II Kings 10

1. Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent to Samaria to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the supporters of Ahab, saying,

2. “And now as soon as this letter comes to you, since your master’s sons are with you, and chariots and horses are with you, also a fortified city and armor,

3. Even look for 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. And they were exceedingly afraid and said, “Behold, two kings did not stand before him; how then shall we stand?”

5. And he who was over the house, and he who was over the city, the elders also, and the guardians, sent to Jehu saying, “We are your servants and we will do all that you shall say to us; we will not make any king. Do what is good in your eyes.”

6. And he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, “If you are mine, and will hearken to my voice, take the heads of the men, your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” And the king’s sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city who brought them up.

7. And it came to pass when the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and killed them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent them to him in Jezreel.

8. Then a messenger came and told him, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” And he said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning.”

9. And it came to pass in the morning, he went out and stood, and said to all the people, “You are righteous. Behold, I plotted against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?

10. Now know 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. Then Jehu killed 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. And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. He was at the shepherds’ shearing house which is along the way,

13. And Jehu met with the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, “Who are you?” And they answered, “The brothers of Ahaziah. And we are going down to greet the king’s sons and the queen’s sons.”

14. And he said, “Take them alive!” And they took them alive and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, forty-two men. And he left not a man of them.

15. And he departed from there and found 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 is, give your hand.” And he gave 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.” And they made him ride in his chariot.

17. And he came to Samaria, and killed all that remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD which he spoke to Elijah.

18. Then Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, ‘Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu shall serve him much.

19. And now call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. Let no one be lacking, for I have a great sacrifice to Baal. Whoever shall be lacking, he shall not live.” But Jehu was acting with cunning to the end that he might destroy the worshipers of Baal.

20. And Jehu said, “Call a solemn feast for Baal.” And they called it.

21. And Jehu sent through all Israel. And all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And 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 him who was over the robe room, “Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal.” And he brought them out for them.

23. And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal. And he said to the servants of Baal, “Search and look that there may not be here with you any of the servants of the LORD, but only the servants of Baal.”

24. And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. And Jehu had appointed eighty men outside, and said, “If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escapes, your life shall be for the life of him.”

25. And it came to pass when he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the commanders, “Go in. Kill them! Do not let any come out!” And they struck them with the edge of the sword. And the guard and the commanders threw them out. And they went into the city, into the house of Baal.

26. And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal and burned them.

27. And they demolished the image of Baal, and demolished the house of Baal and made it a sewer house until this day.

28. And Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

29. Only, Jehu did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, going after the golden calves in Bethel and in Dan.

30. And the LORD said to him, “Jehu, because you have done well in doing what 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 did not care to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart, for he did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin.

32. In those days the LORD began to cut off sections of Israel. And Hazael struck them in all the border of Israel,

33. From Jordan toward the rising of the sun, all the land of Gilead, the men of Gad and of Reuben and of Manasseh, from Aroer, by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.

34. And 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 place.

36. And the days that Jehu reigned over Israel and Samaria were twenty-eight years.