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he had made. But at this time Jehoahaz, having prayed to God, found salvation and a respite from his troubles. And having reigned for seventeen years, he dies, having as successor to the kingdom his son Joash, 1.158 who had the same name as the one ruling over the tribe of Judah. But this Joash was not like his father, but was good. Who also, when Elisha fell ill and was dying, mourned, calling him father and weapon, as though through him he prevailed over his enemies. But the prophet comforted him; and he ordered him to take a bow and shoot arrows. And when the king had shot three times and stopped, Elisha said, "If you had shot more arrows, you would have cut off the rule of the Syrians at the root; but now you will win victories over them equal in number to the arrows, and you will restore to your rule the land which they took away." Then the prophet passed away and received a magnificent burial. But some robbers, having killed someone, threw him into the prophet's tomb; and the one who was thrown came back to life and stood up. And Hazael the king of Syria also died, with his son Adad as his successor; whom Joash, the king of the Israelites, engaged, and having defeated him three times, restored to Israel the land and the cities which Hazael, the father of Adad, had taken away. But Joash the king of Judah, being seven years old when he was proclaimed, and having reigned for forty years, died, being killed by his own servants. And his son Amaziah took up the kingdom of Jerusalem, being a pious man, who was twenty-five years old when he came to power, and he held the kingdom for twenty-nine years. And having punished those who killed his father, he let their children go free according to the law, which says, "Fathers shall not die for sons, nor indeed sons for fathers." Who, when campaigning against the Idumeans and Amalekites, hired allies from the Israe1.159 lites. But a certain prophet advised him to leave his allies and to carry on the war with only his own men. Persuaded by him, he dismissed the Israelites, even granting them their pay. Therefore, engaging the foreigners, he was victorious. But the dismissed allies, being angered, overran the land of the Judeans and killed many. But Amaziah, becoming arrogant because of his success and acting impiously toward God, sent a message to Joash the king of Israel, demanding that he should come to him, as he ought to be subject to him, being a descendant of David and Solomon. But he sent back a message telling him that "the thistle asked the cedar to make a marriage alliance for their children. But in the meantime, the wild beasts of the field, passing by, trampled the thistle, and it perished. Let this be a sufficient example for you; and do not, because you were successful in striking the foreigners, be arrogant, nor push your people and yourself into danger." Angered at this, Amaziah marches against Joash. But fear falls upon his army, and it turns to flight; and Amaziah, being left alone, is captured by the enemy and led to Joash. And he, leading him as a prisoner, came to Jerusalem, and having broken down a part of the wall, he drove into the city on his chariot through the breach, and he took away the sacred treasures and whatever was stored in the palace. And having released Amaziah, he returned to Samaria. And having reigned sixteen years in all, he dies. And Jeroboam his son reigned. But Amaziah after this was conspired against and killed, having lived fifty-four years, and having reigned twenty-nine. And his son Uzziah was anointed 1.160 king, being sixteen years old. But Jeroboam the son of Joash became impious and lawless. And being such a man, since God had mercy on the Israelite people who had been humbled, he fought against the Syrians and was victorious, the prophet Jonah having foretold his victory to him. This prophet God sent to the city of Nineveh to proclaim its destruction and the utter ruin of the Ninevites. But he did not go, but ran away, boarding a ship. And when a great wave arose, the ship was in danger. And by lot of the

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πεποίηκεν. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ ὁ ̓Ιωάχαζ τοῦ θεοῦ δεηθεὶς σωτηρίαν ευρατο καὶ ἀνακωχὴν τῶν δεινῶν. ἑπτακαίδεκα δὲ βασιλεύσας ετη θνήσκει, διάδοχον τῆς βασιλείας ἐσχηκὼς ̓Ιωὰς τὸν 1.158 υἱόν, ὁμωνυμοῦντα τῷ τῆς ̓Ιούδα φυλῆς βασιλεύοντι. οὐχ ομοιος δὲ τῷ πατρὶ ὁ ̓Ιωὰς ουτος ἐγένετο, ἀγαθὸς δέ. ος καὶ τοῦ ̓Ελισσαίου νοσήσαντός τε καὶ θνήσκοντος ἐθρήνει, πατέρα αὐτὸν καὶ οπλον καλῶν, ὡς δι' αὐτοῦ κρατῶν τῶν ἐχθρῶν. ὁ δὲ προφήτης παρεμυθεῖτο αὐτόν· καὶ τόξον ἐκέλευε λαβόντα βέλη βαλεῖν. τρισσάκις δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως τοξεύσαντος καὶ παυσαμένου, ειπεν ὁ ̓Ελισσαῖος "εἰ μὲν πλείω ἀφῆκας βέλη, ἐξέκοψας αν ῥιζόθεν τὴν τῶν Σύρων ἀρχήν· νῦν δ' ἰσαρίθμους τοῖς βέλεσι νίκας νικήσεις αὐτούς, καὶ τὴν χώραν ην ἐκεῖνοι ἀφείλοντο ἐπανασώσεις σου τῇ ἀρχῇ." ειτα ὁ προφήτης ἐξέλιπε καὶ ετυχε ταφῆς μεγαλοπρεποῦς. λῃσταὶ δέ τινα ἀνελόντες εἰς τὸν τάφον τοῦ προφήτου αὐτὸν ερριψαν· καὶ ἀνέζησεν ὁ ῥιφεὶς καὶ ἀνέστη. ἀπέθανε δὲ καὶ ̓Αζαὴλ ὁ βασιλεὺς Συρίας ἐπὶ διαδόχῳ τῷ υἱῷ Αδερ· ῳ συμβαλὼν ̓Ιωὰς ὁ τῶν ̓Ισραηλιτῶν βασιλεύς, καὶ τρισσάκις ἡττήσας, ἐπανεσώσατο τῷ ̓Ισραὴλ τὴν χώραν καὶ τὰς πόλεις ας ̓Αζαὴλ ἀφείλετο ὁ τοῦ Αδερ πατήρ. ̓Ιωὰς δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ̓Ιούδα ἐτῶν μὲν ων ἑπτὰ οτε ἀνερρήθη, βασιλεύσας δὲ ἐνιαυτοὺς τεσσαράκοντα, ἐτελεύτησεν, ἀναιρεθεὶς παρὰ τῶν θεραπόντων αὐτοῦ. καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τῆς ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ̓Αμεσίας περιεζώσατο, εὐσεβὴς γεγονώς, ἐτῶν ων οτε τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐπέβη πέντε καὶ εικοσιν, ἠνυκὼς δὲ τὴν βασιλείαν ἐπ' ἐνιαυτοὺς ἐννέα καὶ εικοσι. καὶ τοὺς ἀνελόντας τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ κολάσας, τοὺς ἐκείνων παῖδας ἀθῴους ἀφῆκε κατὰ τὸν νόμον, λέγοντα "οὐκ ἀποθανοῦνται πατέρες ὑπὲρ υἱῶν, οὐδὲ μέντοι διὰ πατέρας υἱοί." ος καὶ κατὰ τῶν ̓Ιδουμαίων καὶ ̓Αμαληκιτῶν στρατεύσας συμμάχους ἐκ τῶν ̓Ισραη1.159 λιτῶν ἐμισθώσατο. προφήτης δέ τις καταλιπεῖν τοὺς συμμάχους αὐτῷ συνεβούλευε καὶ μετὰ μόνων τῶν οἰκείων διαθέσθαι τὸν πόλεμον. ῳ πεισθεὶς ἀπέλυσε τοὺς ̓Ισραηλίτας, καὶ τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῖς χαρισάμενος. συμβαλὼν ουν τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις ἐνίκησεν. οἱ δ' ἀπολυθέντες σύμμαχοι ὀργισθέντες τήν τε χώραν τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων κατέδραμον καὶ πολλοὺς ἀνεῖλον. ̓Αμεσίας δὲ διὰ τὸ εὐτύχημα φρονηματισθείς, καὶ ἀσεβήσας εἰς θεόν, διεπέμψατο πρὸς ̓Ιωὰς τὸν βασιλέα τοῦ ̓Ισραήλ, ἀπαιτῶν πρὸς αὐτὸν ηξειν, ὡς ὑποκεῖσθαί οἱ ὀφείλοντα, ἀπογόνῳ ∆αβὶδ καὶ Σολομῶντος τυγχάνοντι. ὁ δὲ ἀνταπέστειλε μηνύων αὐτῷ ὡς "τὴν κέδρον ἡ ακνος ἠξίου κῆδος ἐπὶ τοῖς παισὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις ποιήσασθαι. ἐν τοσούτῳ δὲ τὰ θηρία τοῦ ἀγροῦ παρερχόμενα συνεπάτησαν τὴν ακνον, καὶ ἀπώλετο. τοῦτό σοι ἀρκετὸν εἰς παράδειγμα· καὶ μὴ οτι εὐτύχησας πατάξας τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους μέγα φρόνει, μηδὲ τὸν λαόν σου καὶ ἑαυτὸν εἰς κινδύνους συνώθει." πρὸς ταῦτα ὀργισθεὶς ̓Αμεσίας στρατεύει κατὰ τοῦ ̓Ιωάς. φόβος δ' ἐμπίπτει τῇ αὐτοῦ στρατιᾷ, καὶ τρέπεται εἰς φυγήν· μονωθεὶς δὲ ̓Αμεσίας συλλαμβάνεται παρὰ τῶν πολεμίων καὶ ἀπάγεται πρὸς τὸν ̓Ιωάς. ὁ δὲ δέσμιον αγων αὐτὸν ηλθεν εἰς ̔Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ καθελὼν τοῦ τείχους μέρος, εἰσήλασε διὰ τοῦ καθαιρεθέντος εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐφ' αρματος, καὶ ἀφείλετο τούς τε ἱεροὺς θησαυροὺς καὶ οσα ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἀπέκειτο. καὶ λύσας τὸν ̓Αμεσίαν ἐπανῆλθεν εἰς τὴν Σαμάρειαν. καὶ βασιλεύσας τὰ πάντα ετη ἑξκαίδεκα τελευτᾷ. καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ̔Ιεροβοὰμ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ. ̓Αμεσίας δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπιβουλευθεὶς ἀνῃρέθη, ζήσας τέσσαρας ἐνιαυτοὺς καὶ πεντήκοντα, βασιλεύσας δὲ εικοσι καὶ ἐννέα. ἐχρίσθη δὲ 1.160 βασιλεὺς ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ̓Οζίας, ἐτῶν ὑπάρχων ἑξκαίδεκα. ̔Ιεροβοὰμ δὲ ὁ υἱὸς ̓Ιωὰς ἀσεβὴς ἐγένετο καὶ παράνομος. καὶ τοιοῦτος δὲ ων, τοῦ θεοῦ τὸν ̓Ισραηλίτην λαὸν ἐλεήσαντος ταπεινωθέντα, τοῖς Σύροις πολεμήσας ἐνίκησε, τοῦ προφήτου ̓Ιωνᾶ αὐτῷ τὴν νίκην προαγορεύσαντος. Τοῦτον τὸν προφήτην ἀπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς εἰς Νινευὶ τὴν πόλιν κηρύξοντα καταστροφὴν αὐτῆς καὶ τὴν τῶν Νινευιτῶν ἐξολόθρευσιν. ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἀπῄει, ἀλλ' ἀπεδίδρασκεν εἰς πλοῖον ἐμβάς. κλύδωνος δὲ γεγονότος ἡ ναῦς ἐκινδύνευε. καὶ κλήρῳ τῶν