2 Kings 10

1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And so Jehu wrote letters, and he sent to Samaria, to the nobles of the city, and to those greater by birth, and to those who had raised Ahab’s sons, saying:

Now Ahab had seventy descendants in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, including the elders and the guardians of Ahab's descendants, saying,

2 “Immediately when you receive these letters, you who have your lord’s sons, and chariots, and horses, and reinforced cities, and weapons,

“Your master's descendants are with you, and you also have chariots and horses and a fortified city and armor. So then, as soon as this letter comes to you,

3 choose him who is better and who pleases you from among the sons of your lord, and set him on the throne of his father, and fight for the house of your lord.”

select the best and most deserving of your master's descendants and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's royal line.”

4 But they were vehemently afraid, and they said: “Behold, two kings were not able to stand before him. So how will we be able to withstand him?”

But they were terrified and said among themselves, “See, the two kings could not stand before Jehu. So how can we stand?”

5 Therefore, those who were in charge of the house, and the prefects of the city, and those greater by birth, and those who raised the sons, sent to Jehu, saying: “We are your servants. Whatever you will order, we will do. But we will not appoint a king for ourselves. Do whatever pleases you.”

Then the man who was in charge of the palace, and the man who was over the city, and the elders also, and they who raised the children, sent word back to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants. We will do everything that you command us. We will not make any man king. Do what is good in your eyes.”

6 Then he again wrote letters to them a second time, saying: “If you are mine, and if you obey me, take the heads of the sons of your lord, and come to me at Jezreel at this same hour tomorrow.” Now the sons of the king, being seventy men, were being raised with the nobles of the city.

Then Jehu wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you will listen to my voice, you must take the heads of the men of your master's descendants, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time.” Now the king's descendants, seventy in number, were with the important men of the city, who were bringing them up.

7 And when the letters had arrived to them, they took the sons of the king, and they killed the seventy men. And they placed their heads in baskets, and they sent these to him at Jezreel.

So when the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and killed them, seventy persons, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.

8 Then a messenger arrived and reported to him, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” And he responded, “Place them in two piles, beside the entrance of the gate, until morning.”

A messenger came to Jehu, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king's sons.” So he said, “Put them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.”

9 And when it had become light, he went out. And standing there, he said to all the people: “You are just. If I have conspired against my lord, and if I have killed him, who has struck down all of these?

In the morning Jehu went out and stood, and said to all the people, “You are innocent. See, I plotted against my master and killed him, but who killed all these?

10 Now therefore, see that none of the words of the Lord has fallen to the ground, which the Lord spoke over the house of Ahab, and that the Lord has done what he spoke by the hand of his servant Elijah.”

Now you should certainly realize that no part of Yahweh's word, the word that he spoke concerning the family of Ahab, will fall to the ground, for Yahweh has done what he spoke about through his servant Elijah.”

11 And so, Jehu struck down all who had remained from the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his nobles and friends and priests, until no remnant of them was left behind.

So Jehu killed all who remained in the family of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his important men, his close friends, and his priests, until none of them remained.

12 And he rose up and went to Samaria. And when he had arrived at the shepherds’ cabin along the way,

Then Jehu arose and left; he went to Samaria. As he was arriving at Beth Eked of the shepherd,

13 he found the brothers of Ahaziah, the king of Judah, and he said to them, “Who are you?” And they responded, “We are the brothers of Ahaziah, and we are going down to greet the sons of the king, and the sons of the queen.”

he met brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah. Jehu said to them, “Who are you?” They answered, “We are brothers of Ahaziah, and we are going down to greet the children of the king and the children of Queen Jezebel.”

14 And he said, “Take them alive.” And when they had taken them alive, they cut their throats at the cistern beside the cabin, forty-two men. And he did not leave any of them behind.

Jehu said to his own men, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive and killed them at the well of Beth Eked, all forty-two men. He did not leave any of them alive.

15 And when he had gone away from there, he found Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, coming to meet him, and he blessed him. And he said to him, “Is your heart upright, just as my heart is with your heart?” And Jehonadab said, “It is.” Then he said, “If it is, then give me your hand.” He gave his hand to him. And so he lifted him up to himself in the chariot.

When Jehu had left there, he met Jehonadab son of Recab coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart with me, as my heart is with yours?” Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, give me your hand.” So he gave Jehu his hand, and Jehu took Jehonadab up with him into the chariot.

16 And he said to him, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord.” And he gave him a place in his chariot.

Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zeal for Yahweh.” So he had Jonadab ride along with him in his chariot.

17 And he led him into Samaria. And he struck down all who were left behind of Ahab in Samaria, even to the last one, in accord with the word of the Lord, which he spoke through Elijah.

When he came to Samaria, Jehu killed all who remained from Ahab's descendants in Samaria, until he had destroyed Ahab's royal line, just as was told them before by the word of Yahweh, which he had spoken to Elijah.

18 Then Jehu gathered together the entire people. And he said to them: “Ahab worshipped Baal a little, but I will worship him even more.

Then Jehu gathered all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much.

19 Now therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, and all his servants, and all his priests. Let no one be permitted not to come, for great is the sacrifice from me to Baal. Whoever will fail to come, he shall not live.” Now Jehu was doing this treacherously, so that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.

Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers, and all his priests. Let no one be left out, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal. Whoever does not come will not live.” But Jehu did this deceitfully, with the intent to kill the worshipers of Baal.

20 And he said: “Sanctify a day of solemnity for Baal.” And he summoned

Jehu said, “Set a time to have an assembly for Baal.” So they announced it.

21 and sent into all the borders of Israel. And all the servants of Baal came. There was left behind not even one who did not arrive. And they entered into the temple of Baal. And the house of Baal was filled, all the way from end to end.

Then Jehu sent throughout all Israel and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. They came into the temple of Baal, and it was filled from one end to another.

22 And he said to those who were over the vestments, “Bring forth vestments for all the servants of Baal.” And they brought forth vestments for them.

Jehu said to the man who kept the priest's wardrobe, “Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal.” So the man brought out robes to them.

23 And Jehu, upon entering the temple of Baal with Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, said to the worshippers of Baal, “Inquire and see that there is no one with you from the servants of the Lord, but only from the servants of Baal.”

So Jehu went with Jehonadab son of Recab into the house of Baal, and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search and make sure that there is no one here with you from the servants of Yahweh, but the worshipers of Baal alone.”

24 Then they entered, so that they might offer victims and holocausts. But Jehu had prepared for himself eighty men outside. And he had said to them, “If anyone escapes from among these men, whom I have led into your hands, your life will take the place of his life.”

Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had chosen eighty men who were standing outside, and he told them, “If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escapes, whoever lets that man escape, his life will be taken for the life of the one who escaped.”

25 Then it happened that, when the holocaust had been completed, Jehu ordered his soldiers and officers, saying: “Enter and strike them down. Let no one escape.” And the soldiers and officers struck them down with the edge of the sword, and they cast them out. And they went into the city of the temple of Baal,

So then as soon as Jehu finished offering the burnt offering, he said to the guard and to the captains, “Go in and kill them. Let no one come out.” So they killed them with the edge of the sword, and the guard and the captains threw them out and went into the inner room of the house of Baal.

26 and they took away the statue from the shrine of Baal, and they burned it up

They dragged out the stone pillars that were in the house of Baal, and they burned them.

27 and crushed it. They also tore down the temple of Baal, and they made it into a latrine, even to this day.

Then they broke down the pillar of Baal, and destroyed the house of Baal and made it a latrine, which it is to this day.

28 And thus did Jehu wipe away Baal from Israel.

That is how Jehu destroyed Baal worship from Israel.

29 Yet truly, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. Neither did he forsake the golden calves, which were in Bethel and Dan.

But Jehu did not leave the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, by which he made Israel sin—that is, the worship of the golden calves in Bethel and Dan.

30 Then the Lord said to Jehu: “Since you have diligently carried out what was right and pleasing in my eyes, and since you have accomplished, against the house of Ahab, all that was in my heart, your sons shall sit upon the throne of Israel, even to the fourth generation.”

So Yahweh said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in executing what was right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”

31 But Jehu did not take care, so that he might walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. For he did not withdraw from the sins of Jeroboam, who had caused Israel to sin.

But Jehu took no care to walk in the law of Yahweh, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, by which he made Israel sin.

32 In those days, the Lord began to be weary of Israel. And Hazael struck them throughout all the parts of Israel,

In those days Yahweh began to cut off regions from Israel, and Hazael defeated the Israelites at the borders of Israel,

33 from the Jordan opposite the eastern region, in all the land of Gilead, and Gad, and Reuben, and Manasseh, from Aroer, which is above the torrent Arnon, in both Gilead and Bashan.

from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the Valley of the Arnon, through Gilead to Bashan.

34 But the rest of the words of Jehu, and all that he did, and his strength, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?

As for the other matters concerning Jehu, and all that he did, and all his power, are they not written in the book of the events of the kings of Israel?

35 And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz, his son, reigned in his place.

Jehu slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in Samaria. Then Jehoahaz his son became king in his place.

36 Now the days during which Jehu reigned over Israel, in Samaria, were twenty-eight years.

The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.