2 Kings 10

Jehu Wipes Out Ahab’s Whole Crew & Baal Worship

1 Now, Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the officials of Jezreel, the elders, and those who were raising Ahab’s kids, saying,

2 “Since your master’s sons are with you, and you got chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weapons?”

3 “Pick the best and most capable among your master’s sons and put him on his daddy’s throne, then fight for your master’s family.”

4 But they got super scared and said, “Look, two kings could not stand against him! So how are we are going to stand?”

5 So the guy in charge of the palace, the mayor of the city, the elders, and those raising the kids sent word to Jehu, saying, “We your servants, and we are going to do whatever you tell us. We are not making anybody king. Do whatever you think is right.”

6 Then he wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side, and you are going to listen to what I say, then take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” Now, the king’s seventy sons were with the important people of the city, who were raising them.

7 When the letter got to them, they grabbed the king’s seventy sons and killed them all. Then they put their heads in baskets and sent them to him in Jezreel.

8 When a messenger came and told him, “They brought the heads of the king’s sons,” he said, “Pile them up in two heaps at the entrance of the city gate until morning.”

9 In the morning, he went out and stood, and told all the people, “You all are innocent. Look, I conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?”

10 “Know for sure that not one word of the Lord’s promise will fall to the ground, which the Lord spoke against Ahab’s family through His servant Elijah. The Lord has done what He spoke through His servant.”

11 So Jehu killed everyone else who was left from Ahab’s family in Jezreel, and all his big shots, close friends, and priests, until he did not leave a single survivor.

12 Then he got up and left for Samaria. On the way, at Beth-Eked of the Shepherds,

13 Jehu ran into the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah. He asked, “Who are you?” They said, “We are relatives of Ahaziah, and we came down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.”

14 He said, “Grab them alive!” So they grabbed them alive and killed them at the well of Beth-Eked, forty-two dudes. He did not leave a single one.

15 When he left there, he met Jehonadab son of Rechab coming to meet him. He greeted him and asked him, “Is your heart straight with my heart, just like my heart is with yours?” Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand, and Jehu pulled him up into the chariot with him.

16 He said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord!” So he had him ride in his chariot.

17 When he got to Samaria, he killed everyone from Ahab’s family who was left in Samaria until he wiped them all out, according to the word of the Lord that He spoke to Elijah.

The End of Baal Worship

18 Then Jehu gathered all the people and told them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu is going to serve him a lot!”

19 “So now, call all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests to me. Do not let a single one be missing, because I am having a huge sacrifice to Baal. Anyone missing is not going to live.” (But Jehu was doing this with a trick so he could wipe out the worshipers of Baal.)

20 Jehu said, “Call a sacred assembly for Baal.” So they called it.

21 Jehu sent word throughout all Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came; there was not a single one who did not come. They rolled up to the temple of Baal, and the temple of Baal was packed from end to end.

22 He told the guy in charge of the robes, “Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them.

23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu told the worshipers of Baal, “Look around and make sure there are no servants of the Lord here with you, only worshipers of Baal.”

24 Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now, Jehu had seventy men waiting outside, and he told them, “If any of the men I hand over to you escape, your life is going to be for his life!”

25 As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu told the guards and the officers, “Go in and kill them! Do not let a single one get out!” So they went in with their swords and killed them. The guards and officers tossed their bodies out and went to the inner shrine of the temple of Baal.

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

27 They tore down the sacred pillar of Baal and tore down the temple of Baal, and turned it into a sewage dump, which it still is to this day.

28 So Jehu wiped out Baal worship from Israel.

Jehu’s Reign & Israel’s Future

29 However, Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan.

30 The Lord told Jehu, “Because you did well in carrying out what was right in My eyes, and did to Ahab’s family everything that was in My heart, your sons will sit on the throne of Israel for four generations.”

31 But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he caused Israel to commit.

32 In those days, the Lord started cutting down Israel. Hazael started hitting them hard in all the territory of Israel:

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

34 As for the rest of Jehu’s story, all he did, and all his power, is it not written in the book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel,

35 Jehu passed away and joined his ancestors, and they buried him in Samaria. And his son Jehoahaz took over as king.

36 Jehu ruled over Israel in Samaria for twenty-eight years.