2 Kings 10

Judgment upon Ahab’s House

1Now AhabH256 had seventyH7657 sonsH1121 in 1SamariaH8111. And JehuH3058 wroteH3789 lettersH5612 and sentH7971 them to SamariaH8111, to the rulersH8269 of JezreelH3157, the eldersH2205, and to the guardiansH539 of the children of AhabH256, sayingH559, 2“NowH6258, 2when thisH2088 letterH5612 comesH935 to you, since your master’sH113 sonsH1121 are with you, 3as well as the chariotsH7393 and horsesH5483 and a fortifiedH4013 cityH5892 and the weaponsH5402, 3selectH7200 the bestH2896 and 4fittestH3477 of your master’sH113 sonsH1121, and setH7760 him on his father’sH1 throneH3678, and fightH3898 for your master’sH113 houseH1004.” 4But they fearedH3372 greatlyH3966 and saidH559, “BeholdH2009, 5the twoH8147 kingsH4428 did not standH5975 beforeH6440 him; howH349 then can we standH5975?” 5And the one whoH834 was overH5921 the householdH1004, and he whoH834 was overH5921 the cityH5892, the eldersH2205, and the guardiansH539 of the children, sentH7971 word to JehuH3058, sayingH559, “6We are your servantsH5650, allH3605 that you sayH559 to us we will doH6213, we will not makeH4427 anyH376 manH376 kingH4427; doH6213 whatH2896 is goodH2896 in your sightH5869.” 6Then he wroteH3789 a letterH5612 to them a secondH8145 timeH8145 sayingH559, “IfH518 you are on my side, and you will listenH8085 to my voiceH6963, takeH3947 the headsH7218 of the menH376, your master’sH113 sonsH1121, and comeH935 to me at JezreelH3157 tomorrowH4279 about this timeH6256.” Now the king’sH4428 sonsH1121, seventyH7657 personsH376, were with the greatH1419 menH1419 of the cityH5892, who were rearingH1431 them. 7When the letterH5612 cameH935 to them, they tookH3947 the king’sH4428 sonsH1121 and 7slaughteredH7819 them, seventyH7657 personsH376, and putH7760 their headsH7218 in basketsH1731, and sentH7971 them to him at JezreelH3157. 8When the messengerH4397 cameH935 and toldH5046 him, sayingH559, “They have broughtH935 the headsH7218 of the king’sH4428 sonsH1121,” he saidH559, “PutH7760 them in twoH8147 heapsH6652 at the entranceH6607 of the gateH8179 untilH5704 morningH1242.” 9Now in the morningH1242 he wentH3318 out and stoodH5975 and saidH559 to allH3605 the peopleH5971, “You are 8innocentH6662; beholdH2009, 9I conspiredH7194 againstH5921 my masterH113 and killedH2026 him, but 10whoH4310 11killedH5221 allH3605 theseH428? 10KnowH3045 thenH645 that 12there shall fallH5307 to the earthH776 nothingH3808 of the wordH1697 of the LordH3068, whichH834 the LordH3068 spokeH1696 concerningH5921 the houseH1004 of AhabH256, for the LordH3068 has doneH6213 13whatH834 He spokeH1696 14throughH3027 His servantH5650 ElijahH452.” 11So JehuH3058 15killedH5221 allH3605 who remainedH7604 of the houseH1004 of AhabH256 in 16JezreelH3157, and allH3605 his greatH1419 menH1419 and his acquaintancesH3045 and his priestsH3548, untilH5704 he leftH7604 him withoutH1115 a survivorH8300.

12Then he aroseH6965 and departedH935 and wentH1980 to SamariaH8111. On the wayH1870 while he was at 17Beth-ekedH1044 of the shepherdsH7462, 1318JehuH3058 19metH4672 the 20relativesH251 of AhaziahH274 kingH4428 of JudahH3063 and saidH559, “WhoH4310 are you?” And they 21answeredH559, “We are the 22relativesH251 of AhaziahH274; and we have comeH3381 downH3381 23to greetH7965 the sonsH1121 of the kingH4428 and the sonsH1121 of the queenH1377 motherH1377.” 14He saidH559, “TakeH8610 them aliveH2416.” So they tookH8610 them aliveH2416 and killedH7819 them at the pitH953 of Beth-ekedH1044, forty-twoH705H8147 menH376; and he leftH7604 noneH3808H376 of them.

15Now when he had departedH1980 from thereH8033, he 24metH4672 25JehonadabH3082 the sonH1121 of 26RechabH7394 coming to meetH7122 him; and he 27greetedH1288 him and saidH559 to him, “Is your heartH3824 rightH3477, as my heartH3824 is with your heartH3824?” And JehonadabH3082 28answeredH559, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, 29giveH5414 me your handH3027.” And he gaveH5414 him his handH3027, and he tookH5927 him up to him into the chariotH4818. 16He saidH559, “ComeH1980 with me and 30seeH7200 my zealH7068 for the LordH3068.” So 31he made him rideH7392 in his chariotH7393. 17When he cameH935 to SamariaH8111, 32he 33killedH5221 allH3605 who remainedH7604 to AhabH256 in SamariaH8111, untilH5704 he had destroyedH8045 him, 34according to the wordH1697 of the LordH3068 whichH834 He spokeH1696 to ElijahH452.

Jehu Destroys Baal Worshipers

18Then JehuH3058 gatheredH6908 allH3605 the peopleH5971 and saidH559 to them, “35AhabH256 servedH5647 BaalH1168 a littleH4592; JehuH3058 will serveH5647 him muchH7235. 19NowH6258, 36summonH7121 allH3605 the prophetsH5030 of BaalH1168, allH3605 his worshipersH5647 and allH3605 his priestsH3548; let noH408 oneH376 be missingH6485, for I have a greatH1419 sacrificeH2077 for BaalH1168; whoeverH3605H834 is missingH6485 shall not liveH2421.” But JehuH3058 didH6213 it in 37cunningH6122, soH4616 that he might destroyH6 the worshipersH5647 of BaalH1168. 20And JehuH3058 saidH559, “38SanctifyH6942 a solemnH6116 assemblyH6116 for BaalH1168.” And 39they proclaimedH7121 it. 21Then JehuH3058 sentH7971 40throughoutH3605 IsraelH3478 and allH3605 the worshipersH5647 of BaalH1168 cameH935, so that there was not a manH376 leftH7604 whoH834 did not comeH935. And when they wentH935 into 41the houseH1004 of BaalH1168, the houseH1004 of BaalH1168 was filledH4390 from oneH6310 endH6310 to the otherH6310. 22He saidH559 to the one whoH834 was 42in chargeH5921 of the wardrobeH4458, “BringH3318 out garmentsH3830 for allH3605 the worshipersH5647 of BaalH1168.” So he broughtH3318 out garmentsH4403 for them. 23JehuH3058 wentH935 into the houseH1004 of BaalH1168 with JehonadabH3082 the sonH1121 of RechabH7394; and he saidH559 to the worshipersH5647 of BaalH1168, “SearchH2664 and seeH7200 that thereH3426 is hereH6311 with you noneH6435 of the servantsH5650 of the LordH3068, but onlyH905 the worshipersH5647 of BaalH1168.” 24Then they wentH935 in to offerH6213 sacrificesH2077 and burntH5930 offeringsH5930.

Now JehuH3058 had stationedH7760 for himself eightyH8084 menH376 outsideH2351, and he had saidH559, “43The oneH376 whoH834 permits anyH4480 of the menH376 whomH834 I bringH935 into your handsH3027 to escapeH4422 44shall give up his lifeH5315 in exchangeH8478.”

25Then it cameH1961 about, as soon as he had finishedH3615 offeringH6213 the burntH5930 offeringH5930, that JehuH3058 saidH559 to the 4546guardH7323 and to the royalH7991 officersH7991, “47GoH935 in, 48killH5221 them; let noneH376H408 comeH3318 out.” And they 49killedH5221 them with the edgeH6310 of the swordH2719; and the 50guardH7323 and the royalH7991 officersH7991 threwH7993 them out, and wentH1980 to the 51innerH5892 roomH5892 of the houseH1004 of BaalH1168. 26They broughtH3318 out the sacred 52pillarsH4676 of the houseH1004 of BaalH1168 and burnedH8313 them. 27They also brokeH5422 downH5422 the sacred pillarH4676 of BaalH1168 and brokeH5422 downH5422 the houseH1004 of BaalH1168, and 53madeH7760 it a latrineH4280 to this dayH3117.

28Thus JehuH3058 eradicatedH8045 BaalH1168 out of IsraelH3478. 29HoweverH7534, 54as for the sinsH2399 of JeroboamH3379 the sonH1121 of NebatH5028, whichH834 he made IsraelH3478 sinH2398, from these JehuH3058 did not departH5493, even the 55goldenH2091 calvesH5695 that were at BethelH1008 and that were at DanH1835. 30The LordH3068 saidH559 to JehuH3058, “BecauseH3282H834 you have doneH2895 wellH2895 in executingH6213 whatH3477 is rightH3477 in My eyesH5869, and have doneH6213 to the houseH1004 of AhabH256 according to allH3605 that was in My heartH3824, 56your sonsH1121 of the fourthH7243 generation shall sitH3427 on the throneH3678 of IsraelH3478.” 31But JehuH3058 5758was not carefulH8104 to walkH1980 in the lawH8451 of the LordH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, with allH3605 his heartH3824; 59he did not departH5493 from the sinsH2403 of JeroboamH3379, whichH834 he made IsraelH3478 sinH2398.

32In thoseH1992 daysH3117 the 60LordH3068 beganH2490 to cutH7096 offH7096 portions 61from IsraelH3478; and 62HazaelH2371 63defeatedH5221 them throughoutH3605 the territoryH1366 of IsraelH3478: 33from the JordanH3383 eastwardH4217, allH3605 the landH776 of GileadH1568, the GaditesH1425 and the ReubenitesH7206 and the ManassitesH4520, from 64AroerH6177, whichH834 is by the valleyH5158 of the ArnonH769, even 65GileadH1568 and BashanH1316.

Jehoahaz Succeeds Jehu

34Now the restH3499 of the actsH1697 of JehuH3058 and allH3605 that he didH6213 and allH3605 his mightH1369, are they not writtenH3789 in the BookH5612 of the ChroniclesH1697H3117 of the KingsH4428 of IsraelH3478? 35And JehuH3058 sleptH7901 with his fathersH1, and they buriedH6912 him in SamariaH8111. And JehoahazH3059 his sonH1121 becameH4427 kingH4427 in his placeH8478. 36Now the 66timeH3117 whichH834 JehuH3058 reignedH4427 overH5921 IsraelH3478 in SamariaH8111 was twenty-eightH6242H8083 yearsH8141.