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.

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,

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

28 So Ju abolished Baal out of 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.

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.

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.

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

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?

35 And Ju slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joachaz his son reigned in his stead.

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