1 Kings 16

16 ¹ Then the word of our Father came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha:

² "I lifted you up out of the dust and made you ruler over my people Israel, but you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have caused my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins. ³ So I am about to sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat. ⁴ Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs will eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the sky will eat."

⁵ As for the rest of the acts of Baasha, what he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel? ⁶ Then Baasha rested with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah, and Elah his son reigned in his place.

⁷ Moreover, the word of our Father came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha and his house — both because of all the evil he had done in the sight of our Father, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, becoming like the house of Jeroboam, and also because he struck that house down.

Elah Reigns and Falls in Israel

⁸ In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king over Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned two years. ⁹ His servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him while Elah was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was in charge of the palace at Tirzah. ¹⁰ Zimri came in, struck him down, and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned in his place.

¹¹ As soon as he became king and took his seat on the throne, he struck down the entire house of Baasha. He did not leave him a single male — not one of his relatives or friends. ¹² So Zimri destroyed the whole house of Baasha, according to the word of our Father that he had spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet — ¹³ for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they committed and led Israel to commit, provoking our Father, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols. ¹⁴ As for the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?

Zimri Reigns Seven Days in Israel

¹⁵ In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the army was encamped against Gibbethon, a Philistine town. ¹⁶ When the troops encamped there heard that Zimri had conspired and had struck down the king, that very day, in the camp, all Israel made Omri the commander of the army king over Israel. ¹⁷ Then Omri and all Israel with him went up from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. ¹⁸ When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace, set the palace on fire over himself, and died, ¹⁹ because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the sight of our Father, walking in the way of Jeroboam and in the sin he had committed, leading Israel to sin. ²⁰ As for the rest of the acts of Zimri and the treason he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?

Omri Reigns in Israel

²¹ Then the people of Israel were split into two factions: half followed Tibni son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. ²² But the people who followed Omri proved stronger than those who followed Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri became king. ²³ In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah. ²⁴ He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, built a city on the hill, and named the city he built Samaria, after Shemer, the owner of the hill. ²⁵ Omri did evil in the sight of our Father, and acted more wickedly than all who were before him. ²⁶ He walked in every way of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sins, which he led Israel to commit, provoking our Father, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols. ²⁷ As for the rest of the acts of Omri, what he did and the might he displayed, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel? ²⁸ So Omri rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria, and Ahab his son reigned in his place.

Ahab Reigns and Marries Jezebel

²⁹ In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel, and Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. ³⁰ Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of our Father, more than all who were before him. ³¹ And as if it were a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he took as his wife Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. ³² He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. ³³ Ahab also made an Asherah pole, and Ahab did more to provoke our Father, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. ³⁴ In his days Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and he set up its gates at the cost of Segub his youngest son, according to the word of our Father that he had spoken through Joshua son of Nun.