2 Kings 10 - Good News Translation (GNT)

The Descendants of Ahab Are Killed

10 There were seventy descendants of King Ahab living in the city of Samaria. Jehu wrote a letter and sent copies to the rulers of the city,[a] to the leading citizens, and to the guardians of Ahab's descendants. The letter read: 2 “You are in charge of the king's descendants, and you have at your disposal chariots, horses, weapons, and fortified cities. So then, as soon as you receive this letter, 3 you are to choose the best qualified of the king's descendants, make him king, and fight to defend him.”

4 The rulers of Samaria were terrified. “How can we oppose Jehu,” they said, “when neither King Joram nor King Ahaziah could?” 5 So the officer in charge of the palace and the official in charge of the city, together with the leading citizens and the guardians, sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we are ready to do anything you say. But we will not make anyone king; do whatever you think best.”

6 Jehu wrote them another letter: “If you are with me and are ready to follow my orders, bring the heads of King Ahab's descendants to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”

The seventy descendants of King Ahab were under the care of the leading citizens of Samaria, who were bringing them up. 7 When Jehu's letter was received, the leaders of Samaria killed all seventy of Ahab's descendants, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

8 When Jehu was told that the heads of Ahab's descendants had been brought, he ordered them to be piled up in two heaps at the city gate and to be left there until the following morning. 9 In the morning he went out to the gate and said to the people who were there, “I was the one who plotted against King Joram and killed him; you are not responsible for that. But who killed all these? 10 This proves that everything that the Lord said about the descendants of Ahab will come true. The Lord has done what he promised through his prophet Elijah.” 11 (A)Then Jehu put to death all the other relatives of Ahab living in Jezreel, and all his officers, close friends, and priests; not one of them was left alive.

The Relatives of King Ahaziah Are Killed

12 Jehu left Jezreel to go to Samaria. On the way, at a place called “Shepherds' Camp,” 13 he met some relatives of the late King Ahaziah of Judah and asked them, “Who are you?”

“Ahaziah's relatives,” they answered. “We are going to Jezreel to pay our respects to the children of Queen Jezebel and to the rest of the royal family.” 14 Jehu ordered his men, “Take them alive!” They seized them, and he put them to death near a pit there. There were forty-two people in all, and not one of them was left alive.

All Remaining Relatives of Ahab Are Killed

15 Jehu started out again, and on his way he was met by Jonadab son of Rechab. Jehu greeted him and said, “You and I think alike. Will you support me?”

“I will,” Jonadab answered.

“Give me your hand, then,” Jehu replied. They clasped hands, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot, 16 saying, “Come with me and see for yourself how devoted I am to the Lord.” And they rode on together to Samaria. 17 When they arrived there, Jehu killed all of Ahab's relatives, not sparing even one. This is what the Lord had told Elijah would happen.

The Worshipers of Baal Are Killed

18 Jehu called the people of Samaria together and said, “King Ahab served the god Baal a little, but I will serve him much more. 19 Call together all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers, and all his priests. No one is excused; I am going to offer a great sacrifice to Baal, and whoever is not present will be put to death.” (This was a trick on the part of Jehu by which he meant to kill all the worshipers of Baal.) 20 Then Jehu ordered, “Proclaim a day of worship in honor of Baal!” The proclamation was made, 21 and Jehu sent word throughout all the land of Israel. All who worshiped Baal came; not one of them failed to come. They all went into the temple of Baal, filling it from one end to the other. 22 Then Jehu ordered the priest in charge of the sacred robes to bring the robes out and give them to the worshipers. 23 After that, Jehu himself went into the temple with Jonadab son of Rechab and said to the people there, “Make sure that only worshipers of Baal are present and that no worshiper of the Lord has come in.” 24 Then he and Jonadab went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings to Baal. He had stationed eighty men outside the temple and had instructed them: “You are to kill all these people; anyone who lets one of them escape will pay for it with his life!”

25 As soon as Jehu had presented the offerings, he said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill them all; don't let anyone escape!” They went in with drawn swords, killed them all, and dragged the bodies outside. Then they went on into the inner sanctuary of the temple, 26 brought out the sacred pillar that was there, and burned it. 27 So they destroyed the sacred pillar and the temple, and turned the temple into a latrine—which it still is today.

28 That was how Jehu wiped out the worship of Baal in Israel. 29 (B)But he imitated the sin of King Jeroboam, who led Israel into the sin of worshiping the gold bull-calves he set up in Bethel and in Dan. 30 The Lord said to Jehu, “You have done to Ahab's descendants everything I wanted you to do. So I promise you that your descendants, down to the fourth generation, will be kings of Israel.” 31 But Jehu did not obey with all his heart the Law of the Lord, the God of Israel; instead, he followed the example of Jeroboam, who led Israel into sin.

The Death of Jehu

32 At that time the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel's territory. King Hazael of Syria conquered all the Israelite territory 33 east of the Jordan, as far south as the town of Aroer on the Arnon River—this included the territories of Gilead and Bashan, where the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and East Manasseh lived.

34 Everything else that Jehu did, including his brave deeds, is recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel.

35 He died and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king. 36 Jehu had ruled in Samaria as king of Israel for twenty-eight years.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 10:1 Some ancient translations the city; Hebrew Jezreel.

Cross references

  1. 2 Kings 10:11 : Hos 1:4
  2. 2 Kings 10:29 : 1Kgs 12:28-1Kgs 12:30

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2 Kings 10 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

10 And Ahab hath seventy sons in Samaria, and Jehu writeth letters, and sendeth to Samaria, unto the heads of Jezreel, the elders, and unto the supporters of Ahab, saying, 2 `And now, at the coming in of this letter unto you, and with you [are] sons of your lord, and with you [are] the chariots and ...
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2 Kings 10 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

10 Forsooth seventy sons in Samaria were to Ahab. Therefore Jehu wrote letters, and sent into Samaria to the best men of the city, and to the greater men in birth, and to all the nurses of the sons of Ahab, and said, (Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And so Jehu wrote letters, and sent them to ...
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2 Kings 10 - World English Bible (WEB)

10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and to those who brought up Ahab’s sons, saying, 2 “Now as soon as this letter comes to you, since your master’s sons are with you, and you have chariots and horses, a fortif...
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2 Kings 10 - The Voice (VOICE)

10 Ahab had many sons in Samaria—70 in all. This is how Jehu got the best of them:Jehu wrote many letters to Samaria—to the leaders in Jezreel, the elders, as well as the caretakers of Ahab’s children. Jehu’s Letter: 2 When you receive this letter, you will be in the company of Ahab’s sons; and at y...
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2 Kings 10 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Jehu Destroys Ahab’s Sons and Baal Worshippers10 Now Ahab had 70 sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders, and to the guardians of Ahab’s sons, saying: 2 “Now as soon as this letter reaches you—since your master’s sons are with you, and you ...
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2 Kings 10 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Massacre of Ahab’s Descendants10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samar′ia. So Jehu wrote letters, and sent them to Samar′ia, to the rulers of the city,[a] to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying, 2 “Now then, as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master’s sons are wi...
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2 Kings 10 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Massacre of Ahab’s Descendants10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samar′ia. So Jehu wrote letters, and sent them to Samar′ia, to the rulers of the city,[a] to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying, 2 “Now then, as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master’s sons are wi...
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2 Kings 10 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Massacre of Ahab’s Descendants10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel,[a] to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of[b] Ahab, saying, 2 ‘Since your master’s sons are with you and you have at your disposal chariots and...
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2 Kings 10 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Massacre of Ahab’s Descendants10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of the city,[a] to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of[b] Ahab, saying,(A)2 “Since your master’s sons are with you and you have at your disposal chariots a...
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2 Kings 10 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Jehu Kills Ahab’s Family10 Ahab had seventy sons living in the city of Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the elders and officials of the city,[a] and to the guardians of King Ahab’s sons. He said, 2 “The king’s sons are with you, and you have at your disposal chariots, hors...
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2 Kings 10 - New Life Version (NLV)

Ahab’s Seventy Sons Are Killed10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters. He sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, to the leaders, and to those who took care of Ahab’s children. He said, 2 “Now your owner’s sons are with you. And you have war-wagons, and horses, and a ...
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2 Kings 10 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Ahab’s Seventy Sons Killed10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote and sent letters to Samaria, to the rulers of [a]Jezreel, to the elders, and to [b]those who reared Ahab’s sons, saying: 2 Now as soon as this letter comes to you, since your master’s sons are with you, and you have ch...
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2 Kings 10 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Ahab’s family killed10 Now there were in Samaria seventy sons of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel,[a] to the elders and to the guardians of Ahab’s children. He said, 2 ‘You have your master’s sons with you and you have chariots and horse...
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2 Kings 10 - New International Version (NIV)

Ahab’s Family Killed10 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 chariot...
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2 Kings 10 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Jehu Wipes Out Ahab’s Royal House10 Ahab’s royal family in the city of Samaria had a total of 70 sons. Jehu wrote some letters to the officials of the city. He also sent them to the elders there. And he sent them to the people who took care of Ahab’s children. Jehu said, 2 “Your master’s sons are w...
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2 Kings 10 - New English Translation (NET)

Jehu Wipes Out Ahab’s Family10 Ahab had seventy sons living in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the leading officials of Jezreel and to the guardians of Ahab’s dynasty. This is what the letters said,[a] 2 “You have with you the sons of your master, chariots and horses, a f...
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