6. Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, ‘If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.’Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were bringing them up.
7. When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.
8. When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, ‘They have brought the heads of the princes.’Then Jehu ordered, ‘Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.’
9. The next morning Jehu went out. He stood before all the people and said, ‘You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these?
10. Know, then, that not a word the Lord has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The Lord has done what he announced through his servant Elijah.’
11. So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.
12. Jehu then set out and went towards Samaria. At Beth Eked of the Shepherds,
13. he met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, ‘Who are you?’They said, ‘We are relatives of Ahaziah, and we have come down to greet the families of the king and of the queen mother.’
14. ‘Take them alive!’ he ordered. So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth Eked – forty-two of them. He left no survivor.
15. After he left there, he came upon Jehonadab son of Rekab, who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, ‘Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?’‘I am,’ Jehonadab answered.‘If so,’ said Jehu, ‘give me your hand.’ So he did, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot.
16. Jehu said, ‘Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.’ Then he made him ride in his chariot.
17. When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab’s family; he destroyed them, according to the word of the Lord spoken to Elijah.
18. Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, ‘Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much.
19. Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live.’ But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.