¶ And Ahab had seventy sons¹ in Samaria². And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers³ of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them⁴ that brought up Ahab's children, saying,

Now as soon⁵ 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;

Look even⁶ out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for⁷ your master's house.

But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold,⁸ two kings stood not before him: how then shall⁹ we stand?

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 servants¹⁰, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.

Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine,¹¹ and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye¹² the heads of the men your master's sons¹⁴, 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 up¹⁵.

And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew seventy¹⁶ persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.

And there came¹⁷ a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay ye them¹⁸ in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning¹⁹.

And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous²⁰: behold, I conspired²¹ against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?

¶ Know now that there shall fall unto the earth²² nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done²³ that which he spake by²⁴ his servant Elijah.

So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and²⁵ all his great men, and his kinsfolks²⁶, and his priests, until he left²⁷ him none remaining.

And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house²⁸ in the way,

Jehu met with²⁹ 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 salute³⁰ the children of the king and the children of the queen.

And he said, Take them alive³¹. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left³² he any of them.

¶ And when he was departed thence, he lighted on³³ Jehonadab³⁴ the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted³⁶ him, and said to him, Is thine heart right³⁷, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me³⁸ thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him³⁹ up to him into the chariot.

And he said, Come with me,⁴⁰ and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.

And when he came to Samaria, he slew⁴¹ all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according⁴² to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.

And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal⁴³ a little; but Jehu⁴⁴ shall serve him much.

Now therefore call unto me all the prophets⁴⁵ of Baal, all his servants⁴⁶, and all his priests⁴⁷; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu⁴⁸ did it in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.

¶ And Jehu said, Proclaim⁴⁹ a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.

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 came⁵⁰ into the house of Baal⁵¹; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another⁵².

And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments⁵³ for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.

And Jehu went, and Jehonadab⁵⁴ the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said unto the worshippers⁵⁵ of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only.

And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men⁵⁶ whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him.

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 in⁵⁷, and slay them; let⁵⁸ none come forth. And they smote them with the edge⁵⁹ of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.

And they brought forth the images⁶⁰ out of the house of Baal, and burned them⁶¹.

And they brake down the image⁶² of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house⁶³ unto this day.

Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

¶ Howbeit from the sins⁶⁴ of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel⁶⁵ to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves⁶⁶ that were in Bethel⁶⁷, and that were in Dan.

¶ And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast⁶⁸ done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that⁶⁹ was in mine heart, thy children⁷⁰ of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.

But Jehu took no heed⁷¹ to walk⁷² in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed⁷³ not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

In those days the LORD began to cut⁷⁴ Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

From Jordan eastward⁷⁵, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, even⁷⁶ Gilead and Bashan.

⁷⁷Now 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?

And Jehu slept⁷⁹ with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz⁸⁰ his son reigned in his stead.

And the time⁸¹ that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.