וּלְאַחְאָב שִׁבְעִים בָּנִים בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן וַיִּכְתֹּב יֵהוּא סְפָרִים וַיִּשְׁלַח שֹׁמְרוֹן אֶל־שָׂרֵי יִזְרְעֶאל הַזְּקֵנִים וְאֶל־הָאֹמְנִים אַחְאָב לֵאמֹר

Ahav had seventy sons in Samaria, the fortified capital city of the Kingdom of Israel. Yehu wrote scrolls and sent them to Samaria, to the senior officials of Yizre’el, who had perhaps fled from Yizre’el, and to the caretakers for the household of Ahav, saying:

וְעַתָּה כְּבֹא הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה אֲלֵיכֶם וְאִתְּכֶם בְּנֵי אֲדֹנֵיכֶם וְאִתְּכֶם הָרֶכֶב וְהַסּוּסִים וְעִיר מִבְצָר וְהַנָּשֶׁק

Now, with the arrival of this scroll to you, and the many sons of your master are with you, and the chariots and the horses are with you, and a fortified city and weapons are with you; you control the military force and dominate the strong, fortified capital, which has already withstood numerous sieges without having surrendered;

וּרְאִיתֶם הַטּוֹב וְהַיָּשָׁר מִבְּנֵי אֲדֹנֵיכֶם וְשַׂמְתֶּם עַל־כִּסֵּא אָבִיו וְהִלָּחֲמוּ עַל־בֵּית אֲדֹנֵיכֶם

see who is the best and most virtuous of the sons of your master and place him on his father’s throne as king, and make war on behalf of your master’s house. Yehu sent a challenge to Ahav’s household and descendants: Since you have all the necessary means to defend yourselves, come and fight with me.

וַיִּרְאוּ מְאֹד מְאֹד וַיֹּאמְרוּ הִנֵּה שְׁנֵי הַמְּלָכִים לֹא עָמְדוּ לְפָנָיו וְאֵיךְ נַעֲמֹד אֲנָחְנוּ

They, those who oversaw Ahav’s household, were exceedingly afraid and said: Behold, two kings, the king of Israel and the king of Judah, could not stand before him; how will we stand? Although Yehoram had come alone to Yehu in a chariot, perhaps accompanied by a small number of men, and Ahazya also had been traveling with a limited entourage, the deaths of those kings at the hands of Yehu gave those who oversaw Ahav’s household a good excuse to refrain from fighting.

וַיִּשְׁלַח אֲשֶׁר־עַל־הַבַּיִת וַאֲשֶׁר עַל־הָעִיר וְהַזְּקֵנִים וְהָאֹמְנִים אֶל־יֵהוּא לֵאמֹר עֲבָדֶיךָ אֲנַחְנוּ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאמַר אֵלֵינוּ נַעֲשֶׂה לֹא־נַמְלִךְ אִישׁ הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ עֲשֵׂה

The one who was in charge of the household of Ahav, he who was selected by the king to be the head over the city, the elders, and the caretakers, sent a message to Yehu, saying: We are your servants and everything that you shall say to us we will do; we await your orders. We will not crown any man king of our own volition; do whatever is good in your eyes, as we do not plan to fight against you.

וַיִּכְתֹּב אֲלֵיהֶם סֵפֶר שֵׁנִית לֵאמֹר אִם לִי אַתֶּם וּלְקֹלִי אַתֶּם שֹׁמְעִים קְחוּ אֶת־רָאשֵׁי אַנְשֵׁי בְנֵי־אֲדֹנֵיכֶם וּבֹאוּ אֵלַי כָּעֵת מָחָר יִזְרְעֶאלָה וּבְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ אֶת גְּדֹלֵי הָעִיר מְגַדְּלִים אוֹתָם

He wrote a scroll to them a second time, saying: If you are indeed with me, and it is to my voice that you heed, take the heads of the men, the sons of your master, and come to me to Yizre’el tomorrow at this time. I await you in Yizre’el, but you must bring me the severed heads of all of Ahav’s sons by tomorrow. The sons of the king were seventy men, and the great men of the city were raising them. Those who cared for these children or youths had a prominent status in the city.

וַיְהִי כְּבֹא הַסֵּפֶר אֲלֵיהֶם וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת־בְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ וַיָּשִׂימוּ אֶת־רָאשֵׁיהֶם בַּדּוּדִים וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ אֵלָיו יִזְרְעֶאלָה

It was when the scroll came to them that they took the sons of the king and slaughtered them, killing all seventy men. They placed their severed heads in pots, or large baskets, and they sent them to him, Yehu, to Yizre’el.

וַיָּבֹא הַמַּלְאָךְ וַיַּגֶּד־לוֹ לֵאמֹר הֵבִיאוּ רָאשֵׁי בְנֵי־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר שִׂימוּ אֹתָם שְׁנֵי צִבֻּרִים פֶּתַח הַשַּׁעַר עַד־הַבֹּקֶר

The messenger came and told him, saying: They brought the heads of the sons of the king. He, Yehu, said: Place them in two piles at the entrance of the gate until the morning.

וַיְהִי בַבֹּקֶר וַיֵּצֵא וַיַּעֲמֹד וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־כָּל־הָעָם צַדִּקִים אַתֶּם הִנֵּה אֲנִי קָשַׁרְתִּי עַל אֲדֹנִי וָאֶהְרְגֵהוּ ומִי הִכָּה אֶת־כָּל־אֵלֶּה

It was in the morning that he, Yehu, emerged, and stood and said to all the people in Yizre’el: You are more righteous than I, in your own eyes; behold, I concede and declare that I conspired and rebelled against my master, and I killed him, for which I bear responsibility. But who smote all these? This was done by the elders of Samaria.

דְּעוּ אֵפוֹא כִּי לֹא יִפֹּל מִדְּבַר ה' אַרְצָה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר ה' עַל־בֵּית אַחְאָב וַה' עָשָׂה אֵת אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּיַד עַבְדּוֹ אֵלִיָּהוּ

Know, therefore, that nothing of the word of the Lord will fall to the ground which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahav, and the Lord has done that which He spoke by means of His servant Elijah. The unfolding events are a fulfillment of Elijah’s harsh prophecies.

וַיַּךְ יֵהוּא אֵת כָּל־הַנִּשְׁאָרִים לְבֵית־אַחְאָב בְּיִזְרְעֶאל וְכָל־גְּדֹלָיו וּמְיֻדָּעָיו וְכֹהֲנָיו עַד־בִּלְתִּי הִשְׁאִיר־לוֹ שָׂרִיד

Yehu smote everyone who remained from the house of Ahav in Yizre’el, and all his nobles, his associates, and his priests, anyone connected to the household of Ahav, until he did not leave of him a survivor.

וַיָּקָם וַיָּבֹא וַיֵּלֶךְ שֹׁמְרוֹן הוּא בֵּית־עֵקֶד הָרֹעִים בַּדָּרֶךְ

He rose, set out, and went from Yizre’el to Samaria. He was at the inn of the shepherds, an inn where shepherds would congregate, which he passed along the way,

וְיֵהוּא מָצָא אֶת־אֲחֵי אֲחַזְיָהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר מִי אַתֶּם וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲחֵי אֲחַזְיָהוּ אֲנַחְנוּ וַנֵּרֶד לִשְׁלוֹם בְּנֵי־הַמֶּלֶךְ וּבְנֵי הַגְּבִירָה

and Yehu met there the brethren of Ahazyahu king of Judah who, like Ahazyahu, had come from Judah for a royal visit in the vacation city of Yizre’el, both out of courtesy, to visit the recovering king of Israel, as well as for a vacation. And he said: Who are you? They said: We are the brethren of Ahazyahu, and we have come down for the purpose of asking after the well-being of the sons of the king and the sons of the queen, Izevel.

וַיֹּאמֶר תִּפְשׂוּם חַיִּים וַיִּתְפְּשׂוּם חַיִּים וַיִּשְׁחָטוּם אֶל־בּוֹר בֵּית־עֵקֶד אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁנַיִם אִישׁ וְלֹא־הִשְׁאִיר אִישׁ מֵהֶם

He, Yehu, said to his men: Seize them alive, and they seized them alive. He slaughtered them, placing them into the pit at the inn, forty-two men; he let no man of them remain, as they were also relatives of the household of Ahav.

וַיֵּלֶךְ מִשָּׁם וַיִּמְצָא אֶת־יְהוֹנָדָב בֶּן־רֵכָב לִקְרָאתוֹ וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הֲיֵשׁ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ יָשָׁר כַּאֲשֶׁר לְבָבִי עִם־לְבָבֶךָ וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹנָדָב יֵשׁ וָיֵשׁ תְּנָה אֶת־יָדֶךָ וַיִּתֵּן יָדוֹ וַיַּעֲלֵהוּ אֵלָיו אֶל־הַמֶּרְכָּבָה

He went from there and continued on his journey, and he encountered Yehonadav son of Rekhav coming to meet him. Yehonadav, a dignified individual, had no political ties to Ahav or Ahazya, and the people of his clan would continue to serve God devotedly for many generations. Yehu required his moral rather than political support. He, Yehu, greeted him, and said to him: Is your heart sincere in supporting me, as my heart is with your heart? Do you support me to the same extent that I support you? Yehonadav said: It is, it is. I support you wholeheartedly. Yehu replied: Give me your hand. He gave him his hand, and he took him up to the chariot.

וַיֹּאמֶר לְכָה אִתִּי וּרְאֵה בְּקִנְאָתִי לַה' וַיַּרְכִּבוּ אֹתוֹ בְּרִכְבּוֹ

He said: Come with me and see my zealotry for the Lord. They had him ride in his chariot.

וַיָּבֹא שֹׁמְרוֹן וַיַּךְ אֶת־כָּל־הַנִּשְׁאָרִים לְאַחְאָב בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן עַד־הִשְׁמִדוֹ כִּדְבַר ה' אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֶל־אֵלִיָּהוּ

He, Yehu, came to Samaria. The city was open before him, as no one dared stand in his way, and he smote all who remained for Ahav in Samaria until he wiped him out, in accordance with the word of the Lord that He spoke to Elijah. He killed all of Ahav’s supporters, presumably including those who had previously murdered the sons of Ahav at his own behest. He did so because he did not trust them, or because he sought to wipe out not only Ahav’s household, but also anyone connected to his regime.

וַיִּקְבֹּץ יֵהוּא אֶת־כָּל־הָעָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אַחְאָב עָבַד אֶת־הַבַּעַל מְעָט יֵהוּא יַעַבְדֶנּוּ הַרְבֵּה

Next, Yehu wished to eradicate the priests of the Baal. Since it was difficult to identify them, he used trickery: Yehu gathered all the people living in Samaria and said to them: Ahav served the Baal a little, as he did so primarily under the influence of his wife, who told him that this was the accepted cultural norm, but Yehu will serve him a lot, with an attitude of reverence, as is appropriate for this idol.

וְעַתָּה כָל־נְבִיאֵי הַבַּעַל כָּל־עֹבְדָיו וְכָל־כֹּהֲנָיו קִרְאוּ אֵלַי אִישׁ אַל־יִפָּקֵד כִּי זֶבַח גָּדוֹל לִי לַבַּעַל כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־יִפָּקֵד לֹא יִחְיֶה וְיֵהוּא עָשָׂה בְעָקְבָּה לְמַעַן הַאֲבִיד אֶת־עֹבְדֵי הַבָּעַל

Now, summon to me all the prophets of the Baal, all who serve him, and all his priests. Let us gather a great assembly, with the participation of all those who worship the Baal and are faithful to him. Let no man be absent, as I have a great slaughtering to the Baal. Anyone who is absent will not live. The verse notes that Yehu acted with deceit in order to eliminate those who served the Baal.

וַיֹּאמֶר יֵהוּא קַדְּשׁוּ עֲצָרָה לבַּעַל וַיִּקְרָאוּ

Yehu said: Convene an assembly to the Baal. They proclaimed it.

וַיִּשְׁלַח יֵהוּא בְּכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּבֹאוּ כָּל־עֹבְדֵי הַבַּעַל וְלֹא־נִשְׁאַר אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא־בָא וַיָּבֹאוּ בֵּית הַבַּעַל וַיִּמָּלֵא בֵית־הַבַּעַל פֶּה לָפֶה

Yehu sent messengers throughout all Israel to publicize the assembly. He informed them that the new king would greatly promote the worship of the Baal. If until now the worshippers of the Baal had felt rejected, they would now come to play a central role within society; therefore they should all come and express their support for the king. And all the worshippers of the Baal came; no man remained who worshipped the Baal but did not come to the great assembly. They came to the temple of the Baal, and the temple of the Baal was filled from end to end.

וַיֹּאמֶר לַאֲשֶׁר עַל־הַמֶּלְתָּחָה הוֹצֵא לְבוּשׁ לְכֹל עֹבְדֵי הַבָּעַל וַיֹּצֵא לָהֶם הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ

He said to the one appointed over the wardrobe: Take out special vestments for all those who serve the Baal in honor of the ceremony, as befits such an important gathering. He took out the special vestments for them. Yehu commanded the worshippers to don the garments.

וַיָּבֹא יֵהוּא וִיהוֹנָדָב בֶּן־רֵכָב בֵּית הַבָּעַל וַיֹּאמֶר לְעֹבְדֵי הַבַּעַל חַפְּשׂוּ וּרְאוּ פֶּן־יֶשׁ־פֹּה עִמָּכֶם מֵעַבְדֵי ה' כִּי אִם־עֹבְדֵי הַבַּעַל לְבַדָּם

Yehu and Yehonadav son of Rekhav, his friend and mentor, entered the temple of the Baal, and he, Yehu, said to those who served the Baal: Search, and see lest there is here among you any of the servants of the Lord, and confirm that there are only worshippers of the Baal.

וַיָּבֹאוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת זְבָחִים וְעֹלוֹת וְיֵהוּא שָׂם־לוֹ בַחוּץ שְׁמֹנִים אִישׁ וַיֹּאמֶר הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִמָּלֵט מִן־הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מֵבִיא עַל־יְדֵיכֶם נַפְשׁוֹ תַּחַת נַפְשׁוֹ

They came to perform feast offerings and burnt offerings at the great celebration. Ahead of time, Yehu had positioned for himself eighty men outside and said to them: Stand guard here. Whoever lets a man escape from among the men whom I am bringing into your hands, his life will be in place of his life. Kill any of the worshippers of the Baal who attempt to escape. Anyone who allows a worshipper of the Baal to escape will himself be killed.

וַיְהִי כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת הָעֹלָה וַיֹּאמֶר יֵהוּא לָרָצִים וְלַשָּׁלִשִׁים בֹּאוּ הַכּוּם אִישׁ אַל־יֵצֵא וַיַּכּוּם לְפִי־חָרֶב וַיַּשְׁלִכוּ הָרָצִים וְהַשָּׁלִשִׁים וַיֵּלְכוּ עַד־עִיר בֵּית־הַבָּעַל

Apparently, Yehu himself participated in the ceremony. It was as he concluded performing the burnt offering that Yehu said to the Runners, military officers who were positioned around the Temple, and to the officers: Come smite them, let no man get out. They smote them by the sword, and the Runners and the officers cast them out, the bodies of all those who had gathered there, and they went to the city of the temple of the Baal, where they completed their mission:

וַיֹּצִאוּ אֶת־מַצְּבוֹת בֵּית־הַבַּעַל וַיִּשְׂרְפוּהָ

They removed the monuments of the temple of the Baal, and they burned it.

וַיִּתְּצוּ אֵת מַצְּבַת הַבָּעַל וַיִּתְּצוּ אֶת־בֵּית הַבַּעַל וַיְשִׂימֻהוּ לְמוֹצָאוֹת עַד־הַיּוֹם

They smashed the monument of the Baal, and they smashed the temple of the Baal and made it into public latrines to this day.

וַיַּשְׁמֵד יֵהוּא אֶת־הַבַּעַל מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל

Yehu wiped out the Baal from Israel. Following his actions, the worship of the Baal completely disappeared from the Land of Israel. Yehu had successfully gathered not only the priests of the Baal in one place, as Elijah had done, but also all those who believed in and were associated with the Baal, and he had eliminated them all.

רַק חֲטָאֵי יָרָבְעָם בֶּן־נְבָט אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא־ סָר יֵהוּא מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם עֶגְלֵי הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר בֵּית־אֵל וַאֲשֶׁר בְּדָן

Only from following the sins of Yorovam son of Nevat, who caused Israel to sin, did Yehu not turn aside: the golden calves that were in Beit El and that were in Dan. Yehu did not return to the service of God in the Temple in Jerusalem. In this regard, he conducted himself like the kings of Israel who reigned before Ahav. They did not consider themselves idol worshippers, rather legitimate worshippers of God who simply served Him in a different place.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־יֵהוּא יַעַן אֲשֶׁר־הֱטִיבֹתָ לַעֲשׂוֹת הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינַי כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר בִּלְבָבִי עָשִׂיתָ לְבֵית אַחְאָב בְּנֵי רְבִעִים יֵשְׁבוּ לְךָ עַל־כִּסֵּא יִשְׂרָאֵל

The Lord said to Yehu, through a messenger: Because you did well in performing that which is right in My eyes, and you did to the house of Ahav in accordance with all that was in My heart, precisely as I wished, not only you will merit to rule, but also descendants of the fourth generation will sit for you on the throne of Israel; four generations of your family will reign. This was the only dynasty in the Kingdom of Israel that lasted for four consecutive generations.

וְיֵהוּא לֹא שָׁמַר לָלֶכֶת בְּתוֹרַת־ה' אֱלֹהֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל־לְבָבוֹ לֹא סָר מֵעַל חַטֹּאות יָרָבְעָם אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל

But, as stated above, Yehu did not take care to follow the Torah of the Lord, God of Israel, with all his heart, as he did not turn away from the sins of Yorovam son of Nevat, who caused Israel to sin.

בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם הֵחֵל ה' לְקַצּוֹת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּכֵּם חֲזָאֵל בְּכָל־גְּבוּל יִשְׂרָאֵל

Consequently, in those days, the Lord began to reduce Israel; Hazael king of Aram smote them throughout the northern border of Israel,

מִן־הַיַּרְדֵּן מִזְרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ אֵת כָּל־אֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד הַגָּדִי וְהָראוּבֵנִי וְהַמְנַשִּׁי מֵעֲרֹעֵר אֲשֶׁר עַל־נַחַל אַרְנֹן וְהַגִּלְעָד וְהַבָּשָׁן

from the Jordan toward the rising sun, the entire land of Gilad, the inheritance of the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is on the Arnon Stream, south of that region, toward Moav, and until Gilad and the Bashan in the north.

וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי יֵהוּא וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וְכָל־גְּבוּרָתוֹ הֲלוֹא־הֵם כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

The rest of the matters of Yehu, everything that he did, and all his might, the historical details of his reign, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

וַיִּשְׁכַּב יֵהוּא עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן וַיִּמְלֹךְ יְהוֹאָחָז בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו

Yehu lay with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, which he kept as his capital city. Yeho’ahaz his son reigned in his place.

וְהַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר מָלַךְ יֵהוּא עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל עֶשְׂרִים־וּשְׁמֹנֶה שָׁנָה בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן

The days that Yehu reigned over Israel in Samaria were twenty-eight years.