CHAPTER 10
Now Ahab
had seventy
sons
in Samaria.
So Jehu
wrote
letters
and sent
them to Samaria
to
the officials
of Jezreel,
to the elders,
and to
the guardians of the sons
of Ahab,
saying:
“When this
letter
arrives,
since
your master’s
sons
are with you
and you have
chariots
and horses,
a fortified
city
and weaponry,
select
the best
and most worthy
son
of your master,
set
him on
his father’s
throne,
and fight
for
your master’s
house.”
So the palace
administrator,
the overseer
of the city,
the elders,
and the guardians
sent
a message to
Jehu:
“We
are your servants,
and we will do
whatever
you say.
We will not
make anyone
king.
Do
whatever is good
in your sight.”
Then Jehu wrote
them
a second
letter
and said:
“If
you are on my side,
and if you
will obey me,
then bring
the heads
of your master’s
sons
to me
at Jezreel
by this time
tomorrow.”
Now the king’s
sons,
seventy
in all,
were being brought up
by the leading men
of the city.
And
when the letter
arrived,
they took
the king’s
sons
and slaughtered
all seventy
of them,
put
their heads
in baskets,
and sent
them to Jehu
at Jezreel.
When the messenger
arrived,
he told
Jehu,
“They have brought
the heads
of the king’s
sons.”
And Jehu ordered,
“Pile
them in two
heaps
at the entrance
of the gate
until
morning.”
The next morning,
Jehu went out
and stood
before
all
the people
and said,
“You
are innocent.
It was I
who conspired
against
my master
and killed him.
But who
killed
all
these?
Know,
then,
that
not
a word
the LORD
has spoken
against
the house
of Ahab
will fail,
for the LORD
has done
what
He promised
through
His servant
Elijah.”
So Jehu
killed
everyone
in Jezreel
who remained
of the house
of Ahab,
as well as all
his great men
and close friends
and priests,
leaving
him
without a single
survivor.
Jehu
met
some relatives
of Ahaziah
king
of Judah
and asked,
“Who
are you?”
“We are
relatives
of Ahaziah,”
they answered,
“and we have come down
to greet
the sons
of the king
and
of the queen mother.”
Then Jehu ordered,
“Take
them alive.”
So his men took
them alive,
then slaughtered them
at
the well
of
Beth-eked—
forty-two
men.
He
spared
none
of them.
When he left
there,
he found
Jehonadab
son
of Rechab,
who was coming to meet him.
Jehu greeted him
and asked,
“Is
your heart
as true to mine
as
my heart
is
to yours?”
“It is!”
Jehonadab
replied.
“If it is,” said Jehu,
“give
me your hand.”
So he gave
him his hand,
and Jehu helped him
into
his chariot,
When Jehu came
to Samaria,
he struck down
everyone
belonging to Ahab
who remained
there,
until
he had destroyed them,
according to the word
that
the LORD
had spoken
to
Elijah.
Then Jehu
brought all
the people
together
and said,
“Ahab
served
Baal
a little,
but Jehu
will serve him
a lot.
Now, therefore,
summon
to
me all
the prophets
of Baal,
all
his servants,
and all
his priests.
See that no one
is missing,
for
I have
a great
sacrifice
for Baal.
Whoever
is missing
will not
live.”
But Jehu
was acting
deceptively
in order to
destroy
the servants
of Baal.
Then Jehu
sent word
throughout
Israel,
and all
the servants
of Baal
came;
there was not
a man
who
failed
to show up.
They entered
the temple
of Baal,
and it
was filled
from end
to end.
And Jehu said
to the keeper
of the wardrobe,
“Bring out
garments
for all
the servants
of Baal.”
So he brought out
garments
for them.
Next, Jehu
and Jehonadab
son
of Rechab
entered
the temple
of Baal,
and Jehu said
to the servants
of Baal,
“Look around
to see
that there are
no
servants
of the LORD
here
among you—
only
servants
of Baal."
And they went in
to offer
sacrifices
and burnt offerings.
Now Jehu
had stationed
eighty
men
outside
and warned them,
“If anyone
allows one of
the men
I
am delivering
into
your hands
to escape,
he will forfeit his life
for
theirs."
When he had finished
making
the burnt offering,
Jehu
said
to the guards
and officers,
“Go in
and kill them.
Do not
let anyone
out.”
So the guards
and officers
struck them down
with the sword,
threw the bodies out,
and went
into
the inner room
of the temple
of Baal.
and they demolished
the sacred pillar
of Baal.
Then they tore down
the temple
of Baal
and made
it into a latrine,
which it is to
this day.
but
he
did not
turn away
from
the sins
that Jeroboam
son
of Nebat
had caused Israel
to commit—
the worship of the golden
calves
at Bethel
and Dan.
Nevertheless, the LORD
said
to
Jehu,
“Because
you have done well
in carrying out
what is right
in My sight
and have done
to the house
of Ahab
all
that
was in My heart,
four generations
of your sons
will sit
on
the throne
of Israel."
Yet Jehu
was not
careful
to follow
the instruction
of the LORD,
the God
of Israel,
with all
his heart.
He did not
turn away
from
the sins
that
Jeroboam
had caused Israel
to commit.
In those
days
the LORD
began
to reduce the size
of Israel.
Hazael
defeated
the Israelites
throughout
their territory
from
the Jordan
eastward,
all
the land
of Gilead
(the region of Gad,
Reuben,
and Manasseh),
and from Aroer
by
the Arnon
Valley
through Gilead
to Bashan.
As for the rest
of the acts
of Jehu,
along with all
his accomplishments
and all
his might,
are they not written
in the Book
of the Chronicles
of the Kings
of Israel?
And Jehu
rested
with
his fathers
and was buried
in Samaria,
and his son
Jehoahaz
became king
in his place.