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Zimri’s Reign over Israel

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 deployed[a] in Gibbethon, which was in Philistine territory. 16 While deployed there, the army received this report:[b] “Zimri has conspired against the king and assassinated him.”[c] So all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day in the camp. 17 Omri and all Israel went up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. 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.[d] 19 This happened because of the sins he committed. He did evil in the sight of[e] the Lord and followed in Jeroboam’s footsteps and encouraged Israel to continue sinning.[f]

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.[g]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 16:15 tn Heb “Now the people were encamped.
  2. 1 Kings 16:16 tn Heb “and the people who were encamped heard, saying.”
  3. 1 Kings 16:16 tn Heb “has conspired against and also has struck down the king.”
  4. 1 Kings 16:18 tn Heb “and he burned the house of the king over him with fire and he died.”
  5. 1 Kings 16:19 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
  6. 1 Kings 16:19 tn Heb “walking in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he did to make Israel sin.”
  7. 1 Kings 16:20 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?”

15 So during Asa’s twenty-seventh year as king of Judah, Zimri became king of Israel and ruled in Tirzah seven days.

The ·army of Israel [people] was camped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town. 16 The men in the camp heard that Zimri had ·made secret plans [plotted; conspired] against King Elah and had killed him. So that day in the camp ·they [L all Israel] made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel. 17 So Omri and all the Israelite army left Gibbethon and ·attacked [besieged] Tirzah. 18 When Zimri saw that the city had been captured, he went into the ·palace [L citadel of the king’s house] and set it on fire, burning the palace and himself with it. 19 So Zimri died because he had sinned by doing ·what the Lord said was wrong [L evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. Jeroboam had led the people of Israel to sin, and Zimri ·sinned in the same way as [L walked in the way/path of] Jeroboam.

20 Everything else Zimri did and ·the story of how he turned [his conspiracy] against King Elah ·are [L are they not…?] written down in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 14:19] of the kings of Israel.

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