2 Kings 9
1 And Elisha the prophet hath called to one of the sons of the prophets, and saith to him, 'Gird up thy loins, and take this vial 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 thou hast gone in there, and see thou there Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, and thou hast gone in, and caused him to rise out of the midst of his brethren, and brought him in to the inner part of 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 and taken the vial of oil, and poured on his head, and said, Thus said Jehovah, I have anointed thee for king unto Israel; and thou hast opened the door, and fled, and dost not wait.'
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 And the young man goeth — the young man the prophet — to Ramoth-Gilead,
So the young prophet went to Ramoth.
5 and cometh in, and lo, chiefs of the force are sitting, and he saith, 'I have a word unto thee, O chief!' and Jehu saith, 'Unto which of all of us?' and he saith, 'Unto thee, O chief.'
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 And he riseth and cometh in to the house, and he poureth the oil on his head, and saith to him, 'Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, I have anointed thee for king unto the people of Jehovah, 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 hast smitten the house of Ahab thy lord, and I have required the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Jehovah, from 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 and perished hath all the house of Ahab, and I have cut off to Ahab those sitting on the wall, and restrained, and left, 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 and I have given up the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and as 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 Jezebel do the dogs eat in the portion of Jezreel, and there is none burying;' and he openeth the door and fleeth.
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 And Jehu hath gone out unto the servants of his lord, and [one] saith to him, 'Is there peace? wherefore came this madman unto thee?' and he saith unto them, 'Ye have known the man and his talk.'
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 say, 'False, declare, we pray thee, to us;' and he saith, 'Thus and thus spake he unto me, saying, Thus said Jehovah, I have anointed thee for 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 And they haste and take each his garment, and put [it] under him at the top of the stairs, and blow with a trumpet, and say, 'Reigned hath Jehu!'
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 And Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, conspireth against Joram — (and Joram was keeping in Ramoth-Gilead, he and all Israel, from the presence of Hazael king of Aram,
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 and king Joram turneth back to be healed in Jezreel, of the wounds with which the Aramaeans smite him, in his fighting with Hazael king of Aram) — and Jehu saith, 'If it is your mind, let not an escaped one go out from the city, to go to declare [it] in Jezreel.'
16 And Jehu rideth, and goeth to Jezreel, for Joram is lying there, and Ahaziah king of Judah hath gone 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 And the watchman is standing on the tower in Jezreel, and seeth the company of Jehu in his coming, and saith, 'A company I see;' and Joram saith, 'Take a rider and send to meet them, and let him say, Is there 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 and the rider on the horse goeth to meet him, and saith, 'Thus said the king, Is there peace?' and Jehu saith, 'What — to thee and to peace? turn round behind me.' And the watchman declareth, saying, 'The messenger came unto them, and he hath not returned.'
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 And he sendeth a second rider on a horse, and he cometh in unto them, and saith, 'Thus said the king, Is there peace?' and Jehu saith, 'What — to thee and to peace? turn round 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 declareth, saying, 'He came unto them, and he hath not returned, and the driving [is] like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi, for with madness he driveth.'
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 And Jehoram saith, 'Harness;' and his chariot is harnessed, and Jehoram king of Israel goeth out, and Ahaziah king of Judah, each in his chariot, and they go out to meet Jehu, and find him in the portion 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 cometh to pass, at Jehoram's seeing Jehu, that he saith, 'Is there peace, Jehu?' and he saith, 'What [is] the peace, while the whoredoms of Jezebel thy mother, and her witchcrafts, are many?'
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 And Jehoram turneth his hands, and fleeth, and saith unto Ahaziah, 'Deceit, 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 hath filled his hand with a bow, and smiteth Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow goeth out from his heart, and he boweth 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 And [Jehu] saith unto Bidkar his captain, 'Lift up, cast him into the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite — for, remember, I and thou were riding together after Ahab his father, and Jehovah lifted upon him this burden:
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 Have I not the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons seen yesternight — the affirmation of Jehovah — yea, I have recompensed to thee in this portion — the affirmation of Jehovah; — and now, lift up, cast him into the portion, according to the word of Jehovah.'
‘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 hath seen, and fleeth the way of the garden-house, and Jehu pursueth after him, and saith, 'Smite him — also him — in the chariot,' in the going up to Gur, that [is] Ibleam, and he fleeth to Megiddo, and dieth 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 carry him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and bury him in his burying-place, 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 And in the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab reign did Ahaziah over Judah.
Ahaziah had become the king of Judah when Joram had been ruling Israel for almost eleven years.
30 And Jehu cometh in to Jezreel, and Jezebel hath heard, and putteth her eyes in paint and maketh right her head, and looketh out through the window.
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 And Jehu hath come into the gate, and she saith, 'Was there peace [to] Zimri — slayer of 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 lifteth up his face unto the window, and saith, 'Who [is] with me? — who?' and look out unto him do 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 saith, 'Let her go;' and they let her go, and [some] of her blood is sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses, and he treadeth her down.
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 he cometh in, and eateth, and drinketh, and saith, 'Look after, I pray you, this cursed one, and bury her, for she [is] a king's daughter.'
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 And they go to bury her, and have not found of her except 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 And they turn back, and declare to him, and he saith, 'The word of Jehovah it [is], that He spake by the hand of this servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel do the 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 and the carcase of Jezebel hath been as dung on the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, that they say not, 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.”’”
