2 Kings 9-11

Complete Jewish Bible

9 Elisha the prophet summoned one of the guild prophets and said to him, “Prepare for traveling, take this flask of oil in your hand and go to Ramot-Gil‘ad. ² When you get there, look for Yehu the son of Y’hoshafat, the son of Nimshi. Enter, have him step away from his companions, and take him to an inside room. ³ Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and say, ‘This is what Adonai says: “I have anointed you king over Isra’el.”’ After that, open the door; and get away from there as fast as you can.”

⁴ So the young prophet left for Ramot-Gil‘ad. ⁵ When he arrived, he found the senior army officers sitting there. He said, “I have a message for you, commander.” Yehu asked, “For which one of us?” “For you, commander,” he said. ⁶ Yehu got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured the oil on his head and said to him, “This is what Adonai the God of Isra’el says: ‘I have anointed you king over the people of Adonai, over Isra’el. ⁷ You will attack the house of Ach’av your master, so that I can avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and of all the servants of Adonai, blood shed by Izevel. ⁸ The entire house of Ach’av will perish; I will cut off from Ach’av every male, whether a slave or free in Isra’el. ⁹ I will make the house of Ach’av like the house of Yarov‘am the son of N’vat and like the house of Ba‘sha the son of Achiyah. ¹⁰ Moreover, the dogs will eat Izevel in the dumping-ground of Yizre‘el, and there will be no one to bury her.’” Then he opened the door and fled.

¹¹ Yehu returned to the servants of his lord, and one of them said to him, “Is everything all right? Why did this meshugga come to you?” He answered them, “You know the kind and how they babble.” ¹² They said, “You’re being evasive. Come on, tell us the truth.” Then he said, “This is exactly what he said to me and how he said it: ‘Here is what Adonai says: “I have anointed you king over Isra’el.”’” ¹³ At this, they hurried each one to take his cloak and put it under Yehu at the top of the stairs. Then they blew the shofar and proclaimed, “Yehu is king!”

¹⁴ Yehu the son of Y’hoshafat, the son of Nimshi, formed a conspiracy against Yoram. (At the time, Yoram was guarding Ramot-Gil‘ad, he and all Isra’el, because of Haza’el king of Aram; ¹⁵ but Yoram himself had returned to Yizre‘el to recover from the wounds Aram had inflicted on him when fighting Haza’el king of Aram.) “If you agree,” said Yehu, “then don’t allow anyone to leave town and take the news to Yizre‘el.” ¹⁶ So Yehu, riding in a chariot, went to Yizre‘el, for Yoram was laid up there. Achazyah king of Y’hudah had come down to visit Yoram.

¹⁷ The lookout standing on the watchtower in Yizre‘el saw Yehu’s troops approaching and said, “I see some troops coming.” Yoram said, “Have a horseman go to meet him and ask, “Are you coming in peace?” ¹⁸ So a man on horseback went to meet him and said, “The king asks if you are coming in peace.” Yehu answered, “Peace? What business is that of yours? Turn around, and get behind me!” The watchman reported, “The messenger reached them, but he isn’t coming back.” ¹⁹ So he sent out a second man on horseback, who, on coming to him, said, “The king asks if you are coming in peace.” Yehu answered, “Peace? What business is that of yours? Turn around, and get behind me!” ²⁰ The watchman reported, “He reached them, but he isn’t coming back. Also, it looks like the driving of Yehu Nimshi’s [grand]son — he’s driving like a maniac!” ²¹ “Harness my chariot!” ordered Yoram. They got it ready. Then Yoram king of Isra’el and Achazyah king of Y’hudah, each in his chariot, went out to meet Yehu. They met him in the field of Navot the Yizre‘eli.

²² When Yoram saw Yehu he said, “Are you coming in peace, Yehu?” He answered, “Peace? With your mother Izevel continuing all her cult prostitution and witchcraft? What a question!” ²³ Yoram wheeled around and fled, shouting, “Treachery, Achazyah!” ²⁴ Yehu drew his bow with all his strength and struck Yoram between the shoulder-blades; the arrow went through his heart, and he collapsed in his chariot. ²⁵ “Pick him up,” said Yehu to Bidkar his servant, “and throw him into the field of Navot the Yizre‘eli; for remember how, when you and I were riding together after Ach’av his father, Adonai pronounced this sentence against him: ²⁶ ‘Adonai says: “Yesterday I saw the blood of Navot and the blood of his sons.” Adonai also says: “I will pay you back in this field.”’ Therefore, pick him up; and throw him into the field, in keeping with what Adonai said.”

²⁷ But when Achazyah the king of Y’hudah saw this, he fled on the road past Beit-HaGan. Yehu pursued him and ordered, “Strike him too in his chariot!” [So they struck him] at the Gur ascent, near Yivle‘am. He fled to Megiddo, but there he died. ²⁸ His servants carried him in a chariot to Yerushalayim and buried him in his tomb with his ancestors in the City of David.

²⁹ It was in the eleventh year of Yoram the son of Ach’av that Achazyah had begun his rule over Y’hudah.

³⁰ When Yehu reached Yizre‘el, and Izevel heard of it, she put on eye make-up, fixed her hair and looked out the window. ³¹ As Yehu came through the city gate, she asked, “Are you here in peace, you Zimri, you murderer of your master?” ³² Looking up at the window he said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three officers looked out toward him. ³³ He said, “Throw her down!” So they threw her down. Some of her blood splashed onto the wall and the horses, and she was trampled underfoot. ³⁴ He went in, ate and drank, and then said, “Deal with this accursed woman — bury her, because she’s a king’s daughter.” ³⁵ They went to bury her but found no more of her than her skull, feet and hands. ³⁶ So they came back and told him. He said, “This is what Adonai said through his servant Eliyahu from Tishbe: ‘In the field of Yizre‘el the dogs will eat the flesh of Izevel; ³⁷ Izevel’s corpse in the field of Yizre‘el will be like dung on the ground, unrecognizable as Izevel.’”

10 There were seventy descendants of Ach’av in Shomron. Yehu wrote letters and sent them to Shomron to the rulers of Yizre‘el, to the leaders, and to the guardians of Ach’av’s sons. The letters said, ² “You have with you your master’s sons, also chariots and horses, as well as fortified cities and armor. So, as soon as this letter reaches you, ³ choose the best and most suitable of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne and fight for your master’s dynasty.” ⁴ They were panic-stricken and said, “If the other two kings couldn’t withstand him, how will we?” ⁵ So the administrator of the palace, the governor of the city, the leaders and the children’s guardians sent this message to Yehu: “We are your servants. We will do everything you ask us to; we won’t appoint anyone king. Do as you see fit.”

⁶ He wrote a second letter to them, which said, “If you are on my side, and if you are ready to obey my orders, then bring the heads of your master’s sons to me in Yizre‘el by this time tomorrow.” Now the seventy sons of the king were with the prominent men who had raised them. ⁷ When the letter reached them, they seized the king’s sons and killed them, all seventy of them, put their heads in baskets and sent them to Yehu in Yizre‘el. ⁸ A messenger came and told him, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” He said, “Leave them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.” ⁹ When morning came, he went out, stood before the people and said, “You are not responsible [for the deaths of these men]. Yes, I conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these? ¹⁰ Understand, then, that no part of Adonai’s word which Adonai spoke concerning the dynasty of Ach’av falls to the ground; because Adonai has done what he said through his servant Eliyahu.” ¹¹ So Yehu killed everyone who remained from the house of Ach’av in Yizre‘el, all his leading men, his close friends and his cohanim, until not one of them was left alive. ¹² Then he set out and went to Shomron.

On the way he reached a shearing shed for shepherds, ¹³ where he encountered relatives of Achazyah king of Y’hudah. “Who are you?” he asked. “We’re relatives of Achazyah,” they answered, “and we’re going down to pay our respects to the families of the king and of the queen mother.” ¹⁴ “Take them alive,” said Yehu. They took them alive, forty-two men, slaughtered them and threw them into the shearing shed’s pit; he spared not one of them.

¹⁵ On leaving there, he happened upon Y’honadav the son of Rekhav coming toward him. He greeted him and said to him, “Are you wholeheartedly with me, as I am with you?” “Yes,” answered Y’honadav. “If so, give me your hand.” He gave him his hand, and Yehu took him up into the chariot. ¹⁶ He said, “Come with me, and see how zealous I am for Adonai.” So they had him ride in his chariot.

¹⁷ On arriving in Shomron he put to death everyone that Ach’av still had in Shomron, until he had destroyed him, in keeping with the word of Adonai which he had spoken to Eliyahu.

¹⁸ Next, Yehu assembled all the people and said to them, “Ach’av served Ba‘al in limited measure, but Yehu will serve him with full zeal. ¹⁹ Therefore summon all the prophets of Ba‘al to me, all his worshippers and all his priests. None of them is to be missing, because I am going to offer a great sacrifice to Ba‘al; whoever is missing will not remain alive.” But Yehu was setting a trap, in order to destroy the worshippers of Ba‘al. ²⁰ Yehu said, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for Ba‘al,” and they did so. ²¹ Yehu sent throughout all Isra’el, and all the worshippers of Ba‘al came, so that there was not one man left that didn’t come. They entered the temple of Ba‘al, and the temple of Ba‘al was filled from one end to the other. ²² To the man in charge of the wardrobe he said, “Bring out robes for all the worshippers of Ba‘al”; and he brought them clothes. ²³ Yehu and Y’honadav the son of Rekhav entered the house of Ba‘al and said to the worshippers of Ba‘al, “Search to see that none of the servants of Adonai is here with you, only worshippers of Ba‘al.” ²⁴ Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.

But Yehu had chosen eighty men to remain outside. He said, “If any of the men I am about to put in your hands escapes, it will be your life for his.” ²⁵ As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Yehu said to the guards and officers, “Go in, and kill them; don’t let one of them get out.” So they killed them with the sword; then, after the guards and officers had thrown their bodies outside, they went into the temple of Ba‘al’s inner shrine, ²⁶ brought out the pillars in the temple of Ba‘al and burned them. ²⁷ Finally, they broke down Ba‘al’s standing-stone and demolished the temple of Ba‘al, converting it into a latrine, which it still is today. ²⁸ Thus Yehu rid Isra’el of Ba‘al.

²⁹ However, Yehu did not turn away from the sins of Yarov‘am the son of N’vat, with which he had led Isra’el into sin, the gold calves that were in Beit-El and Dan. ³⁰ Adonai said to Yehu, “Because you did well in accomplishing what is right from my perspective, and have done to the house of Ach’av everything that was in my heart, your descendants down to the fourth generation will sit on the throne of Isra’el.” ³¹ But Yehu made no effort to live wholeheartedly according to the Torah of Adonai the God of Isra’el and did not turn away from the sins of Yarov‘am, with which he had led Isra’el into sin.

³² It was during that period that Adonai began to dismember Isra’el. Haza’el attacked them throughout the territory of Isra’el ³³ east of the Yarden — all the land of Gil‘ad, the Gadi, Re’uveni and M’nashi, from ‘Aro‘er by the Arnon River, including Gil‘ad and Bashan.

³⁴ Other activities of Yehu, all his accomplishments and all his power are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra’el. ³⁵ Yehu slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in Shomron. Then Y’ho’achaz his son became king in his place. ³⁶ Yehu ruled over Isra’el in Shomron for twenty-eight years.

11 When ‘Atalyah the mother of Achazyah saw that her son was dead, she set about destroying the entire royal family. ² But Y’hosheva the daughter of King Yoram, sister of Achazyah, took Yo’ash the son of Achazyah and stole him away from among the princes who were being slaughtered. She took him and his nurse, sequestered them in a bedroom, and hid them from ‘Atalyah, so that he was not killed. ³ He remained hidden with his nurse in the house of Adonai for six years; during this time ‘Atalyah ruled the land. ⁴ In the seventh year Y’hoyada summoned the captains of hundred-man platoons, of both the Kari and the guard. He brought them into the house of Adonai, made an agreement with them and had them swear to it in the house of Adonai. Then he showed them the king’s son ⁵ and gave them this instruction: “Here is what you are to do: of you who come on duty on Shabbat, a third [normally] guards the royal palace, ⁶ a third is at the Sur Gate and a third is at the gate behind the guards. [The first third] is to continue guarding the palace and serve as a barrier, ⁷ while the other two groups of you who come on duty on Shabbat will guard the house of Adonai, where the king is. ⁸ You are to surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who penetrates the ranks is to be killed. Stay with the king whenever he leaves or enters.”

⁹ The captains over hundreds did exactly as Y’hoyada the cohen ordered. Each took his men, those coming on duty on Shabbat and those going off duty on Shabbat, and came to Y’hoyada the cohen. ¹⁰ The cohen issued to the captains of hundreds the spears and shields that had been King David’s and were kept in the house of Adonai. ¹¹ The guards then took positions, each man with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, alongside the altar, alongside [the exterior of] the house and around the king. ¹² Then he brought out the king’s son, crowned him, gave him [a copy of] the testimony and thus made him king; they anointed him, clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”

¹³ When ‘Atalyah heard the shouting of the guard and the people, she entered the house of Adonai where the people were, ¹⁴ looked and saw the king standing there on the platform, in keeping with the rule, with the leaders and trumpeters next to the king. All the people of the land were celebrating and blowing the trumpets. At this ‘Atalyah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” ¹⁵ Y’hoyada the cohen ordered the captains of hundreds, the army officers, “Escort her out past the ranks [of guards]; but anyone who follows her, kill with the sword.” For the cohen had said, “She must not be put to death in the house of Adonai.” ¹⁶ So they took her by force and led her through the horses’ entry to the royal palace, and there she was put to death.

¹⁷ Y’hoyada made a covenant between Adonai, the king and the people, that they would be Adonai’s people, and [a covenant] between the king and the people. ¹⁸ Then all the people of the land went to the house of Ba‘al and broke it down; they completely smashed its altars and images and killed Mattan the priest of Ba‘al in front of the altars.

Next, the cohen appointed officers over the house of Adonai. ¹⁹ He took the captains of hundreds, the Kari, the guards and all the people of the land; and they brought the king down from the house of Adonai, going by way of the gate of the guards to the royal palace. There he sat on the throne of the kings. ²⁰ All the people of the land celebrated, and at last the city was quiet. That is how they killed ‘Atalyah with the sword at the royal palace.