16
saying, "Come with me and see for yourself how devoted I am to the Lord." And they rode on together to Samaria.
17
When they arrived there, Jehu killed all of Ahab's relatives, not sparing even one. This is what the Lord had told Elijah would happen.
18
Jehu called the people of Samaria together and said, "King Ahab served the god Baal a little, but I will serve him much more.
19
Call together all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers, and all his priests. No one is excused; I am going to offer a great sacrifice to Baal, and whoever is not present will be put to death." (This was a trick on the part of Jehu by which he meant to kill all the worshipers of Baal.)
20
Then Jehu ordered, "Proclaim a day of worship in honor of Baal!" The proclamation was made,
21
and Jehu sent word throughout all the land of Israel. All who worshiped Baal came; not one of them failed to come. They all went into the temple of Baal, filling it from one end to the other.
22
Then Jehu ordered the priest in charge of the sacred robes to bring the robes out and give them to the worshipers.
23
After that, Jehu himself went into the temple with Jonadab son of Rechab and said to the people there, "Make sure that only worshipers of Baal are present and that no worshiper of the Lord has come in."
24
Then he and Jonadab went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings to Baal. He had stationed eighty men outside the temple and had instructed them: "You are to kill all these people; anyone who lets one of them escape will pay for it with his life!"
25
As soon as Jehu had presented the offerings, he said to the guards and officers, "Go in and kill them all; don't let anyone escape!" They went in with drawn swords, killed them all, and dragged the bodies outside. Then they went on into the inner sanctuary of the temple,
26
brought out the sacred pillar that was there, and burned it.