1Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani concerning Baasha: 2‘I lifted you up from the dust and appointed you ruler over my people Israel, but you followed the ways of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin and to arouse my anger by their sins. 3So I am about to wipe out Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat. 4Dogs will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and birds will feed on those who die in the country.’
5As for the other events of Baasha’s reign, what he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 6Baasha rested with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah. And Elah his son succeeded him as king.
7Moreover, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani to Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger by the things he did, becoming like the house of Jeroboam – and also because he destroyed it.
Elah king of Israel
8In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah for two years.
9Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk in the home of Arza, the palace administrator at Tirzah. 10Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king.
11As soon as he began to reign and was seated on the throne, he killed off Baasha’s whole family. He did not spare a single male, whether relative or friend. 12So Zimri destroyed the whole family of Baasha, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu – 13because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.
14As for the other events of Elah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
Zimri king of Israel
15In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah for seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town. 16When the Israelites in the camp heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp. 17Then Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. 18When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died, 19because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.
20As for the other events of Zimri’s reign, and the rebellion he carried out, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
Omri king of Israel
21Then the people of Israel were split into two factions; half supported Tibni son of Ginath for king, and the other half supported Omri. 22But Omri’s followers proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king.
23In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned for twelve years, six of them in Tirzah. 24He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents16:24 That is, about 68 kilograms of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill.
25But Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him. 26He followed completely the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.
27As 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? 28Omri rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.
Ahab becomes king of Israel
29In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel for twenty-two years. 30Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. 31He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. 32He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. 33Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.
34In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun.
1Profeten Jehu, Hananis søn, kom til Basha med et ord fra Herren:
2„Jeg løftede dig op fra støvet og gjorde dig til konge over mit folk Israel. Men du følger i Jeroboams fodspor og lokker mit folk til synd, så de gør oprør mod mig. 3Jeg vil snart udrydde dig og din slægt fuldstændigt, akkurat som det skete med Jeroboams slægt. 4-7Dem fra din slægt, som bliver dræbt i byen, vil hundene æde, og dem, som bliver dræbt på landet, vil fuglene æde!” Herren udtalte denne dom over Basha og hans slægt, fordi Basha havde gjort ham vred ved at følge i Jeroboams fodspor og gøre oprør mod Herren, og fordi han havde udryddet Jeroboams slægt. Bashas øvrige bedrifter står nedskrevet i Israels kongers krønikebog. Da Basha døde, blev han begravet i Tirtza, og hans søn Ela overtog kongetronen.
Diverse onde konger i Israel
8Ela, Bashas søn, kom til magten i kong Asa af Judas 26. regeringsår, men han kom kun til at regere i to år.16,8 På normalt dansk: „et år”, fra Asas 26. til 27. regeringsår. 9Zimri, der stod i spidsen for halvdelen af vogntropperne, lavede en sammensværgelse imod ham. En dag, da kong Ela var på besøg hos sin hofmarskal, Artza, i residensbyen Tirtza, og var blevet godt beruset, 10trængte Zimri ind i huset og myrdede ham. Mordet fandt sted i kong Asa af Judas 27. regeringsår. Derefter udråbte Zimri sig selv til Israels nye konge. 11Han dræbte straks hele kongefamilien, det vil sige alle mandspersoner, som kunne true hans regime. Selv deres slægtninge og venner dræbte han, så der ikke var nogen til at tage blodhævn. 12Bashas slægt var nu udryddet, som Herren havde sagt gennem profeten Jehu, 13og det var fordi Basha og hans søn Ela havde forledt hele Israels folk til oprør mod Herren ved deres afgudsdyrkelse. 14Resten af Elas livshistorie og hans bedrifter er nedskrevet i Israels kongers krønikebog.
15-16Zimri beholdt dog kun kongemagten i syv dage. De israelitiske soldater var på det tidspunkt i færd med at belejre filisterbyen Gibbeton. Da de hørte, at Zimri havde gjort oprør imod kongen og dræbt ham, valgte de straks Omri, hærens øverstkommanderende, til konge. 17Omri opgav så belejringen af Gibbeton og med hele Israels hær belejrede han hovedstaden Tirtza, hvor Zimri befandt sig. 18Da Zimri indså, at han intet kunne stille op, gik han ind i kongepaladset og satte ild til det. Sådan omkom han, 19fordi han gjorde, hvad der var ondt i Herrens øjne og fortsatte i samme spor som Jeroboam, der havde indført afgudsdyrkelse i Israel. 20Resten af Zimris bedrifter og detaljer om hans oprør mod kongen er nedskrevet i Israels kongers krønikebog.
21Befolkningen delte sig nu i to lejre, den ene var loyal over for Omri, den anden udråbte Tibni, søn af Ginat, til konge. 22Men Omris hær var den stærkeste, så i løbet af få år blev Tibnis hær besejret. Efter at Tibni var død, blev Omri konge over hele Nordriget.
23Det var i kong Asa af Judas 31. regeringsår, at Omri officielt blev konge over hele Nordriget. Han regerede i alt i 12 år—de første seks år i Tirtza. 24Han købte en bakketop af en mand ved navn Shemer for 70 kilo sølv og byggede en by der, som blev hans nye hovedstad. Han kaldte byen Samaria16,24 På hebraisk: Shomron. Navne ændres altid lidt i tidens løb eller ved at blive lånt fra det ene sprog til det andet. LXX staver navnet Semeron, mens det i NT græsk er blevet til Samareia. til ære for Shemer.
25Men Omri var værre end nogen anden konge før ham. 26Han fortsatte i det spor, Jeroboam var slået ind på, da han fik Israels folk til at gøre oprør mod Herren, deres Gud, gennem deres tåbelige afgudsdyrkelse. 27Resten af Omris bedrifter er nedskrevet i Israels kongers krønikebog. 28Da Omri døde, blev han begravet i Samaria, og hans søn Ahab blev konge efter ham.
Ahab som konge i Israel
29Ahab blev konge i Israel i kong Asa af Judas 38. regeringsår. Han regerede i 22 år med Samaria som hovedstad. 30Han gjorde, hvad der var ondt i Herrens øjne i endnu højere grad end sine forgængere. 31Ikke alene fortsatte han i Jeroboams spor og dyrkede de afguder, han havde indført, men han giftede sig endog med Jezabel, sidonierkongen Et-Ba’als datter, og indførte derved ba’aldyrkelsen i Israel! 32Først byggede han et tempel og et alter for Ba’al i Samaria. 33Derpå lavede han andre afguder og et frugtbarhedssymbol for Asheragudinden. Derved provokerede han Herren, Israels Gud, med sit oprør, og det mere end nogen anden konge i Israel før ham.
34Det var på kong Ahabs tid, at en mand ved navn Hiel fra Betel formastede sig til at genopbygge Jeriko. Mens han lagde byens nye fundament, døde hans ældste søn Abiram, og da han gjorde byporten færdig, døde hans yngste søn Segub. Derved opfyldtes den forbandelse, som Josva i sin tid havde udtalt.16,34 Se Josva 6,26. Ifølge hebraisk fortællestil er det underforstået, at alle hans sønner døde under genopbygningen, ikke kun den ældste og yngste.
