Third Millennium Bible TMB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to those who brought up Ahab's children, saying,
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Ahab had 70 male heirs in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters to the officials of Jezreel, the respected leaders, and the guardians of Ahab's descendants in Samaria. The letters read,
2 "Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, since your master's sons are with you and there are with you chariots and horses, a fortified city also and armor,
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"Your master's heirs are with you, and you have chariots, horses, fortified cities, and weapons. As soon as this letter reaches you,
3 choose even out the best and most suitable of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house."
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choose the best and most honest of your master's heirs, and put him on Ahab's throne. Fight for your master's family."
4 But they were exceedingly afraid and said, "Behold, two kings stood not before him. How then shall we stand?"
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But they panicked. They said, "If two kings couldn't stand up to him, how can we stand up to him?"
5 And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the guardians of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, "We are thy servants and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king. Do thou that which is good in thine eyes."
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So the official in charge of the palace, the mayor of the city, the respected leaders, and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: "We are your servants. We'll do everything you tell us. We won't make anyone king. Do what you think is best."
6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, "If ye be for me, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master's sons and come to me at Jezreel by tomorrow this time." Now the king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who brought them up.
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So he wrote them a second letter. It read, "If you are on my side and ready to listen to me, bring the heads of your master's heirs to me in Jezreel about this time tomorrow." The 70 male heirs were staying with the city's most powerful men. These men had raised them.
7 And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent him them at Jezreel.
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When the letter came to the men, they slaughtered all 70 heirs. They put the heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.
8 And there came a messenger and told him, saying, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons." And he said, "Lay ye them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning."
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A messenger told him, "They've brought the heads of the king's heirs." Jehu said, "Put them in two piles at the entrance to the gateway until morning."
9 And it came to pass in the morning that he went out and stood, and said to all the people, "Ye are righteous. Behold, I conspired against my master and slew him, but who slew all these?
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In the morning he stood there. He told the people, "You are innocent. I plotted against my master and killed him. But who killed all these men?
10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the LORD hath done that which He spoke by His servant Elijah."
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You can be sure that the word of the LORD spoken about Ahab's family will be fulfilled. The LORD will do what he said through his servant Elijah."
11 So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and his kinsfolk and his priests, until he left him none remaining.
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Jehu also killed every member of Ahab's household who was left in Jezreel: all the most powerful men, friends, and priests. Not one of them was left.
12 And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house on the way,
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Then Jehu left for Samaria. When he came to Beth Eked of the Shepherds,
13 Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, "Who are ye?" And they answered, "We are the brethren of Ahaziah, and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen."
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he found some relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah. "Who are you?" he asked. They answered, "We're Ahaziah's relatives. We've come to greet the families of the king and the queen mother."
14 And he said, "Take them alive!" And they took them alive and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.
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Jehu ordered, "Capture them!" [Jehu's men] captured and slaughtered 42 of them at a cistern near Beth Eked. They didn't leave any survivors.
15 And when he had departed from thence, he happened upon Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him; and he saluted him and said to him, "Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart?" And Jehonadab answered, "It is." "If it be, give me thine hand." And he gave him his hand, and Jehu took him up to him into the chariot.
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When he left that place, he met Jehonadab, son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked, "Are you as loyal to me as I am to you?" "I am," Jehonadab answered. [So Jehu said,] "If you are, give me your hand." When he gave Jehu his hand, Jehu helped him up into the chariot.
16 And he said, "Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD." So they made him ride in his chariot.
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Jehu said, "Come with me. See how devoted I am to the LORD." So he had Jehonadab ride on his chariot.
17 And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD which He spoke to Elijah.
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When they arrived in Samaria, Jehu killed the rest of Ahab's family, every member who was left in Samaria. He wiped them out, as the LORD had told Elijah.
18 And Jehu gathered all the people together and said unto them, "Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu shall serve him much.
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Then Jehu brought all the people together. He said, "Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot.
19 Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. Let none be wanting, for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal. Whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live." But Jehu did it in subtlety, with the intent that he might destroy the worshipers of Baal.
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Summon all the prophets, servants, and priests of Baal. Make sure no one is missing because I have a great sacrifice to offer Baal. Whoever is missing will not live." (Jehu was deceiving [them]. He actually wanted to destroy those who worshiped Baal.)
20 And Jehu said, "Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal." And they proclaimed it.
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Jehu said, "Call a holy assembly to honor Baal." So they did.
21 And Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who came not. And they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.
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Jehu sent messengers to all the Israelites. All the worshipers of Baal came, and there wasn't one who didn't come. They went into the temple of Baal and filled it from one end to the other.
22 And he said unto him that was over the vestry, "Bring forth vestments for all the worshipers of Baal." And he brought them forth vestments.
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Then Jehu told the man in charge of the priests' robes, "Bring out the robes for all the worshipers of Baal." So he brought out robes for them.
23 And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal and said unto the worshipers of Baal, "Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshipers of Baal only."
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Jehu and Jehonadab, son of Rechab, went into the temple of Baal and said to the worshipers of Baal, "Make sure that there are no worshipers of the LORD here with you. Only the worshipers of Baal should be here."
24 And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men outside and said, "If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him."
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So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. But Jehu had stationed 80 of his men outside. He said[to them], "If any of the people I'm putting in your hands escape, you will pay for their lives with yours."
25 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, "Go in and slay them; let none come forth!" And they smote them with the edge of the sword. And the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.
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When the burnt offerings had been made, Jehu said to the guards and attendants, "Kill them. Don't let anyone get away." So they used swords to kill the Baal worshipers and threw out the bodies until the guards and attendants came to the stronghold in the temple of Baal.
26 And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal and burned them;
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Then they brought out the large sacred stone of the temple of Baal and burned it.
27 and they broke down the image of Baal and broke down the house of Baal, and made it an outhouse unto this day.
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They destroyed the sacred stone of Baal and the temple of Baal and made it into a latrine. It is still a latrine today.
28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
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So Jehu got rid of Baal worship throughout Israel.
29 However, from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from them, to wit, from the golden calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan.
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But Jehu did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam (Nebat's son) led Israel to commit--[the worship of] the golden calves that were at Bethel and Dan.
30 And the LORD said unto Jehu, "Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in Mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in Mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel."
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The LORD said to Jehu, "You did what I consider right, and you did it well. You did everything I wanted done to Ahab's family. That is why four generations of your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel."
31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart; for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin.
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But Jehu didn't wholeheartedly obey the teachings of the LORD God of Israel. He didn't turn away from the sins that Jeroboam led Israel to commit.
32 In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short; and Hazael smote them in all the borders of Israel
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So in those days the LORD began to take away some of Israel's territory. Hazael defeated Jehu's army throughout Israel's territory
33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.
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east of the Jordan River: the entire region of Gilead (the territory belonging to Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh) from Aroer, which is near the Arnon River, to Gilead and Bashan.
34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu and all that he did and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
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Isn't everything else about Jehu--everything he did, all his heroic acts--written in the official records of the kings of Israel?
35 And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.
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Jehu lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king.
36 And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.
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Jehu ruled as king of Israel in Samaria for 28 years.
Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.