Ahab’s Seventy Sons Killed

1And 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 supporting Ahab,† saying, 2“And now at the coming in of this letter to you⁺—and with you⁺ are sons of your⁺ master, and with you⁺ are the chariots and the horses, and a fortified city, and weapons— 3choose the best and the most upright of the sons of your⁺ master, and set him on the throne of his father, and fight for the house of your⁺ master.”

4And they were afraid exceedingly greatly, and they said, “Behold, the two kings could not stand up to him, and how can we stand ourselves?”

5And he who was over the house, and he who was in charge of the city, and the elders, and the supporters, sent to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, and all that you tell to us, we will do. But not any man we will make king. That which is good in your eyes, do.”

6And he wrote to them a second letter, saying, “If you⁺ are for me, and my voice you⁺ will obey, take the heads of the men, the sons of your⁺ master, and come to me by this time tomorrow to Jezreel.”

The sons of the king, seventy men, were with the great ones of the city, those bringing them up. 7And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the sons of the king and slaughtered seventy men, and they put their heads in the baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel.

8And a messenger came and declared to him, saying, “They have brought the heads of the sons of the king.”

And he said, “Place them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.”

9And it came to pass 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. And who killed all these? 10Know, then, that nothing shall fall to the earth of the word of YHWH that YHWH spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for YHWH has done what He spoke by the hand of His servant Elijah.”

11And Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his acquaintances, and his priests, until none he left remaining to him.

12And he arose and departed and went to Samaria. He was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds on the way, 13and Jehu met the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah and said, “Who are you⁺?”

And they said, “We are brothers of Ahaziah, and we have come down for the welfare of the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.”

14And he said, “Take them alive.” And they took them alive and killed them at the well of Beth-eked—forty-two men. And he left not a man of them.

15And he departed from there, and he met Jehonadab son of Rechab coming to meet him. And he blessed him and said to him, “Is your heart straight as my heart is toward your heart?”

And Jehonadab answered, “It is.”

And he said, “Give me your hand.”

And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot. 16And he said, “Come with me and see my zeal for YHWH.” And they had him ride in his chariot.

17And he came to Samaria, and he killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria until he had destroyed them, according to the word of YHWH that He spoke to Elijah.

Jehu Kills the Priests of Baal

18And Jehu gathered together all the people and said to them, “Ahab served the Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19And now all the prophets of the Baal, all his servants, and all his priests, call to me. Let not a man be missing, for a great sacrifice I have for the Baal. Anyone who is missing shall not live.”

And Jehu acted deceptively, with the intent of destroying the worshipers of Baal.

20And Jehu said, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for the Baal.” And they proclaimed it.

21And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, and all the worshipers of the Baal came, and was not left a man who did not come in. And they came in to the house of the Baal, and the house of the Baal was full mouth to mouth.

22And he said to the one in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the worshipers of the Baal.” And he brought out for them the clothing.

23And Jehu went, and Jonadab son of Rechab, into the house of the Baal, and they said to the worshipers of the Baal, “Search and see that are here with you⁺ no servants of YHWH, for but the worshipers of the Baal only.”

24And they went in† to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. And Jehu had appointed for himself on the outside eighty men and said, “The man who lets one escape from the men whom I have brought into your⁺ hands, his soul for his soul.”

25And it came to pass, at his finishing to make the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, “Go in, strike them. Let not a man come out.”

And they struck them with the mouth of the sword. And the guards and the officers cast them out and went into the inner room of the house of the Baal.

26And they brought out the pillars of the house of the Baal and burned them. 27And they broke down the pillar of the Baal and broke down the house of the Baal, and made it a latrine to this day.

Jehu Repeats Jeroboam’s Sins

28And Jehu destroyed the Baal from Israel. 29However, the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused to sin Israel, Jehu did not turn away from after them—from the golden calves that were at Bethel and Dan.

30And YHWH said to Jehu, “Because that you have done well in doing right in My eyes—according to all that is in My heart you have done to the house of Ahab—sons of the fourth shall sit unto you on the throne of Israel.”

31And Jehu did not take heed to walk in the law of YHWH, God of Israel, with all his heart. For he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who had caused Israel to sin.

32In those days YHWH began to cut off some of Israel, and Hazael conquered them in all the territory of Israel, 33from the Jordan to the rising of the sun, all the land of Gilead (the Gadite, and the Reubenite, and the Manassite), from Aroer which is by the River Arnon, and Gilead and Bashan.

Jehoahaz Succeeds Jehu in Israel

34And 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 Words of the Days of the Kings of Israel?

35And Jehu rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place. 36And the days that Jehu reigned over Israel were twenty-eight years in Samaria.