Ii Regum 10

1 Erant autem Achab septuaginta filii in Samaria: scripsit ergo Jehu litteras, et misit in Samariam, ad optimates civitatis, et ad majores natu, et ad nutritios Achab, dicens:

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 Statim ut acceperitis litteras has, qui habetis filios domini vestri, et currus, et equos, et civitates firmas, et arma,

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

3 eligite meliorem, et eum qui vobis placuerit de filiis domini vestri, et eum ponite super solium patris sui, et pugnate pro domo domini vestri.

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 Timuerunt illi vehementer, et dixerunt: Ecce duo reges non potuerunt stare coram eo, et quomodo nos valebimus resistere?

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

5 Miserunt ergo præpositi domus, et præfecti civitatis, et majores natu, et nutritii, ad Jehu, dicentes: Servi tui sumus: quæcumque jusseris faciemus, nec constituemus nobis regem: quæcumque tibi placent, fac.

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 Rescripsit autem eis litteras secundo, dicens: Si mei estis, et obeditis mihi, tollite capita filiorum domini vestri, et venite ad me hac eadem hora cras in Jezrahel. Porro filii regis, septuaginta viri, apud optimates civitates nutriebantur.

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 Cumque venissent litteras ad eos, tulerunt filios regis, et occiderunt septuaginta viros, et posuerunt capita eorum in cophinis, et miserunt ad eum in Jezrahel.

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 Venit autem nuntius, et indicavit ei, dicens: Attulerunt capita filiorum regis. Qui respondit: Ponite ea ad duos acervos juxta introitum portæ usque mane.

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 Cumque diluxisset, egressus est, et stans dixit ad omnem populum: Justi estis: si ego conjuravi contra dominum meum et interfeci eum, quis percussit omnes hos?

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 videte ergo nunc quoniam non cecidit de sermonibus Domini in terram, quos locutus est Dominus super domum Achab: et Dominus fecit quod locutus est in manu servi sui Eliæ.

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 Percussit igitur Jehu omnes qui reliqui erant de domo Achab in Jezrahel, et universos optimates ejus, et notos, et sacerdotes, donec non remanerent ex eo reliquiæ.

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 Et surrexit, et venit in Samariam: cumque venisset ad Cameram pastorum in via,

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

13 invenit fratres Ochoziæ regis Juda: dixitque ad eos: Quinam estis vos? Qui responderunt: Fratres Ochoziæ sumus, et descendimus ad salutandos filios regis, et filios reginæ.

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 Qui ait: Comprehendite eos vivos. Quos cum comprehendissent vivos, jugulaverunt eos in cisterna juxta Cameram, quadraginta duos viros: et non reliquit ex eis quemquam.

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 Cumque abiisset inde, invenit Jonadab filium Rechab in occursum sibi, et benedixit ei. Et ait ad eum: Numquid est cor tuum rectum, sicut cor meum cum corde tuo? Et ait Jonadab: Est. Si est, inquit, da manum tuam. Qui dedit ei manum suam. At ille levavit eum ad se in currum:

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 dixitque ad eum: Veni mecum, et vide zelum meum pro Domino. Et impositum in curru suo

saying, “Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD!” So he had him ride in his chariot.

17 duxit in Samariam. Et percussit omnes qui reliqui fuerant de Achab in Samaria usque ad unum, juxta verbum Domini quod locutus est per Eliam.

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 Congregavit ergo Jehu omnem populum, et dixit ad eos: Achab coluit Baal parum, ego autem colam eum amplius.

Then Jehu brought all the people together and said, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot.

19 Nunc igitur omnes prophetas Baal, et universos servos ejus, et cunctos sacerdotes ipsius vocate ad me: nullus sit qui non veniat: sacrificium enim grande est mihi Baal: quicumque defuerit, non vivet. Porro Jehu faciebat hoc insidiose, ut disperderet cultores 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 Et dixit: Sanctificate diem solemnem Baal. Vocavitque,

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

21 et misit in universos terminos Israël, et venerunt cuncti servi Baal: non fuit residuus ne unus quidem qui non veniret. Et ingressi sunt templum Baal: et repleta est domus Baal, a summo usque ad summum.

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 Dixitque his qui erant super vestes: Proferte vestimenta universis servis Baal. Et protulerunt eis vestes.

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 Ingressusque Jehu, et Jonadab filius Rechab, templum Baal, ait cultoribus Baal: Perquirite, et videte, ne quis forte vobiscum sit de servis Domini, sed ut sint servi Baal soli.

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 Ingressi sunt igitur ut facerent victimas et holocausta: Jehu autem præparaverat sibi foris octoginta viros, et dixerat eis: Quicumque fugerit de hominibus his, quos ego adduxero in manus vestras, anima ejus erit pro anima illius.

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 Factum est autem, cum completum esset holocaustum, præcepit Jehu militibus et ducibus suis: Ingredimini, et percutite eos: nullus evadat. Percusseruntque eos in ore gladii, et projecerunt milites et duces: et ierunt in civitatem templi 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 et protulerunt statuam de fano Baal, et combusserunt,

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

27 et comminuerunt eam. Destruxerunt quoque ædem Baal, et fecerunt pro ea latrinas usque in diem hanc.

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 Delevit itaque Jehu Baal de Israël:

Thus Jehu eradicated Baal from Israel,

29 verumtamen a peccatis Jeroboam filii Nabat, qui peccare fecit Israël, non recessit, nec dereliquit vitulos aureos qui erant in Bethel et 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 Dixit autem Dominus ad Jehu: Quia studiose egisti quod rectum erat, et placebat in oculis meis, et omnia quæ erant in corde meo fecisti contra domum Achab: filii tui usque ad quartam generationem sedebunt super thronum Israël.

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 Porro Jehu non custodivit ut ambularet in lege Domini Dei Israël in toto corde suo: non enim recessit a peccatis Jeroboam, qui peccare fecerat Israël.

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 diebus illis cœpit Dominus tædere super Israël: percussitque eos Hazaël in universis finibus Israël,

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

33 a Jordane contra orientalem plagam, omnem terram Galaad, et Gad, et Ruben, et Manasse, ab Aroër, quæ est super torrentem Arnon, et Galaad, et Basan.

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 Reliqua autem verborum Jehu, et universa quæ fecit, et fortitudo ejus, nonne hæc scripta sunt in libro verborum dierum regum Israël?

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 Et dormivit Jehu cum patribus suis, sepelieruntque eum in Samaria: et regnavit Joachaz filius ejus pro eo.

And Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoahaz reigned in his place.

36 Dies autem quos regnavit Jehu super Israël, viginti et octo anni sunt in Samaria.

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