2 Kings 10

1Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the officials of Jezreel, the elders, and the guardians of Ahab’s sons. He wrote:

2“Now as soon as this letter reaches you, since your master’s sons are with you, and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city, and weapons,

3choose the best and most capable of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

4But they were terrified and said, “Look, two kings could not stand against him. How can we stand?”

5So the palace administrator, the governor of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent word to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do everything you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever you think best.”

6Then Jehu wrote them a second letter: “If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” Now the king’s sons, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were bringing them up.

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

8When the messenger came and told him, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons,” Jehu said, “Put them in two piles at the entrance of the gate until morning.”

9In the morning he went out, stood before all the people, and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him. But who struck down all these?

10Know then that not one word of Yahweh that Yahweh spoke against the house of Ahab will fail. Yahweh has done what he said through his servant Elijah.”

11So Jehu struck down everyone in Jezreel who was left of the house of Ahab, along with all his leading men, his close friends, and his priests, until he left him no survivor.

12Then Jehu set out and went toward Samaria. On the way, at Beth-eked of the Shepherds,

13Jehu came upon the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?” They said, “We are relatives of Ahaziah, and we have come down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.”

14He said, “Take them alive!” So they took them alive and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two men. He did not leave a single one of them.

15When he left there, he came upon Jehonadab son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart as true to me 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 pulled him up into the chariot with him.

16He said, “Come with me and see my zeal for Yahweh.” So they had Jehonadab ride in his chariot.

17When Jehu came to Samaria, he struck down all who were left of Ahab’s family in Samaria until he had wiped them out, according to the word of Yahweh that he had spoken to Elijah.

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

19Now summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers, and all his priests. Let no one be missing, for I am going to offer a great sacrifice to Baal. Anyone who is missing will not live.” But Jehu was acting with cunning in order to destroy the worshipers of Baal.

20Jehu said, “Call a sacred assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it.

21Then Jehu sent word throughout Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came; not one of them stayed away. They went into the temple of Baal, and the temple of Baal was filled from one end to the other.

22Jehu said to the man in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them.

23Then Jehu went into the temple of Baal with Jehonadab son of Rechab, and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search carefully and make sure that no servants of Yahweh are here with you, only worshipers of Baal.”

24So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and had said, “If anyone lets one of the men I am handing over to you escape, it will be his life for the other’s life.”

25As soon as Jehu had finished offering the burnt offering, he said to the guards and the officers, “Go in and kill them! Do not let anyone get out.” So they struck them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and went into the inner shrine of the temple of Baal.

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

27They demolished the sacred pillar of Baal and tore down the temple of Baal, and they made it into a latrine, as it is to this day.

28So Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel.

29But Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit: the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan.

30Yahweh said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in doing what is right in my sight, 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.”

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

32In those days Yahweh began to cut off parts of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory,

33east of the Jordan: all the land of Gilead, the territory of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh, from Aroer by the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan.

34As for the rest of the deeds of Jehu, all that he did and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

35Jehu rested with his ancestors, and they buried him in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz became king in his place.

36Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria for twenty-eight years.