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:
Forsothe seuenti sones in Samarie weren to Achab. Therfor Hieu wroot lettris, and sente in to Samarie to the beste men of the citee, and to the gretter men in birthe, and to alle the nurschis of Achab, and seide,
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,
Anoon as ye han take these lettris, ye that han the sones of youre lord, and the charis, and horsis, and stronge citees, and armeris,
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.”
chese the beste, and hym that plesith to you of the sones of youre lord, and sette ye him on the trone of his fadir, and fiyte ye for the hows of youre lord.
4 But they were extremely frightened, and said to themselves, “If two kings couldn't defeat him, how could we?”
And thei dredden greetli, and seiden, Lo! twei kyngis myyten not stonde bifor hym, and how schulen we mowe ayenstonde hym?
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.”
Therfor the souereyns of the hows, and the prefect of the citee, and the grettere men in birthe, and the nurchis senten to Hieu, and seiden, We ben thi seruauntis; what euer thingis thou comaundist, we schulen do, and we schulen not make a kyng to vs; do thou what euer thing plesith thee.
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.
Forsothe he wroot ayen to hem lettris the secunde tyme, and seide, If ye ben myne, and obeien to me, take ye the heedis of the sones of youre lord, and come ye to me in this same our to morewe in to Jezrael. Sotheli the sones of the kyng, seuenti men, weren nurschid at the beste men of the citee.
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 whanne the lettris hadden come to hem, thei token the sones of the kyng, and killiden seuenti men, and puttiden the heedis of hem in coffyns; and senten to hym in to Jezrael.
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.”
Forsothe a messanger cam to hym, and schewide to hym, and seide, Thei han brouyt the heedis of the sones of the king. Which answeride, Putte ye tho heedis to tweyne hepis, bisidis the entring of the yate, til the morewtid.
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 whanne it was cleer dai, he yede out, and stood, and seide to al the puple, Ye ben iust men; if Y conspiride ayens my lord, and killide hym, who killide alle 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.”
Therfor se ye now, that noon of the wordis of the Lord felde doun in to the erthe, whiche the Lord spak on the hows of Achab; and the Lord hath do that, that he spak in the hond of his seruaunt, Elie.
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.
Therfor Hieu smoot alle that weren residue of the hows of Achab in Jezrael, and alle the beste men of hym, and knowun men, and preestis, til no relikis of hym leften.
12 Then Jehu left and went Samaria. At Beth-eked of the Shepherds,
And he roos, and cam in to Samarie; and whanne he hadde come to the chaumbir of schepherdis in the weie,
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.”
he foond the britheren of Ocozie, kyng of Juda; and he seide to hem, Who ben ye? And thei answeriden, We ben the britheren of Ocozie, and we comen doun to grete the sones of the kyng and the sones 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.
Which Hieu seide, Take ye hem quyke. And whanne thei hadden take hem quyke, thei strangliden hem in the cisterne, bisidis the chaumbre, two and fourti men; and he lefte not ony of hem.
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.
And whanne he hadde go fro thennus, he foond Jonadab, the sone of Rechab, in to meetyng of hym; and he blesside hym. And Hieu seide to hym, Whether thin herte is riytful with myn herte, as myn herte is with thin herte? And Jonadab seide, It is. Hieu seide, If `it is, yyue thin hond. Which yaf his hond to hym; and he reiside hym to hym silf in to the chare.
16 “Come with me and see how dedicated I am to the Lord!” Jehu said, and had him ride in his chariot.
And he seide to hym, Come thou with me, and se my feruent loue for the Lord.
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 he ledde hym, put in hys chare, in to Samarie. And he killide alle men that weren residue of Achab in Samarie `til to oon, bi the word of the Lord, which he spak bi Elie.
18 Jehu had all the people gather together and told them, “Ahab worshiped Baal a little, but Jehu will worship him a lot.
Therfor Hieu gaderide to gidere alle the puple, and seide to hem, Achab worschipide Baal a litil, but Y schal worschipe hym more.
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 therfor clepe ye to me alle the prophetis of Baal, and alle hise seruauntis, and alle hise preestis; `noon be that come not, for grete sacrifice is of me to Baal; who euer schal faile, he schal not lyue. Forsothe Hieu dide this bi tresoun, that he schulde distrie alle the worschipers of Baal.
20 Jehu gave the order, “Call a religious assembly to honor Baal!” So they did so.
And he seide, Halewe ye a solempne day to Baal.
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 he clepide, and sente in to alle the termes of Israel; and alle the seruauntis of Baal camen, `noon was residue, and sotheli `not oon was that cam not. And thei entriden in to the temple of Baal; and the hows of Baal was fillid, fro oon ende `til to `the tothir.
22 Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Distribute clothes for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out clothes for them.
And he seide to hem that weren souereyns ouer the clothis, Bringe ye forth clothis to alle the seruauntis of Baal; and thei brouyten forth clothis to hem.
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.”
And Hieu entride, and Jonadab, the sone of Rechab, in to the temple of Baal. And Hieu seide to the worschiperis of Baal, Enquere ye, and se, lest perauenture ony of the seruauntis of the Lord be with you; but that the seruauntis be aloone of Baal.
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.”
Therfor thei entriden, to make slayn sacrifices, and brent sacrifices. Sotheli Hieu hadde maad redi to hym with outforth foure scoore men, and hadde seid to hem, Who euer schal fle of alle these, whiche Y schal brynge in to youre hondis, the lijf of hym schal be for the lijf of hym that ascapith.
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.
Forsothe it was don, whanne the brent sacrifice was fillid, Hieu comaundide to hise knyytis and duykis, Entre ye, and sle hem, that noon ascape. And the knyytis and duykis smytiden `hem bi the scharpnesse of swerd, and castiden forth. And `thei yeden into the citee of the temple of Baal,
26 They dragged out the idol pillars and burned them.
and thei brouyten forth the ymage fro the temple of Baal,
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 brenten it, and al to braken it. Also thei destrieden the hows of Baal, and maden priuyes for it `til in to this dai.
28 This was how Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel,
Therfor Hieu dide awei Baal fro 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.
netheles he yede not awei fro the synnes of Jeroboam, sone of Nabath, that made Israel to do synne, nether he forsook the goldun caluys, that weren in Bethel and 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.”
Forsothe the Lord seide to Hieu, For thou didist bisili that that was riytful, and pleside in myn yyen, and hast do ayens the hows of Achab alle thingis that weren in myn herte, thi sones `til to the fourthe generacioun schulen sitte on the trone 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.
Forsothe Hieu kepte not, that he yede in the lawe of the Lord God of Israel in al his herte; for he yede not awei fro the synnes of Jeroboam, that made Israel to do synne.
32 At that time the Lord began to reduce the extent of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory
In tho daies the Lord bigan to be anoyed on Israel; and Asahel smoot hem in alle the coostis 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.
fro Jordan ayens the eest coost, al the lond of Galaad, and of Gad, and of Ruben, and of Manasses, fro Aroer which is on the stronde of Arnon, and Galaad, and Baasan.
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.
Forsothe the residue of wordis of Hieu, and alle thingis whiche he dide, and his strengthe, whether these ben not writun in the book of wordis of daies of the kyngis of Israel?
35 Jehu died and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king.
And Hieu slepte with hise fadris; and thei birieden hym in Samarie; and Joachaz, his sone, regnyde for hym.
36 Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria for twenty-eight years.
Forsothe the daies, in whiche Hieu regnede on Israel in Samarie, ben eiyte and twenti yeer.
