2 Kings 10

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW JERUSALEM
1 And Achab had seventy sons in Samaria: so Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, to the chief men of the city, and to the ancients, and to them that brought up Achab's children, saying:	1 There were seventy of Ahab's sons in Samaria. Jehu sent to Samaria, to the authorities of the city, tothe elders and to the guardians of Ahab's children. He said,
2 As soon as you receive these letters, ye that have your master's sons, and chariots, and horses, and fenced cities, and armour,	2 'Now, when this letter reaches you, you have your master's sons with you; you also have chariots andhorses, a fortified city and weapons.
3 Choose the best, and him that shall please you most of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for the house of your master.	3 See which of your master's sons is the best and worthiest, put him on his father's throne and fight for your master's dynasty!'
4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said: Behold two kings could not stand before him, and how shall we be able to resist?	4 They were utterly terrified. 'We have seen how the two kings could not stand up to him,' they said, 'sohow could we?'
5 Therefore the overseers of the house, and the rulers of the city, and the ancients, and the tutors sent to Jehu, saying: We are thy servants, whatsoever thou shalt command us we will do, neither will we make us a king: do thou all that pleaseth thee.	5 Consequently the master of the palace, the governor of the city, the elders and the guardians sentword to Jehu, 'We are your servants. We shal do whatever you order us. We shall not proclaim a king; act asyou think best.'
6 And he wrote letters the second time to them, saying: If you be mine, and will obey me, take the heads of the sons of your master, and come to me to Jezrahel by to morrow this time. Now the king's sons, being seventy men, were brought up with the chief men of the city.	6 Jehu then wrote them a second letter. He said, 'If you are for me and if you are prepared to acceptorders from me, take the heads of the men of your master's family and come to me at Jezreel by this timetomorrow.' (There were seventy of Ahab's sons being educated there by the leading men of the city.)
7 And when the letters came to them, they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Jezrahel.	7 When this letter reached them, they took the king's sons and butchered al seventy of them, put theirheads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel.
8 And a messenger came, and told him, saying: They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said: Lay ye them in two heaps by the entering in of the gate until the morning.	8 The messenger came and told Jehu, 'They have brought the heads of the king's sons.' 'Leave them intwo heaps at the entrance to the gate until morning,' he replied.
9 And when it was light, he went out, and standing said to all the people: You are just: if I conspired against my master, and slew him, who hath slain all these?	9 When morning came, he went out and, standing, said to all the people, 'No guilt attaches to you! I didindeed plot against my master and have kil ed him; but what about al these? Who struck them?
10 See therefore now that there hath not fallen to the ground any of the words of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Achab, and the Lord hath done that which he spoke in the hand of his servant Elias.	10 Know, then, that nothing will fail to be fulfil ed of the prophecy uttered by Yahweh against the Houseof Ahab; Yahweh has done what he said through his servant Elijah.'
11 So Jehu slew all that were left of the house of Achab in Jezrahel, and all his chief men, and his friends, and his priests, till there were no remains left of him.	11 Jehu then kil ed every member of the House of Ahab surviving in Jezreel, all his leading men, hisclose friends, his priests; he did not leave a single one alive.
12 And he arose, and went to Samaria: and when he was come to the shepherds' cabin in the way,	12 Jehu then set out for Samaria. As he was on his way, at Beth-Eked of the Shepherds,
13 He met with the brethren of Ochozias king of Juda, and he said to them: Who are you? And they answered: We are the brethren of Ochozias, and are come down to salute the sons of the king, and the sons of the queen.	13 he met the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah. 'Who are you?' he asked. 'We are Ahaziah's brothers,'they replied, 'and we are on our way to pay our respects to the king's sons and the queen mother's sons.'
14 And he said: Take them alive. And they took them alive, and killed them at the pit by the cabin, two and forty men, and he left not any of them.	14 'Take them alive,' he said. They took them alive, and he slaughtered them at the storage-wel of Beth-Eked, forty-two of them; he did not spare a single one.
15 And when he was departed thence, he found Jonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him, and he blessed him. And he said to him: Is thy heart right as my heart is with thy heart? And Jonadab said: It is. If it be, said he, give me thy hand. He gave him his hand. And he lifted him up to him into the chariot,	15 Leaving there, he came on Jehonadab son of Rechab who was on his way to meet him. He greetedhim and said, 'Is your heart true to mine, as my heart is to yours?' Jehonadab replied, 'Yes.' 'If so,' Jehu said,'give me your hand.' Jehonadab gave him his hand, and Jehu took him up beside him in his chariot.
16 And he said to him: Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord. So he made him ride in his chariot,	16 'Come with me,' he said, 'and witness my zeal for Yahweh,' and took him along in his chariot.
17 And brought him into Samaria. And he slew all that were left of Achab in Samaria, to a man, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Elias.	17 When he entered Samaria, he kil ed al the survivors of Ahab's family there; he destroyed it, asYahweh had told Elijah it would happen.
18 And Jehu gathered together all the people, and said to them: Achab worshipped Baal a little, but I will worship him more.	18 Then Jehu assembled al the people. 'Ahab did Baal some smal service,' he said, 'but Jehu wil dohim a great one.
19 Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, and all his servants, and all his priests: let none be wanting, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal: whosoever shall be wanting shall not live. Now Jehu did this craftily, that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.	19 Now cal me al the prophets of Baal and al his priests. Not one is to be absent: I have a greatsacrifice to offer to Baal. If anyone is absent, he wil forfeit his life.' This was a trick on Jehu's part to destroy thedevotees of Baal.
20 And he said: Proclaim a festival for Baal. And he called,	20 'Summon a sacred assembly for Baal,' he commanded; and they summoned it.
21 And he sent into all the borders of Israel, and all the servants of Baal came: there was not one left that did not come. And they went into the temple of Baal: and the house of Baal was filled, from one end to the other.	21 Jehu sent messengers throughout Israel, and all the devotees of Baal arrived, not a man was left whodid not attend. They crowded into the temple of Baal until it was full from wal to wall.
22 And he said to them that were over the wardrobe: Bring forth garments for all the servants of Baal. And they brought them forth garments.	22 Jehu then said to the keeper of the wardrobe, 'Bring out vestments for al the devotees of Baal'; hebrought out the vestments for them.
23 And Jehu and Jonadab the son of Rechab went to the temple of Baal, and said to the worshippers of Baal: Search, and see that there be not any with you of the servants of the Lord, but that there be the servants of Baal only.	23 Jehu then went into the temple of Baal with Jehonadab son of Rechab and said to Baal's devotees,'Make quite sure that there are no devotees of Yahweh in here with you, but only devotees of Baal.'
24 And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings: but Jehu had prepared him fourscore men without, and said to them: If any of the men escape, whom I have brought into your hands, he that letteth him go shall answer life for life.	24 He then proceeded to present sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty of hismen outside, having said, 'Whoever lets one of the people go whom I am now putting within your clutches, wilpay for it with his life.'
25 And it came to pass, when the burnt offering was ended, that Jehu commanded his soldiers and captains, saying: Go in, and kill them, let none escape. And the soldiers and captains slew them with the edge of the sword, and cast them out: and they went into the city of the temple of Baal,	25 When he had finished making the burnt offering, he gave the order to the guards and equerries, 'Goin, strike them down! Let no one out!' The guards and equerries went in, putting everyone to the sword al theway to the sanctuary of Baal's temple.
26 And brought the statue out of Baal's temple, and burnt it,	26 They took the sacred pole out of Baal's temple and burned it.
27 And broke it in pieces. They destroyed also the temple of Baal, and made a jakes in its place unto this day.	27 They demolished Baal's image and demolished Baal's temple too, making it into a latrine, which it stilis today.
28 So Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel:	28 Thus Jehu rid Israel of Baal.
29 But yet he departed not from the sills of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who made Israel to sin, nor did he forsake the golden calves that were in Bethel and Dan.	29 Even so, Jehu did not give up the sins into which Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel, the goldencalves of Bethel and Dan.
30 And the Lord said to Jehu: Because thou hast diligently executed that which was right and pleasing in my eyes, and hast done to the house of Achab according to all that was in my heart: thy children shall sit upon the throne of Israel to the fourth Generation.	30 Yahweh said to Jehu, 'Since you have done wel in carrying out what pleases me, and have doneeverything I required to be done to the House of Ahab, your sons wil occupy the throne of Israel down to thefourth generation.'
31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord the God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, who had made Israel to sin.	31 Jehu, however, did not faithful y and wholeheartedly fol ow the law of Yahweh, God of Israel; he didnot give up the sins into which Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel.
32 In those days the Lord began to he weary of Israel: and Hazael ravaged them in all the coasts of Israel,	32 At that time Yahweh began to whittle Israel down, and Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout theterritory east of the Jordan:
33 From the Jordan eastward, all the land of Galaad, and Gad, and Ruben, and Manasses, from Aroer, which is upon the torrent Amen, and Galaad, and Basan.	33 the whole territory of Gilead -- of the Gadites, the Reubenites and the Manassehites -- from Aroer onthe River Arnon: Gilead and Bashan.
34 But the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and his strength, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?	34 The rest of the history of Jehu, his entire career, al his prowess, is this not recorded in the Book ofthe Annals of the Kings of Israel?
35 And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria: and Joachaz his son reigned in his stead.	35 Then he fel asleep with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria; his son Jehoahaz succeeded him.
36 And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel, in Samaria, was eight and twenty years.	36 Jehu's reign over Israel in Samaria lasted twenty-eight years.