2 Kings 10

1 Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote a letter and sent it to Samaria, to the rulers of Samaria and to the elders and to the guardians of Ahab’s sons. It said: [a] 2 “Now then, as soon as this letter reaches you — the sons of your master are with you, and with you are the chariots and the horses and fortified cities and weapons. 3 So pick out the good and the upright among your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

4 And they were terribly afraid, and they said, “Look — the two kings did not stand before him. How will we stand?” 5 And those over the household and those over the city and the elders and the guardians sent word to Jehu: “We are your servants, and whatever you say to us we will do. We will not make anyone king. We will do what is good in your eyes.”

6 And he wrote them a second letter, which said: “If you are for me and you listen to my voice, take the heads of the men who are your master’s sons and bring them to me at this hour tomorrow, at Jezreel.” Now the king’s sons were seventy men, and the great men of the city were rearing them. [b] 7 And when the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and slaughtered them, seventy men, and they put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel.

8 And the messenger came and reported, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” And he said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.” [c] 9 And morning came, and he went out and stood at the gateway of the city and said to all the people, “You are righteous. Look, I am the one who conspired against my master and killed him. But who struck down all these? [d] 10 See now, then, that nothing of the word of the Lord will fall to the ground — the word the Lord spoke against the house of Ahab. The Lord has done all that he spoke by the hand of his slave Elijah.” [e] 11 And Jehu struck down all who were left of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and those close to him and his priests, so as to leave him no remnant.

12 And he got up and went to Samaria. He was at Beth-eked of the shepherds, on the way, [f] 13 and Jehu found the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and he said, “Who are you?” And they said, “We are the brothers of Ahaziah, and we have come down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the woman who holds power.” [g] 14 And he said, “Take them alive.” And they took them alive, and they slaughtered them at Beth-eked — forty-two men. He left not one of them. [h]

15 And he went on from there and found Jonadab son of Rechab on the road, coming to meet him, and he blessed him. And Jehu said to him, “Is your heart straight with my heart, as my heart is with your heart?” And Jonadab said, “It is.” And Jehu said, “If it is, give me your hand.” And he gave him his hand, and Jehu took him up beside him into the chariot, [i] 16 and said to him, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord of armies.” And he seated him in his chariot. [j] 17 And he came into Samaria and struck down all who were left of Ahab in Samaria, until he had wiped him out, according to the word of the Lord that he had spoken to Elijah.

18 And Jehu gathered all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19 So now, all you prophets of Baal — call to me all his slaves and all his priests. Let no man be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to make to Baal. Anyone found missing will not live.” But Jehu was acting with cunning, so that he might destroy the slaves of Baal. [k] 20 And Jehu said, “Set apart a sacred festival for Baal.” And they proclaimed it.

21 And Jehu sent word through all Israel: “Now then, all the slaves of Baal and all his priests and all his prophets — let no one stay away, for I am making a great sacrifice. Whoever stays away will not live.” And all the slaves of Baal came, and all his priests and all his prophets. Not a man was left who did not come. And they went into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from end to end. [l] 22 And Jehu said to the man over the wardrobe house, “Bring out robes for all the slaves of Baal.” And the keeper of the robes brought them out for them. [m] 23 And Jehu and Jonadab son of Rechab went into the house of Baal, and he said to the slaves of Baal, “Search and see whether any of the slaves of the Lord is here among you — none but the slaves of Baal, only them.”

24 And he went in to make the sacrifices and the whole burnt offerings. And Jehu had posted eighty men of his own outside, and he said, “Any man who gets away from the men I am putting into your hands — his life for his life.” [n] 25 And when he had finished making the whole burnt offering, Jehu said to the runners and to the captains, “Go in and strike them down. Let not one of them come out.” And they struck them with the edge of the sword, and the runners and the captains threw them out and went as far as the city of the house of Baal. [o] 26 And they brought out the pillar of Baal and burned it. 27 And they pulled down the pillars of Baal, and they tore down the house of Baal and made it into latrines, as it is to this day. [p] 28 So Jehu wiped Baal out of Israel.

29 Only, Jehu did not turn away from following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who made Israel sin — the golden heifers in Bethel and in Dan. [q] 30 And the Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in doing what is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab everything that was in my heart, sons to the fourth generation will sit for you on the throne of Israel.” 31 But Jehu did not take care 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 son of Nebat, who made Israel sin.

32 In those days the Lord began to cut Israel down, and Hazael struck them in every territory of Israel, 33 from the Jordan eastward — all the land of Gilead, that of Gad and of Reuben and of Manasseh, from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon ravine, and Gilead and Bashan. [r]

34 And the rest of the acts of Jehu, and everything he did, and all his might, and the battles he fought — are they not written in the book of the daily record of the kings of Israel? [s] 35 And Jehu rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place. [t] 36 And the days that Jehu reigned over Israel were twenty-eight years, in Samaria.