10
1 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 “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 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 But
they were
exceedingly afraid,
and said, “Behold,
the two
kings didn’t stand
before him! How
then shall we
stand?”
5 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 He
arose and departed,
and went to
Samaria. As he
was at the
shearing house of
the shepherds on
the way,
13 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 He said, “Take
them alive!”
They took them
alive, and killed
them at the pit
of the shearing
house, even
forty-two men.
He didn’t leave
any of them.
15 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 He said, “Come
with me, and
see my zeal
for the LORD.”
So they made
him ride in
his chariot.
17 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 Jehu
gathered all the
people together,
and said to them,
“Ahab served Baal
a little, but
Jehu will serve
him much.
19 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 Jehu
said, “Sanctify a
solemn assembly
for Baal!”
So they
proclaimed it.
21 Jehu
sent through all
Israel; and all
the worshipers of
Baal came, so
that there was
not a man
left that didn’t
come. They
came into the
house of Baal;
and the house
of Baal was
filled from one
end to another.
22 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 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 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 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 They
brought out the
pillars that were
in the house
of Baal and
burned them.
27 They
broke down the
pillar of Baal,
and broke down
the house of
Baal, and made
it a latrine,
to this day.
28 Thus Jehu
destroyed Baal out
of Israel.
29 However,
Jehu didn’t 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 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 But
Jehu took no
heed to walk
in the law
of the LORD,
the God of
Israel, with all
his heart.
He didn’t depart
from the sins
of Jeroboam, with
which he made
Israel to sin.
32 In
those days the
LORD began to
cut away parts of
Israel; and Hazael
struck them in
all the borders
of Israel
33 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 Now
the rest of
the acts of
Jehu, and all
that he did,
and all his
might, aren’t they
written in the
book of the
chronicles of the
kings of Israel?
35 Jehu
slept with
his fathers; and
they buried him
in Samaria.
Jehoahaz his son
reigned in his
place.
36 The
time that Jehu
reigned over
Israel in Samaria
was twenty-eight
years.