1 N ow Elisha the man of God called one of the sons of those who spoke for God. He said to him, “Get ready to travel. Take this jar of oil and go to Ramoth-gilead.

And Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, Gird up your loins, take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead.

2 W hen you get there, find Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi. Go in and have him come away from his brothers. Bring him into a room in the house.

When you arrive, look there for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi; and go in and have him arise from among his brethren and lead him to an inner chamber.

3 T hen take the jar of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘The Lord says, “I have chosen you to be the king of Israel.”’ Then open the door and run. Do not wait.”

Then take the cruse of oil and pour it on his head and say, Thus says the Lord: I have anointed you king over Israel. Then open the door and flee; do not tarry.

4 S o the young servant of the man of God went to Ramoth-gilead.

So the young man, the young prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead.

5 W hen he came, he found the captains of the army sitting there. He said, “I have something to tell you, O captain.” And Jehu said, “Which one of us?” And he said, “You, O captain.”

And when he came, the captains of the army were sitting outside; and he said, I have a message for you, O captain. Jehu said, To which of us? And he said, To you, O captain.

6 S o he got up and went into the house. He poured the oil on Jehu’s head and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘I have chosen you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel.

And Jehu arose, and they went into the house. And the prophet poured the oil on Jehu’s head and said to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I have anointed you king over the people of the Lord, even over Israel.

7 Y ou are to destroy the house of your owner Ahab, so that I will punish Jezebel for the blood of My servants who speak for God, and the blood of all the Lord’s servants.

You shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and of all the servants of the Lord at the hands of Jezebel.

8 T he whole family of Ahab must be destroyed. And I will destroy every male person in Israel who belongs to Ahab, both the servants and those who are free.

For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel.

9 I will make the family of Ahab like the family of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the family of Baasha the son of Ahijah.

I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah.

10 T he dogs will eat Jezebel in the land of Jezreel. No one will bury her.’” Then he opened the door and ran away.

And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and none shall bury her. And he opened the door and fled.

11 W hen Jehu came out to his owner’s servants, one said to him, “Is all well? Why did this crazy person come to you?” Jehu said, “You know the man and his talk.”

When Jehu came out to the servants of his master, one said to him, Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you? And he said to them, You know that class of man and what he would say.

12 A nd they said, “That is not true. Tell us now.” Jehu said, “This is how he spoke to me. He said, ‘The Lord says, “I have chosen you to be the king of Israel.”’”

And they said, That is false; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus he spoke to me, saying, Thus says the Lord: I have anointed you king over Israel.

13 T hen each man took his clothes in a hurry and put them under him on the steps. And they sounded the horn and said, “Jehu is king!” Joram of Israel Is Killed

Then they hastily took every man his garment and put it under Jehu on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king!

14 S o Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi made plans against Joram. Now Joram and all Israel were fighting against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead.

So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. Now Joram was holding Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel, against Hazael king of Syria,

15 B ut King Joram had returned to Jezreel to be healed of the cuts the Syrians had given him, when he fought with King Hazael of Syria. So Jehu said, “If this is what you have in mind, then let no one get out of the city to tell the news in Jezreel.”

But King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. And Jehu said, If this is your mind, let no one make his escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel.

16 T hen Jehu went to Jezreel in a war-wagon, for Joram was lying there. And Ahaziah the king of Judah had come down to see Joram.

So Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram.

17 N ow the man who watched for danger was standing in the tower in Jezreel. He saw the group of Jehu’s men coming, and said, “I see a group of men coming.” Joram said, “Send a horseman to meet them and ask, ‘Do you come in peace?’”

A watchman on the tower in Jezreel spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Send a horseman to meet them and have him ask, Do you come in peace?

18 S o a horseman went to meet him and said, “The king asks, ‘Do you come in peace?’” And Jehu said, “What have you to do with peace? Get behind me.” Then the watchman told Joram, “The horseman came to them, but he did not return.”

So one on horseback went to meet him and said, Thus says the king: Is it peace? And Jehu said, What have you to do with peace? Rein in behind me. And the watchman reported, The messenger came to them, but he does not return.

19 S o he sent out a second horseman, who came to them and said, “The king asks, ‘Do you come in peace?’” And Jehu answered, “What have you to do with peace? Get behind me.”

Then Joram sent out a second man on horseback, who came to them and said, Thus says the king: Is it peace? Jehu replied, What have you to do with peace? Ride behind me.

20 T he watchman told Joram, “He came to them, and he did not return. The leader goes in his war-wagon like a mad man, just like Jehu.”

And the watchman reported, He came to them, but does not return; also the driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.

21 T hen Joram said, “Get ready.” And they made his war-wagon ready. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in their war-wagon, to meet Jehu. They found him in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite.

Joram said, Make ready. When his chariot was made ready, Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot. Thus they went out to meet Jehu and met him in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite.

22 W hen Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?” And he answered, “What peace can there be, so long as the sinful ways and witchcrafts of your mother Jezebel are so many?”

When Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, How can peace exist as long as the fornications of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?

23 S o Joram turned the horses around and ran away, saying to Ahaziah, “He is turning against the king, O Ahaziah!”

Then Joram reined about and fled, and he said to Ahaziah, Treachery, Ahaziah!

24 J ehu pulled his bow with all his strength and shot Joram between his arms. The arrow went through his heart, and he fell in his war-wagon.

But Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and shot Joram between his shoulders; and the arrow went out through his heart, and he sank down in his chariot.

25 T hen Jehu said to Bidkar his captain, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For I remember when you and I were going together after his father Ahab. The Lord said then that this would happen to him.

Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up and cast him in the plot of Naboth the Jezreelite’s field; for remember how, when I and you rode together after Ahab his father, the Lord uttered this prophecy against him:

26 T he Lord said, ‘Yesterday I have seen the blood of Naboth and his sons. I will punish you in this field.’ So now take and throw him into the field, as the word of the Lord has said.” Ahaziah of Judah Is Killed

As surely as I saw yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, says the Lord, I will repay you on this plot of ground, says the Lord. Now therefore, take and cast Joram into the plot of ground, as the word of the Lord said.

27 W hen Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he ran away toward the garden house. Jehu went after him and said, “Shoot him in the war-wagon also.” So they shot him at the hill of Gur, by Ibleam. But he got away to Megiddo and died there.

When Ahaziah king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. Jehu followed him and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the ascent to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And fled to Megiddo and died there.

28 H is servants carried him in a war-wagon to Jerusalem. They buried him in his grave with his fathers in the city of David.

His servants took him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulcher with his fathers in the City of David.

29 I n the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab, Ahaziah became the king of Judah. Queen Jezebel Is Killed

In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah’s reign over Judah began.

30 W hen Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it. She colored her eyes and combed her hair, and then looked out the window.

Now when Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her eyes and beautified her head and looked out of window.

31 A s Jehu came through the gate, she said, “Is it well, Zimri, your owner’s killer?”

And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, peace, you Zimri, who slew his master?

32 T hen he looked up to the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three men looked down at him.

Jehu lifted up his face to the window and said, Who is on my side? Who? And two or three eunuchs looked out at him.

33 T hen he said, “Throw her down.” So they threw Jezebel down. Some of her blood went on the wall and on the horses. And Jehu made his war-wagons go over her.

And he said, Throw her down! So they threw her down, and some of her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses, and he drove over her.

34 T hen Jehu went in and ate and drank. And he said, “Now go out to this sinful woman and bury her, for she is a king’s daughter.”

When he came in, he ate and drank, and said, See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king’s daughter.

35 S o they went to bury her. But all they found were her skull and feet and hands.

They went to bury her, but they found nothing left of her except the skull, feet, and palms of her hands.

36 W hen they returned and told Jehu, he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite. He said, ‘In the land of Jezreel the dogs will eat the flesh of Jezebel.

They came again and told Jehu. He said, This is the word of the Lord which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel.

37 J ezebel’s body will be as waste on the field in the land of Jezreel. So no one will be able to say, “This is Jezebel.”’”

The corpse of Jezebel shall be like dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.