2 Kings 10:9

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

The next morning, Jehu went out and stood before all the people and said, "You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The next morning when he went out and stood at the gate, he said to all the people, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him. But who struck down all these?

Hebrew Names Version
It happened in the morning, that 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 struck all these?

King James Version
And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?

English Standard Version
Then in the morning, when he went out, he stood and said to all the people, "You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who struck down all these?

New Century Version
In the morning, Jehu went out and stood before the people and said to them, "You are innocent. Look, I made plans against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?

New English Translation
In the morning he went out and stood there. Then he said to all the people, "You are innocent. I conspired against my master and killed him. But who struck down all of these men?

Amplified Bible
The next morning he went out and stood and said to all the people, "You are just and innocent; behold, I conspired against [Joram] my master and killed him, but who killed all these?

New American Standard Bible
Now in the morning he went out and stood and said to all the people, "You are innocent; behold, I conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these?

Geneva Bible (1587)
And when it was day, he went out, & stood and sayd to all the people, Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, & slew him: but who slew all these?

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened in the morning that 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 struck down all these?

Contemporary English Version
The next morning, Jehu went out and stood where everyone could hear him, and he said, "You people are not guilty of anything. I'm the one who plotted against Joram and had him killed. But who killed all these men?

Complete Jewish Bible
When morning came, he went out, stood before the people and said, "You are not responsible [for the deaths of these men]. Yes, I conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?

Darby Translation
And it came to pass in the morning that he went out; and he stood, and said to all the people, Ye are righteous! behold, I conspired against my master and killed him; but who smote all these?

Easy-to-Read Version
In the morning Jehu went out and stood before the people. He said to them, "You are innocent. Look, I made plans against my master. I killed him. But who killed all these sons of Ahab? You killed them.

George Lamsa Translation
And in the morning, he went out and said to all the people, You are righteous; I conspired against my master and slew him; but who slew all these?

Good News Translation
In the morning he went out to the gate and said to the people who were there, "I was the one who plotted against King Joram and killed him; you are not responsible for that. But who killed all these?

Lexham English Bible
It happened in the morning that he went out, stood, and said to all of the people, "You are righteous. Look, I conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all of these?

Literal Translation
And it happened in the morning, he went out and stood, and said to all the people, You are righteous. Behold, I have conspired against my lord, and have killed him. But who struck all these?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And on the morow whan he wente forth, he stode, and sayde vnto all the people: Are ye righteous? Beholde, I haue made an appoyntmet against my lorde, and slayne him, who hath slayne all these then?

American Standard Version
And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye are righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him; but who smote all these?

Bible in Basic English
And in the morning he went out and, stopping, said to all the people there, You are upright men: it is true that I made designs against my master, and put him to death; but who is responsible for the death of all these?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when it was day, he went out, and stoode, and sayde to al the folke, Ye be righteous: Behold, I conspired against my maister, and slue him: But who slue all these?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people: 'Ye are righteous; behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him; but who smote all these?

King James Version (1611)
And it came to passe in the morning, that he went out, & stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: But who slew all these?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the morning came, and he went forth, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye are righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?

English Revised Version
And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who smote all these?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne it was cleer dai, he yede out, and stood, and seide to al the puple, Ye ben iust men; if Y conspiride ayens my lord, and killide hym, who killide alle these?

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass in the morning, that he goeth out, and standeth, and saith unto all the people, `Righteous are ye; lo, I have conspired against my lord, and slay him -- and who smote all these?

Update Bible Version
And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, You are righteous: look, I conspired against my master, and slew him; but who smote all these?

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye [are] righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?

World English Bible
It happened in the morning, that 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 struck all these?

New King James Version
So it was, in the morning, that he went out and stood, and said to all the people, "You are righteous. Indeed I conspired against my master and killed him; but who killed all these?

New Living Translation
In the morning he went out and spoke to the crowd that had gathered around them. "You are not to blame," he told them. "I am the one who conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?

New Life Bible
In the morning Jehu went out and stood, and said to all the people, "You are without guilt. See, I made plans against my owner and killed him. But who killed all these?

New Revised Standard
Then in the morning when he went out, he stood and said to all the people, "You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him; but who struck down all these?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And it came to pass, in the morning, that he went out and took his stand, and said unto all the people, Righteous, are, ye! Lo! I, conspired against my lord, and slew him, but, who, smote, all these?

Douay-Rheims Bible
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?

Revised Standard Version
Then in the morning, when he went out, he stood, and said to all the people, "You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master, and slew him; but who struck down all these?

THE MESSAGE
In the morning Jehu came out, stood before the people, and addressed them formally: "Do you realize that this very day you are participants in God 's righteous workings? True, I am the one who conspired against my master and assassinated him. But who, do you suppose, is responsible for this pile of skulls? Know this for certain: Not a single syllable that God spoke in judgment on the family of Ahab is canceled; you're seeing it with your own eyes— God doing what, through Elijah, he said he'd do."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now in the morning he went out and stood and said to all the people, "You are innocent; behold, I conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these?

Contextual Overview

¹Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying: ²"When this letter arrives, since your master's sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weaponry, ³select the best and most worthy son of your master, set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house." ⁴But they were terrified and reasoned, "If two kings could not stand against him, how can we?" ⁵So the palace administrator, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: "We are your servants, and we will do whatever you say. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your sight." ⁶Then Jehu wrote them a second letter and said: "If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, then bring the heads of your master's sons to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow." Now the king's sons, seventy in all, were being brought up by the leading men of the city. ⁷And when the letter arrived, they took the king's sons and slaughtered all seventy of them, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. ⁸When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons." And Jehu ordered, "Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning." ⁹The next morning, Jehu went out and stood before all the people and said, "You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?¹⁰Know, then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail, for the LORD has done what He promised through His servant Elijah."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ye be righteous: 1 Samuel 12:3, Isaiah 5:3

I conspired: 2 Kings 9:14-24, Hosea 1:4

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 10:7 - slew seventy

Cross-References

Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and afterward as well, when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.

Genesis 6:11
Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and full of violence.

Genesis 13:13
But the men of Sodom were wicked, sinning greatly against the LORD.

Genesis 25:27
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.

Genesis 27:30
As soon as Isaac had finished blessing him and Jacob had left his father's presence, his brother Esau returned from the hunt.

2 Chronicles 28:22
In the time of his distress, King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD.

Psalms 52:7
"Look at the man who did not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his wealth and strengthened himself by destruction."

Jeremiah 16:16
But for now I will send for many fishermen, declares the LORD, and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill, even from the clefts of the rocks.

Ezekiel 13:18
and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their wrists and make veils for the heads of people of every height, in order to ensnare their souls. Will you ensnare the souls of My people but preserve your own?

Micah 7:2
The godly man has perished from the earth; there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt each other with a net.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people,.... Who were gathered together to this shocking sight, or on the above accounts:

ye be righteous; having had no concern in taking off the heads of those men:

behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him; I own it, and some may blame me for it, and charge me with treason and murder:

but who slew all these? not he, but the chief men of Samaria, and therefore must be more guilty than he, having shed the blood of so many persons, who had not offended against God and man to so great a degree as Joram; this he said to lessen his own sin, and wipe off the reproach of it, that his character might appear fairer in the eyes of the people, concealing, at the same time, his orders for the slaying of them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ye be righteous - i. e., “Ye are just, and can judge aright.” Jehu unfairly keeps back the fact that he had commanded the execution.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 10:9. Ye be righteous — Another irony, intended partly to excuse himself, and to involve them in the odium of this massacre, and at the same time to justify the conduct of both, by showing that all was done according to the commandment of the Lord.