II Kings 10

ule'akhav shivim banim beshomeron vayyikhtov yehu sefarim vayyishlakh shomeron el-sare yizre'el hazzeqenim ve'el-ha'omenim akhav lemor

Ahab had seventy descendants in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the elders and officials of Jezreel and to the guardians of [the children] of Ahab, as follows:

ve'attah kevo hassefer hazzeh alekhem ve'ittekhem bene adonekhem ve'ittekhem harekhev vehassusim ve'ir mivtsar vehannasheq

“Now, when this letter reaches you—since your master’s sons are with you and you also have chariots and horses, and a fortified city and weapons—

ure'item hattov vehayyashar mibbene adonekhem vesamtem al-kisse aviv vehillakhamu al-bet adonekhem

select the best and the most suitable of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

vayyiru me'od me'od vayyomeru hinneh shene hammelakhim lo amedu lefanayw ve'ekh na'amod anakhenu

But they were overcome by fear, for they thought, “If the two kings could not stand up to him, how can we?”

vayyishlakh asher-al-habbayit va'asher al-ha'ir vehazzeqenim veha'omenim el-yehu lemor avadekha anakhnu vekhol asher-tomar elenu na'aseh lo-namlikh ish hattov be'enekha aseh

The steward of the palace and the governor of the city and the elders and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your subjects, and we shall do whatever you tell us to. We shall not proclaim anyone king; do whatever you like.”

vayyikhtov alehem sefer shenit lemor im-li attem uleqoli attem shome'im qekhu et-rashe anshe vene-adonekhem uvo'u elay ka'et makhar yizre'elah uvene hammelekh shivim ish et-gedole ha'ir megaddelim otam

He wrote them a second time: “If you are on my side and are ready to obey me, take the heads of the attendants of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel tomorrow at this time.” Now the princes, seventy in number, were with the notables of the town, who were rearing them.

vayehi kevo hassefer alehem vayyiqkhu et-bene hammelekh vayyishkhatu shivim ish vayyasimu et-rashehem baddudim vayyishlekhu elayw yizre'elah

But when the letter reached them, they took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them; they put their heads in baskets and sent them to him in Jezreel.

vayyavo hammalakh vayyagged-lo lemor hevi'u rashe vene-hammelekh vayyomer simu otam shene tsibburim petakh hasha'ar ad-habboqer

A messenger came and reported to him: “They have brought the heads of the princes.” He said, “Pile them up in two heaps at the entrance of the gate before morning.”

vayehi vabboqer vayyetse vayya'amod vayyomer el-kol-ha'am tsaddiqim attem hinneh ani qasharti al-adoni va'ehregehu umi hikkah et-kol-elleh

In the morning he went out and stood there; and he said to all the people, “Are you blameless? True, I conspired against my master and killed him; but who struck down all of these?

de'u efo ki lo yippol middevar Adonai artsah asher-dibber Adonai al-bet akhav va-Adonai asah et asher dibber beyad avdo eliyyahu

Know, then, that nothing that GOD has spoken concerning the House of Ahab shall remain unfulfilled, for GOD has done what was announced through Elijah—God’s servant.”

vayyakh yehu et kol-hannisharim levet-akhav beyizre'el vekhol-gedolayw umeyudda'ayw vekhohanayw ad-bilti hishir-lo sarid

And Jehu struck down all that were left of the House of Ahab in Jezreel—and all his notables, intimates, and priests—till he left him no survivor.

vayyaqom vayyavo vayyelekh shomeron hu bet-eqed haro'im baddarekh

He then set out for Samaria. On the way, when he was at Beth-eked of the shepherds,

veyehu matsa et-akhe akhazyahu melekh-yehudah vayyomer mi attem vayyomeru akhe akhazyahu anakhnu vannered lishlom bene-hammelekh uvene haggevirah

Jehu came upon the kinsmen of King Ahaziah of Judah. “Who are you?” he asked. They replied, “We are the kinsmen of Ahaziah, and we have come to pay our respects to the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.”

vayyomer tifsum khayyim vayyitpesum khayyim vayyishkhatum el-bor bet-eqed arba'im ushenayim ish velo-hishir ish mehem

“Take them alive!” he said. They took them alive and then slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two of them; he did not spare a single one.

vayyelekh misham vayyimtsa et-yehonadav ben-rekhav liqrato vayevarekhehu vayyomer elayw hayesh et-levavekha yashar ka'asher levavi im-levavekha vayyomer yehonadav yesh vayesh tenah et-yadekha vayyitten yado vayya'alehu elayw el-hammerkavah

He went on from there, and he met Jehonadab son of Rechab coming toward him. He greeted him and said to him, “Are you as wholehearted with me as I am with you?” “I am,” Jehonadab replied. “If so,” [said Jehu,] “give me your hand.” He gave him his hand and [Jehu] helped him into the chariot.

vayyomer lekhah itti ure'eh beqinati la-Adonai vayyarkivu oto berikhbo

“Come with me,” he said, “and see my zeal for GOD.” And he was taken along in the chariot.

vayyavo shomeron vayyakh et-kol-hannisharim le'akhav beshomeron ad-hishmido kidvar Adonai asher dibber el-eliyyahu

Arriving in Samaria, [Jehu] struck down all the survivors of [the House of] Ahab in Samaria, until he wiped it out, fulfilling the word that GOD had spoken to Elijah.

vayyiqbots yehu et-kol-ha'am vayyomer alehem akhav avad et-habba'al me'at yehu ya'avdennu harbeh

Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal little; Jehu shall serve him much!

ve'attah khol-nevi'e habba'al kol-ovedayw vekhol-kohanayw qiru elay ish al-yippaqed ki zevakh gadol li labba'al kol asher-yippaqed lo yikhyeh veyehu asah ve'oqbah lema'an ha'avid et-ovede habba'al

Therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers, and all his priests: let no one fail to come, for I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever fails to come shall forfeit his life.” Jehu was acting with guile in order to exterminate the worshipers of Baal.

vayyomer yehu qaddeshu atsarah labba'al vayyiqra'u

Jehu gave orders to convoke a solemn assembly for Baal, and one was proclaimed.

vayyishlakh yehu bekhol-yisra'el vayyavo'u kol-ovede habba'al velo-nishar ish asher lo-va vayyavo'u bet habba'al vayyimmale vet-habba'al peh lafeh

Jehu sent word throughout Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came, not one remained behind. They came into the temple of Baal, and the temple of Baal was filled from end to end.

vayyomer la'asher al-hammeltakhah hotse levush lekhol ovede habba'al vayyotse lahem hammalbush

He said to the wardrobe manager, “Bring out the vestments for all the worshipers of Baal”; and he brought vestments out for them.

vayyavo yehu vihonadav ben-rekhav bet habba'al vayyomer le'ovede habba'al khappesu ure'u pen-yesh-poh immakhem me'avde Adonai ki im-ovede habba'al levaddam

Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab came into the temple of Baal, and they said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search and make sure that there are no worshipers of GOD among you, but only worshipers of Baal.”

vayyavo'u la'asot zevakhim ve'olot veyehu sam-lo vakhuts shemonim ish vayyomer ha'ish asher-yimmalet min-ha'anashim asher ani mevi al-yedekhem nafsho takhat nafsho

So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. But Jehu had stationed eighty of his men outside and had said, “Whoever permits the escape of a single one of those whom I commit to your charge shall forfeit life for life.”

vayehi kekhalloto la'asot ha'olah vayyomer yehu laratsim velashalishim bo'u hakkum ish al-yetse vayyakkum lefi-kharev vayyashlikhu haratsim vehashalishim vayyelekhu ad-ir bet-habba'al

When Jehu had finished presenting the burnt offering, he said to the guards and to the officers, “Come in and strike them down; let no one get away!” The guards and the officers struck them down with the sword and left them lying where they were; then they proceeded to the interior of the temple of Baal.

vayyotsi'u et-matsevot bet-habba'al vayyisrefuha

They brought out the pillars of the temple of Baal and burned them.

vayyittetsu et matsevat habba'al vayyittetsu et-bet habba'al vayesimuhu (lmkhrvt) [lemotsa'ot] ad-hayyom

They destroyed the pillar of Baal, and they tore down the temple of Baal and turned it into latrines, as is still the case.

vayyashmed yehu et-habba'al miyyisra'el

Thus Jehu eradicated the Baal from Israel.

raq khata'e yarovam ben-nevat asher hekheti et-yisra'el lo-sar yehu me'akharehem egle hazzahav asher bet-el va'asher bedan

However, Jehu did not turn away from the sinful objects by which Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to sin, namely, the golden calves at Bethel and at Dan.

vayyomer Adonai el-yehu ya'an asher-hetivota la'asot hayyashar be'enay kekhol asher bilvavi asita levet akhav bene revi'im yeshevu lekha al-kisse yisra'el

GOD said to Jehu, “Because you have acted well and done what was pleasing to Me, having carried out all that I desired upon the House of Ahab, four generations of your descendants shall occupy the throne of Israel.”

veyehu lo shamar lalekhet betorat-Adonai elohe-yisra'el bekhol-levavo lo sar me'al khattovt yarovam asher hekheti et-yisra'el

But Jehu was not careful to follow the Teaching of GOD, the God of Israel, with all his heart; he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

bayyamim hahem hekhel Adonai leqatsot beyisra'el vayyakkem khaza'el bekhol-gevul yisra'el

In those days GOD began to reduce Israel; and Hazael harassed them throughout the territory of Israel

min-hayyarden mizrakh hashemesh et kol-erets haggilad haggadi veharuveni vehamenashi me'aro'er asher-al-nakhal arnon vehaggilad vehabbashan

east of the Jordan, all the land of Gilead—the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites—from Aroer, by the Wadi Arnon, up to Gilead and Bashan.

veyeter divre yehu vekhol-asher asah vekhol-gevurato halo-hem ketuvim al-sefer divre hayyamim lemalkhe yisra'el

The other events of Jehu’s reign, and all his actions, and all his exploits, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Israel.

vayyishkav yehu im-avotayw vayyiqberu oto beshomeron vayyimlokh yeho'akhaz beno takhtayw

Jehu rested with his ancestors and he was buried in Samaria; he was succeeded as king by his son Jehoahaz.

vehayyamim asher malakh yehu al-yisra'el esrim-ushemoneh shanah beshomeron

Jehu reigned over Israel for twenty-eight years in Samaria.