-
Omri slept with his ancestors, and was buried in Samaria; his son Ahab succeeded him.
-
Ahab Reigns over Israel
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.
-
Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him.
-
Ahab Marries Jezebel and Worships Baal
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.
-
Ahab also made a sacred pole. 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.
-
Elijah Predicts a Drought
Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
-
Elijah’s Message to Ahab
After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year of the drought, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab; I will send rain on the earth.”
-
So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria.
-
Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah revered the Lord greatly;
-
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the wadis; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals.”
-
So they divided the land between them to pass through it; Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.
-
And he said, “How have I sinned, that you would hand your servant over to Ahab, to kill me?
-
As soon as I have gone from you, the spirit of the Lord will carry you I know not where; so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have revered the Lord from my youth.
-
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
-
When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?”
-
Elijah’s Triumph over the Priests of Baal
So Ahab sent to all the Israelites, and assembled the prophets at Mount Carmel.
-
The Drought Ends
Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of rushing rain.”
-
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; there he bowed himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees.
-
At the seventh time he said, “Look, a little cloud no bigger than a person’s hand is rising out of the sea.” Then he said, “Go say to Ahab, ‘Harness your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”
-
In a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind; there was a heavy rain. Ahab rode off and went to Jezreel.
-
But the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; he girded up his loins and ran in front of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
-
Elijah Flees from Jezebel
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
-
Ahab’s Wars with the Arameans
King Ben-hadad of Aram gathered all his army together; thirty-two kings were with him, along with horses and chariots. He marched against Samaria, laid siege to it, and attacked it.
-
Then he sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel, and said to him: “Thus says Ben-hadad:
-
Prophetic Opposition to Ahab
Then a certain prophet came up to King Ahab of Israel and said, “Thus says the Lord, Have you seen all this great multitude? Look, I will give it into your hand today; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
-
Ahab said, “By whom?” He said, “Thus says the Lord, By the young men who serve the district governors.” Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?” He answered, “You.”
-
A Prophet Condemns Ahab
At the command of the Lord a certain member of a company of prophets said to another, “Strike me!” But the man refused to strike him.
-
Naboth’s Vineyard
Later the following events took place: Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.
-
And Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard, so that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house; I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.”
-
But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you my ancestral inheritance.”
-
Ahab went home resentful and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him; for he had said, “I will not give you my ancestral inheritance.” He lay down on his bed, turned away his face, and would not eat.
-
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal; she sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who lived with Naboth in his city.
-
As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Go, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
-
As soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab set out to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
-
Go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, who rules in Samaria; he is now in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession.
-
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you. Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord,
-
I will bring disaster on you; I will consume you, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel;
-
Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat; and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the air shall eat.”
-
(Indeed, there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord, urged on by his wife Jezebel.
-
When Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth over his bare flesh; he fasted, lay in the sackcloth, and went about dejectedly.
-
“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster on his house.”
-
And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, so that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ Then one said one thing, and another said another,
-
Defeat and Death of Ahab
So the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
-
Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house that he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?
-
So Ahab slept with his ancestors; and his son Ahaziah succeeded him.
-
Jehoshaphat Reigns over Judah
Jehoshaphat son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of King Ahab of Israel.
-
Then Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships,” but Jehoshaphat was not willing.
-
Ahaziah Reigns over Israel
Ahaziah son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of King Jehoshaphat of Judah; he reigned two years over Israel.
