Jehu Becomes King of Israel
1 One day, Elisha called for one of the other prophets and said:
Take this bottle of olive oil and get ready to go to the town of Ramoth in Gilead. 2 When you get there, find Jehu son of Jehoshaphat and grandson of Nimshi. Take him to a place where the two of you can be alone, 3 then pour olive oil on his head to show that he is the new king. Say to him, “The Lord has chosen you to be king of Israel.” Then leave quickly—don't wait around for anything!
4 The young prophet left for Ramoth. 5 When he arrived, the army officers were meeting together. “Sir, I have a message for you,” he said.
“For which one of us?” Jehu asked.
“You, sir,” the prophet answered. 6 So Jehu got up and went inside. The prophet poured olive oil on Jehu's head and told him:
The Lord God of Israel has this message for you: “I am the Lord, and I have chosen you to be king of my people Israel. 7 I want you to wipe out the family of Ahab, so Jezebel will be punished for killing the prophets and my other servants. 8 Every man and boy in Ahab's family must die, whether slave or free. 9 His whole family must be destroyed, just like the families of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah. 10 As for Jezebel, her body will be eaten by dogs in the town of Jezreel. There won't be enough left of her to bury.”
Then the young prophet opened the door and ran out.
11 Jehu went back to his officers, and one of them asked, “What did that crazy prophet want? Is everything all right?”
“You know him and how he talks,” Jehu answered.
12 “No, we don't. What did he say?” they asked.
“He had a message from the Lord,” Jehu replied. “He said that the Lord has chosen me to be the next king of Israel.”
13 They quickly grabbed their coats and spread them out on the steps where Jehu was standing. Someone blew a trumpet, and everyone shouted, “Jehu is king!”
Jehu Kills Joram and Ahaziah
14-16 King Joram of Israel had been badly wounded in the battle at Ramoth, trying to defend it against King Hazael and the Syrian army. Joram was now recovering in Jezreel, and King Ahaziah of Judah was there, visiting him.
Meanwhile, Jehu was in Ramoth, making plans to kill Joram. He said to his officers, “If you want me to be king, then don't let anyone leave this town. They might go to Jezreel and tell Joram.” Then Jehu got in his chariot and rode to Jezreel.
17 When the guard in the watchtower at Jezreel saw Jehu and his men riding up, he shouted to the king, “I see a large group of men coming this way.”
Joram ordered, “Send someone out to ask them if this is a friendly visit.”
18 One of the soldiers rode out and said to Jehu, “King Joram wants to know if this is a friendly visit.”
“What's it to you?” Jehu asked. “Just stay behind me with the rest of my troops!”
About the same time the guard in the watchtower said, “Your Majesty, the rider got there, but he isn't coming back.”
19 So Joram sent out another rider, who rode up to Jehu and said, “The king wants to know if this is a friendly visit.”
“What's it to you?” Jehu asked. “Just get behind me with the rest of my troops!”
20 The guard in the watchtower said, “Your Majesty, the rider got there, but he isn't coming back either. Wait a minute! That one man is a reckless chariot driver—it must be Jehu!”
21 Joram commanded, “Get my chariot ready.” Then he and Ahaziah got in their chariots and rode out to meet Jehu. They all met on the land that had belonged to Naboth. 22 Joram asked, “Jehu, is this a peaceful visit?”
“How can there be peace?” Jehu asked. “Your mother Jezebel has caused everyone to worship idols and practice witchcraft.”
23 “Ahaziah, let's get out of here!” Joram yelled. “It's a trap!” As Joram tried to escape, 24 Jehu shot an arrow. It hit Joram between his shoulders, then it went through his heart and came out his chest. He fell over dead in his chariot.
25-26 Jehu commanded his assistant Bidkar, “Get Joram's body and throw it in the field that Naboth once owned. Do you remember when you and I used to ride side by side behind Joram's father Ahab? It was then that the Lord swore to Ahab that he would be punished in the same field where he had killed Naboth and his sons. So throw Joram's body there, just as the Lord said.”
27 Ahaziah saw all of this happen and tried to escape to the town of Beth-Haggan, but Jehu caught up with him and shouted, “Kill him too!” So his troops shot Ahaziah with an arrow while he was on the road to Gur near Ibleam. He went as far as Megiddo, where he died. 28 Ahaziah's officers put his body in a chariot and took it back to Jerusalem, where they buried him beside his ancestors.
29 Ahaziah had become king of Judah in the eleventh year of the rule of Ahab's son Joram.
Jehu Kills Jezebel
30 Jehu headed toward Jezreel, and when Jezebel heard he was coming, she put on eye shadow and brushed her hair. Then she stood at the window, waiting for him to arrive. 31 As he walked through the city gate, she shouted down to him, “Why did you come here, you murderer? To kill the king? You're no better than Zimri!”
32 He looked up toward the window and asked, “Is anyone up there on my side?” A few palace workers stuck their heads out of a window, 33 and Jehu shouted, “Throw her out the window!” They threw her down, and her blood splattered on the walls and on the horses that trampled her body.
34 Jehu left to get something to eat and drink. Then he told some workers, “Even though she was evil, she was a king's daughter, so make sure she has a proper burial.”
35 But when they went out to bury her body, they found only her skull, her hands, and her feet. 36 They reported this to Jehu, and he said, “The Lord told Elijah the prophet that Jezebel's body would be eaten by dogs right here in Jezreel. 37 And he warned that her bones would be spread all over the ground like manure, so that no one could tell who it was.”
Jehub ge ra Israeli di gao-ao ra ǀnauǂgāhe
1 Kēbo-aob Elisab ge ǂkham kēbo-aogu di ǀguiba ǂgai tsî ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “ǂHomisen, îts nē xaparob oli-e ū tsî Ramots, Gilead ǃnâ ǂnôas ǁga ǃgû. 2 ǁNāpats ga sī, o Josafati ôab, Nimsib ǁnurib Jehuba ôa, î ǁîba horesagu âba xu ū tsî ǀguri ǃnā-oms ǃnâ ǂgâ-ū 3 tsî oli-e ǁîb danas ai ǂnâǂui tsî ǁîb ǃoa mî: ‘ǃKhūb ge Israeli ǂamab gao-aose ra ǀnau tsi ti ra mî.’ ǁNās khaoǃgâ ǃhaese ǁnāpa xu ūbesen.”
4 Ob ge ǂkham kēbo-aoba Ramots ǁga ge ǃgû. 5 ǁNāpab ge sī, o gu ge toroǃnans ǃkhōdana-aoga ǂnûsa ge ūhâ i. Ob ge ǁîba “Haisi-am-e ta ge ūba tsi hâ, ǃgôahesatse” ti ge mî.
Jehub ge “Tarib sige dib ǀkhats ra ǃhoa” ti ge dî bi.
Ob ge ǁîba “Sats ǀkha, ǃgôahesatse” ti ge ǃeream. 6 ǁÎkha ge ǃnā-oms ǃnâ a ǂgâ, ob ge kēbo-aoba oli-e Jehub danas ai ǂnâǂui tsî ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Nētib ge ǃKhūb, Israeli di Eloba ra mî: ‘Tita ge ti ǁaes Israels ǂama gao-aose ra ǀnau tsi. 7 Sats ge Axab ôab, sa ǀhonkhoeb gao-aoba nî ǃgam. ǁNāti ta ge Isabelsa nî ǁkhara, ti kēbo-aogu tsî nau ǃgāgu tigu hîas ge ǃgamgu ǃaroma. 8 Axab surib hoaragab ge nî ǁō. Tita ge mâ aoreb ǁîb surib dib hoaba, ǀguib tsîna ǁnāxūǂui tamase nî hîkākā. 9 Tita ge ǁîb di surib ǀkha, Israeli gao-aob Jerobeammi tsî Israeli gao-aob Baasab tsîkha di surib ǀkha ta ge dī khami nî dī. 10 Isabels ge ǁkhōhe tidesa; ǁîs di soros ge arin xa Jesreels ǀkharib ǃnâ nî ōhe.’ ” Nēnab ge mîtoa, ob ge ǂkham kēbo-aoba omsa xu ǂoa tsî ge ǃhū. 11 Jehub ge ǁkhawa nau ǂamkhoegu tawa a ǂoaxa, o gu ge ǁîga ge dî bi: “Hoa xūna a ǂhanu? Tare-eb nē ǃkhausaba sats tawa ôaǀkhī?”
Ob ge Jehuba ge ǃeream: “Sago ge nē khoeb tsî ǁîb di ǃhoa-ain tsîna a ǂan.”
12 O gu ge ǁîga ge mî: “Gāts ra; mîba gere tare-eb go mîsa.”
Ob ge ge mî: “Nētib ge ǃKhūba ra mî tib ge ǁîba tita ǃoa go mî: ‘Tita ge Israeli ǂama gao-aose ra ǀnau tsi.’ ”
13 Ob ge ǁnātimîsi mâb hoaba saran âba ū tsî dā-aiǃharodi ai Jehuba ǀgâiǁguiba tsî xâiǁnâsa xâi tsî ge ǂgaiǂui: “Jehub ge a gao-ao.”
Israeli gao-aob Jorammi di ǃgamhes
14-15 Jehub ge gao-aob Jorammi ǃoagu ge ǀapeǀhao. Jorammi ge noxopa Siriab gao-aob Hasaeli ǃoagub ge ǃkham torob ǃnâb ge Ramots ǃnâ a tsuihe ǀhapide xub nî ǂgauseb ge Jesreels ǃnâ a sī, o ǁnāpa ge hâ i. Ob ge Jehuba ge mî: “Tita ǀkha go nî ǀguis kao, kōǃgâ, î-i tā khoe-e Ramotsa xu ǂoa tsî Jesreels khoena sī nē ǂhôa-e mîba.” 16 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge kunis âb ai ǂoa tsî Jesreels ǁga ge ǃnari. Jorammi ge noxopa ge ǀaeǁgoe hâ i tsî Judab gao-aob Ahasiab ge ǁîba ge sari hâ i.
17 Jesreels ǃnâ ge ǂgō-ommi ai mâ i ǃûi-aob ge Jehub tsî ǁîb khoegu tsîna ge mûǃgoaxa. ǁÎb ge “ǂGui khoega ta ge ra mûǃgoaxa” ti ge mî.
Ob ge Joramma ge ǃeream: “ǃGapi-aoba sî, îb ǁîga ǃgapiǃoa tsî ǂkhîb ǃnâ gu ra hāsa dî.”
18 Sîsabeb ge Jehuba ǃoa ǃgapiǂoa tsî ǁîb ǁga ge mî: “Gao-aob ge ǂkhîb ǃnâts go hāsa ra dî.”
Ob ge Jehuba ge ǃeream: “Satsa tā ǂkhîb xa ǂâiǂhansen, îts dabasen tsî tita sao.”
ǂGō-ommi ai ge mâ i ǃûi-aob ge sîsabeb, khoegu kōseb go sī, xaweb oadabasen tama ǃkhaisa ge ǂanǂan. 19 Gao-aob ge ǀkhara sîsabeba ge sîǂoa tsîb ge ǁîba Jehub tawab ge sīo ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Gao-aob ge ǂkhîb ǃnâts go hāsa ra dî.”
Ob ge Jehuba ǁkhawa ge ǃeream: “Satsa tā ǂkhîb xa ǂâiǂhansen, îts dabasen tsî tita sao.”
20 ǁKhawab ge ǃûi-aoba ge mî: “Sîsabeb ge khoegu kōseb go sī, xawe oadabasen tama hâ. Tsî kunisa ǃnari hâb ge ǃkhau hâ khoe-i khami ra ǃnari, Jehub ǂûb khami.”
21 “Kunisa ǂgāǃaoba te” tib ge gao-aob Joramma ge mîmā. ǂGāǃaobaheb ge ob ge kunis ai ge ǂoa. Gao-aob Ahasiab tsîn ge ǁîb kunis ai ge ǂoa tsî kha ge hoakha Jehuba kha nî ǀhao-ūga ge ǃnariǂoa. ǁÎkha ge Jehuba Naboti ǃhūǃâs tawa Jesreels ǃnâ ge ǀhao-ū. 22 Joramma ge ǁîba ge dî: “ǂKhîb ǃnâts go hā?”
Ob ge ǁîba ge ǃeream: “Mâ ǂkhî-e nî hâ, sa îs ge tsoatsoa ǃgaidīb tsî ǁgôa-eloǃoabas noxopa sida ǃnâ hâs kōse?”
23 Ob ge Joramma “Gāxaǃnâsib ge nēba, Ahasiatse” ti mî tsî kunis âba ǁnumi tsî ge ǁhâ. 24 Jehub ge khās âba ǀgaisase ǂgaeǃnâ tsî Joramma ǁâb ǃnâ ge ǁkhâu tsîb ge ǂāba ǂgaob âba ge ǃkhāǃganu tsîb ge kunis âb ǃnâ ge ǁnā. 25 Ob ge Jehuba ǁîb ǂamkhoeb Bidkara ge mîmā: “Soros âba ūkhâi, î ǁîsa Naboti ǃhūǃâs ai aoǁgui. ǂÂi re, mâtib ge ǃKhūba sakhom, ǁîb îb Axab khaoǃgâ ǀguipa ra ǃgapi hîa nē ǀgoraǃgâsa ǁîb ǃoagu gowaǂuisa: 26 ‘Tita ge ǁari Naboti tsî ǁîb ôagu di ǃgamhesa go mû. Tsî ta ge go mîmâi nēpa ta ǁkhā ǃhūǃâs ǁkhās ai nî ǁkhara tsisa.’ ǁNā-amaga soros âba ū, î ǁîsa nē ǃhūǃâs ai aoǁgui, ǃKhūb ge mî hâ i khami.”
Judab gao-aob Ahasiab di ǃgamhes
27 Gao-aob Ahasiab ge ī gonab ge mû, o Bet-Hagans ǀkhāb ǁga ge ǁhâ. Ob ge Jehuba ǁîba ǃgôaǃgon tsî “ǁÎb tsîna ǁkhâu” ti ge mî. O gu ge Gurs, Ibleams ǀgūse ǂnôas ǁga garu daob ai, kunis âb ǃnâ ge ǁkhâu bi; xaweb ge Megidos kōse ǁhâ tsî ǁnāpa sī ge ǁō. 28 ǁÎb ǂamkhoegu ge soros âba kunis ǀkha Jerusalems ǁga ǃnari-ū tsî ǁîb ǀaokhoen ǀhobas ǃnâ, Davidi ǃĀs ǃnâ ge ǁkhō bi.
29 Disiǀguiǀaǁî kurib Axab ôab, Israeli gao-aob Jorammi di ǂgaeǂguis dib ǃnâb ge Ahasiaba ge Judab gao-ao kai.
Gao-aos Isabels di ǃgamhes
30 Isabels ge Jehub ge Jesreels ǃnâ hā ǃkhaisas ge ǁnâu, o mûra âsa boro, ǀûn âsa anu-anu tsî mûǂuidaos ǃnâ mâ gere kō. 31 Tsîs ge Jehub ǃās di dao-ams ǃnâ ra ǂgâxa hîa ge ǃhao: “ǂKhîb ǃnâts go hā Simritse , sats gao-aoǃgamaotse.”
32 Ob ge Jehuba kōkhâi tsî “Tari-e ti ǀkhāb ai hâ?” ti ge dî. O gu ge ǀgam tamas ka io ǃnona gao-ommi ǂamkhoega ǁîb ǁga ge kōǁgôa. 33 Ob ge Jehuba “Aoǁnâ si” ti ǁîga ge mîmā. ǁÎgu ge ge aoǁnâ si tsîb ge ǁîs ǀaoba ǂnubiǂgoab tsî hān tsîn ai ge ǀaisen. Tsîb ge Jehuba ǁîb hān tsî kunis ǀkha ge dāǂkhū si. 34 ǁÎb ge gao-ommi ǃnâ ǂgâ tsî sī ǂû tsî ge ā. ǁNās khaoǃgâ ǀguib ge ge mî: “ǁNā ǀâxarexūsa khoesa ūkhâi î ǁkhō, gao-aob ôas a xuige.” 35 Xawe ǁîsa gu nî ǁkhōse gu ge ǂoa, o gu ge ǁîs di danaǂkhōs tsî ǃomkha tsî ǂaira tsîn ǀguina ge hō. 36 Nē ǃkhaisa gu ge ǂanǂan bi, ob ge Jehuba ge mî: “ǁNās ge ǃKhūb ge ǁîb di ǃgāb Eliab ǃnâ-u mî hâ i ǃkhaisa: ‘Arin ge Isabels sorosa Jesreels ǀkharib ǃnâ nî ō. 37 Tsî ǁîs di soros ge ǀarub khami tsoroxūsase nî ǁgoe. Khoe-i xare-i ge Isabels a ǃkhais xawesa ǂan tide.’ ”
