1 A nd 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 sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters. He sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, to the leaders, and to those who took care of Ahab’s children. He said,

2 N ow 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;

“Now your owner’s sons are with you. And you have war-wagons, and horses, and a strong city, and things to fight with. When this letter comes to you,

3 L ook 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.

choose the best of your owner’s sons. Put him on his father’s throne. And fight for your owner’s house.”

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

But they were filled with fear, and said, “See, the two kings could not stand in front of him. How can we stand?”

5 A nd 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.

So the head man of the house, the head man of the city, the leaders, and those who took care of the children, sent word to Jehu. They said, “We are your servants. We will do all that you say. We will not make any man king. Do what is good in your eyes.”

6 T hen 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 to them a second time. He said, “If you are on my side and will obey me, bring the heads of your owner’s sons to me. Meet me in Jezreel about this time tomorrow.” Now the king’s seventy sons were with the important men of the city who were taking care of them.

7 A nd 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.

When the letter came to them, they took the king’s seventy sons and killed them. They put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

8 A nd 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.

The men who had been sent returned and told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” And he said, “Put them one upon the other in two places at the gate until morning.”

9 A nd 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 without guilt. See, I made plans against my owner and killed him. But who killed all these?

10 K now 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.

Know now that everything the Lord spoke about the family of Ahab will come true. For the Lord has done what He said through his servant Elijah.”

11 S o 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 were left of the family of Ahab in Jezreel. He killed all of Ahab’s important men, his friends, and his religious leaders. Not one person of Ahab was left alive. Ahaziah’s Forty-Two Brothers Are Killed

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

Then Jehu left and went to Samaria. On the way, while he was at Beth-eked of the shepherds,

13 J ehu 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.

Jehu met the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah. He asked them, “Who are you?” And they answered, “We are the brothers of Ahaziah. We have come down to visit the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.”

14 A nd 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, “Take them alive.” So his men took them alive, and killed them at the hole of Beth-eked, forty-two men. He left none of them alive. The Rest of Ahab’s Family Are Killed

15 A nd 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 left there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. Jehu said to him, “Is your heart right with my heart as mine is with yours?” And Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, give me your hand.” So Jehonadab gave him his hand, and Jehu took him up into the war-wagon with him.

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

Then Jehu said, “Come with me and see how glad I am to work for the Lord.” And he had him go in his war-wagon.

17 A nd 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, he killed all of Ahab’s people who were left in Samaria. He destroyed them, as the word of the Lord was spoken to Elijah. The Worshipers of Baal Are Killed

18 A nd 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 and said to them, “Ahab worshiped Baal a little. Jehu will worship him much.

19 N ow 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 call all the men who speak for Baal, all his worshipers and all his religious leaders. Let no one be missing. For I have a big gift for Baal. Whoever is missing will not live.” But Jehu did this to fool them, so that he might destroy the worshipers of Baal.

20 A nd Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.

He said, “Set apart a special meeting for Baal.” And they made the news known.

21 A nd 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 for all the worshipers of Baal in Israel. Every one of them came. When they went into the house of Baal, the house was filled from one end to the other.

22 A nd 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 one who took care of the clothes, “Bring out clothing for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out clothing for them.

23 A nd 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.

Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab. And he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Look and see that there are no servants of the Lord here with you, but only the worshipers of Baal.”

24 A nd 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 kill animals on the altar and give burnt gifts. Now Jehu had left eighty of his men outside. He had told them, “The one who lets anyone get away, will pay for it with his life.”

25 A nd 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.

As soon as he had finished giving the burnt gift, Jehu said to the soldiers and the leaders, “Go in and kill them. Let no one come out.” And they killed them with the sword. Then the soldiers and leaders threw the bodies out, and went into the inside room of the house of Baal.

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

They brought out the objects of the house of Baal, and burned them.

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

They destroyed the objects of Baal and destroyed the house of Baal. They made it a place for body waste to this day.

28 T hus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

So Jehu got rid of Baal from Israel.

29 H owbeit 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 Bethel, and that were in Dan.

But Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin. He kept the gold calves at Bethel and Dan.

30 A nd 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.

The Lord said to Jehu, “You have done well what is right in My eyes. You have done to the family of Ahab all that was in My heart. So your sons, even your great great grandson, will sit on the throne of Israel.”

31 B ut 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 was not careful to walk in the Law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel sin. The Death of Jehu

32 I n those days the Lord began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

In those days the Lord began to cut off parts of Israel. Hazael won over them in battle through the land of Israel.

33 F rom 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.

He took the land east of the Jordan, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, the Reubenites and the Manassites, from Aroer, by the valley of the Arnon. He took Gilead and Bashan.

34 N ow 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?

Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, all he did and all his strength, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

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

Then Jehu died and they buried him in Samaria. And his son Jehoahaz became king in his place.

36 A nd the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.

Jehu ruled over Israel in Samaria for twenty-eight years.