The Second Book of the Kings

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- Chapter 10 -

There were seventy descendants of King Ahab who were living in Samaria. Jehu wrote a letter and made copies of it and sent them to the rulers of the city, to the elders, and to those who raised and tutored Ahab’s children.

This is what he wrote: “You are the ones who are taking care of the king’s descendants. You have chariots, horses, and weapons, and you live in cities that have walls around them. So as soon as you receive this letter,

choose one of the king’s descendants, the one who is the best qualified, and appoint him to be your king. Then prepare to fight to defend him.”

But when they got those letters and read them, they became very afraid. They said, “King Joram and King Ahaziah could not resist him; how can we resist him?

So the officer who was in charge of the palace and the mayor of the city sent a message to Jehu saying, “We want to serve you, and we are ready to do whatever you tell us to do. We will not appoint anyone to become our king. You do whatever you think is the best.”

So Jehu sent a second letter to them, writing this: “If you are on my side, and if you are ready to obey me, kill King Ahab’s descendants and cut off their heads and bring their heads to me here in Jezreel at this time tomorrow.” Now the seventy descendants of King Ahab were being brought up and supervised by the leaders of the city of Samaria.

When they received the letter from Jehu, they killed all seventy of Ahab’s descendants and cut off their heads. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

A messenger came to Jehu and told him, “They have brought the heads of Ahab’s descendants.” So Jehu commanded that the heads should be put in two piles at the city gate and that the heads should stay there until the next morning.

The next morning he went out to the city gate and said to all the people, “I am the one who plotted against King Joram and killed him. You are not guilty of doing that. But it was Yahweh, not I, who commanded that all these descendants of Ahab should be killed.

I want you to know that everything that Yahweh said would happen has happened. He has caused to happen what he told the prophet Elijah would happen.”

Then Jehu executed all the other relatives of Ahab in Jezreel, all Ahab’s officers, close friends, and his priests. He did not allow any of them to remain alive.

Then Jehu left Jezreel and went toward Samaria. While he was going there, at a place called Beth Eked,

he met some relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah. He asked them, “Who are you?” They replied, “We are relatives of King Ahaziah. We are going to Jezreel to visit the children of Queen Jezebel and the other members of King Joram’s family.”

Jehu said to his men, “Seize them!” So they seized them and killed all of them at the well of Beth Eked. There were forty-two people whom they killed. They did not allow any of them to remain alive.

Then Jehu continued to travel toward Samaria. Along the road he was met by Jonadab, a son of Rechab. Jehu greeted him and said to him, “Are you thinking in the same way that I am thinking?” Jonadab replied, “Yes, I am.” Jehu said, “If you are, join your hand to mine.” So Jonadab joined hands with him, and Jehu helped him to get into his chariot.

Jehu said to him, “Come with me, and you will see how eager I am to obey Yahweh.” So they rode together to Samaria.

When they arrived in Samaria, Jehu killed all of Ahab’s relatives who were still alive. He did not spare any of them. That was what Yahweh told Elijah would happen.

Jehu Kills the Priests of Baal

Then Jehu summoned all the people of Samaria, and said to them, “King Ahab was devoted to your god Baal a little bit, but I will serve him much more.

So now summon all the prophets of Baal, all of Baal’s priests, and all the others who worship Baal. I am going to make a great sacrifice to Baal. I want all of them to be there. Any of them who is not there will be executed.” But Jehu was planning to trick them, because he was planning to kill all those who worshiped Baal.

Then Jehu commanded, “Announce that we are going to set aside a day to honor Baal.” So they sent out a proclamation about that day.

Jehu decided what day they would gather and sent messages throughout Israel telling everyone what day to gather, and on that day, everyone who worshiped Baal came. No one stayed at home. They all went into the huge temple of Baal and filled it from one end to the other.

Jehu told the priest who took care of the sacred robes to bring them out and give them to the people who worshiped Baal. So the priest did that.

Then Jehu went into the temple of Baal with Jonadab, and he said to the people who were there to worship Baal, “Be sure that only those who worship Baal are here. Be sure that no one who worships Yahweh has come in.”

Then he and Jonadab prepared to offer sacrifices and other offerings to Baal that would be burned whole on the altar that was there in Samaria. But Jehu had stationed eighty of his men outside the temple, and had said to them, “I want you to kill all the people who are in the temple. Anyone who allows one of them to escape will be executed!”

As soon as Jehu and Jonadab had finished killing the animals that would be completely burned to be an offering to Baal, they went outside and said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill all of them! Do not allow any of them to escape!” So the guards and officers went in and killed them all with their swords. Then they dragged their corpses outside the temple. Then they went into the inner room of the temple,

and they carried out the sacred pillar of Baal that was there, and they burned it.

So they destroyed that pillar that honored Baal, and then they burned down the temple, and made it a latrine. And that is what it is up to the present time.

Jehu Repeats Jeroboam’s Sins

That is how Jehu got rid of the worship of Baal in Israel.

But Jehu did not stop committing the kinds of sins that Jeroboam had committed, sins that led the people of Israel to sin by worshiping the gold statues of calves in the cities of Bethel and Dan.

Then Yahweh said to Jehu, “You have done what pleased me by getting rid of all of Ahab’s descendants. So I promise you that your son and grandson and great-grandson and great-great-grandson will all be kings of Israel.”

But Jehu did not obey all the laws of Yahweh, the God of the Israelite people. He did not stop committing the sins that Jeroboam had committed, sins that induced the Israelite people to sin.

At that time, Yahweh began to cause the territory controlled by Israel to become smaller. The army of King Hazael of Aram conquered much of the Israelite territory.

He conquered the parts east of the Jordan River, as far south as the city of Aroer on the Arnon River. That included the regions of Gilead and Bashan, where the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of the tribe of Manasseh lived.

Jehoahaz Succeeds Jehu in Israel

If you want to read more about all the other things that Jehu did, they are written in the Book of the Events of the Kings of Israel.

Jehu died, and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz became the king in place of his father.

Jehu had ruled in Samaria as the king of Israel for twenty-eight years.

Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and to those who brought up Ahab’s sons, saying,

“Now as soon as this letter comes to you, since your master’s sons are with you, and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and armor,

select the best and fittest of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, “Behold, the two kings didn’t stand before him! How then shall we stand?”

He who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders also, and those who raised the children, sent to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, and will do all that you ask us. We will not make any man king. You do that which is good in your eyes.”

Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men who are 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.

When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and killed them, even seventy people, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Jezreel.

A messenger came and told him, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” He said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.”

In the morning, he went out and stood, and said to all the people, “You are righteous. Behold, I conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these?

Know now that nothing will fall to the earth of the LORD’s word, which the LORD spoke concerning Ahab’s house. For the LORD has done that which he spoke by his servant Elijah.”

So Jehu struck all that remained of Ahab’s house in Jezreel, with all his great men, his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him no one remaining.

He arose and departed, and went to Samaria. As he was at the shearing house of the shepherds on the way,

Jehu met with the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, “Who are you?” They answered, “We are the brothers of Ahaziah. We are going down to greet the children of the king and the children of the queen.”

He said, “Take them alive!” They took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, even forty-two men. He didn’t leave any of them.

When he had departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. He greeted him, and said to him, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?” Jehonadab answered, “It is.” “If it is, give me your hand.” He gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

He said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.” So they made him ride in his chariot.

When he came to Samaria, he struck all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed them, according to the LORD’s word which he spoke to Elijah.

Jehu Kills the Priests of Baal

Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much.

Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all of his worshipers, and all of his priests. Let no one be absent, for I have a great sacrifice to Baal. Whoever is absent, he shall not live.” But Jehu did deceptively, intending to destroy the worshipers of Baal.

Jehu said, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal!” So they proclaimed it.

Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that didn’t come. They came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another.

He said to him who kept the wardrobe, “Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal!” So he brought robes out to them.

Jehu went with Jehonadab the son of Rechab into the house of Baal. Then he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search, and see that none of the servants of the LORD are here with you, but only the worshipers of Baal.”

So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had appointed for himself eighty men outside, and said, “If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape, he who lets him go, his life shall be for the life of him.”

As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, “Go in and kill them! Let no one escape.” So they struck them with the edge of the sword. The guard and the captains threw the bodies out, and went to the inner shrine of the house of Baal.

They brought out the pillars that were in the house of Baal and burned them.

They broke down the pillar of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a latrine, to this day.

Jehu Repeats Jeroboam’s Sins

Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

However, Jehu didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin—the golden calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan.

The LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in executing that which is right in my eyes, and have done to Ahab’s house according to all that was in my heart, your descendants shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”

But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel to sin.

In those days the LORD began to cut away parts of Israel; and Hazael struck them in all the borders of Israel

from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.

Jehoahaz Succeeds Jehu in Israel

Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

Jehu slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria. Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place.

The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.