Jehu: The Kingslayer

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on The Chosen People. 00:00:04 Speaker 1: Children burned on their altars. Women were taken, broken, and discarded. Kings carved their glory from the marrow of their subjects. Beneath all its beauty, the land groaned beneath the weight of its own corruption. 00:00:20 Speaker 3: I gave you this house, this kingdom, this crown! 00:00:26 Speaker 4: Had that not been enough, I would have given you more. Yet you have despised my word. You have done what is evil in my sight. Blood shall answer blood. 00:00:41 Speaker 5: Because you have dealt in violence, so too shall violence rise in your own walls. 00:00:49 Speaker 6: But if you or your descendants turn away from me and do not observe my commands... If you serve other gods and worship them, Israel will become an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples. 00:01:11 Speaker 1: Kisha trudged along the dusty road, the flask of oil clutched tightly in his hands. He was not entirely sure why Elisha had chosen him for this errand. It felt, if he was being honest with himself, less like an honor and more like a test of how much he trusted his master or how much his master trusted him. Probably both. Elisha's instructions had been precise and yet maddeningly vague in the way only prophets and poets ever managed to be. 00:01:48 Speaker 5: Go to jail, son of Jehoshaphat. Anoint him king over Israel. Speak the word of the Lord to him, and then, this is important, Keisha, leave, quickly. Don't linger to see what happens next. 00:02:04 Speaker 1: Keisha had wondered what it meant, although Keisha often found it fruitless to wander long. Life following Elisha was full of surprises, and so here he was, miles from the school of prophets, stepping cautiously into the fringes of a military camp These soldiers were technically King Joram's men, but their hearts and true allegiance were to their commander, Jehu. Keisha stopped just beyond the edge of the firelight, crouching low behind a tangle of thorn bushes. Jehu was easy to spot, even from a distance. He sat in the center of his men, his massive frame outlined by the orange glow of the fire. His voice boomed like a battle shofar as he regaled his soldiers with a story Keisha had heard a dozen times before. 00:03:03 Speaker 7: And Samson, oh, Samson! My father told me about him when I was just a boy. Picture it. A thousand, thousand Philistines sneering, jeering, and all Samson had was the jawbone of a donkey. 00:03:25 Speaker 3: A jawbone! And do you know what he did? 00:03:29 Speaker 5: He killed them all, didn't he, Lord Commander? 00:03:34 Speaker 3: Every last one of them! 00:03:37 Speaker 8: Ha ha! 00:03:38 Speaker 3: Can you imagine it? 00:03:40 Speaker 7: Swinging that jawbone like a farmer threshing wheat! 00:03:44 Speaker 1: The men roared their approval, their admiration for their commander as clear as the stars overhead. 00:03:52 Speaker 3: A thousand Philistines with a donkey's jawbone. What I wouldn't give to see that. See it? If I'd been there, I would have helped him stack the bodies. 00:04:06 Speaker 1: The man roared with laughter, and even Keisha, hidden in the shadows, couldn't help but crack a smile. Jehu was magnetic, larger than life. It was no wonder his men idolized him. Jehu was a legend in the making. He was the kind of man who made you feel like you were part of something greater than yourself. A man who could turn a campfire into a throne room with nothing but his presence. 00:04:35 Speaker 7: What happened to the great judges of old? Men and women of strength and conviction. That's what Israel needs, isn't it? Not some whimpering king hiding behind his palace walls, afraid of breaking a nail. Israel needs a judge, a leader who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty for the sake of righteousness. 00:05:01 Speaker 1: The soldiers cheered, banging their fists. 00:05:04 Speaker 3: On the ground. 00:05:06 Speaker 1: It was now or never. Keisha tightened his grip on the flask and stepped out from the bushes. his heart pounding so loudly he was sure they would hear it over the fire. The soldiers noticed him immediately. Their laughter faded into wary silence, hands drifting toward their weapons. Jehu turned, his expression shifting from amusement to curiosity as he rose to his full, imposing height. Jehu's sharp eyes caught the flicker of an insignia, a flame sewn into the shoulder of Keisha's garment. Recognition dawned on Jehu's face, the symbol of the school of prophets. 00:05:49 Speaker 7: Well, wow, what have we here? You're a bit out of your element here, young prophet. Have you come to bless us with some riddles, maybe? 00:06:01 Speaker 1: The man chuckled uneasily, but Jehu meant no harm. He respected prophets who supported the judges. Kisha straightened his shoulders. and forced himself to meet the commander's gaze. 00:06:16 Speaker 8: I have a message for Jehu, a message from the Lord, but it's for your ears only. 00:06:22 Speaker 1: Jehu tilted his head, intrigued, then shrugged and gestured for Keisha to follow him a short distance away from the fire. 00:06:31 Speaker 3: All right, little prophet, let's hear it. 00:06:34 Speaker 1: Keisha uncorked the flask, the smell of oil sharp and immediate in the cool night air. 00:06:41 Speaker 8: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I anoint you king over Israel. 00:06:48 Speaker 1: Jehu blinked, clearly taken aback. Keisha swallowed hard and pressed on. 00:06:54 Speaker 8: You are to destroy the house of Ahab, your master. You will bring vengeance for the blood of the prophets and the servants of the Lord shed by Jezebel's hand. The whole house of Ahab will perish by your hands, and Jezebel... Jezebel, shall be devoured by dogs in the field of Jezreel as Master Elijah once foretold. 00:07:19 Speaker 1: Keisha's voice trembled slightly as he spoke, but he held his ground. When he finished, Jehu said nothing. He simply stared at the young prophet, his expression unreadable. Jehu didn't move at first. His eyes, sharp and calculating, softened into something far away. 00:07:41 Speaker 2: Unfocused. 00:07:42 Speaker 1: Then his body stiffened and Jehu's eyes were locked on Keisha, wide and glassy like a man staring into eternity. His breathing quickened, shallow and erratic, and then, slowly, his lips curled into a smile. Not a grin of triumph or joy, but a strange, crooked thing, too wide, too toothy, It was the smile of a man who had seen something no mortal was meant to see and found it delightful. Keisha's blood ran cold. The air in the camp felt thinner, harder to breathe. Jehu didn't move, didn't blink. He just smiled, staring straight into Keisha's soul like he knew something Keisha couldn't bear to know. 00:08:37 Speaker 6: That was it. 00:08:38 Speaker 1: Keisha's nerves shattered. He stumbled back, heart racing, and bolted from the tent, sandals slapping against the dirt as he fled into the night. Behind him, Jehu stood motionless, still smiling, his gaze lost in the holy fire now burning in his mind. Jehu returned to the fire, his men watching him with eager eyes. 00:09:07 Speaker 4: What did the prophet say, my lord? 00:09:09 Speaker 3: Was it another riddle? 00:09:12 Speaker 7: Well, he said, I am going to be king. 00:09:20 Speaker 3: Can you believe it? King Jehu. It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? 00:09:26 Speaker 1: The soldiers didn't laugh. Instead, they began to murmur amongst themselves. 00:09:32 Speaker 2: Ridiculous, my lord. That sounds perfect. 00:09:37 Speaker 3: King Jehu! 00:09:38 Speaker 5: Now that's a name I'd follow into battle! 00:09:42 Speaker 1: The murmurs grew into chants, and before Jehu knew it, his men were stripping off their robes and piling them on the ground, creating a makeshift throne. 00:09:52 Speaker 3: King Jehu! 00:09:55 Speaker 9: King Jehu! 00:09:56 Speaker 1: Jehu stood over the pile of robes, his chest... swelling with pride. The firelight danced in his eyes as he looked out at his men, their loyalties shining brighter than the stars above. And then came the moment that sealed it all. 00:10:14 Speaker 3: Tell me, where is King Jaram now? In Jezreel, my lord. tending to his wounds from the battle. Wounds? What wounds? I heard... I. 00:10:28 Speaker 6: Heard it was a stubbed toe, our lord. 00:10:31 Speaker 1: For a moment, the camp fell silent. Then Jehu threw back his head and laughed. A deep, booming volcanic eruption that roared out and seemed to crack the air itself. And then, just as violently, he stopped, His face hardened into something elemental, like iron cooled too fast in fire. 00:10:59 Speaker 3: Oh, enough. Ready my chariot. It's time for judgment day. 00:11:11 Speaker 1: Jehu's chariot tore through the night like a meteor. Dust billowed up in choking clouds, the horse's hooves striking sparks against the stones of the road. Jehu stood tall, his chest heaving with adrenaline, his grin wide and uncontainable. His eyes gleamed in the moonlight with wild, unpredictable fire. Jehu's driving was a spectacle, a series of jerky, whip-like movements that left his passengers clinging to the sides for dear life. A man who could not be predicted was a man to fear. Jehu had never felt more alive. Today was the day of atonement. Today, blood would flow like the Nile River. The blood of Ahab's family would soak the ground and call out to Yahweh for justice. It was a good day for Jehu, and the stupid grin plastered across his face made him look less like a king and more like a child finally handed the plaything he'd always dreamed of. The guard stationed atop the palace wall leaned forward, squinting into the distance. The faint glow of moonlight played tricks on his eyes, but the dust cloud coming up from the horizon was unmistakable. Something, or someone, was barreling toward Jezreel with fury. 00:12:39 Speaker 8: Uh, my king? There's someone approaching, fast, and they're driving like they've got a death wish. 00:12:49 Speaker 3: A death wish? What are you blathering about now? Are they bandits? 00:12:54 Speaker 7: Rebels? 00:12:55 Speaker 9: Someone from my treasury, perhaps? Coming to tell me there's no gold left? I. 00:13:01 Speaker 8: well, you might want to see for yourself. 00:13:04 Speaker 1: Joram hobbled into view, his foot wrapped so thoroughly in linen bandages that it resembled a bloated loaf of bread. He leaned heavily on the frame of the window and sighed theatrically, making a grand show of lifting his foot as though the effort might kill him. 00:13:23 Speaker 9: What am I even paying you people for? If I have to check on every bump in the night. 00:13:29 Speaker 1: He stopped mid-sentence, his face paling as his gaze locked onto the dust cloud in the distance. 00:13:35 Speaker 8: No. 00:13:36 Speaker 4: No. 00:13:39 Speaker 2: It can't be. 00:13:41 Speaker 8: You recognize him, my lord? 00:13:43 Speaker 9: They call him Samson Reborn. 00:13:47 Speaker 2: Jehu. 00:13:49 Speaker 3: Ready my chariot! and get my cousin, Ahaziah, now! 00:13:54 Speaker 1: The gates creaked open with painful reluctance, and Joram's chariot emerged into the open field outside Jezreel, flanked by his cousin Ahaziah, king of Judah. Joram fidgeted in his seat, his bandaged foot propped awkwardly on a cushion, while Ahaziah glanced nervously toward the horizon. 00:14:17 Speaker 3: Are you sure about this? Riding out to meet him in the dead of night? 00:14:20 Speaker 9: Jehu's a lot of things, but subtle isn't one of them. He's one of my best generals. If he's coming like this, it's because he wants something. Best to meet him before he reaches the palace. 00:14:37 Speaker 3: What if it's a trap? If there's no danger, then why are my men and I here? 00:14:42 Speaker 1: As they approached, Jehu slowed his chariot just enough to let the dust settle but he stood tall, his silhouette cutting an imposing figure against the moonlit sky. 00:14:54 Speaker 3: Jehu, is everything all right? 00:14:59 Speaker 9: Have you come in peace? 00:15:01 Speaker 1: Jehu didn't answer right away. He stepped down from his chariot with deliberate slowness, his boots crunching against the dry, cracked ground. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and steady, but there was an edge to it that made even the horses uneasy. 00:15:22 Speaker 5: Peace? 00:15:24 Speaker 2: How can there be peace as long as the witchcraft of your mother, Jezebel, and the idolatry of your house poison this land? 00:15:39 Speaker 1: The words struck like a hammer. Joram's face twisted in anger, but there was a flicker of fear in his eyes. 00:15:46 Speaker 3: You dare speak to I'm your king! 00:15:50 Speaker 1: Jehu took a step closer, his expression darkening. 00:15:55 Speaker 2: You're no king. You're a disgrace. Your father was a fat drunk who sold his soul for a vineyard. Your mother was a filthy demon worshipping harlot. 00:16:14 Speaker 1: He paused, a cruel smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. 00:16:20 Speaker 2: And you, you're worse than both of them. A kitten, clawless and mewling, pretending to be a lion. 00:16:34 Speaker 1: Joram's hands gripped the reins tightly, his knuckles turning white. 00:16:39 Speaker 3: This is treason, Jehu. Do you hear me? Treason! 00:16:43 Speaker 1: Jehu reached behind him. his hand wrapping around the shaft of a massive battleaxe. He pulled it free with a flourish, the blade gleaming wickedly in the moonlight. 00:16:58 Speaker 3: Treason? No, no, Joram. This isn't treason. 00:17:03 Speaker 2: This is judgment. 00:17:06 Speaker 1: He lifted the axe. Joram turned immediately in panic and leapt back into his chariot. The chariot lurched forward, the horses kicking up another cloud of dust as they tore away from the scene. Jehu didn't move. He stood still, his grin widening as he reached for his bow. With the calm precision of a seasoned warrior, he notched an arrow, took aim and let it fly. The arrow struck Joram squarely in the back, driving through his heart. The king slumped forward, lifeless, as his chariot slowed to a pathetic stop. Ahaziah froze for a moment, his wide eyes darting between Jehu and the lifeless body of his cousin. 00:18:02 Speaker 7: This. 00:18:03 Speaker 3: this is madness. 00:18:05 Speaker 1: Jehu turned his gaze toward him, still holding the bow. 00:18:10 Speaker 3: I'd run. 00:18:11 Speaker 2: If I were you. 00:18:13 Speaker 1: Ahaziah didn't need to be told twice. He whipped the reins, urging his horses into a gallop, but Jehu was already reaching for another arrow. The shot was just as precise, striking Ahaziah in the side. The king of Judah toppled from his chariot, hitting the ground with a sickening thud. 00:18:36 Speaker 2: Now, it's time to cut the head off the snake. Jezebel. 00:18:45 Speaker 1: The tension in Jezebel's chamber was heavy, though not with grief nor even fear, which might have been expected under the circumstances. No, the air buzzed with the strange and grotesque energy of a woman utterly untethered from the reality unfolding around her. Jezebel, Queen Mother of Israel, sat at her massive bronze mirror, her fingers dancing with practiced precision as she directed her eunuchs to prepare her for what she believed would be a moment of triumph. Outside, the thunder of hooves drew closer, each beat a harbinger of doom. Jezebel dabbed at her lips with a crimson stain, smiling faintly as though the sound heralded a suitor rather than a bloodthirsty warlord. Jezebel rose, the weight of her finery offset by the absurdity of her confidence. She strode to the window, draping herself against the frame with all the grace of a barnacle clinging to a sinking ship Jezebel leaned further out the window her painted lips curving into a grotesque approximation of a smile Jehu, perched atop his chariot didn't even glance at her His eyes swept the window until they landed on the eunuchs. He tilted his head slightly, his grin more feral than friendly. 00:20:17 Speaker 3: Hey, you two! 00:20:19 Speaker 1: The eunuchs froze, their eyes darting to Jezebel, who was still posing as though she were a goddess incarnate. 00:20:27 Speaker 7: Yes, I'm talking to you two miserable fellows. Do us all a favor and push her out the window. 00:20:34 Speaker 3: Save me some time, eh? 00:20:39 Speaker 1: Slowly, Zimri and Hadriel turned to each other, a flicker of something dangerous passing between them. 00:20:46 Speaker 8: Did he just ask us to... I've never wanted to do anything more in my entire life. 00:20:53 Speaker 1: Without another word, they stepped forward. Jezebel, realizing too late what was happening, whirled on them with a shriek that was equal parts indignation and terror. This is for King Joram! 00:21:06 Speaker 3: And for all the years of madness! 00:21:09 Speaker 1: With a final, unceremonious shove, they sent the old witch plummeting. For a moment, time seemed to stop. Then, her screams were cut short by the sickening thud of her body meeting the stones below. Jehu dismounted, his boots crunching against the gravel as he approached the broken form of the queen. For a moment, he stood over her, his head tilting slightly. Jezebel twitched slightly, her wide eyes darting up to him, her breaths ragged. 00:21:45 Speaker 2: That's a shame. But like Israel, your beauty means nothing because of that rot in your heart. And the smell, it's overwhelming. 00:22:01 Speaker 1: Then, unceremoniously... Jehu walked away and stepped onto his chariot. He gripped the reins and drove forward, directly over Jezebel's body. Over and over. Back and forth he trampled her with his chariot, laughing all the while, a sound that echoed off the walls and sent a shiver through the eunuch still watching from above. 00:22:29 Speaker 3: Goodness, that's a bit much, isn't it? 00:22:32 Speaker 1: They watched as Jehu dismounted again, wiping blood from his boots with a piece of cloth he discarded without a second thought. For a moment, the eunuchs exchanged uneasy glances. But then, as they looked down at the broken figure below, the memories of her tyranny came rushing back. Years of cruelty, of madness, of blood spilled in the name of her ambition. No. 00:23:01 Speaker 8: This is exactly what she deserves. 00:23:05 Speaker 3: Well done, lads. Now let the dogs finish the job. 00:23:09 Speaker 1: The eunuchs stood in silence, their faces pale as they watched the pack of dogs descend. The sound was something primal, wet and brutal. The kind of noise that etched itself into your bones and stayed there. Hadriel turned away, his stomach churning, but Zimri couldn't seem to tear his eyes from the scene below. 00:23:34 Speaker 3: They're... they're really doing it. The dogs... they're... eating her. 00:23:42 Speaker 8: That's what wild dogs do. 00:23:46 Speaker 3: Not to queens. 00:23:48 Speaker 8: Death comes for us all, I suppose, unless your name is Elijah. 00:23:54 Speaker 1: The title of Queen meant little now, her body already unrecognizable beneath the feral frenzy. The prophecy of Elijah had unfolded with chilling precision, and for all their snide remarks, neither eunuch could deny the weight of it. This wasn't just vengeance, it was something far more ancient, something written in the fabric of forces far more powerful than they. Jehu stood a few paces away, watching the scene with a strange, almost serene expression. His eyes glittered as though he were watching a play unfold, each act more satisfying than the last. He gestured to one of his soldiers. 00:24:41 Speaker 3: My lord, has the will of the lord been fulfilled? 00:24:44 Speaker 5: Have we finished what was commanded of us? 00:24:47 Speaker 1: Jehu turned to him with a smile that was equal parts zeal and madness, his voice steady, as though the question itself were laughably naive. 00:25:00 Speaker 8: Finished! 00:25:01 Speaker 3: Oh no, no, uh, no, no. For the family of Ahab. Judgment. 00:25:10 Speaker 2: Judgment day. 00:25:11 Speaker 3: It's just, oh, it's just begun. 00:25:15 Speaker 7: Ha ha ha ha. 00:25:19 Speaker 1: As Jehu turned back to his chariot, his laughter echoing against the stone walls, the young man realized that he had stepped into a story far larger and far darker than he had ever imagined. The dogs below growled, their feast continuing, while Jehu mounted his chariot and called for his men to follow. The wheels turned, the horses snorted, and the sound of hoofbeats faded into the distance, carrying with them the storm that had only just begun to rage. Steve Gatina, Max Bard, Zach Schelleberger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Jr., Rosanna Pilcher and Mitch Lashinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan-Smith. written by Aaron Salvato, Brie Rosely, and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey.com productions on the Prey.com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.