2Ki 9:14-10:25 | NASB2020 | 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

Jehu Assassinates Jehoram (Joram)

14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. ^aNow Joram ^{▼▼Lit he and}with all Israel was ^{▼▼Lit protecting}defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, 15 but ^dKing ^{▼▼Heb Jehoram}Joram had returned to Jezreel to have himself healed of the wounds which the Arameans had ^{▼▼Lit struck}inflicted on him when he fought Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said to the other men, “If this is your ^{▼▼Lit soul}intent, then let no ^{▼▼Lit escapee leave}one escape from the city to go tell about it in Jezreel.” 16 Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, since Joram was lying there recovering. ⁱAnd Ahaziah the 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 crowd}company of Jehu as he came, and he said, “I see a ^{▼▼Lit crowd}company.” And ^{▼▼Heb Jehoram}Joram said, “Take a horseman and send him to meet them and have him ^{▼▼Lit say}ask, ‘Is your intention peace?’” 18 So a horseman went to meet him and said, “This is what the king says: ‘Is your intention peace?’” But Jehu said, “ ^{▼▼Lit What to you and to peace
,} ^oHow is peace any business of yours? Turn and follow me.” And the watchman ^{▼▼Lit reported, saying}reported, “The messenger came to them, but he did not return.” 19 Then he sent a second horseman, and he came to them and said, “This is what the king says: ‘Is your intention peace?’” And Jehu ^{▼▼Lit said}answered, “ ^{▼▼See note 1 v 18}How is peace any business of yours? Turn and follow me.” 20 And the watchman ^{▼▼Lit reported, saying}reported, “He came up to them, but he did not return; and ^tthe ^{▼▼I.e., of the chariot}driving is like the driving of ^vJehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.”

21 Then ^{▼▼Heb Jehoram}Joram said, “ ^{▼▼Lit Harness the chariot}Get ready.” And they ^{▼▼Lit harnessed}made his chariot ready. ^zThen ^{▼▼Heb Jehoram}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 the ^{▼▼Lit portion
,} ^acproperty of Naboth the Jezreelite. 22 When ^{▼▼Heb Jehoram}Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is your intention peace, Jehu?” And he ^{▼▼Lit said}answered, “What ‘peace,’ ^afso long as your mother Jezebel’s acts of prostitution and witchcraft are so many?” 23 So ^{▼▼Heb Jehoram}Joram ^{▼▼Lit turned his hands}turned back and fled, and he said to Ahaziah, “ ^aiThere is treachery, Ahaziah!” 24 Then ^ajJehu ^{▼▼Lit filled his hand with the bow}drew his bow with his full strength and ^{▼▼Lit struck}shot ^{▼▼Heb Jehoram}Joram between his arms; and the arrow went ^{▼▼Lit out from}through his heart, and he sank in his chariot. 25 And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and ^aothrow him on the ^{▼▼Lit portion}property of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember, when ^{▼▼Lit I and you}you and I were riding together after his father Ahab, that the ^arLord brought this ^aspronouncement against him: 26 ‘ ^atI have certainly seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,’ declares the Lord, ‘and ^auI will repay you on this ^{▼▼Lit portion}property,’ declares the Lord. Now then, pick him up and throw him on the ^{▼▼Lit portion}property, in accordance with the word of the Lord.”

Jehu Assassinates Ahaziah

27 ^axWhen Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by way of the garden house. But Jehu pursued him and said, “ ^{▼▼Lit strike}Shoot him too, in the chariot.” So they shot him at the ascent of Gur, which is at ^azIbleam. But he fled to Megiddo and died there. 28 ^baThen 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 ^bbthe eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, Ahaziah became king over Judah.

30 When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it, and ^bcshe put makeup on her eyes and adorned her head, and looked down through the window. 31 As Jehu entered the gate, she said, “ ^bdIs your intention peace, Zimri, his master’s murderer?” 32 Then he raised his face toward the window and said, “Who is with me, who?” And two or three officials looked down at him.

Jezebel Is Killed

33 Then he said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her underfoot. 34 When he came in, he ate and drank; and he said, “See now to ^bethis cursed woman and bury her, for ^bfshe is a king’s daughter.” 35 So they went to bury her, but they found nothing of her except the skull, the feet, and the palms of her hands. 36 Therefore they returned and informed him. And he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘ ^bgOn the ^{▼▼Lit portion}property of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; 37 and ^bithe corpse of Jezebel will be like 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 ^bkSamaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the officials of Jezreel, the elders, and to the guardians of the children of Ahab, saying, 2 “And now, ^blwhen 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 most capable of your master’s sons and seat him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.” 4 But they feared greatly and said, “Behold, ^bnthe two kings did not stand firm before him; how then can we stand?” 5 And the one who was in charge of the household, and the one who was in charge of the city, and the elders, and the guardians of the children, sent word to Jehu, saying, “ ^boWe are your servants, and everything that you tell us we will do. We will not appoint any man king; do what is good in your sight.” 6 Then he wrote them a letter a second time, saying, “If you are on my side, and will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men, your master’s sons, and come to me at Jezreel about this time tomorrow.” Now the king’s sons, seventy men, were with the great people of the city, who were raising them. 7 When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and ^bpslaughtered them, seventy men, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezreel. 8 When the messenger came and informed 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 righteous}innocent; behold, ^brI conspired against my master and killed him, but ^bswho ^{▼▼Lit struck}killed all these? 10 Know then that ^bunothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab, shall ^{▼▼I.e., fail to come true}fall to the earth, for the Lord has done ^bwwhat He spoke ^{▼▼Lit by the hand of}through His servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu ^{▼▼Lit struck}killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in ^bzJezreel, and all his great men, his acquaintances, and his priests, until he left him without a survivor.

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

15 Now when he had gone from there, he ^{▼▼Lit found}encountered ^cgJehonadab the son of ^chRechab coming to meet him; and he ^{▼▼Lit blessed}greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart right, just as my heart is with your heart?” And Jehonadab ^{▼▼Lit said}answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, ^ckgive me your hand.” And he gave him his hand, and he pulled him up to him into the chariot. 16 Then he said, “Come with me and ^clsee my zeal for the Lord.” So ^{▼▼Lit they}he had him ride in his chariot. 17 When he came to Samaria, ^cnhe ^{▼▼Lit struck}killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had eliminated ^{▼▼Lit him}them, ^cqin accordance with 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, “ ^crAhab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now, ^cssummon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests; let no one go missing, because I have a great sacrifice for Baal; whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it in deception, in order to eliminate the worshipers of Baal. 20 And Jehu said, “ ^ctProclaim a holy assembly for Baal.” And ^cuthey proclaimed it. 21 Then Jehu sent word ^{▼▼Lit in all}throughout Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a person left who did not come. And when they entered ^cwthe house of Baal, the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. 22 And 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 the garments for them. 23 Then Jehu entered the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab; and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search carefully and see to it that there is here with you none of the servants of the Lord, but only the worshipers of Baal.” 24 Then they entered to ^{▼▼Lit make}offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.

Now Jehu had stationed for himself eighty men outside, and he had said, “ ^czThe one who allows 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 ^{▼▼Lit making}offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the ^{▼▼Lit runners
,} ^ddguard and to the royal officers, “ ^deGo in, ^{▼▼Lit strike}kill them; let none come out.” So they ^{▼▼Lit struck}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}sanctuary of the house of Baal.