Jehu Anointed King of Israel 1 UST Meanwhile, the prophet Elisha summoned one of the young prophets he was training. He told him,“Tuck your cloak into your belt{ so that you can run fast}. Go to the city of Ramoth Gilead. Take this jar of olive oil with you. BSB BSB: Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead.
3 UST Then pour the olive oil on his head and tell him,‘Yahweh declares that he is appointing you to be the king of Israel.’ Then open the door and run away as quickly as you can.” BSB BSB: Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run. Do not delay!”
4 UST So that young prophet went to Ramoth Gilead. BSB BSB: So the young prophet went to Ramoth-gilead,
5 UST When he arrived, he found the officers of the army meeting together{ in the courtyard of a house}. He said,“Sir, I have a message for you.” Jehu replied,“Which one of us is the message for?” The young prophet replied,“It is for you, sir.” BSB BSB: and when he arrived, the army commanders were sitting there. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said. “For which of us?” asked Jehu. “For you, commander,” he replied.
6 UST So Jehu got up and went with the young prophet into the house. There the young prophet poured the olive oil on Jehu’ s head. Then he told him,“Yahweh, the God whom we Israelites worship, declares that he is appointing you to be the king of his Israelite people. BSB BSB: So Jehu got up and went into the house, where the young prophet poured the oil on his head and declared, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the LORD’s people Israel.
7 UST Ahab’ s wife Jezebel murdered many of his prophets and many other Israelites who worshiped him. To punish them for these murders, Yahweh wants you to kill the entire family of Ahab. You formerly served him as a military commander. BSB BSB: And you are to strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel.
8 UST Everyone in Ahab’ s family must die. So kill all of the males in his household, whether they are family members or servants, no matter where they live in the kingdom of Israel. BSB BSB: The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, both slave and free, in Israel.
9 UST Earlier, I had people destroy the families of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah{ because those kings were so wicked}. I want you to destroy the family of Ahab in the same way. BSB BSB: I will make the house of Ahab like the houses of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah.
10 UST When Jezebel dies, no one will bury her body. Instead, dogs will eat her body on the property near the city of Jezreel{ that belonged to Naboth}.” After the young prophet said this, he went out the door and ran away. BSB BSB: And on the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour Jezebel, and there will be no one to bury her.’” Then the young prophet opened the door and ran.
11 UST When Jehu came out of the house to where the other officers were, one of them asked him,“Is everything all right? Why did that crazy person come and speak with you?” Jehu replied,“You know very well what kinds of silly things young prophets like him say.” BSB BSB: When Jehu went out to the servants of his master, they asked, “Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?” “You know his kind and their babble,” he replied.
12 UST They responded,“No, he must have come to tell you something important. Tell us what he said!” Jehu replied,“All right, this is what he said. He told me that Yahweh said that he was appointing me to be the king of Israel.” BSB BSB: “That is a lie!” they said. “Tell us now!” So Jehu answered, “He talked to me about this and that, saying, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’”
13 UST They had Jehu stand in a high place{ where people could see him}. Then they all quickly took off their cloaks and spread them on the ground beneath his feet{ to honor him}. They blew on a ram’ s horn{ to show that they were making an important announcement} and shouted,“Jehu is now the king!” BSB BSB: Quickly, each man took his garment and put it under Jehu on the bare steps. Then they blew the ram’s horn and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!”
Jehu Kills Joram and Ahaziah (2 Chronicles 22:8–9)
14 UST Then Jehu and the other commanders made plans to kill Joram so that Jehu could replace him as king. King Joram and his army had been defending Ramoth Gilead against the attacking army of Hazael king of Aram. BSB BSB: Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram,
15 UST But the Arameans had wounded Joram as he was fighting against their army. Joram had returned to the city of Jezreel to recover from his wounds. Jehu told the other commanders,“If you really want me to be king, make sure that no one leaves this city to warn the people of Jezreel{ that I am planning to go there}.” BSB BSB: but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had suffered at the hands of the Arameans in the battle against Hazael their king.) So Jehu said, “If you commanders wish to make me king, then do not let anyone escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel.”
16 UST Then Jehu and his officers got into their chariots and rode to Jezreel. That was where Joram was still recovering. King Ahaziah of Judah was there visiting Jehoram. BSB BSB: Then Jehu got into his chariot and went to Jezreel, because Joram was laid up there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see him.
17 UST A lookout was standing on top of the tower in Jezreel. He saw Jehu and his men approaching. He called out,“I see a lot of men approaching!” King Jehoram{ heard what the watchman said, so he} told his soldiers,“Send someone out on a horse to ask them whether they are coming peacefully.” BSB BSB: Now the watchman standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, and he called out, “I see a company of troops!” “Choose a rider,” Joram commanded. “Send him out to meet them and ask, ‘Have you come in peace?’”
18 UST So a man rode out on a horse to meet Jehu. The man told him,“The king asks whether you are coming peacefully.” Jehu replied,“I do not have to tell you that. Get into the group of men behind me{ and follow me to the city}!” The lookout in the tower{ saw this and} reported that the messenger had reached the group of men who were approaching{ and had spoken with them,} but he was not coming back ahead of them. BSB BSB: So a horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’” “What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.” And the watchman reported, “The messenger reached them, but he is not coming back.”
19 UST So King Jehoram sent another messenger to tell Jehu that he hoped he was coming peacefully. Again Jehu replied,“I do not have to tell you that. Get into the group of men behind me{ and follow me to the city}!” BSB BSB: So the king sent out a second horseman, who went to them and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’” “What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.”
21 UST Jehoram told one of his attendants,“Get my chariot ready for me.” So his attendants did that. Then King Jehoram and King Ahaziah each rode out in his own chariot toward Jehu. They met Jehu just as he arrived on the property that had belonged to Naboth. BSB BSB: “Harness!” Joram shouted, and they harnessed his chariot. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his own chariot, and met Jehu on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.
22 UST When Jehoram met Jehu, he asked him,“Have you come here peacefully, Jehu?” Jehu replied,“There can be no peace while{ you and} your mother Jezebel are leading the Israelites to worship so many false gods and practicing so much witchcraft!” BSB BSB: When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”
23 UST Jehoram cried out,“Ahaziah, Jehu is rebelling against me!” Then Jehoram turned his chariot around and tried to escape. BSB BSB: Joram turned around and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!”
25 UST Then Jehu told his captain Bidkar,“Take his body and throw it here onto the field that belonged to Naboth. Remember what happened when you and I were riding together behind King Jehoram’ s father Ahab. Yahweh spoke about Ahab{ through Elijah}. BSB BSB: And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember that when you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab, the LORD lifted up this burden against him:
26 UST He said that he had seen Ahab murder Naboth and his sons the day before. He solemnly promised that he would punish Ahab right here in this same field! So take Jehoram’ s body and throw it onto this field! That will make happen exactly what Yahweh said would happen.” BSB BSB: ‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the LORD, so will I repay you on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, according to the word of the LORD, pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground.”
27 UST When King Ahaziah saw what happened, he left the property through a pavilion that led into the adjacent palace gardens. But Jehu{ and his men} chased him. Jehu told his men,“Shoot him as well!”{ So they shot him with arrows} while he was riding in his chariot on the road up to Gur, near the city of Ibleam. Ahaziah continued riding in his chariot until he reached the city of Megiddo, but he died there. BSB BSB: When King Ahaziah of Judah saw this, he fled up the road toward Beth-haggan. And Jehu pursued him, shouting, “Shoot him too!” So they shot Ahaziah in his chariot on the Ascent of Gur, near Ibleam, and he fled to Megiddo and died there.
28 UST His officials brought his body back to Jerusalem in his chariot. The Judeans buried him in the tombs in the part of Jerusalem that people called the City of David. That was where they had also buried his ancestors. BSB BSB: Then his servants carried him by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his fathers in his tomb in the City of David.
29 UST Ahaziah had become the king of Judah when Joram son of Ahab had been ruling Israel for almost 11 years. BSB BSB: (In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king over Judah.)
Jezebel’s Violent Death 30 UST Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel the queen mother heard what had happened, she put on eye makeup and combed her hair to make it beautiful. Then she looked out the window of the palace toward the street below. BSB BSB: Now when Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from a window.
31 UST As Jehu was entering the city gate, she called out to him,“Your life will not be peaceful! You will be just like Zimri, who also murdered his king!” BSB BSB: And as Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, O Zimri, murderer of your master?”
32 UST Jehu looked up toward the window and called out,“Will anyone there help me?” Two or three palace officials looked down at him from windows. BSB BSB: He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down at him.
33 UST Jehu told them,“Throw her down!” So they threw her down, and Jehu ordered his men to drive their chariots over her body.{ This killed her, and} some of her blood splattered on the city wall and on the horses that were pulling the chariots. BSB BSB: “Throw her down!” yelled Jehu. So they threw her down, and her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses as they trampled her underfoot.
34 UST Then Jehu went into the palace and had a meal there. Then he told some of his men,“Jezebel brought Yahweh’ s curse on herself{ through the idolatry and violence she committed}. However, she was a king’ s daughter{, and so she should receive a proper burial}. Please take her body and bury it.” BSB BSB: Then Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of this cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was the daughter of a king.”
35 UST But when they went to get her body to bury it, the only things left were her skull, her feet, and the front part of her hands. BSB BSB: But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing but her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands.
36 UST When they reported this to Jehu, he said,“That is what Yahweh said would happen!” He said through his servant Elijah that dogs would eat Jezebel’ s body on the property that belonged to Naboth. BSB BSB: So they went back and told Jehu, who replied, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour the flesh of Jezebel.
37 UST Dung dissolves into the ground{ so that no one recognizes it anymore}. Yahweh said that in the same way, no one would be able to recognize Jezebel’ s body. They would just know that she died somewhere on Naboth’ s property. BSB BSB: And Jezebel’s body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.’”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.