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 {cf15I children}, saying,
2. Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons {cf15I are} with you, and {cf15I there are} with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour;
3. Look even out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set {cf15I him} on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.
4. But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?
5. And he that {cf15I was} over the house, and he that {cf15I was} over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up {cf15I of the children}, sent to Jehu, saying, We {cf15I are} thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou {cf15I that which is} good in thine eyes.
6. Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye {cf15I be} mine, and {cf15I 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, {cf15I being} seventy persons, {cf15I were} with the great men of the city, which brought them up.
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 {cf15I them} to Jezreel.
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.
9. And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye {cf15I be} righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?
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 {cf15I that} which he spake by his servant Elijah.
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.
12. And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. {cf15I And} as he {cf15I was} at the shearing house in the way,
13. Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who {cf15I are} ye? And they answered, We {cf15I are} the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.
14. And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, {cf15I even} two and forty men; neither left he any of them.
15. And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab {cf15I coming} to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart {cf15I is} with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give {cf15I me} thine hand. And he gave {cf15I him} his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.
16. And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.
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.
18. And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; {cf15I but} Jehu shall serve him much.
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 {cf15I to do} to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did {cf15I it} in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
20. And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed {cf15I it}.
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.
22. And he said unto him that {cf15I was} over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.
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.
24. And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, {cf15I If} any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, {cf15I he that letteth him go}, his life {cf15I shall be} for the life of him.
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, {cf15I and} slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast {cf15I them} out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.
26. And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.
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.
28. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
29. Howbeit {cf15I from} the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, {cf15I to wit}, the golden calves that {cf15I were} in Bethel, and that {cf15I were} in Dan.
30. And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing {cf15I that which is} right in mine eyes, {cf15I and} hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that {cf15I was} in mine heart, thy children of the fourth {cf15I generation} shall sit on the throne of Israel.
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.
32. In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;
33. From Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which {cf15I is} by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.
34. Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, {cf15I are} they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
35. And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.
36. And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria {cf15I was} twenty and eight years.