“1 And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and
sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them
that brought up Ahab’s [children], saying, 2 Now as soon as this letter
cometh to you, seeing your master’s sons [are] with you, and [there are]
with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour; 3 Look
even out the best and meetest 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 stood not 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 the bringers up [of the
children], sent to Jehu, saying, We [are] thy servants, and will do all
that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou [that which
is] good in thine eyes. 6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to
them, saying, If ye [be] mine, and [if] ye will hearken unto my voice,
take ye the heads of the men your master’s sons, and come to me to
Jezreel by to morrow 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 slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets,
and sent him [them] to 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 ye them in two heaps at the entering in 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, Ye [be] righteous: behold, I
conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these? 10
Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the
LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD
hath done [that] which he spake 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 kinsfolks, 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 the brethren
of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who [are] ye? And they answered, We
[are] the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of
the king and the children of the queen. 14 And he said, Take them alive.
And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing
house, [even] two and forty men; neither left he any of them.”
“15 And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son
of Rechab [coming] to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is
thine heart right, as my heart [is] with thy heart? And Jehonadab
answered, It is. If it be, give [me] thine 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 unto
Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of
the LORD, which he spake to Elijah. 18 And Jehu gathered all the people
together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; [but] Jehu
shall serve him much. 19 Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of
Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I
have a great sacrifice [to do] to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he
shall not live. But Jehu did [it] in subtilty, 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 came not. And they came into the house of Baal;
and the house of Baal was full from one end to another. 22 And he said
unto him that [was] over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the
worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments. 23 And Jehu
went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said
unto 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
appointed fourscore men without, and said, [If] any of the men whom I
have brought into your hands escape, [he that letteth 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 smote 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
And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned
them. 27 And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house
of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day. 28 Thus Jehu
destroyed Baal out of Israel.”
“29 Howbeit [from] the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made
Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, [to wit], the golden
calves that [were] in Bethel, and that [were] in Dan. 30 And the LORD
said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing [that which is]
right in mine eyes, [and] hast done unto the house of Ahab according to
all that [was] in mine heart, thy 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, which made Israel to sin. 32 In those
days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all
the coasts of Israel; 33 From 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
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 stead. 36 And the time that Jehu reigned
over Israel in Samaria [was] twenty and eight years.” (2 Kings 10:1-36
AV)
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