1. Then the Lord spoke against King Baasha through the prophet, Jehu son of Hanani. He said,
2. “I made you an important prince over my people Israel. But you have done the same things Jeroboam did. You have caused my people Israel to sin. Their sins have made me angry.
3. So Baasha, I will destroy you and your family, just as I did Jeroboam son of Nebat and his family.
4. Dogs will eat the bodies of those in your family who die in the city. And wild birds will eat the bodies of those who die out in the fields.”
5. The rest of the story about Baasha and the great things he did are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Israel.
6. Baasha died and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah became the new king after him.
7. That book also has the story of the time the Lord gave the message to Jehu the prophet about Baasha and his family. Baasha did many things the Lord said were wrong, just as Jeroboam and his family had done. This and the fact that Baasha had killed everyone in Jeroboam’s family made the Lord very angry.
8. Elah son of Baasha became king during the 26th year that Asa was the king of Judah. He ruled in Tirzah for two years.
9. Zimri was one of King Elah’s officers. Zimri commanded half of Elah’s chariots, but Zimri plotted against Elah. King Elah was in Tirzah, drinking and getting drunk at Arza’s home. Arza was the man in charge of the palace at Tirzah.
10. Zimri went into the house and killed King Elah. Then Zimri became the new king of Israel after Elah. This was during the 27th year that Asa was king in Judah.