1-3. One day Elisha the prophet ordered a member of the guild of prophets, “Get yourself ready, take a flask of oil, and go to Ramoth Gilead. Look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi. When you find him, get him away from his companions and take him to a back room. Take your flask of oil and pour it over his head and say, ‘God’s word: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and get out of there as fast as you can. Don’t wait around.”
4-5. The young prophet went to Ramoth Gilead. On arrival he found the army officers all sitting around. He said, “I have a matter of business with you, officer.”Jehu said, “Which one of us?”“With you, officer.”
6-10. He got up and went inside the building. The young prophet poured the oil on his head and said, “God’s word, the God of Israel: I’ve anointed you to be king over the people of God, over Israel. Your assignment is to attack the regime of Ahab your master. I am avenging the massacre of my servants the prophets—yes, the Jezebel-massacre of all the prophets of God. The entire line of Ahab is doomed. I’m wiping out the entire bunch of that sad lot. I’ll see to it that the family of Ahab experiences the same fate as the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat and the family of Baasha son of Ahijah. As for Jezebel, the dogs will eat her carcass in the open fields of Jezreel. No burial for her!” Then he opened the door and made a run for it.
11. Jehu went back out to his master’s officers. They asked, “Is everything all right? What did that crazy fool want with you?”He said, “You know that kind of man—all talk.”
12. “That’s a lie!” they said. “Tell us what’s going on.”He said, “He told me this and this and this—in effect, ‘God’s word: I anoint you king of Israel!’”
13. They sprang into action. Each man grabbed his robe; they piled them at the top of the steps for a makeshift throne. Then they blew the trumpet and declared, “Jehu is king!”
14-15. That ignited the conspiracy of Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi against Joram.Meanwhile, Joram and the entire army were defending Ramoth Gilead against Hazael king of Aram. Except that Joram had pulled back to Jezreel to convalesce from the injuries he got from the Arameans in the battle with Hazael king of Aram.Jehu said, “If you really want me as king, don’t let anyone sneak out of the city and blab the news in Jezreel.”
16. Then Jehu mounted a chariot and rode to Jezreel, where Joram was in bed, resting. King Ahaziah of Judah had come down to visit Joram.
17. A sentry standing duty on the watchtower in Jezreel saw the company of Jehu arrive. He said, “I see a band of men.”Joram said, “Get a horseman and send him out to meet them and inquire, ‘Is anything wrong?’”
18. The horseman rode out to meet Jehu and said, “The king wants to know if there’s anything wrong.”Jehu said, “What’s it to you whether things are right or wrong? Fall in behind me.”The sentry said, “The messenger reached them, but he’s not returning.”
19. The king then sent a second horseman. When he reached them he said, “The king wants to know if there’s anything wrong.”Jehu said, “What’s it to you whether things are right or wrong? Fall in behind me.”
20. The sentry said, “The messenger reached them, but he’s not returning. The driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi—crazy!”
21. Joram ordered, “Get my chariot ready!” They hitched up his chariot. Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah, each in his own chariot, drove out to meet Jehu. They met in the field of Naboth of Jezreel.