2 Kings 10

1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, to the rulers of the city, even the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying,

And Achab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, unto the rulers of Yizre'el, the elders, and to those that brought up Achab's children, saying,

2 "Now as soon as this letter comes to you, since your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and weapons.

And now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing that there are with you your master's sons, and there are with you the chariots and the horses, and the fortified city, and the armor:

3 Select the best and fittest of your master's sons, set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house."

Select then the best and the most fitting of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.

4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, "Look, the two kings did not stand before him. How then shall we stand?"

But they were exceedingly much afraid, and said, Behold, the two kings could not stand before him: how then shall we be able to stand?

5 He who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders also, and those who raised the children, sent to Jehu, saying, "We are your servants, and will do all that you ask us. We will not make any man king. You do that which is good in your eyes."

And the superintendent over the house, and the commander over the city, and the elders, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and all that thou mayest say unto us will we do; we will not set up any one as king: do what is good in thy eyes.

6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, "If you are on my side, and if you will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time." Now the king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who brought them up.

Then wrote he to them a letter the second time, saying, If ye be for me, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, then take the heads of the men, your master's sons, and come to me to Yizre'el by this time tomorrow. Now the king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who brought them up.

7 It happened, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and killed them, even seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Jezreel.

And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons and slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Yizre'el.

8 A messenger came, and told him, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons." He said, "Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning."

And the messenger came, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Place ye them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.

9 It happened in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, "You are righteous. Look, I conspired against my master, and killed him; but who struck all these?

And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye are righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him; but who hath killed all these?

10 Know now that nothing shall fall to the earth of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab. For the LORD has done that which he spoke by his servant Elijah."

Know now that there shall not fall of the word of the Lord unto the earth, the least that the Lord hath spoken concerning the house of Achab; and the Lord hath done that which he spoke by means of his servant Elijah.

11 So Jehu struck all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, with all his great men, his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

And Jehu smote all that yet remained of the house of Achab in Yizre'el, and all his great men, and his acquaintance, and his priests, until he had left him none that escaped.

12 He arose and departed, and went to Samaria. As he was at Beth Eked of the Shepherds on the way,

And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria; he was just at the binding-house of the shepherds, on the way:

13 Jehu met with the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, "Who are you?" They answered, "We are the brothers of Ahaziah. We are going down to greet the children of the king and the children of the queen."

When Jehu met with the brothers of Achazyahu the king of Judah, and he said, Who are ye? And they said, The brothers of Achazyahu are we; and we are come down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.

14 He said, "Take them alive." They took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, even forty-two men. He did not leave any of them.

And he said, Seize them alive. And they seized them alive, and slaughtered them at the pit of the binding-house, two and forty men; and he left not one of them remaining.

15 When he had departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. He greeted him, and said to him, "Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?" Jehonadab answered, "It is." And he said, "If it is, give me your hand." He gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

And he went away thence, and met Yehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is all right in thy heart, as my heart is with thy heart? And Yehonadab answered, It is; it is: give me thy hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

16 He said, "Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD." So he made him ride in his chariot.

And he said, Come with me, and behold my zeal for the Lord. So they made him ride in his chariot.

17 When he came to Samaria, he struck all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke to Elijah.

And when he came to Samaria, he smote all that yet remained unto Achab in Samaria, till he had exterminated him, according to the word of the Lord which he had spoken to Elijah.

18 Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, "Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu will serve him much.

And Jehu assembled all the people, and said unto them, Achab hath served Ba'al a little: Jehu will serve him much.

19 Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all of his worshippers, and all of his priests. Let none be absent; for I have a great sacrifice to Baal. Whoever is absent, he shall not live." But Jehu did it in subtlety, intending that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.

And now call unto me all the prophets of Ba'al, all his worshippers, and all his priests: let no one be missing; for I have a great sacrifice to make for Ba'al; whosoever will be missing, shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty, in order to destroy the worshippers of Ba'al.

20 Jehu said, "Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal." They proclaimed it.

And Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Ba'al. And they proclaimed it.

21 Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that did not come. They came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another.

And Jehu sent throughout all Israel: and there came all the worshippers of Ba'al, so that there was not a man remaining that came not; and they came into the house of Ba'al; and the house of Ba'al was full from one end to another.

22 He said to him who was over the vestry, "Bring out robes for all the worshippers of Baal." He brought robes out to them.

And he said unto him that was over the wardrobe, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Ba'al. And he brought forth for them the vestments.

23 Jehu went with Jehonadab the son of Rechab into the house of Baal. Then he said to the worshippers of Baal, "Search, and look that there are here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only."

And Jehu went, with Yehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Ba'al, and he said unto the worshippers of Ba'al, Search, and look that there be not here with you any of the servants of the Lord, but the worshippers of Ba'al entirely alone.

24 They went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had appointed him eighty men outside, and said, "If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape, he who lets him go, his life shall be for the life of him."

And they went in to prepare sacrifices and burnt-offerings; but Jehu had set for himself without eighty men, and said, [If there be] a man that escapeth from the men whom I deliver into your hands, [there shall be given] life for his life.

25 It happened, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, "Go in, and kill them. Let none escape." They struck them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.

And it came to pass, as soon as they had made an end of preparing the burnt-offering, that Jehu said to the runners and to the officers, Go in, smite them: let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the runners and the captains cast them out, and went as far as the city of the house of Ba'al.

26 They brought out the pillar that was in the house of Baal, and burned it.

And they brought forth the statues out of the house of Ba'al, and burnt every one of them.

27 They broke down the pillar of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a latrine, to this day.

And they broke down the statue of Ba'al, and broke down the house of Ba'al, and made it a common sewer unto this day.

28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

Thus Jehu exterminated Ba'al out of Israel.

29 However from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin, Jehu did not depart from after them, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.

Nevertheless the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, who induced Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from in following them, [namely, ] the golden calves that were in Beth-el, and that were in Dan.

30 The LORD said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in executing that which is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your descendants of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel."

And the Lord said unto Jehu, Forasmuch as thou hast acted well in doing what is right in my eyes, and hast done in accordance with all that was in my heart unto the house of Achab: children of the fourth generation after thee shall sit upon the throne of Israel.

31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel to sin.

But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord the God of Israel with all his heart: he departed not from the sins of Jerobo'am, who induced Israel to sin.

32 In those days the LORD began to cut off from Israel; and Hazael struck them in all the borders of Israel;

In those days the Lord began to cut Israel short; and Chazael smote them in all the boundary of Israel;

33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the Valley of the Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.

From the Jordan to the rising of the sun, all the land of Gil'ad, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Menassites, from 'Aro'er which is by the river Arnon, both Gil'ad and Bashan.

34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his mighty deeds, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

35 Jehu slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria. Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place.

And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoachaz his son became king in his stead.

36 The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.