2 Kings, 9

1. And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramothgilead:

1. The prophet Elisha called one of the fellow prophets, and said to him, "Prepare to go to the city of Ramoth in Gilead taking this bottle of oil.

2. And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber;

2. Look there for Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. Make him leave his companions, and lead him to a place apart from them.

3. Then take the box of oil, and pour [it] on his head, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.

3. There you shall take the bottle and pour the oil on his head, saying: Yahweh has anointed you king of Israel. Then open the door and flee without delay."

4. So the young man, [even] the young man the prophet, went to Ramothgilead.

4. So the young man went to Ramoth.

5. And when he came, behold, the captains of the host [were] sitting; and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain.

5. When he arrived, the commanders of the army were seated together, and he said, "I have to talk with you, commander." Jehu asked, "To which of us?" He answered, "To you, commander."

6. And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, [even] over Israel.

6. So Jehu arose and went into the house. Then the young man poured the oil on Jehu's head, and said to him, "Yahweh, the God of Israel, has consecrated you king of the people of Israel. Thus says Yahweh:

7. And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, 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.

7. You shall overthrow the kings of the family of Ahab, that I may avenge the blood of my servants, the prophets, whom Jezebel has murdered.

8. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel:

8. I shall destroy the family of Ahab and all their men shall perish.

9. 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:

9. The family of Ahab shall be like the family of Jeroboam and the family of Baasha.

10. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and [there shall be] none to bury [her]. And he opened the door, and fled.

10. And regarding Jezebel, no one shall bury her, for the dogs shall devour her in the field of Jezreel." Then the young man opened the door and fled.

11. Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord: and [one] said unto him, [Is] all well? wherefore came this mad [fellow] to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man, and his communication.

11. Jehu came out to join the officers of the king. They said to him, "What happened? Why did that fool call you?" Jehu answered, "You know that fellow and you also know why he came."

12. And they said, [It is] false; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel.

12. They said, "We do not know anything. Tell us what he said to you." He answered, "These are his exact words: Yahweh has consecrated you king of Israel."

13. Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put [it] under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king.

13. Then all the commanders, the companions of Jehu, took their cloaks and put them on a wooden platform in the shape of a throne. And with blast of trumpets, they proclaimed, "Jehu is king!"

14. So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram had kept Ramothgilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria.

14. Thus Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. At that time, Joram was with the Israelites defending the city of Ramoth in Gilead against Hazael, king of Aram,

15. But king Joram was 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 it be your minds, [then] let none go forth [nor] escape out of the city to go to tell [it] in Jezreel.

15. but Joram had retreated to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had received in battle. Jehu said, "If it seems good to you, let no one leave the city, lest they go and tell the news to the king in Jezreel."

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

16. Jehu then mounted his chariot and went to Jezreel, where Joram lay sick, and Ahaziah, king of Judah, had gone to visit him.

17. And there stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take an horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, [Is it] peace?

17. The watchman at the tower in Jezreel saw the retinue of Jehu coming and said, "I see a company." Joram said, "Take your horse and run to meet them, and ask them if they have any news."

18. So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus saith the king, [Is it] peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he cometh not again.

18. So the man went out to meet them and said, "The king sent me to ask if you have any news." Jehu answered, "Do not worry about the news. Turn around and follow me." And the watchman immediately reported, "The messenger reached them, but he has not returned."

19. Then he sent out a second on horseback, which came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, [Is it] peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me.

19. They sent another messenger who came to them and said, "The king wants to know if you bring any news." And Jehu again answered, "Do not worry about the news, turn around and ride behind me."

20. And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again: and the driving [is] like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously.

20. Again the watchman reported, "He has reached them, but has not returned. The way of driving of him who comes resembles that of Jehu, son of Nimshi, for he drives like a madman."

21. And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.

21. Joram then said, "Harness the horses of my chariot." And Joram, the king of Israel, went out with Ahaziah, the king of Judah, each in his chariot, to meet Jehu. They met him in the field of Naboth of Jezreel.

22. And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, [Is it] peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts [are so] many?

22. When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, "Do you bring peace, Jehu?" Jehu answered, "Why do you ask for peace when the prostitution of your mother, Jezebel, and her many sorceries still continue?"

23. And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, [There is] treachery, O Ahaziah.

23. So Joram turned his chariot around and fled, saying to Ahaziah, "Treachery, Ahaziah!"

24. And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.

24. Jehu then drew his bow with all his strength and shot Joram in the back, so that the arrow pierced his heart. And Joram fell dead in his chariot.

25. Then said [Jehu] to Bidkar his captain, Take up, [and] cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden upon him;

25. Jehu said to his shield bearer Bidkar, "Take the body and throw it in the field of Naboth of Jezreel; for remember, when we served together in the cavalry of his father, Ahab, Yahweh pronounced this sentence against him:

26. Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take [and] cast him into the plat [of ground], according to the word of the LORD.

26. I swear that in this field, I shall take vengeance on you, for the blood of Naboth and for the blood of his sons which I saw you shed yesterday. So take his body and throw it into the field according to the word of Yahweh."

27. But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw [this], he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. [And they did so] at the going up to Gur, which [is] by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.

27. As for Ahaziah, the king of Judah, he fled in the direction of Beth-haggan. Jehu pursued him, crying out, "Kill him, too!" And they shot him in his chariot at the slope of Gur near Ibleam. He reached Megiddo, took refuge there and died.

28. And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David.

28. His servants carried his body in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him with his fathers in the city of David.

29. And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah.

29. Ahaziah had begun his reign in Judah in the eleventh year of Joram, son of Ahab.

30. And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard [of it]; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.

30. Jehu entered the city of Jezreel. When Jezebel learned this, she painted her eyes, adorned her neck, and looked out of the window.

31. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, [Had] Zimri peace, who slew his master?

31. As Jehu entered the gates, she said to him, "Do you bring peace? Will you not have Zimri's fate after murdering your master?"

32. And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who [is] on my side? who? And there looked out to him two [or] three eunuchs.

32. Jehu looked up to the window and cried out, "Who is on my side?" Two or three eunuchs looked down at him.

33. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and [some] of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.

33. He ordered them, "Throw her down." They threw her down through the window, and her blood splashed on the walls and on the horses, and Jehu in his chariot ran over her.

34. And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed [woman], and bury her: for she [is] a king's daughter.

34. Jehu entered Jezreel. After he had eaten and drunk, he gave these orders, "Take care of that cursed woman and bury her, for she was a king's daughter."

35. And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of [her] hands.

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

36. Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This [is] the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel:

36. When they told Jehu about it, he said, "This is what Elijah of Tishbe said in the name of Yahweh: In the field of Jezreel, the dogs shall eat Jezebel.

37. And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; [so] that they shall not say, This [is] Jezebel.

37. Her body shall be as dung on the land, so that no one can say: This was Jezebel."