1 N ow Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and to those who brought up Ahab’s sons, saying,

¶ And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent to Samaria unto the princes of Jezreel, to the elders, and to those that brought up Ahab’s children, saying,

2 “ Now as soon as this letter comes to you, since your master’s sons are with you, and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and armor,

Now as soon as this letter comes to you, unto those who have your master’s sons and who have chariots and horsemen and who have the arms and munitions of the city,

3 S elect the best and fittest of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

see which is the best and most upright of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne and fight for your master’s house.

4 B ut they were exceedingly afraid, and said, “Behold, the two kings didn’t stand before him! How then shall we stand?”

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

5 H e who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders also, and those who raised the children, sent to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, and will do all that you ask us. We will not make any man king. You do that which is good in your eyes.”

And he that was over the house and he that was over the city, the elders also, and those who had brought up the children sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy slaves and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king; thou shalt do that which is good in thy eyes.

6 T hen he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men who are your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time.” Now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who brought them up.

Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye are mine and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take the heads of the male sons of your master and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time. Now the king’s sons, being seventy males, were with the great men of the city, who had brought them up.

7 W hen the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and killed them, even seventy people, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Jezreel.

And when the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and slew seventy males and put their heads in baskets and sent him them to Jezreel.

8 A messenger came and told him, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” He said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.”

And a messenger came and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king’s sons. And he said, Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.

9 I n the morning, he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, “You are righteous. Behold, I conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these?

And in the morning, he went out and stood and said to all the people, Ye are righteous; behold, I conspired against my master and slew him; but who slew all these?

10 K now now that nothing will fall to the earth of Yahweh’s word, which Yahweh spoke concerning Ahab’s house. For Yahweh has done that which he spoke by his servant Elijah.”

Know now that of the word of the LORD which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, nothing shall fall to the ground, for the LORD has done that which he spoke by his slave Elijah.

11 S o Jehu struck all that remained of Ahab’s house in Jezreel, with all his great men, his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him no one remaining.

So Jehu slew all that had remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and all his kinsfolk and all his priests until he left him none remaining.

12 H e arose and departed, and went to Samaria. As he was at the shearing house of the shepherds on the way,

And he arose and departed and came to Samaria. And as he was at a pastor’s shearing house in the way,

13 J ehu met with the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, “Who are you?” They answered, “We are the brothers of Ahaziah. We are going down to greet the children of the king and the children of the queen.”

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 sons of the king and the sons of the queen.

14 H e said, “Take them alive!” They took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, even forty-two men. He didn’t leave any of them.

So he said, Take them alive. And after they took them alive, they slew them at the well of the shearing house, forty-two men, without leaving any of them.

15 W hen he had departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. He greeted him, and said to him, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?” Jehonadab answered, “It is.” “If it is, give me your hand.” He gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

¶ And when he had departed from there, he met Jehonadab, the son of Rechab; and after he saluted him, he said to him, Is thy heart right as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it is, give me thy hand. And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot.

16 H e said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for Yahweh.” So they made him ride in his chariot.

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

17 W hen he came to Samaria, he struck all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed him, according to Yahweh’s word, which he spoke to Elijah.

And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that had remained of Ahab in Samaria, until he had completely destroyed him, according to the word of the LORD which he had spoken to Elijah.

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

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

19 N ow therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all of his worshipers, and all of his priests. Let no one be absent; for I have a great sacrifice to Baal. Whoever is absent, he shall not live.” But Jehu did deceptively, intending to destroy the worshipers of Baal.

Now, therefore, call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let no one be lacking, for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whoever is lacking shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty to the intent that he might destroy those that served Baal.

20 J ehu said, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal!” So they proclaimed it.

And Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.

21 J ehu sent through all Israel; and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that didn’t come. They came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another.

And Jehu sent through all Israel, and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was no one lacking that did not come. And they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.

22 H e said to him who kept the wardrobe, “Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal!” So he brought robes out to them.

And he said to the one that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all those that served Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.

23 J ehu went with Jehonadab the son of Rechab into the house of Baal. Then he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search, and see that none of the servants of Yahweh are here with you, but only the worshipers of Baal.”

And Jehu went with Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal and said unto the servants of Baal, Search and make sure that none of the slaves of the LORD are here with you, but only the servants of Baal.

24 S o they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had appointed for himself eighty men outside, and said, “If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape, he who lets him go, his life shall be for the life of him.”

And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu put eighty men outside and said, Whoever leaves alive any of the men whom I have brought into your hands, his life shall be for that of the other.

25 A s soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, “Go in and kill them! Let no one escape.” So they struck them with the edge of the sword. The guard and the captains threw the bodies out, and went to the inner shrine of the house of Baal.

And after they had finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to those of his guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none escape. And they smote them with the edge of the sword, and the guard and the captains left them where they fell and went to the city of the house of Baal,

26 T hey brought out the pillars that were in the house of Baal, and burned them.

and they removed the images out of the house of Baal and burned them.

27 T hey broke down the pillar of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a latrine, to this day.

And they broke down the image of Baal and broke down the house of Baal and made it a latrine unto this day.

28 T hus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

29 H owever, Jehu didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin, the golden calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan.

¶ However with all this, Jehu did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin with the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan.

30 Y ahweh said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in executing that which is right in my eyes, and have done to Ahab’s house according to all that was in my heart, your descendants shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”

And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in my eyes and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation.

31 B ut Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of Yahweh, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel to sin.

But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart; neither did he depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who had caused Israel to sin.

32 I n those days Yahweh began to cut away parts of Israel; and Hazael struck them in all the borders of Israel;

In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short, and Hazael smote them in all the borders of Israel,

33 f rom 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, even Gilead and Bashan.

from the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, all the land of Gilead, of Gad, of Reuben, and of Manasses, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, to Gilead and to Bashan.

34 N ow the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

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 J ehu slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria. Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place.

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

36 T he time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

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