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1 Kings 16

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1 Kings 16

1And the word of the Lord came to Jehu the son of Hana'ni against Ba'asha, saying, 2"Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jerobo'am, and have made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins, 3behold, I will utterly sweep away Ba'asha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat. 4Any one belonging to Ba'asha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat; and any one of his who dies in the field the birds of the air shall eat."

5Now the rest of the acts of Ba'asha, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 6And Ba'asha slept with his fathers, and was buried at Tirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his stead. 7Moreover the word of the Lord came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hana'ni against Ba'asha and his house, both because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jerobo'am, and also because he destroyed it.

Elah Reigns over Israel

8In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Ba'asha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned two years. 9But his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. When he was at Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah, 10Zimri came in and struck him down and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.

11When he began to reign, as soon as he had seated himself on his throne, he killed all the house of Ba'asha; he did not leave him a single male of his kinsmen or his friends. 12Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Ba'asha, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke against Ba'asha by Jehu the prophet, 13for all the sins of Ba'asha and the sins of Elah his son which they sinned, and which they made Israel to sin, provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their idols. 14Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

Third Dynasty: Zimri Reigns over Israel

15In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the troops were encamped against Gib'bethon, which belonged to the Philistines, 16and the troops who were encamped heard it said, "Zimri has conspired, and he has killed the king"; therefore all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17So Omri went up from Gib'bethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. 18And when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king's house, and burned the king's house over him with fire, and died, 19because of his sins which he committed, doing evil in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of Jerobo'am, and for his sin which he committed, making Israel to sin. 20Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and the conspiracy which he made, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

Fourth Dynasty: Omri Reigns over Israel

21Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts; half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. 22But the people who followed Omri overcame the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath; so Tibni died, and Omri became king. 23In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel and he reigned for twelve years; six years he reigned in Tirzah. 24He bought the hill of Samar'ia from Shemer for two talents of silver; and he fortified the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, Samar'ia, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

25Omri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did more evil than all who were before him. 26For he walked in all the way of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, and in the sins which he made Israel to sin, provoking the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger by their idols. 27Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 28And Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samar'ia; and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.

Ahab Reigns over Israel

29In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samar'ia twenty-two years. 30And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all that were before him. 31And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, he took for wife Jez'ebel the daughter of Ethba'al king of the Sido'nians, and went and served Ba'al, and worshiped him. 32He erected an altar for Ba'al in the house of Ba'al, which he built in Samar'ia. 33And Ahab made an Ashe'rah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34In his days Hi'el of Bethel built Jericho; he laid its foundation at the cost of Abi'ram his first-born, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.