Jehu Anointed as Israel’s King

9 The prophet Elisha called one of the sons of the prophets^(A) and said, “Tuck your mantle^(B) under your belt, take this flask of oil^(C) with you, and go to Ramoth-gilead.^{(D) 2} When you get there, look for Jehu^(E) son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his colleagues, and take him to an inner room. ³ Then, take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: “I anoint you king over Israel.”’^(F) Open the door and escape. Don’t wait.” ⁴ So the young prophet went to Ramoth-gilead.

⁵ When he arrived, the army commanders were sitting there, so he said, “I have a message for you, commander.”

Jehu asked, “For which one of us?”

He answered, “For you, commander.”

⁶ So Jehu got up and went into the house. The young prophet poured the oil on his head and said, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I anoint you king over the Lord’s people, Israel. ⁷ You are to strike down the house of your master Ahab so that I may avenge the blood shed by the hand of Jezebel—the blood of My servants the prophets and of all the servants of the Lord.^{(G) 8} The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will eliminate all of Ahab’s males,^[a] both slave and free, in Israel.^{(H) 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.^{(I) 10} The dogs will eat Jezebel in the plot of land at Jezreel—no one will bury her.’”^(J) Then the young prophet opened the door and escaped.

¹¹ When Jehu came out to his master’s servants, they asked, “Is everything all right? Why did this crazy person^(K) come to you?”

Then he said to them, “You know the sort and their ranting.”

¹² But they replied, “That’s a lie! Tell us!”

So Jehu said, “He talked to me about this and that and said, ‘This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.’”

¹³ Each man quickly took his garment and put it under Jehu on the bare steps.^[b](L) They blew the ram’s horn^(M) and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!”^(N)

¹⁴ Then Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram.^(O) Joram and all Israel had been at Ramoth-gilead on guard against Hazael king of Aram. ¹⁵ But King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him when he fought against Aram’s King Hazael. Jehu said, “If you commanders wish to make me king, then don’t let anyone escape from the city to go tell about it in Jezreel.”

Jehu Kills Joram and Ahaziah

¹⁶ Jehu got into his chariot and went to Jezreel since Joram was laid up there and Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to visit Joram. ¹⁷ Now the watchman^(P) was standing on the tower in Jezreel. He saw Jehu’s troops approaching and shouted, “I see troops!”

Joram responded, “Choose a rider and send him to meet them and have him ask, ‘Do you come in peace?’”^(Q)

¹⁸ So a horseman went to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Do you come in peace?’”

Jehu replied, “What do you have to do with peace?^[c] Fall in behind me.”

The watchman reported, “The messenger reached them but hasn’t started back.”

¹⁹ So he sent out a second horseman, who went to them and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Do you come in peace?’”

Jehu answered, “What do you have to do with peace?^[d] Fall in behind me.”

²⁰ Again the watchman reported, “He reached them but hasn’t started back. Also, the driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi^(R)—he drives like a madman.”

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 at the plot of land of Naboth the Jezreelite.^{(S) 22} When Joram saw Jehu he asked, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?”

He answered, “What peace can there be as long as there is so much prostitution and witchcraft from your mother Jezebel?”^(T)

²³ Joram turned around and fled, shouting to Ahaziah, “It’s treachery,^(U) Ahaziah!”

²⁴ Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow went through his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.^{(V) 25} Jehu said to Bidkar his aide, “Pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite.^(W) For remember when you and I were riding side by side behind his father Ahab, and the Lord uttered this oracle against him: ²⁶ ‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘so will I repay you on this plot of land’—this is the Lord’s declaration. So now, according to the word of the Lord, pick him up and throw him on the plot of land.”^(X)

²⁷ When King Ahaziah of Judah saw what was happening, he fled up the road toward Beth-haggan. Jehu pursued him, shouting, “Shoot him too!” So they shot him in his chariot^[e] at Gur Pass near Ibleam,^(Y) but he fled to Megiddo^(Z) and died there.^{(AA) 28} Then his servants carried him to Jerusalem in a chariot and buried him in his fathers’ tomb in the city of David.^{(AB) 29} It was in the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab that Ahaziah had become king over Judah.^(AC)

Jehu Kills Jezebel

³⁰ When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it, so she painted her eyes,^(AD) adorned her head, and looked down from the window. ³¹ As Jehu entered the gate, she said, “Do you come in peace, Zimri,^[f](AE) killer of your master?”

³² He looked up toward the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs^(AF) looked down at him, ³³ and he said, “Throw her down!” So they threw her down, and some of her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses, and Jehu rode over her.^(AG)

³⁴ Then he went in, ate and drank, and said, “Take care of this cursed^(AH) woman and bury her, since she’s a king’s daughter.”^{(AI) 35} But when they went out to bury her, they did not find anything but her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands. ³⁶ So they went back and told him, and he said, “This fulfills the Lord’s word that He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘In the plot of land at Jezreel, the dogs will eat Jezebel’s flesh.^{(AJ) 37} Jezebel’s corpse will be like manure^(AK) on the surface of the field in the plot of land at Jezreel so that no one will be able to say: This is Jezebel.’”

9 Then He said to them, “I assure you:^(A) There are some standing here who will not taste death^(B) until they see the kingdom of God come in power.”^(C)

The Transfiguration

² After^(D) six days^(E) Jesus took Peter, James, and John^(F) and led them up on a high mountain^(G) by themselves to be alone. He was transformed^[a](H) in front of them, ³ and His clothes^(I) became dazzling—extremely white^(J) as no launderer on earth could whiten^(K) them. ⁴ Elijah^(L) appeared to them with Moses,^(M) and they were talking with Jesus.

⁵ Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi,^(N) it’s good^(O) for us to be here! Let us make three tabernacles:^(P) one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”— ⁶ because he did not know what he should say,^(Q) since they were terrified.^(R)

⁷ A cloud^(S) appeared, overshadowing^(T) them, and a voice^(U) came from the cloud:^(V)

⁸ Then suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus alone.

⁹ As^(Z) they were coming down from the mountain,^(AA) He ordered them to tell no one what they had seen^(AB) until the Son of Man^(AC) had risen^(AD) from the dead.^{(AE) 10} They kept this word^(AF) to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.

¹¹ Then they began to question Him, “Why do the scribes^(AG) say that Elijah must come first?”^(AH)

¹² “Elijah does come first and restores^(AI) everything,”^(AJ) He replied. “How then is it written^(AK) about the Son of Man that He must suffer^(AL) many things and be treated with contempt?^{(AM) 13} But I tell you that Elijah really has come, and they did whatever they pleased to him, just as it is written^(AN) about him.”

The Power of Faith over a Demon

¹⁴ When^(AO) they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes disputing^(AP) with them. ¹⁵ All of a sudden, when the whole crowd saw Him, they were amazed^[b] and ran to greet Him. ¹⁶ Then He asked them, “What are you arguing with them about?”

¹⁷ Out of the crowd, one man answered Him, “Teacher,^(AQ) I brought my son to You. He has a spirit^(AR) that makes him unable to speak.^{(AS) 18} Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”

¹⁹ He replied to them, “You unbelieving^(AT) generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to Me.” ²⁰ So they brought him to Him. When the spirit saw Him, it immediately convulsed the boy. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. ²¹ “How long has this been happening to him?” Jesus asked his father.

“From childhood,” he said. ²² “And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy^(AU) him. But if You can do anything, have compassion^(AV) on us and help us.”

²³ Then Jesus said to him, “‘If You can’?^[c][d] Everything is possible^(AW) to the one who believes.”^(AX)

²⁴ Immediately the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe! Help my unbelief.”

²⁵ When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly coming together, He rebuked^(AY) the unclean^(AZ) spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf^(BA) spirit,^[e] I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!”

²⁶ Then it came out, shrieking and convulsing^(BB) him^[f] violently. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He’s dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him,^(BC) and he stood up.

²⁸ After He went into a house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁹ And He told them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer^(BD) [and fasting].”^[g](BE)

The Second Prediction of His Death

³⁰ Then^(BF) they left that place and made their way through Galilee, but He did not want anyone to know it.^{(BG) 31} For He was teaching^(BH) His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man^(BI) is being betrayed^[h] into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after He is killed, He will rise^(BJ) three days later.”^{(BK) 32} But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him.^(BL)

Who is the Greatest?

³³ Then^(BM) they came to Capernaum.^(BN) When He was in the house,^(BO) He asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”^{(BP) 34} But they were silent,^(BQ) because on the way they had been arguing with one another about who was the greatest.^{(BR) 35} Sitting down, He called the Twelve^(BS) and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”^{(BT) 36} Then He took a child,^(BU) had him stand among them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, ³⁷ “Whoever welcomes^[i] one little child such as this in My name^(BV) welcomes Me. And whoever welcomes Me does not welcome Me, but Him who sent^(BW) Me.”^(BX)

In His Name

³⁸ John^(BY) said to Him, “Teacher,^(BZ) we saw someone^[j] driving out demons^(CA) in Your name,^(CB) and we tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.”^(CC)

³⁹ “Don’t stop him,” said Jesus, “because there is no one who will perform a miracle^(CD) in My name who can soon afterward speak evil of Me. ⁴⁰ For whoever is not against us is for us.^{(CE) 41} And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink^(CF) because of My name,^[k] since you belong to the Messiah^(CG)—I assure you:^(CH) He will never lose his reward.^(CI)

Warnings from Jesus

⁴² “But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me^(CJ)—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone^[l](CK) were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. ⁴³ And if your hand causes your downfall, cut it off.^(CL) It is better for you to enter life maimed^(CM) than to have two hands and go to hell—the unquenchable fire,^(CN) [⁴⁴ where

⁴⁵ And if your foot causes your downfall,^(CP) cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame^(CQ) than to have two feet and be thrown into hell— [the unquenchable fire,^{(CR) 46} where

⁴⁷ And if your eye causes your downfall, gouge it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God^(CT) with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown^(CU) into hell,^{(CV) 48} where

⁴⁹ For everyone will be salted with fire.^{[r](CW)[s] 50} Salt is good, but if the salt should lose its flavor, how can you make it salty?^(CX) Have salt^(CY) among yourselves and be at peace^(CZ) with one another.”