2KI-10:1 And 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,
2KI-10:2 Now 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;
2KI-10:3 Look 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.
2KI-10:4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two
kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?
2KI-10:5 And 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.
2KI-10:6 Then 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.
2KI-10:7 And 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.
2KI-10:8 And 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.
2KI-10:9 And 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?
2KI-10:10 Know 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.
2KI-10:11 So 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.
2KI-10:12 And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. [And]
as he [was] at the shearing house in the way,
2KI-10:13 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 children of the king
and the children of the queen.
2KI-10:14 And 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.
2KI-10:15 And 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.
2KI-10:16 And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the
LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.
2KI-10:17 And 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.
2KI-10:18 And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said
unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; [but] Jehu shall serve him
much.
2KI-10:19 Now 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 subtlety, to
the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
2KI-10:20 And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal.
And they proclaimed [it].
2KI-10:21 And 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.
2KI-10:22 And he said unto him that [was] over the vestry, Bring
forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought
them forth vestments.
2KI-10:23 And 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.
2KI-10:24 And 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.
2KI-10:25 And 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.
2KI-10:26 And they brought forth the images out of the house of
Baal, and burned them.
2KI-10:27 And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down
the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.
2KI-10:28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
2KI-10:29 Howbeit [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.
2KI-10:30 And 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.
2KI-10:31 But 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.
2KI-10:32 In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and
Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;
2KI-10:33 From 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.
2KI-10:34 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?
2KI-10:35 And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him
in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.
2KI-10:36 And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria
[was] twenty and eight years.
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