The Reign of Nadab

²⁵ And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah; and he reigned over Israel two years. ²⁶ And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin with which he made Israel sin. ²⁷ And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which [belonged] to the Philistines, when Nadab and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon. ²⁸ And Baasha slew him in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead. ²⁹ And it came to pass when he was king, he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left to Jeroboam none that breathed; until he had destroyed him, according to the word of Jehovah which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite, ³⁰ because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and wherewith he made Israel to sin; by his provocation with which he provoked Jehovah the God of Israel to anger. ³¹ And the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ³² And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

The Reign of Baasha

³³ In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, for twenty-four years. ³⁴ And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin where with he made Israel to sin.

16¹ And the word of Jehovah came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, ² Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel, and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins; ³ behold, I will take away Baasha and his house, and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. ⁴ Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat, and him that dieth of his in the field shall the fowl of the heavens eat. ⁵ And the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ⁶ And Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his stead. ⁷ And also through the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani the word of Jehovah came against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of Jehovah, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he had smitten him.

The Reigns of Elah and Zimri

⁸ In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah for two years. ⁹ And his servant Zimri, captain of half [his] chariots, conspired against him; and he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was the steward of his house in Tirzah; ¹⁰ and Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned in his stead. ¹¹ And it came to pass when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not a male, neither of his kinsmen nor of his friends. ¹² And Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spoke against Baasha through Jehu the prophet, ¹³ for all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and wherewith they made Israel to sin, provoking Jehovah the God of Israel to anger with their vanities. ¹⁴ And the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

¹⁵ In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which [belonged] to the Philistines. ¹⁶ And the people that were encamped heard say, Zimri has conspired, and has also smitten the king; and all Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp. ¹⁷ And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. ¹⁸ And it came to pass when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the citadel of the king's house, and burned the king's house over him with fire; ¹⁹ and he died for his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of Jehovah, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, making Israel to sin. ²⁰ And the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his conspiracy which he wrought, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

The Reign of Omri

²¹ Then were the people of Israel 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 that followed Omri overcame the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath; and Tibni died, and Omri reigned. ²³ In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel,—twelve years; he reigned six years in Tirzah. ²⁴ And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and built on the hill, and called the name of the city that he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria. ²⁵ And Omri wrought evil in the sight of Jehovah, and did worse than all that were before him. ²⁶ And he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins wherewith he made Israel to sin, provoking Jehovah the God of Israel to anger with their vanities. ²⁷ And the rest of the acts of Omri, what he did, and his might which he shewed, 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 stead.

The Reign of Ahab

²⁹ And Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. ³⁰ And Ahab the son of Omri wrought evil in the sight of Jehovah more than all that were before him. ³¹ And it came to pass, as if it was a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshipped him. ³² And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. ³³ And Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did more to provoke Jehovah the God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. ³⁴ In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho; he laid its foundation in Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates in Segub his youngest, according to the word of Jehovah which he spoke through Joshua the son of Nun.

Jehoshaphat's Kingdom Established

17¹ And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel. ² And he placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had taken. ³ And Jehovah was with Jehoshaphat, for he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto the Baals; ⁴ but he sought the God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. ⁵ And Jehovah established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah gave gifts to Jehoshaphat; and he had riches and honour in abundance. ⁶ And he took courage in the ways of Jehovah; moreover, he removed the high places and Asherahs out of Judah. ⁷ And in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, Ben-hail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethaneel, and Micah, to teach in the cities of Judah; ⁸ and with them the Levites: Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah, Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. ⁹ And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of Jehovah with them; and they went about through all the cities of Judah, and taught among the people.

¹⁰ And the terror of Jehovah was upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, and they made no war against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ And some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and tribute-silver. The Arabians also brought him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams, and seven thousand seven hundred he-goats. ¹² And Jehoshaphat waxed exceeding great; and he built in Judah castles and store-cities. ¹³ And he had much business in the cities of Judah; and men of war, strong and valiant, in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And these are the numbers of them according to their fathers' houses. Of Judah the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him three hundred thousand mighty men of valour; ¹⁵ and next to him was Johanan the captain, and with him two hundred and eighty thousand; ¹⁶ and next to him, Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to Jehovah; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour. ¹⁷ And of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valour, and with him two hundred thousand, armed with bow and shield; ¹⁸ and next to him was Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and eighty thousand ready prepared for war. ¹⁹ These were they that waited on the king, besides those that the king had put in the fortified cities throughout Judah.