2 Kings 10:18–28

Jehu Destroys the Slaves of Baal

¹⁸Then Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, “^aAhab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much.

¹⁹“So now, ^asummon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his slaves and all his priests; let no one be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal; whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it in ¹cunning, so that he might cause the slaves of Baal to perish.

²⁰And Jehu said, “^aSanctify a solemn assembly for Baal.” And ^bthey summoned them.

²¹Then Jehu sent ¹throughout Israel, and all the slaves of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. So they came into ^athe house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other.

²²Then he said to the one who was ¹in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the slaves of Baal.” So he brought out garments for them.

²³And Jehu came into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab; and he said to the slaves of Baal, “Search and see lest there be here with you any of the slaves of Yahweh, but only the slaves of Baal.”

²⁴Then they came in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.

Now Jehu had placed for himself eighty men outside, and he had said, “^aThe one who permits any of the men whom I cause to come into your hands to escape, ¹shall give up his life in exchange.”

²⁵Now it happened that as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the ^1aguard and to the royal officers, “^bCome in, strike them down; let none come out.” And they struck them down with the edge of the sword; and the ²guard and the royal officers threw them out and went to the ³inner room of the house of Baal.

²⁶And they brought out the sacred ^apillars of the house of Baal and burned them.

²⁷They also broke down the sacred pillar of Baal and broke down the house of Baal and ^amade it a latrine to this day.

²⁸Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.