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Wednesday, August 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

2 Kings 9:22

When Joram saw Jehu he called out, "Good day, Jehu!" Jehu answered, "What's good about it? How can there be anything good about it as long as the promiscuous whoring and sorceries of your mother Jezebel pollute the country?"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ahaziah;   Church and State;   Conspiracy;   Decision;   Jehu;   Jezebel;   Jezreel;   Joram;   Naboth;   Sorcery;   Usurpation;   Whoredom;   Thompson Chain Reference - Fortune Telling;   Magic;   Witchcraft;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Kings;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jezebel;   Jezreel;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ahaziah;   Jehoram;   Jehu;   Jezebel;   Jezreel;   Phoenicia;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Magic;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Jehoram;   Jezebel;   Jezreel;   Witchcraft;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jezebel;   Naboth;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Divination and Magic;   Jezebel;   Queen;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Government;   Jehu;   Magic, Divination, and Sorcery;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Sorcery;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ahaziah ;   Jehu ;   Jezebel ;   Jezreel ;   Joram, Jehoram;   Naboth ;   Witch, Witchcraft;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Jehu;   Ramothgilead;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Enchantments;   Je'hu;   Jo'ram;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Jehu;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Jehoram;   Magic;   Witch;   Woman;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Witchcraft;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When Joram saw Jehu he asked, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?”
Hebrew Names Version
It happened, when Yoram saw Yehu, that he said, Is it shalom, Yehu? He answered, What shalom, so long as the prostitution of your mother Izevel and her witchcraft abound?
King James Version
And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?
English Standard Version
And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, "Is it peace, Jehu?" He answered, "What peace can there be, so long as the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel are so many?"
New Century Version
When Joram saw Jehu, he said, "Is all in order, Jehu?" Jehu answered, "There will never be any order as long as your mother Jezebel worships idols and uses witchcraft."
New English Translation
When Jehoram saw Jehu, he asked, "Is everything all right, Jehu?" He replied, "How can everything be all right as long as your mother Jezebel promotes idolatry and pagan practices?"
Amplified Bible
When Joram saw Jehu, he said, "Do you come in peace, Jehu?" And he answered, "What peace [can exist] as long as the fornications of your mother Jezebel and her sorceries are so many?"
New American Standard Bible
When Joram saw Jehu, he said, "Is your intention peace, Jehu?" And he answered, "What 'peace,' so long as your mother Jezebel's acts of prostitution and witchcraft are so many?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when Iehoram sawe Iehu, he sayde, Is it peace, Iehu? And he answered, What peace? whiles the whoredomes of thy mother Iezebel, and her witchcraftes are yet in great nomber?
Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened that when Joram saw Jehu, he said, "Is it peace, Jehu?" And he answered, "What peace, so long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her sorceries are so many?"
Contemporary English Version
Joram asked, "Jehu, is this a peaceful visit?" "How can there be peace?" Jehu asked. "Your mother Jezebel has caused everyone to worship idols and practice witchcraft."
Complete Jewish Bible
When Yoram saw Yehu he said, "Are you coming in peace, Yehu?" He answered, "Peace? With your mother Izevel continuing all her cult prostitution and witchcraft? What a question!"
Darby Translation
And it came to pass when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he said, What peace, so long as the fornications of thy mother Jezebel and her sorceries are so many?
Easy-to-Read Version
Joram saw Jehu and asked, "Do you come in peace, Jehu?" Jehu answered, "There is no peace as long as your mother Jezebel does many acts of prostitution and witchcraft."
George Lamsa Translation
And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And Jehu answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?
Good News Translation
"Are you coming in peace?" Joram asked him. "How can there be peace," Jehu answered, "when we still have all the witchcraft and idolatry that your mother Jezebel started?"
Lexham English Bible
When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, "Is it peace?" And he said, "What peace is there while the prostitutions of your mother Jezebel and her sorceries are numerous?"
Literal Translation
And it happened, when Jehoram saw Jehu, he said, Peace, Jehu? And he said, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of your mother Jezebel and her sorceries are so many?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan Ioram sawe Iehu, he sayde: Iehu, is it peace? But he sayde: What peace? The whordome and witchcraft of thy mother Iesabel is not yet come to an ende.
American Standard Version
And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?
Bible in Basic English
Now when Joram saw Jehu he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he said in answer, What peace is possible while all the land is full of the disgusting sins of your mother Jezebel, and her secret arts?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And it fortuned, that when Ioram sawe Iehu, he sayd: Is it peace Iehu? He aunswered: What peace should there be, so long as the whordoms of thy mother Iezabel and her wytchcraftes are so great?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said: 'Is it peace, Jehu?' And he answered: 'What peace, so long as the harlotries of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?'
King James Version (1611)
And it came to passe when Ioram saw Iehu, that hee said, Is it peace, Iehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredomes of thy mother Iezebel, and her witchcrafts are so many?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it came to pass when Joram saw Ju, that he said, Is it peace, Ju? And Ju said, How can it be peace? as yet there are the whoredoms of thy mother Jezabel, and her abundant witchcrafts.
English Revised Version
And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?
Berean Standard Bible
When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, "Have you come in peace, Jehu?" "How can there be peace," he replied, "as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne Joram hadde seyn Hieu, he seide, Hieu, `is pees? And he answeride, What pees? Yit the fornycaciouns of Jezabel, thi modir, and many poisenyngis of hir ben in strengthe.
Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, at Jehoram's seeing Jehu, that he saith, `Is there peace, Jehu?' and he saith, `What [is] the peace, while the whoredoms of Jezebel thy mother, and her witchcrafts, are many?'
Update Bible Version
And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the prostitution of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?
Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, [Is it] peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the lewd acts of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts [are so] many?
World English Bible
It happened, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? He answered, What peace, so long as the prostitution of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft abound?
New King James Version
Now it happened, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, "Is it peace, Jehu?" So he answered, "What peace, as long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft are so many?"
New Living Translation
King Joram demanded, "Do you come in peace, Jehu?" Jehu replied, "How can there be peace as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother, Jezebel, are all around us?"
New Life Bible
When Joram saw Jehu, he said, "Do you come in peace, Jehu?" And he answered, "What peace can there be, so long as the sinful ways and witchcrafts of your mother Jezebel are so many?"
New Revised Standard
When Joram saw Jehu, he said, "Is it peace, Jehu?" He answered, "What peace can there be, so long as the many whoredoms and sorceries of your mother Jezebel continue?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And it came to pass, when Jehoram saw Jehu, that he said - Is it peace, Jehu? And he said - What can be the peace, while thy mother Jezebel's harlotries and her incantations do so abound?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when Joram saw Jehu, he said: Is there peace, Jehu? And he answered: What peace? so long as the fornications of Jezabel, thy mother, and her many sorceries, are in their vigour.
Revised Standard Version
And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, "Is it peace, Jehu?" He answered, "What peace can there be, so long as the harlotries and the sorceries of your mother Jez'ebel are so many?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When Joram saw Jehu, he said, "Is it peace, Jehu?" And he answered, "What peace, so long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?"

Contextual Overview

16 Then Jehu mounted a chariot and rode to Jezreel, where Joram was in bed, resting. King Ahaziah of Judah had come down to visit Joram. 17 A sentry standing duty on the watchtower in Jezreel saw the company of Jehu arrive. He said, "I see a band of men." Joram said, "Get a horseman and send him out to meet them and inquire, ‘Is anything wrong?'" 18 The horseman rode out to meet Jehu and said, "The king wants to know if there's anything wrong." Jehu said, "What's it to you whether things are right or wrong? Fall in behind me." The sentry said, "The messenger reached them, but he's not returning." 19 The king then sent a second horseman. When he reached them he said, "The king wants to know if there's anything wrong." Jehu said, "What's it to you whether things are right or wrong? Fall in behind me." 20 The sentry said, "The messenger reached them, but he's not returning. The driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi—crazy!" 21 Joram ordered, "Get my chariot ready!" They hitched up his chariot. Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah, each in his own chariot, drove out to meet Jehu. They met in the field of Naboth of Jezreel. 22 When Joram saw Jehu he called out, "Good day, Jehu!" Jehu answered, "What's good about it? How can there be anything good about it as long as the promiscuous whoring and sorceries of your mother Jezebel pollute the country?" 23 Joram wheeled his chariot around and fled, yelling to Ahaziah, "It's a trap, Ahaziah!" 24 Jehu pulled on his bow and released an arrow; it hit Joram between the shoulder blades and went right through his heart. He slumped to his knees in his chariot. 25Jehu ordered Bidkar, his lieutenant, "Quick—throw him into the field of Naboth of Jezreel. Remember when you and I were driving our chariots behind Ahab his father? That's when God pronounced this doom upon him: ‘As surely as I saw the blood of murdered Naboth and his sons yesterday, you'll pay for it on this exact piece of ground. God 's word!' So take him and throw him out in the field. God 's instructions carried out to the letter!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Is it peace: 2 Kings 9:17

What peace: 2 Kings 9:18, Isaiah 57:19-21

the whoredoms: 1 Kings 16:30-33, 1 Kings 18:4, 1 Kings 19:1, 1 Kings 19:2, 1 Kings 21:8-10, 1 Kings 21:25, Nahum 3:4, Revelation 2:20-23, Revelation 17:4, Revelation 17:5, Revelation 18:3, Revelation 18:23

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 16:4 - Comest 1 Kings 1:42 - a valiant 1 Kings 18:19 - eat at Jezebel's table 1 Kings 22:8 - concerning me 1 Kings 22:52 - in the way 2 Kings 3:2 - and like 2 Kings 9:11 - Is all well 1 Chronicles 12:17 - If ye be come 2 Chronicles 18:7 - me 2 Chronicles 21:11 - fornication 2 Chronicles 21:13 - a whoring Esther 2:21 - and sought Proverbs 7:10 - the attire Isaiah 57:21 - General Hosea 2:4 - children of

Cross-References

Genesis 9:12
God continued, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and everything living around you and everyone living after you. I'm putting my rainbow in the clouds, a sign of the covenant between me and the Earth. From now on, when I form a cloud over the Earth and the rainbow appears in the cloud, I'll remember my covenant between me and you and everything living, that never again will floodwaters destroy all life. When the rainbow appears in the cloud, I'll see it and remember the eternal covenant between God and everything living, every last living creature on Earth."
Genesis 9:20
Noah, a farmer, was the first to plant a vineyard. He drank from its wine, got drunk and passed out, naked in his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and told his two brothers who were outside the tent. Shem and Japheth took a cloak, held it between them from their shoulders, walked backward and covered their father's nakedness, keeping their faces turned away so they did not see their father's exposed body.
Genesis 10:6
The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, Canaan.
1 Chronicles 1:8
Ham had Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
Proverbs 25:9
In the heat of an argument, don't betray confidences; Word is sure to get around, and no one will trust you.
Proverbs 30:17
An eye that disdains a father and despises a mother— that eye will be plucked out by wild vultures and consumed by young eagles.
Matthew 18:15
"If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you've made a friend. If he won't listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won't listen, tell the church. If he won't listen to the church, you'll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God's forgiving love.
Galatians 6:1
Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass, when Joram saw, Jehu, that he said, is it peace, Jehu?.... Have things gone well at Ramothgilead? art thou come in triumph from thence? or obliged to fly from the Syrians? or art thou come in a peaceable, or in an hostile manner to me?

and he answered, what peace; canst thou expect at home or abroad, from me or others:

so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? which may be understood both literally of corporeal whoredom, and diabolical arts she was addicted to, and figuratively of idolatry, often called whoredom in Scripture, and of the wicked arts and methods she made use of to inveigle and entice persons into it; and both these very often went together; see Nahum 3:4 and of which Joram was guilty, at least in part; he connived at all in her, and did not attempt to restrain her, and therefore had no claim to peace, protection, and safety.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Joram had asked the usual question, “Is it peace?” - meaning simply, “Is all well?” In Jehu’s reply, by “whoredoms” we are probably to understand “idolatries,” acts of spiritual unfaithfulness; by “witchcrafts,” dealings with the Baal prophets and oracles. Compare 2 Kings 1:2 note.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 9:22. What peace, so long as the whoredoms — Though the words whoredom, adultery, and fornication, are frequently used to express idolatry, and false religion, in general; yet here they may be safely taken in their common and most obvious sense, as there is much reason to believe that Jezebel was the patroness and supporter of a very impure system of religion; and to this Jehu might refer, rather than to the calf-worship, to which himself was most favourably disposed.


 
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