2Kings 9

Jehu Anointed King of Israel

9Meanwhile, Elisha the prophet had summoned a member of the group of prophets. "Get ready to travel,"

he told him, "and take this flask of olive oil with you. Go to Ramoth-gilead,H477H5030H7121H259H1121H5030H559H2296H4975H3947H6378H8081H3027H3212H7433H15682and find Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. Call him into a private room away from his friends,H935H7200H3058H1121H3092H1121H5250H935H6965H8432H251H935H2315H23153and pour the oil over his head. Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: I anoint you to be the king over Israel.' Then open the door and run for your life!"H3947H6378H8081H3332H7218H559H559H3068H4886H4428H3478H6605H1817H5127H24424So the young prophet did as he was told and went to Ramoth-gilead.H5288H5288H5030H3212H7433H15685When he arrived there, he found Jehu sitting around with the other army officers. "I have a message for you, Commander," he said."For which one of us?" Jehu asked."For you, Commander," he replied.H935H8269H2428H3427H559H1697H8269H3058H559H559H82696So Jehu left the others and went into the house. Then the young prophet poured the oil over Jehu's head and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I anoint you king over the LORD's people, Israel.H6965H935H1004H3332H8081H7218H559H559H3068H430H3478H4886H4428H5971H3068H34787You are to destroy the family of Ahab, your master. In this way, I will avenge the murder of my prophets and all the LORD's servants who were killed by Jezebel.H5221H1004H256H113H5358H1818H5650H5030H1818H5650H3068H3027H3488The entire family of Ahab must be wiped out. I will destroy every one of his male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel.H1004H256H6H3772H256H8366H7023H6113H5800H34789I will destroy the family of Ahab as I destroyed the families of Jeroboam son of Nebat and of Baasha son of Ahijah.H5414H1004H256H1004H3379H1121H5028H1004H1201H1121H28110Dogs will eat Ahab's wife Jezebel at the plot of land in Jezreel, and no one will bury her." Then the young prophet opened the door and ran.H3611H398H348H2506H3157H6912H6605H1817H512711Jehu went back to his fellow officers, and one of them asked him, "What did that madman want? Is everything all right?" "You know how a man like that babbles on," Jehu replied.H3058H3318H5650H113H559H7965H935H7696H559H3045H376H787912"You're hiding something," they said. "Tell us." So Jehu told them, "He said to me, 'This is what the LORD says: I have anointed you to be king over Israel.'"H559H8267H5046H559H559H559H559H3068H4886H4428H347813Then they quickly spread out their cloaks on the bare steps and blew the ram's horn, shouting, "Jehu is king!"H4116H3947H376H899H7760H1634H4609H8628H7782H559H3058H4427

Jehu Kills Joram and Ahaziah

14So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, led a conspiracy against King Joram. (Now Joram had been with the army at Ramoth-gilead, defending Israel against the forces of King Hazael of Aram.H3058H1121H3092H1121H5250H7194H3141H3141H8104H7433H1568H3478H6440H2371H4428H75815But King Joram

was wounded in the fighting and returned to Jezreel to recover from his wounds.) So Jehu told the men with him, "If you want me to be king, don't let anyone leave town and go to Jezreel to report what we have done."H4428H3088H7725H7495H3157H4347H761H5221H3898H2371H4428H758H3058H559H3426H5315H408H3318H6412H5892H3212H5046H315716Then Jehu got into a chariot and rode to Jezreel to find King Joram, who was lying there wounded. King Ahaziah of Judah was there, too, for he had gone to visit him.H3058H7392H3212H3157H3141H7901H274H4428H3063H3381H7200H314117The watchman on the tower of Jezreel saw Jehu and his company approaching, so he shouted to Joram, "I see a company of troops coming!" "Send out a rider to ask if they are coming in peace," King Joram ordered.H5975H6822H4026H3157H7200H8229H3058H935H559H7200H8229H3088H559H3947H7395H7971H7125H559H796518So a horseman went out to meet Jehu and said, "The king wants to know if you are coming in peace." Jehu replied, "What do you know about peace? Fall in behind me!" The watchman called out to the king, "The messenger has met them, but he's not returning."H3212H7392H5483H7125H559H559H4428H7965H3058H559H7965H5437H310H6822H5046H559H4397H935H772519So the king sent out a second horseman. He rode up to them and said, "The king wants to know if you come in peace." Again Jehu answered, "What do you know about peace? Fall in behind me!"H7971H8145H7392H5483H935H559H559H4428H7965H3058H559H7965H5437H31020The watchman exclaimed, "The messenger has met them, but he isn't returning either! It must be Jehu son of Nimshi, for he's driving like a madman."H6822H5046H559H935H7725H4491H4491H3058H1121H5250H5090H769721"Quick! Get my chariot ready!" King Joram commanded. Then King Joram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah rode out in their chariots to meet Jehu. They met him at the plot of land that had belonged to Naboth of Jezreel.H3088H559H631H7393H631H3088H4428H3478H274H4428H3063H3318H376H7393H3318H7125H3058H4672H2513H5022H315822King Joram demanded, "Do you come in peace, Jehu?" Jehu replied, "How can there be peace as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother, Jezebel, are all around us?"H3088H7200H3058H559H7965H3058H559H7965H5704H2183H517H348H3785H722723Then King Joram turned the horses around

and fled, shouting to King Ahaziah, "Treason, Ahaziah!"H3088H2015H3027H5127H559H274H4820H27424But Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he sank down dead in his chariot.H3058H7198H4390H3027H5221H3088H2220H2678H3318H3820H3766H739325Jehu said to Bidkar, his officer, "Throw him into the plot of land that belonged to Naboth of Jezreel. Do you remember when you and I were riding along behind his father, Ahab? The LORD pronounced this message against him.H559H920H7991H5375H7993H2513H7704H5022H3158H2142H7392H6776H310H256H1H3068H5375H485326'I solemnly swear that I will repay him here on this plot of land, says the LORD, for the murder of Naboth and his sons that I saw yesterday.' So throw him out on Naboth's property, just as the LORD said."H7200H570H1818H5022H1818H1121H5002H3068H7999H2513H5002H3068H5375H7993H2513H1697H306827When King Ahaziah of Judah saw what was happening, he fled along the road to Beth-haggan. Jehu rode after him, shouting, "Shoot him, too!" So they shot Ahaziah in his chariot at the Ascent of Gur, near Ibleam. He was able to go on as far as Megiddo, but he died there.H274H4428H3063H7200H5127H1870H1588H1004H3058H7291H310H559H5221H4818H4608H1483H2991H5127H4023H419128His servants took him by chariot to Jerusalem, where they buried him with his ancestors in the City of David.H5650H7392H3389H6912H6900H1H5892H173229Ahaziah had become king over Judah in the eleventh year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab.H259H6240H8141H8141H3141H1121H256H274H4427H3063

The Death of Jezebel

30When Jezebel, the queen mother, heard that Jehu had come to Jezreel, she painted her eyelids and fixed her hair and sat at a window.H3058H935H3157H348H8085H7760H6320H5869H3190H7218H8259H247431When Jehu entered the gate of the palace, she shouted at him, "Have you come in peace, you murderer? You're just like Zimri, who murdered his master!"

H3058H935H8179H559H2174H7965H2026H11332Jehu looked up and saw her at the window and shouted, "Who is on my side?" And two or three eunuchs looked out at him.H5375H6440H2474H559H8259H8147H7969H563133"Throw her down!" Jehu yelled. So they threw her out the window, and her blood spattered against the wall and on the horses. And Jehu trampled her body under his horses' hooves.H559H8058H8058H1818H5137H7023H5483H742934Then Jehu went into the palace and ate and drank. Afterward he said, "Someone go and bury this cursed woman, for she is the daughter of a king."H935H398H8354H559H6485H779H6912H4428H132335But when they went out to bury her, they found only her skull, her feet, and her hands.H3212H6912H4672H518H1538H7272H3709H302736When they returned and told Jehu, he stated, "This fulfills the message from the LORD, which he spoke through his servant Elijah from Tishbe: 'At the plot of land in Jezreel, dogs will eat Jezebel's body.H7725H5046H559H1697H3068H1696H3027H5650H452H8664H559H2506H3157H3611H398H1320H34837Her remains will be scattered like dung on the plot of land in Jezreel, so that no one will be able to recognize her.'"H5038H348H1828H6440H7704H2506H3157H559H348