Ahab Reigns in Israel

29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, (A)more than all who were before him. 31 And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, (B)he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the (C)Sidonians, (D)and went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 He erected an altar for Baal in (E)the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made an (F)Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger (G)than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

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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[a] and did more to anger the Lord, the God of Israel, than any of Israel’s kings who preceded him.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 16:33 Heb asherah, perhaps an object devoted to the goddess Asherah