2 Kings 9
1 And Elisha the prophet sent for one of the sons of the prophets, and said to him, Make yourself ready for a journey, and take this bottle of oil in your hand, 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 And when you get there, go in search of Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi; and go in and make him get up from among his brothers, 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 bottle and put the oil on his head, and say, The Lord says, I have put the holy oil on you to make you king over Israel. Then, opening the door, go in flight, without waiting.
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 came, he saw the captains of the army seated together; and he said, I have something to say to you, O captain. And Jehu said, To which of us? And he said, To you, O captain.
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 And he got up and went into the house; then he put the holy oil on his head and said to him, The Lord, the God of Israel, says, I have made you king over the people of the Lord, over 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 You are to see that the family of Ahab your master is cut off, so that I may take from Jezebel payment for the blood of my servants the prophets, and for the blood of all the servants of the Lord.
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 For the family of Ahab will come to an end; every male of Ahab's family will be cut off, he who is shut up and he who goes 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 family of Ahab like that of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and Baasha, the 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 Jezebel will become food for the dogs in the heritage of Jezreel, and there will be no one to put her body into the earth. Then, opening the door, he went in flight.
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 Then Jehu came out again to the servants of his lord, and one said to him, Is all well? why did this man, who is off his head, come to you? And he said to them, You have knowledge of the man and of his talk.
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 And they said, That is not true; now give us his story. Then he said, This is what he said to me: The Lord says, I have made 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 Then straight away everyone took his robe and put it under him on the top of the steps, and, sounding the horn, they said, 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 So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, made designs against Joram. (Now Joram and all the army of Israel were keeping watch on Ramoth-gilead because of 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 gone back to Jezreel to get well from the wounds which the Aramaeans had given him when he was fighting against Hazael, king of Aram.) And Jehu said, If this is your purpose, then let no one get away and go out of the town to give news of 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 So Jehu got into his carriage and went to Jezreel, for Joram was ill in bed there; and Ahaziah, king of Judah, had come down to see Joram.
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 And the watchman on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu and his band coming, and said, I see a band of people. And Joram said, Send out a horseman to them, and let him say, Is it 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 went out to them and said, The king says, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What have you to do with peace? come after me. And the watchman gave them word, saying, The horseman went up to them, but has not come 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 Then he sent out a second horseman, who came up to them and said, The king says, Is it peace? And Jehu said in answer, What have you to do with peace? come after 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 And the watchman gave them word, saying, He went up to them and has not come back again; and the driving is like the driving of Jehu, son of Nimshi, for he is driving violently.
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 Then Joram said, Make ready. So they made his carriage ready; and Joram, king of Israel, with Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out in their carriages for the purpose of meeting Jehu; and they came face to face with him at the field 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 Now when Joram saw Jehu he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he said in answer, What peace is possible while all the land is full of the disgusting sins of your mother Jezebel, and her secret arts?
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 Then Joram, turning his horses in flight, said to Ahaziah, Broken faith, O Ahaziah!
So Joram turned his chariot and fled and said to Ahaziah, “There is treachery, Ahaziah.”
24 Then Jehu took his bow in his hand, and with all his strength sent an arrow, wounding Joram between the arms; and the arrow came out at his heart, and he went down on his face in his carriage.
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 Then Jehu said to Bidkar, his captain, Take him up, and put him in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for is not that day in your memory when you and I together on our horses were going after Ahab, his father, and the Lord put this fate on him, saying:
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 I saw the blood of Naboth and of his sons yesterday; and I will give you full payment in this field, says the Lord? So now, take him and put him in this field, as the Lord said.
'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 Now when Ahaziah, king of Judah, saw this, he went in flight by the way of the garden house. And Jehu came after him and said, Put him to death in the same way; and they gave him a death-wound in his carriage, on the slope up to Gur, by Ibleam; and he went in flight to Megiddo, where death came to him.
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 And his servants took him in a carriage to Jerusalem, and put him into the earth with his fathers in the town 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 the rule of Joram, the son of Ahab, Ahaziah became king over Judah.)
Now it was in the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab that Ahaziah had begun to reign over Judah.
30 And when Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel had news of it; and, painting her eyes and dressing her hair with ornaments, she put her head out of the 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 when Jehu was coming into the town, she said, Is all well, O Zimri, taker of your master's life?
As Jehu was entering the gate, she said to him, “Are you coming in peace, you Zimri, your master's murderer?”
32 Then, looking up to the window, he said, Who is on my side, who? and two or three unsexed servants put out their heads.
Jehu looked up at the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Then two or three eunuchs looked out.
33 And he said, Take her and put her out of the window. So they sent her down with force, and her blood went in a shower on the wall and on the horses; and she was crushed under their feet.
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 And he came in, and took food and drink; then he said, Now see to this cursed woman, and put her body into the earth, for she is a king's daughter.
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 And they went out to put her body into the earth, but nothing of her was to be seen, only the bones of her head, and her feet, and parts 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 came back and gave him word of it. And he said, This is what the Lord said by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the heritage of Jezreel the flesh of Jezebel will become food for dogs;
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 the dead body of Jezebel will be like waste dropped on the face of the earth in the heritage of Jezreel; so that they will not be able to 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.”'”
