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.

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