The Divided Kingdom

It was in the third year of Asa king of Y'hudah that Ba'sha killed Nadav and became king in his place.

As soon as he had become king he killed off the entire house of Yarov'am, destroying every living soul and leaving not one survivor. This was in keeping with what ADONAI had said through his servant Achiyah from Shiloh;

it was the punishment for the sins Yarov'am had committed and through which he had made Isra'el sin, thereby angering ADONAI the God of Isra'el.

Other activities of Nadav and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.

There was war between Asa and Ba'sha king of Isra'el as long as they both lived.

It was in the third year of Asa king of Y'hudah that Ba'sha the son of Achiyah began his reign over all Isra'el in Tirtzah, and his rule lasted twenty-four years.

He did what was wrong from ADONAI's perspective, following the example of Yarov'am and committing the sin through which he had made Isra'el sin.

The word of ADONAI came to Yehu the son of Hanani against Ba'sha:

"I raised you up out of the dust and made you prince over my people Isra'el. But you have lived in the same way as Yarov'am and caused my people Isra'el to sin, so that their sinning has made me angry.

Therefore I will sweep away Ba'sha and his house completely; I will make your house like the house of Yarov'am the son of N'vat.

If someone from the line of Ba'sha dies in the city, the dogs will eat him; if he dies in the countryside, the vultures will eat him."

Other activities of Ba'sha, his accomplishments and his power are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.

Ba'sha slept with his ancestors, and Elah his son became king in his place.

Through the prophet Yehu the son of Hanani the word of ADONAI was proclaimed against Ba'sha and his house both because he did so much evil from ADONAI's perspective, angering him with his actions and becoming like the house of Yarov'am, and because he killed [Nadav].

It was in the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Y'hudah that Elah the son of Ba'sha began his reign over all Isra'el in Tirtzah, and he ruled for two years.

His servant Zimri, commander of half of his chariots, plotted against him. Finally, one time when Elah was in Tirtzah, drinking himself senseless in the house of Artza, administrator of the palace in Tirtzah,

Zimri entered, struck him down and killed him. This was in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Y'hudah; Zimri then took Elah's place as king.

At the beginning of his reign, as soon as he took over the throne, he killed off the entire house of Ba'sha; he left not a single male, neither of his relatives nor of his friends.

Thus Zimri eliminated all the house of Ba'sha, in keeping with the word of ADONAI spoken against Ba'sha through Yehu the prophet. This word had been spoken

because of all of Ba'sha's sins and the sins of Elah his son, which they committed and with which they made Isra'el sin, thereby angering ADONAI the God of Isra'el with their worthless idols.

Other activities of Elah and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.

It was in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Y'hudah that Zimri ruled for seven days in Tirtzah. At that time, the army was besieging Gib'ton, which belonged to the P'lishtim.

The troops in their camp heard it said that Zimri had plotted and killed the king, whereupon that same day, there in the camp, all Isra'el made 'Omri, the commander of the army, king over Isra'el.

'Omri and all Isra'el with him withdrew from Gib'ton and besieged Tirtzah.

When Zimri saw that the city had been captured, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and burned down the royal palace over him, so that he died.