1 The word of the LORD came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha:
2 "I lifted you up from the dust and made you ruler over my people Israel, but you walked in Jeroboam's way and caused my people Israel to sin, provoking me by their sins.
3 Now I am going to sweep away Baasha and his house; I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat.
4 Those of Baasha's family who die in the town, the dogs will eat; and those who die in the countryside, the birds of the sky will eat."
5 As for the rest of the deeds of Baasha, what he did and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
6 Baasha lay down with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah reigned in his place.
7 The word of the LORD had also come through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, both for all the evil he did in the sight of the LORD, provoking him by the work of his hands and becoming like the house of Jeroboam, and because he had struck it down.
8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king over Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned two years.
9 His servant Zimri, who commanded half his chariots, plotted against him. While he was in Tirzah, getting drunk at the house of Arza, the man in charge of the palace at Tirzah,
10 Zimri came in, struck him and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and took the throne in his place.
11 As soon as he was king and seated on his throne, he struck down the whole house of Baasha. He did not spare a single male, whether kinsman or friend.
12 So Zimri wiped out all of Baasha's house, as the LORD had said against Baasha through Jehu the prophet,
13 on account of all the sins of Baasha and of his son Elah, the sins they committed and caused Israel to commit, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, with their idols.
14 As for the rest of the deeds of Elah and all he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. The army was encamped against Gibbethon, a Philistine town,
16 and the troops in the camp heard the news: "Zimri has plotted and has struck down the king." That very day, in the camp, all Israel made Omri, the army commander, king over Israel.
17 Omri and all Israel with him went up from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah.
18 When Zimri saw that the town had been captured, he went into the stronghold of the king's house, set the king's house on fire over himself and died,
19 because of the sins he had committed, doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walking in Jeroboam's way and in the sin Jeroboam committed to make Israel sin.
20 As for the rest of the deeds of Zimri and the plot he carried out, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
21 At that time the people of Israel split in two. Half the people followed Tibni son of Ginath, wanting to make him king, and the other half followed Omri.
22 The people who followed Omri overpowered those who followed Tibni son of Ginath. Tibni died, and Omri became king.
23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.
24 He purchased the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, built on the hill, and named the city he built Samaria, after Shemer, who had owned the hill.
25 Omri did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; he did more evil than all who came before him.
26 He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in the sins by which he had caused Israel to sin, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, with their idols.
27 As for the rest of the deeds of Omri, what he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
28 Omri lay down with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab reigned in his place.
29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel, and Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.
30 Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who came before him.
31 As if walking in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat were a trifling matter, he married Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went on to serve Baal and bow down to him.
32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria.
33 Ahab also made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, than all the kings of Israel before him.
34 In his days Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of Abiram, his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of Segub, his youngest, as the LORD had said through Joshua son of Nun.