1 Kings 16 - International Standard Version (ISV)

Jehu Rebukes Baasha

16 Later, a message came from the Lord to Hanani’s son Jehu. It was directed to rebuke Baasha, and this is what it said:

² “I raised you from the dirt to become Commander-in-Chief^[a] over my people Israel, but you’ve been living like Jeroboam, you’ve been leading my people Israel into sin, and you’ve been provoking me to anger with their sins. ³ So watch out! I’m going to devour Baasha and his household. I’m going to make your household just like the household of Jeroboam, Nebat’s son. ⁴ Anyone from Baasha’s household^[b] who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the sky will eat.”

⁵ Now the rest of Baasha’s accomplishments, including everything that he undertook, as well as his strengths, are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not? ⁶ Eventually, Baasha died, as had his ancestors, and he was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah was installed as king in his place.

⁷ In addition, a message from the Lord came through Hanani’s son Jehu the prophet against Baasha and his household, not only because of all of the things that Baasha^[c] did that the Lord considered to be evil, including provoking the Lord^[d] to anger by what he did and by being like the household of Jeroboam, but also because Baasha^[e] had destroyed Jeroboam’s household.^[f]

Elah Reigns over Israel

⁸ During the twenty-sixth year of the reign of^[g] King Asa of Judah, Baasha’s son Elah became king over Israel and reigned at Tirzah for two years. ⁹ But his servant Zimri, who commanded half of his chariot forces, conspired against Elah while he was drinking himself drunk in the home of Arza, who managed the household at Tirzah. ¹⁰ Zimri went inside, attacked him, and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, and then became king in Elah’s place. ¹¹ As soon as he had consolidated his reign, he executed the entire household of Baasha. He did not leave a single male alive, including any of Baasha’s relatives or friends. ¹² In doing so, Zimri destroyed the entire household of Baasha, in keeping with the message from the Lord that he had spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet ¹³ because of all the sins that Baasha and his son Elah had committed and because of what they did to lead Israel into sin, thus provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their idolatry. ¹⁴ Now the rest of Elah’s accomplishments, including everything he undertook, are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not?

Zimri Reigns over Israel

¹⁵ Zimri reigned for seven days at Tirzah during the twenty-seventh year of the reign of^[h] King Asa of Judah. At that time, the army was encamped in a siege against Gibbethon of Philistia. ¹⁶ The army at the encampment heard this report: “Zimri has conspired against the king and killed him.” So the entire army of^[i] Israel made Omri, their commander, king over Israel. ¹⁷ Then Omri and the entire army of^[j] Israel left from Gibbethon and attacked Tirzah. ¹⁸ When Zimri observed that the city had been captured, he retreated into the king’s palace, set fire to the citadel, and died when the palace burned down around him ¹⁹ because of the sins that he committed by doing what the Lord considered to be evil, living like Jeroboam did, and sinning so as to lead Israel into sin. ²⁰ The rest of Zimri’s accomplishments, including his conspiracy that he carried out, are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not?

Omri Reigns over Israel and Builds Samaria

²¹ The army^[k] of Israel was divided into two parties: half of the army^[l] were loyal to Ginath’s son Tibni and wanted to make him king, and half were loyal to Omri. ²² But the army^[m] that was loyal to Omri was victorious over Ginath’s son Tibni. Tibni later died and Omri became king. ²³ During the thirty-first year of the reign of^[n] King Asa of Judah, Omri became king over Israel. He reigned for twelve years, six of them at Tirzah. ²⁴ He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents^[o] of silver, fortified the hill, and named the city Samaria after Shemer, the former owner of the hill. ²⁵ Omri practiced what the Lord considered to be evil, doing far more evil than anyone who had reigned before him. ²⁶ He lived just like Nebat’s son Jeroboam, and by his sin he led Israel into sin, provoking the Lord God of Israel with their idolatry. ²⁷ Now the rest of Omri’s accomplishments, including the power that he demonstrated, are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not? ²⁸ So Omri died, as had his ancestors, and he was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab became king in his place.

Ahab Reigns over Israel and Marries Jezebel

²⁹ Omri’s son Ahab became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of King Asa of Judah. He^[p] reigned over Israel in Samaria for 22 years. ³⁰ Omri’s son Ahab practiced more of what the Lord considered to be evil than anyone who had lived before him. ³¹ In fact, as if it were nothing for him to live like Nebat’s son Jeroboam, Ahab married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon. Then he went out to serve Baal and worship him. ³² He built an altar for Baal in a temple for Baal that he constructed in Samaria. ³³ Ahab also erected an Asherah, doing more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all of the kings of Israel who had reigned before him. ³⁴ It was during Ahab’s reign that Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations just as his firstborn son Abiram was dying, and he erected its gates while his youngest son Segub was dying, thus fulfilling the message that the Lord delivered through Nun’s son Joshua.^[q]

Footnotes

1. 1 Kings 16:2 Lit. Nagid; i.e. a senior officer entrusted with dual roles of operational oversight and administrative authority
2. 1 Kings 16:4 The Heb. lacks household
3. 1 Kings 16:7 Lit. he
4. 1 Kings 16:7 Lit. him
5. 1 Kings 16:7 Lit. he
6. 1 Kings 16:7 Lit. destroyed it
7. 1 Kings 16:8 The Heb. lacks the reign of
8. 1 Kings 16:15 The Heb. lacks the reign of
9. 1 Kings 16:16 The Heb. lacks army of
10. 1 Kings 16:17 The Heb. lacks army of
11. 1 Kings 16:21 Or people
12. 1 Kings 16:21 Or people
13. 1 Kings 16:22 Or people
14. 1 Kings 16:23 The Heb. lacks the reign of
15. 1 Kings 16:24 I.e. about 150 pounds; a talent weighed about 75 pounds
16. 1 Kings 16:29 Lit. Omri’s son Ahab
17. 1 Kings 16:34 Cf. Josh 6:26