So the king sent out to see, two men upon lean, starved horses. They found it was all true, and everybody went rushing out to get food. The king sent the lord who had laughed at Elisha, to stand in the gate to keep order; but the people were so very hungry that they did not mind him, and he was knocked down and trodden upon, and trampled to death: and so it came to pass that he saw the plenty, but did not eat of it, because he had mocked at the word of the Lord. QUESTIONS. 1. Who was king of Israel? 2. Who was prophet? 3. What was the chief town in Israel? 4. Who tried to take it? 5. What was the sad distress in Samaria? 6. What had they to eat? 7. Whose fault was it? 8. But whom did Joram want to punish? 9. What did Elisha promise? 10. Who laughed at him? 11. What did Elisha say? 12. What happened in the night? 13. What became of the Syrians? 14. Who found it out? 15. What did the lepers see? 16. Whom did they tell? 17. What did all the people do? 18. What became of the man who laughed at Elisha? 19. What is it that makes God angry? [Illustration] Thirtieth Sunday. _THE RUIN OF AHAB'S HOUSE._ FIRST READING. "What hast thou to do with peace."--_2 Kings 9:18._ [Illustration] THE Sunday before last you heard how King Ahab was killed in battle, though he had fancied that he could hide from God. His wife, Queen Jezebel, was left; and she had always been worse than he was, and she had brought up her son Joram to be very wicked too. When Joram had reigned as king for twelve years, God told His Prophet Elijah to send a young man to anoint a captain called Jehu to be king instead of Joram. So the young man took some oil, and went to the town where Jehu was, and said, "I have an errand to thee, O captain." Then he poured the oil on Jehu's head, and told him that God made him king of Israel. The other captains were glad to make Jehu king, and they made him sit on the top of a flight of steps, and blew with their trumpets, and shouted, "Jehu is king." Then they all set out to conquer King Joram. Joram had his chariot made ready, and went out in it to meet Jehu; but, as soon as they came in sight of one another Jehu shot an arrow, and it struck Joram, so that he sank down in his chariot and died. Then Jehu went on into the town; and Jezebel thought she would still try to make friends with the people; so, instead of mourning for her son, she painted her face, and put on a headdress, and looked out at a window. Jehu said, "Who is on my side? who?" And some of the servants looked out. He said, "Throw her down." So the servants threw Jezebel out of the window, and her blood sprinkled on Jehu's horses. But he went on, and went into the palace, and was made king, and had a feast. [Illustration: JEZEBEL EATEN BY DOGS.--2 Kings 9:32, 33.]