2 Kings 10

1 And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab's [children], saying,

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 Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons [are] with you, and [there are] with you chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and armor;

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

3 Look out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set [him] on his father's throne, and fight for your master's 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 said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?

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

5 And he that [was] over the house, and he that [was] over the city, the elders also, and those who brought up [the children], sent to Jehu, saying, We [are] thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou [that which is] good in thy eyes.

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 a letter the second time to them, saying, if ye [are] mine, and [if] ye will hearken to my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to-morrow this time. Now the king's sons [being] seventy persons, [were] with the great men of the city, who brought them up.

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 it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent [them] to him to Jezreel.

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 And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until 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 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 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 Know now that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab; for the LORD hath done [that] which he spoke by his servant Elijah.

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 Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsmen, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

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 he [was] at the shearing-house in the way,

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

13 Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who [are] ye? And they answered, We [are] the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.

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 said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing-house, [even] two and forty men; neither left he any 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 had departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab [coming] to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thy heart right, as my heart [is] with thy heart; And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it is, give [me] thy hand. And he gave [him] his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

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

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 to Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spoke to Elijah.

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 And Jehu convened all the people, and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little; [but] Jehu shall serve him much.

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 to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice [to do] to Baal: whoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did [it] in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshipers 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 Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed [it].

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

21 And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that 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 one end to another.

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 And he said to him that [was] over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshipers of Baal. And he brought them forth 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 Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said to the worshipers of Baal, Search, and look that there are here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshipers 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 offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings, Jehu appointed eighty men without, and said, [If] any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, [he that letteth him go], his life [shall be] for the life of him.

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 it came to pass, 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] slay them; let none come forth. And they smote 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.

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 forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.

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

27 And they broke down the image of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a draught-house to 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 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

Thus Jehu eradicated Baal from Israel,

29 Yet [from] the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, [to wit], the golden calves 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 said to Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing [that which is] right in my eyes, [and] hast done to the house of Ahab according to all that [was] in my heart, thy children of the fourth [generation] shall 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 Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin.

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 days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the borders of Israel;

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

33 From Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which [is] by the river Arnon, even 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 Now the rest of the acts 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?

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 Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son 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 Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria [was] twenty and eight years.

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