2 Kongebok 10

1 Akab hadde sytti sønner i Samaria; og Jehu skrev brever og sendte dem til Samaria, til de øverste i Jisre'el, de eldste, og til de formyndere som Akab hadde innsatt for sine sønner; i brevene stod det:

There were seventy descendants of King Ahab who were living there in Samaria. Jehu wrote a letter [and made copies of it] and sent them to the rulers of the city, to the elders, and to those who raised and tutored Ahab’s children.

2 Når nu dette brev kommer til eder, I som har eders herres sønner hos eder, og som råder over vognene og hestene og en fast by og våbnene,

[This is what he wrote]: “You are the ones who are [taking care of] the king’s descendants. You have chariots and horses and weapons, and you live in cities that have walls around them. So as soon as you receive this letter,

3 så utse eder den beste og mest skikkede blandt eders herres sønner og sett ham på hans fars trone og strid for eders herres hus!

choose one of the king’s sons, the one who is the best qualified, and appoint him to be your king. Then [prepare to] fight to defend him.”

4 Men de blev meget forferdet og sa: De to konger holdt ikke stand mot ham; hvorledes skulde da vi kunne det?

But [when they got those letters from Jehu and read them], they became very afraid. They said, “King Joram and King Ahaziah could not resist him; (how can we resist him?/we cannot possibly resist him!)” [RHQ]

5 Så sendte slottshøvdingen og høvdingen over byen og de eldste og formynderne bud til Jehu og lot si: Vi er dine tjenere, og alt hvad du sier til oss, vil vi gjøre; vi vil ikke gjøre nogen til konge; gjør du hvad du finner for godt!

So the officer who was in charge of the palace and the mayor of the city sent a message to Jehu saying, “We want to serve you, and we are ready to do whatever you tell us to do. We will not appoint anyone to become our king. You do whatever you think is best.”

6 Da skrev han atter et brev til dem, og i det stod det: Dersom I holder med mig og vil lyde mitt bud, så hugg hodet av eders herres sønner og kom til mig i Jisre'el imorgen ved denne tid! Men kongens sønner, sytti i tallet, bodde hos de store i byen, som opfostret dem.

So Jehu sent a second letter to them, writing this: “If you (are on my side/want to help me), and if you are ready to obey me, [kill] King Ahab’s descendants [and cut off their heads and] bring their heads to me here in Jezreel at this time tomorrow.” The seventy descendants of King Ahab were being brought up and supervised by the leaders of [Samaria] city.

7 Da nu brevet kom til dem, tok de kongens sønner og drepte dem, sytti i tallet, og la deres hoder i kurver og sendte dem til ham i Jisre'el.

When they received the letter from Jehu, they killed all seventy of Ahab’s descendants and [cut off their heads]. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

8 Da budet kom og meldte ham at de var kommet med kongesønnenes hoder, sa han: Legg dem i to hauger foran inngangen til porten til imorgen!

A messenger came to Jehu and told him, “They have brought the heads of Ahab’s descendants.” So Jehu commanded that the heads should be put in two piles at the city gate and that the heads should stay there until the next morning.

9 Og om morgenen gikk han ut og trådte frem og sa til alt folket: I er uten skyld! Det er jeg som har fått i stand en sammensvergelse mot min herre og drept ham; men hvem har slått alle disse ihjel?

The next morning he went out [to the city gate] and said to all the people, “I am the one who plotted against King Joram and killed him. You are not guilty of doing that. But [it was Yahweh, not I] [RHQ] who [commanded that] all these [descendants of Ahab should be] killed.

10 Nu ser I at ikke noget av det som Herren har talt mot Akabs hus, faller til jorden; men Herren har gjort det som han talte gjennem sin tjener Elias.

So you need to know that everything that Yahweh said would happen has happened. He has caused to happen what he told the prophet Elijah would happen.”

11 Så slo Jehu ihjel alle som var tilbake av Akabs hus i Jisre'el, og alle hans stormenn og hans kjenninger og hans prester; han lot ikke nogen bli i live eller slippe unda.

Then Jehu executed all the other relatives of Ahab in Jezreel, and all Ahab’s officers, and close friends, and his priests. He did not allow any of them to remain alive.

12 Siden gjorde Jehu sig rede og drog avsted til Samaria. Og da han underveis kom til Bet-Eked-Haro'im,

Then Jehu left [Jezreel] and went toward Samaria. While he was going there, at a place called ‘Shepherds’ Camp’,

13 møtte han Judas konge Akasjas brødre. Han spurte dem: Hvem er I? De svarte: Vi er brødre av Akasja og er på vei ned for å hilse på kongens barn og dronningens barn.

he met some relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah. He asked them, “Who are you?” They replied, “We are relatives of King Ahaziah. We are going to Jezreel to visit the children of Queen Jezebel and the other members of King [Joram’s] family.”

14 Da sa han: Grip dem levende! Så grep de dem levende og drepte dem ved brønnen i Bet-Eked, to og firti i tallet; han lot ikke en av dem bli i live.

Jehu said to his men, “Seize them!” So they seized them and killed all of them at the pit named Beth-Eked. There were 42 people whom they killed; they did not allow any of them to remain alive.

15 Da han så drog derfra, traff han på Jonadab, Rekabs sønn, som kom ham i møte, og han hilste på ham og sa til ham: Mener du det like så opriktig med mig som jeg med dig? Jonadab svarte: Ja. Er det så sa Jehu, da gi mig din hånd! Da gav han ham hånden; og han lot ham stige op til sig i vognen.

Then Jehu [continued to travel toward Samaria]. Along the road, he was met by Jonadab, a leader of the Rechab clan. Jehu greeted him and said to him, “Are you as devoted to me [IDM] as I am devoted to you?” Jonadab replied, “Yes, I am.” Jehu said, “If you are, shake hands with me.” So Jonadab shook hands with him, and Jehu helped him to get into his chariot.

16 Og han sa: Følg med mig og se hvor nidkjær jeg er for Herren! Så lot han ham kjøre på sin vogn.

Jehu said to him, “Come with me, and you will see that I am very devoted to Yahweh.” So they rode together to Samaria.

17 Og da han kom til Samaria, slo han ihjel alle som var tilbake av Akabs hus i Samaria, til han hadde utryddet det, efter det ord som Herren hadde talt til Elias.

When they arrived in Samaria, Jehu killed all of Ahab’s relatives who were still alive. He did not (spare any of them/allow any of them to remain alive). That was what Yahweh told Elijah would happen.

18 Siden samlet Jehu alt folket og sa til dem: Akab har dyrket Ba'al lite, Jehu vil dyrke ham meget.

Then Jehu summoned all the people [of Samaria], and said to them, “King Ahab was devoted to [your god] Baal a little bit, but I will serve him much more.

19 Så kall nu alle Ba'als profeter, alle hans tjenere og alle hans prester hit til mig, ikke en må mangle! For jeg vil holde en stor slaktofferfest for Ba'al; hver den som ikke møter, skal late livet. Men dette gjorde Jehu med svik for å utrydde Ba'als tjenere.

So now summon all the prophets of Baal, all of Baal’s priests, and all the others who worship Baal. I am going to make a great sacrifice to Baal. I want all of them to be there. Any of them who is not there will be executed.” But Jehu was planning to trick them; he was planning to kill all those who worshiped Baal.

20 Så sa Jehu: Hold en hellig festforsamling for Ba'al! Da utropte de en sådan fest.

Then Jehu commanded, “Announce that we are going to set aside a day to honor Baal.” So they did that.

21 Og Jehu sendte bud omkring i hele Israel, og alle Ba'als tjenere kom; det var ikke nogen som lot være å komme. Og de gikk inn i Ba'als hus, og Ba'als hus blev fullt fra ende til annen.

Jehu [decided what day they would gather and] sent messages throughout Israel [telling everyone what day to gather on], and on that day, everyone who worshiped Baal came. No one stayed at home. They all went into the huge temple of Baal and filled it from one end to the other.

22 Så sa han til den som hadde tilsyn med klædekammeret: Hent frem klædninger for alle Ba'als tjenere! Og han hentet klædningene frem til dem.

Jehu told the priest who took care of the sacred robes to bring them out and give them to the people who worshiped Baal. So the priest did that.

23 Da nu Jehu sammen med Jonadab, Rekabs sønn, kom til Ba'als hus, sa han til Ba'als tjenere: Se nøie efter at det ikke er nogen av Herrens tjenere her iblandt eder, men bare Ba'als-tjenere!

Then Jehu went into the temple of Baal with Jonadab, and he said to the people who were there to worship Baal, “Be sure that only those who worship Baal are here. Be sure that no one who worships Yahweh has come in.”

24 Så gikk de inn for å ofre slaktoffer og brennoffer, og Jehu stilte åtti mann utenfor huset og sa: Hvis nogen slipper unda av de menn som jeg overgir i eders hender, skal det bøtes liv for liv.

Then he and Jonadab prepared to offer sacrifices and other offerings to Baal that would be completely burned [on the altar that was there in Samaria]. But Jehu had stationed eighty of his men outside the temple, and had said to them, “I want you to kill all the people [who are in the temple]. Anyone who allows one of them to escape will be executed!”

25 Da de var ferdig med å ofre brennofferet, sa Jehu til drabantene og livvakten: Gå inn, slå dem ihjel, la ikke en slippe ut! Så slo de dem med sverdets egg, og drabantene og livvakten kastet dem ut og gikk til Ba'als-husets by.

As soon as Jehu [and Jonadab] had finished killing the animals that would be completely burned to be an offering to Baal, they [went outside and] said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill all of them! Do not allow any of them to escape!” So the guards and officers went in and killed them all with their swords. Then they dragged their corpses outside the temple. Then they went into the inner room of the temple,

26 Og de bar ut støttene i Ba'als hus og brente dem op,

and they carried out the sacred pillar of Baal that was there, and they burned it.

27 og Ba'als egen støtte rev de ned; og Ba'als hus rev de ned og gjorde det til vannhuser, som er der den dag idag.

So they destroyed that pillar that honored Baal, and then they burned down the temple, and made it a public toilet. And it is still a toilet!

28 Således utryddet Jehu Ba'al av Israel.

That is how Jehu got rid of the worship of Baal in Israel.

29 Men fra Jeroboams, Nebats sønns synder, som han hadde fått Israel til å gjøre, vek Jehu ikke - fra gullkalvene i Betel og Dan.

But Jehu did not quit committing the kinds of sins that Jeroboam had committed, sins that led the people of Israel to sin by worshiping the gold [statues of] calves in Bethel and Dan [cities].

30 Herren sa til Jehu: Fordi du har gjort til gagns hvad rett var i mine øine, og gjort mot Akabs hus alt det jeg vilde, så skal dine sønner til fjerde ledd sitte på Israels trone.

Then Yahweh said to Jehu, “You have done what pleased me by getting rid of all of Ahab’s descendants. So I promise you that your son and grandson and great-grandson and great-great-grandson will all be kings of Israel.”

31 Men Jehu gav ikke akt på å vandre i Herrens, Israels Guds lov av alt sitt hjerte; han vek ikke fra Jeroboams synder, som han hadde fått Israel til å gjøre.

But Jehu did not obey all the laws of Yahweh, the God of the Israeli people. He did not stop committing the sins that Jeroboam had committed, sins that led the Israeli people to sin.

32 Ved denne tid begynte Herren å løsrive stykker av Israel; Hasael slo dem på hele Israels grense

At that time, Yahweh began to cause the territory controlled by Israel to become smaller. [The army of] King Hazael [of Syria] conquered much of the Israeli territory.

33 og tok på østsiden av Jordan hele Gileads land, gadittene og rubenittene og manassittene, like fra Aroer ved Arnon-åen, både Gilead og Basan.

He conquered the parts east of the Jordan [River], as far south as Aroer [town] on the Arnon [River]. That included [the] Gilead and Bashan [regions], where the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of the tribe of Manasseh lived.

34 Hvad som ellers er å fortelle om Jehu, om alt det han gjorde og alle hans store gjerninger, det er opskrevet i Israels kongers krønike.

[If you want to read more] about all the other things that Jehu did [RHQ], they are written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.

35 Og Jehu la sig til hvile hos sine fedre, og han blev begravet i Samaria; og hans sønn Joakas blev konge i hans sted.

Jehu died [EUP], and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz became the king in place of his father.

36 Den tid Jehu var konge over Israel i Samaria, var åtte og tyve år.

Jehu had ruled in Samaria as the king of Israel for twenty-eight years.