Study Desk

And Ahab had seuentie sonnes in Samaria: and Iehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria vnto the rulers of Iezreel, to the Elders, and to them that brought vp Ahabs children, saying,

Now assoone as this letter commeth to you, seeing your masters sons are with you, and there are with you charets and horses, a fenced citie also, and armour:

Looke euen out the best and meetest of your masters sonnes, and set him on his fathers throne, and fight for your masters house.

But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?

And he that was ouer the house, and he that was ouer the citie, the elders also, and the bringers vp of the children, sent to Iehu, saying, Wee are thy seruants, and will doe all that thou shalt bid vs, we will not make any king: doe thou that which is good in thine eyes.

Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If yee be mine, and if ye will hearken vnto my voyce, take ye the heads of the men your masters sonnes, and come to me to Iezreel by to morow this time: (now the kings sonnes being seuenty persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them vp.)

And it came to passe when the letter came to them, that they tooke the kings sonnes, and slewe seuentie persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Iezreel.

And there came a messenger, and tolde him, saying, They haue brought the heads of the kings sonnes. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entring in of the gate, vntill the morning.

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?

Know now, that there shall fall vnto the earth nothing of the worde of the Lord, which the Lord spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the Lord hath done that which he spake by his seruant Elijah.

So Iehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab, in Iezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsefolkes, and his priests, vntill he left him none remaining.