Families of Ahab and Ahaziah Killed

10 Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria [^Cthe city, not the region]. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria—to the officers of the city^[a] and elders—and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab. Jehu said, ² “You have your ·master’s [lord’s] sons with you, and you have chariots, horses, a ·city with strong walls [fortified city], and weapons. When you get this letter, ³ choose the best and most worthy person among your ·master’s [lord’s] sons, and make him king. Then fight for your ·master’s [lord’s] ·family [^Lhouse].”

⁴ But the officers and leaders of Jezreel were ·frightened [utterly terrified]. They said, “Two kings could not ·stand up to [resist] Jehu, so how can we?”

⁵ The ·palace manager [steward of the house], the city ·governor [administrator], the ·leaders [elders], and the guardians sent a message to Jehu. “We are your servants,” they said. “We will do everything you tell us to do. We won’t make any man king, so do whatever ·you think is best [^Lis good in your eyes/sight].”

⁶ Then Jehu wrote a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey me, cut off the heads of your ·master’s [lord’s] sons and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow about this time.”

Now the seventy sons of the king’s ·family [^Lhouse] were with the leading men of the city who were ·their guardians [raising them]. ⁷ When the leaders received the letter, they took the king’s sons and ·killed [slaughtered] all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. ⁸ The messenger came to Jehu and told him, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.”

Then Jehu said, “·Lay [Pile] the heads in two ·piles [heaps] at the city gate until morning.”

⁹ In the morning, Jehu went out and stood before the people and said to them, “You are innocent. Look, I ·made plans [conspired; plotted] against my ·master [lord] and killed him. But who killed all these [^CJehu might have been blaming the Samaritan officials, or perhaps was implying that God ordered the killing]? ¹⁰ You should know that ·everything [^Lnothing] the Lord said about Ahab’s ·family [^Lhouse] will ·come true [^Lfall to the ground/earth]. The Lord ·has spoken [spoke his word] through his servant Elijah, and the Lord has done what he said.” ¹¹ So Jehu killed everyone of Ahab’s ·family [^Lhouse] in Jezreel who was still alive. He also killed all Ahab’s ·leading men [important officials], ·close [personal] friends, and priests. ·No one who had helped Ahab was left alive [He left no one to survive him].