Jehu Deceives Joram

¹⁴ So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. ^(A)Now Joram ^[a]with all Israel was ^[b]guarding Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, ¹⁵ but ^(B)King ^[c]Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Arameans had struck him with when he fought with Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said, “If this is your mind, then let no one escape or ^[d]leave the city to go declare it in Jezreel.” ¹⁶ Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram was lying there. ^(C)Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram.

¹⁷ Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and he saw the ^[e]company of Jehu as he came, and said, “I see a ^[f]company.” And Joram said, “Take a horseman and send him to meet them and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’” ¹⁸ So a horseman went to meet him and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu said, “^(D)What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me.” And the watchman declared saying, “The messenger came to them, but he did not return.” ¹⁹ Then he sent out a second horseman. And he came to them and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu ^[g]answered, “What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me.” ²⁰ And the watchman declared saying, “He came up to them, but he did not return; and ^(E)the driving is like the driving of ^(F)Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives in madness.”

²¹ Then ^[h]Joram said, “^[i]Get ready.” And they made his chariot ready. ^[j](G)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 in the ^[k](H)property of Naboth the Jezreelite. ²² Now it happened that when ^[l]Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” And he ^[m]answered, “What peace, ^(I)so long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her sorceries are so many?” ²³ So ^[n]Joram ^[o]turned about and fled and said to Ahaziah, “^(J)There is deception, O Ahaziah!” ²⁴ And ^(K)Jehu ^[p]drew his bow with his full strength and struck ^[q]Joram between his arms; and the arrow went ^[r]through his heart and he crouched down in his chariot. ²⁵ Then Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Lift him up and ^(L)cast him into the ^[s]property of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite, for I remember when ^[t]you and I were riding together after Ahab his father, that ^(M)Yahweh lifted up this ^(N)oracle against him: ²⁶ ‘Surely ^(O)I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,’ says Yahweh, ‘and ^(P)I will repay you in this ^[u]property,’ says Yahweh. So now, lift him up and cast him into the ^[v]property, according to the word of Yahweh.”

Jehu Strikes Down Ahaziah

^27 (Q)And Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this and fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu pursued him and said, “Strike him down too, in the chariot.” So they struck him down 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.