Ahab’s Seventy Sons Killed 1 UST There were 70 members of King Ahab’ s family living in Samaria. Many of the officials who had served in the royal palace in Jezreel had fled to Samaria after Jehu rebelled. Jehu wrote a letter and sent copies of it to those officials, to the elders of the city of Samaria, and to the people who were caring for Ahab’ s family. This is what he wrote: BSB BSB: Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying:
2 UST “Jehoram’ s sons are there with you{, and ordinarily one of them would succeed him as king}. You are in a city that has walls around it, and you have chariots, horses, and weapons. So as soon as you receive this letter, BSB BSB: “When this letter arrives, since your master’s sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weaponry,
3 UST decide which of Jehoram’ s sons you think is the most qualified to be the next king of Israel. Proclaim his as your king, and then prepare to fight to defend him.” BSB BSB: select the best and most worthy son of your master, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”
4 UST But when they received those letters, what Jehu had written terrified them. They said,“When two kings, Jehoram and Ahaziah, fought against him, he killed them. We are just ordinary people. So if we try to fight him, he will certainly kill us.” BSB BSB: But they were terrified and reasoned, “If two kings could not stand against him, how can we?”
5 UST So the officer in charge of the palace, the mayor of the city, the elders of the city, and the people who were caring for Ahab’ s family wrote back to Jehu. They told him,“We are willing to be your subjects. We will do whatever you tell us to do. We will not appoint anyone to become our king. Do whatever you think is best.” BSB BSB: So the palace administrator, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do whatever you say. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your sight.”
6 UST So Jehu wrote back to them and said,“If you accept me as your king and are ready to obey me, kill all of King Ahab’ s male descendants. Cut off their heads and bring them to me here in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” Now the leaders of the city of Samaria were rearing 70 male descendants of King Ahab. BSB BSB: Then Jehu wrote them a second letter and said: “If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, then bring the heads of your master’s sons to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” Now the sons of the king, seventy in all, were being brought up by the leading men of the city.
7 UST When a messenger brought Jehu’ s letter to the leaders of Samaria and they read it, they killed all 70 of Ahab’ s male descendants and cut off their heads. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. BSB BSB: And when the letter arrived, they took the sons of the king and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.
8 UST A messenger came to Jehu and told him,“They have brought the heads of Ahab’ s male descendants.” Jehu responded,“Put their heads in two piles at the city gate. Leave them there until tomorrow morning.” BSB BSB: When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the sons of the king.” And Jehu ordered, “Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.”
9 UST The next morning he went out and stood at the city gate. He told the people who had gathered there,“I am the one who plotted against King Jehoram and killed him. You are not guilty of doing that. And I am not guilty of killing all of these descendants of Ahab. BSB BSB: The next morning, Jehu went out and stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?
10 UST Instead, Yahweh has done what he said through his servant Elijah that he would do. As a result, you can be sure that everything Yahweh said would happen to Ahab’ s family has in fact happened.” BSB BSB: Know, then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail, for the LORD has done what He promised through His servant Elijah.”
11 UST Then Jehu executed all the other relatives of Ahab in Jezreel. He also executed all of Ahab’ s officers, close friends, and priests. He did not allow any of them to remain alive. BSB BSB: So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his great men and close friends and priests, leaving him without a single survivor.
12 UST Then Jehu left Jezreel and went toward Samaria. On his way there, he came to Beth Eked of the Shepherds. BSB BSB: Then Jehu set out toward Samaria. At Beth-eked of the Shepherds,
13 UST There he met some relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah. He asked them,“Who are you?” They replied,“We are relatives of King Ahaziah. We are going to Jezreel to visit the family of{ Ahaziah’ s cousin} King Jehoram, including the other children of his mother Jezebel.” BSB BSB: Jehu met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?” “We are relatives of Ahaziah,” they answered, “and we have come down to greet the sons of the king and of the queen mother.”
14 UST Jehu told his men,“Seize them!” So they seized them, and they killed all of them at the pit of Beth Eked. They killed all 42 of the relatives of Ahaziah whom they met. They did not allow any of them to remain alive. BSB BSB: Then Jehu ordered, “Take them alive.” So his men took them alive, then slaughtered them at the well of Beth-eked—forty-two men. He spared none of them.
15 UST Then Jehu continued to travel toward Samaria. He met Jehonadab son of Rechab, who was coming to join him. Jehu greeted him and told him,“I am willing to work with you. Are you willing to work with me?” Jehonadab replied,“Yes, I am.” Jehu said,“If you are, then let us shake hands.” So they shook hands. Then Jehu helped him to get into his chariot. BSB BSB: When he left there, he found Jehonadab son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked, “Is your heart as true to mine as my heart is to yours?” “It is!” Jehonadab replied. “If it is,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand, and Jehu helped him into his chariot,
16 UST Jehu told him,“Come with me and let me show you how eager I am for the Israelites to worship Yahweh.” So Jehu’ s men arranged for Jehonadab to ride with Jehu in his chariot{ to Samaria}. BSB BSB: saying, “Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD!” So he had him ride in his chariot.
17 UST When they arrived in Samaria, Jehu killed all of Ahab’ s relatives who were still alive there. He did not spare any of them. That was exactly what Yahweh had told Elijah would happen to Ahab’ s family. BSB BSB: When Jehu came to Samaria, he struck down everyone belonging to Ahab who remained there, until he had destroyed them, according to the word that the LORD had spoken to Elijah.
Jehu Kills the Priests of Baal 18 UST Then Jehu gathered the people of Samaria and told them,“I am going to worship Baal much more than King Ahab did. BSB BSB: Then Jehu brought all the people together and said, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot.
19 UST So now summon all of Baal’ s prophets and priests and all the other Israelites who worship Baal. I am going to offer a great sacrifice to Baal, and I want all of them to be there. I will have my soldiers execute any of them who do not come to the sacrifice.” But Jehu was deceiving them. He was planning to kill everyone who worshiped Baal. BSB BSB: Now, therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. See that no one is missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing will not live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.
20 UST Then Jehu commanded,“Announce that we are going to set aside a day to honor Baal.” So his messengers went out and proclaimed that there would be a celebration on that day. BSB BSB: And Jehu commanded, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they announced it.
21 UST Jehu sent messengers throughout Israel telling the people who worshiped Baal to gather in Samaria on a certain day. All those people came that day. They went into the huge temple of Baal and filled it from one side to the other. BSB BSB: Then Jehu sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; there was not a man who failed to show. They entered the temple of Baal, and it was filled from end to end.
22 UST Then Jehu spoke to the person who took care of the sacred robes in Baal’ s temple. He told him to bring out enough robes so that everyone who worshiped Baal would have one to wear. So the person did that. BSB BSB: And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out garments for them.
23 UST Then Jehu went into the temple of Baal with Jonadab. He told the people who were worshipers of Baal,“Look around and make sure that no one who worships Yahweh has come in. Only people who worship Baal should be here.” BSB BSB: Next, Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered the temple of Baal, and Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look around to see that there are no servants of the LORD here among you—only servants of Baal.”
24 UST Then he and Jonadab prepared to offer{ fellowship} sacrifices and burnt offerings to Baal. But Jehu had stationed 80 of his men outside the temple. He had told them,“I want you to kill all the people who are in this temple. I will have my soldiers execute any of you who allows any of them to escape!” BSB BSB: And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and warned them, “If anyone allows one of the men I am delivering into your hands to escape, he will forfeit his life for theirs.”
25 UST As soon as he had finished making the burnt offerings, Jehu gave an order to the guards and officers he had stationed outside. He told them,“Go in to the temple and kill the worshipers of Baal! Do not allow any of them to escape!” So the guards and officers went in and killed every one of them. Then they dragged their bodies outside the temple. Then they went into the inner room of the temple BSB BSB: When he had finished making the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill them. Do not let anyone out.” So the guards and officers put them to the sword, threw the bodies out, and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal.
26 UST and got the sacred images of Baal that were there. They brought them out of the temple and burned them. BSB BSB: They brought out the sacred pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it.
Jehu Repeats Jeroboam’s Sins 28 UST That is how Jehu ended the worship of Baal in Israel. BSB BSB: Thus Jehu eradicated Baal from Israel,
29 UST The one form of idolatry that Jehu allowed to continue was the worship of the golden statues of calves in the cities of Bethel and Dan. King Jeroboam had sinned by making those statues, and he led the people of Israel to sin by worshiping them. BSB BSB: but he 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.
30 UST Then Yahweh told Jehu,“I wanted someone to destroy Ahab’ s descendants, and you did that. Because you obeyed me and did what I had decided was proper, I promise that your son, grandson, great- grandson, and great- great- grandson will all be kings of Israel.” BSB BSB: Nevertheless, the LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in My sight 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 UST But Jehu did not carefully and completely obey the laws of Yahweh, the God whom the Israelites worship. He did not stop committing the sins that Jeroboam had committed, which he had also led the Israelite people to commit. BSB BSB: Yet Jehu was not careful to follow the instruction of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.
33 UST east of the Jordan River. That was the region of Gilead, where the tribes of Gad and Reuben and half of the tribe of Manasseh lived. Hazael conquered territory as far south as the city of Aroer by the Arnon Valley. He conquered further territory in Gilead as far north as Bashan. BSB BSB: from the Jordan eastward through all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh), and from Aroer by the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan.
Jehoahaz Succeeds Jehu in Israel 34 UST The book in which the kings of Israel recorded what happened during their reigns describes further things that Jehu did, including the victories that his armies won. BSB BSB: As for the rest of the acts of Jehu, along with all his accomplishments and all his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
35 UST Then Jehu died, and the Israelites buried him in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz became the next king. BSB BSB: And Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoahaz reigned in his place.
36 UST Jehu had ruled in Samaria as the king of Israel for 28 years. BSB BSB: So the duration of Jehu’s reign over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
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