Jehu’s Prophecy against Baasha

1And the word of YHWH came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, 2“Because that I raised you up out of the dust and made you ruler over My people Israel—and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have caused My people Israel to sin, to provoke Me to anger with their sins— 3surely I will take away the posterity of Baasha and the posterity of his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat.

4Whoever dies of Baasha in the city

the dogs shall eat,

and whoever dies of him in the fields

the birds of the heavens shall eat.”

5And the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Words of the Days of the Kings of Israel? 6And Baasha rested with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah. And Elah his son reigned in his place.

7And also by the hand of Jehu son of Hanani the prophet the word of YHWH came against Baasha and his house, and concerning all the evil that he did in the eyes of YHWH in provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and upon that he had struck him down.

Elah Reigns in Israel

8In the twentieth year and sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king over Israel in Tirzah, two years.

9And his servant Zimri conspired against him (commander of half of the chariots) and he was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the house in Tirzah. 10And Zimri went in and struck him and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned in his place.

11And it came to pass when he began to reign, at his sitting on his throne, that he killed all the house of Baasha. He did not leave to him one who urinates against the wall, or of his redeemers, or of his friends. 12And Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha according to the word of YHWH, which He spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet 13concerning all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, by which they had sinned, and by which they had caused Israel to sin in provoking to anger YHWH, God of Israel, with their idols.

14And the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Words of the Days of the Kings of Israel?

Zimri Reigns in Israel

15In the twentieth year and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri had reigned seven days in Tirzah, and the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which was to the Philistines. 16And the people who were encamped heard it, saying, “Zimri has conspired and also has killed the king.” And all Israel made king Omri the commander of the army over Israel that day in the camp.

17And Omri went up, and all Israel with him, from Gibbethon, and they laid siege against Tirzah. 18And it came to pass when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the citadel of the house of the king, and he burned down upon himself the house of the king with the fire, and he died 19on account of his sins that he sinned in doing evil in the eyes of YHWH, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin that he did, to cause Israel to sin.

20And the rest of the acts of Zimri and the treason he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Words of the Days of the Kings of Israel?

Omri Reigns in Israel

21Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts. Half of the people were behind Tibni son of Ginath to make him king, and half were behind Omri. 22And the people who were behind Omri prevailed over the people who were behind Tibni son of Ginath, and Tibni died, and Omri reigned.

23In the thirtieth year and first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel twelve years; in Tirzah he reigned Six years. 24And he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver,† and he built on the hill and called the name of the city that he built after the name of Shemer, lord of the hill of Samaria.

25And Omri did evil in the eyes of YHWH, and he did evil more than all who were before him. 26For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin that he had caused Israel to sin, provoking to anger YHWH, God of Israel, with their idols.

27And the rest of the acts of Omri that he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Words of the Days of the Kings of Israel?

28And Omri rested with his fathers, and he was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son reigned in his place.

Ahab Reigns in Israel, Marries Jezebel

29And Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirtieth year and eighth year of Asa king of Judah. And Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.

30And Ahab son of Omri did evil in the eyes of YHWH more than all who were before him. 31And it came to pass, as though had been slight his walking in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians. And he went and served the Baal and worshiped unto him.

32And he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of the Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 33And Ahab made an Asherah pole, and Ahab added to act to provoke to anger YHWH, God of Israel, more than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

34In his days, Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho. With Abiram his firstborn He laid its foundation, and with Segub his youngest he set up its gates, according to the word of YHWH that He had spoken by the hand of Joshua son of Nun.†