Chapter 10

And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote⁴ letters, and sent⁴ to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up⁶ Ahab's [children], saying,²

Now as soon as this letter cometh² to you, seeing your master's sons [are] with you, and [there are] with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour;

Look¹ even out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set¹ [him] on his father's throne, and fight¹⁰ for your master's house.

But they were exceedingly ³⁹⁶⁶ afraid,⁴ and said,⁴ Behold, two kings stood¹ not before him: how then shall we stand?⁴

And he that [was] over the house, and he that [was] over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up⁶ [of the children], sent⁴ to Jehu, saying,² We [are] thy servants, and will do⁴ all that thou shalt bid⁴ us; we will not make any king:⁵⁵ do³ thou [that which is] good in thine eyes.

Then he wrote⁴ a letter the second time to them, saying,² If ye [be] mine, and [if] ye will hearken⁶ unto my voice, take³ ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come³ 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.¹⁸

And it came to pass, when the letter came² to them, that they took⁴ the king's sons, and slew⁴ seventy persons, and put⁴ their heads in baskets, and sent⁴ him [them] to Jezreel.

And there came⁴ a messenger, and told⁵⁵ him, saying,² They have brought⁵² the heads of the king's sons. And he said,⁴ Lay³ ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning.

And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out,⁴ and stood,⁴ and said⁴ to all the people, Ye [be] righteous: behold, I conspired¹ against my master, and slew⁴ him: but who slew⁵² all these?

Know³ now that there shall fall⁴ unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake¹⁴ concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done¹ [that] which he spake¹⁴ by his servant Elijah.

So Jehu slew⁵⁵ all that remained¹² of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks,³⁰ and his priests, until he left⁵² him none remaining.

And he arose⁴ and departed,⁴ and came⁴ to Samaria. [And] as he [was] at the shearing⁶ house ¹⁰⁴⁴ in the way,

Jehu met¹ with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said,⁴ Who [are] ye? And they answered,⁴ We [are] the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down⁴ to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.

And he said,⁴ Take³ them alive. And they took⁴ them alive, and slew⁴ them at the pit of the shearing house, ¹⁰⁴⁴ [even] two and forty men; neither left⁵² he any of them.

And when he was departed⁴ thence, he lighted on⁴ Jehonadab the son of Rechab [coming] to meet² him: and he saluted¹⁷ him, and said⁴ to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart [is] with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered,⁴ It is. If it be, give³ [me] thine hand. And he gave⁴ [him] his hand; and he took him up⁵⁵ to him into the chariot.

And he said,⁴ Come³ with me, and see³ my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride⁵⁵ in his chariot.

And when he came⁴ to Samaria, he slew⁵⁵ all that remained¹² unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed⁵² him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake¹⁴ to Elijah.

And Jehu gathered all the people together,⁴ and said⁴ unto them, Ahab served¹ Baal a little; [but] Jehu shall serve⁴ him much.⁵³

Now therefore call³ unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants,⁶ and all his priests; let none be wanting:¹¹ for I have a great sacrifice [to do] to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting,¹¹ he shall not live.⁴ But Jehu did¹ [it] in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy⁵³ the worshippers⁶ of Baal.

And Jehu said,⁴ Proclaim¹⁶ a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed⁴ [it].

And Jehu sent⁴ through all Israel: and all the worshippers⁶ of Baal came,⁴ so that there was not a man left⁸ that came¹ not. And they came⁴ into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full¹¹ from one end to another.

And he said⁴ unto him that [was] over the vestry, Bring forth⁵⁴ vestments for all the worshippers⁶ of Baal. And he brought them forth⁵⁵ vestments.

And Jehu went,⁴ and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said⁴ unto the worshippers⁶ of Baal, Search,¹⁶ and look³ that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers⁶ of Baal only.

And when they went in⁴ to offer² sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed¹ fourscore men without, and said,⁴ [If] any of the men whom I have brought⁵⁶ into your hands escape,¹¹ [he that letteth him go], his life [shall be] for the life of him.

And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end¹⁵ of offering² the burnt offering, that Jehu said⁴ to the guard⁵ and to the captains, Go in,³ [and] slay⁵⁴ them; let none come forth.⁴ And they smote⁵⁵ them with the edge of the sword; and the guard⁵ and the captains cast [them] out,⁵⁵ and went⁴ to the city of the house of Baal.

And they brought forth⁵⁵ the images out of the house of Baal, and burned⁴ them.

And they brake down⁴ the image of Baal, and brake down⁴ the house of Baal, and made⁴ it a draught house ⁴²⁸⁰ unto this day.

Thus Jehu destroyed⁵⁵ Baal out of Israel.

Howbeit [from] the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin,⁵² Jehu departed¹ not from after them, [to wit], the golden calves that [were] in Bethel, and that [were] in Dan.

And the LORD said⁴ unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well⁵² in executing² [that which is] right in mine eyes, [and] hast done¹ unto the house of Ahab according to all that [was] in mine heart, thy children of the fourth [generation] shall sit⁴ on the throne of Israel.

But Jehu took no heed¹ to walk² in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed¹ not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.⁵²

In those days the LORD began⁵² to cut Israel short:¹⁵ and Hazael smote⁵⁵ them in all the coasts of Israel;

From Jordan eastward, ⁸¹²¹ 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.

Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did,¹ and all his might, [are] they not written⁷ in the book of the chronicles ³¹¹⁷ of the kings of Israel?

And Jehu slept⁴ with his fathers: and they buried⁴ him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned⁴ in his stead.

And the time that Jehu reigned¹ over Israel in Samaria [was] twenty and eight years.