7Elisha arrived in Damascus at a time when King Ben-hadad of Aram was ill. b-The king-b was told, “The man of God is on his way here,” 8and he said to Hazael, “Take a gift with you and go meet the man of God, and through him inquire of the LORD: Will I recover from this illness?” 9Hazael went to meet him, taking with him as a gift forty camel-loads of all the bounty of Damascus. He came and stood before him and said, “Your son, King Ben-hadad of Aram, has sent me to you to ask: Will I recover from this illness?” 10Elisha said to him, “Go and say to him, ‘You will recover.’ However, the LORD has revealed to me that he will die.” 11The man of God c-kept his face expressionless-c for a long time; and then he wept. 12“Why does my lord weep?” asked Hazael. “Because I know,” he replied, “what harm you will do to the Israelite people: you will set their fortresses on fire, put their young men to the sword, dash their little ones in pieces, and rip open their pregnant women.” 13“But how,” asked Hazael, “can your servant, who is a mere dog, perform such a mighty deed?” Elisha replied, “The LORD has shown me a vision of you as king of Aram.” 14He left Elisha and returned to his master, who asked him, “What did Elisha say to you?” He replied, “He told me that you would recover.” 15The next day, [Hazael] took c-a piece of netting,-c dipped it in water, and spread it over his face. So [Ben-hadad] died, and Hazael succeeded him as king.
16In the fifth year of King Joramd son of Ahab of Israel—Jehoshaphat had been king of Judah—Joram son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah became king. 17He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 18He followed the practices of the kings of Israel—whatever the House of Ahab did, for he had married a daughtere of Ahab—and he did what was displeasing to the LORD. 19However, the LORD refrained from destroying Judah, for the sake of His servant David, in accordance with His promise to maintain a lamp for his descendants for all time. 20During his reign, the Edomites rebelled against Judah’s rule and set up a king of their own. 21Joram crossed over to Zair with all his chariotry. c-He arose by night and attacked the Edomites, who were surrounding him and the chariot commanders; but-c his troops fled to their homes. 22Thus Edom fell away from Judah, as is still the case. Libnah likewise fell away at that time.
23The other events of Joram’s reign, and all his actions, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Judah. 24Joram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the City of David; his son Ahaziah succeeded him as king.
25In the twelfth year of King Joram son of Ahab of Israel, Ahaziah son of Joram became king of Judah. 26Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year; his mother’s name was Athaliah daughter of King Omri of Israel. 27He walked in the ways of the House of Ahab and did what was displeasing to the LORD, like the House of Ahab, for he was related by marriage to the House of Ahab. 28He marched with Joram son of Ahab to battle against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, but the Arameans wounded Joram. 29King Joram retired to Jezreel to recover from the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted upon him at Ramah, when he fought against King Hazael of Aram. And King Ahaziah son of Joram of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab while he was ill.
9 Then the prophet Elisha summoned one of the disciples of the prophets and said to him, “Tie up your skirts,a and take along this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead. 2When you arrive there, go and see Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi; get him to leave his comrades, and take him into an inner room. 3Then take the flask of oil and pour some on his head, and say, ‘Thus said the LORD: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and flee without delay.”
4The young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. 5When he arrived, the army commanders were sitting together. He said, “Commander, I have a message for you.” “For which one of us?” Jehu asked. He answered, “For you, commander.” 6So [Jehu] arose and went inside; and [the disciple] poured the oil on his head, and said to him, “Thus said the LORD, the God of Israel: I anoint you king over the people of the LORD, over Israel. 7You shall strike down the House of Ahab your master; thus will I avenge on Jezebel the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of the other servants of the LORD. 8The whole House of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off every male belonging to Ahab, b-bond and free-b in Israel. 9I will make the House of Ahab like the House of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the House of Baasha son of Ahijah. 10The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the field of Jezreel, with none to bury her.” Then he opened the door and fled.
11Jehu went out to the other officers of his master, and they asked him, “Is all well? What did that madman come to you for?” He said to them, “You know the man and his ranting!” 12“You’re lying,” they said. “Tell us [the truth].” Then he replied, “Thus and thus he said: Thus said the LORD: I anoint you king over Israel!” 13Quickly each man took his cloak and placed it under him,c on d-the top step.-d They sounded the horn and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!” 14Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi conspired against Joram.
Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth-gilead against King Hazael of Aram, 15but King Joram had gone back to Jezreel to recover from the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him in his battle with King Hazael of Aram.
Jehu said, “If such is your wish, allow no one to slip out of the town to go and report this in Jezreel.” 16Then Jehu mounted his chariot and drove to Jezreel; for Joram was lying ill there, and King Ahaziah of Judah had gone down to visit Joram. 17The lookout was stationed on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the troop of Jehu as he approached. He called out, “I see a troop!” Joram said, “Dispatch a horseman to meet them and let him ask: Is all well?” 18The horseman went to meet him, and he said, “The king inquires: Is all well?” Jehu replied, “What concern of yours is it whether all is well? Fall in behind me.” The lookout reported: “The messenger has reached them, but has not turned back.” 19So he sent out a second horseman. He came to them and said, “Thus says the king: Is all well?” Jehu answered, “What concern of yours is it whether all is well? Fall in behind me.” 20And the lookout reported, “The messenger has reached them, but has not turned back. And it looks like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi, who drives wildly.”
21Joram ordered, “Hitch up [the chariot]!” They hitched up his chariot; and King Joram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah went out, each in his own chariot, to meet Jehu. They met him at the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. 22When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Is all well, Jehu?” But Jehu replied, “How can all be well as long as your mother Jezebel carries on her countless harlotries and sorceries?” 23Thereupon Joram turned his horsese around and fled, crying out to Ahaziah, “Treason, Ahaziah!” 24But Jehu drew his bow and hit Joram between the shoulders,f so that the arrow pierced his heart; and he collapsed in his chariot.
25Jehu thereupon ordered his officer Bidkar, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember how you and I were riding side by side behind his father Ahab, when the LORD made this pronouncement about him: 26‘I swear, I have taken note of the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday—declares the LORD. And I will requite you in this plot—declares the LORD.’ So pick him up and throw him unto the plot in accordance with the word of the LORD.”
27On seeing this, King Ahaziah of Judah fled along the road to Bethhaggan. Jehu pursued him and said, “Shoot him down too!” [And they shot him] in his chariot at the ascent of Gur, which is near Ibleam. He fled to Megiddo and died there. 28His servants conveyed him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and they buried him in his grave with his fathers, in the City of David. (29Ahaziah had become king over Judah in the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab.)
30Jehu went on to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard of it, she painted her eyes with kohl and dressed her hair, and she looked out of the window. 31As Jehu entered the gate, she called out, “Is all well, Zimri, murderer of your master?”g 32He looked up toward the window and said, “Who is on my side, who?” And two or three eunuchs leaned out toward him. 33“Throw her down,” he said. They threw her down; and her blood spattered on the wall
