1 Kings 16:21-28

New Century Version

Omri King of Israel

²¹ The people of Israel were divided into two groups. Half of the people wanted Tibni son of Ginath to be king, while the other half wanted Omri. ²² Omri’s followers were stronger than the followers of Tibni son of Ginath, so Tibni died, and Omri became king.

²³ Omri became king of Israel during the thirty-first year Asa was king of Judah. Omri ruled Israel for twelve years, six of those years in the city of Tirzah. ²⁴ He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for about one hundred fifty pounds of silver. Omri built a city on that hill and called it Samaria after the name of its earlier owner, Shemer.

²⁵ But Omri did what the Lord said was wrong; he did more evil than all the kings who came before him. ²⁶ Jeroboam son of Nebat had led the people of Israel to sin, and Omri sinned in the same way as Jeroboam. The Israelites made the Lord, the God of Israel, very angry because they worshiped worthless idols.

²⁷ Everything else Omri did and all his successes are written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel. ²⁸ So Omri died and was buried in Samaria, and his son Ahab became king in his place.