Ahab had seventy sons. Jehu wrote a letter to the rulers of Samaria and their elders and guardians, in which he said that they should select the best son to put on his father’s throne. These were afraid of the two kings and wrote back to say they would do anything they asked, only that they would not choose a king. They answered, “Do what is good in your eyes.” Jehu wrote a second letter, in which he wrote that in order to show their loyalty, they should bring the heads of all the children to him tomorrow. And they killed them and put their heads in baskets and brought them to Jezreel. Jehu ordered them to be placed in two heaps at the gate until the morning. Then he said to the people, “You are blameless. I have conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these? Know now that no word of the Lord will fall to the earth, which the Lord spoke against Ahab’s house. The Lord has done what he said by his servant Elijah.” So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, until no one was left.
On his way to Samaria, Jehu met the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah in Beth Eked and killed all forty-two at the well.
Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him better. Call all the prophets and priests of Baal, because I have a great sacrifice to make to Baal. Whoever is not there, shall die. So celebrate a holy festival to Baal!” But Jehu said this deceptively, intending to destroy all the worshipers of Baal in the land. And the house of Baal was full. He said to those who kept the wardrobe, “Bring festival clothing.” And Jehu went with Jehonadab into the house and said, “Search and see that there is no servant of the Lord among you.” And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. And Jehu placed eighty men outside the house. As the sacrifices were offered, he ordered his bodyguard and captains, “Kill them all and let no one escape!” And they threw the bodies out and also the images and pillars of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day. But Jehu didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel sin, not even from the golden calves in Bethel and Dan. The Lord commended Jehu and promised him that his sons would sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation. However, he did not completely do God’s will. But he ruled twenty-eight years over Israel, and the Lord began to cut away parts of Israel and give them to Hazael, to the Gadites, the Reubenites and Manassites. And Jehu slept with his fathers in Samaria.