Ahab's Seventy Sons Killed

1And 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,

2Now as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and armor;

3Choose the best and fittest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.

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

5And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the guardians of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are your servants, and will do all that you shall bid us; we will not make any king: do you that which is good in your eyes.

6Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If you are mine, and if you will hearken unto my voice, take you the heads of the men, 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.

7And 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 them to him at Jezreel.

8And there came a messenger, 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.

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

10Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD has done that which he spoke by his servant Elijah.

11So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his close associates, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

Ahaziah's Forty-two Brothers Killed

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

13Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are you? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah; and we are going down to greet the children of the king and the children of the queen.

14And 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.

The Rest of Ahab's Family Killed

15And when he was departed there, He met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he greeted him, and said to him, Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me your hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

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

17And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed them, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spoke to Elijah.

Worshipers of Baal Killed

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

19Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be missing: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be missing, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtlety, to the intent that he might destroy the worshipers of Baal.

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

21And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshipers 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 the other.

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

23And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said unto the worshipers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshipers of Baal only.

24And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men outside, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that lets him go, his life shall be for the life of him.

25And it came to pass, as soon as he had finished 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 struck 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.

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

27And they broke down the image of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a refuse dump unto this day.

28Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

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

30And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because you have done well in executing that which is right in my eyes, and have done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.

31But 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, who made Israel to sin.

32In those days the LORD began to cut off parts of Israel: and Hazael defeated them in all the territory of Israel;

33From the 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.

Death of Jehu

34Now 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?

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

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