2 Kings 10–12

10TH CHAPTER

Jehu Kills King Ahab’s and King Ahaziah’s Heirs

¹Ahab had 70 male heirs in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters to the officials of Jezreel, the respected leaders, and the guardians of Ahab’s descendants in Samaria. The letters read, ²“Your master’s heirs are with you, and you have chariots, horses, fortified cities, and weapons. As soon as this letter reaches you, ³choose the best and most honest of your master’s heirs, and put him on Ahab’s throne. Fight for your master’s family.” 

⁴But they panicked. They said, “If two kings couldn’t stand up to him, how can we stand up to him?” ⁵So the official in charge of the palace, the mayor of the city, the respected leaders, and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servants. We’ll do everything you tell us. We won’t make anyone king. Do what you think is best.” 

⁶So he wrote them a second letter. It read, “If you are on my side and ready to listen to me, bring the heads of your master’s heirs to me in Jezreel about this time tomorrow.” 

The 70 male heirs were staying with the city’s most powerful men. These men had raised them. ⁷When the letter came to the men, they slaughtered all 70 heirs. They put the heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. ⁸A messenger told him, “They’ve brought the heads of the king’s heirs.” 

Jehu said, “Put them in two piles at the entrance to the gateway until morning.” ⁹In the morning he stood there. He told the people, “You are innocent. I plotted against my master and killed him. But who killed all these men? ¹⁰You can be sure that the Lord’s word spoken about Ahab’s family will be fulfilled. The Lord will do what he said through his servant Elijah.” 

¹¹Jehu also killed every member of Ahab’s household who was left in Jezreel: all the most powerful men, friends, and priests. Not one of them was left. 

¹²Then Jehu left for Samaria. When he came to Beth Eked of the Shepherds, ¹³he found some relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah. “Who are you?” he asked. 

They answered, “We’re Ahaziah’s relatives. We’ve come to greet the families of the king and the queen mother.” 

¹⁴Jehu ordered, “Capture them!” 

⸤Jehu’s men⸥ captured and slaughtered 42 of them at a cistern near Beth Eked. They didn’t leave any survivors. 

¹⁵When he left that place, he met Jehonadab, son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked, “Are you as loyal to me as I am to you?” 

“I am,” Jehonadab answered. 

⸤So Jehu said,⸥ “If you are, give me your hand.” 

When he gave Jehu his hand, Jehu helped him up into the chariot. ¹⁶Jehu said, “Come with me. See how devoted I am to the Lord.” So he had Jehonadab ride on his chariot. ¹⁷When they arrived in Samaria, Jehu killed the rest of Ahab’s family, every member who was left in Samaria. He wiped them out, as the Lord had told Elijah. 

Jehu Kills Baal’s Prophets

¹⁸Then Jehu brought all the people together. He said, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot. ¹⁹Summon all the prophets, servants, and priests of Baal. Make sure no one is missing because I have a great sacrifice to offer Baal. Whoever is missing will not live.” (Jehu was deceiving ⸤them⸥. He actually wanted to destroy those who worshiped Baal.) 

²⁰Jehu said, “Call a holy assembly to honor Baal.” So they did. ²¹Jehu sent messengers to all the Israelites. All the worshipers of Baal came, and there wasn’t one who didn’t come. They went into the temple of Baal and filled it from one end to the other. 

²²Then Jehu told the man in charge of the priests’ robes, “Bring out the robes for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them. ²³Jehu and Jehonadab, son of Rechab, went into the temple of Baal and said to the worshipers of Baal, “Make sure that there are no worshipers of the Lord here with you. Only the worshipers of Baal should be here.” ²⁴So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. But Jehu had stationed 80 of his men outside. He said ⸤to them⸥, “If any of the people I’m putting in your hands escape, you will pay for their lives with yours.” 

²⁵When the burnt offerings had been made, Jehu said to the guards and attendants, “Kill them. Don’t let anyone get away.” So they used swords to kill the Baal worshipers and threw out the bodies until the guards and attendants came to the stronghold in the temple of Baal. ²⁶Then they brought out the large sacred stone of the temple of Baal and burned it. ²⁷They destroyed the sacred stone of Baal and the temple of Baal and made it into a latrine. It is still a latrine today. 

²⁸So Jehu got rid of Baal worship throughout Israel. ²⁹But Jehu did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) led Israel to commit—⸤the worship of⸥ the golden calves that were at Bethel and Dan. 

³⁰The Lord said to Jehu, “You did what I consider right, and you did it well. You did everything I wanted done to Ahab’s family. That is why four generations of your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel.” 

³¹But Jehu didn’t wholeheartedly obey the teachings of the Lord God of Israel. He didn’t turn away from the sins that Jeroboam led Israel to commit. ³²So in those days the Lord began to take away some of Israel’s territory. Hazael defeated Jehu’s army throughout Israel’s territory ³³east of the Jordan River: the entire region of Gilead (the territory belonging to Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh) from Aroer, which is near the Arnon River, to Gilead and Bashan. 

³⁴Isn’t everything else about Jehu—everything he did, all his heroic acts—written in the official records of the kings of Israel? ³⁵Jehu lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king. ³⁶Jehu ruled as king of Israel in Samaria for 28 years. 

11TH CHAPTER

The Priest Jehoiada Opposes Queen Athaliah—2 Chronicles 22:10–23:21

¹When Ahaziah’s mother, Athaliah, saw that her son was dead, she began to destroy the entire royal family. ²But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Ahaziah’s son Joash. She saved him from being killed with the king’s other sons, and in a bedroom she hid him and his nurse from Athaliah. So Joash wasn’t killed ³but was hidden with her in the Lord’s temple for six years while Athaliah ruled the country. 

⁴In the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, Jehoiada sent for the company commanders of the Carites and the guards and had them come to him in the Lord’s temple. He made an agreement with them, put them under oath in the Lord’s temple, and showed them the king’s son. ⁵He ordered them, “This is what you must do: One third of you, those who are on duty on the day of rest—a holy day, must guard the royal palace. ⁶Another third must be at Sur Gate. And another third must be at the gate behind the guards. You will guard the king’s residence.⁷Then your two groups who ⸤normally⸥ go off duty on the day of rest—a holy day, must guard the king at the Lord’s temple. ⁸Surround the king. Each man should have his weapons in his hand. Kill anyone who tries to break through your ranks. Stay with the king wherever he goes.” 

⁹The company commanders did as the priest Jehoiada had ordered them. Each commander took his men who were coming on duty on the day of rest—a holy day, as well as those who were about to go off duty and came to the priest Jehoiada. ¹⁰He gave the commanders the spears and the shields that had belonged to King David but were now in the Lord’s temple. ¹¹The guards stood with their weapons in their hands. They were stationed around the king and around the altar and the temple (from the south side to the north side of the temple). ¹²Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, gave him the crown and the religious instructions, and made him king by anointing him. As the guards clapped their hands, they said, “Long live the king!” 

¹³When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the other people, she went into the Lord’s temple, where the people were. ¹⁴She looked, and the king was standing by the pillar according to custom. The commanders and the trumpeters were by his side. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. As Athaliah tore her clothes ⸤in distress⸥, she cried, “Treason, treason!” 

¹⁵Then the priest Jehoiada ordered the company commanders who were in charge of the army, “Take her out of the temple. Use your sword to kill anyone who follows her.” (The priest had said, “She must not be killed in the Lord’s temple.”) ¹⁶So they arrested her as she came to the street where the horses enter the royal palace, and there she was killed. 

¹⁷Jehoiada made a promise to the Lord on behalf of the king and his people that they would be the Lord’s people. He made other promises between the king and the people. ¹⁸Then all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed Baal’s altars and his statues and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars. 

Next, the priest appointed officials to be in charge of the Lord’s temple. ¹⁹He took the company commanders of the Carites and the guards and all the people of the land, and they brought the king from the Lord’s temple. They went down the street that goes through Guards’ Gate to the royal palace. Then Joash sat on the royal throne. ²⁰All the people of the land were celebrating. But the city was quiet because they had killed Athaliah with a sword at the royal palace.^b

King Joash of Judah—2 Chronicles 24:1–23

²¹Joash^cwas seven years old when he began to rule. 

12TH CHAPTER^a

¹Joash began to rule in Jehu’s seventh year as king of Israel, and he ruled for 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Zibiah from Beersheba. ²Joash did what the Lord considered right, as long as the priest Jehoiada instructed him. ³But the illegal places of worship weren’t torn down. The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense at these worship sites. 

⁴Joash told the priests, “⸤Collect⸥ all the holy contributions that are brought into the Lord’s temple—the money each person is currently required to…