1 Kings 16
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
16 The word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,(A) 2 “Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have caused my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins,(B) 3 therefore I will consume Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat.(C) 4 Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the air shall eat.”(D)
5 Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, what he did, and his power, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?(E) 6 Baasha slept with his ancestors and was buried at Tirzah, and his son Elah succeeded him.(F) 7 Moreover, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, both because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and also because he destroyed it.(G)
Elah Reigns over Israel
8 In the twenty-sixth year of King Asa of Judah, Elah son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah; he reigned two years. 9 But his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. When he was at Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was in charge of the palace at Tirzah,(H) 10 Zimri came in and struck him down and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa of Judah, and succeeded him.
11 When he began to reign, as soon as he had seated himself on his throne, he killed all the house of Baasha; he did not leave him a single male of his kindred or his friends. 12 Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord, which he had spoken against Baasha by the prophet Jehu,(I) 13 because of all the sins of Baasha and the sins of his son Elah that they committed and that they caused Israel to commit, provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their idols.(J) 14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?(K)
Third Dynasty: Zimri Reigns over Israel
15 In the twenty-seventh year of King Asa of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines,(L) 16 and the troops who were encamped heard it said, “Zimri has conspired, and he has killed the king”; therefore all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17 So Omri went up from Gibbethon and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. 18 When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king’s house; he burned down the king’s house over himself with fire and died(M)— 19 because of the sins that he committed, doing evil in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of Jeroboam, and for the sin that he committed, causing Israel to sin.(N) 20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri and the conspiracy that he made, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?(O)
Fourth Dynasty: Omri Reigns over Israel
21 Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni son of Ginath to make him king, and half followed Omri. 22 But the people who followed Omri overcame the people who followed Tibni son of Ginath, so Tibni died, and Omri became king. 23 In the thirty-first year of King Asa of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel; he reigned for twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.(P)
Samaria the New Capital
24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; he fortified the hill and called the city that he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.(Q)
25 Omri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; he did more evil than all who were before him. 26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in the sins that he caused Israel to commit, provoking the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger by their idols.(R) 27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri that he did and the power that he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel? 28 Omri slept with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria; his son Ahab succeeded him.
Ahab Reigns over Israel
29 In the thirty-eighth year of King Asa of Judah, Ahab son of Omri began to reign over Israel; Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him.(S)
Ahab Marries Jezebel and Worships Baal
31 And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he took as his wife Jezebel daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians and went and served Baal and worshiped him.(T) 32 He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal that he built in Samaria.(U) 33 Ahab also made a sacred pole.[a] Ahab did more to provoke the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than had all the kings of Israel who were before him.(V) 34 In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho; he laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Joshua son of Nun.(W)
Footnotes
- 16.33 Or Asherah
1 Kings 16
Common English Bible
16 The Lord’s word came to Jehu, Hanani’s son, against Baasha: 2 I raised you up from the dust and made you a leader over my people Israel, but you walked in Jeroboam’s ways, making my people Israel sin, making me angry with their sins. 3 So look, I am about to set fire to Baasha and his household, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam, Nebat’s son. 4 Dogs will eat any of Baasha’s family who die in town. Birds will eat any who die in the country.
5 Now the rest of Baasha’s deeds, what he did, and his powerful acts, aren’t they written in the official records of Israel’s kings? 6 Baasha lay down with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah succeeded him as king.
7 But the Lord’s word came through the prophet Jehu, Hanani’s son, concerning Baasha and his house. It concerned everything evil in the Lord’s eyes that Baasha had done, angering the Lord by his actions so that he would end up just like the house of Jeroboam. The message was also about how the Lord attacked Baasha.[a]
Elah rules Israel
8 In the twenty-sixth year of Judah’s King Asa, Elah, Baasha’s son, became king over Israel. He ruled in Tirzah for two years. 9 Zimri, his officer who led half the chariots, plotted against him. Elah was at Tirzah, getting drunk at the house of Arza, who had charge over the palace at Tirzah. 10 Zimri came, attacked, and killed Elah in the twenty-seventh year of Judah’s King Asa. Zimri succeeded him as king.
11 Once Zimri became king and sat on the throne, he attacked all of Baasha’s house. He didn’t spare anyone who urinates on a wall, whether relative or friend. 12 Zimri destroyed the entire house of Baasha in agreement with the Lord’s word that had been spoken by the prophet Jehu to Baasha. 13 This happened because of all Baasha’s sins, as well as the sins of his son Elah and because they caused Israel to sin. They angered Israel’s God, the Lord, with their insignificant idols. 14 The rest of Elah’s deeds and all that he did, aren’t they written in the official records of Israel’s kings?
Zimri rules Israel
15 In the twenty-seventh year of Judah’s King Asa, Zimri became king. He ruled in Tirzah for seven days. The army was camped at Gibbethon in Philistia. 16 They heard the news: “Zimri has plotted against the king and killed him.” Right then, in the camp, the whole Israelite army made their general Omri king of Israel. 17 Omri and the entire army then went up from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. 18 When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he went into the fort of the royal palace and burned it down on top of himself. So he died. 19 This happened because of the sins Zimri had committed by doing evil in the Lord’s eyes and by walking in Jeroboam’s ways and the sin he had done by causing Israel to sin. 20 The rest of Zimri’s deeds and the plot he carried out, aren’t they written in the official records of Israel’s kings?
Omri rules Israel
21 At this time the people of Israel were split in two. One half of the people followed Tibni, Ginath’s son, making him king; the other half followed Omri. 22 Omri’s side was stronger than those who followed Tibni, Ginath’s son. So Tibni died and Omri became king. 23 In the thirty-first year of Judah’s King Asa, Omri became king of Israel. He ruled for twelve years, six of which were in Tirzah. 24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two kikkars of silver. He fortified the hill and named the town that he built there after Shemer, the previous owner of the hill of Samaria. 25 Omri did evil in the Lord’s eyes, more evil than anyone who preceded him. 26 He walked in all the ways and sins of Jeroboam, Nebat’s son, because he caused Israel to sin. They angered Israel’s God, the Lord, with their worthless idols. 27 The rest of Omri’s deeds and his powerful acts, aren’t they written in the official records of Israel’s kings? 28 Omri lay down with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab succeeded him as king.
Ahab rules Israel
29 In the thirty-eighth year of Judah’s King Asa, Ahab, Omri’s son, became king of Israel. He ruled over Israel in Samaria for twenty-two years 30 and did evil in the Lord’s eyes, more than anyone who preceded him. 31 Ahab found it easy to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, Nebat’s son. He married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, who was the king of the Sidonians. He served and worshipped Baal. 32 He made an altar for Baal in the Baal temple he had constructed in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made a sacred pole[b] and did more to anger the Lord, the God of Israel, than any of Israel’s kings who preceded him. 34 During Ahab’s time, Hiel from Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He set up its foundations at the cost of his oldest son Abiram. He hung its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub. This fulfilled the Lord’s word spoken through Joshua, Nun’s son.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 16:7 Or and also about how he attacked him or and because Baasha had attacked Jeroboam
- 1 Kings 16:33 Heb asherah, perhaps an object devoted to the goddess Asherah
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible