And Ahab had seventy
sons
in Samaria
. And Jehu
wrote
letters
, and sent
to Samaria
, unto the rulers
of Jezreel
, to the elders
, and to them that brought up
Ahab's
children , saying
,
Now as soon as this letter cometh
to you, seeing your master's
sons
are with you, and there are with you chariots
and horses
, a fenced
city
also, and armour
;
Look even out the best
and meetest
of your master's
sons
, and set
him on his father's
throne
, and fight
for your master's
house
.
But they were exceedingly afraid
, and said
, Behold, two
kings
stood
not before
him: how then shall we stand
?
And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city
, the elders
also, and the bringers up
of the children , sent
to Jehu
, saying
, We are thy servants
, and will do
all that thou shalt bid
us; we will not make any
king
: do
thou that which is good
in thine eyes
.
Then he wrote a letter
the second time
to them, saying
, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken
unto my voice
, take
ye the heads
of the men
your master's
sons
, and come
to me to Jezreel
by to morrow
this time
. Now the king's
sons
, being seventy
persons
, were with the great men
of the city
, which brought them up
.
And it came to pass, when the letter came
to them, that they took
the king's
sons
, and slew
seventy
persons
, and put
their heads
in baskets
, and sent
him them to Jezreel
.
And there came a messenger
, and told
him, saying
, They have brought
the heads
of the king's
sons
. And he said
, Lay
ye them in two
heaps
at the entering in
of the gate
until the morning
.
And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out
, and stood
, and said
to all the people
, Ye be righteous
: behold, I conspired
against my master
, and slew
him: but who slew
all these?
Know now
that there shall fall
unto the earth
nothing of the word
of the LORD
, which the LORD
spake
concerning the house
of Ahab
: for the LORD
hath done
that which he spake
by
his servant
Elijah
.
So Jehu slew
all that remained
of the house
of Ahab
in Jezreel
, and all his great men
, and his kinsfolks
, and his priests
, until he left
him none remaining
.
And he arose and departed
, and came
to Samaria
. And as he was at the shearing
house
in the way
,
Jehu met
with the brethren
of Ahaziah
king
of Judah
, and said
, Who are ye? And they answered
, We are the brethren
of Ahaziah
; and we go down
to salute
the children
of the king
and the children
of the queen
.
And he said, Take
them alive
. And they took
them alive
, and slew
them at the pit
of the shearing house
, even two
and forty
men
; neither left
he any
of them.
And when he was departed thence, he lighted
on Jehonadab
the son
of Rechab
coming to meet
him: and he saluted
him, and said
to him, Is
thine heart
right
, as my heart
is with thy heart
? And Jehonadab
answered
, It is
. If it be, give
me thine hand
. And he gave
him his hand
; and he took him up
to him into the chariot
.
And he said, Come
with me, and see
my zeal
for the LORD
. So they made him ride
in his chariot
.
And when he came to Samaria
, he slew
all that remained
unto Ahab
in Samaria
, till he had destroyed
him, according to the saying
of the LORD
, which he spake
to Elijah
.
And Jehu gathered
all the people
together
, and said
unto them, Ahab
served
Baal
a little
; but Jehu
shall serve
him much
.
Now therefore call unto me all the prophets
of Baal
, all his servants
, and all his priests
; let none
be wanting
: for I have a great
sacrifice
to do to Baal
; whosoever shall be wanting
, he shall not live
. But Jehu
did
it in subtilty
, to the intent that he might destroy
the worshippers
of Baal
.
And Jehu said
, Proclaim
a solemn assembly
for Baal
. And they proclaimed
it .
And Jehu sent
through all Israel
: and all the worshippers
of Baal
came
, so that there was not a man
left
that came
not. And they came
into the house
of Baal
; and the house
of Baal
was full
from one end
to another
.
And he said unto him that was over the vestry
, Bring forth
vestments
for all the worshippers
of Baal
. And he brought them forth
vestments
.
And Jehu went
, and Jehonadab
the son
of Rechab
, into the house
of Baal
, and said
unto the worshippers
of Baal
, Search
, and look
that there be
here with you none of the servants
of the LORD
, but the worshippers
of Baal
only.
And when they went in to offer
sacrifices
and burnt offerings
, Jehu
appointed
fourscore
men
without
, and said
, If any
of the men
whom I have brought
into your hands
escape
, he that letteth him go , his life
shall be for the life
of him.
And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering
the burnt offering
, that Jehu
said
to the guard
and to the captains
, Go in
, and slay
them; let none
come forth
. And they smote
them with the edge
of the sword
; and the guard
and the captains
cast them out
, and went
to the city
of the house
of Baal
.
And they brought forth the images
out of the house
of Baal
, and burned
them.
And they brake down the image
of Baal
, and brake down
the house
of Baal
, and made
it a draught house
unto this day
.
Thus Jehu destroyed
Baal
out of Israel
.
Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam
the son
of Nebat
, who made Israel
to sin
, Jehu
departed
not from after
them, to wit , the golden
calves
that were in Bethel
, and that were in Dan
.
And the LORD said
unto Jehu
, Because thou hast done well
in executing
that which is right
in mine eyes
, and hast done
unto the house
of Ahab
according to all that was in mine heart
, thy children
of the fourth
generation shall sit
on the throne
of Israel
.
But Jehu took no heed
to walk
in the law
of the LORD
God
of Israel
with all his heart
: for he departed
not from the sins
of Jeroboam
, which made Israel
to sin
.
In those days the LORD
began
to cut
Israel
short
: and Hazael
smote
them in all the coasts
of Israel
;
From Jordan eastward
, all the land
of Gilead
, the Gadites
, and the Reubenites
, and the Manassites
, from Aroer
, which is by the river
Arnon
, even Gilead
and Bashan
.
Now the rest of the acts
of Jehu
, and all that he did
, and all his might
, are they not written
in the book
of the chronicles
of the kings
of Israel
?
And Jehu slept
with his fathers
: and they buried
him in Samaria
. And Jehoahaz
his son
reigned
in his stead.
And the time that Jehu
reigned
over Israel
in Samaria
was twenty
and eight
years
.