2 Kings 10

1 And 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 [children], saying,

Now Ahab had seventy descendants in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, including the elders and the guardians of Ahab's descendants, saying,

2 Now 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 fenced city also, and armour;

“Your master's descendants are with you, and you also have chariots and horses and a fortified city and armor. So then, as soon as this letter comes to you,

3 Look even out the best and meetest of your master’s sons, and set [him] on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.

select the best and most deserving of your master's descendants and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's royal line.”

4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?

But they were terrified and said among themselves, “See, the two kings could not stand before Jehu. So how can we stand?”

5 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 the man who was in charge of the palace, and the man who was over the city, and the elders also, and they who raised the children, sent word back to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants. We will do everything that you command us. We will not make any man king. Do what is good in your eyes.”

6 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 men 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 great men of the city, which brought them up.

Then Jehu wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you will listen to my voice, you must take the heads of the men of your master's descendants, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time.” Now the king's descendants, seventy in number, were with the important men of the city, who were bringing them up.

7 And 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 [them] to Jezreel.

So when the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and killed them, seventy persons, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.

8 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 of the gate until the morning.

A messenger came to Jehu, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king's sons.” So he said, “Put them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.”

9 And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye [be] righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?

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

10 Know now that there shall 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 [that] which he spake by his servant Elijah.

Now you should certainly realize that no part of Yahweh's word, the word that he spoke concerning the family of Ahab, will fall to the ground, for Yahweh has done what he spoke about through his servant Elijah.”

11 So 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.

So Jehu killed all who remained in the family of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his important men, his close friends, and his priests, until none of them remained.

12 And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. [And] as he [was] at the shearing house in the way,

Then Jehu arose and left; he went to Samaria. As he was arriving at Beth Eked of the shepherd,

13 Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who [are] ye? And they answered, We [are] the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.

he met brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah. Jehu said to them, “Who are you?” They answered, “We are brothers of Ahaziah, and we are going down to greet the children of the king and the children of Queen Jezebel.”

14 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.

Jehu said to his own men, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive and killed them at the well of Beth Eked, all forty-two men. He did not leave any of them alive.

15 And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab [coming] to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart [is] with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give [me] thine hand. And he gave [him] his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

When Jehu had left there, he met Jehonadab son of Recab coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart with me, as my heart is with yours?” Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, give me your hand.” So he gave Jehu his hand, and Jehu took Jehonadab up with him into the chariot.

16 And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.

Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zeal for Yahweh.” So he had Jonadab ride along with him in his chariot.

17 And 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 LORD, which he spake to Elijah.

When he came to Samaria, Jehu killed all who remained from Ahab's descendants in Samaria, until he had destroyed Ahab's royal line, just as was told them before by the word of Yahweh, which he had spoken to Elijah.

18 And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; [but] Jehu shall serve him much.

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

19 Now 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 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.

Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers, and all his priests. Let no one be left out, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal. Whoever does not come will not live.” But Jehu did this deceitfully, with the intent to kill the worshipers of Baal.

20 And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed [it].

Jehu said, “Set a time to have an assembly for Baal.” So they announced it.

21 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 house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.

Then Jehu sent throughout all Israel and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. They came into the temple of Baal, and it was filled from one end to another.

22 And he said unto him that [was] over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.

Jehu said to the man who kept the priest's wardrobe, “Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal.” So the man brought out robes to them.

23 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 servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only.

So Jehu went with Jehonadab son of Recab into the house of Baal, and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search and make sure that there is no one here with you from the servants of Yahweh, but the worshipers of Baal alone.”

24 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 life [shall be] for the life of him.

Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had chosen eighty men who were standing outside, and he told them, “If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escapes, whoever lets that man escape, his life will be taken for the life of the one who escaped.”

25 And 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, [and] slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast [them] out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.

So then as soon as Jehu finished offering the burnt offering, he said to the guard and to the captains, “Go in and kill them. Let no one come out.” So they killed them with the edge of the sword, and the guard and the captains threw them out and went into the inner room of the house of Baal.

26 And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.

They dragged out the stone pillars that were in the house of Baal, and they burned them.

27 And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.

Then they broke down the pillar of Baal, and destroyed the house of Baal and made it a latrine, which it is to this day.

28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

That is how Jehu destroyed Baal worship from Israel.

29 Howbeit [from] the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, [to wit], the golden calves that [were] in Beth-el, and that [were] in Dan.

But Jehu did not leave the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, by which he made Israel sin—that is, the worship of the golden calves in Bethel and Dan.

30 And the LORD said 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 children of the fourth [generation] shall sit on the throne of Israel.

So Yahweh said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in executing what was right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”

31 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 sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

But Jehu took no care to walk in the law of Yahweh, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, by which he made Israel sin.

32 In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

In those days Yahweh began to cut off regions from Israel, and Hazael defeated the Israelites at the borders of Israel,

33 From Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which [is] by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.

from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the Valley of the Arnon, through Gilead to Bashan.

34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

As for the other matters concerning Jehu, and all that he did, and all his power, are they not written in the book of the events of the kings of Israel?

35 And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.

Jehu slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in Samaria. Then Jehoahaz his son became king in his place.

36 And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria [was] twenty and eight years.

The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.