2 Kings 10

¹ Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the officials of Jezreel, the elders, and Ahab’s guardians, saying:

² “This letter has reached you, and your master’s sons are with you. You also have chariots and horses, a fortified city, and weapons.

³ Choose the best and most upright of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

⁴ They were terrified—utterly terrified—and said, “If the two kings could not stand against him, how can we?”

⁵ So the palace administrator, the governor of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent word to Jehu: “We are your servants. We will do whatever you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever seems good to you.”

⁶ Jehu wrote them a second letter: “If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel at this time tomorrow.” The king’s sons, seventy men, were with the leading men of the city, who had raised them.

⁷ When the letter reached them, they took the king’s sons and slaughtered all seventy. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.

⁸ A messenger came and reported, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” Jehu said, “Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate and leave them there until morning.”

⁹ In the morning Jehu went out, stood before all the people, and said, “You are innocent. I conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these?

¹⁰ Know, then, that not one word the LORD spoke against Ahab’s house will fall to the ground. The LORD has done what he declared through his servant Elijah.”

¹¹ Jehu struck down everyone left from Ahab’s house in Jezreel—all his leading men, close friends, and priests—until he left no survivor.

¹² Then he set out for Samaria. On the way, at the place called Beth-eked of the Shepherds,

¹³ Jehu met the brothers of Ahaziah, king of Judah, and asked, “Who are you?” They answered, “We are Ahaziah’s brothers. We are going down to greet the king’s sons and the queen mother’s sons.”

¹⁴ He said, “Take them alive!” They took them alive and slaughtered them by the cistern at Beth-eked: forty-two men. He left none of them alive.

¹⁵ After leaving there, he met Jehonadab son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked, “Is your heart as true to me as my heart is to you?” Jehonadab replied, “It is.” Jehu said, “Then give me your hand.” He gave him his hand, and Jehu pulled him up into the chariot beside him.

¹⁶ Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD.” So Jehonadab rode with him in his chariot.

¹⁷ When Jehu reached Samaria, he struck down everyone left from Ahab’s house there, until he had destroyed them all, just as the LORD had spoken to Elijah.

¹⁸ Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much.

¹⁹ Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers, and all his priests. Let no one be absent, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is absent will not live.” Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy Baal’s worshipers.

²⁰ Jehu said, “Declare a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it.

²¹ Jehu sent word throughout all Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came; no one stayed away. They entered Baal’s temple, and it was filled from one end to the other.

²² Jehu said to the man in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them.

²³ Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered Baal’s temple. Jehu said to Baal’s worshipers, “Look carefully and make sure there are no servants of the LORD here with you—only worshipers of Baal.”

²⁴ They went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and told them, “If any of the men I place in your hands escapes, you will pay for his life with your own.”

²⁵ As soon as Jehu had finished offering the burnt offering, he said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill them! Let no one get out!” They struck them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw them out, then went into the inner part of Baal’s temple.

²⁶ They brought out the sacred pillars from Baal’s temple and burned them.

²⁷ They demolished Baal’s sacred pillar, demolished the temple, and turned it into latrines, as it remains to this day.

²⁸ So Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel.

²⁹ However, Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which had led Israel into sin: the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.

³⁰ The LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well and done what is right in my sight, and have done to Ahab’s house everything that was in my heart, your descendants will sit on Israel’s throne to the fourth generation.”

³¹ But Jehu was not careful to follow the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which had led Israel into sin.

³² In those days the LORD began to cut away parts of Israel’s territory. Hazael defeated them throughout Israel’s territory,

³³ from the Jordan eastward: all the land of Gilead—the territories of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh—from Aroer by the Arnon Gorge, including Gilead and Bashan.

³⁴ The rest of Jehu’s deeds, all that he did, and all his might, are they not recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

³⁵ Jehu rested with his ancestors, and they buried him in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king.

³⁶ Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria for twenty-eight years.

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