2 Kings 10
1 There were seventy descendants of King Ahab who were living there in Samaria. Jehu wrote a letter [and made copies of it] and sent them to the rulers of the city, to the elders, and to those who raised and tutored Ahab’s children.
There were seventy sons of the house of Ahab living in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to the officials of Samaria, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying:
2 [This is what he wrote]: “You are the ones who are [taking care of] the king’s descendants. You have chariots and horses and weapons, and you live in cities that have walls around them. So as soon as you receive this letter,
“Since your master's sons are with you, and you have at your disposal chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weapons, when you receive this letter,
3 choose one of the king’s sons, the one who is the best qualified, and appoint him to be your king. Then [prepare to] fight to defend him.”
choose the best and most appropriate son of your master, place him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.”
4 But [when they got those letters from Jehu and read them], they became very afraid. They said, “King Joram and King Ahaziah could not resist him; (how can we resist him?/we cannot possibly resist him!)” [RHQ]
But they were extremely frightened, and said to themselves, “If two kings couldn't defeat him, how could we?”
5 So the officer who was in charge of the palace and the mayor of the city sent a message to Jehu saying, “We want to serve you, and we are ready to do whatever you tell us to do. We will not appoint anyone to become our king. You do whatever you think is best.”
So the palace and the city leaders, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do whatever you tell us. We're not going to make anyone king. Do what you think is best.”
6 So Jehu sent a second letter to them, writing this: “If you (are on my side/want to help me), and if you are ready to obey me, [kill] King Ahab’s descendants [and cut off their heads and] bring their heads to me here in Jezreel at this time tomorrow.” The seventy descendants of King Ahab were being brought up and supervised by the leaders of [Samaria] city.
Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you are going to obey what I say, bring the heads of your master's sons to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” The seventy king's sons were being raised by the leading men of the city.
7 When they received the letter from Jehu, they killed all seventy of Ahab’s descendants and [cut off their heads]. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.
When the letter arrived, they seized the king's sons and killed all seventy of them, placed their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.
8 A messenger came to Jehu and told him, “They have brought the heads of Ahab’s descendants.” So Jehu commanded that the heads should be put in two piles at the city gate and that the heads should stay there until the next morning.
A messenger came in and told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the king's sons.” Jehu gave the order, “Put them in two piles at the entrance to the city gate until the morning.”
9 The next morning he went out [to the city gate] and said to all the people, “I am the one who plotted against King Joram and killed him. You are not guilty of doing that. But [it was Yahweh, not I] [RHQ] who [commanded that] all these [descendants of Ahab should be] killed.
In the morning Jehu went out to speak to the people who had gathered. “You haven't done anything wrong,” he told them. “I was the one who plotted against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?
10 So you need to know that everything that Yahweh said would happen has happened. He has caused to happen what he told the prophet Elijah would happen.”
Rest assured that nothing of what the Lord has prophesied against the house of Ahab will fail, for the Lord has done what he promised through his servant Elijah.”
11 Then Jehu executed all the other relatives of Ahab in Jezreel, and all Ahab’s officers, and close friends, and his priests. He did not allow any of them to remain alive.
So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who was left of the house of Ahab, as well as all his high officials, close friends, and priests. This left Ahab without a single survivor.
12 Then Jehu left [Jezreel] and went toward Samaria. While he was going there, at a place called ‘Shepherds’ Camp’,
Then Jehu left and went Samaria. At Beth-eked of the Shepherds,
13 he met some relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah. He asked them, “Who are you?” They replied, “We are relatives of King Ahaziah. We are going to Jezreel to visit the children of Queen Jezebel and the other members of King [Joram’s] family.”
he met some relatives of Ahaziah, king of Judah. “Who are you?” he asked them. “We're relatives of Ahaziah,” they replied. “We've come to visit the sons of the king and of the queen mother.”
14 Jehu said to his men, “Seize them!” So they seized them and killed all of them at the pit named Beth-Eked. There were 42 people whom they killed; they did not allow any of them to remain alive.
“Take them alive!” Jehu ordered. So they took them alive, then killed them at the well of Beth-eked. There were forty-two men. He didn't allow any of them to live.
15 Then Jehu [continued to travel toward Samaria]. Along the road, he was met by Jonadab, a leader of the Rechab clan. Jehu greeted him and said to him, “Are you as devoted to me [IDM] as I am devoted to you?” Jonadab replied, “Yes, I am.” Jehu said, “If you are, shake hands with me.” So Jonadab shook hands with him, and Jehu helped him to get into his chariot.
He left there and came across Jehonadab, son of Rekab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked him, “Are you as committed to me, as I am to you?” “Yes I am,” Jehonadab replied. “In that case, give me your hand,” said Jehu. So he stretched out his hand, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot.
16 Jehu said to him, “Come with me, and you will see that I am very devoted to Yahweh.” So they rode together to Samaria.
“Come with me and see how dedicated I am to the Lord!” Jehu said, and had him ride in his chariot.
17 When they arrived in Samaria, Jehu killed all of Ahab’s relatives who were still alive. He did not (spare any of them/allow any of them to remain alive). That was what Yahweh told Elijah would happen.
When Jehu arrived in Samaria, he went around killing everyone who was left of Ahab's family until he had killed all of them, just as the Lord had said through Elijah.
18 Then Jehu summoned all the people [of Samaria], and said to them, “King Ahab was devoted to [your god] Baal a little bit, but I will serve him much more.
Jehu had all the people gather together and told them, “Ahab worshiped Baal a little, but Jehu will worship him a lot.
19 So now summon all the prophets of Baal, all of Baal’s priests, and all the others who worship Baal. I am going to make a great sacrifice to Baal. I want all of them to be there. Any of them who is not there will be executed.” But Jehu was planning to trick them; he was planning to kill all those who worshiped Baal.
So summon all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. Make sure no one is missing, because I'm organizing a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who doesn't attend will be executed.” But Jehu's plan was a trick to destroy the followers of Baal.
20 Then Jehu commanded, “Announce that we are going to set aside a day to honor Baal.” So they did that.
Jehu gave the order, “Call a religious assembly to honor Baal!” So they did so.
21 Jehu [decided what day they would gather and] sent messages throughout Israel [telling everyone what day to gather on], and on that day, everyone who worshiped Baal came. No one stayed at home. They all went into the huge temple of Baal and filled it from one end to the other.
Jehu sent the announcement through the whole of Israel. All the followers of Baal came—not a single man was missing. They went into the temple of Baal, filling it from end to end.
22 Jehu told the priest who took care of the sacred robes to bring them out and give them to the people who worshiped Baal. So the priest did that.
Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Distribute clothes for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out clothes for them.
23 Then Jehu went into the temple of Baal with Jonadab, and he said to the people who were there to worship Baal, “Be sure that only those who worship Baal are here. Be sure that no one who worships Yahweh has come in.”
Then Jehu and Jehonadab, son of Rekab, went into the temple of Baal. Jehu told the followers of Baal, “Look around and make sure that no one who follows the Lord is here with you, only the worshipers of Baal.”
24 Then he and Jonadab prepared to offer sacrifices and other offerings to Baal that would be completely burned [on the altar that was there in Samaria]. But Jehu had stationed eighty of his men outside the temple, and had said to them, “I want you to kill all the people [who are in the temple]. Anyone who allows one of them to escape will be executed!”
They were inside presenting sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had positioned eighty men outside and cautioned them, “I'm handing these men over to you. If you let any of them escape, you will pay for his life with yours.”
25 As soon as Jehu [and Jonadab] had finished killing the animals that would be completely burned to be an offering to Baal, they [went outside and] said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill all of them! Do not allow any of them to escape!” So the guards and officers went in and killed them all with their swords. Then they dragged their corpses outside the temple. Then they went into the inner room of the temple,
As soon as Jehu had finished presenting the burnt offering, he ordered his guards and officers, “Go in and kill them all! Don't let even one escape!” So they killed them with their swords. The guards and officers threw their bodies outside, and then they went into the inner sanctuary of the temple of Baal.
26 and they carried out the sacred pillar of Baal that was there, and they burned it.
They dragged out the idol pillars and burned them.
27 So they destroyed that pillar that honored Baal, and then they burned down the temple, and made it a public toilet. And it is still a toilet!
They smashed the sacred pillar of Baal, and tore down the temple of Baal and turned it into a toilet, which it still is to this day.
28 That is how Jehu got rid of the worship of Baal in Israel.
This was how Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel,
29 But Jehu did not quit committing the kinds of sins that Jeroboam had committed, sins that led the people of Israel to sin by worshiping the gold [statues of] calves in Bethel and Dan [cities].
but he did not end the sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had made Israel commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.
30 Then Yahweh said to Jehu, “You have done what pleased me by getting rid of all of Ahab’s descendants. So I promise you that your son and grandson and great-grandson and great-great-grandson will all be kings of Israel.”
The Lord said to Jehu, “Since you have done well, and have carried out what is right in my sight, and have accomplished all that I planned for the house of Ahab, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”
31 But Jehu did not obey all the laws of Yahweh, the God of the Israeli people. He did not stop committing the sins that Jeroboam had committed, sins that led the Israeli people to sin.
But Jehu was not completely committed to following the law of the Lord, the God of Israel. He did not end the sins that Jeroboam had made Israel commit.
32 At that time, Yahweh began to cause the territory controlled by Israel to become smaller. [The army of] King Hazael [of Syria] conquered much of the Israeli territory.
At that time the Lord began to reduce the extent of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory
33 He conquered the parts east of the Jordan [River], as far south as Aroer [town] on the Arnon [River]. That included [the] Gilead and Bashan [regions], where the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of the tribe of Manasseh lived.
east of the Jordan, all the land of Gilead (the region occupied by Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh), and from Aroer through the Arnon Valley up to Gilead and Bashan.
34 [If you want to read more] about all the other things that Jehu did [RHQ], they are written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.
The rest of what happened in Jehu's reign, all that he did and what he accomplished, are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
35 Jehu died [EUP], and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz became the king in place of his father.
Jehu died and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king.
36 Jehu had ruled in Samaria as the king of Israel for twenty-eight years.
Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria for twenty-eight years.
