Font Size
2 Kings 10
1599 Geneva Bible
2 Kings 10
1599 Geneva Bible
10 6 Jehu causeth the seventy sons of Ahab to be slain, 14 And after that forty and two of Ahaziah’s brethren. 25 He killeth also all the Priests of Baal. 35 After his death his son reigneth in his stead.
1 Ahab had now seventy [a]sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria unto the rulers of Jezreel, and to the Elders, and to the bringers up of Ahab’s children, to this effect,
2 Now when this letter cometh to you, (for ye have with you your master’s sons, ye have with you both chariots and horses, and a defensed city, and armor)
3 Consider therefore which of your master’s sons is best and most meet, and [b]set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.
4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold two kings could not stand before him, how shall we then stand?
5 And he that was governor of Ahab’s house, and he that ruled the city, and the Elders, and the bringers up of the children sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us: we will make no king: do what seemeth good to thee.
6 ¶ Then he wrote another letter to them, saying, If ye be mine, and will obey my voice, [c]take the heads of the men that are your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time. (Now the king’s sons, even seventy persons were with the great men of the city, which brought them up)
7 And when the letter came to them, they took the King’s sons, and slew the seventy persons, and laid their heads in baskets, and sent them unto him to Jezreel.
8 ¶ Then there came a messenger and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the King’s sons. And he said, Let them lay them on two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning.
9 And when it was day he went out, and stood and said to all the people, Ye be [d]righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?
10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the Lord hath brought to pass the things that he spake [e]by his servant (A)Elijah.
11 So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all that were great with him, and his familiars, and his [f]priests, so that he let none of his remain.
12 ¶ And he arose, and departed, and came to Samaria. And as Jehu was in the way by an house where the shepherds did shear,
13 He met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah, and go down to salute the children of the King and the children of the Queen.
14 And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the well beside the house where the sheep are shorn, even two and forty men, and he [g]left not one of them.
15 ¶ And when he was departed thence, he met with Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him, and he [h][i]blessed him, and said to him, Is thine heart upright, as mine heart is toward thine? And Jehonadab answered, Yea, doubtless. Then give me thine hand. And when he had given him his hand, he took him up to him into the chariot.
16 And he said, Come with me, and see the zeal that I have for the Lord: so they made him ride in his chariot.
17 And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake to Elijah.
18 Then Jehu assembled all the people, and said unto them, Ahab served [j]Baal a little, but Jehu shall serve him much more.
19 Now therefore call unto me all ye prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests, and let not a man be lacking: for I have a great sacrifice for Baal: whosoever is lacking, he shall not live. But Jehu did it by a subtlety to destroy the servants of Baal.
20 And Jehu said, [k]Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
21 So Jehu sent unto all Israel, and all the servants of Baal came, and there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was full from end to end.
22 Then he said unto him that had the charge of the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the servants of Baal. And he brought them out vestments.
23 And when Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab into the house of Baal, he said unto the servants of Baal, Search diligently, and look, lest there be here with you any of the [l]servants of the Lord, but the servants of Baal only.
24 And when they went in to make sacrifice and burnt offering, Jehu appointed four score men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands, escape, [m]his soul shall be for his soul.
25 And when he had made an end of the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard, and to the captains, Go in, slay them, let not a man come out. And they smote them with the edge of the sword. And the guard, and the captains cast them out, and went unto the [n]city, where was the temple of Baal.
26 And they brought out the images of the temple of Baal, and burnt them.
27 And they destroyed the image of Baal, and threw down the house of Baal, and made a jakes of it unto this day.
28 So Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
29 But from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat which made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from them, neither from the golden calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan.
30 ¶ And the Lord said unto Jehu, Because thou hast diligently executed that which was right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all things that were in mine heart, therefore shall thy [o]sons unto the fourth generation sit on the throne of Israel.
31 But Jehu regarded not to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.
32 In those days the Lord began to [p]loathe Israel, and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel,
33 From Jordan Eastward, even all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and them that were of Manasseh, from Aroer (which is by the river Arnon) and Gilead and Bashan.
34 Concerning the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his valiant deeds, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?
35 And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.
36 And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria is eight and twenty years.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 10:1 The Scripture useth to call them sons, which are either children or nephews.
- 2 Kings 10:3 He wrote this, to prove them whether they would take his part or no.
- 2 Kings 10:6 God as a just judge punisheth the wicked children of wicked parents unto the third and fourth generation.
- 2 Kings 10:9 Ye cannot justly condemn me for the king’s death, seeing ye have done the like to his posterity: for the Lord commanded me, and moved you to execute this his judgment.
- 2 Kings 10:10 Hebrew, by the hand of.
- 2 Kings 10:11 Meaning, which were the idolatrous priests.
- 2 Kings 10:14 Thus God’s vengeance is upon them that have any part or familiarity with the wicked.
- 2 Kings 10:15 For he feared God, and lamented the wickedness of those times: therefore Jehu was glad to join with him: of Rechab read Jer. 35:2.
- 2 Kings 10:15 Or, praised God for him.
- 2 Kings 10:18 Here Baal is taken for Ashtoreth the idol of the Sidonians, which Jezebel caused to be worshipped, as it is also so used, 1 Kings 16 and 22:53.
- 2 Kings 10:20 Hebrew, sanctify.
- 2 Kings 10:23 Thus God would have his servants preserved, and idolaters destroyed, as in his law he giveth express commandment, Deut. 13.
- 2 Kings 10:24 Or, he shall die for him.
- 2 Kings 10:25 Which city was near to Samaria.
- 2 Kings 10:30 Thus God approveth and rewardeth his zeal, in executing God’s judgment, albeit his wickedness was afterward punished.
- 2 Kings 10:32 Or, to cut them off.
2 Kings 10
New International Version
2 Kings 10
New International Version
Ahab’s Family Killed
10 Now there were in Samaria(A) seventy sons(B) of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel,[a](C) to the elders and to the guardians(D) of Ahab’s children. He said, 2 “You have your master’s sons with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons. Now as soon as this letter reaches you, 3 choose the best and most worthy of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne. Then fight for your master’s house.”
4 But they were terrified and said, “If two kings could not resist him, how can we?”
5 So the palace administrator, the city governor, the elders and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servants(E) and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best.”
6 Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”
Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them. 7 When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy(F) of them. They put their heads(G) in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. 8 When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the princes.”
Then Jehu ordered, “Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.”
9 The next morning Jehu went out. He 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 Know, then, that not a word the Lord has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The Lord has done what he announced(H) through his servant Elijah.”(I) 11 So Jehu(J) killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.(K)
12 Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria. At Beth Eked of the Shepherds, 13 he met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?”
They said, “We are relatives of Ahaziah,(L) and we have come down to greet the families of the king and of the queen mother.(M)”
14 “Take them alive!” he ordered. So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth Eked—forty-two of them. He left no survivor.(N)
15 After he left there, he came upon Jehonadab(O) son of Rekab,(P) who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, “Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?”
“I am,” Jehonadab answered.
“If so,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.”(Q) So he did, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot. 16 Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zeal(R) for the Lord.” Then he had him ride along in his chariot.
17 When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab’s family;(S) he destroyed them, according to the word of the Lord spoken to Elijah.
Servants of Baal Killed
18 Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served(T) Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now summon(U) all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.
20 Jehu said, “Call an assembly(V) in honor of Baal.” So they proclaimed it. 21 Then he sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; not one stayed away. They crowded into the temple of Baal until it was full from one end to the other. 22 And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring robes for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them.
23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rekab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look around and see that no one who serves the Lord is here with you—only servants of Baal.” 24 So they went in to make sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had posted eighty men outside with this warning: “If one of you lets any of the men I am placing in your hands escape, it will be your life for his life.”(W)
25 As soon as Jehu had finished making the burnt offering, he ordered the guards and officers: “Go in and kill(X) them; let no one escape.”(Y) So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then entered the inner shrine of the temple of Baal. 26 They brought the sacred stone(Z) out of the temple of Baal and burned it. 27 They demolished the sacred stone of Baal and tore down the temple(AA) of Baal, and people have used it for a latrine to this day.
28 So Jehu(AB) destroyed Baal worship in Israel. 29 However, he did not turn away from the sins(AC) of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves(AD) at Bethel(AE) and Dan.
30 The Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”(AF) 31 Yet Jehu was not careful(AG) to keep the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins(AH) of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.
32 In those days the Lord began to reduce(AI) the size of Israel. Hazael(AJ) overpowered the Israelites throughout their territory 33 east of the Jordan in all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh), from Aroer(AK) by the Arnon(AL) Gorge through Gilead to Bashan.
34 As for the other events of Jehu’s reign, all he did, and all his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals(AM) of the kings of Israel?
35 Jehu rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son succeeded him as king. 36 The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 10:1 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate of the city
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.