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said, “The king wants to know if you are coming in peace.”
Jehu replied, “What do you know about
peace? Fall in behind me!”
The watchman called out to the king,
“The messenger has met them, but he’s not
returning.”
19 So the king sent out a second horseman. He
rode up to them and said, “The king wants to
know if you come in peace.”
Again Jehu answered, “What do you know
about peace? Fall in behind me!”
20 The watchman exclaimed, “The messenger
has met them, but he isn’t returning either! It
must be Jehu son of Nimshi, for he’s driving like
a madman.”
21 “Quick! Get my chariot ready!” King Joram
commanded.
Then King Joram of Israel and King Ahaziah
of Judah rode out in their chariots to meet Jehu.
They met him at the plot of land that had belonged to Naboth of Jezreel. 22 King Joram demanded, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?”
Jehu replied, “How can there be peace as
long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your
mother, Jezebel, are all around us?”
23 Then King Joram turned the horses around*
and fled, shouting to King Ahaziah, “Treason,
Ahaziah!” 24 But Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced
his heart, and he sank down dead in his chariot.
25 Jehu said to Bidkar, his officer, “Throw him
into the plot of land that belonged to Naboth of
Jezreel. Do you remember when you and I were
riding along behind his father, Ahab? The Lord
pronounced this message against him: 26 ‘I solemnly swear that I will repay him here on this
plot of land, says the Lord, for the murder of
Naboth and his sons that I saw yesterday.’ So
throw him out on Naboth’s property, just as the
Lord said.”
27 When King Ahaziah of Judah saw what was
happening, he fled along the road to Beth-haggan. Jehu rode after him, shouting, “Shoot him,
too!” So they shot Ahaziah* in his chariot at the
Ascent of Gur, near Ibleam. He was able to go on
as far as Megiddo, but he died there. 28 His servants took him by chariot to Jerusalem, where
they buried him with his ancestors in the City
of David. 29 Ahaziah had become king over Judah in the eleventh year of the reign of Joram
son of Ahab.
The Death of Jezebel
30 When Jezebel, the queen mother, heard that
Jehu had come to Jezreel, she painted her eyelids and fixed her hair and sat at a window.
31 When Jehu entered the gate of the palace, she
shouted at him, “Have you come in peace, you
murderer? You’re just like Zimri, who murdered
his master!”*
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32 Jehu looked up and saw her at the window
and shouted, “Who is on my side?” And two or
three eunuchs looked out at him. 33 “Throw her
down!” Jehu yelled. So they threw her out the
window, and her blood spattered against the
wall and on the horses. And Jehu trampled her
body under his horses’ hooves.
34 Then Jehu went into the palace and ate and
drank. Afterward he said, “Someone go and
bury this cursed woman, for she is the daughter of a king.” 35 But when they went out to bury
her, they found only her skull, her feet, and her
hands.
36 When they returned and told Jehu, he
stated, “This fulfills the message from the Lord,
which he spoke through his servant Elijah from
Tishbe: ‘At the plot of land in Jezreel, dogs will
eat Jezebel’s body. 37 Her remains will be scattered like dung on the plot of land in Jezreel, so
that no one will be able to recognize her.’”
Jehu Kills Ahab’s Family
Ahab had seventy sons living in the city
of Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and
sent them to Samaria, to the elders and officials
of the city,* and to the guardians of King Ahab’s
sons. He said, 2 “The king’s sons are with you,
and you have at your disposal chariots, horses,
a fortified city, and weapons. As soon as you
receive this letter, 3 select the best qualified of
your master’s sons to be your king, and prepare
to fight for Ahab’s dynasty.”
4 But they were paralyzed with fear and said,
“We’ve seen that two kings couldn’t stand
against this man! What can we do?”
5 So the palace and city administrators, together with the elders and the guardians of the
king’s sons, sent this message to Jehu: “We are
your servants and will do anything you tell us.
We will not make anyone king; do whatever you
think is best.”
6 Jehu responded with a second letter: “If you
are on my side and are going to obey me, bring
the heads of your master’s sons to me at Jezreel
by this time tomorrow.” Now the seventy sons
of the king were being cared for by the leaders
of Samaria, where they had been raised since
childhood. 7 When the letter arrived, the leaders
killed all seventy of the king’s sons. They placed
their heads in baskets and presented them to
Jehu at Jezreel.
8 A messenger went to Jehu and said, “They
have brought the heads of the king’s sons.”
So Jehu ordered, “Pile them in two heaps at
the entrance of the city gate, and leave them
there until morning.”
9 In the morning he went out and spoke to the
10
9:23 Hebrew turned his hands. 9:27 As in Greek and Syriac
versions; Hebrew lacks So they shot Ahaziah. 9:31 See 1 Kgs
16:9-10, where Zimri killed his master, King Elah. 10:1 As
in some Greek manuscripts and Latin Vulgate (see also 10:6);
Hebrew reads of Jezreel.