The Second Book of the Kings

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 9 -

Now the prophet Elisha called one of the sons of the prophets, and he said to him: “Gird your waist, and take this little bottle of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead.

And when you arrive in that place, you will see Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. And upon entering, you shall raise him up from the midst of his brothers, and you shall lead him into an inner room.

And taking the little bottle of oil, you shall pour it upon his head, and you shall say: ‘Thus says the Lord: I have anointed you as king over Israel.’ And you shall open the door and flee. And you shall not remain in that place.”

Therefore, the young man, a servant of the prophet, went away to Ramoth Gilead.

And he entered that place, and behold, the leaders of the army were sitting there, and he said, “I have a word for you, O prince.” And Jehu said, “For which one among us all?” And he said, “For you, O prince.”

And he rose up and entered into the room. And he poured the oil on his head, and he said: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I have anointed you as king over Israel, the people of the Lord.

And you shall strike down the house of Ahab, your lord. And I will avenge the blood of my servants, the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, from the hand of Jezebel.

And I will destroy the entire house of Ahab. And I will cause to pass away from Ahab, whatever urinates against a wall, and whatever is lame, and whatever is least in Israel.

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

Also, the dogs will consume Jezebel, in the field of Jezreel. Neither will there be anyone who may bury her.’ ” And then he opened the door, and he fled.

Then Jehu went out to the servants of his lord. And they said to him: “Is everything well? Why has this insane man come to you?” And he said to them, “You know the man, and what he said.”

But they responded, “That is false; instead, you should tell us.” And he said to them, “He said to me these certain things, and he said, ‘Thus says the Lord: I have anointed you as king over Israel.’ ”

And so they hurried away. And each one, taking his cloak, placed it under his feet, in the manner of a seat for judgment. And they sounded the trumpet, and they said: “Jehu reigns!”

Jehu Kills Joram and Ahaziah

(2 Chronicles 22:8–9)

Then Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. Now Joram had besieged Ramoth Gilead, he and all of Israel, against Hazael, the king of Syria.

And he had returned, so that he might be cured at Jezreel, because of his wounds. For the Syrians had struck him, while he was fighting against Hazael, the king of Syria. And Jehu said, “If it pleases you, let no one depart, fleeing from the city; otherwise he may go and give a report in Jezreel.”

And he climbed up and set out for Jezreel, because Joram was sick there, and Ahaziah, the king of Judah, had gone down to visit Joram.

And so the watchman, who was standing upon the tower of Jezreel, saw the crowd of Jehu arriving, and he said, “I see a crowd.” And Joram said: “Take a chariot, and send to meet them. And those who go should say, ‘Is everything well?’ ”

Therefore, he who had climbed into the chariot went away to meet him, and he said, “The king says this: ‘Is everything peaceful?’ ” And Jehu said: “What peace is there for you? Pass by and follow me.” Also the watchman gave a report, saying, “The messenger went to them, but he did not return.”

And then he sent a second chariot of horses. And he went to them, and he said, “The king says this: ‘Is there peace?’ ” And Jehu said: “What peace is there for you? Pass by and follow me.”

Then the watchman gave a report, saying: “He went all the way to them, but he did not return. But their advance is like the advance of Jehu, the son of Nimshi. For he advances precipitously.”

And Joram said, “Yoke the chariot.” And they yoked his chariot. And Joram, the king of Israel, and Ahaziah, the king of Judah, departed, each in his chariot. And they went out to meet Jehu. And they met him in the field of Naboth, the Jezreelite.

And when Joram had seen Jehu, he said, “Is there peace, Jehu?” And he responded: “What is peace? For still the fornications of your mother, Jezebel, and her many poisons, are thriving.”

Then Joram turned his hand, and, fleeing, he said to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!”

But Jehu bent his bow with his hand, and he struck Joram between the shoulders. And the arrow went through his heart, and immediately he fell in his chariot.

And Jehu said to Bidkar, his commander: “Take and cast him into the field of Naboth, the Jezreelite. For I remember, when you and I, sitting in a chariot, were following Ahab, this man’s father, that the Lord lifted this burden upon him, saying:

‘Certainly, I will repay you in this field, says the Lord, for the blood of Naboth, and for the blood of his sons, which I saw yesterday, says the Lord.’ Therefore, take him now, and cast him into the field, in accord with the word of the Lord.”(a)

But Ahaziah, the king of Judah, seeing this, fled along the way of the garden house. And Jehu pursued him, and he said, “Strike this one also in his chariot.” And they struck him on the ascent to Gur, which is beside Ibleam. But he fled into Megiddo, and he died there.

And his servants placed him upon his chariot, and they took him to Jerusalem. And they buried him in the sepulcher with his fathers, in the city of David.

In the eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, Ahaziah reigned over Judah.

Jezebel’s Violent Death

And Jehu went into Jezreel. But Jezebel, hearing of his arrival, painted her eyes with cosmetics, and adorned her head. And she watched through a window,

as Jehu was entering through the gate. And she said, “Is it possible for there to be peace for Zimri, who killed his lord?”

And Jehu lifted up his face to the window, and he said, “Who is this woman?” And two or three eunuchs bowed down before him.

And he said to them, “Throw her down with force.” And they threw her forcefully, and the wall was splattered with her blood, and the hoofs of the horses trampled her.

And when he had entered, so that he might eat and drink, he said: “Go, and see to that cursed woman, and bury her. For she is the daughter of a king.”

But when they had gone, so that they might bury her, they found nothing but the skull, and the feet, and the ends of her hands.

And returning, they reported to him. And Jehu said: “It is the word of the Lord, which he spoke through his servant, Elijah the Tishbite, saying: ‘In the field of Jezreel, the dogs will consume the flesh of Jezebel.

And the flesh of Jezebel will be like dung upon the face of the earth, in the field of Jezreel, so that those who pass by may say: Is this that same Jezebel?’ ”

Footnotes

(a)9:26 The expression “if I do not…” is in the manner of a promise or an oath, i.e. “certainly, I shall”, with the consequences of not keeping the oath usually unstated.(Conte)

Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and said to him, “Put your belt on your waist, take this vial of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead.

When you come there, find Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in and make him rise up from among his brothers, and take him to an inner room.

Then take the vial of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, ‘The LORD says, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’ Then open the door, flee, and don’t wait.”

So the young man, the young prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead.

When he came, behold, the captains of the army were sitting. Then he said, “I have a message for you, captain.” Jehu said, “To which one of us?” He said, “To you, O captain.”

He arose, and went into the house. Then he poured the oil on his head, and said to him, “The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘I have anointed you king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel.

You must strike your master Ahab’s house, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

For the whole house of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab everyone who urinates against a wall,(a) both him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel.

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

The dogs will eat Jezebel on the plot of ground of Jezreel, and there shall be no one to bury her.’” Then he opened the door and fled.

When Jehu came out to the servants of his lord and one said to him, “Is all well? Why did this madman come to you?” He said to them, “You know the man and how he talks.”

They said, “That is a lie. Tell us now.” He said, “He said to me, ‘The LORD says, I have anointed you king over Israel.’”

Then they hurried, and each man took his cloak, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king.”

Jehu Kills Joram and Ahaziah

(2 Chronicles 22:8–9)

So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was defending Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria;

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.) Jehu said, “If this is your thinking, then let no one escape and go out of the city to go to tell it in Jezreel.”

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

Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, “I see a company.” Joram said, “Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’”

So one went on horseback to meet him, and said, “the king says, ‘Is it peace?’” Jehu said, “What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me!” The watchman said, “The messenger came to them, but he isn’t coming back.”

Then he sent out a second on horseback, who came to them and said, “The king says, ‘Is it peace?’” Jehu answered, “What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me!”

The watchman said, “He came to them, and isn’t coming back. The driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.”

Joram said, “Get ready!” They got his chariot ready. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot; and they went out to meet Jehu, and found him on Naboth the Jezreelite’s land.

When Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” He answered, “What peace, so long as the prostitution of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft abound?”

Joram turned his hands and fled, and said to Ahaziah, “This is treason, Ahaziah!”

Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and struck Joram between his arms; and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.

Then Jehu said to Bidkar his captain, “Pick him up, and throw him in the plot of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember how, when you and I rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden on him:

‘Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons,’ says the LORD; ‘and I will repay you in this plot of ground,’ says the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him onto the plot of ground, according to the LORD’s word.”

But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. Jehu followed after him, and said, “Strike him also in the chariot!” They struck him at the ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. He fled to Megiddo, and died there.

His servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in David’s city.

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

Jezebel’s Violent Death

When Jehu had come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her eyes, and adorned her head, and looked out at the window.

As Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, “Do you come in peace, Zimri, you murderer of your master?”

He lifted up his face to the window, and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked out at him.

He said, “Throw her down!” So they threw her down; and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses. Then he trampled her under foot.

When he had come in, he ate and drank. Then he said, “See now to this cursed woman, and bury her; for she is a king’s daughter.”

They went to bury her, but they found no more of her than the skull, the feet, and the palms of her hands.

Therefore they came back, and told him. He said, “This is the LORD’s word, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘The dogs will eat the flesh of Jezebel on the plot of Jezreel,

and the body of Jezebel will be as dung on the surface of the field on Jezreel’s land, so that they won’t say, “This is Jezebel.”’”

Footnotes

(a)9:8 or, male