2 Kings 9 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Elisha the prophet called one of the group of prophets. [104] Elisha said to this man, “Get ready and take this small bottle of oil in your hand. Go to Ramoth Gilead.

² When you arrive there, find Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Then go in and make him get up from among his brothers. Take him to an inner room.

³ Take the small bottle of oil and pour the oil on Jehu’s head. Say, ‘This is what the Lord says: I have anointed [105] you to be the new king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run away. Don’t wait!”

⁴ So this young man, the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead.

⁵ When the young man arrived, {he saw} the captains of the army sitting. The young man said, “Captain, I have a message for you.”

⁶ Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the young prophet poured the oil on Jehu’s head. The young prophet said to Jehu, “The Lord God of Israel says, ‘I am anointing [106] you to be the new king over the Lord’s people, Israel.

⁷ You must destroy the family of Ahab your king. In this way I will punish Jezebel for the deaths of my servants, the prophets, and the deaths of all the Lord’s servants that were murdered.

⁸ So all Ahab’s family will die. I will not let any male child in Ahab’s family live. It doesn’t matter if that male child is a slave or a free person in Israel.

⁹ I will make Ahab’s family like the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the family of Baasha son of Ahijah.

¹⁰ The dogs will eat Jezebel in the area of Jezreel. Jezebel will not be buried.”

¹¹ Jehu went back to his king’s officers. One of the officers said to Jehu, “Is everything all right? Why did this crazy man come to you?”

¹² The officers said, “No! Tell us the truth. What did he say?” Jehu told the officers the things that the young prophet said. Jehu said, “He said, ‘This is what the Lord says: I have anointed you to be the new king over Israel.’”

¹³ Then each officer quickly took his robe off and put it on the steps in front of Jehu. Then they blew the trumpet and made the announcement, “Jehu is king!”

¹⁴ So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, made plans against Joram.

¹⁵ King Joram had fought against Hazael, king of Aram. But the Arameans wounded King Joram, and he went to Jezreel to get well from those injuries.

¹⁶ Joram was resting in Jezreel. So Jehu got in his chariot [107] and drove to Jezreel. Ahaziah king of Judah had also come to Jezreel to see Joram.

¹⁷ A guard was standing on the tower in Jezreel. He saw Jehu’s large group coming. He said, “I see a large group of people!”

¹⁸ So the messenger rode on a horse to meet Jehu. The messenger said, “King Joram says, ‘Do you come in peace?’”

¹⁹ Then Joram sent out a second messenger on a horse. This man came to Jehu’s group and said, “King Joram says, ‘Peace. [108] ’”

²⁰ The guard told Joram, “The second messenger went to the group, but he has not come back yet. There is a man driving his chariot [109] like a mad man. He is driving like Jehu son of Nimshi.”

²¹ Joram said, “Get me my chariot!” [110]

²² Joram saw Jehu and asked, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?”

²³ Joram turned the horses to run away. Joram said to Ahaziah, “It is a trick, Ahaziah!”

²⁴ But Jehu pulled his bow with all his strength and shot Joram in his back. [113] The arrow went through Joram’s heart. Joram fell dead in his chariot. [114]

²⁵ Jehu said to his chariot driver Bidkar, “Take Joram’s body up and throw it into the field of Naboth from Jezreel. Remember when you and I rode together with Joram’s father Ahab, the Lord said this would happen to him.

²⁶ The Lord said, ‘Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and his sons. So I will punish Ahab in this field.’ The Lord said that. So take Joram’s body and throw it into the field, just like the Lord said!”

²⁷ Ahaziah king of Judah saw this, and ran away. He tried to escape through the garden house, but Jehu followed him. Jehu had said, “Shoot Ahaziah, too!”

²⁸ Ahaziah’s servants carried his body in the chariot to Jerusalem. They buried Ahaziah in his tomb with his ancestors [115] in the City of David. [116]

²⁹ Ahaziah became king over Judah during Joram’s [117] eleventh year as king of Israel.

³⁰ Jehu went to Jezreel, and Jezebel heard the news. She put her makeup on and fixed her hair. Then she stood by the window and looked out.

³¹ Jehu entered the city. Jezebel said, “Hello, you Zimri [118] ! Just like him, you killed your master!”

³² Jehu looked up at the window. He said, “Who is on my side? Who?”

³³ Jehu said {to them}, “Throw Jezebel down!”

³⁴ Jehu went into the house and ate and drank. Then he said, “Now see about this cursed woman. Bury her, because she is a king’s daughter.”

³⁵ The men went to bury Jezebel. But they could not find her body. They could only find her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands.

³⁶ So the men came back and told Jehu. Then Jehu said, “The Lord told his servant Elijah the Tishbite to give this message. Elijah said: ‘Dogs will eat the body of Jezebel in the area of Jezreel.

³⁷ Jezebel’s body will be like dung on the field in the area of Jezreel. People won’t be able to recognize Jezebel’s body!’”