Episode 151: Seventy heads in two heaps

2 Kings 10

Jehu kills Ahab's sons

10 ¹ Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria.

Jehu wrote letters to the rulers of Samaria in Jezreel, saying,

³ Find the best of Ahab's descendants and make him king.

Then get ready to defend Ahab's family.

⁴ This frightened the Samarians, who said to themselves,

Jehu has already killed two kings. He'll do the same to us.

⁵ So they sent a message to Jehu, saying,

We are your servants and will do whatever you say.

We won't make anyone king. Do whatever you think is best.

⁶ Jehu said to them, “Bring me the heads of Ahab's seventy sons tomorrow.”

⁷ So they killed Ahab's 70 sons, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu.

⁸ When the heads arrived, Jehu said, “Pile the heads into two heaps.”

Jehu kills Ahab's relatives in Jezreel

⁹ Jehu said to all the people,

You are all righteous, but I killed my master.

But who killed all these guys? (Ahab's seventy sons)

¹⁰ Now God's going to have all of Ahab's family killed, like he said to Elijah.

¹¹ So Jehu killed all of Ahab's family and priests in Jezreel.

Jehu kills 42 of Ahaziah's family

¹² Then Jehu went to Samaria and met the relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah. He asked them, “Who are you?”

¹³ They answered, “We are Ahaziah's relatives.”

¹⁴ Jehu said, “Take them alive and kill them.”

And they killed all 42 of them.

Jehu and Jehonadab kill Ahab's Samaritan relatives

¹⁵ As Jehu was leaving, he saw Jehonadab coming to meet him.

Jehu saluted him, and said, “Is your heart true, as mine is with yours?”

Jehonadab said, “It is. Give me your hand.”

And Jehu gave him his hand and lifted him into his chariot.

¹⁶ Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.”

So Jehonadab rode off in Jehu's chariot.

¹⁷ When they arrived in Samaria, they killed all of Ahab's remaining family, according to God's words to Elijah.

Jehu kills the followers of Baal

^18-19 Jehu gathered all the people and said to them,

Call all the prophets, servants, and priests of Baal, because I will have a great sacrifice to Baal. Any of Baal's followers that refuse to come will be killed.

(Jehu was lying so he could kill the worshipers of Baal.)

²¹ So the assembly for Baal was proclaimed. And all of Baal's followers came.

²⁴ Jehu said to eighty of his men,

Kill all of the worshipers of Baal. Whoever lets any of them escape will be killed.

²⁵ Then Jehu made his burnt offering to Baal.

After the sacrifice, his men killed all the followers of Baal.

²⁶ Then they burned the images of Baal. ²⁷ And made the house of Baal a latrine. It’s still a latrine today.

Jehu dies

³⁰ God said to Jehu,

You have done what is right in my eyes.

You did to Ahab all that was in my heart.

So your children, to the fourth generation, will be kings of Israel.

³¹ But Jehu didn't obey God with all his heart.

³⁵ He sinned like Jeroboam and caused Israel to sin.

When Jehu died, his son, Jehoahaz, replaced him as Israel's king.