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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,
1
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.