2Ki 9:14-10:25 | NASB1995 | STEP | So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram . Now Joram with all Israel was defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram ,

2 Kings 9:14-37

Jehoram (Joram) Is Assassinated

14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. ^aNow Joram ^{▼▼ Lit he and}with all Israel was ^{▼▼ Lit keeping}defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, 15 but ^dKing ^{▼▼ Heb Jehoram}Joram had returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds which the Arameans had ^{▼▼ Lit struck}inflicted on him when he fought with Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said, “If this is your mind, then let no one escape or ^{▼▼ Lit go out from}leave the city to go tell it in Jezreel.” 16 Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram was lying there. ^hAhaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram.

17 Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and he saw the ^{▼▼ Lit multitude}company of Jehu as he came, and said, “I see a ^{▼▼ Lit multitude}company.” And Joram said, “Take a horseman and send him to meet them and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’” 18 So a horseman went to meet him and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu said, ^k“What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me.” And the watchman ^{▼▼ Lit told, saying}reported, “The messenger came to them, but he did not return.” 19 Then he sent out a second horseman, who came to them and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu ^{▼▼ Lit said}answered, “What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me.” 20 The watchman ^{▼▼ Lit told, saying}reported, “He came even to them, and he did not return; and ^othe driving is like the driving of ^pJehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.”

21 Then ^{▼▼ Heb Jehoram}Joram said, ^{▼▼ Lit Yoke the chariot}“Get ready.” And they made his chariot ready. ^{▼▼ Heb Jehoram
,} ^tJoram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu and found him in the ^{▼▼ Lit portion
,} ^vproperty of Naboth the Jezreelite. 22 When ^{▼▼ Heb Jehoram}Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” And he ^{▼▼ Lit said}answered, “What peace, ^yso long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?” 23 So ^{▼▼ Heb Jehoram}Joram ^{▼▼ Lit turned his hands}reined about and fled and said to Ahaziah, ^ab“There is treachery, O Ahaziah!” 24 And ^acJehu ^{▼▼ Lit filled his hand with the bow}drew his bow with his full strength and ^{▼▼ Lit smote}shot ^{▼▼ Heb Jehoram}Joram between his arms; and the arrow went ^{▼▼ Lit out at}through his heart and he sank in his chariot. 25 Then Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Take him up and ^ahcast him into the ^{▼▼ Lit portion}property of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite, for I remember when ^{▼▼ Lit I and you}you and I were riding together after Ahab his father, that the ^akLord laid this ^aloracle against him: 26 ‘Surely ^amI have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,’ says the Lord, ‘and ^anI will repay you in this ^{▼▼ Lit portion}property,’ says the Lord. Now then, take and cast him into the ^{▼▼ Lit portion}property, according to the word of the Lord.”

Jehu Assassinates Ahaziah

27 ^aqWhen Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu pursued him and said, ^{▼▼ Lit smite}“Shoot him too, in the chariot.” So they shot him at the ascent of Gur, which is at ^asIbleam. But he fled to Megiddo and died there. 28 ^atThen his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem and buried him in his grave with his fathers in the city of David.

29 Now in ^authe eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, Ahaziah became king over Judah.

30 When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and ^avshe painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out the window. 31 As Jehu entered the gate, she said, ^aw“Is it ^{▼▼ Lit peace}well, Zimri, ^{▼▼ Lit his}your master’s murderer?” 32 Then he lifted up his face to the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three officials looked down at him.

Jezebel Is Slain

33 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 trampled her under foot. 34 When he came in, he ate and drank; and he said, “See now to ^azthis cursed woman and bury her, for ^bashe is a king’s daughter.” 35 They went to bury her, but they found nothing more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. 36 Therefore they returned and told him. And he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘ ^bbIn the ^{▼▼ Lit portion}property of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; 37 and ^bdthe corpse of Jezebel will be as dung on the face of the field in the ^{▼▼ Lit portion}property of Jezreel, so they cannot say, “This is Jezebel.”’”

2 Kings 10:1-25

Judgment upon Ahab’s House

1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in ^bfSamaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders, and to the guardians of the children of Ahab, saying, 2 “Now, ^bgwhen this letter comes to you, since your master’s sons are with you, ^{▼▼ Lit and with you the}as well as the chariots and horses and a fortified city and the weapons, 3 select the best and ^{▼▼ Lit most upright}fittest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.” 4 But they feared greatly and said, “Behold, ^bjthe two kings did not stand before him; how then can we stand?” 5 And the one who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders, and the guardians of the children, sent word to Jehu, saying, ^bk“We are your servants, all that you say to us we will do, we will not make any man king; do what is good in your sight.” 6 Then he wrote a letter to them a second time saying, “If you are on my side, and you will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men, your master’s sons, and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow about this time.” Now the king’s sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were rearing them. 7 When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and ^blslaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezreel. 8 When the messenger came and told him, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons,” he said, “Put them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.” 9 Now in the morning he went out and stood and said to all the people, “You are ^{▼▼ Lit just}innocent; behold, ^bnI conspired against my master and killed him, but ^bowho ^{▼▼ Lit smote}killed all these? 10 “Know then that ^bqthere shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the Lord has done ^brwhat He spoke ^{▼▼ Lit by the hand of}through His servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu ^{▼▼ Lit smote}killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in ^buJezreel, and all his great men and his acquaintances and his priests, until he left him without a survivor.

12 Then he arose and departed and went to Samaria. On the way while he was at ^{▼▼ I.e. house of binding}Beth-eked of the shepherds, 13 ^bwJehu ^{▼▼ Lit found}met the ^{▼▼ Lit brothers}relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and said, “Who are you?” And they ^{▼▼ Lit said}answered, “We are the ^{▼▼ Lit brothers}relatives of Ahaziah; and we have come down ^{▼▼ Lit about the welfare of}to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.” 14 He said, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive and killed them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.

15 Now when he had departed from there, he ^{▼▼ Lit found}met ^cdJehonadab the son of ^ceRechab coming to meet him; and he ^{▼▼ Lit blessed}greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?” And Jehonadab ^{▼▼ Lit said}answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, ^chgive me your hand.” And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot. 16 He said, “Come with me and ^cisee my zeal for the Lord.” So ^{▼▼ Lit they}he made him ride in his chariot. 17 When he came to Samaria, ^ckhe ^{▼▼ Lit smote}killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed him, ^cmaccording to the word of the Lord which He spoke to Elijah.

Jehu Destroys Baal Worshipers

18 Then Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, ^cn“Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19 “Now, ^cosummon all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests; let no one be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal; whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it in ^{▼▼ Lit insidiousness}cunning, so that he might destroy the worshipers of Baal. 20 And Jehu said, ^cq“Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal.” And ^crthey proclaimed it. 21 Then Jehu sent ^{▼▼ Lit in all}throughout Israel and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And when they went into ^ctthe house of Baal, the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. 22 He said to the one who was ^{▼▼ Lit over the}in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out garments for them. 23 Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab; and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search and see that there is here with you none of the servants of the Lord, but only the worshipers of Baal.” 24 Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.

Now Jehu had stationed for himself eighty men outside, and he had said, ^cv“The one who permits any of the men whom I bring into your hands to escape ^{▼▼ Lit his soul for his soul}shall give up his life in exchange.”

25 Then it came about, as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the ^{▼▼ Lit runners
,} ^cyguard and to the royal officers, ^cz“Go in, ^{▼▼ Lit smite}kill them; let none come out.” And they ^{▼▼ Lit smote}killed them with the edge of the sword; and the ^{▼▼ Lit runners}guard and the royal officers threw them out, and went to the ^{▼▼ Lit city}inner room of the house of Baal.