2 Kings 9
Young's Literal Translation
9 And Elisha the prophet hath called to one of the sons of the prophets, and saith to him, `Gird up thy loins, and take this vial of oil in thy hand, and go to Ramoth-Gilead,
2 and thou hast gone in there, and see thou there Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, and thou hast gone in, and caused him to rise out of the midst of his brethren, and brought him in to the inner part of an inner-chamber,
3 and taken the vial of oil, and poured on his head, and said, Thus said Jehovah, I have anointed thee for king unto Israel; and thou hast opened the door, and fled, and dost not wait.'
4 And the young man goeth -- the young man the prophet -- to Ramoth-Gilead,
5 and cometh in, and lo, chiefs of the force are sitting, and he saith, `I have a word unto thee, O chief!' and Jehu saith, `Unto which of all of us?' and he saith, `Unto thee, O chief.'
6 And he riseth and cometh in to the house, and he poureth the oil on his head, and saith to him, `Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, I have anointed thee for king unto the people of Jehovah, unto Israel,
7 and thou hast smitten the house of Ahab thy lord, and I have required the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Jehovah, from the hand of Jezebel;
8 and perished hath all the house of Ahab, and I have cut off to Ahab those sitting on the wall, and restrained, and left, in Israel,
9 and I have given up the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and as the house of Baasha son of Ahijah,
10 and Jezebel do the dogs eat in the portion of Jezreel, and there is none burying;' and he openeth the door and fleeth.
11 And Jehu hath gone out unto the servants of his lord, and [one] saith to him, `Is there peace? wherefore came this madman unto thee?' and he saith unto them, `Ye have known the man and his talk.'
12 And they say, `False, declare, we pray thee, to us;' and he saith, `Thus and thus spake he unto me, saying, Thus said Jehovah, I have anointed thee for king unto Israel.'
13 And they haste and take each his garment, and put [it] under him at the top of the stairs, and blow with a trumpet, and say, `Reigned hath Jehu!'
14 And Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, conspireth against Joram -- (and Joram was keeping in Ramoth-Gilead, he and all Israel, from the presence of Hazael king of Aram,
15 and king Joram turneth back to be healed in Jezreel, of the wounds with which the Aramaeans smite him, in his fighting with Hazael king of Aram) -- and Jehu saith, `If it is your mind, let not an escaped one go out from the city, to go to declare [it] in Jezreel.'
16 And Jehu rideth, and goeth to Jezreel, for Joram is lying there, and Ahaziah king of Judah hath gone down to see Joram.
17 And the watchman is standing on the tower in Jezreel, and seeth the company of Jehu in his coming, and saith, `A company I see;' and Joram saith, `Take a rider and send to meet them, and let him say, Is there peace?'
18 and the rider on the horse goeth to meet him, and saith, `Thus said the king, Is there peace?' and Jehu saith, `What -- to thee and to peace? turn round behind me.' And the watchman declareth, saying, `The messenger came unto them, and he hath not returned.'
19 And he sendeth a second rider on a horse, and he cometh in unto them, and saith, `Thus said the king, Is there peace?' and Jehu saith, `What -- to thee and to peace? turn round behind me.'
20 And the watchman declareth, saying, `He came unto them, and he hath not returned, and the driving [is] like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi, for with madness he driveth.'
21 And Jehoram saith, `Harness;' and his chariot is harnessed, and Jehoram king of Israel goeth out, and Ahaziah king of Judah, each in his chariot, and they go out to meet Jehu, and find him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.
22 And it cometh to pass, at Jehoram's seeing Jehu, that he saith, `Is there peace, Jehu?' and he saith, `What [is] the peace, while the whoredoms of Jezebel thy mother, and her witchcrafts, are many?'
23 And Jehoram turneth his hands, and fleeth, and saith unto Ahaziah, `Deceit, O Ahaziah!'
24 And Jehu hath filled his hand with a bow, and smiteth Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow goeth out from his heart, and he boweth down in his chariot.
25 And [Jehu] saith unto Bidkar his captain, `Lift up, cast him into the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite -- for, remember, I and thou were riding together after Ahab his father, and Jehovah lifted upon him this burden:
26 Have I not the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons seen yesternight -- the affirmation of Jehovah -- yea, I have recompensed to thee in this portion -- the affirmation of Jehovah; -- and now, lift up, cast him into the portion, according to the word of Jehovah.'
27 And Ahaziah king of Judah hath seen, and fleeth the way of the garden-house, and Jehu pursueth after him, and saith, `Smite him -- also him -- in the chariot,' in the going up to Gur, that [is] Ibleam, and he fleeth to Megiddo, and dieth there,
28 and his servants carry him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and bury him in his burying-place, with his fathers, in the city of David.
29 And in the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab reign did Ahaziah over Judah.
30 And Jehu cometh in to Jezreel, and Jezebel hath heard, and putteth her eyes in paint and maketh right her head, and looketh out through the window.
31 And Jehu hath come into the gate, and she saith, `Was there peace [to] Zimri -- slayer of his lord?'
32 And he lifteth up his face unto the window, and saith, `Who [is] with me? -- who?' and look out unto him do two [or] three eunuchs;
33 And he saith, `Let her go;' and they let her go, and [some] of her blood is sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses, and he treadeth her down.
34 And he cometh in, and eateth, and drinketh, and saith, `Look after, I pray you, this cursed one, and bury her, for she [is] a king's daughter.'
35 And they go to bury her, and have not found of her except the skull, and the feet, and the palms of the hands.
36 And they turn back, and declare to him, and he saith, `The word of Jehovah it [is], that He spake by the hand of this servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel do the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel,
37 and the carcase of Jezebel hath been as dung on the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, that they say not, This [is] Jezebel.'
2 Kings 9
English Standard Version
Jehu Anointed King of Israel
9 Then Elisha the prophet called one of (A)the sons of the prophets and said to him, (B)“Tie up your garments, and take this (C)flask of oil in your hand, and go to (D)Ramoth-gilead. 2 And when you arrive, look there for Jehu (E)the son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. And go in and have him rise from among (F)his fellows, and lead him to an inner chamber. 3 Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘Thus says the Lord, (G)I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and flee; do not linger.”
4 So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. 5 And when he came, behold, the commanders of the army were in council. And he said, “I have a word for you, O commander.” And Jehu said, “To which of us all?” And he said, “To you, O commander.” 6 So he arose and went into the house. And the young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, (H)I anoint you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel. 7 And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge (I)on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord. 8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, (J)and I will cut off from Ahab (K)every male, (L)bond or free, in Israel. 9 And I will make the house of Ahab like (M)the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like (N)the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. 10 (O)And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.” Then he opened the door and fled.
11 When Jehu came out to the servants of his master, they said to him, (P)“Is all well? Why did (Q)this mad fellow come to you?” And he said to them, “You know the fellow and his talk.” 12 And they said, “That is not true; tell us now.” And he said, “Thus and so he spoke to me, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, I anoint you king over Israel.’” 13 Then in haste (R)every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare[a] steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, (S)“Jehu is king.”
Jehu Assassinates Joram and Ahaziah
14 Thus Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. ((T)Now Joram with all Israel had been on guard at Ramoth-gilead against (U)Hazael king of Syria, 15 (V)but King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) So Jehu said, “If this is your decision, then let no one slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel.” 16 Then Jehu mounted his chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to visit Joram.
17 Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu as he came and said, “I see a company.” And Joram said, “Take a horseman and send to meet them, and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’” 18 So a man on horseback went to meet him and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu said, “What do you have to do with peace? Turn around and ride behind me.” And the watchman reported, saying, “The messenger reached them, but he is not coming back.” 19 Then he sent out a second horseman, who came to them and said, “Thus the king has said, ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu answered, “What do you have to do with peace? Turn around and ride behind me.” 20 Again the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. And the driving (W)is like the driving of Jehu (X)the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.”
21 Joram said, (Y)“Make ready.” And they made ready his chariot. (Z)Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his chariot, and went to meet Jehu, and met him (AA)at the property of Naboth the Jezreelite. 22 And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” He answered, “What peace can there be, so long as (AB)the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel are so many?” 23 Then Joram reined about and fled, saying to Ahaziah, “Treachery, O Ahaziah!” 24 And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and shot Joram between the shoulders, so that the arrow pierced his heart, and he sank in his chariot. 25 Jehu said to Bidkar (AC)his aide, “Take him up and throw him (AD)on the plot of ground belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember, when you and I rode side by side behind Ahab his father, how (AE)the Lord made this (AF)pronouncement against him: 26 ‘As surely as I saw yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons—declares the Lord—I will repay you on this plot of ground.’ Now therefore take him up and throw him on the plot of ground, in accordance with the word of the Lord.”
27 (AG)When Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled in the direction of Beth-haggan. And Jehu pursued him and said, “Shoot him also.” And they shot him[b] in the chariot at the ascent of Gur, which is by (AH)Ibleam. And he fled to (AI)Megiddo and died there. 28 (AJ)His servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in the city of David.
29 In the (AK)eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab, Ahaziah began to reign over Judah.
Jehu Executes Jezebel
30 When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. And (AL)she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out of the window. 31 And as Jehu entered the gate, she said, (AM)“Is it peace, you Zimri, murderer of your master?” 32 And he lifted up his face to the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked out at him. 33 He said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down. And some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and they trampled on her. 34 Then he went in and ate and drank. And he said, “See now to this cursed woman and bury her, (AN)for she is a king's daughter.” 35 But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. 36 When they came back and told him, he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite: (AO)‘In the territory of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel, 37 and the corpse of Jezebel shall be (AP)as dung on the face of the field in the territory of Jezreel, so that no one can say, This is Jezebel.’”
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 9:13 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
- 2 Kings 9:27 Syriac, Vulgate (compare Septuagint); Hebrew lacks and they shot him
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.