1   Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani concerning Baasha: 2   ‘I raised you from the dust and made you a prince over my people Israel, but you have followed in the footsteps of Jeroboam and have led my people Israel into sin, and have provoked me to anger with their sins. 3   Therefore I will sweep away Baasha and his house and will deal with it as I dealt with the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat. 4   Those of Baasha's family who die in the city shall be food for the dogs, and those who die in the country shall be food for the birds.’ 5   The other events of Baasha's reign, his achievements and his exploits, are recorded in the annals of the kings of Israel. 6   Baasha rested with his forefathers and

The divided kingdom was buried in Tirzah; and he was succeeded by his son Elah. 7   Moreover the word of the Lord concerning Baasha and his family came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani, because of all the wrong that he had done in the eyes of the Lord, thereby provoking his anger: because he had not only sinned like the house of Jeroboam, but had also brought destruction upon it.

8   In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel and he reigned in Tirzah two years. 9   Zimri, who was in his service commanding half the chariotry, plotted against him. The king was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, comptroller of the household there, 10   when Zimri broke in and attacked him, assassinated him and made himself king. This took place in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. 11   As soon as he had become king and was enthroned, he struck down all the family of Baasha and left not a single mother's son alive, kinsman or friend. 12   He destroyed the whole family of Baasha, and thus fulfilled the word of the Lord concerning Baasha, spoken through the prophet Jehu. 13   This was what came of all the sins which Baasha and his son Elah had committed and the sins into which they had led Israel, provoking the anger of the Lord the God of Israel with their worthless idols. 14   The other events and acts of Elah's reign are recorded in the annals of the kings of Israel.

15   In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah for seven days. At the time the army was investing the Philistine city of Gibbethon. 16   When the Israelite troops in the field heard of Zimri's conspiracy and the murder of the king, there and then in the camp they made their commander Omri king of Israel by common consent. 17   Then Omri and his whole force withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. 18   Zimri, as soon as he saw that the city had fallen, retreated to the keep of the royal palace, set the whole of it on fire over his head and so perished. 19   This was what came of the sin he had committed by doing what was wrong in the eyes of the Lord and following in the footsteps of Jeroboam, repeating the sin into which he had led Israel. 20   The other events of Zimri's reign, and his conspiracy, are recorded in the annals of the kings of Israel.

21   Thereafter the people of Israel were split into two factions: one supported Tibni son of Ginath, determined to make him king; the other supported Omri. 22   Omri's party proved the stronger; Tibni lost his life and Omri became king.

23   It was in the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah that Omri became king of Israel and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah. 24   He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city on it which he named Samaria after Shemer the owner of the hill. 25   Omri did what was wrong in the eyes of the Lord; he outdid all

The divided kingdom his predecessors in wickedness. 26   He followed in the footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat, repeating the sins which he had led Israel to commit, so that they provoked the anger of the Lord their God with their worthless idols. 27   The other events of Omri's reign, and his exploits, are recorded in the annals of the kings of Israel. 28   So Omri rested with his forefathers and was buried in Samaria; and he was succeeded by his son Ahab.

Ahab and Elijah

29   Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel in Samaria for twenty-two years. 30   He did more that was wrong in the eyes of the Lord than all his predecessors. 31   As if it were not enough for him to follow the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he contracted a marriage with Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of Sidon, and went and worshipped Baal; 32   he prostrated himself before him and erected an altar to him in the temple of Baal which he built in Samaria. 33   He also set up a sacred pole; indeed he did more to provoke the anger of the Lord the God of Israel than all the kings of Israel before him. 34   In his days Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho; laying its foundations cost him his eldest son Abiram, and the setting up of its gates cost him Segub his youngest son. Thus was fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through Joshua son of Nun.

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