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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. 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. 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.”

So the young man, even the young man, the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead. 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.” 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. 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. 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. 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.”

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Footnotes

  1. 9:8 or, male

Jehu Anointed as Israel’s King

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) 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. 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.” So the young prophet[a] went to Ramoth-gilead.

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.”

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. 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) The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will wipe out all of Ahab’s males,[b] both slave and free,[c] in Israel.(H) 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.[d](L) They blew the ram’s horn(M) and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!” (N)

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Footnotes

  1. 9:4 Or the young man, the attendant of the prophet
  2. 9:8 Lit wipe out Ahab’s one who urinates against a wall
  3. 9:8 Or males, even the weak and impaired; Hb obscure
  4. 9:13 Lit on the bones of the steps