Omri King of Israel

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

²³ In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.^{(A) 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,^(B) after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill.

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

²⁷ As 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? ²⁸ Omri rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria.^(F) And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.

Ahab Becomes King of Israel

²⁹ In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years.

¹² In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted^(A) with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek^(B) help from the Lord,^(C) but only from the physicians.

¹¹ The events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

¹³ Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors. ¹⁴ They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out for himself^(A) in the City of David. They laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes,^(B) and they made a huge fire^(C) in his honor.

Jehoshaphat King of Judah

17 Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king and strengthened^(A) himself against Israel.

Jehoshaphat King of Judah^(A)

⁴¹ Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. ⁴² Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

³ The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David^(A) before him. He did not consult the Baals ⁴ but sought^(B) the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel.

⁶ His heart was devoted^(A) to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places^(B) and the Asherah poles^(C) from Judah.^(D)

⁴⁶ He rid the land of the rest of the male shrine prostitutes^(A) who remained there even after the reign of his father Asa.