Baal's prophets are slain. B. C. about 906. † Heb. poured out blood upon them. I. KINGS. themselves after their manner with Elijah's life threatened. B. C. i James 5. 17, 18. 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the about 906. top of Carmel; and he cast himself 29 And it came to pass, when mid-down upon the earth, and put his face day was past, and they prophesied between his knees, +Heb. ascend until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any + that regarded. ing. r1 Cor.11.4, 5. s ver. 26. + Heb. attention. t ch. 19. 10. u Gen. 32. 28. x Col. 3. 17. y Lev. 1. 6, 7, 8. 20. 30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, "Israel shall be thy name: 32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four z See Judg. 6. barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. 34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. 35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. + Heb. went. a ver. 32, 38. b Ex. 3. 6. d Num. 16. 28. • Lev. 9. 24. Judg. 6. 21. 2 Chr. 7. 1. 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 I 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, 1 Chr. 21. 26. and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in f ver. 24. || Or, Apprehend. g 2 Kings 10. 25. the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. 40 And Elijah said unto them, "Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. 41 ¶ And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get Or, a sound thee up, eat and drink; for there is a 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 +Heb. Tie, or, get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. 45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. God appearth t B. C about 206. f to him. that unto e 9T And Word here ch 18.4. i ch 18. 22 B. 11.3. Ex. 24. 12 1 Ez. 1.4.& 5.1. 16.2 I meat & forty days and forty nights 20 And he left the oxen, and ran | And he came thither unto a cave, pray thee, kiss my father and my Horeb the mount of God. lod A ged there; and, behold, the the LORD came to him, and unto him, What doest thou ijah? And he said, 'I have been very for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. after Elijah, and said, 'Let me, mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again : for what have I done to thee? 21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the z 2 Sam. 24. 22. instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him. CHAPTER XX. of a prophet, the Syrians are slain. 22 The next year the Syrians come up against Ahab to Aphek; 28 but are again smitten. 31 The Syrians humbling themselves, Ahab sendeth Ben-hadad away with a covenant. 35 The prophet by a parable denounceth God's judgment against Ahab. 11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and Ben-hadad besiegeth Samaria. 13 Under direction la 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 heard Ex. 3.6. it, that he wrapped his 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 of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 15 And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness King & of Damascus: Pand when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. 1 Bee Hos. 13. have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. 19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing with twelve yoke of oren before him, and he with the twelfth and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 4 And the king of Israel answered 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; 901. 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 thine Heb. desiraeyes, 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 unto 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. Victory promised to Ahab. B. C. 901. a ch. 19. 2. the messengers departed, and brought | see what thou doest: for at the re- 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 + Heb. are at people that follow me. my feet. So Ex. 11. 8. Judg. 4. 10. † Heb. word. b ver. 16. Il Or, tents. 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 Benhadad heard this message, as he was b drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servOr, Place the ants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city. engines. And they placed engines. + Heb. approached. c ver. 28. 13 And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. 14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even Or, servants. by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou. + Heb. bind, or, tie. d ver. 11. ch. 16. 9. 15 Then he numbered the young 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. d 16 And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, 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 Samaria. 18 And he said, Whether they be come 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 Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on a 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 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: 25 And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot : and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so. B. C. 901. e 2 Sam. 11. 1 Heb. that was fallen. 900. 26 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to 'Aphek, 1 Josh. 15. 4. to fight against Israel. Heb. to the war with Israel. victualled 27 And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and Or, teere went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country. 28 ¶ And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver ver. 13. all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 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 a 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 left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city," into an inner | Or, from chamber. chamber to chamber. Heb. into a chamber within a chamber. ch. 22. 25. 31 And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put a Gen. 57. 54. | 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 Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother. 33 Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come 1 Ahab's foolish lenity. B. C. 900. ch. 15. 20 * 2 Kings 2.5, 3, 7, 15. ND it came to pass after these from him, and did hastily catch it: things, that Naboth the Jezreelite and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, a B. C. 900. 899. 2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, 34 And Ben-hadad said unto him, maria. Then said Ahab, I will send 35 ¶ And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighIch 12. 17, 18. bour 'in the word of the LORD, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. ch. 13. 24. +Hebamiting and wound • See 2 Sam. 121. &c 38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face. 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 man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt Heb. weight pay a talent of silver. 40 And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it. in thine eyes. 3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, b that I should b Lev. 25. 23. 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 I spake 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. 7 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 vineyard 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. 41 And he hasted, and took the ashes 9 And she wrote in the letters, say- Num. 36. 7. † Heb. in the top of the people. Ex. 22. 28. Lev. 24.15,16. d Lev. 24. 14. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and set e I8.58. 4. possession of the vineyard. 17 Thereupon Elijah Naboth on high among the people. denounceth judgments against Ahab and Jezebel. 13 And there came in two men, chil25 Ahab humbling himself, God deferreth the judg-dren of Belial, and sat before him: meal against him. Judgments to come upon Ahab. B. C. 899. I. KINGS. and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the 1 See 2 Kings king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. 9. 26. g Ps. 9. 12. h ch. 13. 32. 2 Chr. 22. 9. i ch. 22. 38. k ch. 18. 17. 1 2 Kings 17. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. 15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession 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 False prophets mislead him. B. C. 899. x Gen. 15. 16. 2 Kings 21. 11. as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. 27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his y Gen. 37. 34. flesh, and fasted, 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 himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his 2 Kings 9.25. son's days will I bring the evil upon his house. CHAPTER XXII. heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab, misled by false prophets, is slain at Ramoth Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it. gilead. $7 The dogs lick up his blood. 40 Ahaziah succeedeth him. 41 Jehoshaphat's good reign. 50 Jehoram succeedeth him. 51 Ahaziah's evil reign. 17 ¶ And the word of the LORD AND they continued three years came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. 19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. 20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work 17. Rom.7.14. evil in the sight of the LORD. 21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, n1 Sam. 25. 22. and will cut off from Ahab "him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, Israel. without war between Syria and 897. 2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of 2 Chr. 18. 2, Judah came down to the king of Israel. b 3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria? 4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people 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. &c. b Deut 4. 43. † Heb. silent from taking it. e 2 Kings S. 7. | 6 Then the king of Israel gathered 4 ch. 18. 19. the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. 7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there 2 Kings 3.11. 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 Mi- || Or, eunuch. caiah 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, |