pass,
as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, "Two measures of
barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be
to-morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria"; and that captain
answered the man of God, and said, "Now, behold, if the Lord should make
windows in heaven, might such a thing be?" and he said, "Behold, thou
shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof": it came to
pass even so upon him; for the people trampled upon him in the gate, and
he died.

_How Elisha Anointed a New King in Israel, and How a Terrible Fate
Overtook the Wicked House of Ahab_.

(Ahab the wicked king died, but his son Joram, who was just as wicked as
his father, reigned in his stead, and he was helped on in his wicked
deeds by the wicked old queen mother Jezebel. But no matter how
prosperous and powerful evil men may be, there always comes a time of
retribution. Vengeance was now following fast on the footsteps of the
wicked members of the house of Ahab. King Joram lay dying of a wound he
had received in battle. Elisha saw that the time had come. He anointed
privately as king, Jehu, a brave, headstrong young general of the army.
Jehu did not wait for Joram to die, but made a bold dash for the throne.
This story tells of the wild ride he took (we say, "he drives like
Jehu," to the present day), of the way in which he beat down all
obstacles in his path, and of the terrible fate which came to the house
of Ahab.)

{158}

And Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and said
unto him, "Gird up thy loins, and take this vial of oil in thine hand,
and go to Ramoth-gilead. And when thou comest thither, look out there
Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him
arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber.
Then take the vial of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, 'Thus saith
the Lord, I have anointed thee king over Israel.' Then open the door, and
flee, and tarry not."

So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead.
And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he
said, "I have an errand to thee, O captain."

And Jehu said, "Unto which of us?"

And he said, "To thee, O captain."

And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his
head, and said to him, "Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, 'I have
anointed thee king over the people of the Lord, even ove