Jehu Anointed King of Israel
91Then Elisha called one of the sons of the prophets and told him, “Hike up your garments for travel,[] and take this flask of oil in your hand and go to Ramoth Gilead. 2When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in and have him excuse himself from his associates[] and bring him into an inner room. 3Take the flask of oil, pour it out on his head, and say, ‘This is what the Lord says. I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and flee. Do not delay!” 4So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead. 5When he got there, he found the commanders of the army sitting together.
He said, “I have a message for you, commander.”
Then Jehu said, “For which of us?”
He answered, “For you, commander.”
6So Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the servant poured the oil on his head and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says. I anoint you king over the Lord's people Israel. 7You will strike down the house of your master Ahab, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the Lord that was shed by Jezebel. 8The whole house of Ahab will perish. In Israel I will cut off from Ahab those who urinate against the wall,[] both bound and free.[] 9I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Ba'asha son of Ahijah. 10The dogs will eat Jezebel on the plot of ground in Jezre'el, and no one will bury her.” Then he opened the door and fled. 11Then Jehu went out to the rest of the king's officers. They said to him, “Is everything all right? Why did that madman come to you?”
He said to them, “You know the man and how he talks.”
12But they said, “That's not true! Tell us!”
So he said, “He told me this and that, and then he said, ‘This is what the Lord says. I anoint you king over Israel.’”
13Each man quickly took his cloak. Then they placed them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the ram's horn and said, “Jehu is king!”
Jehu Slaughters the Prophets of Baal
18Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little. Jehu will serve him a great deal. 19But now, gather all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests! Let no one be missing because I am going to make a great sacrifice to Baal. No one who misses it will live.”
But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to exterminate the servants of Baal.
20Then Jehu said, “Consecrate a festival for Baal,” and they proclaimed it.
21Then Jehu sent word through all Israel, and all the servants of Baal came. Not a man was left who did not come. They came into the temple of Baal so that the temple[] of Baal was filled from end to end. 22Then he said to the person in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them. 23Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Recab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Make a careful search, and see to it that there are no servants of the Lord with you, but only servants of Baal.”
24Then they went in to make sacrifices and whole burnt offerings. But Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and said, “If any man escapes from these men whom I am putting into your hands, it will be your life for his life.”
25When he was finished offering the whole burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and to the officers, “Go strike them down! Don't let anyone out!” So they struck them down with their swords, and the guards and the officers threw the bodies out. They then went into the inner sanctuary of the temple of Baal. 26They brought the sacred memorial stones out from the temple of Baal and burned them. 27They tore down the memorial stone for Baal and tore down the temple of Baal. They have used it for a latrine to this day. 28In this way Jehu exterminated Baal worship from Israel.
Jehu Falters in His Faithfulness
29But when it came to the sins which Jeroboam son of Nebat caused Israel to commit, Jehu did not turn aside from following the golden calves which were in Bethel and in Dan.
