the Fourth Week of Advent
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!
Read the Bible
Hebrew Names Version
1 Kings 16
1 The word of the LORD came to Yehu the son of Hanani against Ba`sha, saying, 2 Because I exalted you out of the dust, and made you prince over my people Yisra'el, and you have walked in the way of Yarov`am, and have made my people Yisra'el to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins; 3 behold, I will utterly sweep away Ba`sha and his house; and I will make your house like the house of Yarov`am the son of Nevat. 4 Him who dies of Ba`sha in the city shall the dogs eat; and him who dies of his in the field shall the birds of the sky eat. 5 Now the rest of the acts of Ba`sha, and what he did, and his might, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Yisra'el? 6 Ba`sha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirtzah; and Elah his son reigned in his place. 7 Moreover by the prophet Yehu the son of Hanani came the word of the LORD against Ba`sha, and against his house, both because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Yarov`am, and because he struck him. 8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Yehudah began Elah the son of Ba`sha to reign over Yisra'el in Tirtzah, [and reigned] two years. 9 His servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him. Now he was in Tirtzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Artza, who was over the household in Tirtzah: 10 and Zimri went in and struck him, and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Yehudah, and reigned in his place. 11 It happened, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he struck all the house of Ba`sha: he didn't leave him a single man-child, neither of his relatives, nor of his friends. 12 Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Ba`sha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke against Ba`sha by Yehu the prophet, 13 for all the sins of Ba`sha, and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned, and with which they made Yisra'el to sin, to provoke the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, to anger with their vanities. 14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Yisra'el?
15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Yehudah did Zimri reign seven days in Tirtzah. Now the people were encamped against Gibbeton, which belonged to the Pelishtim. 16 The people who were encamped heard say, Zimri has conspired, and has also struck the king: therefore all Yisra'el made `Omri, the captain of the host, king over Yisra'el that day in the camp. 17 `Omri went up from Gibbeton, and all Yisra'el with him, and they besieged Tirtzah. 18 It happened, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the castle of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died, 19 for his sins which he sinned in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, in walking in the way of Yarov`am, and in his sin which he did, to make Yisra'el to sin. 20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he did, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Yisra'el? 21 Then were the people of Yisra'el divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tivni the son of Ginat, to make him king; and half followed `Omri. 22 But the people who followed `Omri prevailed against the people who followed Tivni the son of Ginat: so Tivni died, and `Omri reigned. 23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Yehudah began `Omri to reign over Yisra'el, [and reigned] twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirtzah. 24 He bought the hill Shomron of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Shomron. 25 `Omri did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and dealt wickedly above all who were before him. 26 For he walked in all the way of Yarov`am the son of Nevat, and in his sins with which he made Yisra'el to sin, to provoke the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, to anger with their vanities. 27 Now the rest of the acts of `Omri which he did, and his might that he shown, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Yisra'el? 28 So `Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Shomron; and Ach'av his son reigned in his place.
29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Yehudah began Ach'av the son of `Omri to reign over Yisra'el: and Ach'av the son of `Omri reigned over Yisra'el in Shomron twenty-two years. 30 Ach'av the son of `Omri did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him. 31 It happened, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Yarov`am the son of Nevat, that he took as wife Izevel the daughter of Etba`al king of the Tzidonim, and went and served Ba`al, and worshiped him. 32 He reared up an altar for Ba`al in the house of Ba`al, which he had built in Shomron. 33 Ach'av made the Asherah; and Ach'av did yet more to provoke the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, to anger than all the kings of Yisra'el who were before him. 34 In his days did Hi'el the Beit-Eli build Yericho: he laid the foundation of it with the loss of Aviram his firstborn, and set up the gates of it with the loss of his youngest son Seguv, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Yehoshua the son of Nun.
