| |
Chapter 10
|
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 children,
saying, |
2
|
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 armor; |
3
|
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. |
4
|
But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two
kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand? |
5
|
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. |
6
|
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. |
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 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 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 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 kinsfolk, and his
priests, until he left him none remaining. |
12
|
And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as
he was at the shearing house in the way, |
13
|
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. |
14
|
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. |
15
|
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. |
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; 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 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. |
20
|
And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And
they proclaimed 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 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, 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. |
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, 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. |
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 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. |
30
|
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. |
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
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, 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
was twenty and eight years. |
