2 Kings 10
Evangelical Heritage Version
Jehu Kills Ahab’s Family
10 Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria, so Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, that is, to the officials of Samaria,[a] the elders, and to the guardians appointed by Ahab, saying, 2 “Now, when this letter comes to you, since you have your master’s sons with you and you have chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weapons, 3 choose the best and most upright of your master’s sons and seat him on his father’s throne and fight for your master’s house.”
4 They were terrified and said, “Look, two kings could not stand before him, so how can we?”
5 Then the palace administrator, the ruler of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent word to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants. We will do everything you tell us. We will not make any man king. Do whatever is good in your eyes.”
6 Then Jehu wrote a second letter to them, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey me, then take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me at this time tomorrow in Jezre’el.”
Now the king’s seventy sons were with the leaders of the city who were raising them. 7 When the letter came, they took the king’s sons and slaughtered all seventy of them. Then they put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezre’el. 8 When the messenger arrived, he said, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” Jehu said, “Put them in two piles at the entrance to the gate until morning.”
9 When morning came, he went out and stood and said to all the people, “You are innocent. Indeed I conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these? 10 Know, therefore, that nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke against the house of Ahab, will fail. For the Lord did what he said through his servant Elijah.”
11 Then Jehu killed everyone who remained from the house of Ahab in Jezre’el and all his important people, his close friends, and his priests, so that no survivor was left to him.
12 Then he set out toward Samaria. While he was on the way, at Beth Eked of the Shepherds, 13 Jehu met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah. He said, “Who are you?” They said, “We are Ahaziah’s relatives. We have come down to greet the king’s sons and the queen mother’s sons.”
14 Then he said, “Take them alive!” So they took them. Then they slaughtered them at the cistern of Beth Eked—forty-two men, and he did not let one survive.
15 Then he set out from there and met Jehonadab son of Recab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, “Is your heart as true to my heart as my heart is to yours?”
He said, “It is.”
Then Jehu said, “If it is, then give me your hand!” So Jehonadab gave him his hand, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot.
16 Then Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.” So he had him ride with him in his chariot. 17 When he came to Samaria, he struck down everyone who was left to Ahab there. He wiped out Ahab completely, according to the word which the Lord had spoken to Elijah.
Jehu Slaughters the Prophets of Baal
18 Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little. Jehu will serve him a great deal. 19 But now, gather all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests! Let no one be missing because I am going to make a great sacrifice to Baal. No one who misses it will live.”
But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to exterminate the servants of Baal.
20 Then Jehu said, “Consecrate a festival for Baal,” and they proclaimed it.
21 Then Jehu sent word through all Israel, and all the servants of Baal came. Not a man was left who did not come. They came into the temple[b] of Baal so that the temple of Baal was filled from end to end. 22 Then he said to the person in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them.
23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Recab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Make a careful search, and see to it that there are no servants of the Lord with you, but only servants of Baal.”
24 Then they went in to make sacrifices and whole burnt offerings. But Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and said, “If any man escapes from these men whom I am putting into your hands, it will be your life for his life.”
25 When he was finished offering the whole burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and to the officers, “Go strike them down! Don’t let anyone out!” So they struck them down with their swords, and the guards and the officers threw the bodies out. They then went into the inner sanctuary of the temple of Baal. 26 They brought the sacred memorial stones out from the temple of Baal and burned them. 27 They tore down the memorial stone for Baal and tore down the temple of Baal. They have used it for a latrine to this day. 28 In this way Jehu exterminated Baal worship from Israel.
Jehu Falters in His Faithfulness
29 But when it came to the sins which Jeroboam son of Nebat caused Israel to commit, Jehu did not turn aside from following the golden calves which were in Bethel and in Dan. 30 But the Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well by doing what is right in my eyes—you have done everything that was in my heart to the house of Ahab—four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.”
31 But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins which Jeroboam caused Israel to commit.
32 In those days, the Lord began to break off pieces from Israel. Then Hazael attacked all the territory of Israel 33 east of the Jordan, all the land of Gilead, Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh, from Aroer, which is above the canyon of the Arnon, up to Gilead and Bashan.
34 As for the rest of Jehu’s acts and everything he did and all his mighty deeds, are they not written in the annals of the kings of Israel? 35 Jehu rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Then his son Jehoahaz became king in his place. 36 The time that Jehu ruled as king over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 10:1 Samaria is the reading of the Greek Old Testament. The Latin and some Greek manuscripts read the city. The Hebrew reads Jezre’el.
- 2 Kings 10:21 Literally the house
2 Kings 10
English Standard Version
Jehu Slaughters Ahab's Descendants
10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in (A)Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of the city,[a] to the elders, and to (B)the guardians of the sons[b] of Ahab, saying, 2 “Now then, as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and weapons, 3 select the best and fittest of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne and fight for your master's house.” 4 But they were exceedingly afraid and said, “Behold, the two kings could not stand before him. How then can we stand?” 5 So he who was over the palace, and he who was over the city, together with the elders and the guardians, sent to Jehu, saying, (C)“We are your servants, and we will do all that you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your eyes.” 6 Then he wrote to them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you are ready to obey me, take the heads of your master's sons and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow at this time.” Now the king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, (D)who were bringing them up. 7 And as soon as the letter came to them, they took the king's sons (E)and 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, “They have brought the heads of the king's sons,” he said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.” 9 Then in the morning, when he went out, he stood and said to all the people, “You are innocent. (F)It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who struck down all these? 10 Know then that there shall (G)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 (H)what he said by his servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all his great men and his close friends and his priests, until he left him none remaining.
12 Then he set out and went to Samaria. On the way, when he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds, 13 Jehu met (I)the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah, and he said, “Who are you?” And they answered, “We are the relatives of Ahaziah, and we came down to visit the royal princes and the sons of the queen mother.” 14 He said, “Take them alive.” And they took them alive and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two persons, and he spared none of them.
15 And when he departed from there, he met (J)Jehonadab the son of (K)Rechab coming to meet him. And he greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart true to my heart as mine is to yours?” And Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said,[c] “If it is, (L)give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand. And Jehu took him up with him into the chariot. 16 And he said, “Come with me, and see (M)my zeal for the Lord.” So he[d] had him ride in his chariot. 17 And when he came to Samaria, (N)he struck down all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had wiped them out, according to the word of the Lord (O)that he spoke to Elijah.
Jehu Strikes Down the Prophets of Baal
18 Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, (P)“Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now therefore call to me all the (Q)prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests. Let none be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it with cunning in order to destroy the worshipers of Baal. 20 And Jehu ordered, (R)“Sanctify (S)a solemn assembly for Baal.” So (T)they proclaimed it. 21 And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And they entered (U)the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. 22 He said to him who was in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out the vestments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out the vestments for them. 23 Then 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 no servant of the Lord here among you, but only the worshipers of Baal.” 24 Then they[e] went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.
Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and said, “The man who allows any of those whom I give into your hands to escape (V)shall forfeit his life.” 25 So as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the officers, (W)“Go in and strike them down; let not a man escape.” So when they put them to the sword, the guard and the officers cast them out and went into the inner room of the house of Baal, 26 and they brought out the (X)pillar that was in (Y)the house of Baal and burned it. 27 And they demolished the (Z)pillar of Baal, and demolished the house of Baal, and made it (AA)a latrine to this day.
Jehu Reigns in Israel
28 Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel. 29 But Jehu did not turn aside from (AB)the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, (AC)which he made Israel to sin—that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan. 30 And the Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out 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 was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. (AE)He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin.
32 In those days the Lord (AF)began to cut off parts of Israel. (AG)Hazael 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 (AH)Aroer, which is by the Valley of the Arnon, that is, (AI)Gilead and Bashan. 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 So Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place. 36 The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 10:1 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew rulers of Jezreel
- 2 Kings 10:1 Hebrew lacks of the sons
- 2 Kings 10:15 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks Jehu said
- 2 Kings 10:16 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew they
- 2 Kings 10:24 Septuagint he (compare verse 25)
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
