rsv 2Kings:10:1-17 SEEK
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Now Ahab had seventy sons in Sama '
ria .
So Jehu wrote letters ,
and sent them to Sama '
ria ,
to the rulers of the city ,
to the elders ,
and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab ,
saying ,
* "
Now then ,
as soon as this letter comes to you ,
seeing your master '
s sons are with you ,
and there are with you chariots and horses ,
fortified cities also ,
and weapons ,
*
select the best and fittest of your master '
s sons and set him on his father '
s throne ,
and fight for your master '
s house ."
*
But they were exceedingly afraid ,
and said , "
Behold ,
the two kings could not stand before him ;
how then can we stand ?"
*
So he who was over the palace ,
and he who was over the city ,
together with the elders and the guardians ,
sent to Jehu ,
saying , "
We are your servants ,
and we will do all that you bid us .
We will not make any one king ;
do whatever is good in your eyes ."
*
Then he wrote to them a second letter ,
saying , "
If you are on my side ,
and if you are ready to obey me ,
take the heads of your master '
s sons ,
and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow at this time ."
Now the king '
s sons ,
seventy persons ,
were with the great men of the city ,
who were bringing them up .
*
And when the letter came to them ,
they took the king '
s sons ,
and slew them ,
seventy persons ,
and put their heads in baskets ,
and sent them to him at Jezreel .
*
When the messenger came and told him , "
They have brought the heads of the king '
s sons ,"
he said , "
Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning ."
*
Then in the morning ,
when he went out ,
he stood ,
and said to all the people , "
You are innocent .
It was I who conspired against my master ,
and slew him ;
but who struck down all these ?
*
Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the LORD ,
which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab ;
for the LORD has done what he said by his servant Eli '
jah ."
*
So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel ,
all his great men ,
and his familiar friends ,
and his priests ,
until he left him none remaining .
*
Then he set out and went to Sama '
ria .
On the way ,
when he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds ,
*
Jehu met the kinsmen of Ahazi '
ah king of Judah ,
and he said , "
Who are you ?"
And they answered , "
We are the kinsmen of Ahazi '
ah ,
and we came down to visit the royal princes and the sons of the queen mother ."
*
He said , "
Take them alive ."
And they took them alive ,
and slew them at the pit of Beth-eked ,
forty-two persons ,
and he spared none of them .
*
And when he departed from there ,
he met Jehon '
adab the son of Rechab coming to meet him ;
and he greeted him ,
and said to him , "
Is your heart true to my heart as mine is to yours ?"
And Jehon '
adab answered , "
It is ."
Jehu said , "
If it is ,
give me your hand ."
So he gave him his hand .
And Jehu took him up with him into the chariot .
*
And he said , "
Come with me ,
and see my zeal for the LORD ."
So he had him ride in his chariot .
*
And when he came to Sama '
ria ,
he slew all that remained to Ahab in Sama '
ria ,
till he had wiped them out ,
according to the word of the LORD which he spoke to Eli '
jah .