Omri Reigns in Israel

21 Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts. Half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. 22 But the people who followed Omri overcame the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri became king. 23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for twelve years; six years he reigned in Tirzah. 24 He bought the hill of fSamaria from Shemer for two talents1 of silver, and he fortified the hill and called the name of the city that he built gSamaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

25 hOmri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did more evil ithan all who were before him. 26 For ehe walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in the sins that he made Israel to sin, jprovoking the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger by their idols. 27 Now 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 Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 28 And Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and Ahab his son reigned in his place.

Ahab Reigns in Israel

29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, kmore than all who were before him. 31 And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, lhe took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the mSidonians, nand went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 He erected an altar for Baal in othe house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made an pAsherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger kthan all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34 qIn his days Hiel of Bethel built rJericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.