Yet he persisted in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who encouraged Israel to sin; he did not turn from them.

Go and close the door behind you and your sons. Pour the olive oil into all the containers; set aside each one when you have filled it.”

When the containers were full, she said to one of her sons, “Bring me another container.” But he answered her, “There are no more.” Then the olive oil stopped flowing.

She went and told the prophet. He said, “Go, sell the olive oil. Repay your creditor, and then you and your sons can live off the rest of the profit.”

He said, “About this time next year you will be holding a son.” She said, “No, my master! O prophet, do not lie to your servant!”

Elisha called to Gehazi and said, “Get the Shunammite woman.” So he did so and she came to him. He said to her, “Take your son.”

Some of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too cramped for us.

Then he said, “May God judge me severely if Elisha son of Shaphat still has his head by the end of the day!”

But the Lord was unwilling to destroy Judah. He preserved Judah for the sake of his servant David to whom he had promised a perpetual dynasty.

Joram passed away and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Ahaziah replaced him as king.

Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, the granddaughter of King Omri of Israel.

He joined Ahab’s son Joram in a battle against King Hazael of Syria at Ramoth Gilead in which the Syrians defeated Joram.

Now Elisha the prophet summoned a member of the prophetic guild and told him, “Tuck your robes into your belt, take this container of olive oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead.

The watchman reported, “He reached them, but hasn’t started back. The one who drives the lead chariot drives like Jehu son of Nimshi; he drives recklessly.”

Ahab had seventy sons living in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the leading officials of Jezreel and to the guardians of Ahab’s dynasty. This is what the letters said,

“You have with you the sons of your master, chariots and horses, a fortified city, and weapons. So when this letter arrives,

pick the best and most capable of your master’s sons, place him on his father’s throne, and defend your master’s dynasty.”

When they received the letter, they seized the king’s sons and executed all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to him in Jezreel.

The messenger came and told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” Jehu said, “Stack them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.”

When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she was determined to destroy the entire royal line.