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' children, saying,
2 Now as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master' sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armor;
3 Look even out the best and meet of your master' sons, and set him on his father' throne, and fight for your master' house.
4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?
5 And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are your servants, and will do all that you shall bid us; we will not make any king: do you that which is good in your eyes.
6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If you be mine, and if you will listen to my voice, take you the heads of the men your master' sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time. Now the king' sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up.
7 And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king' sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.
8 And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king' sons. And he said, Lay you them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning.
9 And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, You be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew 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 has done that which he spoke by his servant Elijah.
11 So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.
12 And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way,
13 Jehu met with the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are you? And they answered, We are the brothers of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.
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.
15 And when he was departed there, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me your hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.
16 And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made 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.
18 And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.
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 subtlety, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
20 And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
21 And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers 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.
22 And he said to him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.
23 And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said to the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only.
24 And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that lets him go, his life shall be for the life of him.
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.
26 And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.
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.
28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
29 However, 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 Bethel, and that were in Dan.
30 And the LORD said to Jehu, Because you have done well in executing that which is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your children of the fourth generation shall 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, which made Israel to sin.
32 In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;
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.
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?
35 And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.
36 And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.
1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote and sent letters to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to those rearing Ahabs sons, saying:
2 Now as soon as this letter comes to you, since your masters sons are with you, and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and weapons,
3 choose the best and most upright of your masters sons, set him on his fathers throne, and fight for your masters house.
4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings have not stood before him; how then can we stand?
5 And he who was over the house, and he who was over the city, the elders also, and those rearing the sons, sent to Jehu, saying, We are your servants, we will do all you tell us; but we will not make anyone king. Do what is good in your eyes.
6 Then he wrote a second letter to them, saying: If you are for me and will obey my voice, take the heads of the men, your masters sons, and come to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow. Now the kings sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were rearing them.
7 So it was, when the letter came to them, that they took the kings sons and slaughtered seventy persons, put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel.
8 And a messenger came and reported to him, saying, They have brought the heads of the kings sons. And he said, Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.
9 And it came about in the morning, that he went out and stood, and said to all the people, You are righteous. Behold, I have conspired against my master and killed him; but who killed all these?
10 Know now that nothing has fallen to the earth of the Word of Jehovah which Jehovah has spoken concerning the house of Ahab; for Jehovah has done what He has spoken by the hand of His servant Elijah.
11 Thus Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and his acquaintances and his priests, until he left him no one remaining.
12 And he arose and departed and went to Samaria. On the way, at the house of the shepherds at Beth Eked,
13 Jehu met the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are you? And they answered, We are the brothers of Ahaziah; we have come down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.
14 And he said, Take them alive! So they took them alive, and killed them at the well of Beth Eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.
15 And when he departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab, coming to meet him; and he blessed him and said to him, Is your heart upright, as my heart is with your heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. Jehu said, If it is, give me your hand. So he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot.
16 Then he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for Jehovah. So they made him ride in his chariot.
17 And when he came to Samaria, he killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed them, according to the Word of Jehovah which He had spoken to Elijah.
18 Then Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little, Jehu shall serve him much.
19 Now therefore, call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. Let no one be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live. But Jehu acted with cunning, in order to destroy those serving Baal.
20 And Jehu said, Consecrate a solemn assembly to Baal. So they proclaimed it.
21 Then Jehu sent throughout all Israel; and all those serving Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. So they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was full from one end to the other.
22 And he said to the one over the wardrobe, Bring out the vestments for all those serving Baal. So he brought out vestments for them.
23 And Jehu and Jehonadab the son of Rechab went into the house of Baal, and said to those serving Baal, Search and see that no servants of Jehovah are here with you, but only those serving Baal.
24 So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had appointed for himself eighty men outside, and had said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escapes, whoever lets him escape, it shall be his soul for the soul of the other.
25 Now it happened, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the runners and the officers, Go in and strike them; let no one come out! And they killed them with the edge of the sword; then the runners and the officers threw them out, and went into the city of the house of Baal.
26 And they brought the sacred pillars out of the house of Baal and burned them.
27 Then they broke down the sacred pillar of Baal, and tore down the house of Baal and made it an outhouse to this day.
28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
29 However Jehu did not turn away from after the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin, that is, from the golden calves that were at Bethel and Dan.
30 And Jehovah said to Jehu, Because you have done well in doing what is right in My eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.
31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the Law of Jehovah the God of Israel with all his heart; for he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin.
32 In those days Jehovah began to cut off Israel; and Hazael struck them in all the territory of Israel
33 from the Jordan eastward: all the land of Gilead; Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh; from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, including Gilead and Bashan.
34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel.
35 So Jehu rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place.
36 And the days that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria were twenty-eight years.