2Kings 9
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,H477H5030H7121H259H1121H5030H559H2296H4975H3947H6378H8081H3027H3212H7433H1568 2and find Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. Call him into a private room away from his friends,H935H7200H3058H1121H3092H1121H5250H935H6965H8432H251H935H2315H2315 3and 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!"H3947H6378H8081H3332H7218H559H559H3068H4886H4428H3478H6605H1817H5127H2442 4So the young prophet did as he was told and went to Ramoth-gilead.H5288H5288H5030H3212H7433H1568 5When 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.H935H8269H2428H3427H559H1697H8269H3058H559H559H8269 6So 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.H6965H935H1004H3332H8081H7218H559H559H3068H430H3478H4886H4428H5971H3068H3478 7You 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.H5221H1004H256H113H5358H1818H5650H5030H1818H5650H3068H3027H348 8The entire family of Ahab must be wiped out. I will destroy every one of his male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel.H1004H256H6H3772H256H8366H7023H6113H5800H3478 9I will destroy the family of Ahab as I destroyed the families of Jeroboam son of Nebat and of Baasha son of Ahijah.H5414H1004H256H1004H3379H1121H5028H1004H1201H1121H281 10Dogs 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.H3611H398H348H2506H3157H6912H6605H1817H5127 11Jehu 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.H3058H3318H5650H113H559H7965H935H7696H559H3045H376H7879 12"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.'"H559H8267H5046H559H559H559H559H3068H4886H4428H3478 13Then they quickly spread out their cloaks on the bare steps and blew the ram's horn, shouting, "Jehu is king!"H4116H3947H376H899H7760H1634H4609H8628H7782H559H3058H4427 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.H3058H1121H3092H1121H5250H7194H3141H3141H8104H7433H1568H3478H6440H2371H4428H758 15But 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."H4428H3088H7725H7495H3157H4347H761H5221H3898H2371H4428H758H3058H559H3426H5315H408H3318H6412H5892H3212H5046H3157 16Then 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.H3058H7392H3212H3157H3141H7901H274H4428H3063H3381H7200H3141 17The 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.H5975H6822H4026H3157H7200H8229H3058H935H559H7200H8229H3088H559H3947H7395H7971H7125H559H7965 18So 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."H3212H7392H5483H7125H559H559H4428H7965H3058H559H7965H5437H310H6822H5046H559H4397H935H7725 19So 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!"H7971H8145H7392H5483H935H559H559H4428H7965H3058H559H7965H5437H310 20The 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."H6822H5046H559H935H7725H4491H4491H3058H1121H5250H5090H7697 21"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.H3088H559H631H7393H631H3088H4428H3478H274H4428H3063H3318H376H7393H3318H7125H3058H4672H2513H5022H3158 22King 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?"H3088H7200H3058H559H7965H3058H559H7965H5704H2183H517H348H3785H7227 23Then King Joram turned the horses around and fled, shouting to King Ahaziah, "Treason, Ahaziah!"H3088H2015H3027H5127H559H274H4820H274 24But Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he sank down dead in his chariot.H3058H7198H4390H3027H5221H3088H2220H2678H3318H3820H3766H7393 25Jehu 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.H559H920H7991H5375H7993H2513H7704H5022H3158H2142H7392H6776H310H256H1H3068H5375H4853 26'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."H7200H570H1818H5022H1818H1121H5002H3068H7999H2513H5002H3068H5375H7993H2513H1697H3068 27When 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.H274H4428H3063H7200H5127H1870H1588H1004H3058H7291H310H559H5221H4818H4608H1483H2991H5127H4023H4191 28His servants took him by chariot to Jerusalem, where they buried him with his ancestors in the City of David.H5650H7392H3389H6912H6900H1H5892H1732 29Ahaziah had become king over Judah in the eleventh year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab.H259H6240H8141H8141H3141H1121H256H274H4427H3063 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.H3058H935H3157H348H8085H7760H6320H5869H3190H7218H8259H2474 31When 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!"H3058H935H8179H559H2174H7965H2026H113 32Jehu looked up and saw her at the window and shouted, "Who is on my side?" And two or three eunuchs looked out at him.H5375H6440H2474H559H8259H8147H7969H5631 33"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.H559H8058H8058H1818H5137H7023H5483H7429 34Then 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."H935H398H8354H559H6485H779H6912H4428H1323 35But when they went out to bury her, they found only her skull, her feet, and her hands.H3212H6912H4672H518H1538H7272H3709H3027 36When 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.H7725H5046H559H1697H3068H1696H3027H5650H452H8664H559H2506H3157H3611H398H1320H348 37Her remains will be scattered like dung on the plot of land in Jezreel, so that no one will be able to recognize her.'"H5038H348H1828H6440H7704H2506H3157H559H348
2Kings 10
10Ahab had seventy sons living in the city of Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the elders and officials of the city, and to the guardians of King Ahab's sons. He said,H256H7657H1121H8111H3058H3789H5612H7971H8111H8269H3157H2205H539H256H5592"The king's sons are with you, and you have at your disposal chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weapons. As soon as you receive this letter,H5612H935H113H1121H7393H5483H4013H5892H54023select the best qualified of your master's sons to be your king, and prepare to fight for Ahab's dynasty."H7200H2896H3477H113H1121H7760H1H3678H3898H113H10044But they were paralyzed with fear and said, "We've seen that two kings couldn't stand against this man! What can we do?"H3966H3966H3372H559H8147H4428H5975H6440H59755So the palace and city administrators, together with the elders and the guardians of the king's sons, sent this message to Jehu: "We are your servants and will do anything you tell us. We will not make anyone king; do whatever you think is best."H1004H5892H2205H539H7971H3058H559H5650H6213H559H376H4427H6213H2896H58696Jehu responded with a second letter: "If you are on my side and are going to obey me, bring the heads of your master's sons to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow." Now the seventy sons of the king were being cared for by the leaders of Samaria, where they had been raised since childhood.H3789H5612H8145H559H8085H6963H3947H7218H582H113H1121H935H3157H4279H6256H4428H1121H7657H376H1419H5892H14317When the letter arrived, the leaders killed all seventy of the king's sons. They placed their heads in baskets and presented them to Jehu at Jezreel.H5612H935H3947H4428H1121H7819H7657H376H7760H7218H1731H7971H31578A messenger went to Jehu and said, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons." So Jehu ordered, "Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the city gate, and leave them there until morning."H935H4397H5046H559H935H7218H4428H1121H559H7760H8147H6652H6607H8179H12429In the morning he went out and spoke to the crowd that had gathered around them. "You are not to blame," he told them. "I am the one who conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?H1242H3318H5975H559H5971H6662H7194H113H2026H522110You can be sure that the message of the LORD that was spoken concerning Ahab's family will not fail. The LORD declared through his servant Elijah that this would happen."H3045H645H5307H776H1697H3068H3068H1696H1004H256H3068H6213H1696H3027H5650H45211Then Jehu killed all who were left of Ahab's relatives living in Jezreel and all his important officials, his personal friends, and his priests. So Ahab was left without a single survivor.H3058H5221H7604H1004H256H3157H1419H3045H3548H7604H830012Then Jehu set out for Samaria. Along the way, while he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds,H6965H935H3212H8111H7462H1004H1044H187013he met some relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah. "Who are you?" he asked them. And they replied, "We are relatives of King Ahaziah. We are going to visit the sons of King Ahab and the sons of the queen mother."H3058H4672H251H274H4428H3063H559H559H251H274H3381H7965H1121H4428H1121H137714"Take them alive!" Jehu shouted to his men. And they captured all forty-two of them and killed them at the well of Beth-eked. None of them escaped.H559H8610H2416H8610H2416H7819H953H1044H8147H705H376H7604H37615When Jehu left there, he met Jehonadab son of Recab, who was coming to meet him. After they had greeted each other, Jehu said to him, "Are you as loyal to me as I am to you?" "Yes, I am," Jehonadab replied. "If you are," Jehu said, "then give me your hand." So Jehonadab put out his hand, and Jehu helped him into the chariot.H3212H4672H3082H1121H7394H7125H1288H559H3426H3824H3477H3824H3824H3082H559H3426H5414H3027H5414H3027H5927H481816Then Jehu said, "Now come with me, and see how devoted I am to the LORD." So Jehonadab rode along with him.H559H3212H7200H7068H3068H7392H739317When Jehu arrived in Samaria, he killed everyone who was left there from Ahab's family, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah.H935H8111H5221H7604H256H8111H8045H1697H3068H1696H45218Then Jehu called a meeting of all the people of the city and said to them, "Ahab's worship of Baal was nothing compared to the way I will worship him!H3058H6908H5971H6908H559H256H5647H1168H4592H3058H5647H723519Therefore, summon all the prophets and worshipers of Baal, and call together all his priests. See to it that every one of them comes, for I am going to offer a great sacrifice to Baal. Anyone who fails to come will be put to death." But Jehu's cunning plan was to destroy all the worshipers of Baal.H7121H5030H1168H5647H3548H376H6485H1419H2077H1168H6485H2421H3058H6213H6122H6H5647H116820Then Jehu ordered, "Prepare a solemn assembly to worship Baal!" So they did.H3058H559H6942H6116H1168H712121He sent messengers throughout all Israel summoning those who worshiped Baal. They all came—not a single one remained behind—and they filled the temple of Baal from one end to the other.H3058H7971H3478H5647H1168H935H376H7604H935H935H1004H1168H1004H1168H4390H6310H631022And Jehu instructed the keeper of the wardrobe, "Be sure that every worshiper of Baal wears one of these robes." So robes were given to them.H559H4458H3318H3830H5647H1168H3318H440323Then Jehu went into the temple of Baal with Jehonadab son of Recab. Jehu said to the worshipers of Baal, "Make sure no one who worships the LORD is here—only those who worship Baal."H3058H935H3082H1121H7394H1004H1168H559H5647H1168H2664H7200H3426H5650H3068H5647H116824So they were all inside the temple to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty of his men outside the building and had warned them, "If you let anyone escape, you will pay for it with your own life."H935H6213H2077H5930H3058H7760H8084H376H2351H559H376H582H935H3027H4422H5315H531525As soon as Jehu had finished sacrificing the burnt offering, he commanded his guards and officers, "Go in and kill all of them. Don't let a single one escape!" So they killed them all with their swords, and the guards and officers dragged their bodies outside. Then Jehu's men went into the innermost fortress of the temple of Baal.H3615H6213H5930H3058H559H7323H7991H935H5221H376H3318H5221H6310H2719H7323H7991H7993H3212H5892H1004H116826They dragged out the sacred pillar used in the worship of Baal and burned it.H3318H4676H1004H1168H831327They smashed the sacred pillar and wrecked the temple of Baal, converting it into a public toilet, as it remains to this day.H5422H4676H1168H5422H1004H1168H7760H4163H4280H311728In this way, Jehu destroyed every trace of Baal worship from Israel.H3058H8045H1168H347829He did not, however, destroy the gold calves at Bethel and Dan, with which Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to sin.H2399H3379H1121H5028H3478H2398H3058H5493H310H2091H5695H1008H183530Nonetheless the LORD said to Jehu, "You have done well in following my instructions to destroy the family of Ahab. Therefore, your descendants will be kings of Israel down to the fourth generation."H3068H559H3058H2895H6213H3477H5869H6213H1004H256H3824H1121H7243H3427H3678H347831But Jehu did not obey the Law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.H3058H8104H3212H8451H3068H430H3478H3824H5493H2403H3379H3478H239832At about that time the LORD began to cut down the size of Israel's territory. King Hazael conquered several sections of the countryH3117H3068H2490H7096H3478H7096H2371H5221H1366H347833east of the Jordan River, including all of Gilead, Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh. He conquered the area from the town of Aroer by the Arnon Gorge to as far north as Gilead and Bashan.H3383H4217H8121H776H1568H1425H7206H4520H6177H5158H769H1568H131634The rest of the events in Jehu's reign—everything he did and all his achievements—are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.H3499H1697H3058H6213H1369H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H347835When Jehu died, he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Jehoahaz became the next king.H3058H7901H1H6912H8111H3059H1121H442736In all, Jehu reigned over Israel from Samaria for twenty-eight years.H3117H3058H4427H3478H8111H6242H8083H8141
2Kings 11
11When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she began to destroy the rest of the royal family.H6271H517H274H7200H1121H4191H6965H6H2233H4467 2But Ahaziah's sister Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah's infant son, Joash, and stole him away from among the rest of the king's children, who were about to be killed. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, so the child was not murdered.H3089H1323H4428H3141H269H274H3947H3101H1121H274H1589H8432H4428H1121H4191H5641H3243H2315H4296H6440H6271H4191 3Joash remained hidden in the Temple of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled over the land.H2244H1004H3068H8337H8141H6271H4427H776 4In the seventh year of Athaliah's reign, Jehoiada the priest summoned the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, and the palace guards to come to the Temple of the LORD. He made a solemn pact with them and made them swear an oath of loyalty there in the LORD's Temple; then he showed them the king's son.H7637H8141H3077H7971H3947H8269H3967H3746H7323H935H1004H3068H3772H1285H7650H1004H3068H7200H4428H1121 5Jehoiada told them, "This is what you must do. A third of you who are on duty on the Sabbath are to guard the royal palace itself.H6680H559H1697H6213H7992H935H7676H8104H4931H4428H1004 6Another third of you are to stand guard at the Sur Gate. And the final third must stand guard behind the palace guard. These three groups will all guard the palace.H7992H8179H5495H7992H8179H310H7323H8104H4931H1004H4535 7The other two units who are off duty on the Sabbath must stand guard for the king at the LORD's Temple.H8147H3027H3318H7676H8104H4931H1004H3068H413H4428 8Form a bodyguard around the king and keep your weapons in hand. Kill anyone who tries to break through. Stay with the king wherever he goes."H5362H4428H5439H376H3627H3027H935H7713H4191H4428H3318H935 9So the commanders did everything as Jehoiada the priest ordered. The commanders took charge of the men reporting for duty that Sabbath, as well as those who were going off duty. They brought them all to Jehoiada the priest,H8269H3967H6213H3077H3548H6680H3947H376H582H935H7676H3318H7676H935H3077H3548 10and he supplied them with the spears and small shields that had once belonged to King David and were stored in the Temple of the LORD.H8269H3967H3548H5414H4428H1732H2595H7982H1004H3068 11The palace guards stationed themselves around the king, with their weapons ready. They formed a line from the south side of the Temple around to the north side and all around the altar.H7323H5975H376H3627H3027H5439H4428H3233H3802H1004H8042H3802H1004H4196H1004 12Then Jehoiada brought out Joash, the king's son, placed the crown on his head, and presented him with a copy of God's laws. They anointed him and proclaimed him king, and everyone clapped their hands and shouted, "Long live the king!"H3318H4428H1121H5414H5145H5715H4427H4886H5221H3709H559H2421H4428 13When Athaliah heard all the noise made by the palace guards and the people, she hurried to the LORD's Temple to see what was happening.H6271H8085H6963H7323H5971H935H5971H1004H3068 14When she arrived, she saw the newly crowned king standing in his place of authority by the pillar, as was the custom at times of coronation. The commanders and trumpeters were surrounding him, and people from all over the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. When Athaliah saw all this, she tore her clothes in despair and shouted, "Treason! Treason!"H7200H4428H5975H5982H4941H8269H2689H4428H5971H776H8056H8628H2689H6271H7167H899H7121H7195H7195 15Then Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders who were in charge of the troops, "Take her to the soldiers in front of the Temple, and kill anyone who tries to rescue her." For the priest had said, "She must not be killed in the Temple of the LORD."H3077H3548H6680H8269H3967H6485H2428H559H3318H1004H7713H935H310H4191H2719H3548H559H4191H1004H3068 16So they seized her and led her out to the gate where horses enter the palace grounds, and she was killed there.H7760H3027H935H1870H5483H3996H4428H1004H4191 17Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD's people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.H3077H3772H1285H3068H4428H5971H3068H5971H4428H5971 18And all the people of the land went over to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They demolished the altars and smashed the idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. Jehoiada the priest stationed guards at the Temple of the LORD.H5971H776H935H1004H1168H5422H4196H6754H7665H3190H2026H4977H3548H1168H6440H4196H3548H7760H6485H6486H1004H3068 19Then the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, the palace guards, and all the people of the land escorted the king from the Temple of the LORD. They went through the gate of the guards and into the palace, and the king took his seat on the royal throne.H3947H8269H3967H3746H7323H5971H776H3381H4428H1004H3068H935H1870H8179H7323H4428H1004H3427H3678H4428 20So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was peaceful because Athaliah had been killed at the king's palace.H5971H776H8055H5892H8252H4191H6271H2719H4428H1004 21Joash was seven years old when he became king.H7651H8141H1121H3060H4427
Dublin, OH
he told him, "and take this flask of olive oil with you. Go to Ramoth-gilead,H477
