[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
draught-house, 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.