1Yahweh spoke to Jehu, son of Hanani, with a message against Baasha, saying,
2"I lifted you from obscurity and made you a leader over my people Israel, but you have followed Jeroboam's example and have caused my people Israel to sin, making me angry with their sins.
3Therefore, I will completely destroy Baasha and his family. I will make your family like the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat.
4Dogs will eat any of Baasha's family members who die in the city, and birds will eat any who die in the open country."
5The rest of Baasha's deeds, his accomplishments, and his power, are they not recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
6Baasha died and was buried in Tirzah, and his son Elah became king in his place.
7Additionally, Yahweh's message came through the prophet Jehu, son of Hanani, against Baasha and his family. This was because of all the evil he did in Yahweh's sight, making him angry by his actions, being like the family of Jeroboam, and because he killed him.
8In the twenty-sixth year of King Asa of Judah's reign, Elah, son of Baasha, began to rule over Israel in Tirzah and reigned for two years.
9His servant Zimri, who commanded half of his chariots, conspired against him. Elah was in Tirzah, getting drunk in the house of Arza, who was in charge of the palace in Tirzah.
10Zimri went in and attacked him, killing him in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa of Judah's reign, and Zimri became king in his place.
11As soon as Zimri began to reign and sat on his throne, he destroyed Baasha's entire family. He did not leave alive a single male relative or friend.
12So Zimri wiped out Baasha's entire family, just as Yahweh had declared against Baasha through the prophet Jehu.
13This was for all the sins of Baasha and his son Elah, which they committed and which they caused Israel to commit, making Yahweh, the God of Israel, angry with their worthless idols.
14The rest of Elah's actions and all that he did, are they not recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
15In the twenty-seventh year of King Asa of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah for seven days. At this time, the army was camped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.
16When the troops in the camp heard that Zimri had conspired and killed the king, all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day in the camp.
17Omri and all of Israel with him left Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah.
18When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he went into the fortified part of the royal palace, set the palace on fire around himself, and died.
19This was because of the sins he committed, doing what Yahweh considered evil, following the example of Jeroboam, and causing Israel to sin.
20The rest of Zimri's actions and the treason he committed are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
21At that time, the people of Israel were divided into two groups. Half of the people followed Tibni son of Ginath, wanting to make him king, while the other half followed Omri.
22However, the group that followed Omri was stronger than the group that followed Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri became king.
23In the thirty-first year of Asa's reign as king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel for twelve years. He ruled from Tirzah for six of those years.
24He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver. He built a city on the hill and named it Samaria, after Shemer, the original owner of the hill.
25Omri did what Yahweh considered evil, acting worse than all the kings who came before him.
26He followed all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and committed the same sins that caused Israel to sin, angering Yahweh, the God of Israel, with their worthless idols.
27The rest of Omri's actions and the mighty deeds he performed are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
28Omri died and was buried in Samaria, and his son Ahab became king in his place.
29In the thirty-eighth year of Asa's reign as king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel. Ahab son of Omri ruled over Israel in Samaria for twenty-two years.
30Ahab son of Omri did what Yahweh considered evil, more so than all the kings who came before him.
31It was not enough for him to follow the sinful example of Jeroboam son of Nebat. He also married Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and then went and served Baal and worshiped him.
32He built an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
33Ahab also made an Asherah pole. Ahab did more than all the kings of Israel before him to anger Yahweh, the God of Israel.
34During Ahab's reign, Hiel, a man from Bethel, rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of his firstborn son, Abiram, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son, Segub. This happened just as Yahweh had said through Joshua son of Nun.