r Israel. 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. For the whole house of Ahab shall
perish. 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. And the
dogs shall eat Jezebel in the rampart of Jezreel, and there shall be
none to bury her.'"

{159}

And he opened the door, and fled. 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 to them, "Ye know the man and what his talk was."

And they said, "It is false; tell us now."

And he said, "Thus and thus spoke he to me, saying, 'Thus saith the
Lord. I have anointed thee king over Israel.'"

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

So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against
Joram. ( Now Joram kept Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel, because of
Hazael king of Syria: 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 this be your mind, then let none escape and go forth
out of the city, to go to tell it in Jezreel."

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. Now the watchman stood
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?'"

So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, "Thus saith the
king, 'Is it peace?'"

{160}

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."

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."

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

And Joram said, "Make ready." And they made ready his chariot.

And Joram