2 Kings 9
1 Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and told him, “Put your cloak into your belt, take this flask of olive oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead.
Now, Elisha the prophet, called one of the sons of the prophets, —and said to him—Gird up thy loins, and take this flask of oil in thy hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead;
2 Once you get there, look for Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his companions, and take him to an inner room. Get him to leave his friends, lead him to a private room,
and, when thou art come in thither, then look thee out, there, Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi; and thou shalt enter and get him to rise up out of the midst of his brethren, and take him into an inner chamber;
3 take the flask of olive oil, and pour it on his head. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king of Israel.’ Then open the door and run away! Don't wait around!”
then shalt thou take the flask of oil, and pour out upon his head, and say—Thus, saith Yahweh, I have anointed thee to be king unto Israel! Then shalt thou open the door and flee, and not tarry.
4 So the young prophet went to Ramoth-gilead.
So the young man went his way—the young man the prophet—unto Ramoth-gilead.
5 When he arrived, he saw the army commanders sitting around. “I've got a message for you, commander,” he said. “For which one of us?” Jehu asked. “For you, commander,” he replied.
And, when he came up, lo! the captains of the force, sitting, and he said—A word, have I, for thee, O captain! And Jehu said—For which, of us all? And he said, —For thee, O captain!
6 Jehu got up and went inside, where the young prophet poured the olive oil on his head and announced to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the Lord's people Israel.
Then rose he up and went inside, and poured out the oil upon his head, and said unto him—Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, I have anointed thee to be king unto the people of Yahweh, unto Israel;
7 You are going to destroy the family of Ahab, your master. You will avenge the blood my prophets and the blood of all the Lord's servants killed by Jezebel.
and thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy lord, —so will I avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Yahweh, at the hand of Jezebel;
8 The whole house of Ahab will be eradicated—I will destroy all the males of Ahab's family in Israel, both slave and free.
so shall perish all the house of Ahab, —and I will cut off to Ahab the meanest, both him that is shut up and him that is left at large, in Israel.
9 I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, son of Ahijah.
Yea I will deliver up the house of Ahab, like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, —and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah:
10 Dogs will eat Jezebel, Ahab's wife, at the plot of ground in Jezreel, and no one will bury her.” Then the young prophet opened the door and ran away.
And, as for Jezebel, the dogs shall eat [her], in the town-land of Jezreel, there being none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled.
11 When Jehu went back out to the other officers of his master, they asked him, “Is everything fine? Why did this crazy man come to you?” “You know what he's like, and how he goes on and on,” he replied.
Then, Jehu, came forth unto the servants of his lord, and one said to him—Is all well? why came this madman unto thee? And he said unto them, Ye, know, the man and his message.
12 “Liar!” they said. “Please tell us what's going on.” “Well, he talked to me about this and that, and he told me, ‘This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.’”
And they said—False! pray tell, us. And he said, —Thus and thus, spake he unto me, saying, Thus, saith Yahweh, I have anointed thee to be king unto Israel.
13 They quickly grabbed their cloaks and spread them on the bare steps. They blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”
Then hasted they, and took, every man his garment, and put it under him, upon the very steps, —and blew with a horn, and said, Jehu, is king!
14 So Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, plotted rebellion against Joram. Joram and the whole Israelite army had been defending Ramoth-Gilead against Hazael, king of Aram.
Thus did Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi conspire against Joram, —when, Joram, was watching Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria.
15 But Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he'd received fighting against Hazael, king of Aram. So Jehu said, “If you commanders want to make me king, don't let anyone leave town and go and announce it in Jezreel.”
But Jehoram the king had returned to get himself healed in Jezreel, of the wounds wherewith the Syrians had wounded him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. Then said Jehu—If such is your mind, let no fugitive get forth out of the city, to go and tell it in Jezreel.
16 Jehu got on his chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram was recuperating there. Ahaziah, king of Judah, was there too because he had come to visit Joram.
So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went towards Jezreel, for, Joram, was lying there, —and, Ahaziah king of Judah, had come down to see Joram.
17 The watchman on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu's soldiers approaching, and he shouted out, “I see a soldiers coming!” “Choose a horseman,” Joram ordered. “Send him out to meet them and ask, ‘Do you come in peace?’”
Now, the watchman, was standing upon the tower, in Jezreel, so he saw the great company of Jehu, when he came, and said—A great company, can I see! Then said Jehoram—Take a horseman and send to meet them, that he may say—Is it peace?
18 So a horseman rode off to meet Jehu, and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Do you come in peace?’” “What has peace got to do with you?” Jehu replied. “Turn around and follow me.” The watchman reported, “The messenger has reached them, but he's not returning.”
So the horseman went to meet him, and said—Thus, saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said—What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came up to them, but hath not turned back.
19 The king sent out a second horseman. He went up to them and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Do you come in peace?’” “What has peace got to do with you?” Jehu replied. “Turn around and follow me.”
Then sent he a second horseman, and he came up to them and said, Thus, saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said—What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me.
20 The watchman reported, “The messenger has reached them, but he's not returning. The driving looks like the driving of Jehu, son of Nimshi—he's a crazy driver!”
And the watchman told, saying, He came up to them, but hath not turned back, —and, the driving, is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi; for, with mad haste, doth he drive.
21 “Prepare my chariot!” Joram shouted, and they had his chariot ready. Then Joram, king of Israel, and Ahaziah, king of Judah, set off in their separate chariots, and met Jehu on the plot of ground that was previously owned by Naboth from Jezreel.
Then said Jehoram, Harness! So one harnessed his chariot, —and Jehoram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went forth, each man in his chariot, yea they went forth to meet Jehu, and came upon him in the heritage of Naboth the Jezreelite.
22 When Joram saw Jehu, he asked him, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?” “What peace can there be with so much prostitution and witchcraft caused by your mother Jezebel?” Jehu replied.
And it came to pass, when Jehoram saw Jehu, that he said—Is it peace, Jehu? And he said—What can be the peace, while thy mother Jezebel’s harlotries and her incantations do so abound?
23 Joram turned around and raced away, shouting out to Ahaziah, “It's treason, Ahaziah!”
Then Jehoram turned his hands, and fled, —and said unto Ahaziah—Treachery! O Ahaziah!
24 Jehu picked up his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow went through his heart and he collapsed dead in his chariot.
And, Jehu, bent his bow, and smote Jehoram, between his arms, —and the arrow came out at his heart, —and he sank down in his chariot.
25 Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth from Jezreel. Remember when you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab how the Lord made this prophecy against him:
Then said he unto Bidkar his officer, Take [him] up, [and] cast him forth, into the field-portion of Naboth the Jezreelite, —for remember, when I and thou were riding as a couple together after Ahab his father, that, Yahweh, laid upon him this doom:
26 ‘In the same way as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, says the Lord, so I will certainly repay you on this same plot of ground, says the Lord.’ Now then, following what the Lord has said, pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground.”
Surely, the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, have I lately seen, declareth Yahweh, therefore will I requite thee in this portion, declareth Yahweh. Now, therefore, take [him] up, [and] cast him forth into the portion, according to the word of Yahweh.
27 When Ahaziah, king of Judah, saw what happened, he raced up the road toward Beth-haggan. But Jehu chased after him, shouting, “Shoot him too!” So they shot Ahaziah in his chariot on the way up to Gur, near Ibleam. He managed to escape to Megiddo but he died there.
And, Ahaziah king of Judah, saw it, and fled by the way of the garden house, —and Jehu pursued him, and said—Him also! smite him in the chariot! It was in the ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Mepidgo, and died there.
28 His servants took him by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his forefathers in his tomb in the City of David.
And his servants conveyed him in a chariot and brought him into Jerusalem, —and buried him in his sepulchre, with his fathers, in the city of David.
29 Ahaziah became king of Judah in the eleventh year of the reign of Joram, son of Ahab.
Now it was, in the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, that Ahaziah began to reign over Judah.
30 When Jezebel heard that Jehu had arrived in Jezreel, she put on her black eye-shadow, placed jewelry in her hair, and watched from a window.
Now, when Jehu entered Jezreel and, Jezebel, heard of it, she set her eyes in stibium, and ornamented her head, and looked forth through the lattice.
31 As Jehu came in through the gate, she shouted down, “Do you come in peace? Or are you like Zimri, a murderer of your master?”
So, when, Jehu, had entered in at the gate, she said, Was it peace, when Zimri slew his lord?
32 Jehu looked up at the window and shouted out, “Who is on my side? Anyone?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him.
And he lifted up his face unto the lattice, and said—Who, is with me? Who? And there looked out unto him, two or three eunuchs.
33 “Throw her down!” he shouted. And they threw her down. Her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses which then trampled her.
And he said—Hurl her down. And they hurled her down, —and there was sprinkled of her blood—upon the wall, and upon the horses, and they trode upon her.
34 Jehu went inside and ate and drank. Then he said, “Please deal with that cursed woman and bury her, for she was a king's daughter.”
And, when he had entered and eaten and drunk, he said—Look, I pray you, after this accursed woman, and bury her, for the daughter of a king, she is.
35 They went out to bury her but all they found were her skull, her feet, and her hands.
So they went to bury her, —but found not of her—save the skull, and the feet, and the palms of the hands.
36 They went back and told Jehu, who said, “This is what the Lord said through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘Dogs will eat Jezebel's flesh on the plot of ground at Jezreel.
Then came they back, and told him, and he said—The word of Yahweh, it is, which he spake by the hand of his servant, Elijah the Tishbite, saying—In the town-land of Jezreel, shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel!
37 Jezebel's body will lie like manure in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is where Jezebel is buried.’”
So shall the carcass of Jezebel become like heaps of dung on the face of the field, in the town-land of Jezreel: So that they cannot say, This, is Jezebel!
