Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

The word of the Lord came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, "Because I exalted you out of the dust and made you prince over my people Israel, but you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and provoked me to anger with their sins. Behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house; I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat.

I will take away the descendants of Baasha and his house, making it like the house of Jeroboam. Those who die in Baasha's city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the fields surrounding his city will be eaten by birds. The rest of Baasha's acts, including all he did and his military prowess, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

Baasha slept with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah; then Elah his son reigned in his place. The prophet Jehu son of Hanani brought the word of the Lord against Baasha and his house, condemning all the evil he had done in the sight of the Lord by provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, just as the house of Jeroboam had done because he killed him.

In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah, ruling for two years. And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him while he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, steward of his household in Tirzah.

Zimri went in and struck him down, killing him in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa of Judah, and then took his place on the throne. When he began to reign, Zimri slew all the house of Baasha, leaving not one male relative alive. Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, just as the Lord had spoken through Jehu the prophet.

For all the sins of Baasha and Elah his son, which they committed and through which they led Israel to sin by provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities. The rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are recorded in the annals of Israel's kings.

In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah while the people were camped against Gibbethon, a Philistine stronghold. And the people who were encamped heard say, "Zimri has conspired and slain the king"; so all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp.

Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, to besiege Tirzah. When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the palace of the king's house and burned it down with him inside, and he died. For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the Lord, by following the way of Jeroboam and committing a sin that led Israel to sin.

The rest of Zimri's actions and his treachery are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. The people of Israel were divided, with half following Tibni son of Ginath to make him king and the other half following Omri. But the people who followed Omri prevailed against those who followed Tibni, son of Ginath; so Tibni died and Omri reigned.

In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel and reigned for twelve years, six of which he spent in Tirzah. He bought the hill Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built on it, naming the city he founded after its owner, Shemer.

But Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, and was worse than all who had come before him. For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin with which he led Israel astray to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities. The rest of the acts of Omri, including his accomplishments and strength, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; Ahab his son succeeded him to reign. In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri began to reign over Israel in Samaria, where he reigned for twenty-two years.

Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who had ruled before him. As if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, he took Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, as his wife and devoted himself to serving Baal.

And he erected an altar to Baal in the temple of Baal which he had built in Samaria. Ahab made a sacred pole, and he went further than all the kings of Israel before him in provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger. In his days, Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho, laying its foundation with the loss of Abiram his firstborn and setting up its gates with the loss of Segub, his youngest son, according to the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua the son of Nun.