In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha became king over Israel at Tirzah, and reigned for two years. And his servant (A)Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. Now [a]Elah was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, (B)who was in charge of the household in Tirzah. 10 Then Zimri came in and struck him and put him to death in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and he became king in his place. 11 And when he became king, as soon as he sat on his throne, (C)he [b]killed all the household of Baasha; he did not leave [c]a single male alive, either of his [d]relatives or of his friends.

12 So Zimri eliminated all the household of Baasha, (D)in accordance with the word of the Lord which He spoke against Baasha through (E)Jehu the prophet, 13 for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of his son Elah, which they [e]committed and into which they misled Israel, (F)provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their [f]idols. 14 (G)Now as for 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-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned for seven days in Tirzah. Now the people were camped against (H)Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. 16 And the people who were camped heard [g]it being said, “Zimri has conspired and has also struck and killed the king!” Therefore all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17 Then Omri and all Israel with him went up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. 18 When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned the king’s house over himself with fire, and (I)died, 19 because of his sins which he [h]committed, doing evil in the sight of the Lord, (J)walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he committed, misleading Israel into sin.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 16:9 Lit he
  2. 1 Kings 16:11 Lit struck
  3. 1 Kings 16:11 Lit him who urinates against the wall
  4. 1 Kings 16:11 Lit blood avengers
  5. 1 Kings 16:13 Lit sinned
  6. 1 Kings 16:13 Lit non-existing things
  7. 1 Kings 16:16 Lit saying
  8. 1 Kings 16:19 Lit sinned

Elah King of Israel

In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years.

Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk(A) in the home of Arza, the palace administrator(B) at Tirzah. 10 Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king.(C)

11 As soon as he began to reign and was seated on the throne, he killed off Baasha’s whole family.(D) He did not spare a single male, whether relative or friend. 12 So Zimri destroyed the whole family of Baasha, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu— 13 because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.(E)

14 As for the other events of Elah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

Zimri King of Israel

15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon,(F) a Philistine town. 16 When the Israelites in the camp heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp. 17 Then Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. 18 When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died, 19 because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

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