CHAPTER 16
1The word of the LORD came to Jehu, son of Hanani, against Baasha: 2Inasmuch as I exalted you from the dust and made you ruler of my people Israel, but you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have caused my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger by their sins, 3a I will burn up what is left of Baasha and his house; I will make your house like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat:
4b One of Baasha’s line who dies in the city,
dogs will devour;
One who dies in the field,
the birds of the sky will devour.
5The rest of the acts of Baasha, what he did and his valor, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 6Baasha rested with his ancestors; he was buried in Tirzah, and his son Elah succeeded him as king. 7(Through the prophet Jehu, son of Hanani, the word of the LORD came against Baasha and his house, because of all the evil Baasha did in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger by his deeds so that he became like the house of Jeroboam, and because of what he destroyed.)
Reign of Elah. 8In the twenty-sixth year of Asa, king of Judah, Elah, son of Baasha, became king of Israel in Tirzah for two years.
9His servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, plotted against him. As he was in Tirzah, drinking to excess in the house of Arza, master of his palace in Tirzah, 10c Zimri entered; he struck and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa, king of Judah, and succeeded him as king. 11Once he was king, seated on the throne, he killed the whole house of Baasha, not sparing a single male relative or friend of his. 12d Zimri destroyed the entire house of Baasha, according to the word the LORD spoke against Baasha through Jehu the prophet, 13because of all the sins which Baasha and his son Elah committed and caused Israel to commit, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their idols.
Reign of Zimri. 15In the twenty-seventh year of Asa, king of Judah, Zimri became king for seven days in Tirzah.
The army was encamped at Gibbethon of the Philistines 16when they heard, “Zimri has formed a conspiracy and has killed the king.” So that day in the camp all Israel made Omri, commander of the army, king of Israel. 17Omri and all Israel with him marched up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. 18When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he entered the citadel of the king’s house and burned it down over him. He died 19because of the sins he had committed, doing what was evil in the LORD’s sight by walking in the way of Jeroboam and the sin he had caused Israel to commit.
Civil War. 21At that time the people of Israel were divided in two, half following Tibni, son of Ginath, to make him king, and half for Omri. 22The partisans of Omri prevailed over those of Tibni, son of Ginath. Tibni died and Omri became king.
24He then bought the mountain of Samaria from Shemer for two silver talents and built upon the mountain the city he named Samaria, after Shemer, the former owner. 25But Omri did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, more than any of his predecessors. 26In every way he imitated the sinful conduct of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, and the sin he had caused Israel to commit, thus provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their idols.
27The rest of the acts of Omri, what he did and his valor, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 28Omri rested with his ancestors; he was buried in Samaria, and Ahab his son succeeded him as king.
30Ahab, son of Omri, did what was evil in the LORD’s sight more than any of his predecessors. 31It was not enough for him to follow the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat. He even married Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal, and worship him. 32Ahab set up an altar to Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria, 33and also made an asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than any of the kings of Israel before him. 34e During his reign, Hiel from Bethel rebuilt Jericho. At the cost of Abiram, his firstborn son, he laid the foundation, and at the cost of Segub, his youngest son, he set up the gates, according to the word of the LORD spoken through Joshua, son of Nun.*
* [16:34] See note on Jos 6:26.
a. [16:3] 1 Kgs 16:11; 21:22.
b. [16:4] 1 Kgs 14:11.
c. [16:10] 2 Kgs 9:31.
d. [16:12] 1 Kgs 16:2–4.
IV. THE STORY OF ELIJAH*
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