Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, July 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

2 Kings 10:14

"Take them alive!" Jehu said to his officers. So they grabbed them and led them to the well near the shepherds' meeting place, where they killed all forty-two of them.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ahaziah;   Enthusiasm;   Homicide;   Jehu;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Kill, Killing;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Jehu;   Shearing-House;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jezreel (1);   Shearing House;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Beth-Eked;   Shearing House;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Jehu;   Shearing-House, the;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Shearing-House;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jehu;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Shearing-House, the,;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Jehu;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Jehu;   Judah, Kingdom of;   Shearing House;   Sheep-Shearing;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Jehu ordered, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive and then slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked—forty-two men. He didn’t spare any of them.
Hebrew Names Version
He said, Take them alive. They took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing-house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.
King James Version
And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.
English Standard Version
He said, "Take them alive." And they took them alive and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two persons, and he spared none of them.
New Century Version
Then Jehu said, "Take them alive!" So they captured Ahaziah's relatives alive and killed them at the well near Beth Eked—forty-two of them. Jehu did not leave anyone alive.
New English Translation
He said, "Capture them alive!" So they captured them alive and then executed all forty-two of them in the cistern at Beth Eked. He left no survivors.
Amplified Bible
Then Jehu said, "Take them alive." So they took them alive and [later] slaughtered them at the well by the place of the sand heaps, forty-two men; he left none of them [alive].
New American Standard Bible
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.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he sayde, Take them aliue. And they tooke them aliue, & slew them at the well beside the house where the sheepe are shorne, euen two and fourtie men, and he left not one of them.
Legacy Standard Bible
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Take them alive," said Yehu. They took them alive, forty-two men, slaughtered them and threw them into the shearing shed's pit; he spared not one of them.
Darby Translation
And he said, Take them alive! And they took them alive, and slew them at the well of the meeting-place, forty-two men; and he left not one of them remaining.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Jehu said, "Take them alive!" Jehu's men captured Ahaziah's relatives alive. There were 42 of them. Jehu killed them at the well near Beth Eked. He did not leave anyone alive.
George Lamsa Translation
And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive and slew them and threw them into the pit of Beth-akar, forty-two persons; and he left none of them.
Good News Translation
Jehu ordered his men, "Take them alive!" They seized them, and he put them to death near a pit there. There were forty-two people in all, and not one of them was left alive.
Lexham English Bible
Then he said, "Seize them alive!" So they seized them alive but then slaughtered them at the cistern of Beth-Eked, forty-two men. He did not allow any of them to survive.
Literal Translation
And he said, Capture them alive! And they captured them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, forty men. And he did not leave a man of them.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He sayde: Take them alyue. And they toke them alyue, and slewe them by the welles syde at the shepherdes house, euen two and fortye men, and let not one of them remayne.
American Standard Version
And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing-house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.
Bible in Basic English
And he said, Take them living. So they took them living, and put them to death in the water-hole of Beth-eked; of the forty-two men he put every one to death;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he said: Take them alyue. Whom when they had taken them alyue, they slue them at the wel whiche was beside the house where the sheepe are shoren, euen two and fourtie men, neither left he any of them.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he said: 'Take them alive.' And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing-house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.
King James Version (1611)
And hee said, Take them aliue. And they tooke them aliue, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, euen two and fourty men; neither left he any of them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said, Take them alive. And they slew them at the shearing-house, forty and two men: he left not a man of them.
English Revised Version
And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Jehu ordered, "Take them alive." So his men took them alive, then slaughtered them at the well of Beth-eked-forty-two men. He spared none of them.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Which Hieu seide, Take ye hem quyke. And whanne thei hadden take hem quyke, thei strangliden hem in the cisterne, bisidis the chaumbre, two and fourti men; and he lefte not ony of hem.
Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, `Catch them alive;' and they catch them alive, and slaughter them at the pit of the shearing-house, forty and two men, and he hath not left a man of them.
Update Bible Version
And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing-house, even two and forty men; neither did he leave any of them.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing-house, [even] two and forty men; neither left he any of them.
World English Bible
He said, Take them alive. They took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing-house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.
New King James Version
And he said, "Take them alive!" So they took them alive, and killed them at the well of Beth Eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.
New Living Translation
"Take them alive!" Jehu shouted to his men. And they captured all forty-two of them and killed them at the well of Beth-eked. None of them escaped.
New Life Bible
Jehu said, "Take them alive." So his men took them alive, and killed them at the hole of Beth-eked, forty-two men. He left none of them alive.
New Revised Standard
He said, "Take them alive." They took them alive, and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two in all; he spared none of them.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said he, - Take them alive. So they took them alive, and slew them casting them into the pit of the shearing house, - forty-two men, neither left he remaining a man of them.
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.
Revised Standard Version
He said, "Take them alive." And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two persons, and he spared none of them.
THE MESSAGE
"Grab them!" ordered Jehu. They were taken and then massacred at the well of Beth Eked. Forty-two of them—no survivors.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He said, "Take them alive." So they took them alive and killed them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.

Contextual Overview

1 Ahab still had seventy descendants living in Samaria. So Jehu wrote a letter to each of the important leaders and officials of the town, and to those who supported Ahab. In the letters he wrote: 2 Your town is strong, and you're protected by chariots and an armed cavalry. And I know that King Ahab's descendants live there with you. So as soon as you read this letter, 3 choose the best person for the job and make him the next king. Then be prepared to defend Ahab's family. 4 The officials and leaders read the letters and were very frightened. They said to each other, "Jehu has already killed King Joram and King Ahaziah! We have to do what he says." 5 The prime minister, the mayor of the city, as well as the other leaders and Ahab's supporters, sent this answer to Jehu, "We are your servants, Your Majesty, and we will do whatever you tell us. But it's not our place to choose someone to be king. You do what you think is best." 6 Jehu then wrote another letter which said, "If you are on my side and will obey me, then prove it. Bring me the heads of the descendants of Ahab! And be here in Jezreel by this time tomorrow." The seventy descendants of King Ahab were living with some of the most important people of the city. 7 And when these people read Jehu's second letter, they called together all seventy of Ahab's descendants. They killed them, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jezreel. 8 When Jehu was told what had happened, he said, "Put the heads in two piles at the city gate, and leave them there until morning." 9 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? 10 Listen to me. Everything the Lord 's servant Elijah promised about Ahab's family will come true."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Take them alive: 2 Kings 10:6, 2 Kings 10:10, 2 Kings 10:11, 1 Kings 20:18

neither left: 2 Kings 8:18, 2 Kings 11:1, 2 Chronicles 22:8, 2 Chronicles 22:10

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 22:6 - to see Jehoram Psalms 109:14 - let not Jeremiah 41:5 - came Hosea 7:7 - devoured

Cross-References

Deuteronomy 2:23
A group called the Avvim used to live in villages as far south as Gaza, but the Philistines killed them and settled on their land.
1 Chronicles 1:12
Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim, the ancestor of the Philistines.
Isaiah 11:11
When that day comes, the Lord will again reach out his mighty arm and bring home his people who have survived in Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Ethiopia, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the land along the coast.
Jeremiah 44:1
The Lord told me to speak with the Jews who were living in the towns of Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis in northern Egypt, and also to those living in southern Egypt. He told me to tell them:
Jeremiah 47:4
You refugees from Crete, your time has now come, and I will destroy you. None of you will be left to help the cities of Tyre and Sidon.
Amos 9:7
Israel, I am the Lord God, and the Ethiopians are no less important to me than you are. I brought you out of Egypt, but I also brought the Philistines from Crete and the Arameans from Kir.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said, take them alive,.... Gave orders to his guards to seize them, and make them captives:

and they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house; where they washed the sheep when they sheered them;

[even] forty and two men, neither left he any of them; they being, by their grandmother's side, of the house of Ahab, and so within the commission of Jehu to slay them, at least as he thought; though his chief view might be, lest they should make any pretensions to the crown, being descended from that house, or should hereafter attempt to avenge the death of their relations; but by the judgment of God they were cut off as idolaters.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 10:14. The pit of the shearing house — Probably the place where they washed the sheep previously to shearing, or the fleeces after they were shorn off.


 
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