2 Kings

Continues the story of the divided kingdoms, their decline, and eventual exile.

Chapter 9

1 And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramothgilead:

Elisha, a prophet, asked one of his students to tie up their robe and carry a box of oil. They were then told to go to a place called Ramothgilead.

2 And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber;

And when you get there, find Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. Then bring him from where he is with his family, and take him to a private room.

3 Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.

Take the oil box, pour on his head, and say, "God says you're the king of Israel." Open the door and run; don't wait.

4 So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramothgilead.

So the young prophet went to Ramothgilead.

5 And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain.

When he arrived, the leaders were seated, and he said, "I have a message for you, captain." Jehu asked, "Which one of us?" The man replied, "You, captain."

6 And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel.

He stood up, entered the house, poured oil on his head, and told him, "The Lord God of Israel says, I have chosen you to be king over the Lord's people, specifically over Israel."

7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

And you will attack the family of King Ahab, your leader, so that I can punish Jezebel for the deaths of my prophets and all the Lord's other servants.

8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel:

The entire family of Ahab will be destroyed. I will eliminate anyone from Ahab's line who urinates against a wall and anyone who remains locked up in Israel.

9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah:

I will turn Ahab's family into the same situation as Jeroboam's family, the son of Nebat, and also like Baasha's family, the son of Ahijah.

10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled.

The dogs will eat Jezebel in a place called Jezreel, and no one will bury her. Then he quickly left through the door.

11 Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord: and one said unto him, Is all well? wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man, and his communication.

Then Jehu approached his master's servants. One asked him, "Are you okay? Why is this crazy person talking to you?" He replied, "You know who he is and what he wants."

12 And they said, It is false; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel.

They asked if it was true and demanded more information. He replied by saying that the Lord told him, "I have chosen you to be the king of Israel."

13 Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king.

Then they quickly acted, and each person laid their clothing on the steps above them, and sounded the horns, announcing, "Jehu is the king."

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.

Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat and grandson of Nimshi, made a plan to go against King Joram. Joram controlled the city of Ramothgilead along with all of Israel because of a Syrian king named Hazael.

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.

But King Joram went back to heal in Jezreel from the injuries the Syrians caused him when he fought with Hazael, the king of Syria. And Jehu said, "If you want to, then don't let anyone leave or escape this city to go and report it to 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.

Jehu traveled in a carriage to Jezreel because Joram was there. Meanwhile, Ahaziah, the king of Judah, arrived to visit 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?

A guard was on duty in a tower in Jezreel when he saw Jehu's group approaching. He reported this sighting. Joram then instructed someone to send a rider to greet them and ask if they came in 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.

A rider went to meet someone with a message from the king asking if there was peace. Jehu replied, "What do you have to do with peace? Go away from me." Then the watchman reported that the messenger had arrived but didn't return.

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.

Then he sent another rider on a horse, who approached them and asked, "The king wants to know if it's peace." Jehu replied, "What do you have to do with peace? Go 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.

The watchman said that a man arrived and didn't leave, driving just like Jehu, son of Nimshi, who drove very fast.

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.

Joram told others to prepare a chariot. His chariot was ready. Joram, king of Israel, and Ahaziah, king of Judah, both left in their chariots to face Jehu. They met him at Naboth the Jezreelite's land area.

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?

When Joram met Jehu, he asked if it was peaceful. Jehu replied, "How can there be peace while your mother Jezebel's immorality and magic continue?"

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

Joram waved his hands, ran away, and warned Ahaziah, saying, "Danger, Ahaziah! Betrayal is happening!"

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.

Jehu forcefully shot an arrow, hitting Jehoram in his chest area, and the arrow came out of his heart. Jehoram then fell in his cart.

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;

Then Jehu told Bidkar, his leader, "Pick him up and throw him into the part of Naboth's field. Do you remember how the Lord gave us a message while we were riding together, searching for Ahab his father?"

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.

The Lord remembers Naboth's and his sons' blood from yesterday. He will punish you for it. So, follow the Lord's command and throw this person into the designated area, as the Lord says.

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.

But when King Ahaziah of Judah saw this, he ran away through the garden house entrance. Jehu chased after him and said, "Hit him in his chariot too." They did as they were told at a place called Gur, near Ibleam. He then escaped to Megiddo where he died.

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.

His helpers put him in a carriage and took him to Jerusalem. They buried him in his special tomb with his family in the city where David lived.

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

In the 11th year of Joram, son of Ahab, Ahaziah started ruling over Judah.

30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.

When Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it. She put on makeup and fixed her hair, then she looked out the window.

31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?

As Jehu arrived, she asked, "Was Zimri at peace, the one who killed his boss?"

32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs.

He looked toward the window and asked, "Who's with me?" There, a couple of or three castrated men appeared before him.

33 And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.

He told them to throw her down, so they did. Some of her blood splattered on the wall and the horses, and he stepped on her.

34 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king’s daughter.

When he arrived, he ate and drank, then told them to check on the wicked woman and bury her since she was a king's daughter.

35 And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.

They took her to be buried, but only found her skull, feet, and hand palms.

36 Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel:

So they returned and informed him. He replied, "This is God's message, which He shared through His prophet Elijah from Tishbe, saying, 'Dogs will eat Jezebel's body in the territory of Jezreel.'"

37 And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.

The remains of Jezebel will be like animal waste on a field in Jezreel area; so no one will recognize it as Jezebel.

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