Baal's prophets are slain. 36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that dl have done all these things at thy word. 37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burntsacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 1. KINGS. B. C. B. C. cir. 906. cir. 906. bEx. 3. 6. d Nu. 16. Nu. 11. 15. Jon.4. Le.9.24. 3, 8. Ju.6.21.1t Heb. Ch.21.26. for his 2Ch. 7. 1. life. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the f ver. 24. God; the LORD, he is the God. 40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let Or, Ap † Heb. not one of them escape. And prehend. bolster. they took them: and Elijah 82 Ki. 10. brought thern down to the brook 25. Kishon, and hslew them there. 41 T And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; iand he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, 43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked,and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. 44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, †Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. 45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heavenwas black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. 46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he kgirded uphis loins,and ran before Ahab †to the entrance of Jezreel. CHAPTER XIX, AND Ahab told Jezebel allthat hDe.13.5. of rain. t Heb. 2 Ki. 4. † Heb. how he had "slain all the pro- ch. 18. phets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messen 40. a So Ex. 4. 2. Ex. 3.1. Ro.11.3. & Nu. 25. hch. 18.4. k Ex. 24. 12. Ez. 1. 4. & 37.7. God appeareth to Elijah in Horeb. ger unto Elijah, saying, bSo let the gods do to me, and more al80, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time. 3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 T But he himself went a day's journey into the wilder ness, and came and sat downunder a juniper-tree: and he requested for himself that he mightdie: and said, It is enough, now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. 5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper-tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him Arise and eat. 6 And he looked, and behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his thead: and he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said,Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee. 8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat dforty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. 9 T And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? 10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and h slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 11 And he said, Go forth, and stand kupon the mount before the LORD. And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13 And it was so, when Elijah So Ex. heard it, that he wrapped his 3.6.18.6.2. face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. "And behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? 14 "And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God ver. 9. • ver. 10. Elisha followeth Elijah. CHAPTER XX. room. 17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu 'shall Elisha slay. 18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. 19T So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. Eliseus. B. C. 90L. 82 Ki. 8. 13. 3. "Ro.11.4. Or, I will leave. SeeHo. 13. 2. 20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let YMt.8.21. me, I pray thee, kiss my father 22. Lu. 9. and my mother, and then I will 61, 62. follow thee. And he said unto him, tGo back, again: for what have I done to thee? Heb. Go re 21 And he returned back from turn. him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and "boiled their z2 Sa. 24. flesh with the instruments of the 22. oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him. CHAPTER XX. Beh-hadad, not content with Ahab's homage, besiegeth Samaria, 1. 13 By the direction of a prophet,the Syrians are slain. 22 As the prophet forewarned Ahab, the Syrians, trusting in the valleys, come against him in Aphek. 28 By the word of the prophet, and God's judgment, the Syri ans are smitten again. 31 The Syrians submitting themselves, Ahab sendeth Ben-badad away with a covenant. 35 The prophet, under the parable of a prisoner, making Ahab to judge himself, denounceth God's judgment against him. ND Ben-hadad the king of A Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. 2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad, 901. ble. ↑ Heb. ach. 19.2. † Heb. are at my feet: SoEx.11. 8.Ju.4.10. † Heb. word. Ben hadad besiegeth Samaria, 3 Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. 4 And the king of Israel an swered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have. 5 And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben-hadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children; 6 Yet I will send my servants unto thee to-morrow about this time,and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thineeyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away. 7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold, and †I denied him not. 8 And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not into him, nor consent. .9 Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first, I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again. 10 And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said, "The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. 11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off. 12 And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad heard this † message as he was bdrinking, he and the bver. 16. kings in the | pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Setyourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city. | Or, tents. Or, Place the engines: 13 T And behold, there † came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the And they LORD, Hast thou seen all this placed engines. great multitude? behold, "I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. † Heb. ap proached. ver. 28. 14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said,Thus saith the LORD, Or, Even by the young men of the servants princes of the provinces. Then † Heb. he said, Who shall † order the bind, or, battle? And he answered, The 15 Then he numbered the y tie. 343 The Syrians are smitten. men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand. I. KINGS. B. C. 901 16 And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was ddrinking d ver. 11. himself drunk in the pavilions, ch. 16. 9. he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him. 17 And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Sa maria. 18 And he said, Whether they become out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive. 19 So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them. 20 And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen. 21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter. 22 And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the 2 S. 11. king of Syria will come up against thee. 23 And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. 24 And do this thing, Take the kings away,every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms: 1. Heb. 25 And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot that was for chariot: and we will fight fallen. against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so. B. C. 900. They sue submissively to Ahab. said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the 5 ver. 13. valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD. Or, from ber tHeb. into a chamber within a chamber. ch. 22.25. h Ge. 37. 29 And they pitched one over against the other seven days, And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day. 30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were lett. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, tinto an inuer chamber. chamber 31 1 And his servants said unto to cham- him, Behold now,we have heard that the kings of the house of 1sraelare merciful kings: let us, 1 pray thee, bput sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life 32 So they girded sackcloth on their loins,and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother. 34. 33 Now the men did diligently observe whether anything would come from him, and did hastily catch it and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot. 34 And Ben-hadad said unto ich.15.20. him, The cities which my fa ther took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away. 2Ki.2.3, 5, 7, 15. Ich.13.17. 18. m ch. warwith 24. 35 1 And a certain man of kthe sons of the prophets said unto his neighbourhin the word of the LORD, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. 36 Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And 13 as soon as he was departed from him, "a lion found him, and slew him. † Heb. 27 And the children of Israel to the were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: Israel. and the children of Israel pitch-Or, ed before them like two little were vic-t Heb. flocks of kids; but the Syrians tualled.smiting filled the country. 28 T And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have and wound ing. 37 Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him,feo that in smiting he wounded him. 38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ash es upon his face. Ahab's unreasonable lenity. CHAPTER XXI. 900. "see 2Sa 12.1, &c. 39 And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and behold, a man turned aside, and brought a manunto me, and said, Keepthis man: if by any means he be missing, then "shall thy life 2Ki.10. be for his life, or else thou shalt 24. fpay a talent of silver. 40 And as thy servant was busy here and there, the was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it. 41 And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets. † Heb. weigh he was + Heb. not. -37. 42 And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, PBecause thou Pch.22.31 hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. 43 And the king of Israel went ch.21.4. to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria. CHAPTER XXI. Ahab being denied Naboth's vineyard is grieved, 1.5 Jezebel writing letters, against Naboth, he is condemned of blasphemy. 15 Aliab taketh possession of the vineyard. 17 Elijah denounceth judgments against Ahab and Jezebel, 25 Wicked Ahab repenting, God deferreth the judgment. AND it came to passafter these 899. things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, a1Sa.8.141 that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. 3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, bthat I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. 4 And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased, because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. 5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? 6 And he said unto her, Because Ispake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. Heb. be good in thine eyes. b Le. 25. 23. Nu.36. 7. Ez. 46. 18. B. C. 899. Heb. in the top of the people. Ex. 22. 28.Le.24. 15,16.Ac. 6. 11. d Le. 24. 14. Is. 58.4. Jezebel procureth Naboth's death. And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vine yard of Naboth the Jezreelite. 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. 9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth ton high among the people: 10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear wit ness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and dstone him, that he may die. 11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel bad sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Behalwitnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blas See 2Ki. Pheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him withstones, that he died. 9.26. 899. SPs.9.12. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. 15 T And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take pos session of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. 16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it. 17 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab hch.13.32 king of Israel, which is in Sa 2Ch.22.9. maria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. ich.22.38. Ahab seeketh to 1. KINGS. B. C. 899. Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou keh.18.17 hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD. 12 Ki. 17. 17. Ro. 7. 14. 10. 2Ki.9. 21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth 8. against the wall, and "him that Sa. 25. is shut up and left in Israel, 22 And will make thine house like the house of PJeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin. 23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. 24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat: and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat. 25 T But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, "whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. 26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites. whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. B. C. 897. recover Ramoth-gilead. ple as thy people, my horses as thy horses. 5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to-day. m ch. 14. dch.18.19 Then the kingof Israel gather ed the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king. 22. °ch.14.10 Pch.15.29 ch.16.3, 2Ki.9.36 Or, ditch. ch.14.11 & 16.4. 2Ki.3.11 teh.16.30, Or, incited. Ge. 15. t Heb. 16.2Ki.21 floor. 11. 27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sack-y Ge. 37. cloth upon his flesh, and fasted, 34. and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. 28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfbefore me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house. CHAPTER XXII. Ahab, seduced by false prophets, according to the word of Micaiah, is slain at Ramoth-gilead, 1. 37 The dogs lick up his blood, and Ahaziah succeedeth him. 41 Jehoshaphat's good reign. 45 His acts. 50 Jeloram succeedeth him. 51 Ahaziah's evil reign. AND they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel. 3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that bRamoth in Gilead is ours, and bDe.4.43. we be tstill, and take it not out † Heb. of the hand of the king of Syria? silent 4 And he said unto Jehosha- from taphat. Wilt thou go with me to king it. battle to Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my peo-2Ki. 3.7. 38. 36. Nu. 22. 7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might inquire of him? 8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him: for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. 9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah. 10 And the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a tvoid place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. 11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them. 12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king's hand. 13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good. 14 And Micaiah said, is the LORD liveth, fwhat the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak. 15 So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king. 16 And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD? 17 And he said. I saw all Israel Mat. 9. scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have |