Kings III 16

1 And the word of the Lord came by the hand of Ju son of Anani to Baasa, [saying],

Then this message from the Lord came to the prophet Jehu, son of Hanani, condemning Baasha.

2 Forasmuch as I lifted thee up from the earth, and made thee ruler over my people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast caused my people Israel to sin, to provoke me with their vanities;

“Even though I lifted you out of the dust to make you ruler over my people Israel, you have followed the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel sin, making me angry by their sins.

3 Behold, I raise up [enemies] after Baasa, and after his house; and I will make thy house as the house of Jeroboam son of Nabat.

Now I'm going to destroy Baasha and his family. Baasha, I will make your family like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat.

4 Him that dies of Baasa in the city the dogs shall devour, and him that dies of his in the field the birds of the sky shall devour.

Those of Baasha's family who die in the town will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the countryside will be eaten by birds.”

5 Now the rest of the history of Baasa, and all that he did, and his mighty acts, behold, are not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

The rest of the events of Baasha's reign, everything that he did and what he accomplished, are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

6 And Baasa slept with his fathers, and they bury him in Thersa; and Ela his son reigns in his stead.

Baasha died and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah succeeded him as king.

7 And the Lord spoke by Ju the son of Anani against Baasa, and against his house, [even] all the evil which he wrought before the Lord to provoke him to anger by the works of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he smote him.

The message from the Lord condemning Baasha and his family came to the prophet Jehu, son of Hanani. It came because Baasha had done what was evil in the Lord's sight, in the same way as the family of Jeroboam had done, and also because Baasha had killed Jeroboam's family. The Lord was angry because of Baasha's sins.

8 And Ela son of Baasa reigned over Israel two years in Thersa.

Elah, son of Baasha, became king of Israel in the twenty-sixth year of the reign of King Asa of Judah. He reigned in Tirzah for two years.

9 And Zambri, captain of half his cavalry, conspired against him, while he was in Thersa, drinking himself drunk in the house of Osa the steward at Thersa.

One of Elah's officials called Zimri who was in charge of half his chariots plotted a rebellion against him. One time Elah was in Tirzah, getting himself drunk at the home of Arza, the palace manager at Tirzah.

10 And Zambri went in and smote him and slew him, and reigned in his stead.

Zimri went up to him, attacked him, and killed him. This was in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of Asa, king of Judah. Then he took over from him as king.

11 And it came to pass when he reigned, when he sat upon his throne,

As soon as he became king and was installed on his throne, he killed all of Baasha's family. He did not leave a single male alive, whether of his relatives or of his friends.

12 that he smote all the house of Baasa, according to the word which the Lord spoke against the house of Baasa, and to Ju the prophet,

So Zimri destroyed the entire household of Baasha, as the Lord had said in his condemnation of Baasha through Jehu the prophet.

13 for all the sins of Baasa and Ela his son, as he led Israel astray to sin, to provoke the Lord God of Israel with their vanities.

This was because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had made Israel to commit. Their worship of their useless idols had angered the Lord, the God of Israel.

14 And the rest of the deeds of Ela which he did, behold, are not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

The rest of what happened in Elah's reign and everything that he did are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

15 And Zambri reigned in Thersa seven days: and the army of Israel [was] encamped against Gabathon of the Philistines.

Zimri became king of Israel in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of King Asa of Judah. He reigned in Tirzah seven days. At that time the Israelite army was attacking the Philistine town of Gibbethon.

16 And the people heard in the army, saying, Zambri has conspired and smitten the king: and the people of Israel made Ambri the captain of the host king in that day in the camp over Israel.

When the troops who were camped there learned that Zimri had plotted rebellion against the king and had murdered him, they made Omri, the army commander, king of Israel that same day in the army camp.

17 And Ambri went up, and all Israel with him, out of Gabathon; and they besieged Thersa.

Omri and the whole Israelite army left Gibbethon and went and besieged Tirzah.

18 And it came to pass when Zambri saw that his city was taken, that he goes into the inner chamber of the house of the king, and burnt the king's house over him, and died.

When Zimri saw that the city had been taken he went into the fortress of the royal palace and set it on fire around him, and he died, because of the sins he had committed.

19 Because of his sins which he committed, doing that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, so as to walk in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, and in his sins wherein he caused Israel to sin.

He did evil in the Lord's sight and followed the way of Jeroboam and his sin which he had made Israel commit.

20 And the rest of the history of Zambri, and his conspiracies wherein he conspired, behold, are not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

The rest of what happened in Zimri's reign and his rebellion are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

21 Then the people of Israel divides; half the people goes after Thamni the son of Gonath to make him king; and half the people goes after Ambri.

After this the people of Israel were divided. Half supported Tibni, son of Ginath, as king, while the other half supported Omri.

22 The people that followed Ambri overpowered the people that followed Thamni son of Gonath; and Thamni died and Joram his brother at that time, and Ambri reigned after Thamni.

However, those on Omri's side defeated Tibni's supporters. Tibni was killed and Omri became king.

23 In the thirty-first year of king Asa, Ambri begins to reign over Israel twelve years: he reigns six years in Thersa.

Omri became king of Israel in the thirty-first year of the reign of King Asa of Judah. He reigned for a total of twelve years, (six of them were in Tirzah).

24 And Ambri bought the mount Semeron of Semer the lord of the mountain for two talents of silver; and he built [upon] the mountain, and they called the name of the mountain [on] which he built, after the name of Semer the lord of the mount, Semeron.

He purchased the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver. He fortified the hill, and named the city that he built Samaria, after Shemer, the previous owner of the hill.

25 And Ambri did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and wrought wickedly beyond all that were before him.

Omri did what was evil in the Lord's sight—in fact he did more evil than those who lived before him.

26 And he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, and in his sins wherewith he caused Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord God of Israel by their vanities.

For he followed all the ways of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, and in his sins which he made Israel commit, worshiping their useless idols which angered the Lord, the God of Israel.

27 And the rest of the acts of Ambri, and all that he did, and all his might, behold, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

The rest of what happened in Omri's reign, what he did, and his achievements are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

28 And Ambri slept with his fathers, and is buried in Samaria; and Achaab his son reigns in his stead.

Omri died and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab succeeded him as king.

29 In the second year of Josaphat king of Juda, Achaab son of Ambri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.

Ahab, son of Omri, became king of Israel in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of King Asa of Judah. He reigned in Samaria for twenty-two years.

30 And Achaab did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did more wickedly than all that were before him.

Ahab, son of Omri, did evil in the Lord's sight, more than those who lived before him.

31 And it was not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, but he took to wife, Jezabel the daughter of Jethebaal king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal, and worshiped him.

He didn't see anything to worry about in following the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, and he even married Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and started to serve and worship Baal.

32 And he set up an alter to Baal, in the house of his abominations, which he built in Samaria.

Ahab made an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria.

33 And Achaab made a grove; and Achaab did yet more abominably, to provoke the Lord God of Israel, and [to sin against] his own life so that he should be destroyed: he did evil above all the kings of Israel that were before him.

Then he put up an Asherah pole. In this way Ahab did more to anger the Lord, the God of Israel, than all the kings of Israel before him.

34 And in his days Achiel the Baethelite built Jericho: he laid the foundation of it in Abiron his first-born, and he set up the doors of it in Segub his younger son, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke by Joshua the son of Naue.

During Ahab's reign Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He sacrificed Abiram his firstborn son when he laid its foundation, and sacrificed Segub his youngest son when he constructed its gates. This fulfilled the message the Lord had given through Joshua, son of Nun.