9. Zimri was one of Elah’s officers. He commanded half of Elah’s chariots. But Zimri made plans against Elah.Elah was in Tirzah, getting drunk at Arza’s home. (Arza was the man in charge of the palace at Tirzah.)
10. So Zimri went into Arza’s house and killed Elah. This was during Asa’s twenty-seventh year as king of Judah. Then Zimri became king of Israel in Elah’s place.
11. As soon as Zimri became king, he killed all of Baasha’s family. He did not let any man of Baasha’s family or friends live.
12. So Zimri destroyed all of Baasha’s family. This happened as the Lord had said it would. The Lord had spoken this against Baasha through the prophet Jehu.
13. This happened because of all the sins of Baasha and his son Elah. They sinned and caused the people of Israel to sin. They also made the Lord, the God of Israel, angry because they had made worthless idols.
14. Everything else Elah did is written down. It is in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.
15. So Zimri became king of Israel. This was during Asa’s twenty-seventh year as king of Judah. Zimri ruled in Tirzah seven days. This is what happened:The army of Israel was camped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town.
16. The men in the camp heard that Zimri had made secret plans against the king. And they heard that Zimri had killed him. So that day in the camp they made Omri king over Israel. (Omri was commander of the army.)
17. So Omri and all the Israelites left Gibbethon and attacked Tirzah.
18. Zimri saw that the city had been captured. So he went into the palace and set it on fire. He burned the palace and himself with it.
19. So Zimri died because he had sinned. He did what the Lord said was wrong. Jeroboam had caused the people of Israel to sin. And Zimri sinned in the same way Jeroboam had sinned.
20. Everything else Zimri did is written down. It is in the book of the history of the kings of Israel. The story of how Zimri turned against King Elah is also written there.
21. The people of Israel were divided into two groups. Half of the people wanted Tibni to be king. He was the son of Ginath. The other half of the people wanted Omri.
22. But Omri’s followers were stronger than the followers of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri became king.
23. Omri became king of Israel. This was during the thirty-first year Asa was king of Judah. And Omri ruled Israel for 12 years. Six of those years he ruled in the town of Tirzah.
24. Omri bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer. He paid about 150 pounds of silver for it. Omri built a city on that hill. And he called it Samaria after the name of its earlier owner, Shemer.
25. But Omri did what the Lord said was wrong. He did more evil than all the kings who were before him.
26. Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused the people of Israel to sin. And Omri sinned in the same way Jeroboam had sinned. So the Israelites made the Lord, the God of Israel, very angry. He was angry because they worshiped worthless idols.
27. Everything else Omri did and all his successes are written down. They are all in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.