18. Jehu called together the people in Samaria and said:King Ahab sometimes worshipped Baal, but I will be completely faithful to Baal.
19. I'm going to offer a huge sacrifice to him. So invite his prophets and priests, and be sure everyone who worships him is there. Anyone who doesn't come will be killed.But this was a trick—Jehu was really planning to kill the worshippers of Baal.
20. He said, “Announce a day of worship for Baal!” After the day had been announced,
21. Jehu sent an invitation to everyone in Israel. All the worshippers of Baal came, and the temple was filled from one end to the other.
22. Jehu told the official in charge of the sacred robes to make sure that everyone had a robe to wear.
23. Jehu and Jehonadab went into the temple, and Jehu said to the crowd, “Look around and make sure that only the worshippers of Baal are here. No one who worships the Lord is allowed in.”
24. Then they began to offer sacrifices to Baal.Earlier, Jehu had ordered eighty soldiers to wait outside the temple. He had warned them, “I will get all these worshippers here, and if any of you let even one of them escape, you will be killed instead!”