1 Kings 16:21-28

The Voice

²¹ The community of Israel was split up into two separate groups. One group embraced Tibni (Ginath’s son) as king. The other group embraced Omri as king. ²² The group that followed Omri as king was more powerful and defeated the people who followed Tibni (Ginath’s son) as king. Tibni died, and Omri inherited the throne.

²³ During the 31st year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Omri took over Israel’s throne. He reigned 12 years—6 of those years were in Tirzah. ²⁴ He purchased Samaria Hill from Shemer for 150 pounds of silver. He developed a city on the hill and named the city Samaria after Shemer, the man from whom he had purchased the hill.

²⁵ Omri committed evil in the Eternal’s eyes. He was more wicked than any wicked king who had lived before him, and there were a lot of wicked kings who lived before him. ²⁶ He embraced the wicked path of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son), causing the Israelites to live sinful lives. Their worthless gods caused the wrath of the Eternal God of Israel to boil.

²⁷ Is not the rest of Omri’s story—his actions demonstrating his might and lasting legacy—documented in the book of the chronicles of Israel’s kings? ²⁸ Omri left this world to sleep with his fathers and was laid to rest in Samaria. His son, Ahab, then inherited the throne.