2 Kings 9:14–24

Jehoram (Joram) Is Assassinated

¹⁴So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. ^aNow Joram ¹with all Israel was ²defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram,

¹⁵but ^aKing ¹Joram had returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds which the Arameans had ²inflicted on him when he fought with Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said, “If this is your mind, then let no one escape or ³leave the city to go tell it in Jezreel.”

¹⁶Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram was lying there. ^aAhaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram.

¹⁷Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and he saw the ¹company of Jehu as he came, and said, “I see a company.” And Joram said, “Take a horseman and send him to meet them and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’ ”

¹⁸So a horseman went to meet him and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’ ” And Jehu said, “^aWhat have you to do with peace? Turn behind me.” And the watchman ¹reported, “The messenger came to them, but he did not return.”

¹⁹Then he sent out a second horseman, who came to them and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’ ” And Jehu ¹answered, “What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me.”

²⁰The watchman ¹reported, “He came even to them, and he did not return; and ^athe driving is like the driving of ^bJehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.”

²¹Then ¹Joram said, “²Get ready.” And they made his chariot ready. ^aJoram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu and found him in the ^3bproperty of Naboth the Jezreelite.

²²When ¹Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” And he ²answered, “What peace, ^aso long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?”

²³So ¹Joram ²reined about and fled and said to Ahaziah, “^aThere is treachery, O Ahaziah!”

²⁴And ^aJehu ¹drew his bow with his full strength and ²shot ³Joram between his arms; and the arrow went ⁴through his heart and he sank in his chariot.