2 Kings 10

1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying:

And Achaab [had] seventy sons in Samaria. And Ju wrote a letter, and sent it into Samaria to the rulers of Samaria, and to the elders, and to the guardians of [the children of] Achaab, saying.

2 “When this letter arrives, since your master’s sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weaponry,

Now then, as soon as this letter shall have reached you, whereas [there are] with you the sons of your master, and with you chariots and horses, and strong cities, and arms,

3 select the best and most worthy son of your master, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

do ye accordingly look out the best and fittest among your master's sons, and set him on the throne of his father, and fight for the house of your master.

4 But they were terrified and reasoned, “If two kings could not stand against him, how can we?”

And they feared greatly, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: and how shall we stand?

5 So the palace administrator, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do whatever you say. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your sight.”

So they that were over the house, and they that were over the city, and the elders and the guardians, sent to Ju, saying, We also [are] thy servants, and whatsoever thou shalt say to us we will do; we will not make [any] man king: we will do that which is right in thine eyes.

6 Then Jehu wrote them a second letter and said: “If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, then bring the heads of your master’s sons to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” Now the sons of the king, seventy in all, were being brought up by the leading men of the city.

And Ju wrote them a second letter, saying, If ye [are] for me, and hearken to my voice, take the heads of the men your master's sons, and bring [them] to me at this time to-morrow in Jezrael. Now the sons of the king were seventy men; these great men of the city brought them up.

7 And when the letter arrived, they took the sons of the king and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew them, [even] seventy men, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezrael.

8 When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the sons of the king.” And Jehu ordered, “Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.”

And a messenger came and told [him], saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay them [in] two heaps by the door of the gate until the morning.

9 The next morning, Jehu went out and stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?

And the morning came, and he went forth, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye are righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?

10 Know, then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail, for the LORD has done what He promised through His servant Elijah.”

See now that there shall not fall to the ground anything of the word of the Lord which the Lord spoke against the house of Achaab: for the Lord has performed all that he spoke of by the hand of his servant Eliu.

11 So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his great men and close friends and priests, leaving him without a single survivor.

And Ju smote all that were left of the house of Achaab in Jezrael, and all his great men, and his acquaintance, and his priests, so as not to leave him [any] remnant.

12 Then Jehu set out toward Samaria. At Beth-eked of the Shepherds,

And he arose and went to Samaria, [and] he [was] in the house of sheep-shearing in the way.

13 Jehu met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?” “We are relatives of Ahaziah,” they answered, “and we have come down to greet the sons of the king and of the queen mother.”

And Ju found the brethren of Ochozias king of Juda, and said, Who [are] ye? And they said, We [are] the brethren of Ochozias, and we have come down to salute the sons of the king, and the sons of the queen.

14 Then Jehu ordered, “Take them alive.” So his men took them alive, then slaughtered them at the well of Beth-eked—forty-two men. He spared none of them.

And he said, Take them alive. And they slew them at the shearing-house, forty and two men: he left not a man of them.

15 When he left there, he found Jehonadab son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked, “Is your heart as true to mine as my heart is to yours?” “It is!” Jehonadab replied. “If it is,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand, and Jehu helped him into his chariot,

And he went thence and found Jonadab the son of Rechab [coming] to meet him; and he saluted him, and Ju said to him, Is thy heart right with my heart, as my heart [is] with thy heart? And Jonadab said, It is. And Ju said, If it is then, give me thy hand. And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot.

16 saying, “Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD!” So he had him ride in his chariot.

And he said to him, Come with me, and see me zealous for the Lord. And he caused him to sit in his chariot.

17 When Jehu came to Samaria, he struck down everyone belonging to Ahab who remained there, until he had destroyed them, according to the word that the LORD had spoken to Elijah.

And he entered into Samaria, and smote all that were left of Achaab in Samaria, until he had utterly destroyed him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke to Eliu.

18 Then Jehu brought all the people together and said, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot.

And Ju gathered all the people, and said to them, Achaab served Baal a little; Ju shall serve him much.

19 Now, therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. See that no one is missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing will not live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.

Now then do all [ye] the prophets of Baal call all his servants and his priests to me; let not a man be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice [to offer] to Baal; every one who shall be missing shall die. But Ju did it in subtilty, that he might destroy the servants of Baal.

20 And Jehu commanded, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they announced it.

And Ju said, Sanctify a solemn festival to Baal, and they made a proclamation.

21 Then Jehu sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; there was not a man who failed to show. They entered the temple of Baal, and it was filled from end to end.

And Ju sent throughout all Israel, saying, Now then let all [Baal's] servants, and all his priests, and all his prophets [come], let none be lacking: for I am going to offer a great sacrifice; whosoever shall be missing, shall not live. So all the servants of Baal came, and all his priests, and all his prophets: there was not one left who came not. And they entered into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other.

22 And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out garments for them.

And he said to the man who was over the house of the wardrobe, Bring forth a robe for all the servants of Baal. And the keeper of the robes brought forth to them.

23 Next, Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered the temple of Baal, and Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look around to see that there are no servants of the LORD here among you—only servants of Baal.”

And Ju and Jonadab the son of Rechab entered into the house of Baal, and said to the servants of Baal, Search, and see whether there is among you any of the servants of the Lord, or only the servants of Baal, by themselves.

24 And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and warned them, “If anyone allows one of the men I am delivering into your hands to escape, he will forfeit his life for theirs.”

And he went in to offer sacrifices and whole-burnt-offerings; and Ju set for himself eighty men without, and said, Every man who shall escape of the men whom I bring into your hand, the life of him [that spares him] shall go for his life.

25 When he had finished making the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill them. Do not let anyone out.” So the guards and officers put them to the sword, threw the bodies out, and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal.

And it came to pass, when he had finished offering the whole-burnt-offering, that Ju said to the footmen and to the officers, Go ye in and slay them; let not a man of them escape. So they smote them with the edge of the sword, and the footmen and the officers cast [the bodies] forth, and went to the city of the house of Baal.

26 They brought out the sacred pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it.

And they brought out the pillar of Baal, and burnt it.

27 They also demolished the sacred pillar of Baal. Then they tore down the temple of Baal and made it into a latrine, which it is to this day.

And they tore down the pillars of Baal, and made his house a draught-house until this day.

28 Thus Jehu eradicated Baal from Israel,

So Ju abolished Baal out of Israel.

29 but he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.

Nevertheless Ju departed not from following the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who led Israel to sin: [these were] the golden heifers in Baethel and in Dan.

30 Nevertheless, the LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in My sight and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.”

And the Lord said to Ju, Because of all thy deeds wherein thou hast acted well in doing that which was right in my eyes, according to all things which thou hast done to the house of Achaab [as they were] in my heart, thy sons to the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel.

31 Yet Jehu was not careful to follow the instruction of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

But Ju took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart: he departed not from following the sins of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin.

32 In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory

In those days the Lord began to cut Israel short; and Azael smote them in every coast of Israel;

33 from the Jordan eastward through all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh), and from Aroer by the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan.

from Jordan eastward all the land of Galaad belonging to the Gadites, of Gaddi and that of Ruben, and of Manasses, from Aroer, which is on the brink of the brook of Arnon, and Galaad and Basan.

34 As for the rest of the acts of Jehu, along with all his accomplishments and all his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

And the rest of the acts of Ju, and all that he did, and all his might, and the wars wherein he engaged, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

35 And Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoahaz reigned in his place.

And Ju slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joachaz his son reigned in his stead.

36 So the duration of Jehu’s reign over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

And the days which Ju reigned over Israel [were] twenty-eight years in Samaria.