When Elah ruled Israel

8 After Asa had been the king of Judah for almost 26 years, Elah became the king of Israel. Elah ruled in Tirzah for only two years.

9 A man named Zimri was one of Elah’s army officers. He commanded the drivers of half of Elah’s army’s ◄chariots/two-wheeled vehicles pulled by horses►. He made plans to kill Elah while Elah was in Tirzah, getting drunk at the house of a man named Arza. Arza was the man who took care of the things in the king’s palace. 10 Zimri went into Arza’s house and killed Elah. Then Zimri became the king of Israel. That was when Asa had been the king of Judah for 27 years.

11 As soon as Zimri became king [MTY], he killed all of Baasha’s family [MTY]. That included every male [IDM] in Baasha’s family and all of Baasha’s male friends. 12 That was just what Yahweh told the prophet Jehu would happen. 13 Baasha and his son Elah had sinned and led the Israeli people to sin. They caused Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli people worshiped, to become angry, because they both urged the people to worship worthless idols.

14 Everything else that Elah did is written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.