1 Kings 16

¹The LORD’s word came to Jehu, Hanani’s son, against Baasha:²I raised you up from the dust and made you a leader over my people Israel, but you walked in Jeroboam’s ways, making my people Israel sin, making me angry with their sins.³So look, I am about to set fire to Baasha and his household, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam, Nebat’s son.⁴Dogs will eat any of Baasha’s family who die in town. Birds will eat any who die in the country.

⁵Now the rest of Baasha’s deeds, what he did, and his powerful acts, aren’t they written in the official records of Israel’s kings?⁶Baasha lay down with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah succeeded him as king.

⁷But the LORD’s word came through the prophet Jehu, Hanani’s son, concerning Baasha and his house. It concerned everything evil in the LORD’s eyes that Baasha had done, angering the Lord by his actions so that he would end up just like the house of Jeroboam. The message was also about how the Lord attacked Baasha.

Elah rules Israel

⁸In the twenty-sixth year of Judah’s King Asa, Elah, Baasha’s son, became king over Israel. He ruled in Tirzah for two years.⁹Zimri, his officer who led half the chariots, plotted against him. Elah was at Tirzah, getting drunk at the house of Arza, who had charge over the palace at Tirzah.¹⁰Zimri came, attacked, and killed Elah in the twenty-seventh year of Judah’s King Asa. Zimri succeeded him as king.

¹¹Once Zimri became king and sat on the throne, he attacked all of Baasha’s house. He didn’t spare anyone who urinates on a wall, whether relative or friend.¹²Zimri destroyed the entire house of Baasha in agreement with the LORD’s word that had been spoken by the prophet Jehu to Baasha.¹³This happened because of all Baasha’s sins, as well as the sins of his son Elah and because they caused Israel to sin. They angered Israel’s God, the LORD, with their insignificant idols.¹⁴The rest of Elah’s deeds and all that he did, aren’t they written in the official records of Israel’s kings?

Zimri rules Israel

¹⁵In the twenty-seventh year of Judah’s King Asa, Zimri became king. He ruled in Tirzah for seven days. The army was camped at Gibbethon in Philistia.¹⁶They heard the news: “Zimri has plotted against the king and killed him.” Right then, in the camp, the whole Israelite army made their general Omri king of Israel.¹⁷Omri and the entire army then went up from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah.¹⁸When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he went into the fort of the royal palace and burned it down on top of himself. So he died.¹⁹This happened because of the sins Zimri had committed by doing evil in the LORD’s eyes and by walking in Jeroboam’s ways and the sin he had done by causing Israel to sin.²⁰The rest of Zimri’s deeds and the plot he carried out, aren’t they written in the official records of Israel’s kings?

Omri rules Israel

²¹At this time the people of Israel were split in two. One half of the people followed Tibni, Ginath’s son, making him king; the other half followed Omri.²²Omri’s side was stronger than those who followed Tibni, Ginath’s son. So Tibni died and Omri became king.²³In the thirty-first year of Judah’s King Asa, Omri became king of Israel. He ruled for twelve years, six of which were in Tirzah.²⁴He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two kikkars of silver. He fortified the hill and named the town that he built there after Shemer, the previous owner of the hill of Samaria.²⁵Omri did evil in the LORD’s eyes, more evil than anyone who preceded him.²⁶He walked in all the ways and sins of Jeroboam, Nebat’s son, because he caused Israel to sin. They angered Israel’s God, the LORD, with their worthless idols.²⁷The rest of Omri’s deeds and his powerful acts, aren’t they written in the official records of Israel’s kings?²⁸Omri lay down with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab succeeded him as king.

Ahab rules Israel

²⁹In 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 years³⁰and did evil in the LORD’s eyes, more than anyone who preceded him.³¹Ahab 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.³²He made an altar for Baal in the Baal temple he had constructed in Samaria.³³Ahab also made a sacred pole and did more to anger the LORD, the God of Israel, than any of Israel’s kings who preceded him.³⁴During Ahab’s time, Hiel from Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He set up its foundations at the cost of his oldest son Abiram. He hung its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub. This fulfilled the LORD’s word spoken through Joshua, Nun’s son.