1 O profeta Jeú entregou ao rei Basha uma mensagem de condenação da parte do Senhor:2 Tirei-te do pó do chão, dizia a mensagem, para te fazer rei sobre o povo de Israel; mas tu preferiste andar nos maus caminhos de Jeroboão. Fizeste pecar o meu povo e acendeste por isso a minha ira! Portanto destruir-te-ei e à tua família, tal como fiz com os descendentes de Jeroboão. Aqueles teus familiares que morrerem na cidade serão comidos por cães, os que morrerem nos campos serão comidos pelas aves. Esta mensagem foi-lhe enviada, a Basha e aos seus, porque irritou o Senhor com os seus pecados. Foi tão mau quanto Jeroboão a despeito do facto do Senhor ter destruído todos os descendentes de Jeroboão por causa da sua maldade. O resto da biografia de Basha - os seus actos e conquistas - está nas Crónicas dos Reis de Israel.8 Elá, filho de Basha, começou a reinar no vigésimo-sexto ano do reinado do rei Asa de Judá, mas reinou apenas dois anos. O general Zimri, que tinha a seu cargo o comando de metade dos carros de combate reais, conspirou contra ele. Um dia o rei Elá encontrava-se na casa de Arza, o superintendente do palácio em Tirza; o rei estava já embriagado quando Zimri simplesmente entrou, feriu-o e matou-o. (Isto ocorreu no vigésimo-sétimo ano do reinado de Asa, de Judá.) Zimri declarou-se a si mesmo o novo rei de Israel.11 Imediatamente matou toda a família real anterior, sem deixar em vida um só elemento masculino, criança que fosse. Destruiu mesmo os familiares mais afastados e os amigos do rei. Esta destruição dos descendentes de Basha correspondia ao que o Senhor tinha predito por intermédio do profeta Jeú. A tragédia ocorreu por causa dos pecados de Basha e do seu filho Elá; porque foram eles quem levou Israel à idolatria e o Senhor ficou muito irado com isso. O resto da história do reinado de Elá está escrito nas Crónicas dos Reis de Israel.15 Mas Zimri apenas ficou no poder sete dias; porque quando as tropas de Israel, que estavam a atacar a cidade filistéia de Gibetom, souberam que Zimri tinha assassinado o rei, decidiram eleger o general Omri, comandante das forças militares, como rei. Então Omri levou o exército, desde Gibetom, a atacar Tirza, capital de Israel. Ao ver a cidade tomada, Zimri foi para o palácio, incendiou-o e morreu entre as chamas. Porque ele também tinha pecado à semelhança de Jeroboão, prestando culto a ídolos e levando o povo a pecar com ele. O resto dos acontecimentos de Zimri, e a sua traição, estão narrados nas Crónicas dos Reis de Israel.21 Mas agora o próprio reino de Israel estava dividido em dois; metade era leal ao general Omri e outra metade seguia Tibni, filho de Ginate. Contudo o general foi vitorioso e matou Tibni; Omri passou a reinar sem oposição.23 O rei Asa de Judá tinha estado sobre o trono trinta e um anos quando Omri começou o seu reinado sobre Israel, o qual durou doze anos, seis dos quais em Tirza. Omri comprou a colina, agora conhecida por Samaria, ao seu proprietário Semer, por setenta quilos de prata, e construiu nela uma cidade, chamando-lhe Samaria em honra do seu proprietário Semer. Omri foi pior do que qualquer dos reis que o precederam; prestou culto aos ídolos tal como Jeroboão e levou Israel ao mesmo pecado. Deus ficou por isso muito irado. O resto da história de Omri está relatado nas Crónicas dos Reis de Israel. Omri morreu e foi enterrado em Samaria; seu filho Acabe reinou em seu lugar.29 O rei Asa de Judá tinha estado sobre o trono trinta e oito anos quando Acabe se tornou rei de Israel; Acabe reinou vinte e dois anos. Mas foi pior ainda do que o seu pai Omri e do que qualquer outro rei de Israel! Como se isso não bastasse, casou com Jezabel, filha do rei Etbaal, rei dos sidónios; e então iniciou o culto a Baal. Começou por construir um templo e um altar a esse deus em Samaria. Depois fez outros ídolos e acendeu ainda mais a ira do Senhor Deus de Israel do que qualquer dos outros reis de Israel antes dele.34 (Foi durante o seu reinado que Hiel, um homem de Betel, reconstruiu Jericó. Quando pôs os alicerces, morreu-lhe o filho mais velho, Abirão. Quando completou as construções e pôs as portas à povoação, faleceu-lhe o filho mais novo, Segube. Porque tinha sido esta a maldição do Senhor sobre Jericó, declarada por Josué, filho de Num. )

1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,2 Forasmuch as I exalted thee from the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins;3 Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of his house; and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.4 Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat.5 Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?6 So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead.7 And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the LORD against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he killed him.8 In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years.9 And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah.10 And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.11 And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not one male, neither of his kinsman, nor of his friends.12 Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke against Baasha, by Jehu the prophet,13 For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities.14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?15 In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign seven days in Tirzah. And the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.16 And the people that were encamped heard it said, Zimri hath conspired, and hath also slain the king: wherefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp.17 And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.18 And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died,19 For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the LORD, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin.20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?21 Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri.22 But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.23 In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah.24 And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.25 But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that were before him.26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities.27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he showed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?28 So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.29 And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him.32 And he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.34 In his days Hiel the Beth-elite built Jericho: he laid the foundation of it in Abiram his first-born, and set up the gates of it in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.