Open English Translation 2 KI Chapter 10

10 King Ahab had seventy sons who lived in Shomron (Samaria), so Yehu sent letters to the leaders and elders of Yizre’el, and to the guardians of Ahab’s children, saying, 2 “When you all receive this letter, you’ll have the sons of your masters with you, as well as chariots and horses, and weapons within your fortified city. 3 So select the best and the most honest one out of your masters’ sons or nephews, and establish him on his father’s throne, and then be prepared to defend your masters’ family.” 4 But they were extremely frightened and said, “Listen—those two kings couldn’t stand against Yehu, so how could we?” 5 Then the man who was now in charge of the household and leading the city elders sent a message to Yehu, “We are your servants and we’ll do whatever you tell us to. We don’t plan to select a king. Do whatever you think best.”

6 So Yehu sent a second letter saying, “If you’re all on my side and ready to follow me, come and meet me at Yizre’el tomorrow with the heads of your masters’ sons.”

The late King Ahab had seventy sons who were being brought up by the city leaders, 7 and when that letter arrived, they killed and beheaded all of them, put the heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Yizre’el.

8 A messenger went and informed Yehu that the heads had been brought, and he instructed them to pile them up in two piles at the city gate until the next morning. 9 In the morning he went out and stood there, and he told all the people, “You are innocent. Listen—it was me myself who conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these? 10 You all should know that when Yahweh says something will happen, then it will happen. He said via his servant Eliyah that this is what would happen to Ahab’s family, and so it has.” 11 Then Yehu killed all Ahab’s remaining family members in Yizre’el, and all his chosen leaders, and his associates and priests, leaving no survivors.

12 Then Yehu left Yizre’el and headed towards Shomron (Samaria). When he reached the shepherds’ shearing house, 13 he met the late King Ahazyah’s brothers there, and he asked them, “Who are you?”

“We’re King Ahazyah’s brothers,” they said, “and we’re coming to look after the sons of the king and of the queen mother.”

14 “Arrest them,” he ordered, so they grabbed and slaughtered them near the pit at the shearing house. There were forty-two men and none were spared.

15 Then continuing on from there, Yehu found Rekav’s son Yonadav coming to meet him. Yehu greeted him and asked, “Are you wanting to do what is right just like I am?” IS THAT WHAT HE WAS REALLY ASKING???

“Yes, I am.” Yonadav replied.

“Great,” Yehu said. “Give me your hand,” and he gave him his hand, and Yehu pulled him up to join him in the chariot, 16 telling him, “Come with me and see my zeal for Yahweh.” So they rode together in the chariot. 17 When they got to Shomron, Yehu killed the remainder of Ahab’s family who were there, until they were finally exterminated, just as Yahweh had said via Eliyah.

18 Then Yehu assembled all the people and told them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Yehu will serve him a lot. 19 So now, call all the prophets of Baal to come here—all his servants and all his priests. Don’t let anyone stay away because I’m going to make a large sacrifice to Baal. Anyone who’s absent will be executed.” However Yehu was being cunning in order to destroy Baal’s followers. 20 Yehu ordered, “Announce a special holiday to assemble and worship Baal,” and so they did. 21 On that day, Yehu brought in all the people, and all the servants of the Baal came, leaving no one out. They entered the temple of the Baal and it was packed full. 22 He told the wardrobe supervisor, “Bring out uniforms for all the servants of the Baal,” so he brought robes out for them. 23 Then Yehu and Rekav’s son Yonadab entered the temple of the Baal and instructed the servants of the Baal, “Make sure that it’s only the servants of Baal in here—we don’t want any servants of Yahweh.” 24 So they entered to make sacrifices and burnt offerings.

Meanwhile, Yehu had stationed eighty men outside, and had told them, “Don’t let any of the ones I send you escape, or it will be your life in place of theirs.”

25 Then when he finished making the burnt offering in the outer area, Yehu told the guards and officers, “Come in now and strike them down. Don’t let any of them get out.” So they attacked them with swords, and the guards and officers threw the bodies over the fence. Then they went inside the temple, 26 and pulled the sacred posts outside and burnt them. 27 They broke down the pillar of the Baal, and they broke down the temple. Since then it’s been used as an out-house.

28 That’s how Yehu put an end to Baal worship in Yisrael. 29 There was only one of the things with which Nebat’s son Yarave’am had caused Yisrael to sin that Yehu didn’t destroy: the golden calves at Beyt-El and Dan. 30 Then Yahweh told Yehu, “Because you did good by following my principles and doing what I’ve said is right, including what you did to Ahab’s family, you’ll have four generations sitting on Yisrael’s throne.” 31 But Yehu didn’t take care to follow the instructions of Yisrael’s god Yahweh whole-heartedly—he didn’t reject all of Yarave’am’s evil customs which had caused Yisrael to sin.

32 During that period, Yahweh began to reduce the size of Yisrael’s territory and Aram’s King Haza’el attacked along their border 33 from the Yordan river in the east as far south as Aroer city on the Arnon river—capturing the Gilead and Bashan regions where the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Menashsheh lived.

34 Everything else that Yehu said and did is written in the book of the events of the kings of Yisrael. 35 Then Yehu died and was buried in their ancestral tomb in Shomron (Samaria), and his son Yehoahaz replaced him as king. 36 Yehu had ruled from Shomron as the king of Yisrael for twenty-eight years.