1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters, and
sent to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and to those who
brought up the sons of Ahab, saying, 2 Now as soon as this letter
comes to you, seeing your master’s sons are with you, and there are with you
chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and armor; 3 look you out
the best and meet of your master’s sons, and 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 brought up the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We
are your servants, and will do all that you shall bid 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 be on my side, and if
you will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men 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 It happened, when the letter came to them, that they
took the king’s sons, and killed them, even seventy persons, and put their
heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Jezreel. 8 There came a
messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king’s
sons. He said, Lay you them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate
until the morning. 9 It happened in the morning, that 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 struck all these?
10 Know now that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of
Yahweh, which Yahweh spoke concerning the house of Ahab: for Yahweh has done
that which he spoke by his servant Elijah. 11 So Jehu struck all that
remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his
familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him none remaining. 12 He
arose and departed, and went to Samaria. As he was at the shearing-house of
the shepherds in 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: and we go 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 two and forty men; neither left
he any of them. 15 When he was departed there, he lighted on Jehonadab the
son of Rechab coming to meet him; and he greeted him, and said to him, Is
your heart right, as my heart is with your heart? Jehonadab answered, It is.
If it be, 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 Yahweh. 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 him, according to
the word of Yahweh, 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
his worshippers, 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 Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal.
They proclaimed it. 21 Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the
worshippers 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 was over the vestry, Bring forth
vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. He brought them forth vestments.
23 Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal; and
he said to the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with
you none of the servants of Yahweh, but the worshippers of Baal only.
24 They went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had
appointed him 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 It happened, 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
kill them; let none come forth. They struck 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 They brought forth 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 from the sins of Jeroboam the son
of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin, Jehu didn’t depart from after
them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in
Dan. 30 Yahweh 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 sons of the fourth generation
shall sit on the throne of Israel. 31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the
law of Yahweh, 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
Yahweh began to cut off from 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.
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