2 Kings 10 - New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995)

Judgment upon Ahab’s House

10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in (A)Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders, and to the guardians of the children of Ahab, saying, 2 “Now, (B)when this letter comes to you, since your master’s sons are with you, [a]as well as the chariots and horses and a fortified city and the weapons, 3 select the best and [b]fittest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.” 4 But they feared greatly and said, “Behold, (C)the two kings did not stand before him; how then can we stand?” 5 And the one who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders, and the guardians of the children, sent word to Jehu, saying, “(D)We are your servants, all that you say to us we will do, we will not make any man king; do what is good in your sight.” 6 Then he wrote a letter to them a second time saying, “If you are on my side, and you will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men, your master’s sons, and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow about this time.” Now the king’s sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were rearing them. 7 When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and (E)slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezreel. 8 When the messenger came and told him, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons,” he said, “Put them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.” 9 Now in the morning he went out and stood and said to all the people, “You are [c]innocent; behold, (F)I conspired against my master and killed him, but (G)who [d]killed all these? 10 Know then that (H)there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the Lord has done (I)what He spoke [e]through His servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu [f]killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in (J)Jezreel, and all his great men and his acquaintances and his priests, until he left him without a survivor.

12 Then he arose and departed and went to Samaria. On the way while he was at [g]Beth-eked of the shepherds, 13 (K)Jehu [h]met the [i]relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and said, “Who are you?” And they [j]answered, “We are the [k]relatives of Ahaziah; and we have come down [l]to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.” 14 He said, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive and killed them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.

15 Now when he had departed from there, he [m]met (L)Jehonadab the son of (M)Rechab coming to meet him; and he [n]greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?” And Jehonadab [o]answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, (N)give me your hand.” And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot. 16 He said, “Come with me and (O)see my zeal for the Lord.” So [p]he made him ride in his chariot. 17 When he came to Samaria, (P)he [q]killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed him, (Q)according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to Elijah.

Jehu Destroys Baal Worshipers

18 Then Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, “(R)Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now, (S)summon all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests; let no one be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal; whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it in [r]cunning, so that he might destroy the worshipers of Baal. 20 And Jehu said, “(T)Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal.” And (U)they proclaimed it. 21 Then Jehu sent [s]throughout Israel and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And when they went into (V)the house of Baal, the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. 22 He said to the one who was [t]in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out garments for them. 23 Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab; and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search and see that there is here with you none of the servants of the Lord, but only the worshipers of Baal.” 24 Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.

Now Jehu had stationed for himself eighty men outside, and he had said, “(W)The one who permits any of the men whom I bring into your hands to escape [u]shall give up his life in exchange.”

25 Then it came about, as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the [v](X)guard and to the royal officers, “(Y)Go in, [w]kill them; let none come out.” And they [x]killed them with the edge of the sword; and the [y]guard and the royal officers threw them out, and went to the [z]inner room of the house of Baal. 26 They brought out the sacred (Z)pillars of the house of Baal and burned them. 27 They also broke down the sacred pillar of Baal and broke down the house of Baal, and (AA)made it a latrine to this day.

28 Thus Jehu eradicated Baal out of Israel. 29 However, (AB)as for the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin, from these Jehu did not depart, even the (AC)golden calves that were at Bethel and that were at Dan. 30 The Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in executing what is right in My eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in My heart, (AD)your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” 31 But Jehu [aa](AE)was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart; (AF)he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel sin.

32 In those days the (AG)Lord began to cut off portions [ab]from Israel; and (AH)Hazael [ac]defeated them throughout the territory of Israel: 33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites and the Reubenites and the Manassites, from (AI)Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, even (AJ)Gilead and Bashan.

Jehoahaz Succeeds Jehu

34 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? 35 And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son became king in his place. 36 Now the [ad]time which Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 10:2 Lit and with you the
  2. 2 Kings 10:3 Lit most upright
  3. 2 Kings 10:9 Lit just
  4. 2 Kings 10:9 Lit smote
  5. 2 Kings 10:10 Lit by the hand of
  6. 2 Kings 10:11 Lit smote
  7. 2 Kings 10:12 I.e. house of binding
  8. 2 Kings 10:13 Lit found
  9. 2 Kings 10:13 Lit brothers
  10. 2 Kings 10:13 Lit said
  11. 2 Kings 10:13 Lit brothers
  12. 2 Kings 10:13 Lit about the welfare of
  13. 2 Kings 10:15 Lit found
  14. 2 Kings 10:15 Lit blessed
  15. 2 Kings 10:15 Lit said
  16. 2 Kings 10:16 Lit they
  17. 2 Kings 10:17 Lit smote
  18. 2 Kings 10:19 Lit insidiousness
  19. 2 Kings 10:21 Lit in all
  20. 2 Kings 10:22 Lit over the
  21. 2 Kings 10:24 Lit his soul for his soul
  22. 2 Kings 10:25 Lit runners
  23. 2 Kings 10:25 Lit smite
  24. 2 Kings 10:25 Lit smote
  25. 2 Kings 10:25 Lit runners
  26. 2 Kings 10:25 Lit city
  27. 2 Kings 10:31 Lit did not watch
  28. 2 Kings 10:32 Lit in
  29. 2 Kings 10:32 Lit smote
  30. 2 Kings 10:36 Lit days

Cross references

  1. 2 Kings 10:1 : 1 Kin 16:24-29
  2. 2 Kings 10:2 : 2 Kin 5:6
  3. 2 Kings 10:4 : 2 Kin 9:24, 27
  4. 2 Kings 10:5 : Josh 9:8, 11; 1 Kin 20:4, 32; 2 Kin 18:14
  5. 2 Kings 10:7 : Judg 9:5; 2 Kin 11:1
  6. 2 Kings 10:9 : 2 Kin 9:14-24
  7. 2 Kings 10:9 : 2 Kin 10:6
  8. 2 Kings 10:10 : 2 Kin 9:7-10
  9. 2 Kings 10:10 : 1 Kin 21:19-29
  10. 2 Kings 10:11 : Hos 1:4
  11. 2 Kings 10:13 : 2 Kin 8:24, 29; 2 Chr 21:17; 22:8
  12. 2 Kings 10:15 : Jer 35:6-19
  13. 2 Kings 10:15 : 1 Chr 2:55
  14. 2 Kings 10:15 : Ezra 10:19; Ezek 17:18
  15. 2 Kings 10:16 : 1 Kin 19:10
  16. 2 Kings 10:17 : 2 Kin 9:8
  17. 2 Kings 10:17 : 2 Kin 10:10
  18. 2 Kings 10:18 : 1 Kin 16:31, 32
  19. 2 Kings 10:19 : 1 Kin 18:19; 22:6
  20. 2 Kings 10:20 : Joel 1:14
  21. 2 Kings 10:20 : Ex 32:4-6
  22. 2 Kings 10:21 : 1 Kin 16:32; 2 Kin 11:18
  23. 2 Kings 10:24 : 1 Kin 20:30-42
  24. 2 Kings 10:25 : 1 Sam 22:17
  25. 2 Kings 10:25 : 1 Kin 18:40
  26. 2 Kings 10:26 : 1 Kin 14:23; 2 Kin 3:2
  27. 2 Kings 10:27 : Ezra 6:11; Dan 2:5; 3:29
  28. 2 Kings 10:29 : 1 Kin 12:28-30; 13:33, 34
  29. 2 Kings 10:29 : 1 Kin 12:29
  30. 2 Kings 10:30 : 2 Kin 15:12
  31. 2 Kings 10:31 : Prov 4:23
  32. 2 Kings 10:31 : 2 Kin 10:29
  33. 2 Kings 10:32 : 2 Kin 13:25; 14:25
  34. 2 Kings 10:32 : 1 Kin 19:17; 2 Kin 8:12; 13:22
  35. 2 Kings 10:33 : Deut 2:36
  36. 2 Kings 10:33 : Amos 1:3-5

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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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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)

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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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