1 Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu then wrote letters and dispatched them to Samaria, addressed to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders {hazeqenim: recognized community leaders}, and the guardians {ha’omnim: appointed caretakers} of Ahab’s sons, saying,
2 Now, when this letter {sefer: royal message} comes to you, and with you are your master’s sons, and with you are the chariotry and the horses, and a fortified city {mivtsar: defended stronghold}, and the weapons.
3 Choose the best {tov: most fitting choice} and the upright from among your master’s sons, place him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house {beit: dynastic seat}.
4 But they were terrified, and said, “Look, the two {shnei: dual form} kings did not prevail {amdu: endure} before him; how can we stand?”
5 So the one over the house, the one over the city, the elders, and the guardians sent to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants {avadecha: those under authority}, and we will carry out everything you command {tomer: spoken instruction}. We will not make anyone king; do what is good in your eyes.”
6 He wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you stand with me and heed my voice {koli: personal authority}, seize the heads of the men—your master’s sons—and bring them to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” The king’s seventy sons were with the great ones {gedolei: chief citizens} of the city, who were raising them.
7 When the letter {sefer: royal decree} reached them, they took the king’s sons, slaughtered seventy men, put their heads into baskets, and sent them to him at Jezreel {yizre'elah: God’s Planting}.
8 The messenger {malakh: official courier} came and reported, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” Then he said, “Place them in two heaps {tsibburim: execution piles} at the entrance of the gate until morning.”
9 In the morning he went out and stood, and he said to all the people, “You are righteous {tsaddiqim: just}. I conspired against my master {adoni: superior authority} and killed him; but who struck down all these?”
10 Know, then, that not a single word of the LORD {YHWH, Decree Fulfiller} spoken against the house {beit: royal line} of Ahab will fall to the ground; the LORD has carried out what He spoke through His servant Elijah.
11 So Jehu struck down everyone left from the house {beit: Royal Lineage} of Ahab in Jezreel, including all his great men, his close friends {meyudaav: Trusted Officials}, and his priests, until he left him no survivor.
12 He rose up, arrived, and went toward Samaria. On the road he reached Beth Eked {beit-eqed: shearing place} of the shepherds {roim: flock tenders}.
13 And Jehu found the brothers {akhei: male kin} of Ahaziah, king of Judah, and he said, “Who are you?” They answered, “We are the brothers of Ahaziah, and we have come down to greet the king’s sons and the sons of the queen mother {hagvirah: royal matriarch}.”
14 And he said, “Capture {tifshum: seize forcibly} them alive.” So they captured them alive and slaughtered them at the pit {bor: deep well} of Beth-Eked—forty-two men—and he left none of them.
15 From there Jehu proceeded and came upon Jehonadab son of Rechab as he was approaching to greet him. He blessed him and said, “Is your heart upright {yashar: morally straight} toward me, as my heart is toward you?” Jehonadab replied, “It is; it is.” Then Jehu said, “Give me your hand {yad: pledge of alliance}.” So he gave him his hand, and Jehu brought him up into the chariot.
16 And he said, “Come with me and look upon my zeal for the LORD {YHWH, Zeal Recipient}.” So he had him ride in his chariot {rekhev: royal vehicle}.
17 He came to Samaria and struck down all the survivors {hannishārīm: remaining persons} of Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Judge} spoken to Elijah.
18 Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, “Ahab served {avad: ritual service} Baal {baal: Canaanite storm god} only a little; Jehu will serve him much.”
19 And now, summon all the prophets of Baal {ba'al: Canaanite Storm Deity}, all his servants, and all his priests to me. Let no one be missing, for I am preparing a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live. But Jehu acted in deception {akbah: Cunning Intent} in order to destroy the servants of Baal.
20 Then Jehu commanded, “Proclaim a solemn assembly {atzarah: special festival gathering} for Baal {baal: Canaanite deity},” and they issued the proclamation.
21 Jehu sent word throughout all Israel, and all the servants {ovdei: devoted attendants} of Baal came; not a man remained who did not come. They entered the house {bet: temple} of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from mouth to mouth.
22 He said to the one who was over the wardrobe {meltakhah: clothing storage}, “Bring out a garment for all the servants of Baal {baal: Canaanite deity}.” So he brought out the garments for them.
23 Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab came to the house of Baal, and he said to the servants {ovdei: temple functionaries} of Baal, “Search and see, lest any of the servants of the LORD {YHWH, Israel’s True King} be here with you, but only the servants of Baal by themselves.”
24 They went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, and Jehu {Yehu: Instrument of Judgment} stationed eighty men outside for himself. And he said, “The man who lets any escape from the men whom I am bringing into your hands—his life {nefesh: living person} shall be in place of his life.”
25 When he finished making the burnt offering {olah: burnt offering}, Jehu said to the runners and to the officers, “Go in, strike them down; let none escape.” They struck them with the edge of the sword {cherev: sword’s edge}, and the runners and the officers cast the bodies out and went to the inner part of the house of Baal.
26 They brought out the pillars {matzevot: cultic stone pillars} from the house of Baal {baal: Canaanite storm god} and burned them.
27 They broke down the pillar {matzevat: standing monument} of Baal and tore down the temple of Baal, and they made it into latrines and waste places {moṣaʾot: waste places} to this day.
28 In this way Jehu {yehu: Anointed King} destroyed Baal {baal: Canaanite Storm God} out of Israel.
29 Yet from the sins {chata’ei: willful offences} of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin, Jehu did not turn aside from them—the golden calves {eglei: cultic images} that were in Bethel and that were in Dan.
30 And the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Rewarder} said to Jehu, “Because You have acted well in executing what is upright {hayyāšār: upright and just} in My eyes and have fulfilled all that was in My heart concerning the house of Ahab, Your sons to the fourth generation will sit on the throne of Israel.”
31 But Jehu did not keep the law of the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Judge}, the God of Israel {Elohei Yisrael, National Protector}, with all his heart; he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he caused Israel to commit.
32 In those days, the LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Judge} began to reduce the borders {gevul: boundary region} of Israel, and Hazael struck them throughout the territory of Israel.
33 From the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead {gilad: mountainous region}—the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites—from Aroer {aroer: border town} on the ravine of Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.
34 As for the rest of the words of Jehu, all that he did, and all his mighty deeds {gevurato: acts of valor}, are they not written in the book of the words of the days {divrei hayamim: royal chronicle} of the kings of Israel?
35 And Jehu lay down {wayyishkav: idiom for death} with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place {tahtav: dynastic succession}.
36 The days that Jehu {Yehu: Yah Is He} reigned over Israel in Samaria {Shomron: Northern Capital} were twenty-eight years.