2 Kings 10

1 Ahab had nowe seuentie sonnes in Samaria. And Iehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria vnto the rulers of Izreel, and to the Elders, and to the bringers vp of Ahabs children, to this effect,

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:

2 Nowe when this letter commeth to you, (for ye haue with you your masters sonnes, yee haue with you both charets and horses, and a defenced citie, and armour)

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

3 Consider therefore which of your masters sonnes is best and most meete, and set him on his fathers throne, and fight for your masters house.

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

4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and saide, Behold two Kings coulde not stande before him, how shall we then stand?

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

5 And he that was gouernour of Ahabs house, and he that ruled the citie, and the Elders, and the bringers vp of the children sent to Iehu, saying, We are thy seruants, and will doe all that thou shalt bid vs: we will make no King: do what seemeth good to thee.

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.”

6 Then he wrote another letter to them, saying, If ye be mine, and wil obey my voyce, take the heads of ye men that are your masters sonnes, and come to me to Izreel by to morowe this time. (Nowe the Kings sonnes, euen seuentie persons were with the great men of the citie, which brought them vp)

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.

7 And when the letter came to them, they tooke the Kings sonnes, and slewe the seuentie persons, and layde their heads in baskets, and sent them vnto him to Izreel.

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.

8 Then there came a messenger and tolde him, saying, They haue brought the heads of the Kings sonnes. And he sayd, Let them lay them on two heapes at the entring in of the gate vntil the morning.

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.”

9 And when it was day, he went out, and stood and sayd to all the people, Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?

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?

10 Knowe nowe that there shall fall vnto the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the Lord hath brought to passe the things that hee spake by his seruant Eliiah.

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.”

11 So Iehu slew al that remained of the house of Ahab in Izreel, and all that were great with him, and his familiars and his priestes, so that he let none of his remaine.

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.

12 And he arose, and departed and came to Samaria. And as Iehu was in the way by an house where the shepheards did shere,

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

13 He met with the brethre of Ahaziah king of Iudah, and sayd, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah, and goe downe to salute the children of the King and the children of the Queene.

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.”

14 And he sayde, Take them aliue. And they tooke them aliue, and slew them at the well beside the house where the sheepe are shorne, euen two and fourtie men, and he left not one of them.

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.

15 And when he was departed thence, hee met with Iehonadab the sonne of Rechab comming to meete him, and he blessed him, and sayde to him, Is thine heart vpright, as mine heart is towarde thine? And Iehonadab answered, Yea, doubtlesse. Then giue me thine hande. And when he had giuen him his hande, he tooke him vp to him into the charet.

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,

16 And he sayde, Come with me, and see the zeale that I haue for the Lord: so they made him ride in his charet.

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

17 And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained vnto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the worde of the Lord, which he spake to Eliiah.

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.

18 Then Iehu assembled all the people, and sayd vnto them, Ahab serued Baal a litle, but Iehu shall serue him much more.

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

19 Now therefore call vnto me all ye prophets of Baal, all his seruants, and all his priests, and let not a man be lacking: for I haue a great sacrifice for Baal: whosoeuer is lacking, he shall not liue. But Iehu did it by a subtiltie to destroy ye seruats of Baal.

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.

20 And Iehu sayd, Proclaime a solemne assemblie for Baal. And they proclaimed it.

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

21 So Iehu sent vnto all Israel, and all the seruants of Baal came, and 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 ende to ende.

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.

22 Then he said vnto him that had the charge of the vestrie, Bring forth vestments for al the seruants of Baal. And he brought the out vestments.

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.

23 And when Iehu went, and Iehonadab the sonne of Rechab into the house of Baal, he sayde vnto the seruants of Baal, Searche diligently, and looke, lest there be here with you any of the seruants of the Lord, but the seruants of Baal only.

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.”

24 And when they went in to make sacrifice and burnt offering, Iehu appoynted foure score men without, and sayd, If any of the men whome I haue brought into your hands, escape, his soule shalbe for his soule.

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.”

25 And when hee had made an ende of the burnt offring, Iehu sayde to the garde, and to the captaines, Goe in, slay them, let not a man come out. And they smote them with the edge of the sworde. And the garde, and the captaines cast them out, and went vnto the citie, where was the temple of Baal.

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.

26 And they brought out the images of the temple of Baal, and burnt them.

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

27 And they destroyed the image of Baal, and threwe downe the house of Baal, and made a iakes of it vnto this day.

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.

28 So Iehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

Thus Jehu eradicated Baal from Israel,

29 But from the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat which made Israel to sinne, Iehu departed not from them, neither from the golden calues that were in Beth-el and that were in Dan.

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.

30 And the Lord sayde vnto Iehu, Because thou hast diligently executed that which was right in mine eyes, and hast done vnto the house of Ahab according to all things that were in mine heart, therefore shall thy sonnes vnto the fourth generation sit on the throne of Israel.

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.”

31 But Iehu regarded not to walke in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart: for hee departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam, which made Israel to sinne.

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.

32 In those dayes the Lord began to lothe Israel, and Hazael smote them in all the coastes of Israel,

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

33 From Iorden Eastward, euen all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and them that were of Manasseh, from Aroer (which is by the riuer Arnon) and Gilead and Bashan.

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.

34 Concerning the rest of the actes of Iehu, and all that he did, and all his valiant deedes, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

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?

35 And Iehu slept with his fathers, and they buryed him in Samaria, and Iehoahaz his sonne reigned in his stead.

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

36 And the time that Iehu reigned ouer Israel in Samaria is eight and twentie yeeres.

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