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
Christian Standard Bible
16 Now the word of the Lord came to Jehu(A) son of Hanani(B) against Baasha: 2 “Because I raised you up from the dust(C) and made you ruler over my people Israel,(D) but you have walked in the ways of Jeroboam and have caused my people Israel to sin,(E) angering me with their sins, 3 take note: I will eradicate Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat:(F)
4 Anyone who belongs to Baasha and dies in the city,
the dogs will eat,
and anyone who is his and dies in the field,
the birds[a] will eat.”(G)
5 The rest of the events of Baasha’s reign, along with all his accomplishments and might, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.(H) 6 Baasha rested with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah became king in his place. 7 But through the prophet Jehu(I) son of Hanani the word of the Lord also had come against Baasha and against his house because of all the evil he had done in the Lord’s sight. His actions angered the Lord, and Baasha’s house became like the house of Jeroboam, because he had struck it down.(J)
Israel’s King Elah
8 In the twenty-sixth year of Judah’s King Asa, Elah son of Baasha became king over Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah(K) two years.
9 His servant Zimri,(L) commander of half his chariots, conspired against him while Elah was in Tirzah getting drunk(M) in the house of Arza, who was in charge of the household(N) at Tirzah. 10 In the twenty-seventh year of Judah’s King Asa, Zimri went in and struck Elah down, killing him. Then Zimri became king in his place.(O)
11 When he became king, as soon as he was seated on his throne, Zimri struck down the entire house of Baasha. He did not leave a single male,[b](P) including his kinsmen and his friends. 12 So Zimri destroyed the entire house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord he had spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu.(Q) 13 This happened because of all the sins of Baasha and those of his son Elah, which they committed and caused Israel to commit, angering the Lord God of Israel(R) with their worthless idols.(S)
14 The rest of the events of Elah’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.(T)
Israel’s King Zimri
15 In the twenty-seventh year of Judah’s King Asa, Zimri became king for seven days in Tirzah.(U) Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon of the Philistines.(V) 16 When these troops heard that Zimri had not only conspired but had also struck down the king, then all Israel made Omri, the army commander, king over Israel that very day in the camp. 17 Omri along with all Israel marched up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah.(W) 18 When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he entered the citadel of the royal palace and burned it down over himself. He died 19 because of the sin he committed by doing what was evil in the Lord’s sight and by walking in the ways of Jeroboam and the sin he caused Israel to commit.(X)
20 The rest of the events of Zimri’s reign, along with the conspiracy that he instigated, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings. 21 At that time the people of Israel were divided: half the people followed Tibni son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. 22 However, the people who followed Omri proved stronger than those who followed Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king.
Israel’s King Omri
23 In the thirty-first year of Judah’s King Asa, Omri became king over Israel, and he reigned twelve years. He reigned six years in Tirzah,(Y) 24 then he bought the hill of Samaria(Z) from Shemer for 150 pounds[c] of silver, and he built up the hill. He named the city he built Samaria[d] based on the name Shemer, the owner of the hill.
25 Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he did more evil than all who were before him.(AA) 26 He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat in every respect and continued in his sins that he caused Israel to commit, angering the Lord God of Israel with their worthless idols.(AB) 27 The rest of the events of Omri’s reign, along with his accomplishments and the might he exercised, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings. 28 Omri rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab became king in his place.
Israel’s King Ahab
29 Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Judah’s King Asa; Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight more than all who were before him.(AC) 31 Then, as if following the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat were not enough, he married Jezebel,(AD) the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians,(AE) and then proceeded to serve Baal and bow in worship to him.(AF) 32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal(AG) that he had built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole.(AH) Ahab did more to anger the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.(AI)
34 During his reign, Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho. At the cost of Abiram his firstborn, he laid its foundation, and at the cost of Segub his youngest, he finished its gates, according to the word of the Lord he had spoken through Joshua son of Nun.(AJ)
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.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.