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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 King of Israel

Elisha called one of the members of the[a] Guild of Prophets and told him, “Get ready to run,[b] take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead. As soon as you get there, go find Jehoshaphat’s son Jehu, the grandson of Nimshi. When you do,[c] go in, tell him to get up and go apart with you away from his brothers. Lead him into a private chamber, take the flask of oil, and pour it out on his head. Then tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: I’m anointing you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and leave. Don’t linger there!”

So the young man, who was an attendant to the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. When he arrived, the army commanders were seated, so he said, “I have a message for you, captain!”

Jehu asked, “For which one of us?”

“For you, captain!” he answered.

So Jehu[d] got up and went inside the house, and the young man[e] told him, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘I have anointed you king over the people of the Lord—that is, over Israel. You are to attack the household of your master Ahab, so I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, as well as the blood of all of the servants of the Lord that has been spilled[f] at Jezebel’s orders.[g] The entire household of Ahab will die, and I will cut off from Ahab every male person in Israel, whether imprisoned or surviving.[h] I will make the household of Ahab like the household of Nebat’s son Jeroboam and the household of Ahijah’s son Baasha. 10 Furthermore, the dogs will eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel. There will be no burial for her.’” Then he opened the door and left.

11 As Jehu was coming out to his master’s attendants, one of them asked him, “Is everything all right? Why did this maniac visit you?”

“You know the man and how he speculates,” Jehu replied.

12 “That’s a lie!” they said. “Tell us what’s going on!”

“He said ‘This and that’ to me,” he responded. “‘This is what the Lord says: “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’”

13 At this, each man quickly grabbed his own garment, placed it under him at the top of the stairs,[i] sounded a trumpet, and announced, “Jehu is king!”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 9:1 The Heb. lacks members of the
  2. 2 Kings 9:1 Lit. Tie up your garments
  3. 2 Kings 9:2 The Heb. lacks When you do
  4. 2 Kings 9:6 Lit. he
  5. 2 Kings 9:6 Lit. and he
  6. 2 Kings 9:7 The Heb. lacks that has been spilled
  7. 2 Kings 9:7 Lit. hand
  8. 2 Kings 9:8 Or whether in servitude or left behind
  9. 2 Kings 9:13 Or him on the uncovered ascent; i.e. on the roof of the building