| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1This message from the LORD was delivered to King Baasha by the prophet Jehu son of Hanani: | 1Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha, saying: |
| 2“I lifted you out of the dust to make you ruler of my people Israel, but you have followed the evil example of Jeroboam. You have provoked my anger by causing my people Israel to sin. | 2“Even though I lifted you out of the dust and made you ruler over My people Israel, you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have caused My people Israel to sin and to provoke Me to anger by their sins. |
| 3So now I will destroy you and your family, just as I destroyed the descendants of Jeroboam son of Nebat. | 3So now I will consume Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat: |
| 4The members of Baasha’s family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field will be eaten by vultures.” | 4Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field will be eaten by the birds of the air.” |
| 5The rest of the events in Baasha’s reign and the extent of his power are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. | 5As for the rest of the acts of Baasha, along with his accomplishments and might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? |
| 6When Baasha died, he was buried in Tirzah. Then his son Elah became the next king. | 6And Baasha rested with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah, and his son Elah reigned in his place. |
| 7The message from the LORD against Baasha and his family came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani. It was delivered because Baasha had done what was evil in the LORD’s sight (just as the family of Jeroboam had done), and also because Baasha had destroyed the family of Jeroboam. The LORD’s anger was provoked by Baasha’s sins. Elah Rules in Israel | 7Moreover, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands and becoming like the house of Jeroboam, and also because Baasha had struck down the house of Jeroboam. |
| 8Elah son of Baasha began to rule over Israel in the twenty-sixth year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in the city of Tirzah for two years. | 8In the twenty-sixth year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years. |
| 9Then Zimri, who commanded half of the royal chariots, made plans to kill him. One day in Tirzah, Elah was getting drunk at the home of Arza, the supervisor of the palace. | 9However, while Elah was in Tirzah getting drunk in the house of Arza the steward of his household there, Elah’s servant Zimri, the commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. |
| 10Zimri walked in and struck him down and killed him. This happened in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. Then Zimri became the next king. | 10So in the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri went in, struck Elah down, and killed him. And Zimri reigned in his place. |
| 11Zimri immediately killed the entire royal family of Baasha, leaving him not even a single male child. He even destroyed distant relatives and friends. | 11As soon as Zimri began to reign and was seated on the throne, he struck down the entire household of Baasha. He did not leave a single male, whether a kinsman or friend. |
| 12So Zimri destroyed the dynasty of Baasha as the LORD had promised through the prophet Jehu. | 12So Zimri destroyed the entire household of Baasha, according to the word that the LORD had spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet. |
| 13This happened because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed, and because of the sins they led Israel to commit. They provoked the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, with their worthless idols. | 13This happened because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols. |
| 14The rest of the events in Elah’s reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. Zimri Rules in Israel | 14As for the rest of the acts of Elah, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? |
| 15Zimri began to rule over Israel in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa’s reign in Judah, but his reign in Tirzah lasted only seven days. The army of Israel was then attacking the Philistine town of Gibbethon. | 15In the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah for seven days. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon of the Philistines, |
| 16When they heard that Zimri had committed treason and had assassinated the king, that very day they chose Omri, commander of the army, as the new king of Israel. | 16and the people in the camp heard that Zimri had not only conspired but had also struck down the king. So there in the camp that very day, all Israel proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel. |
| 17So Omri led the entire army of Israel up from Gibbethon to attack Tirzah, Israel’s capital. | 17Then Omri and all the Israelites marched up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. |
| 18When Zimri saw that the city had been taken, he went into the citadel of the palace and burned it down over himself and died in the flames. | 18When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he entered the citadel of the royal palace and burned it down upon himself. So he died |
| 19For he, too, had done what was evil in the LORD’s sight. He followed the example of Jeroboam in all the sins he had committed and led Israel to commit. | 19because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the sight of the LORD and following the example of Jeroboam and the sin he had committed and had caused Israel to commit. |
| 20The rest of the events in Zimri’s reign and his conspiracy are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. Omri Rules in Israel | 20As for 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? |
| 21But now the people of Israel were split into two factions. Half the people tried to make Tibni son of Ginath their king, while the other half supported Omri. | 21At that time the people of Israel were divided: Half of the people supported Tibni son of Ginath as king, and half supported Omri. |
| 22But Omri’s supporters defeated the supporters of Tibni. So Tibni was killed, and Omri became the next king. | 22But the followers of Omri proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king. |
| 23Omri began to rule over Israel in the thirty-first year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned twelve years in all, six of them in Tirzah. | 23In the thirty-first year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah. |
| 24Then Omri bought the hill now known as Samaria from its owner, Shemer, for 150 pounds of silver. He built a city on it and called the city Samaria in honor of Shemer. | 24He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city there, calling it Samaria after the name of Shemer, who had owned the hill. |
| 25But Omri did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him. | 25But Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD and acted more wickedly than all who were before him. |
| 26He followed the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat in all the sins he had committed and led Israel to commit. The people provoked the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, with their worthless idols. | 26For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sins, which he caused Israel to commit, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols. |
| 27The rest of the events in Omri’s reign, the extent of his power, and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. | 27As for the rest of the acts of Omri, along with his accomplishments and the might he exercised, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? |
| 28When Omri died, he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Ahab became the next king. Ahab Rules in Israel | 28And Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and his son Ahab reigned in his place. |
| 29Ahab son of Omri began to rule over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria twenty-two years. | 29In the thirty-eighth year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twenty-two years. |
| 30But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him. | 30However, Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. |
| 31And as though it were not enough to follow the sinful example of Jeroboam, he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and he began to bow down in worship of Baal. | 31And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal. |
| 32First Ahab built a temple and an altar for Baal in Samaria. | 32First, Ahab set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria. |
| 33Then he set up an Asherah pole. He did more to provoke the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, than any of the other kings of Israel before him. | 33Then he set up an Asherah pole. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel before him. |
| 34It was during his reign that Hiel, a man from Bethel, rebuilt Jericho. When he laid its foundations, it cost him the life of his oldest son, Abiram. And when he completed it and set up its gates, it cost him the life of his youngest son, Segub. This all happened according to the message from the LORD concerning Jericho spoken by Joshua son of Nun. | 34In Ahab’s days, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt 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 that the LORD had spoken through Joshua son of Nun. |
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