2 Kings 9
World English Bible
9 Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and said to him, “Put your belt on your waist, take this vial of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead. 2 When you come there, find Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him rise up from among his brothers, and take him to an inner room. 3 Then take the vial of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, ‘Yahweh says, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’ Then open the door, flee, and don’t wait.”
4 So the young man, even the young man, the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead. 5 When he came, behold, the captains of the army were sitting. Then he said, “I have a message for you, captain.”
Jehu said, “To which of us all?”
He said, “To you, O captain.” 6 He arose, and went into the house. Then he poured the oil on his head, and said to him, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I have anointed you king over the people of Yahweh, even over Israel. 7 You must strike your master Ahab’s house, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Yahweh, at the hand of Jezebel. 8 For the whole house of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab everyone who urinates against a wall,[a] both him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel. 9 I will make Ahab’s house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. 10 The dogs will eat Jezebel on the plot of ground of Jezreel, and there shall be no one to bury her.’” Then he opened the door and fled.
11 When Jehu came out to the servants of his lord, and one said to him, “Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?”
He said to them, “You know the man and how he talks.” 12 They said, “That is a lie. Tell us now.”
He said, “He said to me, ‘Yahweh says, I have anointed you king over Israel.’”
13 Then they hurried, and each man took his cloak, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king.”
14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria; 15 but king Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) Jehu said, “If this is your thinking, then let no one escape and go out of the city, to go to tell it in Jezreel.” 16 So Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram. 17 Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, “I see a company.”
Joram said, “Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’”
18 So one went on horseback to meet him, and said, “the king says, ‘Is it peace?’”
Jehu said, “What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me!”
The watchman said, “The messenger came to them, but he isn’t coming back.”
19 Then he sent out a second on horseback, who came to them, and said, “The king says, ‘Is it peace?’”
Jehu answered, “What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me!”
20 The watchman said, “He came to them, and isn’t coming back. The driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.”
21 Joram said, “Get ready!”
They got his chariot ready. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu, and found him on Naboth the Jezreelite’s land. 22 When Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?”
He answered, “What peace, so long as the prostitution of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft abound?”
23 Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, “This is treason, Ahaziah!”
24 Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and struck Joram between his arms; and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot. 25 Then Jehu said to Bidkar his captain, “Pick him up, and throw him in the plot of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember how, when you and I rode together after Ahab his father, Yahweh laid this burden on him: 26 ‘Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons,’ says Yahweh; ‘and I will repay you in this plot of ground,’ says Yahweh. Now therefore take and cast him onto the plot of ground, according to Yahweh’s word.”
27 But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. Jehu followed after him, and said, “Strike him also in the chariot!” They struck him at the ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. He fled to Megiddo, and died there. 28 His servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in David’s city. 29 In the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab, Ahaziah began to reign over Judah.
30 When Jehu had come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her eyes, and adorned her head, and looked out at the window. 31 As Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, “Do you come in peace, Zimri, you murderer of your master?”
32 He lifted up his face to the window, and said, “Who is on my side? Who?”
Two or three eunuchs looked out at him.
33 He said, “Throw her down!”
So they threw her down; and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses. Then he trampled her under foot. 34 When he had come in, he ate and drank. Then he said, “See now to this cursed woman, and bury her; for she is a king’s daughter.”
35 They went to bury her, but they found no more of her than the skull, the feet, and the palms of her hands. 36 Therefore they came back, and told him.
He said, “This is Yahweh’s word, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘The dogs will eat the flesh of Jezebel on the plot of Jezreel, 37 and the body of Jezebel will be as dung on the face of the field on Jezreel’s land, so that they won’t say, “This is Jezebel.”’”
Footnotes
- 9:8 or, male
2 Kings 9
Lexham English Bible
Jehu Anointed Prophetically to Rule in Place of Joram of Israel
9 Now Elisha the prophet called for one of the sons of the prophets, and he said to him, “Gird your loins, and take this flask of olive oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-Gilead. 2 Go there and look there for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi. Go, for you must cause him to arise from among his brothers, and you must bring him into an inner room.[a] 3 You must take the flask of olive oil and pour it out on his head. You must say, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “I hereby anoint you as king over Israel.”’ Then you must open the door and flee; do not linger!”
4 So the young man, servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-Gilead. 5 He came, and look, the commanders of the army were sitting there. He said, “I have a word for you, O commander!” Jehu said, “For whom? For all of us?” And he said, “For you, O commander!” 6 He got up and went to the house, and poured the olive oil on his head and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: ‘I hereby anoint you as king over the people of Yahweh, over Israel. 7 You will destroy the house of Ahab your master, and you will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all of the servants of Yahweh, from the hand of Jezebel. 8 All of the house of Ahab will perish, and I shall cut off all males[b] from Ahab, both bond and free. 9 I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. 10 The dogs will eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and there shall not be anyone to bury her.’”[c] Then he opened the door and fled.
Jehu Assassinates Joram
11 Then Jehu came out to the officers of his master, and they said to him, “Peace? Why did this madman come to you?” And he said to them, “You know the man and his foolish talk.” 12 Then they said, “Liar. Please tell us.” He said, “Thus and so[d] he said to me, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “I hereby anoint you as king over Israel.”’” 13 So they hastened each one to take his cloak, and they spread them under him on the bare steps, blew on the trumpet, and said, “Jehu is king!”
14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. Now Joram was keeping guard in Ramoth-Gilead, he and all of Israel, because of the threat[e] of Hazael king of Aram. 15 But Joram the king had returned to heal in Jezreel from the wound which the Arameans had inflicted on him when he fought with Hazael king of Aram. Jehu said, “If this is what you want,[f] do not let him go out as a fugitive from the city to go to make it known in Jezreel.” 16 Jehu mounted his chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram was lying there, and Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to visit Joram. 17 Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu when he came, and he said, “I see a company.” Joram said, “Take a horseman and send him to meet them.” And he said, “Is it peace?” 18 So the rider of the horse went out to meet him, and he said, “Thus the king asks, ‘Is it peace?’” Then Jehu said, “What do you have to do with peace?[g] Turn after me.” Then the watchman reported, saying, “The messenger went up to them, but he did not return.” 19 Then he sent out a second horseman, and he came to them and said, “Thus the king asks, ‘Is it peace?’” Then Jehu said, “What do you have to do with peace?[h] Turn after me.” 20 So the sentinel reported, saying, “He went up to them, but he did not return, and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives with madness.”
21 Then Joram said, “Get ready,” so he got his chariot ready. Joram king of Israel went out, and Ahaziah king of Judah, each with his chariot. They went out to meet Jehu, and they found him at the tract of land of Naboth the Jezreelite. 22 When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Is it peace?” And he said, “What peace is there while the prostitutions of your mother Jezebel and her sorceries are numerous?” 23 Joram turned his chariot[i] and fled and said to Ahaziah, “It’s treason, Ahaziah!” 24 Then Jehu drew his bow[j] and shot Joram between his shoulders so that the arrow went out from his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot. 25 He said to Bidkar his third servant, “Lift him out and throw him on the plot of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite, for remember, you and I were with the pair of chariots behind Ahab his father when Yahweh pronounced this oracle against him: 26 ‘“Since I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his children yesterday,” declares Yahweh, “I will requite it for you in this tract of land,” declares Yahweh.’ So then lift him out and throw him on the tract of land according to the word of Yahweh.”
Jehu Orders the Assassination of Ahaziah
27 When Ahaziah king of Judah saw, he fled the way of Beth-Haggen. Jehu pursued after him and said, “Shoot him also, in the chariot.” They shot him at the ascent of Gur which is in Ibleam, and he fled to Megiddo, but he died there. 28 Then his officers carried him to Jerusalem, and they buried him in his tomb with his ancestors[k] in the city of David. 29 In the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king over Judah.
Jezebel Loses Her High Position
30 When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, so she painted her eyes with black eye paint and adorned her head and looked through the window. 31 Now Jehu had come in the gate, so she said, “Is it peace, O Zimri, murderer of his master?” 32 When he lifted up his face to the window, he asked, “Who is with me?” Two or three eunuchs looked down to him. 33 So he said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down, and her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and they trampled her. 34 Then he came and ate and drank, and said, “Please take care of this cursed one and bury her, for she is the daughter of a king.” 35 When they went to bury her, they could not find her, except the skull, the feet, and the palms of the hands. 36 They returned and told him, and he said, “This is the word of Yahweh which he spoke by the hand of his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘On the plot of ground of Jezreel, the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel.’” 37 So the dead body of Jezebel became dung on the surface spread on the field in the plot of ground of Jezreel, so one cannot say, “This is Jezebel.”
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 9:2 Literally “inner room of the inner room”
- 2 Kings 9:8 Literally “the one who urinates against a wall”
- 2 Kings 9:10 Literally “burying”
- 2 Kings 9:12 Literally “As this and as this”
- 2 Kings 9:14 Literally “from the face/presence of”
- 2 Kings 9:15 Literally “If there is your soul”
- 2 Kings 9:18 Literally “What is for you and for peace”
- 2 Kings 9:19 Literally “What is for you and for peace”
- 2 Kings 9:23 Literally “hand”
- 2 Kings 9:24 Literally “filled his hand with the bow”
- 2 Kings 9:28 Or “fathers”
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