2 Kings 10

1 Now, Ahab, had seventy sons in Samaria, —so Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel—the elders, and unto them who had been foster-parents for Ahab, saying:

And Achab had seventy sons in Samaria: so Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, to the chief men of the city, and to the ancients, and to them that brought up Achab’s children, saying:

2 Now, therefore, when this letter cometh in unto you, there being, with you, the sons of your lord, —and, with you, the chariots and the homes, and a fortified city, and the armour,

As soon as you receive these letters, ye that have your master’s sons, and chariots, and horses, and fenced cities, and armour,

3 ye shall look out the goodliest and fittest of the sons of your lord, and set on the throne of his father, and ye shall do battle for the house of your lord.

Choose the best, and him that shall please you most of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for the house of your master.

4 Then feared they very greatly, and said, Lo! two kings, stood not before him; how then, should, we, stand?

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

5 So he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, and the elders, and the foster-parents sent unto Jehu, saying—Thy servants, we are! and, all that thou shalt say unto us, will we do, —we will make no man king, whatsoever is good in thine own eyes, do!

Therefore the overseers of the house, and the rulers of the city, and the ancients, and the tutors sent to Jehu, saying: We are thy servants, whatsoever thou shalt command us we will do, neither will we make us a king: do thou all that pleaseth thee.

6 Then wrote he unto them a second letter, saying—If, mine, ye are, and, unto my voice, ye intend to hearken, take ye the heads of the men who are sons of your lord, and come in unto me about this time to-morrow, in Jezreel. Now, the sons of the king, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who had been bringing them up.

And he wrote letters the second time to them, saying: If you be mine, and will obey me, take the heads of the sons of your master, and come to me to Jezrahel by tomorrow this time. Now the king’s sons, being seventy men, were brought up with the chief men of the city.

7 And it came to pass, when the letter reached them, that they took the sons of the king, and slew them, seventy persons, —and put their heads in baskets, and sent unto him to Jezreel.

And when the letters came to them, they took the king’s sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Jezrahel.

8 And there came in a messenger and told him, saying, They have brought in the heads of the sons of the king. And he said—Lay ye them in two heaps, at the entrance of the gate, until the morning.

And a messenger came, and told him, saying: They have brought the heads of the king’s sons. And he said: Lay ye them in two heaps by the entering in of the gate until the morning.

9 And it came to pass, in the morning, that he went out and took his stand, and said unto all the people, Righteous, are, ye! Lo! I, conspired against my lord, and slew him, but, who, smote, all these?

And when it was light, he went out, and standing said to all the people: You are just: if I conspired against my master, and slew him, who hath slain all these?

10 Know ye, then, that there shall fall nought of the word of Yahweh, to the ground, which Yahweh spake concerning the house of Ahab, —but, Yahweh, hath done that which he spake through his servant Elijah.

See therefore now that there hath not fallen to the ground any of the words of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Achab, and the Lord hath done that which he spoke in the hand of his servant Elias.

11 Then Jehu smote all that were left remaining unto the house of Ahab, in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his acquaintances and his priests, —until there was not left remaining to him, a survivor.

So Jehu slew all that were left of the house of Achab in Jezrahel, and all his chief men, and his friends, and his priests, till there were no remains left of him.

12 Then arose he, and came in, and departed for Samaria, —the sheep-shearing house itself being on the road;

And he arose, and went to Samaria: and when he was come to the shepherds’ cabin in the way,

13 so, Jehu, lighted upon the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are, ye? And they said—Brethren of Ahaziah, are, we; so we came down to salute the sons of the king, and the sons of the queen.

He met with the brethren of Ochozias king of Juda, and he said to them: Who are you? And they answered: We are the brethren of Ochozias, and are come down to salute the sons of the king, and the sons of the queen.

14 Then said he, —Take them alive. So they took them alive, and slew them [casting them] into the pit of the shearing house, —forty-two men, neither left he remaining a man of them.

And he said: Take them alive. And they took them alive, and killed them at the pit by the cabin, two and forty men, and he left not any of them.

15 Then departed he from thence, and lighted on Jehonadab son of Rechab coming to meet him, and he blessed him, and said unto him—Is thy heart, right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab said—It is. Then, if it is, give me thy hand. So he gave him his hand. And he took him up to him, into the chariot;

And when he was departed thence, he found Jonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him, and he blessed him. And he said to him: Is thy heart right as my heart is with thy heart? And Jonadab said: It is. If it be, said he, give me thy hand. He gave him his hand. And he lifted him up to him into the chariot,

16 and said—Do come with me, and see my jealousy for Yahweh. So he made him ride in his chariot.

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

17 And, when he came into Samaria, he smote all that were left remaining unto Ahab, in Samaria, until he had destroyed him, —according to the word of Yahweh, which he had spoken unto Elijah.

And brought him into Samaria. And he slew all that were left of Achab in Samaria, to a man, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Elias.

18 Then Jehu gathered together all the people, and said unto them, —Ahab, served Baal, a little, —Jehu, will serve him, much.

And Jehu gathered together all the people, and said to them: Achab worshipped Baal a little, but I will worship him more.

19 Now, therefore, all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests, call ye for me; do not let, a man, be missing; for, a great sacrifice, have I, to Baal, no one that is missing, shall live. But, Jehu, acted, craftily, to the end he might destroy the servants of Baal.

Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, and all his servants, and all his priests: let none be wanting, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal: whosoever shall be wanting shall not live. Now Jehu did this craftily, that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.

20 And Jehu said—Hallow ye a solemn festival unto Baal. And they made proclamation.

And he said: Proclaim a festival for Baal. And he called,

21 And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, and all the servants of Baal came in, so that there was not left remaining a man, who had not come in, —and they entered the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled, from door to door.

And he sent into all the borders of Israel, and all the servants of Baal came: there was not one left that did not come. And they went into the temple of Baal: and the house of Baal was filled, from one end to the other.

22 Then said he to him who was over the wardrobe chamber, Bring forth vestments for all the servants of Baal. And he brought forth for them the vestments.

And he said to them that were over the wardrobe: Bring forth garments for all the servants of Baal. And they brought them forth garments.

23 Then entered Jehu, with Jehonadab son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, —and he said unto the servants of Baal—Search ye and see, that there be not here, with you, any of the servants of Yahweh, none but the servants of Baal, alone.

And Jehu and Jonadab the son of Rechab went to the temple of Baal, and said to the worshippers of Baal: Search, and see that there be not any with you of the servants of the Lord, but that there be the servants of Baal only.

24 And, when they entered to offer sacrifices and ascending-offerings, Jehu, set him, outside, eighty men, and said—The man who shall escape, of the men whom I am bringing into your power, his own life, shall be for, his life.

And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings: but Jehu had prepared him fourscore men without, and said to them: If any of the men escape, whom I have brought into your hands, he that letteth him go shall answer life for life.

25 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the ascending-sacrifice, that Jehu said to the runners and to the officers—Enter, smite them, let not, a man, get out. So they smote them, with the edge of the sword, —and the runners and the officers cast them out, and then went as far as the city of the house of Baal,

And it came to pass, when the burnt offering was ended, that Jehu commanded his soldiers and captains, saying: Go in, and kill them, let none escape. And the soldiers and captains slew them with the edge of the sword, and cast them out: and they went into the city of the temple of Baal,

26 and brought forth the idolatrous pillars that were in the house of Baal, and then burned it;

And brought the statue out of Baal’s temple, and burnt it,

27 and they brake down the pillars of Baal, —and brake down the house of Baal, and appointed it for a sewer-house—until this day.

And broke it in pieces. They destroyed also the temple of Baal, and made a jakes in its place unto this day.

28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

So Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel:

29 Nevertheless, as for the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he caused, Israel, to commit, Jehu turned not away from following them, —the calves of gold, one being in Bethel, and the other in Dan.

But yet he departed not from the sills of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who made Israel to sin, nor did he forsake the golden calves that were in Bethel and Dan.

30 And Yahweh said unto Jehu: Because thou hast done well, by doing that which was right in mine eyes—according to all that was in my heart, hast done to the house of Ahab, sons, of thine, unto the fourth generation, shall sit upon the throne of Israel.

And the Lord said to Jehu: Because thou hast diligently executed that which was right and pleasing in my eyes, and hast done to the house of Achab according to all that was in my heart: thy children shall sit upon the throne of Israel to the fourth Generation.

31 But, Jehu, took not heed to walk in the law of Yahweh God of Israel, with all his heart, —he turned not away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he caused, Israel, to commit.

But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord the God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, who had made Israel to sin.

32 In those days, began Yahweh to make inroads in Israel, —and Hazael smote them in all the boundaries of Israel;

In those days the Lord began to he weary of Israel: and Hazael ravaged them in all the coasts of Israel,

33 from the Jordan, towards sunrise, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, —from Aroer, which is by the torrent of Arnon, both Gilead and Bashan.

From the Jordan eastward, all the land of Galaad, and Gad, and Ruben, and Manasses, from Aroer, which is upon the torrent Amen, and Galaad, and Basan.

34 Now, the rest of the story of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

But the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and his strength, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?

35 And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, —and, Jehoahaz his son, reigned, in his stead.

And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria: and Joachaz his son reigned in his stead.

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

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