Chapter 10
001
Now Ahab had seventy daughters in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and to those who brought up the daughters of Ahab, saying,
002
Now as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master's daughters are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and armor;
003
look you out the best and meet of your master's daughters, and set her on her mother's throne, and fight for your master's house.
004
But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, the two queens didn't stand before her: how then shall we stand?
005
She who was over the household, and she who was over the city, the elders also, and those who brought up the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are your servants, and will do all that you shall bid us; we will not make any woman queen: you do that which is good in your eyes.
006
Then she wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If you be on my side, and if you will listen to my voice, take the heads of the women your master's daughters, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time. Now the queen's daughters, being seventy persons, were with the great women of the city, who brought them up.
007
It happened, when the letter came to them, that they took the queen's daughters, and killed them, even seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to her to Jezreel.
008
There came a messenger, and told her, saying, They have brought the heads of the queen's daughters. She said, Lay you them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.
009
It happened in the morning, that she went out, and stood, and said to all the people, You are righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and killed her; but who struck all these?
010
Know now that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of Yahweh, which Yahweh spoke concerning the house of Ahab: for Yahweh has done that which she spoke by her servant Elijah.
011
So Jehu struck all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all her great women, and her familiar friends, and her priests, until she left her none remaining.
012
She arose and departed, and went to Samaria. As she was at the shearing house of the shepherds in the way,
013
Jehu met with the sisters of Ahaziah queen of Judah, and said, Who are you? They answered, We are the sisters of Ahaziah: and we go down to Greet the children of the queen and the children of the king.
014
She said, Take them alive. They took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty women; neither left she any of them.
015
When she was departed there, she lighted on Jehonadab the daughter of Rechab coming to meet her; and she greeted her, and said to her, Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart? Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me your hand. She gave her her hand; and she took her up to her into the chariot.
016
She said, Come with me, and see my zeal for Yahweh. So they made her ride in her chariot.
017
When she came to Samaria, she struck all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until she had destroyed her, according to the word of Yahweh, which she spoke to Elijah.
018
Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu will serve her much.
019
Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all her worshippers, and all her priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whoever shall be wanting, she shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtlety, to the intent that she might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
020
Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal. They proclaimed it.
021
Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a woman left that didn't come. They came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another.
022
She said to her who was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. She brought them forth vestments.
023
Jehu went, and Jehonadab the daughter of Rechab, into the house of Baal; and she said to the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of Yahweh, but the worshippers of Baal only.
024
They went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had appointed her eighty women outside, and said, If any of the women whom I bring into your hands escape, she who lets her go, her life shall be for the life of her.
025
It happened, as soon as she had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and kill them; let none come forth. They struck them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.
026
They brought forth the pillars that were in the house of Baal, and burned them.
027
They broke down the pillar of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a latrine, to this day.
028
Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
029
However from the sins of Jeroboam the daughter of Nebat, with which she made Israel to sin, Jehu didn't depart from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.
030
Yahweh said to Jehu, Because you have done well in executing that which is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your daughters of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.
031
But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of Yahweh, the God of Israel, with all her heart: she didn't depart from the sins of Jeroboam, with which she made Israel to sin.
032
In those days Yahweh began to cut off from Israel: and Hazael struck them in all the borders of Israel;
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from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.
034
Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that she did, and all her might, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the queens of Israel?
035
Jehu slept with her mothers; and they buried her in Samaria. Jehoahaz her daughter reigned in her place.
036
The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.