Now King Mesha of Moab was a sheep breeder. ¹  He would send as tribute ²  to the king of Israel 100,000 male lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams.

So the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom ¹  set out together. They wandered around on the road for seven days and finally ran out of water for the men and animals they had with them.

The king of Israel said, “Oh no! ¹  Certainly the Lord has summoned these three kings so that he can hand them over to the king of Moab!”

Jehoshaphat said, “The Lord speaks through him.” ¹  So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to visit him.

But the prophet sent this message to the king of Israel, “Make sure you don’t pass through this place because Syria is invading there.”

So the king of Israel sent a message to the place the prophet had pointed out, warning it ¹  to be on its guard. This happened on several occasions. ² 

Later King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled his entire army and attacked ¹  and besieged Samaria. ² 

While the king of Israel was passing by on the city wall, a woman shouted to him, “Help us, my master, O king!”

Elisha traveled to Damascus while King Ben Hadad of Syria was sick. The king ¹  was told, “The prophet ²  has come here.”

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

Each of them quickly took off his cloak and they spread them out at Jehu’s ¹  feet on the steps. ²  The trumpet was blown ³  and they shouted, “Jehu is ⁴  king!”

Jehu drove his chariot ¹  to Jezreel, for Joram was recuperating ²  there. (Now King Ahaziah of Judah had come down to visit ³  Joram.)

He went inside and had a meal. ¹  Then he said, “Dispose of this accursed woman’s corpse. Bury her, for after all, she was a king’s daughter.” ² 

All the people of the land celebrated, for the city had rest now that they had killed Athaliah with the sword in the royal palace.

At that time King Hazael of Syria attacked ¹  Gath and captured it. Hazael then decided to attack Jerusalem. ² 

The Lord was furious with ¹  Israel and handed them over to ²  King Hazael of Syria and to Hazael’s son Ben Hadad for many years. ³ 

Jehoahaz asked for the Lord’s mercy ¹  and the Lord responded favorably, ²  for he saw that Israel was oppressed by the king of Syria. ³ 

He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother ²  was Jehoaddan, who was from Jerusalem.

Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel. He said, “Come, let’s meet face to face.” ¹ 

He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother’s name was Jecholiah, who was from Jerusalem.