²¹ Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; the other half followed Omri. ²² But the people who followed Omri prevailed over the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. And Tibni died and Omri became king. ²³ In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel and reigned for twelve years; he reigned for six years at ^(A)Tirzah. ²⁴ And he purchased the hill ^[a]Samaria from Shemer for ^[b]two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and named the city which he built ^[c](B)Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

²⁵ Now ^(C)Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, and ^(D)acted more wickedly than all who were before him. ²⁶ For he ^(E)walked ^[d]entirely in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and in his sins into which he misled Israel, provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their ^[e]idols. ²⁷ Now as for the rest of the acts of Omri which he did and his might which he ^[f]displayed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? ²⁸ And Omri ^[g]lay down with his fathers and was buried in Samaria; and his son Ahab became king in his place.