1. And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab's children, saying,
2. Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and armor;
3. Look out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.
4. But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?
5. And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and those who brought up the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou that which is good in thy eyes.
6. Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, if ye are mine, and if ye will hearken to my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to-morrow this time. Now the king's sons being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who brought them up.
7. And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Jezreel.
8. And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.
9. 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?
10. Know now that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab; for the LORD hath done that which he spoke by his servant Elijah.
11. So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsmen, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.
12. And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing-house in the way,