Jehu Kills All of Ahab's Descendants
1 Ahab still had 70 descendants living in Samaria. So Jehu wrote a letter to each of the important leaders and officials of the town, and to those who supported Ahab. In the letters he wrote:
2 Your town is strong, and you're protected by chariots and an armed cavalry. And I know that King Ahab's descendants live there with you. So as soon as you read this letter, 3 choose the best person for the job and make him the next king. Then be prepared to defend Ahab's family.
4 The officials and leaders read the letters and were very frightened. They said to each other, “Jehu has already killed King Joram and King Ahaziah! We have to do what he says.” 5 The prime minister, the mayor of the city, as well as the other leaders and Ahab's supporters, sent this answer to Jehu, “We are your servants, Your Majesty, and we will do whatever you tell us. But it's not our place to choose someone to be king. You do what you think is best.”
6 Jehu then wrote another letter which said, “If you are on my side and will obey me, then prove it. Bring me the heads of the descendants of Ahab! And be here in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”
The 70 descendants of King Ahab were living with some of the most important people of the city. 7 And when these people read Jehu's second letter, they called together all 70 of Ahab's descendants. They killed them, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jezreel.
8 When Jehu was told what had happened, he said, “Put the heads in two piles at the city gate, and leave them there until morning.”
9 The next morning, Jehu went out and stood where everyone could hear him, and he said, “You people are not guilty of anything. I'm the one who plotted against Joram and had him killed. But who killed all these men? 10 Listen to me. Everything the Lord's servant Elijah promised about Ahab's family will come true.”
11 Then Jehu killed the rest of Ahab's relatives living in Jezreel, as well as his highest officials, his priests, and his closest friends. No one in Ahab's family was left alive in Jezreel.
12-13 Jehu left for Samaria, and along the way, he met some relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah at a place where shepherds meet. He asked, “Who are you?”
“We are relatives of Ahaziah,” they answered. “We're going to visit his family.”
14 “Take them alive!” Jehu said to his officers. So they grabbed them and led them to the well near the shepherds' meeting place, where they killed all 42 of them.
15 As Jehu went on, he saw Jehonadab son of Rechab coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him, then said, “Jehonadab, I'm on your side. Are you on mine?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Then give me your hand,” Jehu answered. He helped Jehonadab into his chariot 16 and said, “Come with me and see how faithful I am to the Lord.”
They rode together in Jehu's chariot 17 to Samaria. Jehu killed everyone there who belonged to Ahab's family, as well as all his officials. Everyone in his family was now dead, just as the Lord had promised Elijah.
Jehu Kills All the Worshipers of Baal
18 Jehu called together the people in Samaria and said:
King Ahab sometimes worshiped 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 worshipers 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 worshipers 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 worshipers 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 80 soldiers to wait outside the temple. He had warned them, “I will get all these worshipers here, and if any of you let even one of them escape, you will be killed instead!”
25 As soon as Jehu finished offering the sacrifice, he told the guards and soldiers, “Come in and kill them! Don't let anyone escape.” They slaughtered everyone in the crowd and threw the bodies outside. Then they went back into the temple 26 and carried out the image of Baal. They burned it 27 and broke it into pieces, then they completely destroyed Baal's temple. And since that time, it's been nothing but a public toilet.
28 That's how Jehu stopped the worship of Baal in Israel. 29 But he did not stop the worship of the gold statues of calves at Dan and Bethel that Jeroboam had made for the people to worship.
30 Later the Lord said, “Jehu, you have done right by destroying Ahab's entire family, just as I had planned. So I will make sure that the next four kings of Israel will come from your own family.”
31 But Jehu did not completely obey the commands of the Lord God of Israel. Instead, he kept doing the sinful things that Jeroboam had caused the Israelites to do.
Jehu Dies
32 In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel's territory. King Hazael of Syria defeated the Israelites and took control 33 of the regions of Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan River and north of the town of Aroer near the Arnon River. This was the land where the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh had once lived.
34 Everything else Jehu did while he was king, including his brave deeds, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. 35 Jehu died and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoahaz became king. 36 Jehu had ruled Israel 28 years from Samaria.
Axab ôananôagub di ǃgamhes
1 Gao-aob Axab ge hûdisi ǀgôagu tsî ǁnurisagu tsîna Samarias ǃnâ ge ūhâ i. Jehub ge sîǂkhanide xoa tsî Jesreels di ǂgaeǂgui-aogu tsî Axab ôananôagub di kaikai-aon tsîna ge sîba. Nētib ge ge xoa hâ i: 2 “Gao-aob di ôananôagub ge sago ǃûiǃgâs ǃnâ hâ tsî go ge ǁkhāti torokunidi, hān, ǁâtanin tsî omǂnamisa ǃādi tsîna ūhâ, 3 o nēsi ǁnâi gao-aob di ôananôaguba xu ǀguib ǁnâuǃāxab khoeba ǁhûi, î ǁîba gao-aodī, î go ǁîba ǃkhamba.”
4 O gu ge Samarias ǂgaeǂgui-aoga kaise ǃao tsî ge mî: “Mâti ge Jehuba nî mâǃoa ǁkhā, gao-aob Jorammi tsî gao-aob Ahasiab tsîkha xawekha ga ǁîb ǃoagu mâ ǁoao?” 5 On ge gao-ommi ǂamkhoeb, ǃās ǂamkhoeb, ǃās ǂgaeǂgui-aon tsî ǀgôakaikai-aon tsîna Jehuba ge haisiba: “Sida ge sa ǃgāda tsî da ge sats ga mî xū-i hoa-e nî dī, xawe da ge Khoe-i xare-e gao-aodī tide, xuige satsa a ǃgâiba khami dī re.”
6 Ob ge Jehuba ǀgamǁî sîǂkhanisa ǁîna ge xoaba: “Tita ǀkha ǀgui tsî du ga tita ra mîmā du khami dī ǂgao-o, o gao-aob Axab ôagu di danade ǁari nē ǁaeb ai Jesreels tawa hā-ūba te.”
Gao-aob Axab di hûdisi ǀgôagu tsî ǁnurisagu tsîn ge Samarias ǂgaeǂgui-aogu, ǁîga gere kaikaigu ǀkha ge hâ i. 7 Jehub sîǂkhanisa gu ge hō, o gu ge Samarias ǂgaeǂgui-aoga hoa hûdisi ǀgôagu Axab diga ǃgam, danadi âga ǀharudi ǃnâ ǂgā tsî Jehuba Jesreels ǁga ge sîba.
8 Axab ôagu di danadi go hā-ūhe ǃkhaisab ge mîbahe, ob ge Jehuba ge mîmā, î di ǀgam ǁkhopora ǃnâ ǃās di dao-ams tawa ǃnaroǂnûihe tsî ǁnāpa ǁgoas kōse ǁnāxūhe. 9 Tsîb ge ǁgoaga ǃās di dao-ams tawa sī tsî ǁnāpa ge hâ i khoen ǃoa ge mî: “Tita ge gao-aob Jorammi ǃoagu ǀapeǀhao tsî ge ǃgam bi ta, sa tama du ge; xawe tari-e nēgu hoaga go ǃgam-e? 10 Nēs ge ra ǁgau ǃKhūb ge Axab ôananôagub xa mîn hoan nî ama īsa. ǃKhūb ge ǁîb kēbo-aob Eliab ǃnâ-ub ge mî xūn hoana go dī.” 11 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Jehuba nau hoaraga surib Axab dib, Jesreels ǃnâ hâba ge ǃgam; hoaraga ǂamkhoegu âb, horesagu tsî pristergu tsînab ge ge ǃgam, ǀgui-i tsîna ǁnāxūǂui tamase.
Gao-aob Ahasiab surib di ǃgamhes
12 Jehub ge Jesreelsa xu Samarias ǁga ge ǃgû. ǁNāǀîb garu hîab ge Gūǃûi-aogu ǃHarab tawa 13 ǀnî ǀaokhoegu Judab gao-aob Ahasiab digu ǀkha ge ǀhao, ob ge ǁîga ge dî: “Tarigo sago?”
O gu ge ǁîga ge ǃeream: “Ahasiab ǀaokhoege ge. Sige ge Jesreels ǁga garu, gaoǀgôagu tsî gao-aos Isabels di ôan tsîna ge nî sarise.” 14 Ob ge Jehuba ǁîb khoega ǃoa “ǁÎga ǃkhō” ti ge mî. O gu ge ǁîb khoega ǁîga ǃkhō tsî ǁnāpa tsaub ams ai ge ǃgam. ǁNāpa gu ge hakadisiǀgamǀa khoega ge hâ i tsî gu ge ǀguib tsîn ûiǃgau tamase hoaga ge ǃgamhe.
ǃGau hâ ǀaokhoen Axab din hoan di ǃgamhes
15 ǁNāpa xub ge aiǃâb ǁga ǃgû, ob ge Jehuba Rexab ôab Jonadab ǀkha ge ǀhao. Ob ge Jehuba ǁîba tawede tsî ge mî: “Sats tita ǂgomǃgâ hâ khami ǂgomǃgâ tsi ǁkhā ta a?”
Ob ge Jonadaba “Î, ǂgomǃgâ te ǁkhāts a” ti ge ǃeream.
“Sa ǃomma ǁnâi mā te” tib ge Jehuba ge mî. O kha ge ge tawedegu tsîb ge Jehuba ǁîba kunis ai ǂoa kai 16 tsî ge mî: “Tita ǀkha ǃgû, îts mâti ta ǃKhūb ǃoagu a ǂgomǂgomsa ǃkhaisa mû.” Tsî kha ge hoakha Samarias ǁga ge ǃnari. 17 ǁNāpa kha ge sī, ob ge Jehuba ǀgui-i tsîna ǁnāxūǂui tamase Axab ǀaokhoen hoana ge ǃgam. Nēs ge ǃKhūb ge Eliaba mîba hâ i khami ge ī.
Baali ǀgoreǀî-aon hoan di ǃgamhes
18 Jehub ge Samarias di khoen hoana ǂgaiǀhao tsî ge mî: “Gao-aob Axab ge Baala ǂkharirose ǀgui gere ǃoaba, xawe tita ge ǁîba kaise ǃnāsase nî ǃoaba. 19 Baali di kēbo-aogu hoagu, ǁîba ra ǀgoreǀîn hoan tsî ǁîb di pristergu hoagu tsîna ǂgaiǀhao; tāb ǀguib tsîna ǀkhai, kai ǁguibasa ta Baala nî ǁguiba xuige. ǀKhai karab hoab ge nî ǃgamhe.” (Jehub ge nēsa gāxaǃnâ ǀapes ǀkha ge dī, Baali ǃoabasaben hoanab nî ǃgamga.) 20 Tsîb ge ge mîmā: “Baala ǁîb di ǃgôasiba ǃoa ǀō-aisa tsē-e khaiba.” Os ge ǁnā tsēsa ge khaihe 21 tsîb ge Jehuba sîsabega Israeli hoaragab ǃnâ ge sîǂui tsîn ge Baali ǃoabasaben hoana ge ǀhao, ǀgui-i tsîn hâ-oa tamase. ǁÎn hoan ge Baali di tempeli ǃnâ ge ǂgâ, tempeli ge amose ǀoas kōse. 22 Tsîb ge saran ǂama ǃûisa ūhâ khoeba ge mîmā, îb sarana ǂoaxa-ū tsî Baali di ǀgoreǀî-aona mā. 23 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Jehuba Rexab ôab Jonadab ǀkha tempeli ǃnâ ǂgâ tsî ǁnā khoena ǃoa ge mî: “Kōǃgâ Baali ǃoabasaben ǀguin nēpa hâ tsî i ǃKhūb di ǃoabasabe-i xare-e nēpa ǂgâxa tamasa.” 24 ǁÎb tsî Jonadab tsîkha ge ǁguibadi tsî khauǁguidi tsîna kha nî ǁguibase a ǂgâ, ob ge ǁîba ǁkhaisadisi khoega tempeli ǃauga mâ kai tsî ǁîga ge mîmā: “Nē khoen hoana go ge nî ǃgam. ǁÎn di ǀgui-e ga ûiǂoa kaib ge ǁîb di ûib ǂûb ǀkha nî matare.”
25 Khauǁguibadi ǀguide ǁguibatoa tsîb ge Jehuba ǃûi-aogu tsî ǂamkhoegu tsîn ǃoa ge mî: “ǂGâ, î hoana sī ǃgam, tā ǀgui-i tsîna ûiǂoa kai.” O gu ge ǂgâ tsî ǁîna gôagu ǀkha ǃgam tsî ǁîn sorode ge aoǂui. Tsî gu ge tempeli di ǂganaga hâ ǃnā-oms kōse ǂgâ 26 tsî Baali ība ǁnāpa xu ūǂui tsî ge ǂhubiǂui. 27 ǁNāti gu ge īb tsî tempeli tsîkha khôaǂkhū tsî tempela ge ǂkhari-omdī, nēsis kōseb ī khami.
28 ǁNātib ge Jehuba Baali ǃoabasa Israeli ǃnâ ge hîkākā. 29 Xaweb ge ǁîba gao-aob Jerobeammi, Israela ge ǁoreb ǃnâ ǂgaeǂguiǂgā tsî ǃhuniǀuritsâukha, Betels tsî Dans tsîra ǃnâ gere ǀgoreǀî kaib di ǁoreb ǁkhāba gere dī. 30 ǃKhūb ge Jehub ǃoa ge mî: “Sats ge Axab di ôananôagub ǀkha tita dīts nîsa ǂhâba hâ xūn hoana go dī. ǁNā-amaga ta ge ra mîmâiba tsi, sa surib hakaǁî ǃhaos kōse Israeli ǂama nî gaosa.” 31 Xaweb ge Jehuba ǁîb ǂgaob hoab ǀkha ǃKhūb, Israeli di Elob di ǂhanuba ge ǁnâuǀnam tama hâ i. ǁÎb ge Jerobeammi, Israela ge ǁoreb ǃnâ ǂgaeǂguiǂgāb di aiǁgausa ge sao.
Jehub di ǁōb
32 ǁNā ǁaeb ǃnâb ge ǃKhūba Israeli di ǃhūǀkhariba ge ǂkhariǂkharitsoatsoa. Siriab gao-aob Hasaeli ge ǁîna Israeli ǀkharigu hoagu ǃnâ ge dan, 33 Jordanni aiǂoasa xu Arnonǃāb tawa ǀapas ǃnâ ǂnôa ǃās Aroers kōse; nēs ge Gileadi tsî Basanni tsîkha ǀkharib, Gadi, Rubenni tsî Manaseb ǃhaodi ge ǁanǃnâ hâ iba ǃkhōǂgā hâ.
34 Jehub ge dī xūn hoan, ǁîb ǁkhoaǂgaoxa dīgu hoagu ge ǃNaeǃkhaidi ǂKhanis Israeli Gao-aogu dis ǃnâ a xoamâisa. 35 ǁÎb ge ǁō tsî Samarias ǃnâ ge ǁkhōhe tsîb ge ǁîb ôab Joahasa ǁîb soas ǃnâ ge gao-ao kai. 36 Jehub ge ǀgamdisiǁkhaisaǀa kuriga Israeli gao-aose Samarias ǃnâ gere ǂgaeǂgui.
