2 Kings 10




1.  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 * ,

2.  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;

3.  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.

4.  But they were exceedingly afraid * , and said * , Behold, two kings stood * not before him: how then shall we stand * ?

5.  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.

6.  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 * .

7.  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.

8.  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.

9.  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?

10.  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.

11.  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.

12.  And he arose * and departed * , and came * to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing * house * in the way,

13.  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.

14.  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.

15.  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.

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

17.  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.

18.  And Jehu gathered * all the people together * , and said * unto them, Ahab served * Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve * him much * .

19.  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.

20.  And Jehu said * , Proclaim * a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed * it.

21.  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.

22.  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.

23.  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.

24.  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.

25.  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.

26.  And they brought forth * the images out of the house of Baal, and burned * them.

27.  And they brake down * the image of Baal, and brake down * the house of Baal, and made * it a draught house * unto this day.

28.  Thus Jehu destroyed * Baal out of Israel.

29.  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.

30.  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.

31.  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 * .

32.  In those days the LORD began * to cut * Israel short * : and Hazael smote * them in all the coasts of Israel;

33.  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.

34.  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?

35.  And Jehu slept * with his fathers:and they buried * him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned * in his stead.

36.  And the time that Jehu reigned * over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.