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Now Ahab had seventy sons in ^(C1)Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the officials of Jezreel, the elders, and to the guardians of the children of Ahab, saying,

"And now, ^(C1)when this letter comes to you, since your master's sons are with you, ^(F1)as well as the chariots and horses, and a fortified city and the weapons,

select the best and most capable of your master's sons and seat him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house."

But they feared greatly and said, "Behold, ^(C1)the two kings did not stand firm before him; how then can we stand?"

And the one who was in charge of the household, and the one who was in charge of the city, and the elders, and the guardians of the children, sent word to Jehu, saying, "^(C1)We are your servants, and everything that you tell us we will do. We will not appoint any man king; do what is good in your sight."

Then he wrote them a letter a second time, saying, "If you are on my side, and will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men, your master's sons, and come to me at Jezreel about this time tomorrow." Now the king's sons, seventy men, were with the great people of the city, who were raising them.

When the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and ^(C1)slaughtered them, seventy men, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezreel.

When the messenger came and informed him, saying, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons," he said, "Put them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning."

Now in the morning he went out and stood and said to all the people, "You are ^(F1)innocent; behold, ^(C1)I conspired against my master and killed him, but ^(C2)who ^(F2)killed all these?

"Know then that ^(C1)nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, shall ^(F1)fall to the earth, for the LORD has done ^(C2)what He spoke ^(F2)through His servant Elijah."

So Jehu ^(F1)killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in ^(C1)Jezreel, and all his great men, his acquaintances, and his priests, until he left him without a survivor.

Then he set out and ^(F1)went to Samaria. On the way while he was at ^(F2)Beth-eked of the shepherds,

^(C1)Jehu ^(F1)encountered the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah, and he said, "Who are you?" And they ^(F2)answered, "We are the relatives of Ahaziah; and we have come down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother."

Then he said, "Take them alive." So they took them alive, and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.

Now when he had gone from there, he ^(F1)encountered ^(C1)Jehonadab the son of ^(C2)Rechab coming to meet him; and he ^(F2)greeted him and said to him, "Is your heart right, just as my heart is with your heart?" And Jehonadab ^(F3)answered, "It is." Jehu said, "If it is, ^(C3)give me your hand." And he gave him his hand, and he pulled him up to him into the chariot.

Then he said, "Come with me and ^(C1)see my zeal for the LORD." So ^(F1)he had him ride in his chariot.

When he came to Samaria, ^(C1)he ^(F1)killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had eliminated ^(F2)them, ^(C2)in accordance with the word of the LORD which He spoke to Elijah.