7And when the letter arrived, they killed the king's seventy sons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. 8And a messenger came and told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the king's sons”. And he said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.” 9And in the morning, Jehu went out, and said to all the people, “You are just and innocent. It was I who conspired against my master (Joram), and killed him. But who killed all these? 10Have no doubt now that nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab shall fail; for the LORD has done exactly what He spoke by His servant, Elijah”. 11So Jehu killed all of the house of Ahab who remained in Jezreel, all his influential men, his close friends, and his priests, until none remained.

12Then he departed for Samaria. And when he got to the shearing house Beth Eked along the way, 13Jehu met the brothers of Ahaziah, king of Judah, and said, “Who are you?” And they answered, “We are relatives of Ahaziah; and we are on our way to visit the family of the king (Ahab) and of the queen (Jezebel).” 14And Jehu said, “Take them alive”. And they took them alive, then they killed them, forty-two men, at the pit of the shearing house, he left no survivors.

15And when he had left there, he came upon Jehonadab, son of Rechab, coming to meet him; and Jehu greeted him, and said, “Are you as loyal to me as I am with you?” And Jehonadab answered, “I am.” And Jehu said, “If so, give me your hand.” And Jehonadab gave him his hand; and Jehu helped him up into the chariot with him. 16And he said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD”. So he had Jehonadab ride in his chariot. 17And when he reached Samaria, he killed all who remained of Ahab’s family in Samaria; he destroyed them according to what of the LORD spoke through Elijah.

18Then Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much more. 19Now call to me all the prophets of Baal - all his servants, and all his priests; let none be missing; for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal. Whoever is absent shall not live”. But Jehu was using deception, with the intent of destroying all the worshippers of Baal. 20And Jehu said, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal”. And they proclaimed it. 21And Jehu sent word through all Israel; and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a worshipper of Baal who did not come. And they all came into the temple of Baal; and the temple of Baal was full from one end to another. 22And Jehu said to the keeper of the vestry (wardrobe), “Bring out garments for all the worshippers of Baal”. And he brought them all robes. 23And Jehu and Jehonadab, son of Rechab, went into the temple of Baal, and said to the worshippers of Baal, “Search carefully, and make sure that there are no servants of the LORD here with you, but only the worshippers of Baal”. 24Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. But Jehu had posted eighty men outside, with these orders: “If any of the men whom I have placed into your hands escape, whoever lets him escape shall pay for his life with his own life.” 25And as soon as he had ceased offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to their captains, “Go in, and kill them; let no one escape”. And they slew them with the sword; and the guard and the captains threw their bodies out, and entered the inner room of the temple of Baal. 26And they brought the images out of the temple of Baal, and burned them. 27And they also tore down the pillar of Baal, and broke down the temple of Baal, and made it a latrine unto this day.

28Thus Jehu purged the worship of Baal from Israel. 29However, Jehu did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin, by leading them to worship the golden calves that were in Bethel, and in Dan. 30And the LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in executing what is right in My eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in My heart, your children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” 31But yet Jehu did not take heed to walk with all his heart in the law of the LORD God of Israel; for he did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, who caused Israel to sin.

32In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel, and Hazael defeated them in various parts of Israel; 33From the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, by the river, Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.

34Now 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? 35And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz, his son, reigned in his stead. 36And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.