Christian Standard Bible

King James Bible

1Since Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria, Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of Ahab's sons, saying:

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,

2Your master's sons are with you, and you have chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weaponry, so when this letter arrives

2Now 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;

3select the most qualified of your master's sons, set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.

3Look 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.

4However, they were terrified and reasoned, "Look, two kings couldn't stand against him; how can we?"

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

5So the overseer of the palace, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: "We are your servants, and we will do whatever you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever you think is right."

5And 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.

6Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying: If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, bring me the heads of your master's sons at this time tomorrow at Jezreel. All seventy of the king's sons were being cared for by the city's prominent men.

6Then 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.

7When the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and slaughtered all seventy, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

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 him them to Jezreel.

8When the messenger came and told him, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons," the king said, "Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the city gate until morning."

8And 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.

9The next morning when he went out and stood at the gate, he said to all the people, "You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him. But who struck down all these?

9And 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?

10Know, then, that not a word the LORD spoke against the house of Ahab will fail, for the LORD has done what he promised through his servant Elijah."

10Know 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.

11So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel--all his great men, close friends, and priests--leaving him no survivors.

11So 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.

12Then he set out and went to Samaria. On the way, while he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds,

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

13Jehu met the relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah and asked, "Who are you?" They answered, "We're Ahaziah's relatives. We've come down to greet the king's sons and the queen mother's sons."

13Jehu 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.

14Then Jehu ordered, "Take them alive." So they took them alive and then slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked--forty-two men. He didn't spare any of them.

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.

15When he left there, he found Jehonadab son of Rechab coming to meet him. He greeted him and then asked, "Is your heart one with mine?" "It is," Jehonadab replied. Jehu said, "If it is, give me your hand." So he gave him his hand, and Jehu pulled him up into the chariot with him.

15And 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.

16Then he said, "Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD!" So he let him ride with him in his chariot.

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

17When Jehu came to Samaria, he struck down all who remained from the house of Ahab in Samaria until he had annihilated his house, according to the word of the LORD spoken to Elijah.

17And 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.

18Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, "Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot.

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

19Now, therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. None must be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing will not live." However, Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.

19Now 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.

20Jehu commanded, "Consecrate a solemn assembly for Baal." So they called one.

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

21Then Jehu sent messengers throughout all Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; no one failed to come. They entered the temple of Baal, and it was filled from one end to the other.

21And 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.

22Then he said to the custodian of the wardrobe, "Bring out the garments for all the servants of Baal." So he brought out their garments.

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

23Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered the temple of Baal, and Jehu said to the servants of Baal, "Look carefully to see that there are no servants of the LORD here among you--only servants of Baal."

23And 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.

24Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside, and he warned them, "Whoever allows any of the men I am placing in your hands to escape will forfeit his life for theirs."

24And 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.

25When he finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and officers, "Go in and kill them. Don't let anyone out." So they struck them down with the sword. Then the guards and officers threw the bodies out and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal.

25And 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.

26They brought out the pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it,

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

27and they tore down the pillar of Baal. Then they tore down the temple of Baal and made it a latrine--which it still is today.

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

28Jehu eliminated Baal worship from Israel,

28Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

29but he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit--worshiping the gold calves that were in Bethel and Dan.

29Howbeit 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.

30Nevertheless, the LORD said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my sight and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in my heart, four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel."

30And 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.

31Yet Jehu was not careful to follow the instruction of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

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, which made Israel to sin.

32In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory

32In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

33from the Jordan eastward: the whole land of Gilead--the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites--from Aroer which is by the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan.

33From 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.

34The rest of the events of Jehu's reign, along with all his accomplishments and all his might, are written in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings.

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?

35Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz became king in his place.

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

36The length of Jehu's reign over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

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

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.