< 2 Kings 10 >

1 There were seventy sons of the house of Ahab living in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to the officials of Samaria, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying:
Now, Ahab, had seventy sons in Samaria, —so Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel—the elders, and unto them who had been foster-parents for Ahab, saying:
2 “Since your master's sons are with you, and you have at your disposal chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weapons, when you receive this letter,
Now, therefore, when this letter cometh in unto you, there being, with you, the sons of your lord, —and, with you, the chariots and the homes, and a fortified city, and the armour,
3 choose the best and most appropriate son of your master, place him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.”
ye shall look out the goodliest and fittest of the sons of your lord, and set on the throne of his father, and ye shall do battle for the house of your lord.
4 But they were extremely frightened, and said to themselves, “If two kings couldn't defeat him, how could we?”
Then feared they very greatly, and said, Lo! two kings, stood not before him; how then, should, we, stand?
5 So the palace and the city leaders, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do whatever you tell us. We're not going to make anyone king. Do what you think is best.”
So he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, and the elders, and the foster-parents sent unto Jehu, saying—Thy servants, we are! and, all that thou shalt say unto us, will we do, —we will make no man king, whatsoever is good in thine own eyes, do!
6 Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you are going to obey what I say, bring the heads of your master's sons to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” The seventy king's sons were being raised by the leading men of the city.
Then wrote he unto them a second letter, saying—If, mine, ye are, and, unto my voice, ye intend to hearken, take ye the heads of the men who are sons of your lord, and come in unto me about this time to-morrow, in Jezreel. Now, the sons of the king, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who had been bringing them up.
7 When the letter arrived, they seized the king's sons and killed all seventy of them, placed their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.
And it came to pass, when the letter reached them, that they took the sons of the king, and slew them, seventy persons, —and put their heads in baskets, and sent unto him to Jezreel.
8 A messenger came in and told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the king's sons.” Jehu gave the order, “Put them in two piles at the entrance to the city gate until the morning.”
And there came in a messenger and told him, saying, They have brought in the heads of the sons of the king. And he said—Lay ye them in two heaps, at the entrance of the gate, until the morning.
9 In the morning Jehu went out to speak to the people who had gathered. “You haven't done anything wrong,” he told them. “I was the one who plotted against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?
And it came to pass, in the morning, that he went out and took his stand, and said unto all the people, Righteous, are, ye! Lo! I, conspired against my lord, and slew him, but, who, smote, all these?
10 Rest assured that nothing of what the Lord has prophesied against the house of Ahab will fail, for the Lord has done what he promised through his servant Elijah.”
Know ye, then, that there shall fall nought of the word of Yahweh, to the ground, which Yahweh spake concerning the house of Ahab, —but, Yahweh, hath done that which he spake through his servant Elijah.
11 So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who was left of the house of Ahab, as well as all his high officials, close friends, and priests. This left Ahab without a single survivor.
Then Jehu smote all that were left remaining unto the house of Ahab, in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his acquaintances and his priests, —until there was not left remaining to him, a survivor.
12 Then Jehu left and went Samaria. At Beth-eked of the Shepherds,
Then arose he, and came in, and departed for Samaria, —the sheep-shearing house itself being on the road;
13 he met some relatives of Ahaziah, king of Judah. “Who are you?” he asked them. “We're relatives of Ahaziah,” they replied. “We've come to visit the sons of the king and of the queen mother.”
so, Jehu, lighted upon the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are, ye? And they said—Brethren of Ahaziah, are, we; so we came down to salute the sons of the king, and the sons of the queen.
14 “Take them alive!” Jehu ordered. So they took them alive, then killed them at the well of Beth-eked. There were forty-two men. He didn't allow any of them to live.
Then said he, —Take them alive. So they took them alive, and slew them [casting them] into the pit of the shearing house, —forty-two men, neither left he remaining a man of them.
15 He left there and came across Jehonadab, son of Rekab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked him, “Are you as committed to me, as I am to you?” “Yes I am,” Jehonadab replied. “In that case, give me your hand,” said Jehu. So he stretched out his hand, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot.
Then departed he from thence, and lighted on Jehonadab son of Rechab coming to meet him, and he blessed him, and said unto him—Is thy heart, right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab said—It is. Then, if it is, give me thy hand. So he gave him his hand. And he took him up to him, into the chariot;
16 “Come with me and see how dedicated I am to the Lord!” Jehu said, and had him ride in his chariot.
and said—Do come with me, and see my jealousy for Yahweh. So he made him ride in his chariot.
17 When Jehu arrived in Samaria, he went around killing everyone who was left of Ahab's family until he had killed all of them, just as the Lord had said through Elijah.
And, when he came into Samaria, he smote all that were left remaining unto Ahab, in Samaria, until he had destroyed him, —according to the word of Yahweh, which he had spoken unto Elijah.
18 Jehu had all the people gather together and told them, “Ahab worshiped Baal a little, but Jehu will worship him a lot.
Then Jehu gathered together all the people, and said unto them, —Ahab, served Baal, a little, —Jehu, will serve him, much.
19 So summon all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. Make sure no one is missing, because I'm organizing a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who doesn't attend will be executed.” But Jehu's plan was a trick to destroy the followers of Baal.
Now, therefore, all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests, call ye for me; do not let, a man, be missing; for, a great sacrifice, have I, to Baal, no one that is missing, shall live. But, Jehu, acted, craftily, to the end he might destroy the servants of Baal.
20 Jehu gave the order, “Call a religious assembly to honor Baal!” So they did so.
And Jehu said—Hallow ye a solemn festival unto Baal. And they made proclamation.
21 Jehu sent the announcement through the whole of Israel. All the followers of Baal came—not a single man was missing. They went into the temple of Baal, filling it from end to end.
And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, and all the servants of Baal came in, so that there was not left remaining a man, who had not come in, —and they entered the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled, from door to door.
22 Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Distribute clothes for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out clothes for them.
Then said he to him who was over the wardrobe chamber, Bring forth vestments for all the servants of Baal. And he brought forth for them the vestments.
23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab, son of Rekab, went into the temple of Baal. Jehu told the followers of Baal, “Look around and make sure that no one who follows the Lord is here with you, only the worshipers of Baal.”
Then entered Jehu, with Jehonadab son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, —and he said unto the servants of Baal—Search ye and see, that there be not here, with you, any of the servants of Yahweh, none but the servants of Baal, alone.
24 They were inside presenting sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had positioned eighty men outside and cautioned them, “I'm handing these men over to you. If you let any of them escape, you will pay for his life with yours.”
And, when they entered to offer sacrifices and ascending-offerings, Jehu, set him, outside, eighty men, and said—The man who shall escape, of the men whom I am bringing into your power, his own life, shall be for, his life.
25 As soon as Jehu had finished presenting the burnt offering, he ordered his guards and officers, “Go in and kill them all! Don't let even one escape!” So they killed them with their swords. The guards and officers threw their bodies outside, and then they went into the inner sanctuary of the temple of Baal.
And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the ascending-sacrifice, that Jehu said to the runners and to the officers—Enter, smite them, let not, a man, get out. So they smote them, with the edge of the sword, —and the runners and the officers cast them out, and then went as far as the city of the house of Baal,
26 They dragged out the idol pillars and burned them.
and brought forth the idolatrous pillars that were in the house of Baal, and then burned it;
27 They smashed the sacred pillar of Baal, and tore down the temple of Baal and turned it into a toilet, which it still is to this day.
and they brake down the pillars of Baal, —and brake down the house of Baal, and appointed it for a sewer-house—until this day.
28 This was how Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel,
Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
29 but he did not end the sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had made Israel commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.
Nevertheless, as for the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he caused, Israel, to commit, Jehu turned not away from following them, —the calves of gold, one being in Bethel, and the other in Dan.
30 The Lord said to Jehu, “Since you have done well, and have carried out what is right in my sight, and have accomplished all that I planned for the house of Ahab, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”
And Yahweh said unto Jehu: Because thou hast done well, by doing that which was right in mine eyes—according to all that was in my heart, hast done to the house of Ahab, sons, of thine, unto the fourth generation, shall sit upon the throne of Israel.
31 But Jehu was not completely committed to following the law of the Lord, the God of Israel. He did not end the sins that Jeroboam had made Israel commit.
But, Jehu, took not heed to walk in the law of Yahweh God of Israel, with all his heart, —he turned not away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he caused, Israel, to commit.
32 At that time the Lord began to reduce the extent of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory
In those days, began Yahweh to make inroads in Israel, —and Hazael smote them in all the boundaries of Israel;
33 east of the Jordan, all the land of Gilead (the region occupied by Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh), and from Aroer through the Arnon Valley up to Gilead and Bashan.
from the Jordan, towards sunrise, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, —from Aroer, which is by the torrent of Arnon, both Gilead and Bashan.
34 The rest of what happened in Jehu's reign, all that he did and what he accomplished, are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
Now, the rest of the story 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 Jehu died and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king.
And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, —and, Jehoahaz his son, reigned, in his stead.
36 Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria for twenty-eight years.
Now, the days that Jehu reigned over Israel, were twenty-eight years, in Samaria.

< 2 Kings 10 >