1 Then the word of the LORD {YHWH, Divine Communicator} came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha, saying {leemor: prophetic introduction}.
2 Because I raised you from the dust {afar: lowly origin} and made you ruler over My {YHWH, Sovereign Lord} people Israel, but you walked in the way of Jeroboam and caused My people Israel to sin, provoking Me to anger by their sins.
3 Behold, I {YHWH, Divine Judge} am about to bring devastation {mav’ir: burning that consumes} upon Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat.
4 The one belonging to Baasha who dies in the city, dogs {kelev: scavenger animal} will eat; and the one belonging to him who dies in the field, birds {'op: winged creatures} of the sky will eat.
5 As for the remaining events of Baasha’s reign—what he did and the might {gevurah: heroic strength} he displayed—are they not recorded in the book of the chronicles {ketuvim hayamim: official royal annals} of the kings of Israel?
6 Then Baasha lay down {shakhav: to rest in death} with his fathers {avotav: dynastic predecessors}, was buried in Tirzah, and his son Elah then reigned in his place.
7 And also by the hand of Jehu son of Hanani the prophet, the word of the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge} came against Baasha and his house for all the evil that he had done in the eyes of the LORD in provoking Him with the work {ma'aseh: deeds} of his hands, in becoming like the house of Jeroboam, and because he struck it down.
8 In Asa king of Judah’s twenty-sixth year {esrim vashesh: numerical succession pattern}, Elah son of Baasha became king over Israel at Tirzah, and he ruled two years {shenatayim: dual form indicating two complete years}.
9 And his servant Zimri, the commander of half the chariots, conspired {vayikshor: secretly schemed} against him while he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household {bayit: royal administration} in Tirzah.
10 Zimri entered, struck him down {vayakkehu: forcibly struck}, and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah; then he reigned {vayimlokh: took the throne} in his place.
11 And it happened, when he began to reign and sat upon his throne, that he struck down all the house of Baasha. He did not leave for him one who urinates against a wall nor any of his kinsmen {go’alav: relatives} or his friends {re’a: companions}.
12 So Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, in keeping with the word of the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Judge} that He had spoken to Baasha through Jehu the prophet {navi: spokesperson}.
13 Because of all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they committed and by which they caused Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD {YHWH, National Judge} the God of Israel {Elohei Yisra’el, Covenant Protector} with their vanities {hevel: empty, worthless things}.
14 As for the remaining acts of Elah {elah: King of Israel}—everything he did—are they not recorded in the book of the chronicles {sefer: Recorded Document} of the kings of Israel?
15 In Asa’s twenty-seventh year {esrim vasheva: twenty plus seven} as king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah, while the people were camped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines {plishtim: coastal people}.
16 When the encamped people heard the report, “Zimri has plotted and has even struck down the king{melech: national ruler},” all Israel in the camp made Omri, commander of the army{tzava: organized military force}, king over Israel that very day.
17 Then Omri and all Israel with him advanced from Gibbethon {gibbethon: Philistine city} and encircled Tirzah {tirtzah: former capital}.
18 And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was captured, he went into the royal palace {armon: fortified stronghold} and burned it {yisrop: consumed by fire} over himself with fire, and he died.
19 Because of his sins which he sinned by doing evil {hara: harmful actions} in the eyes of the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Judge}, in walking in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he did to cause Israel to sin.
20 The other matters {veyeter: remaining events} concerning Zimri—his deeds and the conspiracy {kishar: secret alliance or plot} he carried out—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
21 Then the people of Israel were divided {yechalek: passive split} into two halves; half of the people was following Tibni {tivni: throne claimant} son of Ginath, to make him king, and the other half was following Omri.
22 And the people who followed Omri prevailed {vayekhezak: overcame by strength} over the people who followed Tibni son of Ginath; so Tibni died and Omri reigned {vayimlokh: assumed royal authority}.
23 In the thirty-first year of Asa{asa: Judah ruler} king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel for twelve years; in Tirzah{tirtsah: former capital} he reigned six years.
24 And he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents {kikkarayim: unit of weight} of silver, and he built on the hill, and he called the name of the city which he built after the name of Shemer, the owner {adonei: proprietor} of the hill.
25 And Omri did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD {YHWH, Moral Judge}, and he acted more wickedly {hara: active moral rebellion} than all who were before him.
26 He walked in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and in his sins which he caused Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD God of Israel {YHWH Elohei Yisra’el: Covenant Judge} to anger with their vanities {hevel: worthless things}.
27 And the rest of the acts of Omri {Omri: ruler of Israel}, which he performed, and his might {gevurah: notable strength}, which he demonstrated—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
28 And Omri lay down with his fathers and was buried in Samaria {shomron: northern capital}, and Ahab his son reigned in his place {takhtav: successor to the throne}.
29 And Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in the thirty-eighth year {bishnat sheloshim ushemoneh: ordinal dating formula} of Asa king of Judah, and Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria {shomron: administrative capital} for twenty-two years.
30 And Ahab, son of Omri, did the evil in the eyes of the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Observer} more than all who were before him {lefanav: his predecessors}.
31 And it was a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins {hattot: defiant acts} of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and he took as wife Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he went and served Baal {baal: Canaanite storm deity} and bowed down to him.
32 And he erected an altar to Baal {baal: Canaanite storm god} in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria {shomron: northern Israelite capital city}.
33 And Ahab made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD {YHWH, Jealous Protector} the God {Elohei Yisrael, National Guardian} of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel before him.
34 In his days, Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. At the cost of Abiram {Aviram: father is exalted} his firstborn, he laid its foundation, and at the cost of Segub his youngest, he set up its gates, according to the word of the LORD {YHWH, Promise Fulfiller} which He spoke by the hand of Joshua son of Nun.