Bible Reading Plan

Chapter 15

Judah's King Abijam

¹ In the eighteenth year of Israel's King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah ² and reigned three years in Jerusalem.^(a) His mother's name was Maacah^(b) daughter^[a] of Abishalom.

³ Abijam walked in all the sins his father before him had committed,^(c) and he was not completely devoted to the Lord his God as his ancestor David had been.^{(d) 4} But because of David, the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem.^{(e) 5} For David did what was right in the Lord 's eyes, and he did not turn aside from anything He had commanded him all the days of his life,^(f) except in the matter of Uriah^(g) the Hittite.

⁶ There had been war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of Rehoboam's life.^{(h) 7} The rest of the events of Abijam's reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings.⁽ⁱ⁾ There was also war between Abijam and Jeroboam.^{(j) 8} Abijam rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.^(k) His son Asa became king in his place.^(l)

Judah's King Asa

⁹ In the twentieth year of Israel's King Jeroboam,^(m) Asa became king of Judah ¹⁰ and reigned 41 years in Jerusalem. His grandmother's^[b] name was Maacah⁽ⁿ⁾ daughter^[c] of Abishalom.

¹¹ Asa did what was right in the Lord 's eyes, as his ancestor David had done.^{(o) 12} He banished the male cult prostitutes^(p) from the land and removed all of the idols that his fathers had made.^{(q) 13} He also^(r) removed his grandmother^[d] Maacah from being queen mother because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. Asa chopped down her obscene image and burned it^(s) in the Kidron Valley.^{(t) 14} The high places were not taken away;^(u) but Asa's heart was completely devoted to the Lord his entire life.^{(v) 15} He brought his father's consecrated gifts and his own consecrated gifts into the Lord 's temple: silver, gold, and utensils.^(w)

¹⁶ There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.^{(x) 17} Israel's King Baasha went to war against Judah.^(y) He built Ramah^(z) in order to deny anyone access to Judah's King Asa. ¹⁸ So Asa withdrew all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the Lord 's temple^(aa) and the treasuries of the royal palace and put it into the hands of his servants. Then King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad^(ab) son of Tabrimmon son of Hezion king of Aram who lived in Damascus,^(ac) saying, ¹⁹ "There is a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father.^(ad) Look, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel^(ae) so that he will withdraw from me."

²⁰ Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel. He attacked Ijon,^(af) Dan,^(ag) Abel-beth-maacah,^(ah) all Chinnereth,^(ai) and the whole land of Naphtali.^{(aj) 21} When Baasha heard about it, he quit building Ramah and stayed in Tirzah.^{(ak) 22} Then King Asa gave a command to everyone without exception in Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had built it with. Then King Asa built Geba^(al) of Benjamin and Mizpah^(am) with them.

²³ The rest of all the events of Asa's reign,^(an) along with all his might, all his accomplishments, and the cities he built, are written in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings.^(ao) But in his old age he developed a disease in his feet.^{(ap) 24} Then Asa rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his ancestor David.^(aq) His son Jehoshaphat^(ar) became king in his place.

Israel's King Nadab

²⁵ Nadab son of Jeroboam^(as) became king over Israel in the second year of Judah's King Asa; he reigned over Israel two years. ²⁶ Nadab did what was evil in the Lord 's sight and followed the example of his father and the sin he had caused Israel to commit.^(at)

²⁷ Then Baasha^(au) son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon^(av) of the Philistines while Nadab and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon. ²⁸ In the third year of Judah's King Asa,^(aw) Baasha killed Nadab^(ax) and reigned in his place.

²⁹ When Baasha became king, he struck down the entire house of Jeroboam.^(ay) He did not leave Jeroboam any survivors but^[e] destroyed his family according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through His servant Ahijah the Shilonite.^{(az) 30} This was because Jeroboam had provoked^[f] the Lord God of Israel by the sins he had committed and had caused Israel to commit.^(ba)

³¹ The rest of the events of Nadab's reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings.^{(bb) 32} There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.^(bc)

Israel's King Baasha

³³ In the third year of Judah's King Asa, Baasha son of Ahijah became king over all Israel and reigned in Tirzah^(bd) 24 years. ³⁴ He did what was evil in the Lord 's sight and followed the example of Jeroboam and the sin he had caused Israel to commit.^(be)

Chapter 16

¹ Now the word of the Lord came to Jehu^(a) son of Hanani^(b) against Baasha: ² "Because I raised you up from the dust^(c) and made you ruler over My people Israel,^(d) but you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have caused My people Israel to sin,^(e) provoking Me with their sins, ³ take note: I will sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat:^(f)

⁵ The rest of the events of Baasha's reign, along with all his accomplishments and might, are written in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings.^{(h) 6} Baasha rested with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah became king in his place. ⁷ Through the prophet Jehu⁽ⁱ⁾ son of Hanani the word of the Lord also came against Baasha and against his house because of all the evil he had done in the Lord 's sight, provoking Him with the work of his hands and being like the house of Jeroboam, and because Baasha had struck down the house of Jeroboam.^(j)

Israel's King Elah

⁸ In the twenty-sixth year of Judah's King Asa, Elah son of Baasha became king over Israel and reigned in Tirzah^(k) two years.

⁹ His servant Zimri,^(l) commander of half his chariots, conspired against him while Elah was in Tirzah getting drunk^(m) in the house of Arza, who was in charge of the household⁽ⁿ⁾ at Tirzah. ¹⁰ In the twenty-seventh year of Judah's King Asa, Zimri went in, struck Elah down, killing him. Then Zimri became king in his place.^(o)

¹¹ When he became king, as soon as he was seated on his throne, Zimri struck down the entire house of Baasha. He did not leave a single male,^[a](p) including his kinsmen and his friends. ¹² So Zimri destroyed the entire house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord He had spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet.^{(q) 13} This happened because of all the sins of Baasha and those of his son Elah, which they committed and caused Israel to commit, provoking the Lord God of Israel^(r) with their worthless idols.^(s)

¹⁴ The rest of the events of Elah's reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings.^(t)

Israel's King Zimri

¹⁵ In the twenty-seventh year of Judah's King Asa, Zimri became king for seven days in Tirzah.^(u) Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon of the Philistines.^{(v) 16} When these troops heard that Zimri had not only conspired but had also struck down the king, then all Israel made Omri, the army commander, king over Israel that very day in the camp. ¹⁷ Omri along with all Israel marched up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah.^{(w) 18} When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he entered the citadel of the royal palace and burned it down over himself. He died ¹⁹ because of the sin he committed by doing what was evil in the Lord 's sight and by following the example of Jeroboam and the sin he caused Israel to commit.^(x)

²⁰ The rest of the events of Zimri's reign, along with the conspiracy that he instigated, are written in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings. ²¹ At that time the people of Israel were divided: half the people followed Tibni son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. ²² However, the people who followed Omri proved stronger than those who followed Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king.

Israel's King Omri

²³ In the thirty-first year of Judah's King Asa, Omri became king over Israel and reigned 12 years. He reigned six years in Tirzah,^{(y) 24} then he bought the hill of Samaria^(z) from Shemer for 150 pounds^[b] of silver, and he built up the hill. He named the city he built Samaria^[c] based on the name Shemer, the owner of the hill.

²⁵ Omri did what was evil in the Lord 's sight; he did more evil than all who were before him.^{(aa) 26} He followed the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sins that he caused Israel to commit, provoking the Lord God of Israel with their worthless idols.^{(ab) 27} The rest of the events of Omri's reign, along with his accomplishments and the might he exercised, are written in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings. ²⁸ Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab became king in his place.

Israel's King Ahab

²⁹ Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Judah's King Asa; Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria 22 years. ³⁰ But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord 's sight more than all who were before him.^{(ac) 31} Then, as if following the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat were a trivial matter, he married Jezebel,^(ad) the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians,^(ae) and then proceeded to serve Baal and worship him.^{(af) 32} He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal^(ag) that he had built in Samaria. ³³ Ahab also made an Asherah pole.^(ah) Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.^(ai)

³⁴ During his reign, Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho. At the cost of Abiram his firstborn, he laid its foundation, and at the cost of Segub his youngest, he set up its gates, according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through Joshua son of Nun.^(aj)

Chapter 17

Elijah Announces Famine

¹ Now Elijah^(a) the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers,^[a](b) said to Ahab, "As the Lord God of Israel lives,^(c) I stand before Him, and there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!"^(d)

² Then a revelation from the Lord came to him: ³ "Leave here, turn eastward, and hide^(e) yourself at the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan. ⁴ You are to drink from the wadi. I have commanded the ravens^(f) to provide for you there."

⁵ So he did what the Lord commanded. Elijah left and lived by the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan. ⁶ The ravens kept bringing him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening,^(g) and he drank from the wadi. ⁷ After a while, the wadi dried up because there had been no rain in the land.

Elijah and the Widow

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to him: ⁹ "Get up, go to Zarephath^(h) that belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there." ¹⁰ So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow woman gathering wood. Elijah called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink."^{(i) 11} As she went to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand."

¹² But she said, "As the Lord your God lives,^(j) I don't have anything baked—only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil^(k) in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die."^(l)

¹³ Then Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid; go and do as you have said. But first make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterward, you may make some for yourself and your son, ¹⁴ for this is what the Lord God of Israel says, ‘The flour jar will not become empty and the oil jug will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the surface of the land."^(m)

¹⁵ So she proceeded to do according to the word of Elijah. Then the woman, Elijah, and her household ate for many days.^{(n) 16} The flour jar did not become empty, and the oil jug did not run dry, according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through^[b] Elijah.

The Widow's Son Raised

¹⁷ After this, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. His illness became very severe until no breath remained in him.^{(o) 18} She said to Elijah, "Man of God,^(p) what do we have in common?^(q) Have you come to remind me of my guilt^(r) and to kill my son?"

¹⁹ But Elijah said to her, "Give me your son." So he took him from her arms, brought him up to the upper room^(s) where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. ²⁰ Then he cried out to the Lord ^(t) and said, "My Lord God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow I am staying with by killing her son?" ²¹ Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times.^(u) He cried out to the Lord and said, "My Lord God, please let this boy's life return to him!"

²² So the Lord listened to Elijah's voice, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived.^{(v) 23} Then Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother.^(w) Elijah said, "Look, your son is alive."

²⁴ Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know you are a man of God^(x) and the Lord 's word from your mouth is true."^(y)

Chapter 18

Elijah's Message to Ahab

¹ After a long time, the word of the Lord ^(a) came to Elijah in the third year:^(b) "Go and present yourself to Ahab.^(c) I will send rain on the surface of the land." ² So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.

The famine was severe in Samaria.^{(d) 3} Ahab called for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace.^(e) Obadiah was a man who greatly feared the Lord ^{(f) 4} and took 100 prophets and hid them, 50 men to a cave, and provided them with food and water when Jezebel^(g) slaughtered the Lord 's prophets.^{(h) 5} Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go throughout the land to every spring of water and to every wadi. Perhaps we'll find grass so we can keep the horses and mules alive and not have to destroy any cattle."^{(i) 6} They divided the land between them in order to cover it. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself.

⁷ While Obadiah was walking along the road, Elijah suddenly met him.^(j) When Obadiah recognized him, he fell with his face to the ground and said, "Is it you, my lord Elijah?"

⁸ "It is I," he replied. "Go tell your lord, ‘Elijah is here!'"

⁹ But Obadiah said, "What sin have I committed,^(k) that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death? ¹⁰ As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, ‘He is not here,' he made that kingdom or nation swear they had not found you.

¹¹ "Now you say, ‘Go tell your lord, "Elijah is here!"' ¹² But when I leave you, the Spirit of the Lord may carry you off^(l) to some place I don't know. Then when I go report to Ahab and he doesn't find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the Lord from my youth. ¹³ Wasn't it reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the Lord 's prophets? I hid 100 of the prophets of the Lord , 50 men to a cave, and I provided them with food and water. ¹⁴ Now you say, ‘Go tell your lord, "Elijah is here!"' He will kill me!"

¹⁵ Then Elijah said, "As the Lord of Hosts lives,^(m) before whom I stand, today I will present myself to Ahab."

¹⁶ Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him. Then Ahab went to meet Elijah. ¹⁷ When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, "Is that you, you destroyer of Israel?"⁽ⁿ⁾

¹⁸ He replied, "I have not destroyed Israel, but you and your father's house have, because you have abandoned the Lord 's commands^(o) and followed the Baals.^{(p) 19} Now summon all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel,^(q) along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah^(r) who eat at Jezebel's table."

Elijah at Mount Carmel

²⁰ So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. ²¹ Then Elijah approached all the people and said, "How long will you hesitate between two opinions?^(s) If Yahweh is God, follow Him. But if Baal, follow him."^(t) But the people didn't answer him a word.

²² Then Elijah said to the people, "I am the only remaining prophet of the Lord ,^(u) but Baal's prophets are 450 men. ²³ Let two bulls be given to us. They are to choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire. ²⁴ Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh.^(v) The God who answers with fire, He is God."

All the people answered, "That sounds good."

²⁵ Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god but don't light the fire."

²⁶ So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, "Baal, answer us!" But there was no sound;^(w) no one answered. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made.

²⁷ At noon Elijah mocked them. He said, "Shout loudly, for he's a god! Maybe he's thinking it over; maybe he has wandered away;^[a] or maybe he's on the road. Perhaps he's sleeping and will wake up!"^{(x) 28} They shouted loudly, and cut themselves^(y) with knives and spears, according to their custom, until blood gushed over them. ²⁹ All afternoon they kept on raving until the offering of the evening sacrifice,^(z) but there was no sound; no one answered, no one paid attention.^(aa)

³⁰ Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near me." So all the people approached him. Then he repaired the Lord 's altar that had been torn down:^{(ab) 31} Elijah took 12 stones—according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, "Israel will be your name"^(ac)— ³² and he built an altar^(ad) with the stones in the name of Yahweh. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons.^{[b][c] 33} Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. He said, "Fill four water pots with water and pour it on the offering to be burned and on the wood." ³⁴ Then he said, "A second time!" and they did it a second time. And then he said, "A third time!" and they did it a third time. ³⁵ So the water ran all around the altar; he even filled the trench with water.

³⁶ At the time for offering the evening sacrifice,^(ae) Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, "Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,^(af) today let it be known^(ag) that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that at Your word I have done all these things. ³⁷ Answer me, Lord ! Answer me so that this people will know that You, Yahweh, are God^(ah) and that You have turned their hearts back."

³⁸ Then Yahweh's fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹ When all the people saw it, they fell facedown^(ai) and said, "Yahweh, He is God! Yahweh, He is God!"^(aj)

⁴⁰ Then Elijah ordered them, "Seize the prophets of Baal!^(ak) Do not let even one of them escape." So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon^(al) and slaughtered them there.^{(am) 41} Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a rainstorm."^(an)

⁴² So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the summit of Carmel.^(ao) He bowed down on the ground and put his face between his knees.^{(ap) 43} Then he said to his servant, "Go up and look toward the sea."

So he went up, looked, and said, "There's nothing."

Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."

⁴⁴ On the seventh^(aq) time, he reported, "There's a cloud as small as a man's hand coming from the sea."

Then Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, ‘Get your chariot ready and go down so the rain doesn't stop you.'"

⁴⁵ In a little while, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a downpour. So Ahab got in his chariot and went to Jezreel.^{(ar) 46} The power of the Lord ^(as) was on Elijah, and he tucked his mantle under his belt^(at) and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.