1 Kings 16
World English Bible
16 Yahweh’s word came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, 2 “Because I exalted you out of the dust, and made you prince over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and have made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins; 3 behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house; and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 4 The dogs will eat Baasha’s descendants who die in the city; and he who dies of his in the field, the birds of the sky will eat.”
5 Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 6 Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his place.
7 Moreover Yahweh’s word came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and against his house, both because of all the evil that he did in Yahweh’s sight, to provoke him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he struck him.
8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah for two years. 9 His servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him. Now he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah; 10 and Zimri went in and struck him, and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place.
11 When he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, he attacked all the house of Baasha. He didn’t leave him a single one who urinates on a wall[a] among his relatives or his friends. 12 Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to Yahweh’s word, which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, 13 for all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned, and with which they made Israel to sin, to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities. 14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 15 In 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. 16 The people who were encamped heard that Zimri had conspired, and had also killed the king. Therefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17 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 fortified part of the king’s house, and burned the king’s house over him with fire, and died, 19 for his sins which he sinned in doing that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin. 20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he committed, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of 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; and half followed Omri. 22 But the people who followed Omri prevailed against the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath; so Tibni died, and Omri reigned. 23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel for twelve years. He reigned six years in Tirzah. 24 He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents[b] of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill. 25 Omri did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and dealt wickedly above all who were before him. 26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins with which he made Israel to sin, to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities. 27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he showed, aren’t they 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 reigned in his place.
29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel. Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight above all that were before him. 31 As if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him. 32 He raised up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 33 Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did more yet to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34 In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho. He laid its foundation with the loss of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to Yahweh’s word, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.
1 Kings 16
International Standard Version
Jehu Rebukes Baasha
16 Later, a message came from the Lord to Hanani’s son Jehu. It was directed to rebuke Baasha, and this is what it said:
2 “I raised you from the dirt to become Commander-in-Chief[a] over my people Israel, but you’ve been living like Jeroboam, you’ve been leading my people Israel into sin, and you’ve been provoking me to anger with their sins. 3 So watch out! I’m going to devour Baasha and his household. I’m going to make your household just like the household of Jeroboam, Nebat’s son. 4 Anyone from Baasha’s household[b] who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the sky will eat.”
5 Now the rest of Baasha’s accomplishments, including everything that he undertook, as well as his strengths, are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not? 6 Eventually, Baasha died, as had his ancestors, and he was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah was installed as king in his place.
7 In addition, a message from the Lord came through Hanani’s son Jehu the prophet against Baasha and his household, not only because of all of the things that Baasha[c] did that the Lord considered to be evil, including provoking the Lord[d] to anger by what he did and by being like the household of Jeroboam, but also because Baasha[e] had destroyed Jeroboam’s household.[f]
Elah Reigns over Israel
8 During the twenty-sixth year of the reign of[g] King Asa of Judah, Baasha’s son Elah became king over Israel and reigned at Tirzah for two years. 9 But his servant Zimri, who commanded half of his chariot forces, conspired against Elah while he was drinking himself drunk in the home of Arza, who managed the household at Tirzah. 10 Zimri went inside, attacked him, and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, and then became king in Elah’s place. 11 As soon as he had consolidated his reign, he executed the entire household of Baasha. He did not leave a single male alive, including any of Baasha’s relatives or friends. 12 In doing so, Zimri destroyed the entire household of Baasha, in keeping with the message from the Lord that he had spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet 13 because of all the sins that Baasha and his son Elah had committed and because of what they did to lead Israel into sin, thus provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their idolatry. 14 Now the rest of Elah’s accomplishments, including everything he undertook, are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not?
Zimri Reigns over Israel
15 Zimri reigned for seven days at Tirzah during the twenty-seventh year of the reign of[h] King Asa of Judah. At that time, the army was encamped in a siege against Gibbethon of Philistia. 16 The army at the encampment heard this report: “Zimri has conspired against the king and killed him.” So the entire army of[i] Israel made Omri, their commander, king over Israel. 17 Then Omri and the entire army of[j] Israel left from Gibbethon and attacked Tirzah. 18 When Zimri observed that the city had been captured, he retreated into the king’s palace, set fire to the citadel, and died when the palace burned down around him 19 because of the sins that he committed by doing what the Lord considered to be evil, living like Jeroboam did, and sinning so as to lead Israel into sin. 20 The rest of Zimri’s accomplishments, including his conspiracy that he carried out, are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not?
Omri Reigns over Israel and Builds Samaria
21 The army[k] of Israel was divided into two parties: half of the army[l] were loyal to Ginath’s son Tibni and wanted to make him king, and half were loyal to Omri. 22 But the army[m] that was loyal to Omri was victorious over Ginath’s son Tibni. Tibni later died and Omri became king. 23 During the thirty-first year of the reign of[n] King Asa of Judah, Omri became king over Israel. He reigned for twelve years, six of them at Tirzah. 24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents[o] of silver, fortified the hill, and named the city Samaria after Shemer, the former owner of the hill. 25 Omri practiced what the Lord considered to be evil, doing far more evil than anyone who had reigned before him. 26 He lived just like Nebat’s son Jeroboam, and by his sin he led Israel into sin, provoking the Lord God of Israel with their idolatry. 27 Now the rest of Omri’s accomplishments, including the power that he demonstrated, are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not? 28 So Omri died, as had his ancestors, and he was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab became king in his place.
Ahab Reigns over Israel and Marries Jezebel
29 Omri’s son Ahab became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of King Asa of Judah. He[p] reigned over Israel in Samaria for 22 years. 30 Omri’s son Ahab practiced more of what the Lord considered to be evil than anyone who had lived before him. 31 In fact, as if it were nothing for him to live like Nebat’s son Jeroboam, Ahab married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon. Then he went out to serve Baal and worship him. 32 He built an altar for Baal in a temple for Baal that he constructed in Samaria. 33 Ahab also erected an Asherah, doing more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all of the kings of Israel who had reigned before him. 34 It was during Ahab’s reign that Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations just as his firstborn son Abiram was dying, and he erected its gates while his youngest son Segub was dying, thus fulfilling the message that the Lord delivered through Nun’s son Joshua.[q]
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 16:2 Lit. Nagid; i.e. a senior officer entrusted with dual roles of operational oversight and administrative authority
- 1 Kings 16:4 The Heb. lacks household
- 1 Kings 16:7 Lit. he
- 1 Kings 16:7 Lit. him
- 1 Kings 16:7 Lit. he
- 1 Kings 16:7 Lit. destroyed it
- 1 Kings 16:8 The Heb. lacks the reign of
- 1 Kings 16:15 The Heb. lacks the reign of
- 1 Kings 16:16 The Heb. lacks army of
- 1 Kings 16:17 The Heb. lacks army of
- 1 Kings 16:21 Or people
- 1 Kings 16:21 Or people
- 1 Kings 16:22 Or people
- 1 Kings 16:23 The Heb. lacks the reign of
- 1 Kings 16:24 I.e. about 150 pounds; a talent weighed about 75 pounds
- 1 Kings 16:29 Lit. Omri’s son Ahab
- 1 Kings 16:34 Cf. Josh 6:26
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