1 Kings 16
Kings Who Rose by the Sword and Fell by It
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The Word of Jehu Against Baasha
16:1The Lord’s word came through Jehu son of Hanani to Baasha:
16:2“Because I raised you from the ground and made you leader over My people Israel, but you walked in Jeroboam’s way and caused My people Israel to sin, provoking Me with their worthless things,
16:3look, I am rousing up against Baasha and against his house. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat.
16:4Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city, the dogs will devour; anyone belonging to him who dies in the plain, the birds of the heavens will devour.”
16:5The rest of Baasha’s acts, all he did, and his mighty deeds—look, are these not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?
16:6Baasha slept with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah. Elah his son reigned in his place in the twentieth year of King Asa.
16:7Through Jehu son of Hanani, the Lord spoke against Baasha and against his house concerning all the evil he had done before the Lord, provoking Him with the works of his hands and becoming like Jeroboam’s house, and because he struck it down.
Elah King of Israel
16:8Elah son of Baasha reigned over Israel two years in Tirzah.
Zimri Reigns Seven Days
16:9Zimri, commander of half the cavalry, conspired against him. He was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Osa, the steward in Tirzah.
16:10Zimri came in, struck him, put him to death, and reigned in his place.
16:11When he became king, as soon as he sat on his throne, he struck down all Baasha’s house,
16:12according to the word which the Lord spoke against Baasha’s house to Jehu the prophet,
16:13concerning all the sins of Baasha and Elah his son, how he caused Israel to sin, provoking the Lord, the God of Israel, with their worthless things.
16:14The rest of Elah’s acts and all he did—look, are these not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?
16:15Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Israel’s camp was against Gibbethon, which belonged to the foreigners.
16:16The people in the camp heard it said, “Zimri has conspired and struck the king!” They made Omri, the army commander, king in Israel, over Israel, that day in the camp.
16:17Omri and all Israel with him went up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah.
16:18When Zimri saw that his city had been taken, he went into a cave of the king’s house. He burned the king’s house over himself with fire and died,
16:19because of the sins he committed, doing evil before the Lord, walking in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sins, as he caused Israel to sin.
16:20The rest of Zimri’s acts and the conspiracies he formed—look, are these not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?
Omri and Thamni Divide Israel
16:21Then the people of Israel divided. Half the people followed Thamni son of Gonath to make him king, and half the people followed Omri.
16:22The people following Omri overpowered the people following Thamni son of Gonath. Thamni and Joram his brother died at that time, and Omri became king after Thamni.
Omri and the Founding of Samaria
16:23In the thirty-first year of King Asa, Omri became king over Israel, reigning twelve years. He reigned six years in Tirzah.
16:24Omri acquired the hill of Semeron from Shemer, the hill’s owner, for two talents of silver and built on the hill. He named the hill he built on Saemeron, after the name of Shemer, the hill’s owner.
16:25Omri did evil before the Lord and acted more wickedly than all who had been before him.
16:26He walked in all the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sins by which he caused Israel to sin, provoking the Lord, the God of Israel, with their worthless things.
16:27The rest of Omri’s acts, all he did, and his might—look, are these not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?
16:28Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. Ahab his son reigned in his place.
Jehoshaphat King of Judah
16:28aIn Omri’s eleventh year, Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king, thirty-five years old at his accession, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Gazouba daughter of Selei.
16:28bHe walked in the way of Asa his father and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right before the Lord. But they did not remove the high places; they sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.
16:28cThe agreements Jehoshaphat made, all the might he displayed, and those against whom he fought—look, are these not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah?
16:28dHe removed from the land the remaining unions which they had undertaken in the days of Asa his father.
16:28eThere was no king in Syria—nasib.
16:28fKing Jehoshaphat made a ship for Tarshish to go to Sophir for gold. It did not go, because the ship was wrecked at Ezion-geber.
16:28gThen the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will send your attendants and my young men in the ship.” But Jehoshaphat was unwilling.
16:28hJehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Joram his son reigned in his place.
Ahab King of Israel
16:29In Jehoshaphat’s second year, Ahab son of Omri became king. He reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.
16:30Ahab did evil before the Lord; he acted more wickedly than all who were before him.
16:31It was not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat: he took as wife Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and bowed down to him.
16:32He set up an altar for Baal in the house of his offenses which he had built in Samaria,
16:33and Ahab made a grove. Ahab went on committing provocations, to provoke his soul to destruction; he did evil more than all the kings of Israel who had been before him.
The Rebuilding of Jericho
16:34In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho. At the cost of Abiram his firstborn he laid its foundation, and at the cost of Segub his younger son he set up its gates, according to the Lord’s word which He spoke through Joshua son of Nun.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.