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Massacre of Ahab’s Descendants

10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of the city,[a] to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of[b] Ahab, saying,(A) “Since your master’s sons are with you and you have at your disposal chariots and horses, a fortified city, and weapons, select the son of your master who is the best qualified, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.” But they were utterly terrified and said, “Look, two kings could not withstand him; how then can we stand?” So the steward of the palace and the governor of the city, along with the elders and the guardians, sent word to Jehu, “We are your servants; we will do anything you say. We will not make anyone king; do whatever you think right.”(B) Then he wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side and if you are ready to obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow at this time.” Now the king’s sons, seventy persons, were with the leaders of the city, who were charged with their upbringing. When the letter reached them, they took the king’s sons and killed them, seventy persons; they put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel.(C) When the 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.” Then in the morning when he went out, he stood and said to all the people, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who struck down all these?(D) 10 Know, then, that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord that the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the Lord has done what he said through his servant Elijah.”(E) 11 So Jehu killed all who were left of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all his leaders, close friends, and priests, until he left him no survivor.

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Footnotes

  1. 10.1 Lucianic Vg: Heb of Jezreel
  2. 10.1 Gk: Heb lacks of the sons of

Jehu Slaughters Ahab's Descendants

10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in (A)Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of the city,[a] to the elders, and to (B)the guardians of the sons[b] of Ahab, saying, “Now then, as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and weapons, select the best and fittest 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, the two kings could not stand before him. How then can we stand?” So he who was over the palace, and he who was over the city, together with the elders and the guardians, sent to Jehu, saying, (C)“We are your servants, and we will do all that you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your eyes.” Then he wrote to them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you are ready to obey me, take the heads of your master's sons and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow at this time.” Now the king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, (D)who were bringing them up. And as soon as the letter came to them, they took the king's sons (E)and slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel. When the 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.” Then in the morning, when he went out, he stood and said to all the people, “You are innocent. (F)It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who struck down all these? 10 Know then that there shall (G)fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the Lord has done (H)what he said by his servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all his great men and his close friends and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 10:1 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew rulers of Jezreel
  2. 2 Kings 10:1 Hebrew lacks of the sons