2 Kings 10
World English Bible
10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and to those who brought up Ahab’s sons, saying, 2 “Now as soon as this letter comes to you, since your master’s sons are with you, and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and armor, 3 Select the best and fittest of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”
4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, “Behold, the two kings didn’t stand before him! How then shall we stand?” 5 He who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders also, and those who raised the children, sent to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, and will do all that you ask us. We will not make any man king. You do that which is good in your eyes.”
6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men who are your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time.”
Now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who brought them up. 7 When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and killed them, even seventy people, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Jezreel. 8 A messenger came and told him, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.”
He said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.” 9 In the morning, he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, “You are righteous. Behold, I conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? 10 Know now that nothing will fall to the earth of Yahweh’s word, which Yahweh spoke concerning Ahab’s house. For Yahweh has done that which he spoke by his servant Elijah.”
11 So Jehu struck all that remained of Ahab’s house in Jezreel, with all his great men, his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him no one remaining.
12 He arose and departed, and went to Samaria. As he was at the shearing house of the shepherds on the way, 13 Jehu met with the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, “Who are you?”
They answered, “We are the brothers of Ahaziah. We are going down to greet the children of the king and the children of the queen.”
14 He said, “Take them alive!”
They took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, even forty-two men. He didn’t leave any of them.
15 When he had departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. He greeted him, and said to him, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?”
Jehonadab answered, “It is.”
“If it is, give me your hand.” He gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot. 16 He said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for Yahweh.” So they made him ride in his chariot. 17 When he came to Samaria, he struck all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed him, according to Yahweh’s word, which he spoke to Elijah. 18 Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all of his worshipers, and all of his priests. Let no one be absent; for I have a great sacrifice to Baal. Whoever is absent, he shall not live.” But Jehu did deceptively, intending to destroy the worshipers of Baal.
20 Jehu said, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal!”
So they proclaimed it. 21 Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that didn’t come. They came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another. 22 He said to him who kept the wardrobe, “Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal!”
So he brought robes out to them. 23 Jehu went with Jehonadab the son of Rechab into the house of Baal. Then he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search, and see that none of the servants of Yahweh are here with you, but only the worshipers of Baal.”
24 So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had appointed for himself eighty men outside, and said, “If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape, he who lets him go, his life shall be for the life of him.”
25 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, “Go in and kill them! Let no one escape.” So they struck them with the edge of the sword. The guard and the captains threw the bodies out, and went to the inner shrine of the house of Baal. 26 They brought out the pillars that were in the house of Baal, and burned them. 27 They broke down the pillar of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a latrine, to this day. 28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
29 However, Jehu didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin, the golden calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan. 30 Yahweh said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in executing that which is right in my eyes, and have done to Ahab’s house according to all that was in my heart, your descendants shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”
31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of Yahweh, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel to sin. 32 In those days Yahweh began to cut away parts of Israel; and Hazael struck them in all the borders of Israel; 33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan. 34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 35 Jehu slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria. Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place. 36 The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
2 Kings 10
Lexham English Bible
Jehu Continues Purging the House of Ahab
10 Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria, and Jehu wrote letters, and he sent them to Samaria to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders and to the guardians of Ahab, saying, 2 “Now, when this letter comes to you and your master’s sons are with you, the chariots are with you, the horses, a fortified city, and weapons, 3 then you must select the best and the most suitable from the sons of your master, and you must place him on the throne of his father, and they must fight for the house of your masters.” 4 But they were very afraid, and they said, “Look, two kings could not stand before him; how can we stand?” 5 So whoever was over the house, and whoever was over the city, and the elders and the guardians sent to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants; all that you say to us, we shall do. We shall not make anyone a king. Do what is good in your eyes.”
6 Then he wrote to them a second letter, saying, “If you are for me, and you are listening to my voice, take the heads of the men of the sons of your master and come to me at this time tomorrow at Jezreel.” Now the sons of the king, seventy men, were with the leaders of the city who were raising them. 7 When the letter came to them, they took the sons of the king, and they killed seventy men. Then they put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel. 8 Then the messenger came and told him, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons,” and he said, “Put them in two piles at the entrance of the gate until morning.” 9 It happened in the morning that he went out, stood, and said to all of the people, “You are righteous. Look, I conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all of these? 10 Know then that the word of Yahweh will not fail[a] which Yahweh spoke concerning the house of Ahab; Yahweh has done what he spoke by the hand of his servant Elijah. 11 Then Jehu killed all of the remainder of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all of his leaders, his close friends, and his priests, until there was no survivor left for him.
12 Then he arose and went and came to Samaria. On the way, he was at Beth-Eked of the shepherds, 13 and Jehu met the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah. He asked, “Who are you?” They said, “We are the brothers of Ahaziah; we came down for the peace of the king’s children and the children of the queen.” 14 Then he said, “Seize them alive!” So they seized them alive but then slaughtered them at the cistern of Beth-Eked, forty-two men. He did not allow any of them to survive.
15 Next he went from there and found Jehonadab the son of Recab to meet him. He greeted him and asked him, “Is your heart right with me as my heart is with you?”[b] Then Jehonadab said, “Yes, it is. Give your hand!” And he gave his hand and took him up to him on the chariot. 16 Then he said, “Come with me! Look at my zeal for Yahweh!” So he let him ride in his chariot. 17 Then he came to Samaria and killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria until he wiped them out according to the word of Yahweh which he had spoken to Elijah.
Jehu Purges the Baal Worshipers
18 Then Jehu assembled all of the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will worship him greatly. 19 So then, summon to me all of the prophets of Baal and all of his servants and his priests; no man should fail to come, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come shall not live!” Now Jehu was acting with cunning in order to destroy the servants of Baal. 20 Then Jehu said, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal!” So they proclaimed it. 21 Jehu sent word through all of Israel, and all of the servants of Baal came; there did not remain a man who did not come. They came to the house of Baal so that the house of Baal was filled from wall to wall.[c] 22 He said to the one who was over the wardrobe, “Bring out clothing for all of the servants of Baal.” So he brought the clothing out for them. 23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab the son of Recab came to the temple of Baal, and he said to the servants of Baal, “Search and see that there is none of the servants of Yahweh here with you; only those who serve Baal.” 24 They came to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed for himself eighty men outside, and he said, “The man who lets anyone escape from the men who I am entrusting to you,[d] he will pay with his life!”[e]
25 It happened that when he finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the royal guard and to the officers, “Come and kill them; let no man go free!” So they put them to the sword,[f] and the royal guard and the officers threw them out, then they went up to the citadel of the temple of Baal. 26 They brought out the stone pillars of the temple of Baal and burned them.[g] 27 So they broke down the stone pillars of Baal and destroyed the temple of Baal and made it into a latrine until this day. 28 So Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel.
29 Only Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat by which he caused Israel to sin; namely, the calf-shaped idols of gold which were in Bethel and Dan. 30 Yahweh said to Jehu, “Because you have done well by doing right in my eyes and you have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart; therefore, sons of the fourth generation will sit for you on the throne of Israel.” 31 But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of Yahweh God of Israel with all his heart; he did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam by which he caused Israel to sin.
32 In those days, Yahweh began to reduce Israel, so Hazael defeated them in every territory of Israel, 33 from the Jordan eastward: all of the land of Gilead, the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer which is on the Wadi Arnon and Gilead and Bashan. 34 Now the remainder of the acts of Jehu and all that he did and all of his powerful deeds, are they not written in the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel? 35 So Jehu slept with his ancestors,[h] and they buried him in Samaria, and Jehoahaz his son became king in his place. 36 Now the days which Jehu had reigned over Israel were twenty-eight years in Samaria.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 10:10 Literally “it shall not fall from the word of Yahweh to the ground”
- 2 Kings 10:15 Literally “Is there uprightness with your heart as that of my heart with your heart”
- 2 Kings 10:21 Literally “edge to edge”
- 2 Kings 10:24 Literally “bringing upon your hand”
- 2 Kings 10:24 Literally “his life in place of his life”
- 2 Kings 10:25 Literally “they struck them with the edge of the sword”
- 2 Kings 10:26 Literally “it”
- 2 Kings 10:35 Or “fathers”
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