1 Kings 15:8–16:34
8 And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Asa his son succeeded him as king.
15:9–22pp—2Ch 14:2–3; 15:16–16:6
15:23–24pp—2Ch 16:11–17:1
9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, 10 and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maakahl daughter of Abishalom.
11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Davidm had done. 12 He expelled the male shrine prostitutesn from the land and got rid of all the idolso his ancestors had made. 13 He even deposed his grandmother Maakahp from her position as queen mother,q because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it downr and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 14 Although he did not removes the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committedt to the Lord all his life. 15 He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.u
16 There was warv between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramahw to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.
18 Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s templex and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and senty them to Ben-Hadadz son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. 19 “Let there be a treatya between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”
20 Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conqueredb Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maakah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. 21 When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramahc and withdrew to Tirzah.d 22 Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away from Ramahe the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asaf built up Gebag in Benjamin, and also Mizpah.h
23 As for all the other events of Asa’s reign, all his achievements, all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? In his old age, however, his feet became diseased. 24 Then Asa rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphati his son succeeded him as king.
25 Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26 He did evilj in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of his fatherk and committing the same sin his father had caused Israel to commit.
27 Baasha son of Ahijah from the tribe of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him downl at Gibbethon,m a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it. 28 Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and succeeded him as king.
29 As soon as he began to reign, he killed Jeroboam’s whole family.n He did not leave Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all, according to the word of the Lord given through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. 30 This happened because of the sinso Jeroboam had committed and had causedp Israel to commit, and because he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel.
31 As for the other events of Nadab’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annalsq of the kings of Israel? 32 There was warr between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.
33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel in Tirzah,s and he reigned twenty-four years. 34 He did evilt in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.
16 Then the word of the Lord came to Jehuu son of Hananiv concerning Baasha: 2 “I lifted you up from the dustw and appointed you rulerx over my people Israel, but you followed the ways of Jeroboam and causedy my people Israel to sin and to arouse my anger by their sins. 3 So I am about to wipe out Baashaz and his house,a and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat. 4 Dogsb will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and birdsc will feed on those who die in the country.”
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 annalsd of the kings of Israel? 6 Baasha rested with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah.e And Elah his son succeeded him as king.
7 Moreover, the word of the Lord camef through the prophet Jehug 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 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 Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunkh in the home of Arza, the palace administratori at Tirzah. 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.j
11 As soon as he began to reign and was seated on the throne, he killed off Baasha’s whole family.k He did not spare a single male, whether relative or friend. 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 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.l
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 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon,m a Philistine town. 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 the Israelites with him withdrew 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 and set the palace on fire around him. So he died, 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 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 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 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 of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.n 24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talentsa of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria,o after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill.
25 But Omri did evilp in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him. 26 He followed completely the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, committing the same sin Jeroboam had causedq Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.r
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 Omri rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria.s And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.
29 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 Ahab son of Omri did moret evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. 31 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also marriedu Jezebel daughterv of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baalw and worship him. 32 He set up an altarx for Baal in the templey of Baal that he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah polez and did morea to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.
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.b