The First Book of the Kings

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 16 -

Then the word of the Lord came to Iehu the sonne of Hanani against Baasha, saying,

Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee captaine ouer my people Israel, and thou hast walked in the way of Ieroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sinne, to prouoke me with their sinnes,

Beholde, I will take away the posteritie of Baasha, and the posteritie of his house, and will make thine house like the house of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat.

He that dyeth of Baashas stocke in the citie, him shall the dogs eate: and that man of him which dyeth in the fieldes, shall the foules of the ayre eate.

And the rest of the actes of Baasha and what he did, and his power, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?

So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buryed in Tirzah, and Elah his sonne reigned in his steade.

And also by the hande of Iehu the sonne of Hanani the Prophet, came the worde of the Lord to Baasha, and to his house, that he shoulde be like the house of Ieroboam, euen for all the wickednes that he did in the sight of the Lord, in prouoking him with the worke of his hands, and because he killed him.

Elah Reigns in Israel

In the sixe and twentie yeere of Asa king of Iudah began Elah ye sonne of Baasha to reigne ouer Israel in Tirzah, and reigned two yeere.

And his seruant Zimri, captaine of halfe his charets, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah drinking, til he was drunken in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah.

And Zimri came and smote him and killed him, in the seuen and twentie yeere of Asa king of Iudah, and reigned in his stead.

And when he was King, and sate on his throne, he slew al the house of Baasha, not leauing thereof one to pisse against a wall, neither of his kinsfolkes nor of his friendes.

So did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord which he spake against Baasha by the hande of Iehu the Prophet,

For all the sinnes of Baasha, and sinnes of Elah his sonne, which they sinned and made Israel to sinne, and prouoked the Lord God of Israel with their vanities.

And the rest of the actes of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

Zimri Reigns in Israel

In the seuen and twentie yeere of Asa King of Iudah did Zimri reigne seuen dayes in Tirzah, and the people was then in campe against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistims.

And the people of the hoste heard saye, Zimri hath conspired, and hath also slayne the King. Wherefore all Israel made Omri the captaine of the hoste, king ouer Israel that same day, euen in the hoste.

Then Omri went vp from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.

And when Zimri saw, that the citie was taken, he went into the palace of the Kings house, and burnt himselfe, and the Kings house with fire, and so dyed,

For his sinnes which hee sinned, in doing that which is euil in the sight of the Lord, in walking in the way of Ieroboam, and in his sinnes which he did, causing Israel to sinne.

And the rest of the actes of Zimri, and his treason that hee wrought, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kinges of Israel?

Omri Reigns in Israel

Then were the people of Israel deuided into two partes: for halfe the people followed Tibni the sonne of Ginath to make him King, and the other halfe followed Omri.

But the people that folowed Omri, preuayled against the people that followed Tibni the sonne of Ginath: so Tibni dyed, and Omri reigned.

In the one and thirtie yeere of Asa King of Iudah bega Omri to reigne ouer Israel, and reigned twelue yeere. Sixe yeere reigned he in Tirzah.

And he bought the mountaine Samaria of one Shemer for two talents of siluer, and buylt in the mountaine, and called the name of the citie, which he buylt, after the name of Shemer lord of the mountaine, Samaria.

But Omri did euil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse then all that were before him.

For he walked in all the way of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, and in his sinnes wherewith he made Israel to sinne in prouoking the Lord God of Israel with their vanities.

And the rest of the actes of Omri, that hee did, and his strength that he shewed, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

And Omri slept with his fathers, and was buryed in Samaria: and Ahab his sonne reigned in his stead.

Ahab Reigns in Israel, Marries Jezebel

Nowe Ahab the sonne of Omri began to reigne ouer Israel, in the eyght and thirtie yeere of Asa king of Iudah: and Ahab the sonne of Omri reigned ouer Israel in Samaria two and twenty yere.

And Ahab the sonne of Omri did worse in ye sight of the Lord then al that were before him.

For was it a light thing for him to walke in the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, except hee tooke Iezebel also the daughter of Ethbaal King of the Zidonians to wife, and went and serued Baal, and worshipped him?

Also he reared vp an altar to Baal in the house of Baal, which he had buylt in Samaria.

And Ahab made a groue, and Ahab proceeded, and did prouoke the Lord God of Israel more then all the kings of Israel that were before him.

In his dayes did Hiel the Bethelite buylde Iericho: he layed the foundation thereof in Abiram his eldest sonne, and set vp the gates thereof in his yongest sonne Segub, according to the worde of the Lord which he spake by Ioshua the sonne of Nun.

The LORD’s word came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,

“Because I exalted you out of the dust and made you prince over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins,

behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house; and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

The dogs will eat Baasha’s descendants who die in the city; and he who dies of his in the field, the birds of the sky will eat.”

Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his place.

Moreover the LORD’s word came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and against his house, both because of all the evil that he did in the LORD’s sight, to provoke him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he struck him.

Elah Reigns in Israel

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.

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;

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.

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

(a)

among his relatives or his friends.

Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the LORD’s word which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,

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 the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities.

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 Reigns in Israel

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.

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.

Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.

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,

for his sins which he sinned in doing that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did to make Israel to sin.

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?

Omri Reigns in Israel

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.

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

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.

He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents

(b)

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.

Omri did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and dealt wickedly above all who were before him.

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 the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities.

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?

So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son reigned in his place.

Ahab Reigns in Israel, Marries Jezebel

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.

Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight above all that were before him.

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.

He raised up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did more yet to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

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 the LORD’s word, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.

Footnotes

(a)16:11 or, male

(b)16:24 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds.