2 Kings 10

1And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab's , saying, 2Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons with you, and with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour; 3Look even out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house. 4But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand? 5And he that over the house, and he that over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up , sent to Jehu, saying, We your servants, and will do all that you shall bid us; we will not make any king: do you good in your eyes. 6Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye mine, and ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time. Now the king's sons, seventy persons, with the great men of the city, which brought them up. 7And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him to Jezreel. 8And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning. 9And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these? 10Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the Yahuah, which the Yahuah spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the Yahuah has done which he spake by his servant Elijah. 11So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining. 12And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. as he at the shearing house in the way, 13Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who ye? And they answered, We the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen. 14And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, two and forty men; neither left he any of them. 15And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is your heart right, as my heart with your heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give your hand. And he gave his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot. 16And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the Yahuah. So they made him ride in his chariot. 17And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the Yahuah, which he spake to Elijah. 18And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu shall serve him much. 19Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal. 20And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed . 21And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another. 22And he said unto him that over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments. 23And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the Yahuah, but the worshippers of Baal only. 24And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, , his life for the life of him. 25And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast out, and went to the city of the house of Baal. 26And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them. 27And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day. 28Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. 29Howbeit the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, , the golden calves that in Bethel, and that in Dan. 30And the Yahuah said unto Jehu, Because you hast done well in executing right in mine eyes, hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that in mine heart, your children of the fourth shall sit on the throne of Israel. 31But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Yahuah Elohim of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin. 32In those days the Yahuah began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel; 33From Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan. 34Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, 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 reigned in his stead. 36And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and eight years.