But they did not obey,<n id="1" /> and Manasseh misled them so that they sinned more than the nations whom the <sc>Lordsc> had destroyed from before the Israelites.p>

Manasseh passed away<n id="1" /> and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzzah, and his son Amon replaced him as king.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem.<n id="1" /> His mother<n id="2" /> was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz, from Jotbah.

The people of the land executed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they<n id="1" /> made his son Josiah king in his place.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem.<n id="1" /> His mother<n id="2" /> was Jedidah, daughter of Adaiah, from Bozkath.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.<n id="1" /> His mother<n id="2" /> was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem.<n id="1" /> His mother was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah, from Rumah.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.<n id="1" /> His mother<n id="2" /> was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan, from Jerusalem.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem.<n id="1" /> His mother<n id="2" /> was Hamutal,<n id="3" /> the daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah.

Zedekiah&#8217;s sons were executed while Zedekiah was forced to watch.<n id="1" /> The king of Babylon<n id="2" /> then had Zedekiah&#8217;s eyes put out, bound him in bronze chains, and carried him off to Babylon.p>

While Gehazi<n id="1" /> was telling the king how Elisha<n id="2" /> had brought the dead back to life, the woman whose son he had brought back to life came to ask the king for her house and field.<n id="3" /> Gehazi said, &#8220;My master, O king, this is the very woman and this is her son whom Elisha brought back to life!&#8221;

King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he received from the Syrians<n id="1" /> in Ramah when he fought against King Hazael of Syria. King Ahaziah son of Jehoram of Judah went down to visit<n id="2" /> Joram son of Ahab in Jezreel, for he was ill.p>

<p class="bodytext">He wrote them a second letter, saying, &#8220;If you are really on my side and are willing to obey me,<n id="1" /> then take the heads of your master&#8217;s sons and come to me in Jezreel at this time tomorrow.&#8221;<n id="2" /> Now the king had seventy sons, and the prominent<n id="3" /> men of the city were raising them.

Some members of the prophetic guild<n id="1" /> in Bethel came out to Elisha and said, &#8220;Do you know that today the <sc>Lordsc> is going to take your master from you?&#8221;<n id="2" /> He answered, &#8220;Yes, I know. Be quiet.&#8221;p>

Some members of the prophetic guild in Jericho approached Elisha and said, &#8220;Do you know that today the <sc>Lordsc> is going to take your master from you?&#8221; He answered, &#8220;Yes, I know. Be quiet.&#8221;p>

They said to him, &#8220;Look, there are fifty capable men with your servants. Let them go and look for your master, for the wind sent from the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> may have carried him away and dropped him on one of the hills or in one of the valleys.&#8221; But Elisha<n id="2" /> replied, &#8220;Don&#8217;t send them out.&#8221;

Jehoshaphat asked, &#8220;Is there no prophet of the <sc>Lordsc> here that we might seek the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s direction?&#8221;<n id="1" /> One of the servants of the king of Israel answered, &#8220;Elisha son of Shapat is here; he used to be Elijah&#8217;s servant.&#8221;<n id="2" />

So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him up as a burnt sacrifice on the wall. There was an outburst of divine anger against Israel,<n id="1" /> so they broke off the attack<n id="2" /> and returned to their homeland.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now a wife of one of the prophets<n id="1" /> appealed<n id="2" /> to Elisha for help, saying, &#8220;Your servant, my husband is dead. You know that your servant was a loyal follower of the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="3" /> Now the creditor is coming to take away my two boys to be his servants.&#8221;

He answered, &#8220;Everything is fine.<n id="1" /> My master sent me with this message, &#8216;Look, two servants of the prophets just arrived from the Ephraimite hill country.<n id="2" /> Please give them a talent<n id="3" /> of silver and two suits of clothes.&#8217;&#8221;