1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in A1 Kin 16:24-29Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders, and to the guardians of the children of Ahab, saying, 2 “Now, A2 Kin 5:6when this letter comes to you, since your master’s sons are with you, 1Lit and with you theas well as the chariots and horses and a fortified city and the weapons, 3 select the best and 1Lit most uprightfittest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.” 4 But they feared greatly and said, “Behold, A2 Kin 9:24, 27the two kings did not stand before him; how then can we stand?” 5 And the one who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders, and the guardians of the children, sent word to Jehu, saying, “AJosh 9:8, 11; 1 Kin 20:4, 32; 2 Kin 18:14We are your servants, all that you say to us we will do, we will not make any man king; do what is good in your sight.” 6 Then he wrote a letter to them a second time saying, “If you are on my side, and you will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men, your master’s sons, and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow about this time.” Now the king’s sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were rearing them. 7 When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and AJudg 9:5; 2 Kin 11:1slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezreel. 8 When the messenger came and told him, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons,” he said, “Put them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.” 9 Now in the morning he went out and stood and said to all the people, “You are 1Lit justinnocent; behold, A2 Kin 9:14-24I conspired against my master and killed him, but B2 Kin 10:6who 2Lit smotekilled all these? 10  “Know then that A2 Kin 9:7-10there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Loʀᴅ, which the Loʀᴅ spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the Loʀᴅ has done B1 Kin 21:19-29what He spoke 1Lit by the hand ofthrough His servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu 1Lit smotekilled all who remained of the house of Ahab in AHos 1:4Jezreel, and all his great men and his acquaintances and his priests, until he left him without a survivor.

12 Then he arose and departed and went to Samaria. On the way while he was at 1I.e. house of bindingBeth-eked of the shepherds, 13 A2 Kin 8:24, 29; 2 Chr 21:17; 22:8Jehu 1Lit foundmet the 2Lit brothersrelatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and said, “Who are you?” And they 3Lit saidanswered, “We are the 2Lit brothersrelatives of Ahaziah; and we have come down 4Lit about the welfare ofto greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.” 14 He said, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive and killed them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.

15 Now when he had departed from there, he 1Lit foundmet AJer 35:6-19Jehonadab the son of B1 Chr 2:55Rechab coming to meet him; and he 2Lit blessedgreeted him and said to him, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?” And Jehonadab 3Lit saidanswered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, CEzra 10:19; Ezek 17:18give me your hand.” And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot. 16 He said, “Come with me and A1 Kin 19:10see my zeal for the Loʀᴅ.” So 1Lit theyhe made him ride in his chariot. 17 When he came to Samaria, A2 Kin 9:8he 1Lit smotekilled all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed him, B2 Kin 10:10according to the word of the Loʀᴅ which He spoke to Elijah.

18 Then Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, “A1 Kin 16:31, 32Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19  “Now, A1 Kin 18:19; 22:6summon all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests; let no one be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal; whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it in 1Lit insidiousnesscunning, so that he might destroy the worshipers of Baal. 20 And Jehu said, “AJoel 1:14Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal.” And BEx 32:4-6they proclaimed it. 21 Then Jehu sent 1Lit in allthroughout Israel and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And when they went into A1 Kin 16:32; 2 Kin 11:18the house of Baal, the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. 22 He said to the one who was 1Lit over thein charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out garments for them. 23 Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab; and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search and see that there is here with you none of the servants of the Loʀᴅ, but only the worshipers of Baal.” 24 Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.

Now Jehu had stationed for himself eighty men outside, and he had said, “A1 Kin 20:30-42The one who permits any of the men whom I bring into your hands to escape 1Lit his soul for his soulshall give up his life in exchange.”

25 Then it came about, as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the 1Lit runnersA1 Sam 22:17guard and to the royal officers, “B1 Kin 18:40Go in, 2Lit smitekill them; let none come out.” And they 3Lit smotekilled them with the edge of the sword; and the 1Lit runnersguard and the royal officers threw them out, and went to the 4Lit cityinner room of the house of Baal. 26 They brought out the sacred A1 Kin 14:23; 2 Kin 3:2pillars of the house of Baal and burned them. 27 They also broke down the sacred pillar of Baal and broke down the house of Baal, and AEzra 6:11; Dan 2:5; 3:29made it a latrine to this day.

28 Thus Jehu eradicated Baal out of Israel. 29 However, A1 Kin 12:28-30; 13:33, 34as for the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin, from these Jehu did not depart, even the B1 Kin 12:29golden calves that were at Bethel and that were at Dan. 30 The Loʀᴅ said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in executing what is right in My eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in My heart, A2 Kin 15:12your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” 31 But Jehu 1Lit did not watchAProv 4:23was not careful to walk in the law of the Loʀᴅ, the God of Israel, with all his heart; B2 Kin 10:29he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel sin.

32 In those days the A2 Kin 13:25; 14:25Loʀᴅ began to cut off portions 1Lit infrom Israel; and B1 Kin 19:17; 2 Kin 8:12; 13:22Hazael 2Lit smotedefeated them throughout the territory of Israel: 33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites and the Reubenites and the Manassites, from ADeut 2:36Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, even BAmos 1:3-5Gilead and 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? 35 And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son became king in his place. 36 Now the 1Lit daystime which Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.