Hazael Murders Ben-Hadad

⁷ Elisha went to Damascus,^(A) and Ben-Hadad^(B) king of Aram was ill. When the king was told, “The man of God has come all the way up here,” ⁸ he said to Hazael,^(C) “Take a gift^(D) with you and go to meet the man of God. Consult^(E) the Lord through him; ask him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

⁹ Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him as a gift forty camel-loads of all the finest wares of Damascus. He went in and stood before him, and said, “Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

¹⁰ Elisha answered, “Go and say to him, ‘You will certainly recover.’^(F) Nevertheless,^[a] the Lord has revealed to me that he will in fact die.” ¹¹ He stared at him with a fixed gaze until Hazael was embarrassed.^(G) Then the man of God began to weep.^(H)

¹² “Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael.

“Because I know the harm^(I) you will do to the Israelites,” he answered. “You will set fire to their fortified places, kill their young men with the sword, dash^(J) their little children^(K) to the ground, and rip open^(L) their pregnant women.”

¹³ Hazael said, “How could your servant, a mere dog,^(M) accomplish such a feat?”

“The Lord has shown me that you will become king^(N) of Aram,” answered Elisha.

Jehu Anointed King of Israel

9 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) 2} 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. ³ 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!”

⁴ So the young prophet went to Ramoth Gilead. ⁵ 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.

⁶ 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. ⁷ 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) 8} The whole house^(J) of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab every last male^(K) in Israel—slave or free.^{[a] 9} 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.