The Daily Audio Bible

King Baasha Overthrows Nadab, Son of Jeroboam

²⁵ Nadab, son of Jeroboam, began to rule Israel in Asa’s second year as king of Judah. He ruled for two years. ²⁶ He did what the Lord considered evil, living as his father did, leading Israel into the same sins.

²⁷ Then Baasha, son of Ahijah from the tribe of Issachar, plotted against Nadab. Baasha assassinated him in the Philistine city of Gibbethon while Nadab and the Israelite forces were attacking it. ²⁸ The assassination happened in Asa’s third year as king of Judah. Baasha succeeded Nadab as king of Israel. ²⁹ As soon as he was king, he killed everyone else in Jeroboam’s family. He did not spare a soul, as the Lord had spoken through his servant Ahijah from Shiloh. ³⁰ This was because of Jeroboam’s sins and the sins which he led Israel to commit. Those sins made the Lord God of Israel furious.

³¹ Isn’t everything else about Nadab—everything he did—written in the official records of the kings of Israel? ³² There was war between Asa and Baasha as long as they lived.

³³ In Asa’s third year as king of Judah, Baasha, son of Ahijah, began to rule Israel in Tirzah. He ruled for 24 years. ³⁴ He did what the Lord considered evil. He lived like Jeroboam and led Israel into committing the ⌞same⌟ sins.

The Lord Condemns King Baasha

16 The Lord spoke his word to Jehu, Hanani’s son, against Baasha. ² He said, “I raised you from the dust and made you leader of my people Israel. But you have lived like Jeroboam. You have led my people to sin, and their sins make me furious. ³ So I will destroy Baasha and his family. I will make his family like the family of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son). ⁴ Dogs will eat anyone from Baasha’s ⌞family⌟ who dies in the city. Birds will eat anyone from his ⌞family⌟ who dies in the country.”

⁵ Isn’t everything else about Baasha—what he did and his heroic acts—written in the official records of the kings of Israel? ⁶ Baasha lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah succeeded him as king. ⁷ In addition, the Lord spoke his word to the prophet Jehu, Hanani’s son, against Baasha and his family because of all the things Baasha did which the Lord considered evil. Baasha’s actions, which made the Lord furious, were like ⌞the sin of⌟ Jeroboam’s family. The Lord was also furious because Baasha destroyed Jeroboam’s family.

Zimri Overthrows King Elah, Son of Baasha

⁸ Elah, son of Baasha, began to rule Israel in Asa’s twenty-sixth year as Judah’s king. He ruled in Tirzah for two years. ⁹ But Zimri, the general who commanded half of Elah’s chariots, plotted against him. Elah was getting drunk in Tirzah at Arza’s house. (Arza was in charge of the palace in Tirzah.) ¹⁰ Zimri entered Arza’s house, attacked Elah, and killed him in Asa’s twenty-seventh year as king of Judah. Zimri succeeded Elah as king ⌞of Israel⌟. ¹¹ At the beginning of Zimri’s reign, as soon as he was on his throne, he killed Baasha’s entire family. He didn’t spare any of Baasha’s male ^[a] relatives or friends. ¹² So Zimri destroyed Baasha’s entire family, as the Lord had spoken through the prophet Jehu. ¹³ This was for all the sins committed by Baasha and his son Elah. They sinned, led Israel to sin, and made the Lord God of Israel furious because of their worthless idols. ¹⁴ Isn’t everything else about Elah—everything he did—written in the official records of the kings of Israel?

King Zimri Rules for Seven Days

¹⁵ In Asa’s twenty-seventh year as Judah’s king, Zimri ruled for seven days in Tirzah while the army was camped near the Philistine city of Gibbethon. ¹⁶ When the army heard that Zimri had plotted ⌞against the king⌟ and killed him, the Israelite troops in the camp made Omri, the commander of the army, king of Israel.

¹⁷ Omri and the Israelite troops with him left Gibbethon and attacked Tirzah. ¹⁸ When Zimri saw that the city had been captured, he went into the stronghold in the royal palace and burned down the palace over his own head. He died ¹⁹ because of the sins he had committed—the things the Lord considered evil. Zimri lived like Jeroboam and led Israel to sin. ²⁰ Isn’t everything else about Zimri and his plot written in the official records of the kings of Israel?

Omri Defeats Tibni

²¹ Then the army of Israel was divided into two factions. Half of the army followed Tibni, son of Ginath, and wanted to make him king. The ⌞other⌟ half followed Omri. ²² But the half which followed Omri was stronger than the half which followed Tibni, Ginath’s son. Tibni died, and Omri became king. ²³ Omri began to rule Israel in Asa’s thirty-first year as king of Judah. He ruled for 12 years, 6 of them in Tirzah.

²⁴ Omri bought a hill from Shemer for 150 pounds of silver. He fortified the hill and built the city of Samaria on it. He named the city after its former owner, Shemer.

King Omri of Israel

²⁵ Omri did what the Lord considered evil. He did more evil things than all ⌞the kings⌟ before him. ²⁶ He lived exactly like Jeroboam (Nebat’s son). He sinned and led Israel to sin with worthless idols, and the Israelites made the Lord God of Israel furious.

²⁷ Isn’t everything else about Omri—what he did and his heroic acts—written in the official records of the kings of Israel? ²⁸ Omri lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab succeeded him as king.

King Ahab Introduces Worship of Baal into Israel

²⁹ Ahab, son of Omri, began to rule Israel in Asa’s thirty-eighth year as king of Judah. He ruled for 22 years in Samaria. ³⁰ Ahab, son of Omri, did what the Lord considered evil. He was worse than all ⌞the kings⌟ who were before him. ³¹ It wasn’t enough that he committed the same sins as Jeroboam (Nebat’s son). He also married Jezebel, daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon. Ahab then served and worshiped Baal. ³² He built the temple of Baal in Samaria and set up an altar there. ³³ Ahab made poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah. He did more to make the Lord God of Israel furious than all the kings of Israel who came before him.

³⁴ In Ahab’s time Hiel from Bethel rebuilt Jericho.

The Lord had spoken this through Joshua, son of Nun.

Elijah Prophesies a Drought

17 Elijah, who was from Tishbe but had settled in Gilead, said to Ahab, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord God of Israel whom I serve lives, there will be no dew or rain during the next few years unless I say so.”

² Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: ³ “Leave here, turn east, and hide beside the Cherith River, which is east of the Jordan River. ⁴ You can drink from the stream, and I’ve commanded ravens to feed you there.”

⁵ Elijah left and did what the Lord’s word ⌞had told him⌟. He went to live by the Cherith River, which is east of the Jordan River. ⁶ Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening. And he drank from the stream.

⁷ But after some time the stream dried up because no rain had fallen in the land.

Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath

⁸ Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: ⁹ “Get up, go to Zarephath (which belongs to Sidon), and stay there. I’ve commanded a widow there to feed you.”

¹⁰ He got up and went to Zarephath. As he came to the town’s entrance, a widow was gathering wood. He called to her, “Please bring me a drink of water.” ¹¹ As she was going to get it, he called to her again, “Please bring me a piece of bread too.”

¹² She said, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord your God lives, I didn’t bake any bread. I have one handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I’m gathering wood. I’m going to prepare something for myself and my son so that we can eat it and then die.”

¹³ Then Elijah told her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home, and do as you’ve said. But first make a small loaf and bring it to me. Then prepare something for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Until the Lord sends rain on the land, the jar of flour will never be empty and the jug will always contain oil.”

¹⁵ She did what Elijah had told her. So she, Elijah, and her family had food for a long time. ¹⁶ The jar of flour never became empty, and the jug always contained olive oil, as the Lord had promised through Elijah.

¹⁷ Afterwards, the son of the woman who owned the house got sick. He got so sick that finally no life was left in him. ¹⁸ The woman asked Elijah, “What do you and I have in common, man of God? Did you come here to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”

¹⁹ He said to her, “Give me your son.” Elijah took him from her arms, carried him to the upstairs room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. ²⁰ Then he called to the Lord, “Lord my God, have you brought misery on the widow I’m staying with by killing her son?” ²¹ Then Elijah stretched himself over the boy three times and called to the Lord, “Lord my God, please make this child’s life return to him.” ²² The Lord heard Elijah’s request, and the child’s life returned to him. He was alive again.

²³ Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upstairs room of the house, and gave him to his mother. He said, “Look! Your son is alive.”

²⁴ The woman said to Elijah, “Now I’m convinced that you are a man of God and that the Lord’s word from your mouth is true.”

²⁴ The following day they arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called his relatives and close friends together.

²⁵ When Peter was about to enter Cornelius’ house, Cornelius met him, bowed down, and worshiped Peter. ²⁶ But Peter made him get up. He told him, “Stand up! I’m only a man.”

²⁷ As Peter talked, he entered Cornelius’ house and found that many people had gathered. ²⁸ He said to them, “You understand how wrong it is for a Jewish man to associate or visit with anyone of another race. But God has shown me that I should no longer call anyone impure or unclean. ²⁹ That is why I didn’t object to coming here when you sent for me. I want to know why you sent for me.”

³⁰ Cornelius answered, “Four days ago I was praying at home. It was at this same time, three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man dressed in radiant clothes stood in front of me. ³¹ He said to me, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and has remembered your gifts to the poor. ³² So send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man whose name is Simon Peter. He’s a guest in the home of Simon, a leatherworker who lives by the sea.’ ³³ So I sent for you immediately. Thank you for coming. All of us are here now in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has ordered you to say.”

³⁴ Then Peter said, “Now I understand that God doesn’t play favorites. ³⁵ Rather, whoever respects God and does what is right is acceptable to him in any nation. ³⁶ God sent his word to the people of Israel and brought them the Good News of peace through Jesus Christ. This Jesus Christ is everyone’s Lord. ³⁷ You know what happened throughout Judea. Everything began in Galilee after John spread the news about baptism. ³⁸ You know that God anointed Jesus from Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Jesus went everywhere and did good things, such as healing everyone who was under the devil’s power. Jesus did these things because God was with him. ³⁹ We can testify to everything Jesus did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. People hung him on a cross and killed him, ⁴⁰ but God brought him back to life on the third day. God didn’t show him ⁴¹ to all the people. He showed Jesus to witnesses, apostles he had already chosen. We apostles are those men who ate and drank with Jesus after he came back to life. ⁴² He ordered us to warn the people, ‘God has appointed Jesus to judge the living and the dead.’ ⁴³ In addition, all the prophets testify that people who believe in the one named Jesus receive forgiveness for their sins through him.”

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came to everyone who heard his message. ⁴⁵ All the believers who were circumcised and who had come with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured on people who were not Jewish. ⁴⁶ They heard these non-Jewish people speaking in other languages and praising God.

Then Peter said, ⁴⁷ “No one can refuse to baptize these people with water. They have received the Holy Spirit in the same way that we did.” ⁴⁸ So Peter ordered that they should be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Then they asked Peter to stay with them for several days.

A song for going up to worship.