2nd Kings — 10

Yahu Kills Ahab’s Family

1 Ahab had seventy sons living in the city of Samaria. So Yahu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the elders and officials of the city, and to the guardians of King Ahab’s sons. He said, 

2 “The king’s sons are with you, and you have at your disposal chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weapons. As soon as you receive this letter, 

3 select the best qualified of your master’s sons to be your king, and prepare to fight for Ahab’s dynasty.”

4 But they were paralyzed with fear and said, “We have seen that two kings could not stand against this man! What can we do?”

5 So the palace and city administrators, together with the elders and the guardians of the king’s sons, sent this message to Yahu: “We are your servants and will do anything you tell us. We will not make anyone king; do whatever you think is best.”

6 Yahu responded with a second letter: “If you are on my side and are going to obey me, bring the heads of your master’s sons to me at Yazraal by this time tomorrow.” Now the seventy sons of the king were being cared for by the leaders of Samaria, where they had been raised since childhood. 

7 When the letter arrived, the leaders killed all seventy of the king’s sons. They placed their heads in baskets and presented them to Yahu at Yazraal.

8 A messenger went to Yahu and said, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” So Yahu ordered, “Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the city gate, and leave them there until morning.”

9 In the morning Yahu went out and spoke to the crowd that had gathered around them. “You are not to blame,” he told them. “I am the one who conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these? 

10 You can be sure that the message of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH that was spoken concerning Ahab’s family will not fail.  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH declared through his servant AliYahu that this would happen.” 

11 Then Yahu killed all who were left of Ahab’s relatives living in Yazraal and all his important officials, his personal friends, and his priests. So Ahab was left without a single survivor.

12 Then Yahu set out for Samaria. Along the way, while he was at Bath-akad of the Shepherds, 

13 he met some relatives of King Ahazyahu of Yahudah. “Who are you?” he asked them. And they replied, “We are relatives of King Ahazyahu. We are going to visit the sons of King Ahab and the sons of the queen mother.”

14 “Take them alive!” Yahu shouted to his men. And they captured all forty-two of them and killed them at the well of Bath-akad. None of them escaped.

15 When Yahu left there, he met Yahunadab son of Racab, who was coming to meet him. After they had greeted each other, Yahu said to him, “Are you as loyal to me as I am to you? “Yes, I am,” Yahunadab replied. If you are,” Yahu said, “then give me your hand.” So Yahunadab put out his hand, and Yahu helped him into the chariot. 

16 Then Yahu said, “Now come with me, and see how devoted I am to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.” So Yahunadab rode along with him.

17 When Yahu arrived in Samaria, he killed everyone who was left there from Ahab’s family, just as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had promised through AliYahu.

Yahu Kills the Priests of Baal

18 Then Yahu called a meeting of all the people of the city and said to them, “Ahab’s worship of Baal was nothing compared to the way I will worship baal! 

19 Therefore, summon all the prophets and worshipers of Baal, and call together all his priests. See to it that every one of them comes, for I am going to offer a great sacrifice to Baal. Anyone who fails to come will be put to death.” But Yahu’s cunning plan was to destroy all the worshipers of Baal.

20 Then Yahu ordered, “Prepare a solemn assembly to worship Baal!” So they did. 

21 He sent messengers throughout all Yashar'AL summoning those who worshiped Baal. They all came, not a single one remained behind and they filled the temple of Baal from one end to the other. 

22 And Yahu instructed the keeper of the wardrobe, “Be sure that every worshiper of Baal wears one of these robes.” So robes were given to them.

23 Then Yahu went into the temple of Baal with Yahunadab son of Racab. Yahu said to the worshipers of Baal, “Make sure no one who worships 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH is here, only those who worship Baal.” 

24 So they were all inside the temple to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Yahu had stationed eighty of his men outside the building and had warned them, “If you let anyone escape, you will pay for it with your own life.”

25 As soon as Yahu had finished sacrificing the burnt offering, he commanded his guards and officers, “Go in and kill all of them. Do not let a single one escape!” So they killed them all with their swords, and the guards and officers dragged their bodies outside. Then Yahu’s men went into the innermost fortress of the temple of Baal. 

26 They dragged out the sacred pillar used in the worship of Baal and burned it. 

27 They smashed the sacred pillar and wrecked the temple of Baal, converting it into a public toilet, as it remains to this day.

28 In this way, Yahu destroyed every trace of Baal worship from Yashar'AL. 

29 He did not, however, destroy the gold calves at Bathal and Dan, with which Yarubuam son of Nabat had caused Yashar'AL to sin.

30 Nonetheless 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Yahu, “You have done well in following my instructions to destroy the family of Ahab. Therefore, your descendants will be kings of Yashar'AL down to the fourth generation.” 

31 But Yahu did not obey the Law of  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL, with all his heart, he refused to turn from the sins that Yarubuam had led Yashar'AL to commit.

The Death of Yahu

32 At about that time 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  began to cut down the size of Yashar'AL’s territory. King Hazaal conquered several sections of the country 

33 east of the Yurdan River, including all of Gilaad, Gad, Rauban, and Manassah, he conquered the area from the town of Aruar by the Arnun Gurge to as far north as Gilaad and Bashan.

34 The rest of the events in Yahu’s reign, everything he did and all his achievements, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Yashar'AL.

35 When Yahu died, he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Yahuahaz became the next king.

36 In all, Yahu reigned over Yashar'AL from Samaria for twenty-eight years.