2 Kings 9:1–10

Jehu Anointed as Israel’s King

9The prophet Elisha called one of the sons of the prophets ^dand said, “Tuck your mantle ^eunder your belt, take this flask of oil ^fwith you, and go to Ramoth-gilead. ^g2When you get there, look for Jehu ^hson of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his colleagues, and take him to an inner room. ³Then, take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: “I anoint you king over Israel.” ’ ⁱOpen the door and escape. Don’t wait.” ⁴So the young prophet went to Ramoth-gilead.

⁵When he arrived, the army commanders were sitting there, so he said, “I have a message for you, commander.”

Jehu asked, “For which one of us?”

He answered, “For you, commander.”

⁶So Jehu got up and went into the house. The young prophet poured the oil on his head and said, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I anoint you king over the Lord’s people, Israel. ⁷You are to strike down the house of your master Ahab so that I may avenge the blood shed by the hand of Jezebel—the blood of My servants the prophets and of all the servants of the Lord. ^j8The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will eliminate all of Ahab’s males, ^kboth slave and free, in Israel. ^l9I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah. ^m10The dogs will eat Jezebel in the plot of land at Jezreel—no one will bury her.’ ” ⁿThen the young prophet opened the door and escaped.