Jehu

29But Jehu kept doing one wrong thing. Long before, King Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel into sin. He set up gold calves at Bethel and at Dan for people to worship. Jehu did not put a stop to that.

Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.

NoteThe gold calves were statues shaped like young cows. Jeroboam was a king who lived long before Jehu. He put one calf in the town of Bethel and one in the town of Dan.

30The LORD said to Jehu, "You have done well. You did what is right in my eyes. You did to Ahab's family all that I wanted done. So your sons will sit on Israel's throne for four generations."

And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.

NoteFour generations means his son, his grandson, and two more after them.

31But Jehu was not careful to obey God's teaching with all his heart. He did not stop the sins of Jeroboam, who had led Israel into sin.

But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

NoteGod's teaching means the rules God gave his people through Moses.

32In those days the LORD began to make Israel smaller. King Hazael beat the Israelites all across their land.

In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

NoteHazael was the king of Aram, a country next to Israel. Making Israel smaller means enemies took some of its land.

33This land was east of the Jordan River. It was all of Gilead, where the families of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh lived. It went from Aroer by the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan.

From Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.

NoteThe Jordan was the big river in that land. Gilead and Bashan were areas east of it. Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh were three family groups of Israel. Each family group had its own part of the land.

34The other things Jehu did, and how strong he was, are all written down. They are in the book called the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

NoteThis book was a record of what the kings did. That book is lost now. It is not the book called Chronicles in the Bible.

35Jehu died, as his fathers had before him. They buried him in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz became king after him.

And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.

NoteDied as his fathers had is a gentle way of saying he died. He was buried with his family.

36Jehu was king over Israel in Samaria for twenty-eight years.

And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.

7God let Ahaziah's fall happen through that visit to Joram. When Ahaziah got there, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu, son of Nimshi. The LORD had chosen Jehu to put an end to Ahab's family.

And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

NoteThe King James says God "anointed" Jehu. That means oil was poured on his head. It was a sign that God picked him for a job.

8Jehu was carrying out that punishment on Ahab's family. He found the leaders of Judah and Ahaziah's nephews, who worked for Ahaziah. Jehu killed them.

And it came to pass, that, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, that ministered to Ahaziah, he slew them.

9Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah. Ahaziah was hiding in Samaria, and men caught him there. They brought him to Jehu, and he was put to death. They still buried him. They said, "He is a grandson of Jehoshaphat, who followed the LORD with his whole heart." After that, no one in Ahaziah's family was strong enough to rule.

And he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him, (for he was hid in Samaria,) and brought him to Jehu: and when they had slain him, they buried him: Because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom.

NoteSamaria was the biggest city in the land of Israel. Jehoshaphat was an earlier king of Judah. People remembered that he loved God, so they buried his grandson properly.

4Then the LORD said to Hosea, "Name him Jezreel. Soon I will punish the family of King Jehu. They killed many people at Jezreel. I will also bring the kingdom of Israel to an end."

And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

NoteNames in the Bible often carried a message. Jezreel was the name of a valley and a town. Long before Hosea, a king named Jehu killed many people there. God says that family will now be punished.

5"On that day I will break the bows of Israel's army. It will happen in the valley of Jezreel."

And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

NoteA bow shoots arrows. It was the strongest weapon an army had. Breaking the bow is a way of saying the army will lose.