1
And Ahab[H256] had seventy[H7657]sons[H1121] in Samaria[H8111]. And Jehu[H3058]wrote[H3789]letters[H5612], and sent[H7971] to Samaria[H8111], unto the rulers[H8269] of Jezreel[H3157], to the elders[H2205], and to them that brought up[H539]Ahab[H256]'s children, saying[H559],
2
Now as soon as this letter[H5612]cometh[H935] to you, seeing your master's sons[H1121] are with you, and there are with you chariots[H7393] and horses[H5483], a fenced[H4013]city[H5892] also, and armour[H5402];
3
Look even out[H7200] the best[H2896] and meetest[H3477] of your master's sons[H1121], and set[H7760] him on his father's throne[H3678], and fight[H3898] for your master's house[H1004].
4
But they were exceedingly[H3966]afraid[H3372], and said[H559], Behold, two[H8147]kings[H4428]stood[H5975] not before[H6440] him: how then shall we stand?[H5975]
5
And he that was over the house[H1004], and he that was over the city[H5892], the elders[H2205] also, and the bringers up[H539] of the children, sent[H7971] to Jehu[H3058], saying[H559], We are thy servants[H5650], and will do[H6213] all that thou shalt bid[H559] us; we will not make any[H376]king[H4427]: do[H6213] thou that which is good[H2896] in thine eyes[H5869].
6
Then he wrote[H3789] a letter[H5612] the second time[H8145] to them, saying[H559], If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken[H8085] unto my voice[H6963], take[H3947] ye the heads[H7218] of the men[H582] your master's sons[H1121], and come[H935] to me to Jezreel[H3157] by to morrow[H4279] this time[H6256]. Now the king's sons[H1121], being seventy[H7657]persons[H376], were with the great men[H1419] of the city[H5892], which brought them up[H1431].
7
And it came[H935] to pass, when the letter[H5612]came[H935] to them, that they took[H3947] the king's sons[H1121], and slew[H7819]seventy[H7657]persons[H376], and put[H7760] their heads[H7218] in baskets[H1731], and sent[H7971] him them to Jezreel[H3157].
8
And there came[H935] a messenger[H4397], and told[H5046] him, saying[H559], They have brought[H935] the heads[H7218] of the king's sons[H1121]. And he said[H559], Lay[H7760] ye them in[H6607]two[H8147]heaps[H6652] at the entering in[H6607] of the gate[H8179] until the morning[H1242].
9
And it came to pass in the morning[H1242], that he went out[H3318], and stood[H5975], and said[H559] to all the people[H5971], Ye be righteous[H6662]: behold, I conspired[H7194] against my master[H113], and slew[H2026] him: but who slew[H5221] all these?
10Know[H3045]now[H645] that there shall fall[H5307] unto the earth[H776] nothing of the word[H1697] of the LORD[H3068], which the LORD[H3068]spake[H1696] concerning the house[H1004] of Ahab[H256]: for the LORD[H3068] hath done[H6213] that which he spake[H1696]by[H3027] his servant[H5650]Elijah[H452].
11
So Jehu[H3058]slew[H5221] all that remained[H7604] of the house[H1004] of Ahab[H256] in Jezreel[H3157], and all his great men[H1419], and his kinsfolks[H3045], and his priests[H3548], until he left[H7604] him none remaining[H8300].
12
And he arose[H6965] and departed[H935], and came[H3212] to Samaria[H8111]. And as he was at the shearing[H7462]house[H1004] in the way[H1870],
13Jehu[H3058]met[H4672] with the brethren[H251] of Ahaziah[H274]king[H4428] of Judah[H3063], and said[H559], Who are ye? And they answered[H559], We are the brethren[H251] of Ahaziah[H274]; and we go down[H3381] to salute[H7965] the children[H1121] of the king[H4428] and the children[H1121] of the queen[H1377].
14
And he said[H559], Take[H8610] them alive[H2416]. And they took[H8610] them alive[H2416], and slew[H7819] them at the pit[H953] of the shearing house[H1044], even two[H8147] and forty[H705]men[H376]; neither left[H7604] he any[H376] of them.
15
And when he was departed[H3212] thence, he lighted[H4672] on Jehonadab[H3082] the son[H1121] of Rechab[H7394] coming to meet[H7125] him: and he saluted[H1288] him, and said[H559] to him, Is[H3426] thine heart[H3824]right[H3477], as my heart[H3824]is[H3426] with thy heart?[H3824] And Jehonadab[H3082]answered[H559], It is[H3426]. If it be, give[H5414] me thine hand[H3027]. And he gave[H5414] him his hand[H3027]; and he took him up[H5927] to him into the chariot[H4818].
16
And he said[H559], Come[H3212] with me, and see[H7200] my zeal[H7068] for the LORD[H3068]. So they made him ride[H7392] in his chariot[H7393].
17
And when he came[H935] to Samaria[H8111], he slew[H5221] all that remained[H7604] unto Ahab[H256] in Samaria[H8111], till he had destroyed[H8045] him, according to the saying[H1697] of the LORD[H3068], which he spake[H1696] to Elijah[H452].
18
And Jehu[H3058]gathered[H6908] all the people[H5971]together[H6908], and said[H559] unto them, Ahab[H256]served[H5647]Baal[H1168] a little[H4592]; but Jehu[H3058] shall serve[H5647] him much[H7235].
19
Now therefore call[H7121] unto me all the prophets[H5030] of Baal[H1168], all his servants[H5647], and all his priests[H3548]; let none[H376] be wanting[H6485]: for I have a great[H1419]sacrifice[H2077] to do to Baal[H1168]; whosoever shall be wanting[H6485], he shall not live[H2421]. But Jehu[H3058]did[H6213] it in subtilty[H6122], to the intent that he might destroy[H6] the worshippers[H5647] of Baal[H1168].
20
And Jehu[H3058]said[H559], Proclaim[H6942] a solemn assembly[H6116] for Baal[H1168]. And they proclaimed[H7121] it.
21
And Jehu[H3058]sent[H7971] through all Israel[H3478]: and all the worshippers[H5647] of Baal[H1168]came[H935], so that there was not a man[H376]left[H7604] that came[H935] not. And they came[H935] into the house[H1004] of Baal[H1168]; and the house[H1004] of Baal[H1168] was full[H4390] from one end[H6310] to another[H6310].
22
And he said[H559] unto him that was over the vestry[H4458], Bring forth[H3318]vestments[H3830] for all the worshippers[H5647] of Baal[H1168]. And he brought them forth[H3318]vestments[H4403].
23
And Jehu[H3058]went[H935], and Jehonadab[H3082] the son[H1121] of Rechab[H7394], into the house[H1004] of Baal[H1168], and said[H559] unto the worshippers[H5647] of Baal[H1168], Search[H2664], and look[H7200] that there be[H3426] here with you none of the servants[H5650] of the LORD[H3068], but the worshippers[H5647] of Baal[H1168] only.
24
And when they went in[H935] to offer[H6213]sacrifices[H2077] and burnt offerings[H5930], Jehu[H3058]appointed[H7760]fourscore[H8084]men[H376]without[H2351], and said[H559], If any[H376] of the men[H582] whom I have brought[H935] into your hands[H3027]escape[H4422], he that letteth him go, his life[H5315] shall be for the life[H5315] of him.
25
And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end[H3615] of offering[H6213] the burnt offering[H5930], that Jehu[H3058]said[H559] to the guard[H7323] and to the captains[H7991], Go in[H935], and slay[H5221] them; let none[H376] come forth[H3318]. And they smote[H5221] them with the edge[H6310] of the sword[H2719]; and the guard[H7323] and the captains[H7991] cast them out[H7993], and went[H3212] to the city[H5892] of the house[H1004] of Baal[H1168].
26
And they brought forth[H3318] the images[H4676] out of the house[H1004] of Baal[H1168], and burned[H8313] them.
27
And they brake down[H5422] the image[H4676] of Baal[H1168], and brake down[H5422] the house[H1004] of Baal[H1168], and made[H7760] it a draught house[H4163] unto this day[H3117].
28
Thus Jehu[H3058]destroyed[H8045]Baal[H1168] out of Israel[H3478].
29
Howbeit from the sins[H2399] of Jeroboam[H3379] the son[H1121] of Nebat[H5028], who made Israel[H3478] to sin[H2398], Jehu[H3058]departed[H5493] not from after[H310] them, to wit, the golden[H2091]calves[H5695] that were in Bethel[H1008], and that were in Dan[H1835].
30
And the LORD[H3068]said[H559] unto Jehu[H3058], Because thou hast done[H6213]well[H2895] in executing[H6213] that which is right[H3477] in mine eyes[H5869], and hast done[H6213] unto the house[H1004] of Ahab[H256] according to all that was in mine heart[H3824], thy children[H1121] of the fourth[H7243] generation shall sit[H3427] on the throne[H3678] of Israel[H3478].
31
But Jehu[H3058] took no heed[H8104] to walk[H3212] in the law[H8451] of the LORD[H3068]God[H430] of Israel[H3478] with all his heart[H3824]: for he departed[H5493] not from the sins[H2403] of Jeroboam[H3379], which made Israel[H3478] to sin[H2398].
32
In those days[H3117] the LORD[H3068]began[H2490] to cut[H7096]Israel[H3478]short[H7096]: and Hazael[H2371]smote[H5221] them in all the coasts[H1366] of Israel[H3478];
33
From Jordan[H3383]eastward[H4217], all the land[H776] of Gilead[H1568], the Gadites[H1425], and the Reubenites[H7206], and the Manassites[H4520], from Aroer[H6177], which is by the river[H5158]Arnon[H769], even Gilead[H1568] and Bashan[H1316].
34
Now the rest[H3499] of the acts[H1697] of Jehu[H3058], and all that he did[H6213], and all his might[H1369], are they not written[H3789] in the book[H5612] of the chronicles[H1697] of the kings[H4428] of Israel?[H3478]
35
And Jehu[H3058]slept[H7901] with his fathers[H1]: and they buried[H6912] him in Samaria[H8111]. And Jehoahaz[H3059] his son[H1121]reigned[H4427] in his stead.
36
And the time[H3117] that Jehu[H3058]reigned[H4427] over Israel[H3478] in Samaria[H8111] was twenty[H6242] and eight[H8083]years[H8141].