2 Kings 9
1 The prophet Elisha summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead.
2 When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. Go in, have him rise from among his companions, and take him into an inner room.
3 Take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and say, ‘This is what the LORD says: «I anoint you king over Israel.»’ Then open the door and flee; don’t wait.”
4 So the young man, the prophet’s servant, went to Ramoth-gilead.
5 When he arrived, the army commanders were sitting together. He said, “I have a message for you, commander.” Jehu asked, “Which one of us?” He replied, “You, commander.”
6 Jehu rose and went into the house. The young man poured the oil on his head and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the LORD’s people, over Israel.
7 You are to strike down the house of Ahab, your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the LORD’s servants at Jezebel’s hand.
8 The whole house of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, whether slave or free.
9 I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and the house of Baasha son of Ahijah.
10 The dogs will eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and no one will bury her.’” Then he opened the door and fled.
11 Jehu went out to his master’s officers, and one of them asked him, “Is everything all right? Why did that madman come to see you?” He replied, “You know the man and what he said.”
12 They said, “That’s a lie! Tell us.” He answered, “He said this and that to me: ‘This is what the LORD says: «I anoint you king over Israel.»’”
13 They hurried, and each man took his cloak and spread it beneath Jehu on the bare steps. They blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”
14 So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. Joram had been guarding Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Aram.
15 But King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him when he fought Hazael king of Aram. Jehu said, “If that is what you want, don’t let anyone escape the city and go report this in Jezreel.”
16 Jehu rode in his chariot and went to Jezreel, because Joram was lying there. Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to visit Joram.
17 The watchman standing on the tower at Jezreel saw Jehu’s company approaching and said, “I see a company.” Joram said, “Take a horseman and send him to meet them. Have him ask, ‘Is everything all right?’”
18 The horseman went to meet Jehu and said, “The king asks, ‘Is everything all right?’” Jehu replied, “What does that have to do with you? Fall in behind me.” The watchman reported, “The messenger reached them, but he isn’t coming back.”
19 The king sent a second horseman. He reached them and said, “The king asks, ‘Is everything all right?’” Jehu replied, “What does that have to do with you? Fall in behind me.”
20 The watchman reported, “He reached them, but he isn’t coming back. The way he drives is like Jehu son of Nimshi’s, because he drives like a madman.”
21 Joram said, “Hitch up!” They hitched up his chariot. Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, to meet Jehu. They met him at the plot of Naboth the Jezreelite.
22 When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Is everything all right, Jehu?” Jehu replied, “How can there be peace while your mother Jezebel’s prostitution and her many sorceries continue?”
23 Joram turned his chariot around, fled, and shouted to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!”
24 Jehu drew his bow with all his strength and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he collapsed in his chariot.
25 Jehu said to Bidkar, his officer, “Pick him up and throw him onto the plot of Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember how you and I rode side by side behind his father Ahab when the LORD pronounced this sentence against him:
26 «‘I certainly saw Naboth’s blood and his sons’ blood yesterday,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will repay you on this very plot,’ declares the LORD.» Now pick him up and throw him onto the plot, as the LORD said.”
27 When Ahaziah king of Judah saw this, he fled along the road to Beth-haggan. Jehu pursued him and said, “Strike him too! Strike him in his chariot on the ascent to Gur, near Ibleam!” He fled to Megiddo and died there.
28 His servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem and buried him in his tomb with his ancestors in the City of David.
29 Ahaziah had begun to reign over Judah in the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab.
30 Jehu came to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked out the window.
31 As Jehu entered the gate, she said, “Is everything all right, Zimri, murderer of your master?”
32 He looked up at the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him.
33 He said, “Throw her down!” They threw her down, and her blood spattered the wall and the horses. Jehu trampled her.
34 Then he went in, ate and drank, and said, “Take care of that cursed woman and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.”
35 They went to bury her, but they found nothing of her except the skull, the feet, and the palms of her hands.
36 They returned and told him, and he said, “This is the word of the LORD, spoken through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘In the territory of Jezreel the dogs will eat Jezebel’s flesh.
37 Jezebel’s corpse will be like manure on the ground in the territory of Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, «This is Jezebel.»’”
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