He passed his son through the fire and practiced divination and omen reading. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld spirits, and appointed magicians to supervise it. He did a great amount of evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.

This is an easy task for the Lord; he will also hand Moab over to you.

Throughout his lifetime Jehoash did what the Lord approved, just as Jehoiada the priest taught him.

He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Amaziah had done.

He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Uzziah had done.

So the Lord was furious with Israel and rejected them; only the tribe of Judah was left.

He did what the Lord approved, just as his ancestor David had done.

Indeed, fire came down from the sky and consumed the two captains who came before me, along with their men. So now, please have respect for my life.”

He did what the Lord approved, but not like David his father. He followed the example of his father Joash.

He did what the Lord approved and followed in his ancestor David’s footsteps; he did not deviate to the right or the left.

Just as the Lord had announced, he rejected Judah because of all the sins which Manasseh had committed.

“Please, Lord. Remember how I have served you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion, and how I have carried out your will.” Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.

So the Lord rejected all of Israel’s descendants; he humiliated them and handed them over to robbers, until he had thrown them from his presence.

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what pleased the Lord his God, in contrast to his ancestor David.

Finally the Lord rejected Israel just as he had warned he would do through all his servants the prophets. Israel was deported from its land to Assyria and remains there to this very day.

The Lord announced, “I will also spurn Judah, just as I spurned Israel. I will reject this city that I chose – both Jerusalem and the temple, about which I said, “I will live there.”

The king sent a third captain and his fifty soldiers. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. He begged for mercy, “Prophet, please have respect for my life and for the lives of these fifty servants of yours.

So the palace supervisor, the city commissioner, the leaders, and the guardians sent this message to Jehu, “We are your subjects! Whatever you say, we will do. We will not make anyone king. Do what you consider proper.”

The fifty members of the prophetic guild went and stood opposite them at a distance, while Elijah and Elisha stood by the Jordan.

While Elisha was watching, he was crying out, “My father, my father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!” Then he could no longer see him. He grabbed his clothes and tore them in two.