²⁹ “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled^(A) himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day,^(B) but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”^(C)

⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,^(A) as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient^(B) with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.^(C)

¹¹ So Jehu^(A) killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.^(B)

³³ “Throw her down!” Jehu said. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot.^(A)

³⁴ Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of that cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.”^{(B) 35} But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. ³⁶ They went back and told Jehu, who said, “This is the word of the Lord that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs^(C) will devour Jezebel’s flesh.^{[a](D) 37} Jezebel’s body will be like dung^(E) on the ground in the plot at Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, ‘This is Jezebel.’”

Ahab’s Family Killed

10 Now there were in Samaria^(F) seventy sons^(G) of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel,^[b](H) to the elders and to the guardians^(I) of Ahab’s children. He said, ² “You have your master’s sons with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons. Now as soon as this letter reaches you, ³ choose the best and most worthy of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne. Then fight for your master’s house.”

⁴ But they were terrified and said, “If two kings could not resist him, how can we?”

⁵ So the palace administrator, the city governor, the elders and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servants^(J) and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best.”

⁶ Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”

Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them. ⁷ When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy^(K) of them. They put their heads^(L) in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.

²⁵ Jehu said to Bidkar, his chariot officer, “Pick him up and throw him on the field that belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember how you and I were riding together in chariots behind Ahab his father when the Lord spoke this prophecy^(A) against him: ²⁶ ‘Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth^(B) and the blood of his sons, declares the Lord, and I will surely make you pay for it on this plot of ground, declares the Lord.’^[a] Now then, pick him up and throw him on that plot, in accordance with the word of the Lord.”^(C)

¹⁰ “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away^(A) because of^[a] them. How then can we live?^(B)”’ ¹¹ Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.^(C) Turn!^(D) Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’^(E)