1 Kings 16:16-28

16When the army heard that Zimri had plotted ⌞against the king⌟ and killed him, the Israelite troops in the camp made Omri, the commander of the army, king of Israel.

17Omri and the Israelite troops with him left Gibbethon and attacked Tirzah.

18When Zimri saw that the city had been captured, he went into the stronghold in the royal palace and burned down the palace over his own head. He died

19because of the sins he had committed—the things the Lord considered evil. Zimri lived like Jeroboam and led Israel to sin.

20Isn’t everything else about Zimri and his plot written in the official records of the kings of Israel?

21Then the army of Israel was divided into two factions. Half of the army followed Tibni, son of Ginath, and wanted to make him king. The ⌞other⌟ half followed Omri.

22But the half which followed Omri was stronger than the half which followed Tibni, Ginath’s son. Tibni died, and Omri became king.

23Omri began to rule Israel in Asa’s thirty-first year as king of Judah. He ruled for 12 years, 6 of them in Tirzah.

24Omri bought a hill from Shemer for 150 pounds of silver. He fortified the hill and built the city of Samaria on it. He named the city after its former owner, Shemer.

25Omri did what the Lord considered evil. He did more evil things than all ⌞the kings⌟ before him.

26He lived exactly like Jeroboam (Nebat’s son). He sinned and led Israel to sin with worthless idols, and the Israelites made the Lord God of Israel furious.

27Isn’t everything else about Omri—what he did and his heroic acts—written in the official records of the kings of Israel?

28Omri lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab succeeded him as king.