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And Ahab had seventysons in Samaria. And Jehuwroteletters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought upAhab's children, saying,
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Now as soon as this lettercometh to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fencedcity also, and armour;
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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.
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But they were exceedinglyafraid, and said, Behold, twokingsstood not before him: how then shall we stand?
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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 anyking: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.
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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 seventypersons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up.
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And it came to pass, when the lettercame to them, that they took the king's sons, and slewseventypersons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.
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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 intwoheaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning.
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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?
10Knownow that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORDspake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spakeby his servantElijah.
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So Jehuslew 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.
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And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearinghouse in the way,
13Jehumet with the brethren of Ahaziahking 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.
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And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and fortymen; neither left he any of them.
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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 heartright, as my heartis with thy heart? And Jehonadabanswered, 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.
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And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.
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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.
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And Jehugathered all the peopletogether, and said unto them, AhabservedBaal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.
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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 greatsacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehudid it in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
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And Jehusaid, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
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And Jehusent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baalcame, so that there was not a manleft that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.
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And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forthvestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forthvestments.
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And Jehuwent, 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.
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And when they went in to offersacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehuappointedfourscoremenwithout, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your handsescape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him.
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And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehusaid 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.
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And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.
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And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.
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Thus JehudestroyedBaal out of Israel.
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Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehudeparted not from after them, to wit, the goldencalves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.
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And the LORDsaid unto Jehu, Because thou hast donewell 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.
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But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORDGod of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.
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In those days the LORDbegan to cutIsraelshort: and Hazaelsmote them in all the coasts of Israel;
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From Jordaneastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the riverArnon, even Gilead and Bashan.
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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?
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And Jehuslept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his sonreigned in his stead.
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And the time that Jehureigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eightyears.