1 Kings 16:9–20

16:9 His servant Zimri, a commander of half of his chariot force, conspired against him. While Elah was drinking heavily12 at the house of Arza, who supervised the palace in Tirzah, 16:10 Zimri came in and struck him dead. (This happened in the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah.) Zimri replaced Elah as king.13 16:11 When he became king and occupied the throne, he killed Baasha’s entire family. He did not spare any male belonging to him; he killed his relatives and his friends.14 16:12 Zimri destroyed Baasha’s entire family, just as the Lord had predicted to Baasha15 through Jehu the prophet. 16:13 This happened because of all the sins which Baasha and his son Elah committed and which they made Israel commit. They angered the Lord God of Israel with their worthless idols.16

16:14 The rest of the events of Elah’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.17

Zimri’s Reign over Israel

16:15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri became king over Israel; he ruled for seven days in Tirzah. Zimri’s revolt took place while the army was deployed18 in Gibbethon, which was in Philistine territory. 16:16 While deployed there, the army received this report:19 “Zimri has conspired against the king and assassinated him.”20 So all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day in the camp. 16:17 Omri and all Israel went up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. 16:18 When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he went into the fortified area of the royal palace. He set the palace on fire and died in the flames.21 16:19 This happened because of the sins he committed. He did evil in the sight of22 the Lord and followed in Jeroboam’s footsteps and encouraged Israel to continue sinning.23

16:20 The rest of the events of Zimri’s reign, including the details of his revolt, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.24

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12	tn Heb “while he was drinking and drunken.”
13	tn Heb “and he became king in his place.”
14	tn Heb “and he did not spare any belonging to him who urinate against a wall, [including] his kinsmen redeemers and his friends.”
15	tn Heb “according to the word of the Lord which he spoke concerning [or “spoke against”]).”
16	tn Heb “angering the Lord God of Israel with their empty things.”
17	tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Elah, and all which he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
18	tn Heb “Now the people were encamped.
19	tn Heb “and the people who were encamped heard.”
20	tn Heb “has conspired against and also has struck down the king.”
21	tn Heb “and he burned the house of the king over him with fire and he died.”
22	tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
23	tn Heb “walking in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he did to make Israel sin.”
24	tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Zimri, and his conspiracy which he conspired, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”