1 Kings 16

• 1. This message from the LORD was delivered to King Baasha by the prophet Jehu son of Hanani:
• 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 aroused my anger by causing my people to sin.
• 3. So now I will destroy you and your family, just as I destroyed the descendants of Jeroboam son of Nebat.
• 4. Those of your family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field will be eaten by the vultures."
• 5. The 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.
• 6. When Baasha died, he was buried in Tirzah. Then his son Elah became the next king.
• 7. This message from the LORD had been spoken against Baasha and his family through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani. It was delivered because Baasha had done what was evil in the LORD's sight, arousing him to anger by his sins, just like the family of Jeroboam, and also because Baasha had destroyed the family of Jeroboam.
• 8. Elah son of Baasha began to rule over Israel from Tirzah in the twenty-sixth year of King Asa's reign in Judah. He reigned in Israel two years.
• 9. Then 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.
• 10. Zimri 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.
• 11. Zimri immediately killed the entire royal family of Baasha, and he did not leave a single male child. He even destroyed distant relatives and friends.
• 12. So Zimri destroyed the dynasty of Baasha as the LORD had promised through the prophet Jehu.
• 13. This happened because of the sins of Baasha and his son Elah and because of all the sins they led Israel to commit, arousing the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, with their idols.
• 14. The rest of the events in Elah's reign and all his deeds are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. Zimri Rules in Israel
• 15. Zimri began to rule over Israel from Tirzah in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa's reign in Judah, but he reigned only seven days. When the army of Israel, which was then engaged in attacking the Philistine town of Gibbethon,
• 16. heard that Zimri had assassinated the king, they chose Omri, commander of the army, as their new king.
• 17. So Omri led the army of Israel away from Gibbethon to attack Tirzah, Israel's capital.
• 18. When Zimri saw that the city had been taken, he went into the citadel of the king's house and burned it down over himself and died in the flames.
• 19. For he, too, had done what was evil in the LORD's sight and followed the example of Jeroboam, continuing the sins of idolatry that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.
• 20. The rest of the events of Zimri's reign and his conspiracy are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. Omri Rules in Israel
• 21. But now the people of Israel were divided into two groups. Half the people tried to make Tibni son of Ginath their king, while the other half supported Omri.
• 22. But Omri's supporters defeated the supporters of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni was killed, and Omri became the next king.
• 23. Omri 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.
• 24. Then 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.
• 25. But Omri did what was evil in the LORD's sight, even more than any of the kings before him.
• 26. He followed the example of Jeroboam, continuing the sins of idolatry that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit. Thus, he aroused the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel.
• 27. The rest of the events in Omri's reign, the extent of his power, and all his deeds are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.
• 28. When Omri died, he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Ahab became the next king.
• 29. Ahab 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.
• 30. But Ahab did what was evil in the LORD's sight, even more than any of the kings before him.
• 31. And as though it were not enough to live like Jeroboam, he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and he began to worship Baal.
• 32. First he built a temple and an altar for Baal in Samaria.
• 33. Then he set up an Asherah pole. He did more to arouse the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, than any of the other kings of Israel before him.
• 34. It was during his reign that Hiel, a man from Bethel, rebuilt Jericho. When he laid the foundations, his oldest son, Abiram, died. And when he finally completed it by setting up the gates, his youngest son, Segub, died. This all happened according to the message from the LORD concerning Jericho spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

1 Kings 17

• 1. Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, "As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives--the God whom I worship and serve--there will be no dew or rain during the next few years unless I give the word!"
• 2. Then the LORD said to Elijah,
• 3. "Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook at a place east of where it enters the Jordan River.
• 4. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food."
• 5. So Elijah did as the LORD had told him and camped beside Kerith Brook.
• 6. The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook.
• 7. But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.
• 8. Then the LORD said to Elijah,
• 9. "Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. There is a widow there who will feed you. I have given her my instructions."
• 10. So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, "Would you please bring me a cup of water?"
• 11. As she was going to get it, he called to her, "Bring me a bite of bread, too."
• 12. But she said, "I swear by the LORD your God that I don't have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die."
• 13. But Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid! Go ahead and cook that `last meal,' but bake me a little loaf of bread first. Afterward there will still be enough food for you and your son.
• 14. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There will always be plenty of flour and oil left in your containers until the time when the LORD sends rain and the crops grow again!"
• 15. So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her son continued to eat from her supply of flour and oil for many days.
• 16. For no matter how much they used, there was always enough left in the containers, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah.
• 17. Some time later, the woman's son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died.
• 18. She then said to Elijah, "O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to punish my sins by killing my son?"
• 19. But Elijah replied, "Give me your son." And he took the boy's body from her, carried him up to the upper room, where he lived, and laid the body on his bed.
• 20. Then Elijah cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, why have you brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?"
• 21. And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, please let this child's life return to him."
• 22. The LORD heard Elijah's prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he came back to life!
• 23. Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. "Look, your son is alive!" he said.
• 24. Then the woman told Elijah, "Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the LORD truly speaks through you."

1 Kings 18

• 1. After many months passed, in the third year of the drought, the LORD said to Elijah, "Go and present yourself to King Ahab. Tell him that I will soon send rain!"
• 2. So Elijah went to appear before Ahab. Meanwhile, the famine had become very severe in Samaria.
• 3. So Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah was a devoted follower of the LORD.
• 4. Once when Jezebel had tried to kill all the LORD's prophets, Obadiah had hidden one hundred of them in two caves. He had put fifty prophets in each cave and had supplied them with food and water.)
• 5. Ahab said to Obadiah, "We must check every spring and valley to see if we can find enough grass to save at least some of my horses and mules."
• 6. So they divided the land between them. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
• 7. As Obadiah was walking along, he saw Elijah coming toward him. Obadiah recognized him at once and fell to the ground before him. "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?" he asked.
• 8. "Yes, it is," Elijah replied. "Now go and tell your master I am here."
• 9. "Oh, sir," Obadiah protested, "what harm have I done to you that you are sending me to my death at the hands of Ahab?
• 10. For I swear by the LORD your God that the king has searched every nation and kingdom on earth from end to end to find you. And each time when he was told, `Elijah isn't here,' King Ahab forced the king of that nation to swear to the truth of his claim.
• 11. And now you say, `Go and tell your master that Elijah is here'!
• 12. But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you away to who knows where. When Ahab comes and cannot find you, he will kill me. Yet I have been a true servant of the LORD all my life.
• 13. Has no one told you, my lord, about the time when Jezebel was trying to kill the LORD's prophets? I hid a hundred of them in two caves and supplied them with food and water.
• 14. And now you say, `Go and tell your master that Elijah is here'! Sir, if I do that, I'm as good as dead!"
• 15. But Elijah said, "I swear by the LORD Almighty, in whose presence I stand, that I will present myself to Ahab today."
• 16. So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come, and Ahab went out to meet him.
• 17. "So it's you, is it--Israel's troublemaker?" Ahab asked when he saw him.
• 18. "I have made no trouble for Israel," Elijah replied. "You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the LORD and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.
• 19. Now bring all the people of Israel to Mount Carmel, with all 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who are supported by Jezebel."
• 20. So Ahab summoned all the people and the prophets to Mount Carmel.
• 21. Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, "How long are you going to waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!" But the people were completely silent.
• 22. Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only prophet of the LORD who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets.
• 23. Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it.
• 24. Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!" And all the people agreed.
• 25. Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood."
• 26. So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal all morning, shouting, "O Baal, answer us!" But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced wildly around the altar they had made.
• 27. About noontime Elijah began mocking them. "You'll have to shout louder," he scoffed, "for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or he is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or he is asleep and needs to be wakened!"
• 28. So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out.
• 29. They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no reply, no voice, no answer.
• 30. Then Elijah called to the people, "Come over here!" They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down.
• 31. He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel,
• 32. and he used the stones to rebuild the LORD's altar. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons.
• 33. He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he said, "Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood." After they had done this,
• 34. he said, "Do the same thing again!" And when they were finished, he said, "Now do it a third time!" So they did as he said,
• 35. and the water ran around the altar and even overflowed the trench.
• 36. At the customary time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command.
• 37. O LORD, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself."
• 38. Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the ditch!
• 39. And when the people saw it, they fell on their faces and cried out, "The LORD is God! The LORD is God!"
• 40. Then Elijah commanded, "Seize all the prophets of Baal. Don't let a single one escape!" So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there.
• 41. Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go and enjoy a good meal! For I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!"
• 42. So Ahab prepared a feast. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and fell to the ground and prayed.
• 43. Then he said to his servant, "Go and look out toward the sea." The servant went and looked, but he returned to Elijah and said, "I didn't see anything." Seven times Elijah told him to go and look, and seven times he went.
• 44. Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, "I saw a little cloud about the size of a hand rising from the sea." Then Elijah shouted, "Hurry to Ahab and tell him, `Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don't hurry, the rain will stop you!'"
• 45. And sure enough, the sky was soon black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel.
• 46. Now the LORD gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab's chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.

New Living Translation: 106 of 324 days.