New King James Version

New International Version

The Reigns of Elah, Zimri, Omri, and Ahab

Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu the son of Hanani, against Baasha, saying:

1

Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani concerning Baasha:

2

“Inasmuch as I lifted you out of the dust and made you ruler over My people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and have made My people Israel sin, to provoke Me to anger with their sins,

2

“I lifted you up from the dust and appointed you ruler over my people Israel, but you followed the ways of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin and to arouse my anger by their sins.

3

surely I will take[a] away the posterity of Baasha and the posterity of his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

3

So I am about to wipe out Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat.

4

The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Baasha and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the fields.”

4

Dogs will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and birds will feed on those who die in the country.”

5

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

5

As for the other events of Baasha’s reign, what he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

6

So Baasha [b]rested with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah. Then Elah his son reigned in his place.

6

Baasha rested with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah. And Elah his son succeeded him as king.

7

And also the word of the Lord came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the Lord in provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he killed them.

7

Moreover, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani to Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger by the things he did, becoming like the house of Jeroboam — and also because he destroyed it.

8

Elah Reigns in Israel

In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha became king over Israel, and reigned two years in Tirzah.

8

Elah King of Israel

In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years.

9

Now his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him as he was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, steward[c] of his house in Tirzah.

9

Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk in the home of Arza, the palace administrator at Tirzah.

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.

10

Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king.

11

Then it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he was seated on his throne, that he killed all the household of Baasha; he did not leave him one male, neither of his relatives nor of his friends.

11

As soon as he began to reign and was seated on the throne, he killed off Baasha’s whole family. He did not spare a single male, whether relative or friend.

12

Thus Zimri destroyed all the household of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,

12

So Zimri destroyed the whole family of Baasha, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu —

13

for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, by which they had sinned and by which they had made Israel sin, in provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their [d]idols.

13

because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.

14

Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

14

As for the other events of Elah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

15

Zimri Reigns in Israel

In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri had reigned in Tirzah seven days. And the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.

15

Zimri King of Israel

In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town.

16

Now the people who were encamped heard it said, “Zimri has conspired and also has killed the king.” So all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp.

16

When the Israelites in the camp heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp.

17

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

17

Then Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah.

18

And it happened, when Zimri saw that the city was [e]taken, that he went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned the king’s house [f]down upon himself with fire, and died,

18

When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died,

19

because of the sins which he had committed in doing evil in the sight of the Lord, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he had committed to make Israel sin.

19

because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

20

Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and the treason he committed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

20

As for the other events of Zimri’s reign, and the rebellion he carried out, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

21

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.

21

Omri King of Israel

Then the people of Israel were split into two factions; half supported Tibni son of Ginath for king, and the other half supported Omri.

22

But the people who followed Omri prevailed over the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri reigned.

22

But Omri’s followers proved stronger than those of 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 reigned twelve years. Six years he reigned in Tirzah.

23

In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.

24

And he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; then he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, Samaria,[g] after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill.

24

He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talentsa of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill.

25

Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all who were before him.

25

But Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him.

26

For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin, provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their idols.[h]

26

He followed completely the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.

27

Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

27

As for the other events of Omri’s reign, what he did and the things he achieved, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

28

So Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. Then Ahab his son reigned in his place.

28

Omri rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.

29

Ahab Reigns in Israel

In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.

29

Ahab Becomes King of Israel

In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years.

30

Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him.

30

Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him.

31

And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him.

31

He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him.

32

Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

32

He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria.

33

And Ahab made a [i]wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

33

Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.

34

In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation [j]with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the Lord, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun.

34

In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

Parallel

New King James Version

New International Version

1 Kings 16

1 Kings 16