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1 Kings 16
New English Translation

16 The Lord’s message against Baasha came to[a] Jehu son of Hanani: 2 “I raised you up[b] from the dust and made you ruler over my people Israel. Yet you followed in Jeroboam’s footsteps[c] and encouraged my people Israel to sin; their sins have made me angry.[d] 3 So I am ready to burn up[e] Baasha and his family, and make your family[f] like the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat. 4 Dogs will eat the members of Baasha’s family[g] who die in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat the ones who die in the country.”

5 The rest of the events of Baasha’s reign, including his accomplishments and successes, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.[h] 6 Baasha passed away[i] and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah replaced him as king. 7 And so it was the Lord’s message came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha and his family.[j] This was because of all the evil he had done in the Lord’s view, by angering him with his deeds and becoming like Jeroboam’s dynasty,[k] and because of how he had destroyed Jeroboam’s dynasty.[l]

Elah’s Reign over Israel

8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Baasha’s son Elah became king over Israel; he ruled in Tirzah for two years. 9 His servant Zimri, a commander of half of his chariot force, conspired against him. While Elah was in Tirzah drinking heavily[m] at the house of Arza, who supervised the palace in Tirzah, 10 Zimri came in and struck him dead. (This happened in the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah.) Zimri replaced Elah as king.[n] 11 When he became king and occupied the throne, he killed Baasha’s entire family. He did not spare any male belonging to him; he killed his relatives and his friends.[o] 12 Zimri destroyed Baasha’s entire family, in keeping with the Lord’s message which he had spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet. 13 This happened because of all the sins which Baasha and his son Elah committed and which they made Israel commit. They angered the Lord God of Israel with their worthless idols.[p]

14 The rest of the events of Elah’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.[q]

Zimri’s Reign over Israel

15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri became king over Israel; he ruled for seven days in Tirzah. Zimri’s revolt took place while the army was deployed[r] in Gibbethon, which was in Philistine territory. 16 While deployed there, the army received this report:[s] “Zimri has conspired against the king and assassinated him.”[t] So all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day in the camp. 17 Omri and all Israel went up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. 18 When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he went into the fortified area of the royal palace. He set the palace on fire and died in the flames.[u] 19 This happened because of the sins he committed. He did evil in the sight of[v] the Lord and followed in Jeroboam’s footsteps and encouraged Israel to continue sinning.[w]

20 The rest of the events of Zimri’s reign, including the details of his revolt, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.[x]

Omri’s Reign over Israel

21 At that time the people of Israel were divided in their loyalties. Half the people supported Tibni son of Ginath and wanted to make him king; the other half supported Omri. 22 Omri’s supporters were stronger than those who supported Tibni son of Ginath. Tibni died; Omri became king.

23 In the thirty-first year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Omri became king over Israel. He ruled for twelve years, six of them in Tirzah. 24 He purchased the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents[y] of silver. He launched a construction project there[z] and named the city he built after Shemer, the former owner of the hill of Samaria. 25 Omri did more evil in the sight of[aa] the Lord than all who were before him. 26 He followed in the footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat and encouraged Israel to sin;[ab] they angered the Lord God of Israel with their worthless idols.[ac]

27 The rest of the events of Omri’s reign, including his accomplishments and successes, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.[ad] 28 Omri passed away[ae] and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab replaced him as king.[af]

Ahab Promotes Idolatry

29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Omri’s son Ahab became king over Israel. Ahab son of Omri ruled over Israel for twenty-two years in Samaria. 30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the sight of[ag] the Lord than all who were before him. 31 As if following in the sinful footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat were not bad enough, he married Jezebel the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians. Then he worshiped and bowed to Baal.[ah] 32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal he had built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole; he[ai] did more to anger the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

34 During Ahab’s reign,[aj] Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. Abiram, his firstborn son, died when he laid the foundation;[ak] Segub, his youngest son, died when he erected its gates,[al] in keeping with the Lord’s message that he had spoken through Joshua son of Nun.[am]

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 16:1 tc LXX “by the hand of,” meaning “through.”
  2. 1 Kings 16:2 tn The Hebrew text has “because” at the beginning of the sentence. In the Hebrew text vv. 2-3 are one sentence comprised of a causal clause giving the reason for divine punishment (v. 2) and the main clause announcing the punishment (v. 3). The translation divides this sentence for stylistic reasons.
  3. 1 Kings 16:2 tn Heb “walked in the way of Jeroboam.”
  4. 1 Kings 16:2 tn Heb “angering me by their sins.”
  5. 1 Kings 16:3 tn The traditional view understands the verb בָּעַר (baʿar) to mean “burn.” However, an alternate view takes בָּעַר (baʿar) as a homonym meaning “sweep away” (HALOT 146 s.v. II בער). In this case one might translate, “I am ready to sweep away Baasha and his family.” Either metaphor emphasizes the thorough and destructive nature of the coming judgment.
  6. 1 Kings 16:3 tc The Old Greek, Syriac Peshitta, and some mss of the Targum have here “his house.”
  7. 1 Kings 16:4 tn Heb “the ones belonging to Baasha.”
  8. 1 Kings 16:5 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Baasha, and that which he did and his strength, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
  9. 1 Kings 16:6 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
  10. 1 Kings 16:7 tn Heb “house,” by extension meaning the members of one’s household or a dynasty.
  11. 1 Kings 16:7 tn Heb “house.”
  12. 1 Kings 16:7 tn Heb “he struck him down” or “…it down.”
  13. 1 Kings 16:9 tn Heb “while he was in Tirzah drinking and drunken.”
  14. 1 Kings 16:10 tn Heb “and he became king in his place.”
  15. 1 Kings 16:11 tn Heb “and he did not spare any belonging to him who urinate against a wall, [including] his kinsmen redeemers and his friends.”
  16. 1 Kings 16:13 tn Heb “angering the Lord God of Israel with their empty things.”
  17. 1 Kings 16:14 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Elah, and all which he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
  18. 1 Kings 16:15 tn Heb “Now the people were encamped.
  19. 1 Kings 16:16 tn Heb “and the people who were encamped heard, saying.”
  20. 1 Kings 16:16 tn Heb “has conspired against and also has struck down the king.”
  21. 1 Kings 16:18 tn Heb “and he burned the house of the king over him with fire and he died.”
  22. 1 Kings 16:19 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
  23. 1 Kings 16:19 tn Heb “walking in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he did to make Israel sin.”
  24. 1 Kings 16:20 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Zimri, and his conspiracy which he conspired, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
  25. 1 Kings 16:24 tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 150 pounds of silver.
  26. 1 Kings 16:24 tn Heb “he built up the hill.”
  27. 1 Kings 16:25 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
  28. 1 Kings 16:26 tn Heb “walked in all the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin which he made Israel sin.”
  29. 1 Kings 16:26 tn Heb “angering the Lord God of Israel with their empty things.”
  30. 1 Kings 16:27 tn Heb “As for the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his strength which he demonstrated, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
  31. 1 Kings 16:28 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
  32. 1 Kings 16:28 tc The Old Greek has eight additional verses here. Cf. 1 Kgs 22:41-44.
  33. 1 Kings 16:30 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
  34. 1 Kings 16:31 tn Heb “and he went and served Baal and bowed down to him.”sn The Canaanites worshiped Baal as a storm and fertility god.
  35. 1 Kings 16:33 tn Heb “Ahab”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  36. 1 Kings 16:34 tn Heb “in his days.”
  37. 1 Kings 16:34 tn Heb “with Abiram, his firstborn, he founded it.”
  38. 1 Kings 16:34 tn Heb “with Segub, his youngest, he set up its gates.”
  39. 1 Kings 16:34 sn Warned through Joshua son of Nun. For the background to this statement, see Josh 6:26, where Joshua pronounces a curse on the one who dares to rebuild Jericho. Here that curse is viewed as a prophecy spoken by God through Joshua.
Close LSB

1 Kings 16
Legacy Standard Bible

16 Now the word of Yahweh came to (A)Jehu the son of (B)Hanani against Baasha, saying, 2 “Inasmuch as I (C)exalted you from the dust and made you ruler over My people Israel, and (D)you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made My people Israel sin, provoking Me to anger with their sins, 3 behold, (E)I am going to sweep away (F)Baasha and his house, and (G)I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 4 (H)Anyone of Baasha who dies in the city the dogs will eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the sky will eat.”

5 (I)Now 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? 6 And Baasha slept with his fathers and was buried in (J)Tirzah, and Elah his son became king in his place. 7 Moreover, the word of Yahweh through the hand of (K)the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani also came about against Baasha and his household, both because of all the evil which he did in the sight of Yahweh, provoking Him to anger with (L)the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because (M)he struck [a]it.

Elah Reigns over Israel

8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha became king over Israel at Tirzah, and reigned two years. 9 And his servant (N)Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. Now he was at Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, (O)who was over the household at Tirzah. 10 Then Zimri went in and struck him and put him to death in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and became king in his place. 11 Now it happened when he became king, as soon as he sat on his throne, that (P)he struck down all the household of Baasha; he did not leave [b]a single male—not even any of his kinsman redeemers or his friends.

12 Thus Zimri destroyed all the household of Baasha, (Q)according to the word of Yahweh, which He spoke against Baasha by the hand of (R)Jehu the prophet, 13 for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and which they made Israel sin, (S)provoking Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger with their [c]idols. 14 (T)Now 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?

Zimri Reigns over Israel

15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days at Tirzah. Now the people were camped against (U)Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. 16 And the people who were camped heard [d]it said, “Zimri has conspired and has also struck down the king.” Therefore all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17 Then Omri and all Israel with him went up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. 18 Now it happened that when Zimri saw that the city was captured, he went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned the king’s house over him with fire, and (V)died, 19 because of his sins which he sinned, doing what is evil in the sight of Yahweh, (W)walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, making Israel sin. 20 (X)Now the rest of the acts of Zimri and his conspiracy which he [e]carried out, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

Omri Reigns over Israel

21 Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; the other half followed Omri. 22 But the people who followed Omri prevailed over the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. And Tibni died and Omri became king. 23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel and reigned twelve years; he reigned six years at (Y)Tirzah. 24 And he bought the hill [f]Samaria from Shemer for two [g]talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and named the city which he built [h](Z)Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

25 (AA)And Omri did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and (AB)acted more wickedly than all who were before him. 26 For he (AC)walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and in his sins which he made Israel sin, provoking Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger with their [i]idols. 27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did and his might which he [j]showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 28 So Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son became king in his place.

Ahab Reigns over Israel

29 Now Ahab the son of Omri became king 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. 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh (AD)more than all who were before him.

31 Now it happened, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that (AE)he took Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the (AF)Sidonians as a wife, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 So he erected an altar for Baal in (AG)the house of Baal which he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made (AH)the [k]Asherah. Thus (AI)Ahab did more to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34 (AJ)In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho; he laid its foundations with the loss of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of Yahweh, which He spoke by the hand of Joshua the son of Nun.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 16:7 Or him
  2. 1 Kings 16:11 Lit him who urinates against the wall, cf. 1 Sam 25:22, 34; 1 Kin 14:10; 21:21; 2 Kin 9:8
  3. 1 Kings 16:13 Lit vanities
  4. 1 Kings 16:16 Lit saying
  5. 1 Kings 16:20 Lit conspired
  6. 1 Kings 16:24 Heb Shomeron
  7. 1 Kings 16:24 A talent was approx. 75 lb. or 34 kg
  8. 1 Kings 16:24 Heb Shomeron
  9. 1 Kings 16:26 Lit vanities
  10. 1 Kings 16:27 Lit did
  11. 1 Kings 16:33 A wooden symbol of a female deity
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