1 Kings 16

16 ¹ Then the word of our Father came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha:

² I lifted you from the dust and made you ruler over my people Israel, but you walked in Jeroboam's way and made my people Israel sin, provoking me to anger with their sins. ³ So I am about to sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat. ⁴ Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs will eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the sky will eat."

⁵ The rest of Baasha's acts, what he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel? ⁶ Baasha rested with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah; his son Elah reigned in his place.

⁷ The word of our Father also came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, both for all the evil he did in the sight of our Father — provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, becoming like the house of Jeroboam — and because he struck Jeroboam's house down.

Elah Reigns and Falls in Israel

⁸ In Asa king of Judah's twenty-sixth year, Elah son of Baasha became king over Israel in Tirzah, reigning two years. ⁹ His servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, plotted against him while Elah was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, palace manager at Tirzah. ¹⁰ Zimri went in, struck him down, and killed him in Asa king of Judah's twenty-seventh year, and reigned in his place.

¹¹ As soon as he was king, on the throne, he struck down Baasha's entire house. He left him no male — not one relative or friend. ¹² So Zimri destroyed Baasha's whole house, fulfilling our Father's word spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet. ¹³ —for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of his son Elah, which they committed and made Israel commit, angering our Father, the God of Israel, with their worthless idols. ¹⁴ The rest of Elah's acts, all he did—are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?

Zimri Reigns Seven Days in Israel

¹⁵ In Asa king of Judah's twenty-seventh year, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. The army was camped against Gibbethon, a Philistine town. ¹⁶ When the troops camped there heard Zimri had conspired and struck down the king, that day in the camp all Israel made Omri, army commander, king over Israel. ¹⁷ Then Omri and all Israel with him went up from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. ¹⁸ When Zimri saw the city taken, he entered the royal palace citadel, burned the palace down over himself, and died, ¹⁹ because of the sins he committed, doing evil before our Father, following the way of Jeroboam and his sin, which led Israel to sin. ²⁰ The rest of Zimri's acts, and the treason he committed—are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?

Omri Reigns in Israel

²¹ Then Israel split in two: half followed Tibni son of Ginath to make him king, and half followed Omri. ²² Omri's followers overpowered Tibni son of Ginath's followers. So Tibni died, and Omri became king. ²³ In Asa king of Judah's thirty-first year, Omri became king over Israel, reigning twelve years, six in Tirzah. ²⁴ He bought Samaria's hill from Shemer for about a hundred fifty pounds of silver, built a city there, and named it Samaria, after Shemer, who had owned the hill. ²⁵ Omri did evil in our Father's sight, worse than all before him. ²⁶ He followed every way of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Jeroboam's sins, which Jeroboam led Israel to commit, angering our Father, the God of Israel, with their worthless idols. ²⁷ The rest of Omri's acts, what he did and the might he showed — aren't they written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel? ²⁸ Omri rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria; his son Ahab reigned in his place.

Ahab Reigns and Marries Jezebel

²⁹ In Asa king of Judah's thirty-eighth year, Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel, and reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. ³⁰ Ahab son of Omri did evil in our Father's sight, more than all before him. ³¹ As if walking in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat were too small a thing, he married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, then went and served Baal and worshiped 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 pole, provoking our Father, the God of Israel, to anger more than all the kings of Israel before him. ³⁴ In his days Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set its gates at the cost of Segub his youngest, as our Father had said through Joshua son of Nun.