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Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of Ahab’s children:
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, 3 select the best and most suitable of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne. Then fight for your master’s family.
4 But they were utterly terrified and said, “Look, if two kings could not stand up to him, how can we?”
5 So the steward of the palace, the city governor, the elders, and the guardians of the children sent this message to Jehu:
“We are your servants, and we will do whatever you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever you think is right.”
6 Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying:
If you are on my side and ready to 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 of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them. 7 When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and slaughtered all seventy of them, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. 8 When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons,” he said, “Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.”
9 The next morning when Jehu went out, he stood at the gate and said to all the people, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him; but who struck down all these? 10 Know then, that not a word that the Lord has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail, for the Lord has done what He promised through His servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all his leading men, his close friends, and his priests, leaving him no survivors.
12 Then Jehu set out and went to Samaria. On the way, while he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds, 13 he met the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, “Who are you?”
They answered, “We are kinsmen of Ahaziah, and we have come down to pay our respects to the king’s sons and the queen mother’s sons.”
14 Jehu ordered his men, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth-eked, all forty-two men, leaving no survivors.
15 After Jehu had left there, he met Jehonadab son of Rechab coming to meet him. He greeted him and said, “Is your heart true to my heart, as my heart is to yours?”
“It is,” Jehonadab replied.
Jehu said, “If it is, give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand, and Jehu took him up into the chariot with him. 16 Then he said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord.” So he had him ride along in the chariot.
17 When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left from the house of Ahab in Samaria, until he had wiped them out, according to the word of the Lord that He spoke to Elijah.
18 Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshippers, and all his priests. See that no one is missing, for I am going to hold a great sacrifice to Baal. Anyone who is missing will not live.” But Jehu acted deceptively in order to destroy the worshippers of Baal.
20 Jehu said, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it. 21 Then Jehu sent word throughout all Israel, and all the worshippers of Baal came, so there was not a single man who did not come. They crowded into the temple of Baal until it was filled from one end to the other. 22 Then he said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring out robes for all the worshippers of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them.
23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the worshippers of Baal, “Search around and see that no servants of the Lord are here with you, but only worshippers of Baal.” 24 Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty of his men outside and told them: “Whoever lets any of the men I have put in your hands to escape, it will be your life for his life.”
25 As soon as Jehu had finished presenting the burnt offering, he said to the guards and to the officers, “Go in and kill them; let no one escape!” So they struck them down with the sword. Then the guards and officers threw the bodies out, and they went into the interior of the temple of Baal. 26 They brought out the pillars of the temple of Baal and burned them. 27 They destroyed the sacred stone of Baal, and tore down the temple of Baal and made it into a public latrine, as it is to this day.
28 Thus Jehu eliminated Baal worship from Israel. 29 However, 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 that were in Bethel and Dan.
30 The Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in My eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.” 31 Yet Jehu was not careful to walk in 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 caused Israel to commit.
32 In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory 33 east of the Jordan, all the land of Gilead—the region of Gad, the Reuben, and the Manasseh—from Aroer, by the Wadi Arnon through Gilead to Bashan.
34 As for the other events of the reign of Jehu, all that he did, and all his accomplishments, are they not written about in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?
35 Jehu rested with his fathers and he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king. 36 The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.