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
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,H256H7657H1121H8111H3058H3789H5612H7971H8111H8269H3157H2205H539H256H559 2"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,H5612H935H113H1121H7393H5483H4013H5892H5402 3select the best qualified of your master's sons to be your king, and prepare to fight for Ahab's dynasty."H7200H2896H3477H113H1121H7760H1H3678H3898H113H1004 4But they were paralyzed with fear and said, "We've seen that two kings couldn't stand against this man! What can we do?"H3966H3966H3372H559H8147H4428H5975H6440H5975 5So 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."H1004H5892H2205H539H7971H3058H559H5650H6213H559H376H4427H6213H2896H5869 6Jehu 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.H3789H5612H8145H559H8085H6963H3947H7218H582H113H1121H935H3157H4279H6256H4428H1121H7657H376H1419H5892H1431 7When 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.H5612H935H3947H4428H1121H7819H7657H376H7760H7218H1731H7971H3157 8A 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."H935H4397H5046H559H935H7218H4428H1121H559H7760H8147H6652H6607H8179H1242 9In 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?H1242H3318H5975H559H5971H6662H7194H113H2026H5221 10You 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."H3045H645H5307H776H1697H3068H3068H1696H1004H256H3068H6213H1696H3027H5650H452 11Then 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.H3058H5221H7604H1004H256H3157H1419H3045H3548H7604H8300 12Then Jehu set out for Samaria. Along the way, while he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds,H6965H935H3212H8111H7462H1004H1044H1870 13he 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."H3058H4672H251H274H4428H3063H559H559H251H274H3381H7965H1121H4428H1121H1377 14"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.H559H8610H2416H8610H2416H7819H953H1044H8147H705H376H7604H376 15When 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.H3212H4672H3082H1121H7394H7125H1288H559H3426H3824H3477H3824H3824H3082H559H3426H5414H3027H5414H3027H5927H4818 16Then Jehu said, "Now come with me, and see how devoted I am to the LORD." So Jehonadab rode along with him.H559H3212H7200H7068H3068H7392H7393 17When Jehu arrived in Samaria, he killed everyone who was left there from Ahab's family, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah.H935H8111H5221H7604H256H8111H8045H1697H3068H1696H452 18Then 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!H3058H6908H5971H6908H559H256H5647H1168H4592H3058H5647H7235 19Therefore, 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.H7121H5030H1168H5647H3548H376H6485H1419H2077H1168H6485H2421H3058H6213H6122H6H5647H1168 20Then Jehu ordered, "Prepare a solemn assembly to worship Baal!" So they did.H3058H559H6942H6116H1168H7121 21He 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.H3058H7971H3478H5647H1168H935H376H7604H935H935H1004H1168H1004H1168H4390H6310H6310 22And 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.H559H4458H3318H3830H5647H1168H3318H4403 23Then 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."H3058H935H3082H1121H7394H1004H1168H559H5647H1168H2664H7200H3426H5650H3068H5647H1168 24So 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."H935H6213H2077H5930H3058H7760H8084H376H2351H559H376H582H935H3027H4422H5315H5315 25As 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.H3615H6213H5930H3058H559H7323H7991H935H5221H376H3318H5221H6310H2719H7323H7991H7993H3212H5892H1004H1168 26They dragged out the sacred pillar used in the worship of Baal and burned it.H3318H4676H1004H1168H8313 27They smashed the sacred pillar and wrecked the temple of Baal, converting it into a public toilet, as it remains to this day.H5422H4676H1168H5422H1004H1168H7760H4163H4280H3117 28In this way, Jehu destroyed every trace of Baal worship from Israel.H3058H8045H1168H3478 29He did not, however, destroy the gold calves at Bethel and Dan, with which Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to sin.H2399H3379H1121H5028H3478H2398H3058H5493H310H2091H5695H1008H1835 30Nonetheless 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."H3068H559H3058H2895H6213H3477H5869H6213H1004H256H3824H1121H7243H3427H3678H3478 31But 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.H3058H8104H3212H8451H3068H430H3478H3824H5493H2403H3379H3478H2398 32At about that time the LORD began to cut down the size of Israel's territory. King Hazael conquered several sections of the countryH3117H3068H2490H7096H3478H7096H2371H5221H1366H3478 33east 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.H3383H4217H8121H776H1568H1425H7206H4520H6177H5158H769H1568H1316 34The 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.H3499H1697H3058H6213H1369H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H3478 35When Jehu died, he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Jehoahaz became the next king.H3058H7901H1H6912H8111H3059H1121H4427 36In all, Jehu reigned over Israel from Samaria for twenty-eight years.H3117H3058H4427H3478H8111H6242H8083H8141
Dublin, OH
he told him, "and take this flask of olive oil with you. Go to Ramoth-gilead,H477
