2 Kings 10:1-21 ▼

1 Ahab had nowe seuentie sonnes in Samaria; Iehu wrote letters, & sent to Samaria vnto the rulers of Izreel, and to the Elders, and to ye bringers vp of Ahabs children, to this effect,

2 Nowe when this letter commeth to you, (for ye haue with you your masters sonnes, yee haue with you both charets and horses, and a defenced citie, and armour)

3 Consider therefore which of your masters sonnes is best and most meete, and set him on his fathers throne, and fight for your masters house.

4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and saide, Behold two Kings coulde not stande before him, how shall we then stand?

5 And he that was gouernour of Ahabs house, and he that ruled the citie, and the Elders, & the bringers vp of the children sent to Iehu, saying, We are thy seruants, and will doe all that thou shalt bid vs: we will make no King: do what seemeth good to thee.

6 Then he wrote another letter to them, saying, If ye be mine, & wil obey my voyce, take the heads of ye men that are your masters sonnes, & come to me to Izreel by to morowe this time. (Nowe the Kings sonnes, euen seuentie persons were with the great men of the citie, which brought them vp)

7 And when the letter came to them, they tooke the Kings sonnes, and slewe the seuentie persons, and layde their heads in baskets, and sent them vnto him to Izreel.

8 Then there came a messenger and tolde him, saying, They haue brought the heads of the Kings sonnes; he sayd, Let them lay them on two heapes at the entring in of the gate vntil the morning.

9 And when it was day, he went out, & stood and sayd to all the people, Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, & slew him: but who slew all these?

10 Knowe nowe that there shal fall vnto the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the Lorde hath brought to passe the things that hee spake by his seruant Eliiah.

11 So Iehu slew al that remained of the house of Ahab in Izreel, & all that were great with him, and his familiars and his priestes, so that he let none of his remaine.

12 And he arose, and departed and came to Samaria. And as Iehu was in the way by an house where the shepheards did shere,

13 He met with the brethre of Ahaziah king of Iudah, and sayd, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah, and goe downe to salute the children of the King and the children of the Queene.

14 And he sayde, Take them aliue; they tooke them aliue, & slew them at the well beside the house where the sheepe are shorne, euen two and fourtie men, and he left not one of them.

15 And when he was departed thence, hee met with Iehonadab the sonne of Rechab coming to meete him, and he blessed him, and sayde to him, Is thine heart vpright, as mine heart is towarde thine? And Iehonadab answered, Yea, doubtlesse. Then giue me thine hande; when he had giuen him his hande, he tooke him vp to him into the charet.

16 And he sayde, Come with me, and see the zeale that I haue for the Lord: so they made him ride in his charet.

17 And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained vnto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the worde of the Lord, which he spake to Eliiah.

18 Then Iehu assembled all the people, and sayd vnto them, Ahab serued Baal a litle, but Iehu shal serue him much more.

19 Now therefore call vnto me all ye prophets of Baal, all his seruants, & all his priests, & let not a man be lacking: for I haue a great sacrifice for Baal: whosoeuer is lacking, he shal not liue. But Iehu did it by a subtiltie to destroy ye seruats of Baal.

20 And Iehu sayd, Proclaime a solemne assemblie for Baal; they proclaimed it.

21 So Iehu sent vnto all Israel, and all the seruants of Baal came, and there was not a man left that came not; they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was full from ende to ende.