THE SECOND BOOK OF
THE KINGS,
2 Kings 10 ©
Jehu slays seventy of Ahab’s sons, v. 1, etc. And the kindred of king Ahaziah, 12. Comes with Jehonadab the Rechabite to Samaria, 15. Where he slays all the priests and prophets of Ahab, breaks down his images and temple, 18. But cleaves to the sin of Jeroboam, 29. Is oppressed by Hazael King of Syria, 32. Dies, Jehoahaz his son reigns, 35.
AND Ahab had 1seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto 2the rulers of Jezreel, to the 3elders, and to them 4that brought up Ahab's children, saying,
5Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a 6fenced city also, and armour;
Look even out the 7best and meetest of your 8master’s sons, and 9set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.
But they were 10exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, 11two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?
And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.
Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the 12men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time. Now the king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the 13great men of the city, which 14brought them up.
And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and 15slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.
¶And 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 16of the gate until the morning.
And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, 17Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: 18but who slew all these?
Know now 19that there 20shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done thata which he spake 21by his servant Elijah.
So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his 22great men, and his 23kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.
¶And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at 24the shearing house in the way,
Jehu metb with 25the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down 26to salute the children of the 27king and the children of the queen.
And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.
¶And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son 28of Rechab coming to 29meet 30him: and he saluted him, and said to him, 31Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, 32give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.
And he said, Come with me, and see my 33zeal for the LORD. So 34they made him ride in his chariot.
And when he came to Samaria, he slewc all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed 35him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to 36Elijah.
¶And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served 37Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him 38much.
Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have 39a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn 40assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
And 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 41house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full 42from one end to another.
And he said unto him that was over the 43vestry, Bring forth 44vestmentsd for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.
And 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 45servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only.
And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his 46life shall be for the life 47of him.
And it came to pass, as soon as 48he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the 49guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains 50cast them out, and went to the city of the 51house of Baal.
And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.
And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a 52draught house unto this day.
Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
¶Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit,e the golden calves 53that were in Beth-el, and that were in Dan.
And the LORD 54said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy 55children of the fourth generation shallf sit on the throne of Israel.
But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the 56sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.
¶In those days the LORD began 57to cut Israel short: and 58Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;
From Jordan 59eastward, all the land of 60Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from 61Aroer, which is by the river 62Arnon, even 63Gilead and Bashan.
Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written 64in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.
And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.