Kings IV 10

1 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.

And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab's [children], saying,

2 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,

Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons [are] with you, and [there are] with you chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and armor;

3 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.

Look out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set [him] on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.

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

But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?

5 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.

And he that [was] over the house, and he that [was] over the city, the elders also, and those who brought up [the children], sent to Jehu, saying, We [are] thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou [that which is] good in thy eyes.

6 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.

Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, if ye [are] mine, and [if] ye will hearken to my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to-morrow this time. Now the king's sons [being] seventy persons, [were] with the great men of the city, who brought them up.

7 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.

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

8 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.

And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.

9 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?

And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, 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 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.

Know now that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab; for the LORD hath done [that] which he spoke by his servant Elijah.

11 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.

So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsmen, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

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

And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. [And] as he [was] at the shearing-house in the way,

13 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.

Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who [are] ye? And they answered, We [are] the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.

14 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.

And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing-house, [even] two and forty men; neither left he any of them.

15 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.

And when he had departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab [coming] to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thy heart right, as my heart [is] with thy heart; And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it is, give [me] thy hand. And he gave [him] his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

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

And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.

17 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.

And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spoke to Elijah.

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

And Jehu convened all the people, and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little; [but] Jehu shall serve him much.

19 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.

Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice [to do] to Baal: whoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did [it] in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshipers of Baal.

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

And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed [it].

21 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.

And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.

22 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.

And he said to him that [was] over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshipers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.

23 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.

And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said to the worshipers of Baal, Search, and look that there are here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshipers of Baal only.

24 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.

And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings, Jehu appointed eighty men without, and said, [If] any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, [he that letteth him go], his life [shall be] for the life of him.

25 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.

And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, [and] slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast [them] out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.

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

And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.

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

And they broke down the image of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a draught-house to this day.

28 So Ju abolished Baal out of Israel.

Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

29 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.

Yet [from] the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, [to wit], the golden calves that [were] in Beth-el, and that [were] in Dan.

30 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.

And the LORD said to Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing [that which is] right in my eyes, [and] hast done to the house of Ahab according to all that [was] in my heart, thy children of the fourth [generation] shall sit on the throne of Israel.

31 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.

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

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

In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the borders of Israel;

33 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.

From Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which [is] by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.

34 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?

Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

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

And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.

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

And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria [was] twenty and eight years.