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16
The LORD Condemns King Baasha
1 The Lord spoke his word to Jehu, Hanani’s son, against Baasha. 2 He said, “I raised you from the dust and made you leader of my people Israel. But you have lived like Jeroboam. You have led my people to sin, and their sins make me furious. 3 So I will destroy Baasha and his family. I will make his family like the family of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son). 4 Dogs will eat anyone from Baasha’s ⌞family⌟ who dies in the city. Birds will eat anyone from his ⌞family⌟ who dies in the country.”
5 Isn’t everything else about Baasha—what he did and his heroic acts—written in the official records of the kings of Israel? 6 Baasha lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah succeeded him as king. 7 In addition, the Lord spoke his word to the prophet Jehu, Hanani’s son, against Baasha and his family because of all the things Baasha did which the Lord considered evil. Baasha’s actions, which made the Lord furious, were like ⌞the sin of⌟ Jeroboam’s family. The Lord was also furious because Baasha destroyed Jeroboam’s family.
Zimri Overthrows King Elah, Son of Baasha
8 Elah, son of Baasha, began to rule Israel in Asa’s twenty-sixth year as Judah’s king. He ruled in Tirzah for two years. 9 But Zimri, the general who commanded half of Elah’s chariots, plotted against him. Elah was getting drunk in Tirzah at Arza’s house. (Arza was in charge of the palace in Tirzah.) 10 Zimri entered Arza’s house, attacked Elah, and killed him in Asa’s twenty-seventh year as king of Judah. Zimri succeeded Elah as king ⌞of Israel⌟. 11 At the beginning of Zimri’s reign, as soon as he was on his throne, he killed Baasha’s entire family. He didn’t spare any of Baasha’s male*Hebrew uses a coarse term for “male” here. relatives or friends. 12 So Zimri destroyed Baasha’s entire family, as the Lord had spoken through the prophet Jehu. 13 This was for all the sins committed by Baasha and his son Elah. They sinned, led Israel to sin, and made the Lord God of Israel furious because of their worthless idols. 14 Isn’t everything else about Elah—everything he did—written in the official records of the kings of Israel?
King Zimri Rules for Seven Days
15 In Asa’s twenty-seventh year as Judah’s king, Zimri ruled for seven days in Tirzah while the army was camped near the Philistine city of Gibbethon. 16 When the army heard that Zimri had plotted ⌞against the king⌟ and killed him, the Israelite troops in the camp made Omri, the commander of the army, king of Israel.
17 Omri and the Israelite troops with him left Gibbethon and attacked Tirzah. 18 When Zimri saw that the city had been captured, he went into the stronghold in the royal palace and burned down the palace over his own head. He died 19 because of the sins he had committed—the things the Lord considered evil. Zimri lived like Jeroboam and led Israel to sin. 20 Isn’t everything else about Zimri and his plot written in the official records of the kings of Israel?
Omri Defeats Tibni
21 Then the army of Israel was divided into two factions. Half of the army followed Tibni, son of Ginath, and wanted to make him king. The ⌞other⌟ half followed Omri. 22 But the half which followed Omri was stronger than the half which followed Tibni, Ginath’s son. Tibni died, and Omri became king. 23 Omri began to rule Israel in Asa’s thirty-first year as king of Judah. He ruled for 12 years, 6 of them in Tirzah.
24 Omri bought a hill from Shemer for 150 pounds of silver. He fortified the hill and built the city of Samaria on it. He named the city after its former owner, Shemer.
King Omri of Israel
25 Omri did what the Lord considered evil. He did more evil things than all ⌞the kings⌟ before him. 26 He lived exactly like Jeroboam (Nebat’s son). He sinned and led Israel to sin with worthless idols, and the Israelites made the Lord God of Israel furious.
27 Isn’t everything else about Omri—what he did and his heroic acts—written in the official records of the kings of Israel? 28 Omri lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab succeeded him as king.
King Ahab Introduces Worship of Baal into Israel
29 Ahab, son of Omri, began to rule Israel in Asa’s thirty-eighth year as king of Judah. He ruled for 22 years in Samaria. 30 Ahab, son of Omri, did what the Lord considered evil. He was worse than all ⌞the kings⌟ who were before him. 31 It wasn’t enough that he committed the same sins as Jeroboam (Nebat’s son). He also married Jezebel, daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon. Ahab then served and worshiped Baal. 32 He built the temple of Baal in Samaria and set up an altar there. 33 Ahab made poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah. He did more to make the Lord God of Israel furious than all the kings of Israel who came before him.
34 In Ahab’s time Hiel from Bethel rebuilt Jericho.
Laying the foundation
cost him his firstborn son, Abiram.
Setting up the city doors
cost him his youngest son, Segub.
The Lord had spoken this through Joshua, son of Nun.

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*16:11 Hebrew uses a coarse term for “male” here.

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