led the Israelites to do,
and because he had slain his brethren, and the men that were good
and righteous. And the prophet gave him notice in this epistle what
punishment he should undergo for these crimes, namely, the destruction
of his people, with the corruption of the king's own wives and children;
and that he should himself die of a distemper in his bowels, with long
torments, those his bowels falling out by the violence of the inward
rottenness of the parts, insomuch that, though he see his own misery, he
shall not be able at all to help himself, but shall die in that manner.
This it was which Elijah denounced to him in that epistle.

3. It was not long after this that an army of those Arabians that lived
near to Ethiopia, and of the Philistines, fell upon the kingdom of
Jehoram, and spoiled the country and the king's house. Moreover, they
slew his sons and his wives: one only of his sons was left him, who
escaped the enemy; his name was Ahaziah; after which calamity, he
himself fell into that disease which was foretold by the prophet, and
lasted a great while, [for God inflicted this punishment upon him in his
belly, out of his wrath against him,] and so he died miserably, and saw
his own bowels fall out. The people also abused his dead body; I suppose
it was because they thought that such his death came upon him by the
wrath of God, and that therefore he was not worthy to partake of such
a funeral as became kings. Accordingly, they neither buried him in the
sepulchers of his fathers, nor vouchsafed him any honors, but buried him
like a private man, and this when he had lived forty years, and reigned
eight. And the people of Jerusalem delivered the government to his son
Ahaziah.

CHAPTER 6. How Jehu Was Anointed King, And Slew Both Joram And Ahaziah;
As Also What He Did For The Punishment Of The Wicked.

1. Now Joram, the king of Israel, after the death of Benhadad, hoped
that he might now take Ramoth, a city of Gilead, from the Syrians.
Accordingly he made an expedition against it, with a great army; but as
he was besieging it, an arrow was shot at him by one of the Syrians,
but the wound was not mortal. So he returned to have his wound healed in
Jezreel, but left his whole army in Ramorb, and Jehu, the son of Nimshi,
for their general; for he had already taken the city by force; and he
proposed, after he was healed, to make war with the Syrians; but Elisha
the prophet sent one of his disciples to Ramo