Jehu Assassinates Jehoram (Joram)

14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (A)Now Joram [a]with all Israel was [b]defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, 15 but (B)King [c]Joram had returned to Jezreel to have himself healed of the wounds which the Arameans had [d]inflicted on him when he fought Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said to the other men, “If this is your [e]intent, then let no [f]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. (C)And 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 [g]company of Jehu as he came, and he said, “I see a [h]company.” And [i]Joram said, “Take a horseman and send him to meet them and have him [j]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, “[k](D)How is peace any business of yours? Turn and follow me.” And the watchman [l]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 [m]answered, “[n]How is peace any business of yours? Turn and follow me.” 20 And the watchman [o]reported, “He came up to them, but he did not return; and (E)the [p]driving is like the driving of (F)Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.”

21 Then [q]Joram said, “[r]Get ready.” And they [s]made his chariot ready. (G)Then [t]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 [u](H)property of Naboth the Jezreelite. 22 When [v]Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is your intention peace, Jehu?” And he [w]answered, “What ‘peace,’ (I)so long as your mother Jezebel’s acts of prostitution and witchcraft are so many?” 23 So [x]Joram [y]turned back and fled, and he said to Ahaziah, “(J)There is treachery, Ahaziah!” 24 Then (K)Jehu [z]drew his bow with his full strength and [aa]shot [ab]Joram between his arms; and the arrow went [ac]through his heart, and he sank in his chariot. 25 And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and (L)throw him on the [ad]property of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember, when [ae]you and I were riding together after his father Ahab, that the (M)Lord brought this (N)pronouncement against him: 26 (O)I have certainly seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,’ declares the Lord, ‘and (P)I will repay you on this [af]property,’ declares the Lord. Now then, pick him up and throw him on the [ag]property, in accordance with the word of the Lord.”

Jehu Assassinates Ahaziah

27 (Q)When Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by way of the garden house. But Jehu pursued him and said, “[ah]Shoot him too, in the chariot.” So they shot him at the ascent of Gur, which is at (R)Ibleam. But he fled to Megiddo and died there. 28 (S)Then 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 (T)the eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, Ahaziah became king over Judah.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 9:14 Lit he and
  2. 2 Kings 9:14 Lit protecting
  3. 2 Kings 9:15 Heb Jehoram
  4. 2 Kings 9:15 Lit struck
  5. 2 Kings 9:15 Lit soul
  6. 2 Kings 9:15 Lit escapee leave
  7. 2 Kings 9:17 Lit crowd
  8. 2 Kings 9:17 Lit crowd
  9. 2 Kings 9:17 Heb Jehoram
  10. 2 Kings 9:17 Lit say
  11. 2 Kings 9:18 Lit What to you and to peace
  12. 2 Kings 9:18 Lit reported, saying
  13. 2 Kings 9:19 Lit said
  14. 2 Kings 9:19 See note 1 v 18
  15. 2 Kings 9:20 Lit reported, saying
  16. 2 Kings 9:20 I.e., of the chariot
  17. 2 Kings 9:21 Heb Jehoram
  18. 2 Kings 9:21 Lit Harness the chariot
  19. 2 Kings 9:21 Lit harnessed
  20. 2 Kings 9:21 Heb Jehoram
  21. 2 Kings 9:21 Lit portion
  22. 2 Kings 9:22 Heb Jehoram
  23. 2 Kings 9:22 Lit said
  24. 2 Kings 9:23 Heb Jehoram
  25. 2 Kings 9:23 Lit turned his hands
  26. 2 Kings 9:24 Lit filled his hand with the bow
  27. 2 Kings 9:24 Lit struck
  28. 2 Kings 9:24 Heb Jehoram
  29. 2 Kings 9:24 Lit out from
  30. 2 Kings 9:25 Lit portion
  31. 2 Kings 9:25 Lit I and you
  32. 2 Kings 9:26 Lit portion
  33. 2 Kings 9:26 Lit portion
  34. 2 Kings 9:27 Lit strike

14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram had kept Ramothgilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria.

15 But king Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If it be your minds, then let none go forth nor escape out of the city to go to tell it in Jezreel.

16 So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram.

17 And there stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take an horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace?

18 So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he cometh not again.

19 Then he sent out a second on horseback, which came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me.

20 And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again: and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously.

21 And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.

22 And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?

23 And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah.

24 And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.

25 Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the Lord laid this burden upon him;

26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the Lord; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the Lord. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the Lord.

27 But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.

28 And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David.

29 And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah.

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14 That is how Jehu (son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi) rebelled against King Joram. (King Joram had been with the army at Ramoth-gilead, defending Israel against the forces of King Hazael of Syria. 15 But he had returned to Jezreel to recover from his wounds.)

“Since you want me to be king,” Jehu told the men who were with him, “don’t let anyone escape to Jezreel to report what we have done.”

16 Then Jehu jumped into a chariot and rode to Jezreel himself to find King Joram, who was lying there wounded. (King Ahaziah of Judah was there too, for he had gone to visit him.) 17 The watchman on the Tower of Jezreel saw Jehu and his company approaching and shouted, “Someone is coming.”

“Send out a rider and find out if he is friend or foe,” King Joram shouted back. 18 So a soldier rode out to meet Jehu.

“The king wants to know whether you are friend or foe,” he demanded. “Do you come in peace?”

Jehu replied, “What do you know about peace? Get behind me!”

The watchman called out to the king that the messenger had met them but was not returning. 19 So the king sent out a second rider. He rode up to them and demanded in the name of the king to know whether their intentions were friendly or not.

Jehu answered, “What do you know about friendliness? Get behind me!”

20 “He isn’t returning either!” the watchman exclaimed. “It must be Jehu, for he is driving so furiously.”

21 “Quick! Get my chariot ready!” King Joram commanded.

Then he and King Ahaziah of Judah rode out to meet Jehu. They met him at the field of Naboth, 22 and King Joram demanded, “Do you come as a friend, Jehu?”

Jehu replied, “How can there be friendship as long as the evils of your mother Jezebel are all around us?”

23 Then King Joram reined the chariot horses around and fled, shouting to King Ahaziah, “There is treachery, Ahaziah! Treason!”

24 Then Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and shot Joram between the shoulders; and the arrow pierced his heart, and he sank down dead in his chariot.

25 Jehu said to Bidkar, his assistant, “Throw him into the field of Naboth, for once when you and I were riding along behind his father Ahab, the Lord revealed this prophecy to me: 26 ‘I will repay him here on Naboth’s property for the murder of Naboth and his sons.’ So throw him out on Naboth’s field, just as the Lord said.”

27 Meanwhile, King Ahaziah of Judah had fled along the road to Beth-haggan. Jehu rode after him, shouting, “Shoot him too.”

So they shot him in his chariot at the place where the road climbs to Gur, near Ibleam. He was able to go on as far as Megiddo, but died there. 28 His officials took him by chariot to Jerusalem where they buried him in the royal cemetery. 29 (Ahaziah’s reign over Judah had begun in the twelfth year[a] of the reign of King Joram of Israel.)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 9:29 twelfth year, implied in 8:25; literally, “eleventh.”