2 Kings 9
1 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;
Meanwhile, the prophet Elisha summoned one of the other prophets. He said to him, “Get ready [IDM] and go to Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region]. Take this jar of [olive] oil with you.
2 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;
When you arrive there, search for a man named Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat and grandson of Nimshi. Go with him into a room away from his companions,
3 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.
and pour [some of] this oil on his head. Then say to him, ‘Yahweh declares that he is appointing you to be the king of Israel.’ Then open the door and run away as quickly as you can.”
4 So the young man went his way—the young man the prophet—unto Ramoth-gilead.
So the young prophet went to Ramoth.
5 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!
When he arrived, he saw that the commanders of the army were having a conference. He [looked at Jehu and] said, “Sir, I have a message for [one of] you.” Jehu replied, “Which one of us is the message for?” The young prophet replied, “It is for you, commander/sir.”
6 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;
So Jehu got up and went with the young prophet into a house. There the young prophet poured some [olive] oil on Jehu’s head and said to him, “Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], declares this: ‘I am appointing you to be the king of my Israeli people.
7 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;
You must kill your master [King Joram], the son of Ahab, because I want to punish [Ahab’s wife] Jezebel for murdering [MTY] many of my prophets and other people who served me.
8 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.
You must kill [not only Joram but] all of Ahab’s family. I want to get rid of every male in the family, including young ones and old ones.
9 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:
I will get rid of Ahab’s family, like I got rid of the families of two other kings of Israel, Jeroboam and Baasha.
10 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.
And [when] Jezebel [dies], her corpse will not be buried. Dogs will eat her corpse there in Jezreel [city].’” After the young prophet said this, he left the room and ran.
11 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.
When Jehu came out of the room to where his other commanders were, they said to him, “Is everything all right? Why did that mad fellow come to you?” He replied, “You know what kinds of things young prophets like him say.”
12 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.
They said, “You are lying! Tell us what he said!” He replied, “He told me that Yahweh said, ‘I am appointing [MTY] you to be the king of Israel.’”
13 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!
Then they all spread their cloaks on the steps of the building [for Jehu to walk out on], and they blew trumpets and shouted, “Jehu is now the king!”
14 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.
King Joram and his army had been defending Ramoth against the attacks by the army of the king of Syria. King Joram had returned to Jezreel [city], to recover from being wounded in the battle against the army of Hazael, the king of Syria. And Jehu made plans to kill Joram. He said to his other commanders, “If helping me is truly what you want, make sure that no one leaves this city to go to warn the people of Jezreel [about what I am planning to do].”
15 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 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.
Then Jehu and his officers got into their chariots and rode to Jezreel, where Joram was still recovering. And King Ahaziah of Judah was there, visiting Joram.
17 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?
A guard was standing in the watchtower in Jezreel. He saw Jehu and his men approaching. He called out, “I see a lot of men [who are approaching]!” King Joram [heard what the watchman said, so he] said to his soldiers, “Send someone on a horse to go and find out if they are coming to be friendly to us or to attack us.”
18 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.
So a man rode out to meet Jehu and said to him, “The king wants to know [if you are coming to be] friendly to us.” Jehu replied, “This is not the time for you [RHQ] to be concerned about acting friendly! Turn around and come behind me!” So the guard in the watchtower reported that the messenger had reached the group [that was approaching], but that he was not returning [alone].
19 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.
So King Joram sent another messenger, who asked Jehu the same question. Again Jehu replied, “This is not the time [RHQ] for you to be concerned about acting friendly! Turn around and follow me!”
20 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.
Then the watchman reported again, “That messenger also reached them, but he is not coming back [alone]. And [the leader of the group must be] Jehu, the son of Nimshi, because he is driving [his chariot] furiously, [like Jehu does]!”
21 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.
Joram said [to his soldiers], “Get [my chariot] ready!” So they did that. Then King Joram and King Ahaziah both rode toward Jehu, each one in his own chariot. And [it happened that] they met Jehu at the field that had previously belonged to Naboth!
22 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?
When Joram met Jehu, he said to him, “Are you coming on a peaceful visit?” Jehu replied, “(How can there be peace while you and your people are prostrating themselves to worship idols and practicing very much (witchcraft/sorcery) like your mother Jezebel did?/There certainly cannot be peace while you and your people are prostrating themselves to worship idols and practicing (witchcraft/sorcery) like your mother Jezebel has been doing!)” [RHQ]
23 Then Jehoram turned his hands, and fled, —and said unto Ahaziah—Treachery! O Ahaziah!
Joram cried out, “Ahaziah, they have deceived us! [They want to kill us]!” So Joram turned his chariot around and tried to flee.
24 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.
But Jehu drew his bow mightily and shot [an arrow that pierced] Joram between his shoulder blades. The arrow [went through his body and] pierced his heart, and he slumped down dead in his chariot.
25 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:
Then Jehu said to his assistant Bidkar, “Take his corpse and throw it here into the field that belonged to Naboth. [I am sure that] you remember that when you and I were riding together [in chariots] behind King Joram’s father Ahab, that Yahweh said this about Ahab:
26 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.
‘Yesterday I saw Ahab murder [MTY] Naboth and his sons here. And I solemnly promise that I will punish him right here in this same field!’ So take Joram’s corpse and throw it into that field! That will fulfill what Yahweh said would happen.”
27 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.
When King Ahaziah saw what happened, he fled [in his chariot] toward Beth-Haggan [town]. But Jehu pursued him and said [to his other commanders], “Shoot him, also!” So they shot him [with arrows] while he was riding in his chariot on the road up to Gur, near Ibleam [town]. He continued going in his chariot until he reached Megiddo [city], where he died.
28 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.
His officials took his corpse back to Jerusalem and buried it in the tombs in the [part of Jerusalem called] ‘The City of David’, where his ancestors had been buried.
29 Now it was, in the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, that Ahaziah began to reign over Judah.
Ahaziah had become the king of Judah when Joram had been ruling Israel for almost eleven years.
30 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.
Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When [Ahab’s widow] Jezebel heard what had happened, she put paint/makeup on her eyelids, and combed her hair to make it beautiful, and looked out the window [of the palace toward the street below].
31 So, when, Jehu, had entered in at the gate, she said, Was it peace, when Zimri slew his lord?
While Jehu was entering the city gate, she called out to him, “You [are like] Zimri! You are a murderer! [I think] you are certainly not [RHQ] coming on a peaceful visit!”
32 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.
Jehu looked up toward the window, and then he said, “Who is (on my side/wants to help me)? Anyone?” Two or three palace officials looked down at him [from a window and pointed to themselves].
33 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.
Jehu said to them, “Throw her down here!” So they threw her down, and [when she hit the ground and died], some of her blood splattered on the city wall and on the horses [that were pulling the chariots].
34 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.
Then Jehu went into the palace and ate and drank. Then he said [to some of his men], “Take the corpse of that women whom Yahweh has cursed and bury it, because she is a king’s daughter [and therefore should be buried properly].”
35 So they went to bury her, —but found not of her—save the skull, and the feet, and the palms of the hands.
But when they went to get her corpse to bury it, all that was left was only her skull and [the bones of] her feet and her hands. Everything else was gone.
36 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!
When they reported this to Jehu, he said, “That is what Yahweh said would happen! He told his servant/prophet Elijah, ‘In [the city of] Jezreel, dogs will eat the flesh of Jezebel’s corpse.
37 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!
Her bones will be scattered there in Jezreel like dung, with the result that no one will be able to [recognize them and] say, “These are Jezebel’s bones.”’”
