land smiting the Moabites. And they beat down the
cities; and on every good piece of land they cast every man his stone,
and filled it; and they stopped all the fountains of water, and felled
all the good trees: until in Kir-hareseth only they left the stones
thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.

And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he
took with him seven hundred men that drew sword, to break through unto
the king of Edom: but they could not. Then he took his eldest son that
should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering
upon the wall. And there was great wrath against Israel: and they
departed from him, and returned to their own land.

{393}{394}

[Illustration]
THE PLAINS OF JERICHO.

Now almost uninhabited, covered with wild growth. The mounds in the
middle distance cover the ancient city.
[End illustration]

{395}

JEHU.

[Footnote: How Jehu, a captain in the army, came to the throne of
Israel, is told in the "Stories of Elijah and Elisha" in this volume.]

_How Jehu Destroyed the Children of Ahab and the Children
of Ahaziah, and the Priests of Baal_.

Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent
to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and unto them
that brought up the sons of Ahab, saying, "And now as soon as this
letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and
there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armor;
look ye out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set him on
his father's throne, and fight for your master's house."

But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, "Behold, the two kings
stood not before him: how then shall we stand?"

And he that was over the household, and he that was over the city, the
elders also, and they that brought up the children, sent to Jehu,
saying, "We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us;
we will not make any man king: do thou that which is good in thine
eyes."

Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, "If ye be on
my side, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of
the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to-morrow
this time."

{396}

Now the king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of
the city, which brought them up. And it came to pass, when the letter
came to them, that they took the king's so