1 Kings, 16

1. The LORD spoke against Baasha to Jehu, son of Hanani, and said:

2. "Inasmuch as I lifted you up from the dust and made you ruler of my people Israel, but you have imitated the conduct of Jeroboam and have caused my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger by their sins,

3. I will destroy you, Baasha, and your house;

4. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat. If anyone of Baasha's line dies in the city, dogs shall devour him; if he dies in the field, he shall be devoured by the birds of the sky."

5. The rest of the acts of Baasha, with all his valor and accomplishments, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

6. Baasha rested with his ancestors; he was buried in Tirzah, and his son Elah succeeded him as king.

7. (Through the prophet Jehu, son of Hanani, the LORD had threatened Baasha and his house, because of all the evil Baasha did in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger by his evil deeds, so that he became like the house of Jeroboam; and because he killed Nadab.)

8. In the twenty-sixth year of Asa, king of Judah, Elah, son of Baasha, began his two-year reign over Israel in Tirzah.

9. His servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, plotted against him. As he was in Tirzah, drinking to excess in the house of Arza, superintendent of his palace in Tirzah,

10. Zimri entered; he struck and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa, king of Judah, and reigned in his place.

11. Once he was seated on the royal throne, he killed off the whole house of Baasha, not sparing a single male relative or friend of his.

12. Zimri destroyed the entire house of Baasha, as the LORD had prophesied to Baasha through the prophet Jehu,

13. because of all the sins which Baasha and his son Elah committed and caused Israel to commit, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their idols.

14. The rest of the acts of Elah, with all that he did, are 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 besieging Gibbethon of the Philistines

16. when they heard that Zimri had formed a conspiracy and had killed the king. So that day in the camp all Israel proclaimed Omri, general of the army, king of Israel.

17. Omri marched up from Gibbethon, accompanied by all Israel, and laid siege to Tirzah.

18. When Zimri saw the city was captured, he entered the citadel of the royal palace and burned down the palace over him. He died

19. because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the sight of the LORD by imitating the sinful conduct of Jeroboam, thus causing Israel to sin.

20. The rest of the acts of Zimri, with the conspiracy he carried out, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

21. At that time the people of Israel were divided, half following Tibni, son of Ginath, to make him king, and half for Omri.

22. The partisans of Omri prevailed over those of Tibni, son of Ginath. Tibni died and Omri became king.

23. In the thirty-first year of Asa, king of Judah, Omri became king; he reigned over Israel twelve years, the first six of them in Tirzah.

24. He then bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two silver talents and built upon the hill, naming the city he built Samaria after Shemer, the former owner.

25. But Omri did evil in the LORD'S sight beyond any of his predecessors.

26. He closely imitated the sinful conduct of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, causing Israel to sin and to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their idols.

27. The rest of the acts of Omri, with all his valor and accomplishments, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

28. Omri rested with his ancestors; he was buried in Samaria, and his son Ahab succeeded him as king.

29. In the thirty-eighth year of Asa, king of Judah, Ahab, son of Omri, became king of Israel; he reigned over Israel in Samaria for twenty-two years.

30. Ahab, son of Omri, did evil in the sight of the LORD more than any of his predecessors.

31. It was not enough for him to imitate the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat. He even married Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and went over to the veneration and worship of Baal.

32. Ahab erected an altar to Baal in the temple of Baal which he built in Samaria,

33. and also made a sacred pole. He did more to anger the LORD, the God of Israel, than any of the kings of Israel before him.

34. During his reign, Hiel from Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He lost his first-born son, Abiram, when he laid the foundation, and his youngest son, Segub, when he set up the gates, as the LORD had foretold through Joshua, son of Nun.