1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and to those who brought up Ahab’s sons, saying, 2 "Now as soon as this letter comes to you, since your master’s sons are with you, and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and armor, 3 Select the best and fittest of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house."

4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, "Behold, the two kings didn’t stand before him! How then shall we stand?" 5 He who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders also, and those who raised the children, sent to Jehu, saying, "We are your servants, and will do all that you ask us. We will not make any man king. You do that which is good in your eyes."

6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, "If you are on my side, and if you will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men who are your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time."

Now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who brought them up. 7 When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and killed them, even seventy people, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Jezreel. 8 A messenger came and told him, "They have brought the heads of the king’s sons."

He said, "Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning." 9 In the morning, he went out and stood, and said to all the people, "You are righteous. Behold, I conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? 10 Know now that nothing will fall to the earth of Yahweh’s word, which Yahweh spoke concerning Ahab’s house. For Yahweh has done that which he spoke by his servant Elijah."

11 So Jehu struck all that remained of Ahab’s house in Jezreel, with all his great men, his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him no one remaining.

12 He arose and departed, and went to Samaria. As he was at the shearing house of the shepherds on the way, 13 Jehu met with the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, "Who are you?"

They answered, "We are the brothers of Ahaziah. We are going down to greet the children of the king and the children of the queen."

14 He said, "Take them alive!"

They took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, even forty-two men. He didn’t leave any of them.

15 When he had departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. He greeted him, and said to him, "Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?"

Jehonadab answered, "It is."

"If it is, give me your hand." He gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot. 16 He said, "Come with me, and see my zeal for Yahweh." So they made him ride in his chariot. 17 When he came to Samaria, he struck all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed them, according to Yahweh’s word which he spoke to Elijah.

18 Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, "Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all of his worshipers, and all of his priests. Let no one be absent, for I have a great sacrifice to Baal. Whoever is absent, he shall not live." But Jehu did deceptively, intending to destroy the worshipers of Baal.

20 Jehu said, "Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal!"

So they proclaimed it. 21 Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that didn’t come. They came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another. 22 He said to him who kept the wardrobe, "Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal!"

So he brought robes out to them. 23 Jehu went with Jehonadab the son of Rechab into the house of Baal. Then he said to the worshipers of Baal, "Search, and see that none of the servants of Yahweh are here with you, but only the worshipers of Baal."

24 So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had appointed for himself eighty men outside, and said, "If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape, he who lets him go, his life shall be for the life of him."

25 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, "Go in and kill them! Let no one escape." So they struck them with the edge of the sword. The guard and the captains threw the bodies out, and went to the inner shrine of the house of Baal. 26 They brought out the pillars that were in the house of Baal and burned them. 27 They broke down the pillar of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a latrine, to this day. 28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

29 However, Jehu didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin—the golden calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan. 30 Yahweh said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in executing that which is right in my eyes, and have done to Ahab’s house according to all that was in my heart, your descendants shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation."

31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of Yahweh, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel to sin.

32 In those days Yahweh began to cut away parts of Israel; and Hazael struck them in all the borders of Israel 33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan. 34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 35 Jehu slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria. Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place. 36 The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

1 E Acabe tinha setenta filhos em Samaria. Jeú escreveu cartas, e as enviou a Samaria, aos chefes de Jizreel, aos anciãos e aos aios dos filhos de Acabe, dizendo:

2 Logo, em chegando a vós esta carta, pois estão convosco os filhos de vosso senhor, como também os carros, os cavalos, a cidade fortalecida e as armas,

3 Olhai pelo melhor e mais reto dos filhos de vosso senhor, o qual ponde sobre o trono de seu pai, e pelejai pela casa de vosso senhor.

4 Porém eles temeram muitíssimo, e disseram: Eis que dois reis não puderam resistir a ele; como, pois, poderemos nós resistir-lhe?

5 Então o que tinha cargo da casa, e o que tinha cargo da cidade, os anciãos e os aios mandaram dizer a Jeú: Teus servos somos, e tudo quanto nos disseres faremos; a ninguém constituiremos rei; faze o que parecer bom aos teus olhos.

6 Então segunda vez lhes escreveu outra carta, dizendo: Se fordes meus, e ouvirdes a minha voz, tomai as cabeças dos homens, filhos de vosso senhor, e vinde a mim amanhã, a este tempo, a Jizreel (os filhos do rei, setenta homens, estavam com os grandes da cidade, que os mantinham).

7 Sucedeu que, chegada a eles a carta, tomaram os filhos do rei, e os mataram, setenta homens e puseram as suas cabeças nuns cestos, e lhas mandaram a Jizreel.

8 E um mensageiro veio, e lhe anunciou dizendo: Trouxeram as cabeças dos filhos do rei. E ele disse: Ponde-as em dois montões à entrada da porta, até amanhã.

9 E sucedeu que, pela manhã, saindo ele, parou, e disse a todo o povo: Vós sois justos; eis que eu conspirei contra o meu senhor, e o matei; mas quem feriu a todos estes?

10 Sabei, pois, agora que, da palavra do Senhor que o Senhor falou contra a casa de Acabe, nada cairá em terra, porque o Senhor tem feito o que falou pelo ministério de seu servo Elias.

11 Também Jeú feriu a todos os restantes da casa de Acabe em Jizreel, como também a todos os seus grandes, os seus conhecidos e seus sacerdotes, até não deixar nenhum restante.

12 Então se levantou e partiu, e foi a Samaria. E, estando no caminho, em Bete-Equede dos pastores,

13 Jeú achou os irmãos de Acazias, rei de Judá, e disse: Quem sois vós? E eles disseram: Os irmãos de Acazias somos; e descemos a saudar os filhos do rei e os filhos da rainha.

14 Então disse ele: Apanhai-os vivos. E eles os apanharam vivos, e os mataram junto ao poço de Bete-Equede, quarenta e dois homens; e a nenhum deles deixou ficar.

15 E, partindo dali, encontrou a Jonadabe, filho de Recabe, que lhe vinha ao encontro, o qual saudou e lhe disse: Reto é o teu coração para comigo, como o meu o é para contigo? E disse Jonadabe: É. Então, se é, dá-me a mão. E deu-lhe a mão, e Jeú fê-lo subir consigo ao carro.

16 E disse: Vai comigo, e verás o meu zelo para com o Senhor. E o puseram no seu carro.

17 E, chegando a Samaria, feriu a todos os que ficaram de Acabe em Samaria, até que os destruiu, conforme a palavra que o Senhor dissera a Elias.

18 E ajuntou Jeú a todo o povo, e disse-lhe: Pouco serviu Acabe a Baal; Jeú, porém, muito o servirá.

19 Por isso chamai-me agora todos os profetas de Baal, todos os seus servos e todos os seus sacerdotes; não falte nenhum, porque tenho um grande sacrifício a Baal; todo aquele que faltar não viverá. Porém Jeú fazia isto com astúcia, para destruir os servos de Baal.

20 Disse mais Jeú: Consagrai a Baal uma assembléia solene. E a apregoaram.

21 Também Jeú enviou por todo o Israel; e vieram todos os servos de Baal, e nenhum homem deles ficou que não viesse; e entraram na casa de Baal, e encheu-se a casa de Baal, de um lado ao outro.

22 Então disse ao que tinha cargo das vestimentas: Tira as vestimentas para todos os servos de Baal. E ele lhes tirou para fora as vestimentas.

23 E entrou Jeú com Jonadabe, filho de Recabe, na casa de Baal, e disse aos servos de Baal: Examinai, e vede bem, que porventura nenhum dos servos do Senhor aqui haja convosco, senão somente os servos de Baal.

24 E, entrando eles a fazerem sacrifícios e holocaustos, Jeú preparou da parte de fora oitenta homens, e disse-lhes: Se escapar algum dos homens que eu entregar em vossas mãos, a vossa vida será pela vida dele.

25 E sucedeu que, acabando de fazer o holocausto, disse Jeú aos da sua guarda e aos capitães: Entrai, feri-os, não escape nenhum. E os feriram ao fio da espada; e os da guarda e os capitães os lançaram fora, e entraram no mais interior da casa de Baal.

26 E tiraram as estátuas da casa de Baal, e as queimaram.

27 Também quebraram a estátua de Baal; e derrubaram a casa de Baal, e fizeram dela latrinas, até ao dia de hoje.

28 E assim Jeú destruiu a Baal de Israel.

29 Porém não se apartou Jeú de seguir os pecados de Jeroboão, filho de Nebate, com que fez pecar a Israel, a saber: dos bezerros de ouro, que estavam em Betel e em Dã.

30 Por isso disse o Senhor a Jeú: Porquanto bem agiste em fazer o que é reto aos meus olhos e, conforme tudo quanto eu tinha no meu coração, fizeste à casa de Acabe, teus filhos, até à quarta geração, se assentarão no trono de Israel.

31 Mas Jeú não teve cuidado de andar com todo o seu coração na lei do Senhor Deus de Israel, nem se apartou dos pecados de Jeroboão, com que fez pecar a Israel.

32 Naqueles dias começou o Senhor a diminuir os termos de Israel; porque Hazael os feriu em todas as fronteiras de Israel.

33 Desde o Jordão até ao nascente do sol, a toda a terra de Gileade; os gaditas, os rubenitas e os manassitas, desde Aroer, que está junto ao ribeiro de Arnom, a saber, Gileade e Basã.

34 Ora o mais dos atos de Jeú, tudo quanto fez e todo o seu poder, porventura não está escrito no livro das crônicas de Israel?

35 E Jeú dormiu com seus pais, e o sepultaram em Samaria; e Jeoacaz, seu filho, reinou em seu lugar.

36 E os dias que Jeú reinou sobre Israel, em Samaria, foram vinte e oito anos.