耶户被立为以色列王

以利沙先知叫来一个先知,吩咐他:“你要束上腰带,拿着这瓶膏油去基列的拉末。 到了以后,你去找宁示的孙子、约沙法的儿子耶户,带他离开同僚,进入密室, 把这瓶膏油倒在他头上,告诉他,‘耶和华说,我膏立你为以色列王。’然后,你要马上开门逃走,不可迟延。”

于是,那位年轻的先知启程前往基列的拉末。 到了那里,他看见众将领正坐在一起,便说:“将军,我有话对你说。”耶户说:“你想对我们哪一个说话?”他说:“将军啊,我有话对你说。” 耶户便站起来,随他进入屋里。他将膏油倒在耶户头上,说:“以色列的上帝耶和华说,‘我膏立你做我以色列子民的王。 你要杀你主人亚哈的全家,这样我就可以为我的仆人——众先知以及其他仆人报仇,他们被耶洗别杀害。 亚哈全家必灭亡,我要从以色列铲除他家中所有的男子——不论奴隶还是自由人, 使他家像尼八的儿子耶罗波安家和亚希雅的儿子巴沙家一样。 10 耶洗别的尸体必在耶斯列的田间被狗吃,无人埋葬。’”说完这话,那位年轻的先知便开门逃跑了。

11 耶户出来回到同僚那里,一个人问他:“没事吧?那疯子为什么来找你?”耶户答道:“你们认得他,也知道他会说什么。” 12 他们说:“我们不知道,你告诉我们吧!”耶户说:“他告诉我,耶和华说膏立我做以色列王。” 13 他们连忙将自己的衣服铺在耶户脚下的台阶上,吹响号角,高喊:“耶户做王了!”

以色列王约兰被杀

14 宁示的孙子、约沙法的儿子耶户背叛了约兰。当时,约兰率领全体以色列人在基列的拉末防御亚兰王哈薛, 15 他与哈薛交战受伤后,回到耶斯列养伤。耶户对属下说:“如果你们要我做王,就不要让任何人逃出城去耶斯列报信。” 16 于是,耶户驾车去了耶斯列,因为约兰在耶斯列养伤,犹大王亚哈谢也在那里探望他。

17 耶斯列城楼上的哨兵看见耶户的人马朝耶斯列奔来,就报信说:“我见到一队人马!”约兰下令:“派一个骑兵去看看他们是否为平安而来。” 18 骑兵出去迎接耶户,对他说:“王问你是否为平安而来。”耶户说:“这与你何干?你跟在我后面。”哨兵禀告说:“骑兵到了那里,却没有回来。” 19 王又派一个骑兵到耶户那里,对他说:“王问你是否为平安而来。”耶户说:“这与你何干?你跟在我后面。” 20 哨兵又禀告说:“他到了那里,也没有回来。那人驾车很猛,一定是宁示的孙子耶户。”

21 约兰下令备车。以色列王约兰和犹大王亚哈谢各乘自己的战车去见耶户。他们和耶户在耶斯列人拿伯的田里相遇。 22 约兰问他:“耶户,你为平安而来吗?”耶户答道:“国中到处都是你母亲耶洗别的偶像和邪术,怎能平安呢?” 23 约兰调转车头逃跑,向亚哈谢大喊:“亚哈谢,他反了!” 24 耶户张弓搭箭,射中约兰的后背,箭穿透他的心脏,他倒毙在车上。 25 耶户对将领毕甲说:“你去把他丢在耶斯列人拿伯的田里。还记得吗?你我一起驾车跟随他父亲亚哈的时候,耶和华曾预言亚哈的事说, 26 ‘我昨天看见拿伯和他儿子们被杀,我必使你在这块田里受到报应,这是耶和华说的。’现在你照耶和华的话,把他丢在这块田里吧。”

27 犹大王亚哈谢见状,就沿着通往伯哈干的道路逃跑。耶户在后面追,并大喊:“射死他!”他们在以伯莲附近的姑珥坡射伤了亚哈谢。他逃到米吉多后,伤重身亡。 28 他的臣仆用车把他的尸体运回耶路撒冷,安葬在大卫城他的祖坟里。

29 在以色列王亚哈的儿子约兰执政第十一年,亚哈谢登基做犹大王。

耶洗别被杀

30 耶户去了耶斯列。耶洗别闻讯,便梳头描眉,向窗外眺望。 31 耶户进城时,耶洗别高声喊道:“谋杀主人的心利啊,平安吗?” 32 耶户抬头望着窗口,喊道:“谁拥护我?谁?”有两三个太监从窗口往外看他。 33 耶户说:“把她扔下来!”那几个太监便把耶洗别扔下去,血溅在墙壁上和马匹身上。耶户驾车轧过她的身体, 34 进入王宫,大吃大喝,然后吩咐部下说:“把那受咒诅的妇人埋了,她毕竟是王的女儿。” 35 他们出去埋葬她,却只找到她的头骨、手掌和脚, 36 便回去禀告耶户。耶户说:“这正应验耶和华借祂仆人提斯比人以利亚说的话,‘狗必在耶斯列的田间吃耶洗别的肉, 37 耶洗别的尸体必像耶斯列田间的粪便,无人能认出那是耶洗别。’”

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,

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,

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 the young man goeth -- the young man the prophet -- to Ramoth-Gilead,

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.'

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,

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;

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,

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,

10 and Jezebel do the dogs eat in the portion of Jezreel, and there is none burying;' and he openeth the door and fleeth.

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.'

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.'

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!'

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,

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.

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?'

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.'

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.'

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.'

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.

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?'

23 And Jehoram turneth his hands, and fleeth, and saith unto Ahaziah, `Deceit, O Ahaziah!'

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.

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:

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.'

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,

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.

29 And in the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab reign did Ahaziah over Judah.

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.

31 And Jehu hath come into the gate, and she saith, `Was there peace [to] Zimri -- slayer of his lord?'

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;

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.

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.'

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.

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,

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.'

Jehu Anointed King of Israel

The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company(A) of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak into your belt,(B) take this flask of olive oil(C) with you and go to Ramoth Gilead.(D) When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room. Then take the flask and pour the oil(E) on his head and declare, ‘This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run; don’t delay!”

So the young prophet went to Ramoth Gilead. When he arrived, he found the army officers sitting together. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said.

“For which of us?” asked Jehu.

“For you, commander,” he replied.

Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured the oil(F) on Jehu’s head and declared, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the Lord’s people Israel. You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge(G) the blood of my servants(H) the prophets and the blood of all the Lord’s servants shed by Jezebel.(I) The whole house(J) of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab every last male(K) in Israel—slave or free.[a] I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam(L) son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha(M) son of Ahijah. 10 As for Jezebel, dogs(N) will devour her on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and no one will bury her.’” Then he opened the door and ran.

11 When Jehu went out to his fellow officers, one of them asked him, “Is everything all right? Why did this maniac(O) come to you?”

“You know the man and the sort of things he says,” Jehu replied.

12 “That’s not true!” they said. “Tell us.”

Jehu said, “Here is what he told me: ‘This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.’”

13 They quickly took their cloaks and spread(P) them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet(Q) and shouted, “Jehu is king!”

Jehu Kills Joram and Ahaziah(R)

14 So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth Gilead(S) against Hazael king of Aram, 15 but King Joram[b] had returned to Jezreel to recover(T) from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him in the battle with Hazael king of Aram.) Jehu said, “If you desire to make me king, don’t let anyone slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel.” 16 Then he got into his chariot and rode to Jezreel, because Joram was resting there and Ahaziah(U) king of Judah had gone down to see him.

17 When the lookout(V) standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, he called out, “I see some troops coming.”

“Get a horseman,” Joram ordered. “Send him to meet them and ask, ‘Do you come in peace?(W)’”

18 The horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king says: ‘Do you come in peace?’”

“What do you have to do with peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.”

The lookout reported, “The messenger has reached them, but he isn’t coming back.”

19 So the king sent out a second horseman. When he came to them he said, “This is what the king says: ‘Do you come in peace?’”

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

20 The lookout reported, “He has reached them, but he isn’t coming back either. The driving is like(X) that of Jehu son of Nimshi—he drives like a maniac.”

21 “Hitch up my chariot,” Joram ordered. And when it was hitched up, Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah rode out, each in his own chariot, to meet Jehu. They met him at the plot of ground that had belonged to Naboth(Y) the Jezreelite. 22 When Joram saw Jehu he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?”

“How can there be peace,” Jehu replied, “as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel(Z) abound?”

23 Joram turned about and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery,(AA) Ahaziah!”

24 Then Jehu drew his bow(AB) and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart and he slumped down in his chariot. 25 Jehu said to Bidkar, his chariot officer, “Pick him up and throw him on the field that belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember how you and I were riding together in chariots behind Ahab his father when the Lord spoke this prophecy(AC) against him: 26 ‘Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth(AD) and the blood of his sons, declares the Lord, and I will surely make you pay for it on this plot of ground, declares the Lord.’[c] Now then, pick him up and throw him on that plot, in accordance with the word of the Lord.”(AE)

27 When Ahaziah king of Judah saw what had happened, he fled up the road to Beth Haggan.[d] Jehu chased him, shouting, “Kill him too!” They wounded him in his chariot on the way up to Gur near Ibleam,(AF) but he escaped to Megiddo(AG) and died there. 28 His servants took him by chariot(AH) to Jerusalem and buried him with his ancestors in his tomb in the City of David. 29 (In the eleventh(AI) year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king of Judah.)

Jezebel Killed

30 Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she put on eye makeup,(AJ) arranged her hair and looked out of a window. 31 As Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, you Zimri,(AK) you murderer of your master?”[e]

32 He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him. 33 “Throw her down!” Jehu said. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot.(AL)

34 Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of that cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.”(AM) 35 But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. 36 They went back and told Jehu, who said, “This is the word of the Lord that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs(AN) will devour Jezebel’s flesh.[f](AO) 37 Jezebel’s body will be like dung(AP) on the ground in the plot at Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, ‘This is Jezebel.’”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 9:8 Or Israel—every ruler or leader
  2. 2 Kings 9:15 Hebrew Jehoram, a variant of Joram; also in verses 17 and 21-24
  3. 2 Kings 9:26 See 1 Kings 21:19.
  4. 2 Kings 9:27 Or fled by way of the garden house
  5. 2 Kings 9:31 Or “Was there peace for Zimri, who murdered his master?”
  6. 2 Kings 9:36 See 1 Kings 21:23.