And Ahab had seventysons in Samaria. And Jehuwroteletters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to themthatbrought up Ahab’schildren, saying,
And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the eldersalso, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all thatthoushalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thouthatwhich is good in thineeyes.
Then he wrote a letter the secondtime to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye willhearkenunto my voice, take ye the heads of the men yourmaster’ssons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrowthistime. Now the king’ssons, beingseventypersons, werewith the great men of the city, whichbroughtthem up.
And it came to pass, when the lettercame to them, thattheytook the king’ssons, and slewseventypersons, and put theirheads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.
And therecame a messenger, and told him, saying, Theyhavebrought the heads of the king’ssons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gateuntil the morning.
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 conspiredagainst my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?
Know now thatthereshallfallunto the earthnothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORDspakeconcerning the house of Ahab: for the LORDhathdonethatwhich he spake by his servantElijah.
So Jehuslew all thatremained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him noneremaining.
Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziahking of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And theyanswered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.
And when he was departedthence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechabcoming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thineheartright, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadabanswered, It is. If it be, give me thinehand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.
And when he came to Samaria, he slew all thatremaineduntoAhab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.
Now thereforecallunto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a greatsacrifice to do to Baal; whosoevershall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty, to the intentthat he mightdestroy the worshippers of Baal.
And Jehusentthrough all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baalcame, so thatthere was not a man leftthatcame not. And theycameinto the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was fullfrom one end to another.
And Jehuwent, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and saidunto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and lookthatthere be herewith you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baalonly.
And whentheywent in to offersacrifices and burntofferings, Jehuappointedfourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I havebroughtintoyourhandsescape, he thatletteth him go, his lifeshall be for the life of him.
And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burntoffering, thatJehusaid to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slaythem; let nonecomeforth. And theysmotethemwith the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captainscastthem out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.
Howbeitfrom the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who madeIsrael to sin, Jehudeparted not fromafterthem, to wit, the goldencalvesthatwere in Bethel, and thatwere in Dan.
And the LORDsaiduntoJehu, Becausethouhastdonewell in executingthatwhich is right in mineeyes, and hastdoneunto the house of Ahabaccording to all that was in mineheart, thy children of the fourthgenerationshall sit on the throne of Israel.
But Jehutook no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israelwith all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, whichmadeIsrael to sin.
FromJordaneastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, fromAroer, which is by the riverArnon, evenGilead and Bashan.