2Kings 10:1 - Prayer Tents

Ahab’s Family Killed

10Now there were in Samaria seventy sons of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders and to the guardians of Ahab's children. He said,H256H7657H1121H8111H3058H3789H5612H7971H8111H8269H3157H2205H539H256H559

2"As soon as this letter reaches you, since your master's sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons,H5612H935H113H1121H7393H5483H4013H5892H5402

3choose the best and most worthy of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne. Then fight for your master's house."H7200H2896H3477H113H1121H7760H1H3678H3898H113H1004

4But they were terrified and said, "If two kings could not resist him, how can we?"H3966H3966H3372H559H8147H4428H5975H6440H5975

5So the palace administrator, the city governor, the elders and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: "We are your servants and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best."H1004H5892H2205H539H7971H3058H559H5650H6213H559H376H4427H6213H2896H5869

6Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, "If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master's sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow." Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them.H3789H5612H8145H559H8085H6963H3947H7218H582H113H1121H935H3157H4279H6256H4428H1121H7657H376H1419H5892H1431

7When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.H5612H935H3947H4428H1121H7819H7657H376H7760H7218H1731H7971H3157

8When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, "They have brought the heads of the princes." Then Jehu ordered, "Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning."H935H4397H5046H559H935H7218H4428H1121H559H7760H8147H6652H6607H8179H1242

9The next morning Jehu went out. He stood before all the people and said, "You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these?H1242H3318H5975H559H5971H6662H7194H113H2026H5221

10Know then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The LORD has done what he promised through his servant Elijah."H3045H645H5307H776H1697H3068H3068H1696H1004H256H3068H6213H1696H3027H5650H452

11So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.H3058H5221H7604H1004H256H3157H1419H3045H3548H7604H8300

12Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria. At Beth Eked of the Shepherds,H6965H935H3212H8111H7462H1004H1044H1870

13he met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, "Who are you?" They said, "We are relatives of Ahaziah, and we have come down to greet the families of the king and of the queen mother."H3058H4672H251H274H4428H3063H559H559H251H274H3381H7965H1121H4428H1121H1377

14"Take them alive!" he ordered. So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth Eked—forty-two men. He left no survivor.H559H8610H2416H8610H2416H7819H953H1044H8147H705H376H7604H376

15After he left there, he came upon Jehonadab son of Recab, who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, "Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?" "I am," Jehonadab answered. "If so," said Jehu, "give me your hand." So he did, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot.H3212H4672H3082H1121H7394H7125H1288H559H3426H3824H3477H3824H3824H3082H559H3426H5414H3027H5414H3027H5927H4818

16Jehu said, "Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD." Then he had him ride along in his chariot.H559H3212H7200H7068H3068H7392H7393

17When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab's family; he destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD spoken to Elijah.H935H8111H5221H7604H256H8111H8045H1697H3068H1696H452

Servants of Baal Killed

18Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, "Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much.H3058H6908H5971H6908H559H256H5647H1168H4592H3058H5647H7235

19Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his ministers and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live." But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the ministers of Baal.H7121H5030H1168H5647H3548H376H6485H1419H2077H1168H6485H2421H3058H6213H6122H6H5647H1168

20Jehu said, "Call an assembly in honor of Baal." So they proclaimed it.H3058H559H6942H6116H1168H7121

21Then he sent word throughout Israel, and all the ministers of Baal came; not one stayed away. They crowded into the temple of Baal until it was full from one end to the other.H3058H7971H3478H5647H1168H935H376H7604H935H935H1004H1168H1004H1168H4390H6310H6310

22And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, "Bring robes for all the ministers of Baal." So he brought out robes for them.H559H4458H3318H3830H5647H1168H3318H4403

23Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Recab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the ministers of Baal, "Look around and see that no servants of the LORD are here with you—only ministers of Baal."H3058H935H3082H1121H7394H1004H1168H559H5647H1168H2664H7200H3426H5650H3068H5647H1168

24So they went in to make sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had posted eighty men outside with this warning: "If one of you lets any of the men I am placing in your hands escape, it will be your life for his life."H935H6213H2077H5930H3058H7760H8084H376H2351H559H376H582H935H3027H4422H5315H5315

25As soon as Jehu had finished making the burnt offering, he ordered the guards and officers: "Go in and kill them; let no one escape." So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then entered the inner shrine of the temple of Baal.H3615H6213H5930H3058H559H7323H7991H935H5221H376H3318H5221H6310H2719H7323H7991H7993H3212H5892H1004H1168

26They brought the sacred stone out of the temple of Baal and burned it.H3318H4676H1004H1168H8313

27They demolished the sacred stone of Baal and tore down the temple of Baal, and people have used it for a latrine to this day.H5422H4676H1168H5422H1004H1168H7760H4163H4280H3117

28So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel.H3058H8045H1168H3478

29However, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.H2399H3379H1121H5028H3478H2398H3058H5493H310H2091H5695H1008H1835

30The LORD said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation."H3068H559H3058H2895H6213H3477H5869H6213H1004H256H3824H1121H7243H3427H3678H3478

31Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.H3058H8104H3212H8451H3068H430H3478H3824H5493H2403H3379H3478H2398

32In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael overpowered the Israelites throughout their territoryH3117H3068H2490H7096H3478H7096H2371H5221H1366H3478

33east of the Jordan in all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh), from Aroer by the Arnon Gorge through Gilead to Bashan.H3383H4217H8121H776H1568H1425H7206H4520H6177H5158H769H1568H1316

34As for the other events of Jehu's reign, all he did, and all his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?H3499H1697H3058H6213H1369H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H3478

35Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son succeeded him as king.H3058H7901H1H6912H8111H3059H1121H4427

36The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.H3117H3058H4427H3478H8111H6242H8083H8141