I Kings Chapter 16

I Kings 16 — English translation

Translation: THE JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition. Verse numbers match the Hebrew text below.

1. 1The word of G OD came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha:
2. 2“Because I lifted you up from the dust and made you a ruler over My people Israel, but you followed the way of Jeroboam and caused My people Israel to sin, provoking My anger with their sins—
3. 3I am going to sweep away Baasha and his house. I will make your house like the House of Jeroboam son of Nebat.
4. 4Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the town shall be devoured by dogs, and anyone belonging to him who dies in the open country shall be devoured by the birds of the sky.”
5. 5The other events of Baasha’s reign and his actions and his exploits are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Israel.
6. 6Baasha rested with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah succeeded him as king.
7. 7But the word of G OD had come through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha and against his house, that it would fare like the House of Jeroboam, which he himself had struck down, because of all the evil he did that was displeasing to G OD , provoking anger with his deeds.
8. 8In the twenty-sixth year of King Asa of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king over Israel, at Tirzah—for two years.
9. 9His officer Zimri, commander of half the chariotry, committed treason against him while he was at Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was in charge of the palace at Tirzah.
10. 10Zimri entered, struck him down, and killed him; he succeeded him as king in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa of Judah.
11. 11No sooner had he become king and ascended the throne than he struck down all the House of Baasha; he did not leave a single male of his, nor any kin or friend.
12. 12Thus Zimri destroyed all the House of Baasha, in accordance with the word that G OD had spoken through the prophet Jehu—
13. 13because of the sinful acts that Baasha and his son Elah committed, and that they caused Israel to commit, provoking the anger of the E TERNAL , the God of Israel, with their false gods.
14. 14The other events of Elah’s reign and all his actions are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Israel.
15. 15During the twenty-seventh year of King Asa of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah for seven days. At the time, the troops were encamped at Gibbethon of the Philistines.
16. 16When the troops who were encamped there learned that Zimri had committed treason and had struck down the king, that very day, in the camp, all Israel acclaimed the army commander Omri king over Israel.
17. 17Omri and all Israel then withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah.
18. 18When Zimri saw that the town was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and burned down the royal palace over himself. And so he died—
19. 19because of the sins that he committed and caused Israel to commit, doing what was displeasing to G OD and following the ways of Jeroboam.
20. 20The other events of Zimri’s reign, and the treason that he committed, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Israel.
21. 21Then the people of Israel split into two factions: a part of the people followed Tibni son of Ginath to make him king, and the other part followed Omri.
22. 22Those who followed Omri proved stronger than those who followed Tibni son of Ginath; Tibni died and Omri became king.
23. 23In the thirty-first year of King Asa of Judah, Omri became king over Israel—for twelve years. He reigned in Tirzah six years.
24. 24Then he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; he built [a town] on the hill and named the town that he built Samaria, after Shemer, the owner of the hill.
25. 25Omri did what was displeasing to G OD ; he was worse than all who preceded him.
26. 26He followed all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and the sins that he committed and caused Israel to commit, provoking the anger of the E TERNAL , the God of Israel, with their futilities.
27. 27The other events of Omri’s reign, [and] his actions, and the exploits he performed, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Israel.
28. 28Omri rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria; and his son Ahab succeeded him as king.
29. 29Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of King Asa of Judah, and Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria for twenty-two years.
30. 30Ahab son of Omri did what was displeasing to G OD , more than all who preceded him.
31. 31Not content to follow the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel daughter of King Ethbaal of the Phoenicians, and he went and served Baal and worshiped him.
32. 32He erected an altar to Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria.
33. 33Ahab also made a sacred post. Ahab did more to provoke the anger of the E TERNAL , the God of Israel, than all the kings of Israel who preceded him.
34. 34During his reign, Hiel the Bethelite fortified Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of Abiram his first-born, and set its gates in place at the cost of Segub his youngest, in accordance with the words that G OD had spoken through Joshua son of Nun.

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