Daily Text and Bible Reading: Thursday, April 30 [Press play below]

9.1 Elisha the prophet then called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him: “Wrap your garments around your waist, and quickly take this flask of oil with you and go to Ramoth-gilead.
9.2 When you arrive there, look for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi; go in and have him get up from among his brothers and take him into the innermost room.
9.3 Then take the flask of oil and pour it out on his head and say, ‘This is what Jehovah says: “I anoint you as king over Israel.”’ Then open the door and flee without delay.”
9.4 So the prophet’s attendant got on his way to Ramoth-gilead.
9.5 When he arrived, the army chiefs were seated there. He said: “I have a message for you, O chief.” Jehu asked: “For which one of us?” He said: “For you, O chief.”
9.6 So Jehu got up and went into the house; the attendant poured the oil out on his head and said to him, “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: ‘I anoint you as king over Jehovah’s people, over Israel.
9.7 You must strike down the house of Ahab your lord, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and of all the servants of Jehovah who died at the hands of Jezebel.
9.8 And the whole house of Ahab will perish; and I will annihilate from Ahab every male, including the helpless and weak in Israel.
9.9 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.
9.10 As for Jezebel, the dogs will eat her up in the plot of land at Jezreel, and no one will bury her.’” With that he opened the door and fled.
9.11 When Jehu went back to the servants of his lord, they asked him: “Is everything all right? Why did this crazy man come to you?” He answered them: “You know that sort of man and his sort of talk.”
9.12 But they said: “That is not true! Tell us, please.” Then he said: “This is what he said to me, and then he added, ‘This is what Jehovah says: “I anoint you as king over Israel.”’”
9.13 At this each of them quickly took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the horn and said: “Jehu has become king!”
9.14 Then Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Jehoram. Jehoram had been on guard at Ramoth-gilead, he with all Israel, because of King Hazael of Syria.
9.15 King Jehoram later returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Syrians inflicted on him when he fought King Hazael of Syria.
Jehu now said: “If you agree, do not let anyone escape from the city to go and report this in Jezreel.”
9.16 Then Jehu mounted his chariot and went to Jezreel, for Jehoram was lying there wounded, and King Ahaziah of Judah had gone down to see Jehoram.
9.17 As the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, he saw the throng of Jehu’s men approaching. At once he said: “I see a throng of men.” Jehoram said: “Take a cavalryman and send him to meet them, and let him say, ‘Are you coming in peace?’”
9.18 So a horseman went to meet him and said: “This is what the king says, ‘Are you coming in peace?’” But Jehu said: “What do you have to do with ‘peace’? Fall in behind me!” The watchman then reported: “The messenger reached them, but he has not returned.”
9.19 So he sent out a second horseman, who said when he came to them: “This is what the king says, ‘Are you coming in peace?’” But Jehu said: “What do you have to do with ‘peace’? Fall in behind me!”
9.20 The watchman then reported: “He reached them, but he has not returned, and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the grandson of Nimshi, for he drives like a madman.”
9.21 Jehoram said: “Hitch up!” So his war chariot was hitched up and King Jehoram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah each went out in his own war chariot to meet Jehu. They encountered him in the plot of land of Naboth the Jezreelite.
9.22 As soon as Jehoram saw Jehu, he said: “Are you coming in peace, Jehu?” But he said: “What peace could there be as long as there is the prostitution of Jezebel your mother and her many sorceries?”
9.23 At once Jehoram turned his chariot to flee, and he said to Ahaziah: “We have been tricked, Ahaziah!”
9.24 Jehu took his bow in hand and shot Jehoram between the shoulders, and the arrow came out at his heart, and he collapsed in his war chariot.
9.25 He then said to Bidkar his adjutant: “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember, you and I were riding together behind Ahab his father when Jehovah himself made this pronouncement against him:
9.26 ‘“As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday,” declares Jehovah, “I will repay you in this very plot of land,” declares Jehovah.’ So now pick him up and throw him into the plot of land, according to the word of Jehovah.”
9.27 When King Ahaziah of Judah saw what was happening, he fled by way of the garden house. (Later Jehu pursued him and said: “Strike him down also!” So they struck him down in the chariot on his way up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. But he continued his flight to Megiddo and died there.
9.28 Then his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and they buried him in his grave with his forefathers in the City of David.
9.29 It was in the 11th year of Jehoram the son of Ahab that Ahaziah had become king over Judah.)
9.30 When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes with black paint and adorned her head and looked down through the window.
9.31 As Jehu came in through the gate, she said: “Did it go well with Zimri, the killer of his lord?”
9.32 Looking up to the window, he said: “Who is on my side? Who?” Immediately two or three court officials looked down at him.
9.33 He said: “Throw her down!” So they threw her down, and some of her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her.
9.34 After that he went in and ate and drank. He then said: “Please, take care of this accursed woman and bury her. After all, she is the daughter of a king.”
9.35 But when they went to bury her, they did not find anything but her skull and her feet and the palms of her hands.
9.36 When they returned and told him, he said: “This fulfills the word of Jehovah that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘In the plot of land of Jezreel, the dogs will eat the flesh of Jezebel.
9.37 And the dead body of Jezebel will become as manure on the surface of the field in the plot of land of Jezreel, so that they may not say: “This is Jezebel.”’”

10.1 Now Ahab had 70 sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the princes of Jezreel, the elders, and the guardians of Ahab’s children, saying:
10.2 “Now when this letter comes to you, the sons of your lord will be with you, as well as the war chariots, the horses, a fortified city, and weapons.
10.3 Select the best and most suitable of the sons of your lord and put him on the throne of his father. Then fight for the house of your lord.”
10.4 But they were overcome with fear and said: “Look! If two kings could not stand before him, how can we stand?”
10.5 So the overseer of the palace, the governor of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do everything that you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever seems good in your eyes.”
10.6 Then he wrote them a second letter, saying: “If you belong to me and are willing to obey me, bring the heads of the sons of your lord and come to me tomorrow at this time at Jezreel.” Now the 70 sons of the king were with the distinguished men of the city who were raising them.
10.7 As soon as the letter came to them, they took the sons of the king and slaughtered them, 70 men, and they put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel.
10.8 The messenger came in and told him: “They have brought the heads of the sons of the king.” So he said: “Put them in two heaps at the entrance of the city gate until morning.”
10.9 When he went out in the morning, he stood before all the people and said: “You are innocent. Yes, I conspired against my lord, and I killed him, but who struck down all of these?
10.10 Know, then, that not a single word of Jehovah’s that Jehovah has spoken against the house of Ahab will go unfulfilled, and Jehovah has done what he spoke through his servant Elijah.”
10.11 Moreover, Jehu struck down all who were left of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, as well as all his distinguished men, his acquaintances, and his priests, until he had left him no survivor.
10.12 Then he got up and went on his way to Samaria. The binding house of the shepherds was on the way.
10.13 There Jehu encountered the brothers of King Ahaziah of Judah, and he said to them, “Who are you?” They said: “We are the brothers of Ahaziah, and we are on our way down to ask if all is well with the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.”
10.14 Immediately he said: “Capture them alive!” So they captured them alive and slaughtered them at the cistern of the binding house, 42 men. He did not let a single one of them survive.
10.15 As he went from there, he encountered Jehonadab the son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. When he greeted him, he said to him: “Is your heart fully with me, just as my heart is with your heart?” Jehonadab replied: “It is.” “If so, give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand, and Jehu pulled him up into the chariot with him.
10.16 Then he said: “Come along with me, and see my toleration of no rivalry toward Jehovah.” So they had him ride with him in his war chariot.
10.17 Then he came to Samaria, and he struck down all who were left over of Ahab’s house in Samaria until he had annihilated them, according to Jehovah’s word that he had spoken to Elijah.
10.18 Further, Jehu collected all the people together and said to them: “Ahab worshipped Baal a little, but Jehu will worship him much more.
10.19 So summon all the prophets of Baal, all his worshippers, and all his priests to me. Do not let a single one be absent, because I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who is absent will not live.” But Jehu was acting with cunning to destroy the worshippers of Baal.
10.20 Jehu continued: “Declare a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it.
10.21 After that Jehu sent word throughout Israel, and all the worshippers of Baal came. Not a single one was left out who did not come. They entered the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from end to end.
10.22 He said to the one who was in charge of the wardrobe: “Bring out garments for all the worshippers of Baal.” So he brought out the clothing for them.
10.23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab the son of Rechab went into the house of Baal. He now said to the worshippers of Baal: “Search carefully and see that there are no worshippers of Jehovah here, only worshippers of Baal.”
10.24 Finally they came in to offer up sacrifices and burnt offerings. Jehu had stationed 80 of his men outside and said: “If any one of the men I am putting into your hands escapes, it will be your life for his.”
10.25 As soon as he finished offering up the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and the adjutants: “Come in and strike them down! Do not let a single one escape!” So the guards and the adjutants struck them down with the sword and threw them out, and they kept going as far as the inner sanctuary of the house of Baal.
10.26 Then they brought out the sacred pillars of the house of Baal and burned each one.
10.27 They tore down the sacred pillar of Baal, and they tore down the house of Baal and turned it into latrines, as it remains to this day.
10.28 Thus Jehu annihilated Baal out of Israel.
10.29 However, Jehu did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit as regards the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan.
10.30 So Jehovah said to Jehu: “Because you have acted well and have done what is right in my eyes by carrying out all that was in my heart to do to the house of Ahab, four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.”
10.31 But Jehu did not take care to walk in the Law of Jehovah the God of Israel with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.
10.32 In those days Jehovah started to cut off Israel piece by piece. Hazael kept attacking them throughout the territory of Israel,
10.33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead—of the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites—from Aroer, which is by the Arnon Valley, to Gilead and Bashan.
10.34 And the rest of the history of Jehu, all that he did and all his mightiness, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel?
10.35 Then Jehu was laid to rest with his forefathers, and they buried him in Samaria; and his son Jehoahaz became king in his place.
10.36 The length of Jehu’s reign over Israel was 28 years in Samaria.