1 Kings 16

More Kings, More Trouble: Elah, Zimri, Omri, and Ahab

1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,

2 “Look, I picked you up from the dirt and made you a leader over My people Israel. But you walked in the ways of Jeroboam and caused My people Israel to sin, ticking Me off with their stupid idols.”

3 “So I am going to sweep away Baasha and his family, and I am going to make your family like the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat.”

4 “Anyone from Baasha’s family who dies in the city, the dogs are going to eat them. And anyone from his family who dies in the field, the birds of the sky is going to feast on them."

5 As for the rest of Baasha’s story, all he did, and his power, is it not written in the book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel,

6 Baasha passed away and was buried in Tirzah. And his son Elah took over as king.

7 Also, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha and his family, because of all the evil he did in the eyes of the Lord, ticking Him off with the work of his hands, by being like the family of Jeroboam, and because he killed them.

Elah Rules Israel

8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa’s rule in Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king over Israel in Tirzah, and he ruled for two years.

9 His official, Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. Elah was in Tirzah, getting wasted at the house of Arza, who was in charge of the palace.

10 Zimri rolled up and struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s rule in Judah, and he took over as king.

Zimri’s Seven Days

11 As soon as he became king, sitting on his throne, he wiped out Baasha’s entire family. He did not leave a single male relative, friend, or chief for him.

12 So Zimri wiped out Baasha’s whole family, according to the word of the Lord that He spoke against Baasha through the prophet Jehu.

13 Because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah committed and caused Israel to commit, ticking off the Lord, the God of Israel, with their stupid idols.

14 As for the rest of Elah’s story and all he did, is it not written in the book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel,

15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s rule in Judah, Zimri ruled for seven days in Tirzah. The army was camped out against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.

16 When the army in the camp heard that Zimri had conspired and killed the king, all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that same day in the camp.

17 Then Omri and all Israel with him bounced from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah.

18 When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the stronghold of the king’s palace and set the palace on fire over himself and died,

19 Because of the sins he committed by doing what was whack in the eyes of the Lord, walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in his sin that he caused Israel to commit.

20 As for the rest of Zimri’s story and the conspiracy he pulled off, is it not written in the book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel,

Omri Rules Israel

21 Then the people of Israel were split into two sides. Half the people followed Tibni son of Ginath to make him king, and the other half followed Omri.

22 But the side that followed Omri overpowered the side that followed Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri became king.

23 In the thirty-first year of Asa’s rule in Judah, Omri became king over Israel, and he ruled for twelve years. He ruled in Tirzah for six years.

24 Then he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver. He built a city on the hill and named the city he built Samaria, after Shemer, the owner of the hill.

25 Omri did what was whack in the eyes of the Lord, and he did more evil than all the kings before him.

26 He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin which he caused Israel to commit, ticking off the Lord, the God of Israel, with their stupid idols.

27 As for the rest of Omri’s story, all he did, and his power, is it not written in the book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel,

28 Omri passed away and was buried in Samaria. And his son Ahab took over as king.

Ahab Rules Israel

29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa’s rule in Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel, and Ahab son of Omri ruled over Israel in Samaria for twenty-two years.

30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than all the kings before him.

31 As if it was not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he also married Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and bowed down to him.

32 He built an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria.

33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole. Ahab did more to tick off the Lord, the God of Israel, than all the kings of Israel who came before him.

34 In his days, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram, his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of Segub, his youngest, according to the word of the Lord that He spoke through Joshua son of Nun.