1 Kings 15:25-17:24

New English Translation

Nadab’s Reign over Israel

²⁵ In the second year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Jeroboam’s son Nadab became the king of Israel; he ruled Israel for two years. ²⁶ He did evil in the sight of^[a] the Lord. He followed in his father’s footsteps and encouraged Israel to sin.^[b]

²⁷ Baasha son of Ahijah, from the tribe of Issachar, conspired against Nadab^[c] and assassinated him in Gibbethon, which was in Philistine territory. This happened while Nadab and all the Israelite army were besieging Gibbethon. ²⁸ Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa’s reign over Judah and replaced him as king. ²⁹ When he became king, he executed Jeroboam’s entire family.^[d] He wiped out^[e] everyone who breathed, in keeping with the Lord’s message that he had spoken through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. ³⁰ This happened because of the sins which Jeroboam committed and which he made Israel commit. These sins angered the Lord God of Israel.^[f]

³¹ The rest of the events of Nadab’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.^{[g] 32} Asa and King Baasha of Israel were continually at war with each other.

Baasha’s Reign over Israel

³³ In the third year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king over all Israel in Tirzah; he ruled for twenty-four years. ³⁴ He did evil in the sight of^[h] the Lord; he followed in Jeroboam’s footsteps and encouraged Israel to sin.^[i]

16 The Lord’s message against Baasha came to^[j] Jehu son of Hanani: ² “I raised you up^[k] from the dust and made you ruler over my people Israel. Yet you followed in Jeroboam’s footsteps^[l] and encouraged my people Israel to sin; their sins have made me angry.^{[m] 3} So I am ready to burn up^[n] Baasha and his family, and make your family^[o] like the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat. ⁴ Dogs will eat the members of Baasha’s family^[p] 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.^{[q] 6} Baasha passed away^[r] 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.^[s] 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,^[t] and because of how he had destroyed Jeroboam’s dynasty.^[u]

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^[v] 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.^{[w] 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.^{[x] 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.^[y]

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.^[z]

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^[aa] in Gibbethon, which was in Philistine territory. ¹⁶ While deployed there, the army received this report:^[ab] “Zimri has conspired against the king and assassinated him.”^[ac] 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.^{[ad] 19} This happened because of the sins he committed. He did evil in the sight of^[ae] the Lord and followed in Jeroboam’s footsteps and encouraged Israel to continue sinning.^[af]

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.^[ag]

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^[ah] of silver. He launched a construction project there^[ai] 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^[aj] the Lord than all who were before him. ²⁶ He followed in the footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat and encouraged Israel to sin;^[ak] they angered the Lord God of Israel with their worthless idols.^[al]

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.^{[am] 28} Omri passed away^[an] and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab replaced him as king.^[ao]

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^[ap] 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.^{[aq] 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^[ar] did more to anger the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

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

Elijah Visits a Widow in Sidonian Territory

17 Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As certainly as the Lord God of Israel lives (whom I serve),^[aw] there will be no dew or rain in the years ahead unless I give the command.”^{[ax] 2} The Lord’s message came to him: ³ “Leave here and travel eastward. Hide out in the Kerith Valley near the Jordan. ⁴ Drink from the stream; I have already told^[ay] the ravens to bring you food^[az] there.” ⁵ So he carried out^[ba] the Lord’s message; he went and lived in the Kerith Valley near the Jordan. ⁶ The ravens would bring him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he would drink from the stream.

⁷ After a while,^[bb] the stream dried up because there had been no rain in the land. ⁸ The Lord’s message came to him, ⁹ “Get up, go to Zarephath in Sidonian territory, and live there. I have already told^[bc] a widow who lives there to provide for you.” ¹⁰ So he got up and went to Zarephath. When he went through the city gate, there was a widow gathering wood. He called out to her, “Please give me a little water in a cup, so I can take a drink.” ¹¹ As she went to get it, he called out to her, “Please bring me a piece of bread.”^{[bd] 12} She said, “As certainly as the Lord your God lives, I have no food, except for a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. Right now I am gathering a couple of sticks for a fire. Then I’m going home to make one final meal for my son and myself. After we have eaten that, we will die of starvation.”^{[be] 13} Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go and do as you planned.^[bf] But first make me a small cake^[bg] and bring it to me; then make something for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ For this is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘The jar of flour will not be empty and the jug of oil will not run out until the day the Lord makes it rain on the surface of the ground.’” ¹⁵ She went and did as Elijah told her; there was always enough food for Elijah and for her and her family.^{[bh] 16} The jar of flour was never empty and the jug of oil never ran out, in keeping with the Lord’s message that he had spoken through Elijah.

¹⁷ After this^[bi] the son of the woman who owned the house got sick. His illness was so severe he could no longer breathe. ¹⁸ She asked Elijah, “Why, prophet, have you come^[bj] to me to confront me with^[bk] my sin and kill my son?” ¹⁹ He said to her, “Hand me your son.” He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him down on his bed. ²⁰ Then he called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, are you also bringing disaster on this widow I am staying with by killing her son?” ²¹ He stretched out over the boy three times and called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, please let this boy’s breath return to him.” ²² The Lord answered Elijah’s prayer; the boy’s breath returned to him and he lived. ²³ Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upper room to the house, and handed him to his mother. Elijah then said, “See, your son is alive!” ²⁴ The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a prophet^[bl] and that the Lord’s message really does come through you.”^[bm]