2 Kings 10

1 Forsothe seuenti sones in Samarie weren to Achab. Therfor Hieu wroot lettris, and sente in to Samarie to the beste men of the citee, and to the gretter men in birthe, and to alle the nurschis of Achab, and seide,

Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and to those who brought up Ahab’s sons, saying,

2 Anoon as ye han take these lettris, ye that han the sones of youre lord, and the charis, and horsis, and stronge citees, and armeris,

“Now as soon as this letter comes to you, since your master’s sons are with you, and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and armor,

3 chese the beste, and hym that plesith to you of the sones of youre lord, and sette ye him on the trone of his fadir, and fiyte ye for the hows of youre lord.

select the best and fittest of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

4 And thei dredden greetli, and seiden, Lo! twei kyngis myyten not stonde bifor hym, and how schulen we mowe ayenstonde hym?

But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, “Behold, the two kings did not stand before him! How then shall we stand?”

5 Therfor the souereyns of the hows, and the prefect of the citee, and the grettere men in birthe, and the nurchis senten to Hieu, and seiden, We ben thi seruauntis; what euer thingis thou comaundist, we schulen do, and we schulen not make a kyng to vs; do thou what euer thing plesith thee.

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.”

6 Forsothe he wroot ayen to hem lettris the secunde tyme, and seide, If ye ben myne, and obeien to me, take ye the heedis of the sones of youre lord, and come ye to me in this same our to morewe in to Jezrael. Sotheli the sones of the kyng, seuenti men, weren nurschid at the beste men of the citee.

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 who are 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.

7 And whanne the lettris hadden come to hem, thei token the sones of the kyng, and killiden seuenti men, and puttiden the heedis of hem in coffyns; and senten to hym in to Jezrael.

When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and killed them, even seventy people, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Jezreel.

8 Forsothe a messanger cam to hym, and schewide to hym, and seide, Thei han brouyt the heedis of the sones of the king. Which answeride, Putte ye tho heedis to tweyne hepis, bisidis the entring of the yate, til the morewtid.

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.”

9 And whanne it was cleer dai, he yede out, and stood, and seide to al the puple, Ye ben iust men; if Y conspiride ayens my lord, and killide hym, who killide alle these?

In the morning, he went out 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 Therfor se ye now, that noon of the wordis of the Lord felde doun in to the erthe, whiche the Lord spak on the hows of Achab; and the Lord hath do that, that he spak in the hond of his seruaunt, Elie.

Know now that nothing will fall to the earth of the LORD’s word, which the LORD spoke concerning Ahab’s house. For the LORD has done that which he spoke by his servant Elijah.”

11 Therfor Hieu smoot alle that weren residue of the hows of Achab in Jezrael, and alle the beste men of hym, and knowun men, and preestis, til no relikis of hym leften.

So Jehu struck all that remained of Ahab’s house in Jezreel, with all his great men, his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him no one remaining.

12 And he roos, and cam in to Samarie; and whanne he hadde come to the chaumbir of schepherdis in the weie,

He arose and departed, and went to Samaria. As he was at the shearing house of the shepherds on the way,

13 he foond the britheren of Ocozie, kyng of Juda; and he seide to hem, Who ben ye? And thei answeriden, We ben the britheren of Ocozie, and we comen doun to grete the sones of the kyng and the sones of the queen.

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.”

14 Which Hieu seide, Take ye hem quyke. And whanne thei hadden take hem quyke, thei strangliden hem in the cisterne, bisidis the chaumbre, two and fourti men; and he lefte not ony of hem.

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.

15 And whanne he hadde go fro thennus, he foond Jonadab, the sone of Rechab, in to meetyng of hym; and he blesside hym. And Hieu seide to hym, Whether thin herte is riytful with myn herte, as myn herte is with thin herte? And Jonadab seide, It is. Hieu seide, If `it is, yyue thin hond. Which yaf his hond to hym; and he reiside hym to hym silf in to the chare.

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.” “If it is, give me your hand.” He gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

16 And he seide to hym, Come thou with me, and se my feruent loue for the Lord.

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

17 And he ledde hym, put in hys chare, in to Samarie. And he killide alle men that weren residue of Achab in Samarie `til to oon, bi the word of the Lord, which he spak bi Elie.

When he came to Samaria, he struck all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed them, according to the LORD’s word which he spoke to Elijah.

18 Therfor Hieu gaderide to gidere alle the puple, and seide to hem, Achab worschipide Baal a litil, but Y schal worschipe hym more.

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

19 Now therfor clepe ye to me alle the prophetis of Baal, and alle hise seruauntis, and alle hise preestis; `noon be that come not, for grete sacrifice is of me to Baal; who euer schal faile, he schal not lyue. Forsothe Hieu dide this bi tresoun, that he schulde distrie alle the worschipers of Baal.

Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all of his worshipers, and all of his priests. Let no one be absent, for I have a great sacrifice to Baal. Whoever is absent, he shall not live.” But Jehu did deceptively, intending to destroy the worshipers of Baal.

20 And he seide, Halewe ye a solempne day to Baal.

Jehu said, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal!” So they proclaimed it.

21 And he clepide, and sente in to alle the termes of Israel; and alle the seruauntis of Baal camen, `noon was residue, and sotheli `not oon was that cam not. And thei entriden in to the temple of Baal; and the hows of Baal was fillid, fro oon ende `til to `the tothir.

Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the worshipers 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.

22 And he seide to hem that weren souereyns ouer the clothis, Bringe ye forth clothis to alle the seruauntis of Baal; and thei brouyten forth clothis to hem.

He said to him who kept the wardrobe, “Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal!” So he brought robes out to them.

23 And Hieu entride, and Jonadab, the sone of Rechab, in to the temple of Baal. And Hieu seide to the worschiperis of Baal, Enquere ye, and se, lest perauenture ony of the seruauntis of the Lord be with you; but that the seruauntis be aloone of Baal.

Jehu went with Jehonadab the son of Rechab into the house of Baal. Then he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search, and see that none of the servants of the LORD are here with you, but only the worshipers of Baal.”

24 Therfor thei entriden, to make slayn sacrifices, and brent sacrifices. Sotheli Hieu hadde maad redi to hym with outforth foure scoore men, and hadde seid to hem, Who euer schal fle of alle these, whiche Y schal brynge in to youre hondis, the lijf of hym schal be for the lijf of hym that ascapith.

So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had appointed for himself 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.”

25 Forsothe it was don, whanne the brent sacrifice was fillid, Hieu comaundide to hise knyytis and duykis, Entre ye, and sle hem, that noon ascape. And the knyytis and duykis smytiden `hem bi the scharpnesse of swerd, and castiden forth. And `thei yeden into the citee of the temple of Baal,

As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, “Go in and kill them! Let no one escape.” So they struck them with the edge of the sword. The guard and the captains threw the bodies out, and went to the inner shrine of the house of Baal.

26 and thei brouyten forth the ymage fro the temple of Baal,

They brought out the pillars that were in the house of Baal and burned them.

27 and brenten it, and al to braken it. Also thei destrieden the hows of Baal, and maden priuyes for it `til in to this dai.

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

28 Therfor Hieu dide awei Baal fro Israel;

Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

29 netheles he yede not awei fro the synnes of Jeroboam, sone of Nabath, that made Israel to do synne, nether he forsook the goldun caluys, that weren in Bethel and in Dan.

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

30 Forsothe the Lord seide to Hieu, For thou didist bisili that that was riytful, and pleside in myn yyen, and hast do ayens the hows of Achab alle thingis that weren in myn herte, thi sones `til to the fourthe generacioun schulen sitte on the trone of Israel.

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

31 Forsothe Hieu kepte not, that he yede in the lawe of the Lord God of Israel in al his herte; for he yede not awei fro the synnes of Jeroboam, that made Israel to do synne.

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.

32 In tho daies the Lord bigan to be anoyed on Israel; and Asahel smoot hem in alle the coostis of Israel,

In those days the LORD began to cut away parts of Israel; and Hazael struck them in all the borders of Israel

33 fro Jordan ayens the eest coost, al the lond of Galaad, and of Gad, and of Ruben, and of Manasses, fro Aroer which is on the stronde of Arnon, and Galaad, and Baasan.

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.

34 Forsothe the residue of wordis of Hieu, and alle thingis whiche he dide, and his strengthe, whether these ben not writun in the book of wordis of daies of the kyngis of Israel?

Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are not they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

35 And Hieu slepte with hise fadris; and thei birieden hym in Samarie; and Joachaz, his sone, regnyde for hym.

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

36 Forsothe the daies, in whiche Hieu regnede on Israel in Samarie, ben eiyte and twenti yeer.

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