2 Kings, Chapter 10

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 those who brought up Ahab's children, 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. Find even the best and fittest 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, two kings did not stand 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 those who raised the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are your servants, and will do all that you shall tell us; we will not make any king: do 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 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, which brought them up.    7. And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and killed seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him in Jezreel.    8. And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay them in two heaps at the entrance 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 kinfolk, 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 some of the family of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are you? And they answered, We are of the family of Ahaziah; and we are going down to greet the children of the king and the children of the queen.    14. And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, even forty two men; neither left he any of them.    15. And when he was departed from there, he came upon 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? 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 make 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 did not come. 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 wardrobe room, Bring forth garments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth garments.    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 sent eighty men outside, 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 struck them down with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains carried 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 sewage 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, that is, 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, who made Israel to sin.    32. In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael struck them in all the territory 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 river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.    34. Now the rest of the deeds 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 place.    36. And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty eight years.