The Shared Word Translation · Study & Discuss
1 Kings 16
The word of the LORD came to Jehu son of Hanani concerning Baasha, saying, “Because I raised you up from the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, yet you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have caused my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger by their sins, look, I will sweep away Baasha and his house. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat. Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city, the dogs will eat; and anyone belonging to him who dies in the open country, the birds of the sky will eat.”
Now the rest of the acts of Baasha—what he did and his might—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? Baasha lay down with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah, and Elah his son became king in his place.
Moreover, the word of the LORD came through Jehu son of Hanani the prophet against Baasha and against his house, because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger by the work of his hands, becoming like the house of Jeroboam, and because he struck it down.
In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king over Israel in Tirzah for two years. But his servant Zimri, commander of half the chariots, conspired against him. Elah was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah. Zimri came in, struck him down, and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah; and he became king in his place.
When he became king, as soon as he sat on his throne, he struck down all the house of Baasha. He did not leave him a single male, neither his kinsmen nor his friends. Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke against Baasha through Jehu the prophet, because of all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, by which they sinned and by which they caused Israel to sin, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless things.
Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
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. The people who were encamped heard it said, “Zimri has conspired and has also struck down the king.” So all Israel made Omri, commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. Omri went up from Gibbethon with all Israel, and they besieged Tirzah. When Zimri saw that the city had been captured, he went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned the king’s house down over himself with fire, and he died, because of his sins that he had committed, doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD, walking in the way of Jeroboam and in the sin that he had committed, causing Israel to sin.
Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and the conspiracy that he made, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
Then the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. But the people who followed Omri prevailed over the people who followed Tibni son of Ginath. Tibni died, and Omri became king.
In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel for twelve years. He reigned six years in Tirzah. He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver. He built on the hill and called the name of the city that he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill.
Omri did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did more evil than all who were before him. He walked in all the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin by which he caused Israel to sin, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless things.
Now the rest of the acts of Omri that he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? Omri lay down with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria, and Ahab his son became king in his place.
Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah. Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. As though it were a small thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and bowed down to him. He set up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal that he had built in Samaria. Ahab also made the Asherah. Ahab went on doing more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
In his days Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. At the cost of Abiram his firstborn he laid its foundation, and at the cost of Segub his youngest he set up its gates, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke through Joshua son of Nun.