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.

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:

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,

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

3 do you accordingly look out the best and fit among your master's sons, and set him on the throne of his father, and fight for the house of your master.

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.”

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

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?”

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] your servants, and whatever you shall say to us we will do; we will not make [any] man king: we will do that which is right in your eyes.

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.”

6 And Ju wrote them a second letter, saying, If you [are] for me, and listen 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 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.

7 And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and killed them, [even] seventy men, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezrael.

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.

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.

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.”

9 And the morning came, and he went forth, and stood, and said to all the people, You are righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and killed him: but who killed all these?

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?

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.

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.”

11 And Ju struck 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.

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.

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

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

13 And Ju found the brethren of Ochozias king of Juda, and said, Who [are] you? 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.

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.”

14 And he said, Take them alive. And they killed them at the shearing-house, forty and two men: he left not a man of them.

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.

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 your heart right with my heart, as my heart [is] with your heart? And Jonadab said, It is. And Ju said, If it is then, give me your hand. And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot.

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.

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

17 And he entered into Samaria, and struck 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 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.

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

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

19 Now then do all [you] the prophets of Baal call all his servants and his priests to me; let not a man be lacking: 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, 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.

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

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

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; whoever 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 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.

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

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, 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.”

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.

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.”

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 you in and kill them; let not a man of them escape. So they struck 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.

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,

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

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

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

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

28 So Ju abolished Baal out of Israel.

And thus did Jehu wipe away Baal from 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 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.

30 And the Lord said to Ju, Because of all your deeds wherein you have acted well in doing that which was right in my eyes, according to all things which you have done to the house of Achaab [as they were] in my heart, your sons to the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel.

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.”

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 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.

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

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

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?

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?

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 place.

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

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