2 Kings 10:1-17 - Jehu Continues Purging The House Of Ahab
1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and to those who brought up [the sons of] Ahab, saying, 2 And now as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, also a fortified city, and armor, 3 look ye out for the best and fittest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.
4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, the two kings did not stand before him. How then shall we stand?
5 And he who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders also, and those who brought up [the sons], sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shall bid us. We will not make any man king
6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be on my side, and if ye will hearken to my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time. Now the king's sons, 7 And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and killed them, even seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Jezreel. 8 And a messenger came, 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.
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 killed him. But who smote all these? 10 Know now that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of LORD, which LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for LORD has done that which he spoke by his servant Elijah. 11 So Jehu smote all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left to him none remaining.
12 And he arose and departed, and went to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing-house of the shepherds in the way, 13 Jehu met with the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brothers of Ahaziah, and we go down to salute the sons of the king and the sons of the queen.
14 And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing-house, even forty-two men; neither did he leave any of them.
15 And when he was departed from there, he came upon on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. And he saluted him, and said to him, Is thy heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, g 16 And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot. 17 And when he came to Samaria, he smote all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the word of LORD, which he spoke to Elijah.