2 Kings 9
1 Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead.
Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Dress for travel, then take this little bottle of oil in your hand and go to Ramoth Gilead.
2 When you arrive, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his companions, and take him to an inner room.
When you arrive, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi, and go in and make him arise up from among his companions, and conduct him to an inner chamber.
3 Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run. Do not delay!”
Then take the bottle of oil and pour it on his head and say, 'Yahweh says this: “I have anointed you king over Israel.”' Then open the door, and run off; do not delay.”
4 So the young prophet went to Ramoth-gilead,
So the young man, the young prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead.
5 and when he arrived, the army commanders were sitting there. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said. “For which of us?” asked Jehu. “For you, commander,” he replied.
When he arrived, behold, the captains of the army were sitting. So the young prophet said, “I have come on an errand to you, captain.” Jehu replied, “To which of us?” The young prophet answered, “To you, captain.”
6 So Jehu got up and went into the house, where the young prophet poured the oil on his head and declared, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the LORD’s people Israel.
So Jehu arose and went into the house, and the prophet poured the oil on his head and said to Jehu, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says this: 'I have anointed you king over the people of Yahweh, over Israel.
7 And you are to strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel.
You must kill the family of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Yahweh, who were murdered by the hand of Jezebel.
8 The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, both slave and free, in Israel.
For the whole family of Ahab will perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male child, whether he is a slave or a free person.
9 I will make the house of Ahab like the houses of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah.
I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah.
10 And on the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour Jezebel, and there will be no one to bury her.’” Then the young prophet opened the door and ran.
The dogs will eat Jezebel in Jezreel, and there will be no one to bury her.'” Then the prophet opened the door and ran off.
11 When Jehu went out to the servants of his master, they asked, “Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?” “You know his kind and their babble,” he replied.
Then Jehu came out to the servants of his master, and one said to him, “Is everything alright? Why did this mad fellow come to you?” Jehu answered them, “You know the man and the kinds of things he says.”
12 “That is a lie!” they said. “Tell us now!” So Jehu answered, “He talked to me about this and that, and he said, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’”
They said, “That is a lie. Tell us.” Jehu answered, “He said this and that to me, and he also said, 'This is what Yahweh says: I have anointed you as king over Israel.'”
13 Quickly, each man took his garment and put it under Jehu on the bare steps. Then they blew the ram’s horn and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!”
Then each of them quickly took off his outer garment and put it under Jehu at the top of the steps. They blew the trumpet and said, “Jehu is king.”
14 Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram,
In this way Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. Now Joram had been defending Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Aram,
15 but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had suffered at the hands of the Arameans in the battle against Hazael their king.) So Jehu said, “If you commanders wish to make me king, then do not let anyone escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel.”
but King Joram had gone back to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds that the Arameans had given him, when he had fought against Hazael king of Aram. Jehu said to the servants of Joram, “If this is your opinion, then let no one escape and go out of the city, in order to go tell this news in Jezreel.”
16 Then Jehu got into his chariot and went to Jezreel, because Joram was laid up there and Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see him.
So Jehu rode in a chariot to Jezreel; for Joram was resting there. Now Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram.
17 Now the watchman standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, and he called out, “I see a company of troops!” “Choose a rider,” Joram commanded. “Send him out to meet them and ask, ‘Have you come in peace?’”
The watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu as he came at a distance; he said, “I see a group of men coming.” Joram said, “Take a horseman, and send him out to meet them; tell him to say, 'Are you coming in peace?'”
18 So a horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’” “What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.” And the watchman reported, “The messenger reached them, but he is not coming back.”
So a man was sent on horseback to meet him; he said, “The king says this: 'Are coming in peace?'” So Jehu said, “What have you to do with peace? Turn and ride behind me.” Then the watchman told the king, “The messenger has met them, but he is not coming back.”
19 So the king sent out a second horseman, who went to them and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’” “What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.”
Then he sent out a second man on horseback, who came to them and said, “The king says this: 'Are you coming in peace?'” Jehu answered, “What have you to do with peace? Turn and ride behind me.”
20 Again the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. And the charioteer is driving like Jehu son of Nimshi —he is driving like a madman!”
Again the watchman reported, “He has met them, but he is not coming back. For the way that the chariot is being driven is the way that Jehu son of Nimshi drives; he is driving wildly.”
21 “Harness!” Joram shouted, and they harnessed his chariot. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his own chariot, and met Jehu on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.
So Joram said, “Get my chariot ready.” They prepared his chariot, and Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah rode out, each in his chariot, to meet Jehu. They found him at the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.
22 When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”
When Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Are you coming in peace, Jehu?” He answered, “What peace is there, when the idolatrous acts of prostitution and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel are so many?”
23 Joram turned around and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!”
So Joram turned his chariot and fled and said to Ahaziah, “There is treachery, Ahaziah.”
24 Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.
Then Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and shot Joram between his shoulders; the arrow went through his heart, and he sank down in his chariot.
25 And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember that when you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab, the LORD lifted up this burden against him:
Then Jehu said to Bidkar his captain, “Pick him up and throw him in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. Think about how when you and I rode together after Ahab his father, Yahweh placed this prophecy against him:
26 ‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the LORD, so will I repay you on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, according to the word of the LORD, pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground.”
'Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons—declares Yahweh—and I will surely make you pay for it on this field—declares Yahweh. Now then, pick him up and throw him on this field, according to the word of Yahweh.”
27 When King Ahaziah of Judah saw this, he fled up the road toward Beth-haggan. And Jehu pursued him, shouting, “Shoot him too!” So they shot Ahaziah in his chariot on the Ascent of Gur, near Ibleam, and he fled to Megiddo and died there.
When Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled up the road to Beth Haggan. But Jehu followed him, and said, “Kill him also in the chariot,” and they shot him at the ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. Ahaziah fled to Megiddo and died there.
28 Then his servants carried him by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his fathers in his tomb in the City of David.
His servants carried his body in a chariot to Jerusalem and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in the city of David.
29 (In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king over Judah.)
Now it was in the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab that Ahaziah had begun to reign over Judah.
30 Now when Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from a window.
When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her eyes, arranged her hair, and looked out the window.
31 And as Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, O Zimri, murderer of your master?”
As Jehu was entering the gate, she said to him, “Are you coming in peace, you Zimri, your master's murderer?”
32 He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down at him.
Jehu looked up at the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Then two or three eunuchs looked out.
33 “Throw her down!” yelled Jehu. So they threw her down, and her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses as they trampled her underfoot.
So Jehu said, “Throw her down.” So they threw Jezebel down, and some of her blood spattered on the wall and the horses, and Jehu trampled her underfoot.
34 Then Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of this cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was the daughter of a king.”
When Jehu entered the palace, he ate and drank. Then he said, “See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter.”
35 But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing but her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands.
They went to bury her, but they found no more of her than the skull, the feet, and the palms of her hands.
36 So they went back and told Jehu, who replied, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour the flesh of Jezebel.
So they came back and told Jehu. He said, “This is the word of Yahweh which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 'In the land at Jezreel the dogs will eat the flesh of Jezebel,
37 And Jezebel’s body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.’”
and the body of Jezebel will be like dung on the surface of the fields in the land at Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, “This is Jezebel.”'”
