1 Kings 16
16
1This message from the Lord was delivered to King Baasha by the prophet Jehu son of Hanani: 2“I lifted you out of the dust to make you ruler of my people Israel, but you have followed the evil example of Jeroboam. You have provoked my anger by causing my people Israel to sin. 3So now I will destroy you and your family, just as I destroyed the descendants of Jeroboam son of Nebat. 4The members of Baasha’s family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field will be eaten by vultures.”
5The rest of the events in Baasha’s reign and the extent of his power are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 6When Baasha died, he was buried in Tirzah. Then his son Elah became the next king.
7The message from the Lord against Baasha and his family came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani. It was delivered because Baasha had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight (just as the family of Jeroboam had done), and also because Baasha had destroyed the family of Jeroboam. The Lord’s anger was provoked by Baasha’s sins.
Elah Rules in Israel
8Elah son of Baasha began to rule over Israel in the twenty-sixth year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in the city of Tirzah for two years.
9Then Zimri, who commanded half of the royal chariots, made plans to kill him. One day in Tirzah, Elah was getting drunk at the home of Arza, the supervisor of the palace. 10Zimri walked in and struck him down and killed him. This happened in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. Then Zimri became the next king.
11Zimri immediately killed the entire royal family of Baasha, leaving him not even a single male child. He even destroyed distant relatives and friends. 12So Zimri destroyed the dynasty of Baasha as the Lord had promised through the prophet Jehu. 13This happened because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed, and because of the sins they led Israel to commit. They provoked the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, with their worthless idols.
14The rest of the events in Elah’s reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.
Zimri Rules in Israel
15Zimri began to rule over Israel in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa’s reign in Judah, but his reign in Tirzah lasted only seven days. The army of Israel was then attacking the Philistine town of Gibbethon. 16When they heard that Zimri had committed treason and had assassinated the king, that very day they chose Omri, commander of the army, as the new king of Israel. 17So Omri led the entire army of Israel up from Gibbethon to attack Tirzah, Israel’s capital. 18When Zimri saw that the city had been taken, he went into the citadel of the palace and burned it down over himself and died in the flames. 19For he, too, had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He followed the example of Jeroboam in all the sins he had committed and led Israel to commit.
20The rest of the events in Zimri’s reign and his conspiracy are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.
Omri Rules in Israel
21But now the people of Israel were split into two factions. Half the people tried to make Tibni son of Ginath their king, while the other half supported Omri. 22But Omri’s supporters defeated the supporters of Tibni. So Tibni was killed, and Omri became the next king.
23Omri began to rule over Israel in the thirty-first year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned twelve years in all, six of them in Tirzah. 24Then Omri bought the hill now known as Samaria from its owner, Shemer, for 150 pounds of silver.#16:24 Hebrew for 2 talents [68 kilograms] of silver. He built a city on it and called the city Samaria in honor of Shemer.
25But Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him. 26He followed the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat in all the sins he had committed and led Israel to commit. The people provoked the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, with their worthless idols.
27The rest of the events in Omri’s reign, the extent of his power, and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 28When Omri died, he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Ahab became the next king.
Ahab Rules in Israel
29Ahab son of Omri began to rule over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria twenty-two years. 30But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him. 31And as though it were not enough to follow the sinful example of Jeroboam, he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and he began to bow down in worship of Baal. 32First Ahab built a temple and an altar for Baal in Samaria. 33Then he set up an Asherah pole. He did more to provoke the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than any of the other kings of Israel before him.
34It was during his reign that Hiel, a man from Bethel, rebuilt Jericho. When he laid its foundations, it cost him the life of his oldest son, Abiram. And when he completed it and set up its gates, it cost him the life of his youngest son, Segub.#16:34 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition reads He killed his oldest son when he laid its foundations, and he killed his youngest son when he set up its gates. This all happened according to the message from the Lord concerning Jericho spoken by Joshua son of Nun.
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1 Kings 16: NLT
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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3 Kings 16
16
1Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasa, saying:
2Forasmuch as I have 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, to provoke me to anger with their sins:
3Behold, I will cut down the posterity of Baasa, and the posterity of his house: and I will make thy house as the house of Jeroboam the son of Nabat.
4Him that dieth of Baasa in the city the dogs shall eat: and him that dieth of his in the country the fowls of the air shall devour.
5But the rest of the acts of Baasa and all that he did, and his battles, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
6So Baasa slept with his fathers, and was buried in Thersa: and Ela his son reigned in his stead.
7And when the word of the Lord came in the hand of Jehu the son of Hanani the prophet, against Baasa, and against his house, and against all the evil that he had done before the Lord, to provoke him to anger by the works of his hands, to become as the house of Jeroboam: for this cause he slew him, that is to say, Jehu the son of Hanani, the prophet.
8In the six and twentieth year of Asa king of Juda, Ela the son of Baasa reigned over Israel in Thersa two years.
9And his servant Zambri, who was captain of half the horsemen, rebelled against him. Now Ela was drinking in Thersa: and drunk in the house of Arsa the governor of Thersa.
10And Zambri, rushing in, struck him and slew him in the seven and twentieth year of Asa king of Juda: and he reigned in his stead.
11And when he was king and sat upon his throne, he slew all the house of Baasa: and he left not one thereof to piss against a wall, and all his kinsfolks and friends.
12And Zambri destroyed all the house of Baasa, according to the word of the Lord, that he had spoken to Baasa in the hand of Jehu the prophet.
13For all the sins of Baasa, and the sins of Ela his son, who sinned, and made Israel to sin, provoking the Lord, the God, of Israel, with their vanities.
14But the rest of the acts of Ela and that he did, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
15In the seventh and twentieth year of Asa, king of Juda, Zambri reigned seven days in Thersa: Now the army was besieging Gebbethon, a city of the Philistines.
16And when they heard that Zambri had rebelled, and slain the king, all Israel made Amri their king, who was general over Israel in the camp that day.
17And Amri went up, and all Israel with him from Gebbethon: and they besieged Thersa.
18And Zambri seeing that the city was about to be taken, went into the palace and burnt himself with the king's house. And he died
19In his sins, which he had sinned, doing evil before the Lord, and walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin, wherewith he made Israel to sin.
20But the rest of the acts of Zambri, and of his conspiracy and tyranny, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
21Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts. One half of the people followed Thebni the son of Gineth, to make him king: and one half followed Amri.
22But the people that were with Amri prevailed over the people that followed Thebni the son of Gineth: and Thebni died, and Amri reigned.
23In the one and thirtieth year of Asa, king of Juda, Amri reigned over Israel twelve years. In Thersa he reigned six years.
24And he bought the hill of Samaria of Semer for two talents of silver. And he built upon it, and he called the city which he built Samaria, after the name of Semer, the owner of the hill.
25And Amri did evil in the sight of the Lord, and acted wickedly above all that were before him.
26And he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, and in his sins wherewith he made Israel to sin: to provoke the Lord the God of Israel to anger with their vanities.
27Now the rest of the acts of Amri, and the battles he fought, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
28And Amri slept with his fathers: and was buried in Samaria. And Achab his son reigned in his stead.
29Now Achab the son of Amri reigned over Israel in the eight and thirtieth year of Asa king of Juda. And Achab the son of Amri reigned over Israel in Samaria two and twenty years.
30And Achab the son of Amri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him.
31Nor was it enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nabat: but he also took to wife Jezabel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians. And he went, and served Baal, and adored him.
32And he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria:
33And he planted a grove. And Achab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, than all the kings of Israel that were before him.
34In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho: in Abiram his firstborn he laid its foundations: and in his youngest son Segub he set up the gates thereof: according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke in the hand of Josue the son of Nun.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.