστησεν ὀγδοήκοντα τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἄνδρας, οὓς ᾔδει πιστοτάτους τῶν ὁπλιτῶν, κελεύσας αὐτοῖς ἀποκτεῖναι τοὺς ψευδοπροφήτας καὶ νῦν τοῖς πατρίοις ἔθεσι τιμωρεῖν πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον ὠλιγωρημένοις, ὑπὲρ τῶν διαφυγόντων τὰς ἐκείνων ἀφαιρεθήσεσθαι ψυχὰς ἀπειλήσας. οἱ δὲ τούς τε ἄνδρας ἅπαντας κατέσφαξαν καὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Βαὰλ ἐμπρήσαντες ἐκάθηραν οὕτως ἀπὸ τῶν ξενικῶν ἐθισμῶν τὴν Σαμάρειαν. οὗτος ὁ Βαὰλ Τυρίων ἦν θεός. Ἄχαβος δὲ τῷ πενθερῷ βουλόμενος χαρίσασθαι Εἰθωβάλῳ Τυρίων ὄντι βασιλεῖ καὶ Σιδωνίων ναόν τε αὐτῷ κατεσκεύασεν ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ καὶ προφήτας ἀπέδειξε καὶ πάσης θρησκείας ἠξίου. ἀφανισθέντος δὲ τούτου τοῦ θεοῦ τὰς χρυσᾶς δαμάλεις προσκυνεῖν τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις Ἰηοῦς ἐπέτρεψε. ταῦτα δὲ διαπραξαμένῳ καὶ προνοήσαντι τῆς κολάσεως τῶν ἀσεβῶν ὁ θεὸς διὰ τοῦ προφήτου προεῖπεν ἐπὶ τέσσαρας γενεὰς τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ βασιλεύσειν τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν. καὶ τὰ μὲν περὶ Ἰηοῦν ἐν τούτοις ὑπῆρχεν.
140. Now when Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab, heard of the death of her brother Joram, and of her son Ahaziah, and of the royal family, she endeavored that none of the house of David might be left alive, but that the whole family might be exterminated, that no king might arise out of it afterward; and, as she thought, she had actually done it; but one of Ahaziah’s sons was preserved, who escaped death after the manner following: Ahaziah had a sister by the same father, whose name was Jehosheba, and she was married to the high priest Jehoiada. She went into the king’s palace, and found Jehoash, for that was the little child’s name, who was not above a year old, among those that were slain, but concealed with his nurse; so she took him with her into a secret bed-chamber, and shut him up there, and she and her husband Jehoiada brought him up privately in the temple six years, during which time Athaliah reigned over Jerusalem and the two tribes.
140. Ὀθλία δʼ ἡ Ἀχάβου θυγάτηρ ἀκούσασα τήν τʼ Ἰωράμου τἀδελφοῦ τελευτὴν καὶ τὴν Ὀχοζία τοῦ παιδὸς καὶ τοῦ γένους τῶν βασιλέων τὴν ἀπώλειαν ἐσπούδαζε μηδένα τῶν ἐκ τοῦ Δαυίδου καταλιπεῖν οἴκου, πᾶν δʼ ἐξαφανίσαι τὸ γένος, ὡς ἂν μηδὲ εἷς ἐξ αὐτοῦ βασιλεὺς ἔτι γένοιτο. καὶ τοῦθʼ ὡς μὲν ᾤετο διεπράξατο, διεσώθη δὲ εἷς υἱὸς Ὀχοζίου, τρόπῳ δὲ τοιούτῳ τὴν τελευτὴν διέφυγεν· ἦν Ὀχοζίᾳ ὁμοπάτριος ἀδελφὴ Ὠσαβέθη ὄνομα· ταύτῃ συνῆν ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς Ἰώδας. εἰσελθοῦσα δʼ εἰς τὸ βασίλειον καὶ τοῖς ἀπεσφαγμένοις τὸν Ἰώασον, τοῦτο γὰρ προσηγορεύετο τὸ παιδίον ἐνιαύσιον, ἐγκεκρυμμένον εὑροῦσα μετὰ τῆς τρεφούσης βαστάσασα μετʼ αὐτῆς εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖον ἀπέκλεισε τῶν κλινῶν καὶ λανθάνοντες ἀνέθρεψαν αὐτή τε καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς Ἰώδας ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἔτεσιν ἕξ, οἷς ἐβασίλευσεν Ὀθλία τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων καὶ τῶν δύο φυλῶν.
143. Now, on the Seventh year, Jehoiada communicated the matter to certain of the captains of hundreds, five in number, and persuaded them to be assisting to what attempts he was making against Athaliah, and to join with him in asserting the kingdom to the child. He also received such oaths from them as are proper to secure those that assist one another from the fear of discovery; and he was then of good hope that they should depose Athaliah. Now those men whom Jehoiada the priest had taken to be his partners went into all the country, and gathered together the priests and the Levites, and the heads of the tribes out of it, and came and brought them to Jerusalem to the high priest. So he demanded the security of an oath of them, to keep private whatsoever he should discover to them, which required both their silence and their assistance. So when they had taken the oath, and had thereby made it safe for him to speak, he produced the child that he had brought up of the family of David, and said to them, “This is your king, of that house which you know God hath foretold should reign over you for all time to come. I exhort you therefore that one-third part of you guard him in the temple, and that a fourth part keep watch at all the gates of the temple, and that the next part of you keep guard at the gate which opens and leads to the king’s palace, and let the rest of the multitude be unarmed in the temple, and let no armed person go into the temple, but the priest only.” He also gave them this order besides, “That a part of the priests and the Levites should be about the king himself, and be a guard to him, with their drawn swords, and to kill that man immediately, whoever he be, that should be so bold as to enter armed into the temple; and bid them be afraid of nobody, but persevere in guarding the king.” So these men obeyed what the high priest advised them to, and declared the reality of their resolution by their actions. Jehoiada also opened that armory which David had made in the temple, and distributed to the captains of hundreds, as also to the priests and Levites, all the spears and quivers, and what kind of weapons soever it contained, and set them armed in a circle round about the temple, so as to touch one another’s hands, and by that means excluding those from entering that ought not to enter. So they brought the child into the midst of them, and put on him the royal crown, and Jehoiada anointed him with the oil, and made him king; and the multitude rejoiced, and made a noise, and cried, “God save the king!”
143. Τῷ δὲ ἑβδόμῳ κοινολογησάμενός τισιν Ἰώδας πέντε τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἑκατοντάρχαις καὶ πείσας αὐτοὺς συνεπιθέσθαι μὲν τοῖς κατὰ τῆς Ὀθλίας ἐγχειρουμένοις, τὴν δὲ βασιλείαν τῷ παιδὶ περιποιῆσαι, λαβὼν ὅρκους οἷς τὸ ἀδεὲς παρὰ τῶν συνεργούντων βεβαιοῦται τὸ λοιπὸν ἐθάρρει ταῖς κατὰ τῆς Ὀθλίας ἐλπίσιν. οἱ δʼ ἄνδρες, οὓς ὁ ἱερεὺς Ἰώδας κοινωνοὺς τῆς πράξεως παρειλήφει, περιπορευθέντες ἅπασαν τὴν χώραν τοὺς ἱερεῖς καὶ τοὺς Ληουίτας ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀθροίσαντες καὶ τοὺς τῶν φυλῶν προεστηκότας ἧκον ἄγοντες εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα πρὸς τὸν ἀρχιερέα. ὁ δὲ πίστιν ᾔτησεν αὐτοὺς ἔνορκον, ἦ μὴν φυλάξειν ὅπερ ἂν μάθωσιν ἀπόρρητον παρʼ αὐτοῦ σιωπῆς ἅμα καὶ συμπράξεως δεόμενον. ὡς δʼ ἀσφαλὲς αὐτῷ λέγειν ὀμωμοκότων ἐγένετο παραγαγὼν ὃν ἐκ τοῦ Δαυίδου γένους ἔτρεφεν οὗτος ἡμῖν, εἶπε, βασιλεὺς ἐξ ἐκείνης τῆς οἰκίας, ἣν ἴστε τὸν θεὸν ἡμῖν προφητεύσαντα βασιλεύσειν ἄχρι τοῦ παντὸς χρόνου. παραινῶ δὲ τὴν τρίτην ὑμῶν μοῖραν φυλάττειν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, τὴν δὲ τρίτην ταῖς πύλαις ἐφεστάναι τοῦ τεμένους ἁπάσαις, ἡ δὲ μετὰ ταύτην ἐχέτω τὴν τῆς ἀνοιγομένης καὶ φερούσης εἰς τὸ βασίλειον πύλης φυλακήν· τὸ δὲ ἄλλο πλῆθος ἄοπλον ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τυγχανέτω· μηδένα δʼ εἰσελθεῖν ὁπλίτην ἐάσητε ἢ μόνον ἱερέα. προσδιέταξε δὲ τούτοις μέρος τι τῶν ἱερέων καὶ Ληουίτας περὶ αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν βασιλέα ταῖς μαχαίραις ἐσπασμέναις αὐτὸν δορυφοροῦντας, τὸν δὲ τολμήσαντα παρελθεῖν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν ὡπλισμένον ἀναιρεῖσθαι παραυτίκα· δείσαντας δὲ μηδὲν παραμεῖναι τῇ φυλακῇ τοῦ βασιλέως. καὶ οἱ μὲν οἷς ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς συνεβούλευσεν τούτοις πεισθέντες ἔργῳ τὴν προαίρεσιν ἐδήλουν. ἀνοίξας δὲ Ἰώδας τὴν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ὁπλοθήκην, ἣν Δαυίδης κατεσκεύασε, διεμέρισε τοῖς ἑκατοντάρχαις ἅμα καὶ ἱερεῦσι καὶ Ληουίταις ἅπανθʼ ὅσʼ εὗρεν ἐν αὐτῇ δόρατά τε καὶ φαρέτρας καὶ εἴ τι ἕτερον εἶδος ὅπλου κατέλαβε, καὶ καθωπλισμένους ἔστησεν ἐν κύκλῳ περὶ τὸ ἱερὸν συναψαμένους τὴν χεῖρα καὶ τὴν εἴσοδον τοῖς οὐ προσήκουσιν οὕτως ἀποτειχίσοντας. συναγαγόντες δὲ τὸν παῖδα εἰς τὸ μέσον ἐπέθεσαν αὐτῷ τὸν στέφανον τὸν βασιλικὸν καὶ τῷ ἐλαίῳ χρίσας Ἰώδας ἀπέδειξε βασιλέα· τὸ δὲ πλῆθος χαῖρον καὶ κροταλίζον ἐβόα σώζεσθαι τὸν βασιλέα.
150. When Athaliah unexpectedly heard the tumult and the acclamations, she was greatly disturbed in her mind, and suddenly issued out of the royal palace with her own army; and when she was come to the temple, the. priests received her; but as for those that stood round about the temple, as they were ordered by the high priest to do, they hindered the armed inert that followed her from going in. But when Athaliah saw the child standing upon a pillar, with the royal crown upon his head, she rent her clothes, and cried out vehemently, and commanded [her guards] to kill him that had laid snares for her, and endeavored to deprive her of the government. But Jehoiada called for the captains of hundreds, and commanded them to bring Athaliah to the valley of Cedron, and slay her there, for he would not have the temple defiled with the punishments of this pernicious woman; and he gave order, that if any one came near to help her, he should be slain also; wherefore those that had the charge of her slaughter took hold of her, and led her to the gate of the king’s mules, arid slew her there.
150. Τοῦ δὲ θορύβου καὶ τῶν ἐπαίνων Ὀθλία παρʼ ἐλπίδας ἀκούσασα τεταραγμένη σφόδρα τῇ διανοίᾳ μετὰ τῆς ἰδίας ἐξεπήδησε στρατιᾶς ἐκ τοῦ βασιλείου. καὶ παραγενομένην εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν αὐτὴν οἱ μὲν ἱερεῖς εἰσδέχονται, τοὺς δʼ ἑπομένους ὁπλίτας εἶρξαν εἰσελθεῖν οἱ περιεστῶτες ἐν κύκλῳ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως τοῦτο προστεταγμένοι. ἰδοῦσα δὲ Ὀθλία τὸν παῖδα ἐπὶ τῆς σκηνῆς ἑστῶτα καὶ τὸν βασίλειον ἐπικείμενον στέφανον περιρρηξαμένη καὶ δεινὸν ἀνακραγοῦσα φονεύειν ἐκέλευε τὸν ἐπιβουλεύσαντα αὐτῇ καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀφελέσθαι σπουδάσαντα. Ἰώδας δὲ καλέσας τοὺς ἑκατοντάρχας ἐκέλευσεν αὐτοὺς ἀπαγαγόντας τὴν Ὀθλίαν εἰς τὴν φάραγγα τὴν Κεδρῶνος ἀνελεῖν αὐτὴν ἐκεῖ· μὴ γὰρ βούλεσθαι μιᾶναι τὸ ἱερὸν αὐτόθι τὴν ἀλιτήριον τιμωρησάμενον. προσέταξε δὲ κἂν βοηθῶν τις προσέλθῃ κἀκεῖνον ἀνελεῖν. ἐλλαβόμενοι τοίνυν τῆς Ὀθλίας οἱ προστεταγμένοι τὴν ἀναίρεσιν αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τὴν πύλην τῶν ἡμιόνων τοῦ βασιλέως ἤγαγον κἀκεῖ διεχρήσαντο.