¶ Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Iehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria unto the elders that were lords of Iezrahel, and to them that nursed up Ahab's children saying: now at the coming of these letters to you,
ye have with you your master's sons, and ye have with you chariots and horses, and a strong city and harness.
Therefore choose the best, and him that most pleaseth you of your master's sons, and put him on his father's seat, and fight for your lord's house.
And they were accordingly afraid, and said: see, two kings were not able to stond before him, how shall we then stond?
And the governor of the king's house and of the city and of the elders and the nurses sent to Iehu saying: we are thy servants and will do all that thou shalt bid us: we will make no man king: but do thou what seemeth good in thine eyes.
Then he wrote another letter to them saying: If ye be mine and will obey my voice, then take the heads of your master's sons and come to me to Iezrahel, by tomorrow this time. And the king's sons were seventy persons with the great men of the city which nourished them.
And when the letter came to them, they took the king's children and slew them in number, seventy persons, and put their heads in coffins and sent them to him to Iezrahel.
And there came a messenger and told him saying: they have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said: let them put them on two heaps in the entering of the gate, till it be day.
And in the morning he went out and stood and said to all the folk, ye be righteous: for see, I conspired against my master and slew him: But who slew these?
consider now how there is nothing of the LORD's word fallen to the earth, which he spake against the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that he spake to his servant Eliah.
And so Iehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab, in Iezrahel, and all that were great with him, and his companions and his priests, until he had left him nought remain.
And he arose and departed and went to Samaria. And as Iehu was come even to the house where the shepherds bind their sheep by the high way side,
he met with the brethren of Ohoziah king of Iuda, and said what are ye? and they said, the brethren of Ohoziah are we, and go to salute the children of the king and of the queen.
And he said: take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the well beside the house where the shepherds bind their sheep, in number forty two persons, that he left none of them.
¶ And when he was departed thence he met with Iehonadab the son of Rechab coming against him. And Iehu saluted him and said to him: is thine heart right, as mine heart is with thine. And Iehonadab said, yea that it is. If it be, then give me thine hand. And he gave his hand, and the other took him up to him into the chariot
and said: go with me and see the zeal I have to the LORD, and made him ride with him in his chariot.
And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had wiped him out, according to the saying of the LORD which he spake to Eliah.
After that Iehu gathered all the people together and said to them: Ahab served Baal a little: but Iehu shall serve him a good.
Now therefore call unto me all the Prophets of Baal and all his servants and all his priests that none be lacking. For I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal: and if any be missed, he shall not live. But Iehu did it for a subtlety, to destroy the servants of Baal.
Wherefore Iehu said: Appoint a solempne feast for Baal, and they proclaimed it.
Then Iehu sent thorowout all Israel. And all the servants of Baal came, that there was not a man left behind that came not. And when they were come into the temple of Baal, the temple was full from one end to another.
Then he said to the keeper of the vestry, bring forth garments for the servants of Baal. And he brought them out garments.
And Iehu went with Iehonadab son of Rechab into the house of Baal: and said to the servants of Baal: search and look that there be none here with you of the servants of the LORD, but the servants of Baal onely.
And they went in, to offer sacrifice and burnt offerings. But Iehu appointed him four score men without and said: If any of the men that I shall bring unto your hands escape, he that letteth him go shall die for him.
And as soon as he had made an end of offering of burnt sacrifice, he said to them of the guard and to the lords: go in and slay them, let none come out. And they smote them with the edge of the sword. And the guard and the lords cast them out, and went unto the city of the house of Baal,
and fetched out the image out of the house of Baal and burnt it.
And they brake the Image of Baal, and brake the house of Baal, and made a siege of it ever after.
And so Iehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
¶ But from the sins of Ieroboam the son of Nabat which made Israel sin with the golden calves in Bethel and Dan, Iehu departed not.
Then the LORD said to Iehu, because thou hast lustily done that pleaseth me, and hast done to the house of Ahab all that was in mine heart, therefore shall thy children in the fourth generation sit on the seat of Israel.
But Iehu cared not to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Ieroboam which made Israel sin.
In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short, for Hazael slew them in all the coasts of Israel,
from Iordan Eastward: even all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, the Rubenites and the Manassites, from Aroer upon the river of Arnon, with Gilead and Basan.
The rest of the acts of Iehu, and all he did, and all his power, are written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
And when Iehu was laid to rest with his fathers, they buried him in Samaria, and Iehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.
And the time that Iehu reigned upon Israel in Samaria, was twenty eight years.
Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.