2 Kings 10

10 ¹ Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu sent letters to Samaria's officials, elders, and guardians of Ahab's sons, writing: ² When this letter reaches you, since your master's sons are with you, plus chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weapons ³ —Choose your master's best and ablest son, set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.

⁴ They were terrified, utterly terrified, and said, "Look, two kings couldn't stand before him. How can we stand?" ⁵ The palace steward, city governor, elders, and guardians sent to Jehu: "We are your servants; we'll do all you say. We'll crown no one — do what's good in your eyes."

⁶ Jehu wrote them a second letter: 'If you are with me and will obey me, take the heads of your master's sons and come to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.' The king's seventy sons were with the city's nobles, raising them.

⁷ When the letter arrived, they seized the king's sons, slaughtered all seventy, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. ⁸ The messenger told him, "They've brought the king's sons' heads." He said, "Stack them in two piles at the gate entrance until morning."

⁹ In the morning he went out, stood before all the people, and said: You are innocent. I conspired against my master and killed him, but who struck all these? ¹⁰ Know that none of our Father's words against Ahab's house will fail. Our Father has done what he spoke through his servant Elijah.

¹¹ So Jehu killed all remaining of Ahab's house in Jezreel — his nobles, close friends, and priests — leaving him no survivor.

¹² Then he set out and went toward Samaria. On the way, at Beth-eked of the Shepherds, ¹³ Jehu met Ahaziah of Judah's relatives and asked, "Who are you?" They answered, "Ahaziah's relatives, coming to greet the king's and queen mother's sons."

¹⁴ "Capture them alive!" he said. They captured them alive, then slaughtered them at Beth-eked's pit — forty-two men, not one left.

¹⁵ He left there, met Jehonadab son of Rechab coming toward him. He greeted him and asked, "Is your heart true to mine, as mine is to yours?" "It is," Jehonadab said. "Give me your hand." He gave it, and Jehu pulled him into the chariot.

¹⁶ "Come with me, see my passion for our Father," he said, and had him ride in his chariot. ¹⁷ Arriving in Samaria, Jehu killed all Ahab's survivors there, wiping them out, just as our Father told Elijah.

Jehu Wipes out the Worship of Baal

¹⁸ Jehu gathered all the people and said, "Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much." ¹⁹ "Summon me all Baal's prophets, all his worshipers, all his priests—none missing; I have a great sacrifice for Baal, and whoever is missing won't live." But Jehu acted with cunning, to destroy Baal's worshipers.

²⁰ Jehu ordered, "Proclaim a sacred assembly for Baal." So they proclaimed it.

²¹ Jehu sent through all Israel; all Baal's worshipers came, none stayed away. They entered Baal's house, filling it end to end. ²² Jehu told the wardrobe keeper, "Bring out robes for all Baal's worshipers." He brought them out.

²³ Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered Baal's temple. He told Baal's worshipers, "Search carefully — make sure no servants of our Father are here among you, only worshipers of Baal."

²⁴ They went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Jehu had stationed eighty men outside: "Whoever lets any of the men I'm putting in your hands escape pays life for life."

²⁵ When the burnt offering was finished, Jehu told the guards and officers, 'Go in, kill them—let no one out.' They struck them down with the sword; the guards and officers threw them out and entered Baal's inner temple room. ²⁶ They brought out the sacred pillars of the temple of Baal and burned them. ²⁷ They tore down Baal's pillar, tore down Baal's temple, and made it a latrine to this day.

²⁸ So Jehu wiped out Baal worship from Israel. ²⁹ Yet Jehu didn't turn from Jeroboam son of Nebat's sins, which he led Israel into — the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.

³⁰ Our Father told Jehu, "Because you did well, doing right in my eyes, and did all I intended to Ahab's house, your descendants will sit on Israel's throne to the fourth generation."

³¹ But Jehu did not carefully, wholeheartedly follow the law of our Father, the God of Israel, or turn from the sins of Jeroboam, who led Israel to sin.

³² In those days our Father began to cut Israel short. Hazael struck them throughout Israel's territory, ³³ East of the Jordan — all Gilead, land of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh — from Aroer by the Arnon Valley, through Gilead and Bashan.

³⁴ Jehu's remaining acts—all he did and all his power—aren't they recorded in the book of the chronicles of Israel's kings? ³⁵ Jehu slept with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria; his son Jehoahaz reigned in his place. ³⁶ The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.