1 Kings 16
16
1The Lord’s message about Baasha came to Jehu, the son of Hanani. Here is what the Lord said about Baasha. 2“I lifted you up from the dust. I appointed you king over my people Israel. But you lived the way Jeroboam had lived. You also caused my people Israel to sin. And their sins made me very angry. 3So I am about to destroy you, Baasha, and your royal house. I will make your house like the royal house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. 4Some of the people who belong to you will die in the city. Dogs will eat them up. Others will die in the country. The birds will eat them.”
5The other events of Baasha’s rule are written down. What he did and what he accomplished are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. 6Baasha joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried in Tirzah. Baasha’s son Elah became the next king after him.
7The Lord’s message came through the prophet Jehu, the son of Hanani. It was against Baasha and his royal house. Baasha had done all kinds of evil things in the sight of the Lord. Baasha had also destroyed the royal house of Jeroboam. What Baasha did had made the Lord very angry. So Baasha had become as sinful as the royal house of Jeroboam had been.
Elah King of Israel
8Elah became king of Israel. It was in the 26th year that Asa was king of Judah. Elah ruled in Tirzah for two years. He was the son of Baasha.
9Zimri was one of Elah’s officials. He commanded half of Elah’s chariot drivers. He made plans against Elah. Elah was in Tirzah at the time. He was getting drunk in the home of Arza. Arza was in charge of the palace at Tirzah. 10Zimri came in. He struck Elah down and killed him. It was in the 27th year of Asa, the king of Judah. Zimri became the next king after Elah.
11As soon as Zimri was seated on the throne as king, he killed off Baasha’s whole family. He didn’t even spare one male. It didn’t matter whether it was a relative or a friend. 12So Zimri destroyed the whole family of Baasha. That’s what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet. 13Baasha and his son Elah had committed all kinds of sin. They had also caused Israel to commit the same sins. So Israel made the Lord very angry. They did it by worshiping worthless statues of gods. The Lord is the God of Israel.
14The other events of Elah’s rule are written down. Everything he did is written in the official records of the kings of Israel.
Zimri King of Israel
15Zimri ruled in Tirzah for seven days. It was in the 27th year that Asa was king of Judah. The army of Israel had set up camp near Gibbethon. It was a Philistine town. 16The Israelites in the camp heard that Zimri had made plans against King Elah. They also heard that Zimri had murdered him. So they announced that Omri was king over Israel. He was the commander of the army. They made him king that day in the camp. 17Then Omri and all his men pulled back from Gibbethon. They marched to Tirzah and surrounded it. They attacked it and captured it. 18Zimri saw that they had taken over the city. So he went into the safest place in the royal palace. He set the palace on fire all around him. He died there 19because of the sins he had committed. He had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He had lived the way Jeroboam had lived. He had committed the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.
20The other events of Zimri’s rule are written down. The way he turned against King Elah and killed him is written down. All these things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel.
Omri King of Israel
21The Israelites divided up into two groups. Half of them wanted Tibni to be king. He was the son of Ginath. The other half wanted Omri. 22But Omri’s followers were stronger than those of Tibni, the son of Ginath. So Tibni died. And Omri began to rule.
23Omri became king of Israel. It was in the 31st year that Asa was king of Judah. Omri ruled for 12 years. He ruled in Tirzah for six of those years. 24He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer. He weighed out 150 pounds of silver for it. Then he built a city on the hill. He called it Samaria. He named it after Shemer. Shemer had owned the hill before him.
25But Omri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He sinned more than all the kings who had ruled before him. 26He lived the way Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had lived. He committed the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. Israel made the Lord very angry. They did it by worshiping worthless statues of gods. The Lord is the God of Israel.
27The other events of Omri’s rule are written down. Everything he did and the things he accomplished are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. 28Omri joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried in Samaria. Omri’s son Ahab became the next king after him.
Ahab King of Israel
29Ahab became king of Israel. It was in the 38th year that Asa was king of Judah. Ahab ruled over Israel in Samaria for 22 years. He was the son of Omri. 30Ahab, the son of Omri, did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did more evil things than any of the kings who had ruled before him. 31He thought it was only a small thing to commit the sins Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had committed. Ahab also married Jezebel. She was Ethbaal’s daughter. Ethbaal was king of the people of Sidon. Ahab began to serve the god named Baal and worship him. 32He set up an altar to honor Baal. He set it up in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. 33Ahab also made a pole used to worship the female god named Asherah. He made the Lord very angry. Ahab did more to make him angry than all the kings of Israel had done before him. The Lord is the God of Israel.
34In Ahab’s time, Hiel from Bethel rebuilt Jericho. When he laid its foundations, it cost him the life of his oldest son Abiram. When he set up its gates, it cost him the life of his youngest son Segub. That’s what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken it through Joshua, the son of Nun.
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1 Kings 16: NIrV
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1 Kings 16
16
1And the word of Jehovah came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, 2Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel, and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins; 3behold, I will take away Baasha and his house, and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 4Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat, and him that dieth of his in the field shall the fowl of the heavens eat. 5And the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 6And Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his stead. 7And also through the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani the word of Jehovah came against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of Jehovah, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he had smitten him. 8In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah for two years. 9And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him; and he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was the steward of his house in Tirzah; 10and Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned in his stead. 11And it came to pass when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not a male, neither of his kinsmen nor of his friends. 12And Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spoke against Baasha through Jehu the prophet, 13for all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and wherewith they made Israel to sin, provoking Jehovah the God#GodHebrew: Elohim of Israel to anger with their vanities. 14And the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
15In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. 16And the people that were encamped heard say, Zimri has conspired, and has also smitten the king; and all Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. 18And it came to pass when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the citadel of the king's house, and burned the king's house over him with fire; 19and he died for his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of Jehovah, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, making Israel to sin. 20And the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his conspiracy which he wrought, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 21Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri. 22But the people that followed Omri overcame the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath; and Tibni died, and Omri reigned. 23In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel, — twelve years; he reigned six years in Tirzah. 24And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and built on the hill, and called the name of the city that he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria. 25And Omri wrought evil in the sight of Jehovah, and did worse than all that were before him. 26And he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins wherewith he made Israel to sin, provoking Jehovah the God#GodHebrew: Elohim of Israel to anger with their vanities. 27And the rest of the acts of Omri, what he did, and his might which he shewed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 28And Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.
29And Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30And Ahab the son of Omri wrought evil in the sight of Jehovah more than all that were before him. 31And it came to pass, as if it was a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshipped him. 32And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. 33And Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did more to provoke Jehovah the God#GodHebrew: Elohim of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. 34In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho; he laid its foundation in Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates in Segub his youngest, according to the word of Jehovah which he spoke through Joshua the son of Nun.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.