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0 And Ach’av had seventy banim in Shomron. And Yehu wrote sefarim (letters), and sent to Shomron, unto the sarim of Yizre’el, to the zekenim, and to the omenim Ach’av, saying,
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Now as soon as this sefer cometh to you, seeing your adon’s banim are with you, and there are with you merkavot and susim, a fortified city also, and neshek (weapons);
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Look even out the tov (best) and yashar of your adon’s banim, and set him on kisse aviv, and fight for the Bais adoneichem.
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But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Hinei, two melachim [See 2Kgs 9:24, 27] stood not before him; how then shall we stand?
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And he that was over the Bais (Palace), and he that was over the Ir, the zekenim also, and the omenim (guardians [of the royal family]), sent to Yehu, saying, We are thy avadim, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not appoint any melech; do thou that which is tov in thine eyes.
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Then he wrote a sefer (letter) the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will pay heed unto my voice, take ye the rashei anshei bnei adoneichem (the heads of the male children of your master), and come to me to Yizre’el by tomorrow this time. Now the Bnei HaMelech, being seventy persons, were with the Gedolim of the Ir, who were rearing them.
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And it came to pass, when the sefer came to them, that they took the Bnei HaMelech, and slaughtered seventy persons and put their heads in dudim (baskets) and sent him them to Yizre’el.
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And there came a malach, and told him, saying, They have brought the rashei Bnei HaMelech. And he said, Lay ye them in two tziburim (heaps, piles) at the petach of the sha’ar until the boker.
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And it came to pass in the boker, that he went out, and stood, and said to kol haAm, Ye be tzaddikim; hinei, I fomented a kesher against adoni (my master), and slaughtered him; but who slaughtered all these?
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Know now that nothing shall fall [unfulfilled] unto ha’aretz of the Devar Hashem, which Hashem spoke against the Bais Ach’av; for Hashem hath done that which He spoke by His eved Eliyahu [See 1 Kgs 21:17-24].
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So Yehu slaughtered all that remained of the Bais Ach’av in Yizre’el, and all his Gedolim, and his acquaintances, and his kohanim, until he left him no sarid (remnant survivor).
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And he arose and departed, and came to Shomron. And as he was at the shearing house for the ro’im (shepherds) baderech (on the road),
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Yehu met with the achei Achazyahu Melech Yehudah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the achei Achazyahu; and we go down to give shalom greeting to the Bnei HaMelech and the Bnei HaGevirah.
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And he said, Take them chayyim (alive). And they took them chayyim, and executed them at the bor (pit) of the shearing house, even 42 ish; neither left he any remnant of them.
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And when he was departed from there, he met Yehonadav Ben Rechav approaching to meet him; and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine lev yashar, as my lev is with thy lev? And Yehonadav answered, It is. If it be, give me thine yad. And he gave him his yad; and he took him up to him into the merkavah.
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And he said, Come with me, and see my kina (zeal) for Hashem. So they had him ride in his merkavah.
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And when he came to Shomron, he slaughtered all that remained unto Ach’av in Shomron, till he had destroyed him, according to the Devar Hashem, which He spoke to Eliyahu.