CHAPTER 16
“Even
though
I lifted you
out
of the dust
and made
you ruler
over
My people
Israel,
you have walked
in the way
of Jeroboam
and have caused My people
Israel
to sin
and to provoke Me to anger
by their sins.
So now
I will consume
Baasha
and his house,
and I will make
your house
like that
of Jeroboam
son
of Nebat:
Anyone belonging to Baasha
who dies
in the city
will be eaten
by dogs,
and anyone who dies
in the field
will be eaten
by the birds
of the air.”
As for the rest
of the acts
of Baasha,
along with his accomplishments
and might,
are they
not
written
in
the Book
of the Chronicles
of the Kings
of Israel?
And Baasha
rested
with
his fathers
and was buried
in Tirzah,
and his son
Elah
reigned
in his place.
Moreover,
the word
of the LORD
came
through
the prophet
Jehu
son
of Hanani
against
Baasha
and
his house,
because of
all
the evil
he had done
in the sight
of the LORD,
provoking Him to anger
with the work
of his hands
and becoming
like the house
of Jeroboam,
and also
because
Baasha struck down
the house of Jeroboam.
In the twenty-sixth
year
of Asa's
reign
over Judah,
Elah
son
of Baasha
became king
of
Israel,
and he reigned in Tirzah
two years.
However, while Elah
was in Tirzah
getting drunk
in the house
of Arza
the steward
of his household
in Tirzah,
Elah's servant
Zimri,
the commander
of half
his chariots,
conspired
against him.
So in the twenty-seventh
year
of Asa's
reign
over Judah,
Zimri
went in,
struck Elah down,
and killed him.
And Zimri reigned
in his place.
As soon as
Zimri began to reign
and was seated
on
the throne,
he struck down
the entire
household
of Baasha.
He did not
leave
a single male,
whether a kinsman
or friend.
So Zimri
destroyed
the entire
household
of Baasha,
according to the word
the LORD
had spoken
against
Baasha
through
Jehu
the prophet.
This happened because of
all
the sins
Baasha
and
his son
Elah
had committed
and had caused Israel
to commit,
provoking
the LORD,
the God
of Israel, to anger
with their worthless idols.
As for the rest
of the acts
of Elah,
along with all
his accomplishments,
are they
not
written
in
the Book
of the Chronicles
of the Kings
of Israel?
In the twenty-seventh
year
of Asa's
reign
over Judah,
Zimri
reigned
in Tirzah
for seven
days.
Now the troops
were encamped
against
Gibbethon
of the Philistines,
and the people
in the camp
heard
that Zimri
had not only conspired
but had also
struck down
the king.
So there in the camp
that very
day,
all
Israel
proclaimed Omri,
the commander
of the army,
king
over
Israel.
When Zimri
saw
that
the city
was captured,
he entered
the citadel
of the royal
palace
and burned it down
on himself.
So he died
because of
the sins
he had committed,
doing
evil
in the sight
of the LORD
and following
the example
of Jeroboam
and the sin
he had committed
and had caused Israel
to commit.
As for the rest
of the acts
of Zimri
and the treason
he committed,
are they
not
written
in
the Book
of the Chronicles
of the Kings
of Israel?
At that time
the people
of Israel
were divided:
Half
of the people
supported
Tibni
son
of Ginath
as king,
and half
supported
Omri.
But the followers
of Omri
proved stronger
than those
of Tibni
son
of Ginath.
So Tibni
died
and Omri
became king.
In the thirty-first
year
of Asa's
reign
over Judah,
Omri
became king
of
Israel,
and he reigned twelve
years,
six
of them
in Tirzah.
He bought
the hill
of Samaria
from
Shemer
for two talents
of silver
and built a city
there,
calling
it
Samaria
after
the name
of Shemer,
who had owned
the hill.
For he walked
in all
the ways
of Jeroboam
son
of Nebat
and in his sins,
which
he caused Israel
to commit,
provoking
the LORD,
the God
of Israel,
to anger
with their worthless idols.
As for the rest
of the acts
of Omri,
along with his accomplishments
and the might
he exercised,
are they
not
written
in
the Book
of the Chronicles
of the Kings
of Israel?
And Omri
rested
with
his fathers
and was buried
in Samaria,
and his son
Ahab
reigned
in his place.
In the thirty-eighth
year
of Asa's
reign
over Judah,
Ahab
son
of Omri
became king
of
Israel,
and he reigned
in Samaria
twenty-two
years.
And as if it were
not enough
for him to walk
in the sins
of Jeroboam
son
of Nebat,
he even married
Jezebel
the daughter
of Ethbaal
king
of the Sidonians,
and then he proceeded
to serve
and worship
Baal.
Then he
set up
an Asherah pole.
Thus Ahab
did
more
to provoke
the LORD,
the God
of Israel, to anger
than all
the kings
of Israel
before him.
In Ahab's days,
Hiel
the Bethelite
built
Jericho.
At the cost of Abiram
his firstborn
he laid its foundation,
and at the cost of Segub
his youngest
he set up
its gates,
according to the word
the LORD
had spoken
through
Joshua
son
of Nun.