2Kgs 10
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Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria,
unto the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and unto them that brought up the sons
of Ahab, saying:
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'And 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, fortified cities also, and armour;
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look ye 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.'
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But they were exceedingly afraid, and said: 'Behold, the two kings stood not before
him; how then shall we stand?'
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And he that was over the household, and he that was over the city, the elders also,
and they that brought up the children, sent to Jehu, saying: 'We are thy servants,
and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any man king; do thou that
which is good in thine eyes.'
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Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying: 'If ye be on my side, 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, who brought them up.
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And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons,
and slew them, even seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them
unto him to Jezreel.
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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 entrance of the gate
until the morning.'
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And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the
people: 'Ye are righteous; behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him; but
who smote all these?
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Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which
the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab; for the LORD hath done that which He
spoke by His servant Elijah.'
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So Jehu smote all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great
men, and his familiar friends, and his priests, until there was left him none remaining.
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And he arose and departed, and went to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing-house
of the shepherds in the way,
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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.'
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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.
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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 thy heart right, as my heart
is with thy heart?' And Jehonadab answered: 'It is.' 'If it be, said Jehu, give
me thy hand.' And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.
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And he said: 'Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.' So they made him ride in
his chariot.
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And when he came to Samaria, he smote all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till
he had destroyed him, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke to Elijah.
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And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them: 'Ahab served Baal a
little; but Jehu will serve him much.
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Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshippers, 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 subtlety, to the intent that
he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
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And Jehu said: 'Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal.' And they proclaimed it.
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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 filled from one end to another.
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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.
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And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal; and he 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.'
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And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings. Now Jehu had appointed him
fourscore men without, and said: 'If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape,
his life shall be for the life of him.'
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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.
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And they brought forth the pillars that were in the house of Baal, and burned them.
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And they broke down the pillar of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made
it a draught-house, unto this day.
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Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
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Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin,
Jehu departed not from after them, the golden calves that were in Beth-el, and that
were in Dan.
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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 My heart, thy sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.'
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But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all
his heart; he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, wherewith he made Israel to
sin.
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In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short; and Hazael smote them in all the
borders of Israel:
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from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites,
and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.
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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?
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And Jehu slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his
son reigned in his stead.
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And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.