12:010:001 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,
12:010:002 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;
12:010:003 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.
12:010:004 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings
stood not before him: how then shall we stand?
12:010:005 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.
12:010:006 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.
12:010:007 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.
12:010:008 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.
12:010:009 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?
12:010:010 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.
12:010:011 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.
12:010:012 And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was
at the shearing house in the way,
12:010:013 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.
12:010:014 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.
12:010:015 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.
12:010:016 And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So
they made him ride in his chariot.
12:010:017 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.
12:010:018 And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them,
Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.
12:010:019 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 subtilty, to the intent
that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
12:010:020 And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they
proclaimed it.
12:010:021 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.
12:010:022 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.
12:010:023 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.
12:010:024 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.
12:010:025 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.
12:010:026 And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal,
and burned them.
12:010:027 And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the
house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.
12:010:028 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
12:010:029 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.
12:010:030 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.
12:010:031 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.
12:010:032 In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael
smote them in all the coasts of Israel;
12:010:033 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.
12:010:034 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?
12:010:035 And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in
Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.
12:010:036 And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was
twenty and eight years.