I Kings 16

2  “Because I lifted you up from the dust and made you a ruler over My people Yisrael, but you followed the way of Yerovam and caused My people Yisrael to sin, vexing Me with their sins

3  I am going to sweep away Basha and his house. I will make your house like the House of Yerovam son of Nebat.

4  Anyone belonging to Basha who dies in the town shall be devoured by dogs, and anyone belonging to him who dies in the open country shall be devoured by the birds of the sky.”

5  The other events of Basha’s reign and his actions and his exploits are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Yisrael.

6  Basha slept with his fathers and was buried in Tirtza. His son Eila succeeded him as king.

7  But the word of Hashem had come through the NaviYehu son of Chanani against Basha and against his house, that it would fare like the House of Yerovam, which he himself had struck down, because of all the evil he did which was displeasing to Hashem, vexing him with his deeds.

8  In the twenty-sixth year of King Asa of Yehuda, Eila son of Basha became king over Yisrael, at Tirtza—for two years.

9  His officer Zimri, commander of half the chariotry, committed treason against him while he was at Tirtza drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was in charge of the palace at Tirtza.

10  Zimri entered, struck him down, and killed him; he succeeded him as king in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa of Yehuda.

11  No sooner had he become king and ascended the throne than he struck down all the House of Basha; he did not leave a single male of his, nor any kinsman or friend.

12  Thus Zimri destroyed all the House of Basha, in accordance with the word that Hashem had spoken through the NaviYehu

13  because of the sinful acts which Basha and his son Eila committed, and which they caused Yisrael to commit, vexing Hashem, the God of Yisrael, with their false gods.

14  The other events of Eila’s reign and all his actions are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Yisrael.

15  During the twenty-seventh year of King Asa of Yehuda, Zimri reigned in Tirtza for seven days. At the time, the troops were encamped at Gibbethon of the Philistines.

16  When the troops who were encamped there learned that Zimri had committed treason and had struck down the king, that very day, in the camp, all Yisrael acclaimed the army commander Omri king over Yisrael.

17  Omri and all Yisrael then withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirtza.

18  When Zimri saw that the town was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and burned down the royal palace over himself. And so he died

19  because of the sins which he committed and caused Yisrael to commit, doing what was displeasing to Hashem and following the ways of Yerovam.

20  The other events of Zimri’s reign, and the treason which he committed, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Yisrael.

21  Then the people of Yisrael split into two factions: a part of the people followed Tibni son of Ginath to make him king, and the other part followed Omri.

22  Those who followed Omri proved stronger than those who followed Tibni son of Ginath; Tibni died and Omri became king.

23  In the thirty-first year of King Asa of Yehuda, Omri became king over Yisrael—for twelve years. He reigned in Tirtza six years.

25  Omri did what was displeasing to Hashem; he was worse than all who preceded him.

26  He followed all the ways of Yerovam son of Nebat and the sins which he committed and caused Yisrael to commit, vexing Hashem, the God of Yisrael, with their futilities.

27  The other events of Omri’s reign, [and] his actions, and the exploits he performed, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Yisrael.

28  Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Shomron; and his son Achav succeeded him as king.

29  Achav son of Omri became king over Yisrael in the thirty-eighth year of King Asa of Yehuda, and Achav son of Omri reigned over Yisrael in Shomron for twenty-two years.

30  Achav son of Omri did what was displeasing to Hashem, more than all who preceded him.

31  Not content to follow the sins of Yerovam son of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel daughter of King Ethbaal of the Phoenicians, and he went and served Baal and worshiped him.

32  He erected a altar to Baal in the temple of Baal which he built in Shomron.

33  Achav also made a sacred post. Achav did more to vex Hashem, the God of Yisrael, than all the kings of Yisrael who preceded him.

34  During his reign, Hiel the Beit Elite fortified Yericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of Aviram his first-born, and set its gates in place at the cost of Segub his youngest, in accordance with the words that Hashem had spoken through Yehoshua son of Nun.