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.
Epata laAhab novaxunganeki vaBaal tava manwa po
1 Ndele Ahab okwa li e novana ovamati omilongo heyali muSamaria. Opo nee Jehu a shanga onhumwafo nokwe i tumina omalenga omoshilando, ovakulunhu novatekuli vovana ovamati vaAhab muSamaria, ndele ta ti: 2 “Onhumwafo ei ngeenge ya fika kunye, fimbo ovana ovamati vomwene weni ve li punye, nomatemba oita neenghambe odi li punye noshilando sha pamekwa shi nohotekuma noilwifo, 3 hoololeni hano womovana ovamati vomwene weni ou muwa ndele e dule vakwao ndele mu kalekeni omutumba kolukalwapangelo laxe ndele kondjeleni eumbo lomwene weni.” 4 Ndelenee venya va kwatwa koumbada unene ndele tava ti: “Taleni, eehamba mbali da nyengwa oku mu lwifa, fye ohatu shi dulu ngahelipi?” 5 Opo nee omalenga omouhamba novakulunhu voshilando novakulunhu novatekuli va shiivifila Jehu, tava ti: “Fye ovapiya voye; naashishe to shi tu lombwele, fye ohatu ke shi ninga. Itatu ka ninga nande umwe ohamba. Ninga eshi sha yuka momesho oye.” 6 Opo nee e va shangela onhumwafo onhivali, ndele ta ti: “Ngeenge mwa ama kwaame ndele tamu dulika kwaame, kufeni hano omitwe dovalumenhu venya, ovana ovamati vomwene weni, ndele ileni mongula pefimbo tuu eli kwaame muJisreel.” Osheshi ovana ovamati vohamba, ovalumenhu omilongo heyali, ova li povanenenhu voshilando, ovo ve va tekula. 7 Nonhumwafo eshi ya fika kuvo, ova kufa ovana ovamati vohamba, ndele ve va dipaa, ovalumenhu omilongo heyali. Nomitwe davo ve di tula moimbaba ndele ve di tuma kuye kuJisreel. 8 Nomutumwa eshi e uya ndele te mu shiivifile, ta ti: “Venya va eta omitwe dovamati vohamba,” ye ta ti: “Di tula meenduba mbali poshivelo, fiyo mongula.” 9 Nokwa pita mo ongula nokwa kala ofika ndele ta ti kovanhu aveshe: “Nye kamu netimba. Taleni, ame naava va li pwaame, twa hangakena tu lwife omwene wange, ndele ame nde mu dipaa. Ndelenee olyelye a dipaa ovalumenhu aveshe ava? 10 Kaleni mu shi shii hano nokutya, ondjovo yOmwene nande imwe itai wile poshi, ondjovo oyo Omwene e i popila epata laAhab; Omwene okwa ninga osho e shi lombwela omupiya waye Elia.” 11 Opo nee Jehu a dipaa aveshe vomepata laAhab la xupa la li muJisreel, novanenenhu aveshe vaye novalineekelwa vaye novapristeli vaye, fiyo inapa xupa nande umwe ou a xupifwa.
12 Opo nee ye a fikama ndele ta i kuSamaria. Ndele ye eshi e uya kondjila yaBet-Eked shovafita, 13 Jehu a hanga ovakwapata vaAhasia, ohamba yaJuda, ndele ta ti: “Onye oolyelye?” Ndele vo ova nyamukula: “Fye ovakwapata vaAhasia, ndele twe uya tu talele po ovana ovamati vohamba novana ovamati vaina yohamba.” 14 Ndele ye ta ti: “Va kwateni ve nomwenyo!” Ndele vo ove va kwata ve nomwenyo ndele ve va dipaa pomufima womuBet-Eked, ovalumenhu omilongo nhee navavali, ina efa nande umwe womuvo a xupe po.
15 Nokwa dja ko ndele ta mono Jonadab yaRekab, ou e mu shakeneka. Ndele ye ote mu kundu ndele ta ti kuye: “Omutima woye wa yuka tuu ngaashi ame ndi li naave?” Ndele Jonadab ta nyamukula: “Heeno.” Jehu ta ti: “Hano, tu paafane omake.” Opo nee winya ta yandje eke laye. Ndele okwe mu londeka metemba laye, 16 ndele ta ti: “Ila, tu yeni, u tale nohokwe ouladi wange omolwOmwene.” Ndele vo ove mu londeka metemba laye. 17 Ndele ye eshi e uya muSamaria, ye okwa dipaa aveshe ovo va xupa vomepata laAhab muSamaria, fiyo e li komba po pandjovo yOmwene, e i lombwela Elia.
Jehu ta hanauna po Baal
18 Ndele Jehu okwa shiva ovanhu aveshe va ongale ndele ta ti kuvo: “Ahab okwa longela Baal kanini, Jehu ote mu longele neenghono. 19 Ifaneni hano paife kwaame ovaxunganeki aveshe vaBaal, novapiya vaye aveshe novapristeli vaye aveshe. Nande umwe aha yongolwe, osheshi ndi neyambo linene okuyambela Baal. Keshe umwe ta yongolwa, ita ka kala nomwenyo.” Ndelenee Jehu e shi ninga nekengelelo, opo a dule okudipaa ovapiya vaBaal. 20 Jehu ta ti vali: “Yapulileni Baal efimbo loshivilo.” Ndele ve shi vilikila. 21 Jehu okwa tuma yo muIsrael ashishe. Novapiya aveshe vaBaal ve uya, osho inapa fyaala nande umwe ou ine uya, ndele va ya motembeli yaBaal, fiyo otembeli yaBaal ya yada tuu ndo. 22 Nokwa lombwela omukulunhu welimba loikutu: “Etela ovapiya aveshe vaBaal oikutu.” Nokwe va etela oikutu. 23 Opo nee Jehu okwa ya mo motembeli yaBaal pamwe naJonadab yaRekab, ndele ta ti kovapiya vaBaal: “Panapaneni nokutala ngeenge mokati keni omu nomupiya wOmwene ile ovapiya vaBaal ovo aveke ve li mo.” 24 Ndele va ya mo va ka yambe omatomenoyambo nomaxwikiloyambo. Ndelenee Jehu okwa tula pondje ovalumenhu omilongo hetatu ndele e va lombwela: “Ou womunye ta efa umwe womovalumenhu ava ndele va yandja momake eni, omwenyo waye otau ka ya ponhele yomwenyo wawinya.” 25 Ndele ye eshi a mana elongekido lexwikiloyambo, Jehu ta ti kovakwaita ovananhapo nomalenga: “Ileni mu va dipae. Inamu efa nande umwe a pite mo!” Ndele ve va dipaa neongamukonda, novakwaita ovananhapo nomalenga ve va umbila pondje. Opo nee va ya moshilando shotembeli yaBaal, 26 ndele va eta pondje eengudi domotembeli yaBaal ndele ve di xwika po, 27 nongudi yemanya ve i tataula, notembeli yaBaal ve i ngumauna po, ndele ve i ninga oungulu vokwiila mepya fiyo onena eli. 28 Osho ngaha hano Jehu a komba mo Baal muIsrael. 29 Ndelenee Jehu ina efa omatimba aJerobeam yaNebat, ou a hongaula Israel okunyona, nokutya ine liteeka keenhana doingoldo da li muBetel nomuDan.
30 Opo nee Omwene ta ti kuJehu: “Shaashi wa ninga eshi sha yuka momesho ange, pamadiladilo aeshe omomwenyo wange wa ningila epata laAhab, ovana voye ovamati fiyo okepupi etine tava ka kala omutumba kolukalwapangelo laIsrael.” 31 Ndelenee Jehu ina diinina nokweenda nomutima aushe momhango yOmwene Kalunga kaIsrael. Ye ina yapuka mo momatimba aJerobeam ou a hongaula Israel okunyona.
Efyo laJehu
32 Pomafiku enya Omwene okwa hovela okutaula Israel, ndele Hasael okwe va taataa moshilongo ashishe shaIsrael: 33 okudja kuJordan fiyo okoushilo, oshilongo ashishe shaGilead, Ovagad nOvarubeni nOvamanasse, okudja kuAroer, osho shi li pomulonga waArnon, Gilead naBasan.
Efyo laJehu
34 Noinima imwe tai hepaulula Jehu naaishe e i ninga, noilonga yaye yeenghono, inai shangelwa mbela membo lomafimbo eehamba daIsrael? 35 Ndele Jehu okwa ka nangala pooxe nokwa pakwa muSamaria. Nomona waye Joahas a ninga ohamba ponhele yaye. 36 Nomafiku oo Jehu a pangela Israel muSamaria a li omido omilongo mbali nahetatu.
