2 Kings

Continues the story of the divided kingdoms, their decline, and eventual exile.

Chapter 10

1 And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab’s children, saying,

Ahab had 70 sons living in Samaria. Jehu wrote messages and sent them to Samaria's leaders, the people in charge of Jezreel, and those taking care of Ahab's kids, telling them,

2 Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master’s sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour;

As soon as you receive this message, since your master's sons are with you, along with chariots, horses, a fortified city, and armor,

3 Look even out the best and meetest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.

Find the most suitable prince for your leader and put him on the throne. Then, defend your leader's kingdom.

4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?

But they were very scared and asked, "Two kings didn't stand before him; so how can we possibly stand?"

5 And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up 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.

The house leader, city leader, elders, and child caretakers all sent a message to Jehu, saying they were his servants and would do whatever he asked. They promised not to choose a king and told Jehu to do what was right in his eyes.

6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time. Now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up.

Then he wrote another letter saying, "If you belong to me and listen to my voice, bring the leaders of your master's sons to me in Jezreel by tomorrow. The king's seventy sons were with the important city people who took care of 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 to Jezreel.

When the letter arrived, they captured the king's sons, killed 70 people, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to 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 entering in of the gate until the morning.

A messenger arrived and informed him that the heads of the king's sons had been brought. He replied to put them in two piles at the city entrance until morning.

9 And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?

In the morning, he went outside and spoke to everyone, telling them they were righteous. He admitted that he plotted against his master and killed him. But who killed all these other people?

10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.

Understand now that not a single part of the Lord's message about the family of Ahab will fail to happen. This is because the Lord has made it come true, just as his servant Elijah said.

11 So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

Jehu killed everyone left from Ahab's family in Jezreel, including important people, relatives, and priests, leaving no one alive.

12 And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way,

He got up and left, then went to Samaria. While on his journey, he stopped at a place where they were cutting sheep's hair.

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.

Jehu talked to Ahaziah's relatives and asked who they were. They replied that they were family members of Ahaziah, going to greet the king's children and the queen's children.

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.

He said, "Capture them without killing." They captured them but killed them at a specific location called the shearing house's pit. A total of 240 men were killed, leaving none alive.

15 And when he was departed thence, he lighted on 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 he took him up to him into the chariot.

After he left, he met Jehonadab, son of Rechab, who came to greet him. He said, "Is your heart truly committed like mine?" Jehonadab replied, "Yes, it is." If so, hold my hand. So he held his hand and Jehonadab climbed into the chariot with him.

16 And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.

He said, "Come with me and see my strong love for God." So they let him ride in 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 spake to Elijah.

When he arrived in Samaria, he killed everyone left there who was on Ahab's side until he completely wiped them out, just like the LORD had told Elijah it would happen.

18 And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.

Jehu brought everyone together and told them, "Ahab only slightly served Baal, but I will serve him a lot more."

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 subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.

So, gather all of Baal's prophets, servants, and priests for a big sacrifice. If anyone is missing, they will die. However, Jehu cleverly did this to secretly eliminate those who worshipped Baal.

20 And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.

Jehu told them to announce a special gathering for Baal, and they did as he said.

21 And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.

Jehu sent a message throughout Israel, and everyone who worshiped Baal came. There wasn't a single man who didn't show up. They all went to Baal's temple, filling it from one end to the other.

22 And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.

He told the person in charge of the storage room to get clothes for all the Baal followers. The person got the clothes.

23 And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only.

Jehu and Jehonadab went to Baal's temple and told the Baal worshippers to check if there were any Lord's servants among them, only those who worshipped Baal should be present.

24 And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, 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.

When they entered to give sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu chose 80 men outside and told them, "If any man I handed to you escapes, whoever allows this will die just as the one who got away would have died."

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.

Then, after he finished sacrificing the burnt offering, Jehu told the guards and leaders, "Go inside and kill them all; don't let anyone escape." So they did, using their swords, and then threw the bodies out. The guards and leaders then left to go to the city of Baal's temple.

26 And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.

They took the idols from the temple of Baal and burned them.

27 And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.

They destroyed Baal's statue and Baal's temple, turning the temple into a ruin that lasted until now.

28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

In this way, Jehu removed Baal from existence in Israel.

29 Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.

However, because of the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who led Israel to sin, Jehu did not turn away from their actions. He continued to have the golden calves in Bethel and in 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.

And God told Jehu, Since you did a good job by doing what's right in my eyes and took care of Ahab's family as I wanted, your great-great-grandchildren will rule over Israel's kingdom.

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, which made Israel to sin.

But Jehu didn't follow God's rules completely: he kept doing the wrong things that Jeroboam did, which caused Israel to do wrong too.

32 In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

In that time, the LORD reduced Israel's size: and Hazael attacked them throughout all the shores of Israel.

33 From 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.

From the Jordan River to the east, includes all of Gilead land, where the Gadites, Reubenites, and Manassites lived. This area goes from Aroer near the Arnon River up 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?

"Now, isn't everything about Jehu's other actions, what he accomplished, and his strength recorded in the book of records for 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.

Jehu passed away and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz then took over the kingdom.

36 And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.

Jehu ruled over Israel in Samaria for 28 years.

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