1And to Ahab seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the chiefs of Jezreel, the elders, and the faithful ones of Ahab, saying:2And now, when this letter comes to you—for your lord's sons are with you, along with the chariots and the horses and the fortified city and the weapons—3Then you will choose the best and most upright man from the sons of your masters, put him on his father's throne, and fight for your masters' house.4They were very afraid and said, "Look, the two kings could not stand against him. How then can we stand?"5So he sent the steward of the palace, the governor of the city, the elders, and the guardians to Jehu, saying, "We are your servants. We will do whatever you say. We will not make anyone king. Do what is good in your eyes."6He wrote them a letter a second time, saying, "If you are for me and you are listening to my voice, take the heads of the men, the sons of your lords, and come to me at this time tomorrow, Jezreel." And the sons of the king, seventy men, the great ones of the city rearing them.7When the letter came to them, they took the king's sons, slaughtered all seventy of them, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezreel.8A messenger came and told him, saying, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons." He said, "Pile them in two heaps at the gate entrance until morning."9And it was in the morning, and he went out and stood and said to all the people, "You righteous ones—behold, I conspired against my lord, and I killed him. And who struck all these?"10Know therefore that not one word of the LORD will fall to the earth, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab. The LORD has done what he spoke by the hand of his servant Elijah.11And Jehu struck all the remaining ones of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great ones and his acquaintances and his priests, until he left him no survivor.12And he arose and he came and he went to Shimron. It is the house of binding the evils in the way.13And Jehu found the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and he said, "Who are you?" And they said, "We are brothers of Ahaziah, and we are going down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the lady."14And he said, "Seize them alive." And they seized them alive and slaughtered them at the pit of the House of Binding—forty-two men—and did not leave a man of them.15And he went from there and found Jonadab son of Rechab coming to meet him, and he blessed him and said to him, "Is your heart right, just as my heart is with your heart?" And Jonadab said, "It is, and it is—give your hand." And he gave his hand and caused him to go up to him to the chariot.16And he said, "Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD." And they rode with him in his chariot.17And he came to Samaria and struck all the remaining ones of Ahab in Samaria until he had destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD which he had spoken to Elijah.