1 Kings 16:21–28

Omri King of Israel

²¹Then the people of Israel were split into two factions; half supported Tibni son of Ginath for king, and the other half supported Omri. ²²But Omri’s followers proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king.

²³In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.^{n 24}He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents^a of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria,^o after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill.

²⁵But Omri did evil^p in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him. ²⁶He followed completely the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused^q Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.^r

²⁷As for the other events of Omri’s reign, what he did and the things he achieved, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ²⁸Omri rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria.^s And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.