1 Kings 16
1THEREFORE a word of the Lord came to Baasa by the ministry of Iou son of Anani,
2Because, though I raised thee from the ground and made thee ruler over My people Israel, thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and caused My people Israel to sin—to provoke Me to wrath by their idols,
3behold I will rouse after Baasa and after his house, and I will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nabat—
4Him of Baasa who dieth in the city the dogs shall devour; and him who dieth in the fields the birds of the air shall devour.
5Now the rest of the acts of Baasa and all that he did, and his exploits, behold are they not written in the book of the journal of the kings of Israel?
6And Baasa slept with his fathers and was buried at Thersa, and Ela his son reigned in his stead.
7Now by the ministry of Iou son of Anani, the Lord had spoken against Baasa, and against his house, on account of all the wickedness which he had committed in the sight of the Lord to provoke Him to wrath by the works of his hands, that he should be treated like the house of Jeroboam, and that He would smite him.
8So when Ela son of Baasa had reigned over Israel two years at Thersa,
9Zambri the commander of one half of his cavalry, conspired against him; and when he was drinking to excess in the house of Osa his steward at Thersa,
10Zambri went in and smote him, and killed him, and reigned in his stead.
11And when he had made himself king, and seated himself on his throne,
12he smote all the house of Baasa according to the word which the Lord spoke to Iou the prophet, against the house of Baasa,
13for all the sins of Baasa and his son Ela, because they had caused Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord God of Israel by their idols.
14Now the rest of the acts of Ela and all that he did, behold are they not written in the journal of the kings of Israel?
16And Zambri reigned at Thersa seven days, and Israel was encamped against Gabathon of the Philistines.
But when the people in the camp heard the news that Zambri had conspired and slain the king, they made Ambri the general of the army of Israel, king over Israel that very day in the camp.
17And Ambri with all Israel marched up from Gabathon and laid siege to Thersa.
18And when Zambri saw that the city was taken, he went into a cellar of the king’s house and set the house on fire over him.
19So he died for the sins which he had committed by doing evil in the sight of the Lord, and walking in the way of Jeroboam son of Nabat, and in his sins so as to cause Israel to sin.
20Now the rest of the acts of Zambri and the conspiracies which he contrived; behold are they not written in the journal of the kings of Israel?
21Then were the people of Israel divided. One half of the people followed Thamni son of Gonath to make him king; and the other half of the people followed Ambri.
22But the people who followed Ambri prevailed over them who followed Thamni son of Gonath. So Thamni and his brother Joram died at the same time.
23And Ambri reigned after Thamni in the thirty-first year of king Asa. And Ambri reigned twelve years over Israel. He reigned at Thersa six years.
24Then Ambri purchased mount Semeron of Semer the lord of the mount, for two talents of silver, and having built on the mount, he called the name of the city which he had built, Semeron, after the name of Semer the owner of the mount.
25And Ambri did evil in the sight of the Lord. Nay, he exceeded in wickedness all that went before him,
26and walked in all the way of Jeroboam son of Nabat, and in the sins by which he caused Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord God of Israel with their idols.
27Now the rest of the acts of Ambri and all that he did, and all his power, behold are they not written in the journal of the kings of Israel?
28And Ambri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and Achab his son reigned in his stead.
28-variantNow* in the eleventh year of Ambri, Josaphat son of Asa began regency when he was thirty years of age, and reigned five years in his father’s reign, and twenty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Gazuba, a daughter of Seli. He walked in the way of his father Asa and deviated not from it, doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. But the high places were not removed. On these they sacrificed and burned incense. Now the agreements which Josaphat made with the king of Israel, and all the dominion which he exercised and the battles which he fought, behold are they not written in the journal of the kings of Juda? The remains of prostitution which were set up in the days of his father Asa he removed out of the land. Though he was not king in Syria-Nasib, king Josaphat built a fleet for Tharsis to go to Sophir for gold. But it did not go; for the fleet was wrecked at Gasion-Gaber. Then the king of Israel said to Josaphat, let me send thy servants in the fleet with my servants: but Josaphat would not consent. And when Josaphat went to sleep with his fathers he was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Joram his son reigned in his stead.
29In the second year of Josaphat, king of Juda, Achab son of Ambri began his reign of twenty-two years over Israel.
30And Achab did evil in the sight of the Lord, and surpassed in wickedness all that went before him.
31It did not suffice him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nabat; but he took to wife Jezabel, a daughter of Jethebaal, king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.
32And he erected for Baal an altar in the house of his idols, which he had built in Samaria.
33Achab also made a bower, and proceeded on in adding to his provocations, to provoke the Lord God of Israel and to destroy his own soul. He did evil above all the kings of Israel who were before him.
34Now in his days Achiel the Baithelite rebuilt Jericho. With Abeiron, his first-born, he laid the foundation thereof, and with Segub, his youngest son, he set up its gates, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Joshua son of Naue.