The Sons of Ahab Are Killed
4 Kingdoms 10, verse 1. Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote a letter and sent it to Samaria, to the rulers of Samaria, to the elders, and to those who reared the sons of Ahab, saying, 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 2. “At the moment this letter is delivered to you, since your master's sons are with you, and because you have chariots and horses, a fortified city, and weapons, 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 3. choose the best qualified of your master's sons, then set him on his father's throne, and prepare to fight for your master's house.” 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 4. But they were very afraid and said, “Look, two kings could not stand up to him. How can we stand?” 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 5. Those over the house and over the city, plus the elders, and including even those who reared the sons, sent word to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants and we will do everything you tell us, but we will not make anyone king. Do what is good in your eyes.” 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 6. Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are for me and obey my voice, take the heads of the sons of your lord, and by this time tomorrow, bring them to me at Jezreel.” Now the sons of the king totaled seventy men. These well-educated headmasters from within the city reared them. 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 7. But when the letter came to them, they took the seventy sons of the king and slaughtered them. They then put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 8. Then a messenger came and spoke to Jehu, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king's sons.” And he said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.” 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 9. So in the morning, he went out and stood at the gate and said to all the people, “You are the righteous ones! Indeed, I conspired against my master and killed him. But who struck down all these? 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 10. See then that not one thing from the word of the Lord against the house of Ahab fall on the ground for any reason. For the Lord has fulfilled all He spoke of by the authority of His servant Elijah.” 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 11. So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel: all his well-educated headmasters, his friends, and his priests, so no remnant of him survived.
Ahaziah's Brothers Are Killed
4 Kingdoms 10, verse 12. Then Jehu arose and departed to Samaria. When he was at Beth Eked of the Shepherds, 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 13. Jehu found the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah and said, “Who are you?” So they answered, “We are the brothers of Ahaziah. We came down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.” 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 14. And he said, “Take them alive!” So they took them alive and killed these forty-two men at Beth Eked; he left not one of them alive.
Other Relatives of Ahab Killed
4 Kingdoms 10, verse 15. After he departed from there, he found Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to greet him, and he bestowed a blessing on him. Jehu said to him, “Is your heart right with my heart, as my heart is right with your heart?” And Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand, and he brought him into the chariot. 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 16. Then he said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts.” So Jehonadab rode in his chariot. 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 17. And when Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria till he had completely destroyed them, according to the word the Lord spoke through Elijah.
Worshipers of Baal Are Killed
4 Kingdoms 10, verse 18. Then Jehu gathered all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 19. Now all the prophets of Baal, all the servants of his and the priests of his, must call upon me. Let not a man be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to offer Baal. Whoever is missing will not live.” But Jehu acted in deception in order to destroy the servants of Baal. 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 20. And Jehu said, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it. 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 21. Then Jehu sent to all Israel, saying, “And now all the servants of Baal, and all his priests and all his prophets, let no one be left out. For I am making a great sacrifice, and if anyone is not in attendance, he shall not live.” Then all the servants of Baal and all his priests and all his prophets came. There was not a man who did not come, no one was left behind. And they entered the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 22. So he said to the one in charge of the house and the wardrobe, “Bring out vestments for all the servants of Baal.” And the one in charge of the vestments brought them. 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 23. Then Jehu and Jehonadab the son of Rechab entered the house of Baal and said to the servants of Baal, “Search and see whether there are any servants of the Lord here, or only servants of Baal.” 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 24. So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu appointed for himself eighty guards to be on the outside and said to them, “If any of the men I brought into your hands escapes, whoever lets him escape, it shall be his life for the life of the one he spares.” 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 25. Now it happened that when Jehu finished offering the whole burnt offering, he said to the guards and to the officers, “Go in and kill every person. Let no one come out!” And they killed them with the edge of the sword. Being completely overrun, the guards, even the officers, cast the bodies out. They then proceeded to the city of the house of Baal, 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 26. and they brought out the foundational pillar of Baal and burned it. 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 27. Then they pulled down the other pillars of Baal and demolished the house. It was made into a latrine, and remains so to this day. 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 28. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal from Israel. 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 29. However, Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin by way of the golden calves that were at Bethel and Dan. 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 30. So the Lord said to Jehu, “Because of the many upright deeds which you did to carry out the good in My sight, and according to all things that were in My heart which you did to the house of Ahab, your sons to the fourth generation shall sit for you on the throne of Israel.” 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 31. Even still, Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with his whole heart. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who caused Israel to sin.
Death of Jehu
4 Kingdoms 10, verse 32. In those days, the Lord began to divide off parts of Israel. All along the border of Israel, Hazael defeated them; 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 33. from the Jordan River eastward, all the land of Gilead of the Gadites, that of Gad and that of Reuben and of Manasseh; from Aroer, which is on the bank of the brook of Arnon, and to Gilead and Bashan. 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 34. Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, all he did, all the wars he engaged in and the alliances he formed, are these not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel? 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 35. So Jehu rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Then Jehoahaz his son ruled in his place. 4 Kingdoms 10, verse 36. And the period that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.