2 Kings 9:14-37

New American Standard Bible

Jehu Assassinates Jehoram (Joram)

¹⁴ So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. ^(A)Now Joram ^[a]with all Israel was ^[b]defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, ¹⁵ but ^(B)King ^[c]Joram had returned to Jezreel to have himself healed of the wounds which the Arameans had ^[d]inflicted on him when he fought Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said to the other men, “If this is your ^[e]intent, then let no ^[f]one escape from the city to go tell about it in Jezreel.” ¹⁶ Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, since Joram was lying there recovering. ^(C)And Ahaziah the king of Judah had come down to see Joram.

¹⁷ Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and he saw the ^[g]company of Jehu as he came, and he said, “I see a ^[h]company.” And ^[i]Joram said, “Take a horseman and send him to meet them and have him ^[j]ask, ‘Is your intention peace?’” ¹⁸ So a horseman went to meet him and said, “This is what the king says: ‘Is your intention peace?’” But Jehu said, “^[k](D)How is peace any business of yours? Turn and follow me.” And the watchman ^[l]reported, “The messenger came to them, but he did not return.” ¹⁹ Then he sent a second horseman, and he came to them and said, “This is what the king says: ‘Is your intention peace?’” And Jehu ^[m]answered, “^[n]How is peace any business of yours? Turn and follow me.” ²⁰ And the watchman ^[o]reported, “He came up to them, but he did not return; and ^(E)the ^[p]driving is like the driving of ^(F)Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.”

²¹ Then ^[q]Joram said, “^[r]Get ready.” And they ^[s]made his chariot ready. ^(G)Then ^[t]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 the ^[u](H)property of Naboth the Jezreelite. ²² When ^[v]Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is your intention peace, Jehu?” And he ^[w]answered, “What ‘peace,’ ^(I)so long as your mother Jezebel’s acts of prostitution and witchcraft are so many?” ²³ So ^[x]Joram ^[y]turned back and fled, and he said to Ahaziah, “^(J)There is treachery, Ahaziah!” ²⁴ Then ^(K)Jehu ^[z]drew his bow with his full strength and ^[aa]shot ^[ab]Joram between his arms; and the arrow went ^[ac]through his heart, and he sank in his chariot. ²⁵ And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and ^(L)throw him on the ^[ad]property of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember, when ^[ae]you and I were riding together after his father Ahab, that the ^(M)Lord brought this ^(N)pronouncement against him: ²⁶ ‘^(O)I have certainly seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,’ declares the Lord, ‘and ^(P)I will repay you on this ^[af]property,’ declares the Lord. Now then, pick him up and throw him on the ^[ag]property, in accordance with the word of the Lord.”

Jehu Assassinates Ahaziah

^27 (Q)When Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by way of the garden house. But Jehu pursued him and said, “^[ah]Shoot him too, in the chariot.” So they shot him at the ascent of Gur, which is at ^(R)Ibleam. But he fled to Megiddo and died there. ^28 (S)Then his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his grave with his fathers in the city of David.

²⁹ Now in ^(T)the eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, Ahaziah became king over Judah.

³⁰ When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it, and ^(U)she put makeup on her eyes and adorned her head, and looked down through the window. ³¹ As Jehu entered the gate, she said, “^(V)Is your intention peace, Zimri, his master’s murderer?” ³² Then he raised his face toward the window and said, “Who is with me, who?” And two or three officials looked down at him.

Jezebel Is Killed

³³ Then he said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her underfoot. ³⁴ When he came in, he ate and drank; and he said, “See now to ^(W)this cursed woman and bury her, for ^(X)she is a king’s daughter.” ³⁵ So they went to bury her, but they found nothing of her except the skull, the feet, and the palms of her hands. ³⁶ Therefore they returned and informed him. And he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘^(Y)On the ^[ai]property of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; ³⁷ and ^(Z)the corpse of Jezebel will be like dung on the face of the field in the ^[aj]property of Jezreel, so they cannot say, “This is Jezebel.”’”