1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria, and Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of Ahab’s children, saying:

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 When this letter reaches you, since your master’s sons are with you, and you have chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weapons,

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 armour;

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

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 extremely afraid and said, "Look, two kings could not stand against him, so how can we stand?"

But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?

5 So the one in charge of the palace, the one in charge of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu, saying, "We are your servants, and we will do everything you tell us. We will not make anyone king; do whatever seems best to you."

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 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 at Jezreel by this time tomorrow." Now the king’s sons, seventy in all, were being raised by the prominent men of the city.

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 When the letter reached them, they took the king’s sons, slaughtered all seventy of them, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

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 When the messenger arrived and told him, "They have brought the heads of the king’s sons," Jehu said, "Place them in two piles at the entrance of the gate until morning."

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 In the morning, he went out, stood before all the people, and said, "You are innocent. I conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these?

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, then, that not a word of the LORD will fall to the ground that He spoke concerning the house of Ahab. The LORD has done what He promised through His servant Elijah."

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 struck down all who remained of Ahab’s house in Jezreel—all his great men, close acquaintances, and priests—leaving not a single survivor.

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 Then Jehu set out and went to Samaria. Along the way, he came to Beth-Eked of the Shepherds.

And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way,

13 There, Jehu met the relatives of Ahaziah, king of Judah, and asked, "Who are you?" They answered, "We are the relatives of Ahaziah, and we have come to greet the sons of the king and the queen mother."

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 Then Jehu commanded, "Take them alive." So they captured them alive and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-Eked—forty-two men. He left none of them alive.

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 When Jehu left there, he met Jehonadab son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, "Is your heart as true to mine as mine is to yours?" Jehonadab replied, "It is." "If so," Jehu said, "give me your hand." So he gave his hand, and Jehu helped him into the chariot.

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

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

17 When Jehu arrived in Samaria, he struck down all who remained of Ahab’s household in Samaria until he had destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD spoken through Elijah.

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

And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.

19 Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers, and all his priests. Let no one fail to come, for I am going to hold a great sacrifice to Baal. Anyone who fails to come will not live." But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the worshipers of Baal.

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 Jehu commanded, "Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal." So they announced it.

And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.

21 Then Jehu sent messengers throughout all Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came; not a single one remained behind. They entered the temple of Baal, and it was filled from one end to the other.

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 Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, "Bring out garments for all the worshipers of Baal." So he brought out garments for them.

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 Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the worshipers of Baal, "Search and make sure that no servants of the LORD are here with you—only the worshipers of Baal."

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 So they entered to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Meanwhile, Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and warned them, "If any man lets one of the men I am handing over to you escape, it will be his life for theirs."

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 When Jehu finished offering the burnt offering, he said to the guards and officers, "Go in and kill them; let no one escape." The guards and officers struck them down with the sword, threw the bodies out, and went into the inner sanctuary of the temple of Baal.

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 They brought out the sacred pillars of the temple of Baal and burned them.

And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.

27 They also tore down the sacred pillar of Baal, demolished the temple of Baal, and turned it into a latrine, which it remains to this day.

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 from Israel.

Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

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

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 The LORD said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in executing what is right in my eyes and have carried out all that was in My heart against the house of Ahab, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation."

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 did not walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

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 reduce the size of Israel, and Hazael defeated them throughout their territory.

In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

33 He took land east of the Jordan—all the land of Gilead, the territory of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh—from Aroer by the Arnon Gorge through Gilead and Bashan.

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 As for the rest of the deeds of Jehu—everything he did and all his might—are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

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

And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.

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

And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.