1 Kings 16

Elah's Brief Reign and Downfall 1 Kings 16:8–14

⁸Verse 8. In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah for two years. ⁹Verse 9. His servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him. Now he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah; ¹⁰Verse 10. and Zimri went in and struck him, and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place. ¹¹Verse 11. When he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, he attacked all the house of Baasha. He didn’t leave him a single one who urinates on a wall among his relatives or his friends.

¹²Verse 12. Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to Yahweh’s word, which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, ¹³Verse 13. for all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned, and with which they made Israel to sin, to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities. ¹⁴Verse 14. Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

Zimri's Reign and Self-Destruction 1 Kings 16:15–20

¹⁵Verse 15. In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. ¹⁶Verse 16. The people who were encamped heard that Zimri had conspired, and had also killed the king. Therefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. ¹⁷Verse 17. Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. ¹⁸Verse 18. When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the fortified part of the king’s house, and burned the king’s house over him with fire, and died,

¹⁹Verse 19. for his sins which he sinned in doing that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin. ²⁰Verse 20. Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he committed, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

Division Among the People 1 Kings 16:21–22

²¹Verse 21. Then 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. ²²Verse 22. But the people who followed Omri prevailed against the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath; so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.

Omri's Reign Established 1 Kings 16:23–28

²³Verse 23. In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel for twelve years. He reigned six years in Tirzah. ²⁴Verse 24. He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill. ²⁵Verse 25. Omri did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and dealt wickedly above all who were before him. ²⁶Verse 26. For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins with which he made Israel to sin, to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities.

²⁷Verse 27. Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he showed, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ²⁸Verse 28. So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son reigned in his place.

Ahab's Ascendance and Idolatry 1 Kings 16:29–34

²⁹Verse 29. In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel. Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. ³⁰Verse 30. Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight above all that were before him. ³¹Verse 31. As if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him. ³²Verse 32. He raised up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

³³Verse 33. Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did more yet to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. ³⁴Verse 34. In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho. He laid its foundation with the loss of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to Yahweh’s word, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.