2 Kings 10

Judgment upon Ahab’s House

1Now Ahab had seventy sons in 1Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders, and to the guardians of the children of Ahab, saying, 2“Now, 2when this letter comes to you, since your master’s sons are with you, 3as well as the chariots and horses and a fortified city and the weapons, 3select the best and 4fittest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.” 4But they feared greatly and said, “Behold, 5the two kings did not stand before him; how then can we stand?” 5And the one who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders, and the guardians of the children, sent word to Jehu, saying, “6We are your servants, all that you say to us we will do, we will not make any man king; do what is good in your sight.” 6Then he wrote a letter to them a second time saying, “If you are on my side, and you will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men, your master’s sons, and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow about this time.” Now the king’s sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were rearing them. 7When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and 7slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezreel. 8When the messenger came and told him, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons,” he said, “Put them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.” 9Now in the morning he went out and stood and said to all the people, “You are 8innocent; behold, 9I conspired against my master and killed him, but 10who 11killed all these? 10Know then that 12there shall 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 13what He spoke 14through His servant Elijah.” 11So Jehu 15killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in 16Jezreel, and all his great men and his acquaintances and his priests, until he left him without a survivor.

12Then he arose and departed and went to Samaria. On the way while he was at 17Beth-eked of the shepherds, 1318Jehu 19met the 20relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and said, “Who are you?” And they 21answered, “We are the 22relatives of Ahaziah; and we have come down 23to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.” 14He said, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive and killed them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.

15Now when he had departed from there, he 24met 25Jehonadab the son of 26Rechab coming to meet him; and he 27greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?” And Jehonadab 28answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, 29give me your hand.” And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot. 16He said, “Come with me and 30see my zeal for the Lord.” So 31he made him ride in his chariot. 17When he came to Samaria, 32he 33killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed him, 34according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to Elijah.

Jehu Destroys Baal Worshipers

18Then Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, “35Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19Now, 36summon all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests; let no one be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal; whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it in 37cunning, so that he might destroy the worshipers of Baal. 20And Jehu said, “38Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal.” And 39they proclaimed it. 21Then Jehu sent 40throughout Israel and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And when they went into 41the house of Baal, the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. 22He said to the one who was 42in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out garments for them. 23Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab; and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search and see that there is here with you none of the servants of the Lord, but only the worshipers of Baal.” 24Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.

Now Jehu had stationed for himself eighty men outside, and he had said, “43The one who permits any of the men whom I bring into your hands to escape 44shall give up his life in exchange.”

25Then it came about, as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the 4546guard and to the royal officers, “47Go in, 48kill them; let none come out.” And they 49killed them with the edge of the sword; and the 50guard and the royal officers threw them out, and went to the 51inner room of the house of Baal. 26They brought out the sacred 52pillars of the house of Baal and burned them. 27They also broke down the sacred pillar of Baal and broke down the house of Baal, and 53made it a latrine to this day.

28Thus Jehu eradicated Baal out of Israel. 29However, 54as for the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin, from these Jehu did not depart, even the 55golden calves that were at Bethel and that were at Dan. 30The Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in executing what is right in My eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in My heart, 56your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” 31But Jehu 5758was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart; 59he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel sin.

32In those days the 60Lord began to cut off portions 61from Israel; and 62Hazael 63defeated them throughout the territory of Israel: 33from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites and the Reubenites and the Manassites, from 64Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, even 65Gilead and Bashan.

Jehoahaz Succeeds Jehu

34Now 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? 35And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son became king in his place. 36Now the 66time which Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.