Daily Text and Bible Reading: Wednesday, April 23 [Press play below]

15.1 In the 18th year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah.
15.2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the granddaughter of Abishalom.
15.3 He went on walking in all the sins that his father committed prior to him, and his heart was not complete with Jehovah his God like the heart of David his forefather.
15.4 However, on account of David, Jehovah his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up his son after him and keeping Jerusalem in existence.
15.5 For David did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah, and he did not turn aside from anything that He had commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
15.6 And there was warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.
15.7 As for the rest of the history of Abijam, all that he did, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah? There was also war between Abijam and Jeroboam.
15.8 Then Abijam was laid to rest with his forefathers, and they buried him in the City of David; and his son Asa became king in his place.
15.9 In the 20th year of King Jeroboam of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah.
15.10 He reigned in Jerusalem for 41 years. His grandmother’s name was Maacah the granddaughter of Abishalom.
15.11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah, like David his forefather.
15.12 He expelled the male temple prostitutes from the land and removed all the disgusting idols that his forefathers had made.
15.13 He even removed Maacah his grandmother from her position as queen mother, because she had made an obscene idol for the worship of the sacred pole. Asa cut down her obscene idol and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
15.14 But the high places were not removed. Nevertheless, Asa’s heart was complete with Jehovah all his life.
15.15 And he brought the things that he and his father had made holy into the house of Jehovah—silver, gold, and various utensils.
15.16 There was constant warfare between Asa and Baasha the king of Israel.
15.17 So King Baasha of Israel came up against Judah and began to build up Ramah to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to King Asa of Judah.
15.18 At that Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasuries of the house of Jehovah and the treasuries of the house of the king and handed them over to his servants. King Asa then sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon the son of Hezion, the king of Syria, who was dwelling in Damascus, saying:
15.19 “There is a treaty between me and you and between my father and your father. I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Come, break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.”
15.20 Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the chiefs of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they struck down Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, all Chinnereth, and all the land of Naphtali.
15.21 When Baasha heard of it, he immediately quit building Ramah and continued dwelling in Tirzah.
15.22 King Asa then summoned all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried off the stones and timbers of Ramah that Baasha had been building with, and with them King Asa built up Geba in Benjamin, and Mizpah.
15.23 As for all the rest of the history of Asa, all his mightiness and all that he did and the cities that he built, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah? But in his old age he suffered from a disease in his feet.
15.24 Then Asa was laid to rest with his forefathers and was buried with them in the City of David his forefather; and his son Jehoshaphat became king in his place.
15.25 Nadab the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of King Asa of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for two years.
15.26 He kept doing what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah and walked in the way of his father and in his sin that he caused Israel to commit.
15.27 Baasha the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon.
15.28 So Baasha put him to death in the third year of King Asa of Judah and became king in his place.
15.29 And as soon as he became king, he struck down all the house of Jeroboam. He did not let remain anyone breathing who belonged to Jeroboam; he had them annihilated according to Jehovah’s word that he had spoken through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite.
15.30 This was because of the sins that Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit and because he had greatly offended Jehovah the God of Israel.
15.31 As for the rest of the history of Nadab, all that he did, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel?
15.32 And there was constant warfare between Asa and King Baasha of Israel.
15.33 In the third year of King Asa of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah became king in Tirzah over all Israel and reigned for 24 years.
15.34 But he kept doing what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah, and he walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin that he caused Israel to commit.

16.1 The word of Jehovah against Baasha then came to Jehu the son of Hanani, saying:
16.2 “I raised you up out of the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, but you kept walking in the way of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin so that they offended me with their sins.
16.3 So I am making a clean sweep of Baasha and his house, and I will make his house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16.4 Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs will eat; and anyone belonging to him who dies in the field the birds of the heavens will eat.”
16.5 As for the rest of the history of Baasha, what he did and his mightiness, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel?
16.6 Then Baasha was laid to rest with his forefathers and was buried in Tirzah; and Elah his son became king in his place.
16.7 Also through the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani, Jehovah’s word came against Baasha and his house, both because of all the badness that he committed in the eyes of Jehovah by offending him with the work of his hands, becoming like the house of Jeroboam, and also because of his striking him down.
16.8 In the 26th year of King Asa of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha became king over Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned for two years.
16.9 His servant Zimri, the chief of half of his chariot forces, conspired against him while he was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk at the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah.
16.10 Zimri came in and struck him down and put him to death in the 27th year of King Asa of Judah, and he became king in his place.
16.11 When he became king, as soon as he sat down on his throne, he struck down all the house of Baasha. He did not spare a single male, whether of his relatives or of his friends.
16.12 Thus Zimri annihilated the whole house of Baasha, according to the word that Jehovah had spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet.
16.13 This was for all the sins that Baasha and his son Elah had committed and the sins they had caused Israel to commit by offending Jehovah the God of Israel with their worthless idols.
16.14 As for the rest of the history of Elah, all that he did, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel?
16.15 In the 27th year of King Asa of Judah, Zimri became king for seven days in Tirzah while the troops were camped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.
16.16 In time the troops who were encamped heard it being said: “Zimri has conspired and has also struck down the king.” So all Israel made Omri, the chief of the army, king over Israel on that day in the camp.
16.17 Omri and all Israel with him went up from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah.
16.18 When Zimri saw that the city had been captured, he went into the fortified tower of the king’s house and burned the house down over himself, and he died.
16.19 This was for his own sins that he had committed by doing what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah by walking in the way of Jeroboam and for the sin he had caused Israel to commit.
16.20 As for the rest of the history of Zimri and his conspiracy, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel?
16.21 It was then that the people of Israel were divided into two factions. One part of the people became followers of Tibni the son of Ginath, wanting to make him king, and the other part followed Omri.
16.22 But the people who were following Omri prevailed over the people following Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri became king.
16.23 In the 31st year of King Asa of Judah, Omri became king over Israel, and he reigned for 12 years. In Tirzah he reigned for six years.
16.24 He bought the mountain of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, and he built a city on the mountain. He named the city that he built Samaria, after Shemer the owner of the mountain.
16.25 Omri kept doing what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah, and he was worse than all who were prior to him.
16.26 He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and in the sin he had caused Israel to commit by offending Jehovah the God of Israel with their worthless idols.
16.27 As for the rest of the history of Omri, what he did and his mighty exploits, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel?
16.28 Then Omri was laid to rest with his forefathers and was buried in Samaria; and his son Ahab became king in his place.
16.29 Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel in the 38th year of King Asa of Judah, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria for 22 years.
16.30 Ahab the son of Omri was worse in the eyes of Jehovah than all those who were prior to him.
16.31 As if it were a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he also took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, the king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and to bow down to him.
16.32 Further, he set up an altar to Baal at the house of Baal that he built in Samaria.
16.33 Ahab also made the sacred pole. Ahab did more to offend Jehovah the God of Israel than all the kings of Israel prior to him.
16.34 In his 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 put up its doors, according to the word of Jehovah spoken through Joshua the son of Nun.

17.1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, an inhabitant of Gilead, said to Ahab: “As surely as Jehovah the God of Israel whom I serve is living, during these years there will be no dew or rain except by my word!”
17.2 The word of Jehovah came to him, saying:
17.3 “Leave here, and turn eastward and hide at the Valley of Cherith, east of the Jordan.
17.4 You should drink from the stream, and I will command the ravens to supply you food there.”
17.5 He immediately went and did according to the word of Jehovah; he went and stayed by the Valley of Cherith, east of the Jordan.
17.6 And the ravens were bringing him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the stream.
17.7 But after some days, the stream ran dry, because there was no rain in the land.
17.8 The word of Jehovah then came to him:
17.9 “Rise up, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Look! I will command a widow there to supply you with food.”
17.10 So he rose up and went to Zarephath. When he came to the entrance of the city, there was a widow gathering pieces of wood. So he called to her and said: “Please, bring me a little water in a cup so that I may drink.”
17.11 As she went to get it, he called to her: “Please, bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”
17.12 At this she said: “As surely as Jehovah your God is living, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the large jar and a little oil in the small jar. Now I am gathering a few pieces of wood, and I will go in and make something for me and my son. After we have eaten, we will die.”
17.13 Then Elijah said to her: “Do not be afraid. Go in and do as you said. But first make me a small round loaf of bread with what is there, and bring it out to me. Then you can make something afterward for you and your son.
17.14 For this is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: ‘The large jar of flour will not run out, and the small jar of oil will not run dry until the day Jehovah makes it rain on the surface of the ground.’”
17.15 So she went and did as Elijah said, and she together with him and her household ate for many days.
17.16 The large jar of flour did not run out, and the small jar of oil did not run dry, according to Jehovah’s word that he had spoken through Elijah.
17.17 After these things, the son of the woman who owned the house fell sick, and his sickness became so severe that he stopped breathing.
17.18 At this she said to Elijah: “What do you have against me, O man of the true God? Have you come to remind me of my guilt and to put my son to death?”
17.19 But he said to her: “Give me your son.” Then he took him from her arms and carried him up to the roof chamber, where he was staying, and he laid him on his own bed.
17.20 He called out to Jehovah: “O Jehovah my God, are you also bringing harm to the widow with whom I am staying by putting her son to death?”
17.21 Then he stretched himself out over the child three times and called out to Jehovah: “O Jehovah my God, please, let this child’s life come back into him.”
17.22 Jehovah listened to Elijah’s request, and the life of the child came back into him, and he revived.
17.23 Elijah took the child and brought him down from the roof chamber into the house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said: “See, your son is alive.”
17.24 At that the woman said to Elijah: “Now I know that you truly are a man of God and that Jehovah’s word in your mouth is truth.”