2 Kings 10

¹ Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria—to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of Ahab's sons—saying:

² "Since your master's sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city, and weapons,

³ choose the best and most worthy of your master's sons, set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house."

⁴ They were terrified and said, "Look—two kings could not stand against him; how can we stand?"

⁵ So the palace administrator, the city governor, the elders, and the guardians sent word to Jehu: "We are your servants and will do everything you say. We will not make anyone king—do whatever you think best."

⁶ Then he wrote them a second letter: "If you are on my side and will obey me, bring the heads of your master's sons to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow." The king's sons, seventy men, were with the leading men of the city who were raising them.

⁷ When the letter arrived, they took the king's sons and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.

⁸ When the messenger arrived and told him, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons," he said, "Lay them in two piles at the entrance of the gate until morning."

⁹ In the morning he went out and stood there and said to all the people, "You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these?

¹⁰ Know, then, that nothing the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fall to the ground. The LORD has done what he spoke through his servant Elijah."

¹¹ Then Jehu struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel—all his great men, his close friends, and his priests—until he left him no survivor.

¹² Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria. At Beth-eked of the Shepherds on the way,

¹³ Jehu met the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, "Who are you?" They answered, "We are relatives of Ahaziah. We have come down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother."

¹⁴ "Take them alive!" he said. They took them alive and slaughtered them at the cistern of Beth-eked—forty-two men. He left no survivor.

¹⁵ When he left there, he met Jehonadab son of Rechab coming toward him. He greeted him and said, "Is your heart true to mine, as my heart is to yours?" Jehonadab answered, "It is." "If it is," said Jehu, "give me your hand." So he gave him his hand, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot.

¹⁶ He said, "Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD." So he made him ride in his chariot.

¹⁷ When he came to Samaria, he struck down all who remained there from the house of Ahab, wiping them out according to the word of the LORD spoken to Elijah.

¹⁸ Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, "Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much more.

¹⁹ Now summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests—let none be absent, for I am preparing a great sacrifice to Baal. Whoever fails to come will not live." But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.

²⁰ Jehu said, "Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal." They did so.

²¹ Jehu sent word throughout all Israel, and all the servants of Baal came—not one remained who did not come. They entered the temple of Baal, and the temple of Baal was filled from one end to the other.

²² He said to the one in charge of the vestry, "Bring out garments for all the servants of Baal." So he brought out garments for them.

²³ Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered the temple of Baal and said to the servants of Baal, "Search carefully to make sure no servants of the LORD are here with you—only servants of Baal."

²⁴ So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside with this command: "Whoever lets any of the men I am placing in your hands escape shall forfeit his life."

²⁵ As soon as he finished making the burnt offering, Jehu commanded the guards and officers, "Go in and kill them—let no one come out!" So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then went into the inner room of the temple of Baal.

²⁶ They brought out the sacred pillars from the temple of Baal and burned them.

²⁷ They demolished the sacred pillar of Baal and demolished the temple of Baal, and people have used it as a latrine to this day.

²⁸ So Jehu eliminated Baal from Israel.

²⁹ However, Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he caused Israel to commit—the golden calves at Bethel and at Dan.

³⁰ The LORD said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in my heart, your sons to the fourth generation will sit on the throne of Israel."

³¹ Yet Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he caused Israel to commit.

³² In those days the LORD began to cut off portions of Israel. Hazael defeated them throughout all the territory of Israel:

³³ from the Jordan eastward—all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites—from Aroer, which is by the Wadi Arnon, through Gilead and Bashan.

³⁴ As for the other events of Jehu's reign, all he did, and all his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

³⁵ Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king.

³⁶ The time Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.