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1 And the word of the Lord came by the hand of Ju son of Anani to Baasa, saying, 2 Forasmuch as I lifted you up from the earth, and made you ruler over my people Israel; and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and have caused my people Israel to sin, to provoke me with their vanities; 3 Behold, I raise up enemies after Baasa, and after his house; and I will * make your house as the house of Jeroboam son of Nabat. 4 Him that † dies of Baasa in the city the dogs shall devour, and him that dies of his in the field the birds of the sky shall devour. 5 Now the rest of the history of Baasa, and all that he did, and his mighty acts, behold, are not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 6 And Baasa slept with his fathers, and ‡ they bury him in Thersa; and Ela his son reigns in his stead. 7 And the Lord spoke by § Ju the son of Anani against Baasa, and against his house, even all the evil which he wrought before the Lord to provoke him to anger by the works of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he struck him. 8 ** And Ela son of Baasa reigned over Israel two years in Thersa. 9 And Zambri, captain of half his cavalry, conspired against him, while he was in Thersa, drinking himself drunk in the house of Osa the steward at Thersa. 10 And Zambri went in and struck him and killed him, †† and reigned in his stead. 11 And it came to pass when he reigned, when he sat upon his throne, 12 that he struck all the house of Baasa, according to the word which the Lord spoke against the house of Baasa, and to Ju the prophet, 13 for all the sins of Baasa and Ela his son, as he led Israel astray to sin, to provoke the Lord God of Israel with their vanities. 14 And the rest of the ‡‡ deeds of Ela which he did, behold, are not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 15 And Zambri reigned in Thersa seven days: and the army of Israel was encamped against Gabathon of the Philistines. 16 And the people heard in the §§ army, saying, Zambri has conspired and struck the king: and the people *** of Israel made Ambri the captain of the host king in that day in the camp over Israel. 17 And Ambri went up, and all Israel with him, out of Gabathon; and they besieged Thersa. 18 And it came to pass when Zambri saw that his city was ††† taken, that he goes into the ‡‡‡ inner chamber of the house of the king, and burnt the king's house over him, and died. 19 Because of his sins which he committed, doing that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, so as to walk in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, and in his sins wherein he caused Israel to sin. 20 And the rest of the history of Zambri, and his conspiracies wherein he conspired, behold, are not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 21 Then the people of Israel divides; half the people goes after Thamni the son of Gonath to make him king; and half the people goes after Ambri. 22 The people that followed Ambri overpowered the people that §§§ followed Thamni son of Gonath; and Thamni died and Joram his brother at that time, and Ambri reigned after Thamni. 23 In the thirty-first year of king Asa, Ambri * begins to reign over Israel twelve years: he reigns six years in Thersa. 24 And Ambri bought the mount Semeron of Semer the lord of the mountain for two talents of silver; and he built upon the mountain, and they called the name of the mountain on which he built, after the name of Semer the lord of the mount, Semeron. 25 And Ambri did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and wrought wickedly beyond all that were before him. 26 And he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, and in his sins wherewith he caused Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord God of Israel by their vanities. 27 And the rest of the acts of Ambri, and all that he did, and all his might, behold, are not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 28 And Ambri slept with his fathers, and is buried in Samaria; and Achaab his son reigns in his stead.
And in the eleventh † year of Ambri Josaphat the son of Asa reigns, being thirty-five years old ‡ in the beginning of his reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Gazuba, daughter of Seli. And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and turned not from it, even from doing right in the eyes of the Lord: only they removed not any of the high places; they sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places. Now the engagements which Josaphat made with the king of Israel, and all his § mighty deeds which he performed, and the enemies whom he fought against, behold, are not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Juda? and the remains of the prostitution ** which they practiced in the days of Asa his father, he removed out of the land: and there was no king in Syria, but †† a deputy.
And king Josaphat made a ship ‡‡ at Tharsis to go to Sophir for gold: but it went not, for the ship was broken at Gasion Gaber. Then the king of Israel said to Josaphat, §§ I will send forth your servants and my servants in the ship: but Josaphat would not. And Josaphat slept with his fathers, and is buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Joram his son reigned in his stead. 29 In the second year of Josaphat king of Juda, Achaab son of Ambri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 And Achaab did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did more wickedly than all that were before him. 31 And it was not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, but he took as wife, Jezabel the daughter of Jethebaal king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal, and worshipped him. 32 And he set up an altar to Baal, in the house of his *** abominations, which he built in Samaria. 33 And Achaab made a grove; and Achaab did yet more abominably, to provoke the Lord God of Israel, and to sin against his own life so that he should be destroyed: he did evil above all the kings of Israel that were before him. 34 And in his days Achiel the Baethelite built Jericho: he laid the foundation of it in Abiron his firstborn, and he set up the doors of it in Segub his younger son, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke by Joshua the son of Naue.
* 16:3 Gr. give. † 16:4 Gr. has died. ‡ 16:6 Gr. he is buried. § 16:7 Gr. the hand of Ju. ** 16:8 Heb. and Alex. 'in the 26th year of Asa king of Juda, Ela,' etc. †† 16:10 Heb. and Alex. insert 'in the 27th year of Asa king of Juda.' ‡‡ 16:14 Gr. words. §§ 16:16 Or. camp. *** 16:16 Gr. in Israel. ††† 16:18 Or, surprised. ‡‡‡ 16:18 Gr. the cave of the house. §§§ 16:22 Gr. was after. * 16:23 Gr. reigns. † 16:28 The word ἔτει is redundant. ‡ 16:28 Gr. in his kingdom. § 16:28 Gr. might. ** 16:28 See 1 Kings 22. 46-50. A.V. †† 16:28 Heb. כצב praefectus. ‡‡ 16:28 Or, for. §§ 16:28 Or, let me. *** 16:32 Or, provocations, etc.