25. Omri did what the Lord said was wrong. He was worse than all the kings who were before him.
26. He committed all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had committed when he caused the Israelites to sin. They worshiped worthless idols, and this made the Lord, the God of Israel, very angry.
27. The rest of the story about Omri and the great things he did are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Israel.
28. Omri died and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab became the new king after him.
29. Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel during the 38th year that Asa was king of Judah. Ahab ruled Israel from the town of Samaria for 22 years.
30. He did what the Lord said was wrong. Ahab was worse than all the kings who were before him.
31. It was not enough for Ahab to commit the same sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had done. Ahab also married Jezebel, daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon. Then Ahab began to serve and worship Baal.
32. He built a temple and an altar in Samaria for worshiping Baal.
33. He also set up a sacred pole. Ahab did more to make the Lord, the God of Israel, angry than all the other kings who were before him.
34. During Ahab’s time, Hiel from Bethel rebuilt the town of Jericho. When Hiel started work on the city, his oldest son Abiram died. And when Hiel built the gates of the city, his youngest son Segub died. This happened just as the Lord said it would happen when he spoke through Joshua son of Nun.