21. Then the army of Israel was divided into two factions. Half of the army followed Tibni, son of Ginath, and wanted to make him king. The ⌊other⌋ half followed Omri.
22. But the half which followed Omri was stronger than the half which followed Tibni, Ginath’s son. Tibni died, and Omri became king.
23. Omri began to rule Israel in Asa’s thirty-first year as king of Judah. He ruled for 12 years, 6 of them in Tirzah.
24. Omri bought a hill from Shemer for 150 pounds of silver. He fortified the hill and built the city of Samaria on it. He named the city after its former owner, Shemer.
25. Omri did what the Lord considered evil. He did more evil things than all ⌊the kings⌋ before him.
26. He lived exactly like Jer o boam (Nebat’s son). He sinned and led Israel to sin with worthless idols, and the Israelites made the Lord God of Israel furious.
27. Isn’t everything else about Omri—what he did and his heroic acts—written in the official records of the kings of Israel?
28. Omri lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab succeeded him as king.
29. Ahab, son of Omri, began to rule Israel in Asa’s thirty-eighth year as king of Judah. He ruled for 22 years in Samaria.
30. Ahab, son of Omri, did what the Lord considered evil. He was worse than all ⌊the kings⌋ who were before him.
31. It wasn’t enough that he committed the same sins as Jer o boam (Nebat’s son). He also married Jezbel, daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon. Ahab then served and worshiped Baal.
32. He built the temple of Baal in Samaria and set up an altar there.
33. Ahab made poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah. He did more to make the Lord God of Israel furious than all the kings of Israel who came before him.