Announcing: BahaiPrayers.net

Melachim (Kings)

1�1,1 Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he could get no heat.

1�1,2 Wherefore his servants said unto him: 'Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin; and let her stand before the king, and be a companion unto him; and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.'

1�1,3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the borders of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

1�1,4 And the damsel was very fair; and she became a companion unto the king, and ministered to him; but the king knew her not.

1�1,5 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying: 'I will be king'; and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

1�1,6 And his father had not grieved him all his life in saying: 'Why hast thou done so?' and he was also a very goodly man; and he was born after Absalom.

1�1,7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest; and they following Adonijah helped him.

1�1,8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men that belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

1�1,9 And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel; and he called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants;

1�1,10 but Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

1�1,11 Then Nathan spoke unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying: 'Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?

1�1,12 Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

1�1,13 Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him: Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thy handmaid, saying: Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?

1�1,14 Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words.'

1�1,15 And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber.--Now the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.--

1�1,16 And Bath-sheba bowed, and prostrated herself unto the king. And the king said: 'What wouldest thou?'

1�1,17 And she said unto him: 'My lord, thou didst swear by the LORD thy God unto thy handmaid: Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.

1�1,18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and thou, my lord the king, knowest it not.

1�1,19 And he hath slain oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, {P}

�

and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar, the priest, and Joab the captain of the host; but Solomon thy servant hath he not called.

1�1,20 And thou, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

1�1,21 Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.'

1�1,22 And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.

1�1,23 And they told the king, saying: 'Behold Nathan the prophet.' And when he was come in before the king, he bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.

1�1,24 And Nathan said: 'My lord, O king, hast thou said: Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?

1�1,25 For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say: Long live king Adonijah.

1�1,26 But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon hath he not called.

1�1,27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not declared unto thy servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?' {S}

1�1,28 Then king David answered and said: 'Call me Bath-sheba.' And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king.

1�1,29 And the king swore and said: 'As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

1�1,30 verily as I swore unto thee by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying: Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; verily so will I do this day.'

1�1,31 Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and prostrated herself to the king, and said: 'Let my lord king David live for ever.' {P}

1�1,32 And king David said: 'Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.' And they came before the king.

1�1,33 And the king said unto them: 'Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon.

1�1,34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel; and blow ye with the horn, and say: Long live king Solomon.

1�1,35 Then ye shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead; and I have appointed him to be prince over Israel and over Judah.'

1�1,36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said: 'Amen; so say the LORD, the God of my lord the king.

1�1,37 As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be He with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.'

1�1,38 So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon.

1�1,39 And Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the Tent, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the ram's horn; and all the people said: 'Long live king Solomon.'

1�1,40 And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.

1�1,41 And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the horn, he said: 'Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?'

1�1,42 While he yet spoke, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came; and Adonijah said: 'Come in; for thou art a worthy man, and bringest good tidings.'

1�1,43 And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah: 'Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king.

1�1,44 And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule.

1�1,45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon; and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that ye have heard.

1�1,46 And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.

1�1,47 And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying: God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne; and the king bowed down upon the bed.

1�1,48 And also thus said the king: Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.'

1�1,49 And all the guests of Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.

1�1,50 And Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

1�1,51 And it was told Solomon, saying: 'Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon; for, lo, he hath laid hold on the horns of the altar, saying: Let king Solomon swear unto me first of all that he will not slay his servant with the sword.'

1�1,52 And Solomon said: 'If he shall show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth; but if wickedness be found in him, he shall die.'

1�1,53 So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and prostrated himself before king Solomon; and Solomon said unto him: 'Go to thy house.' {P}

1�2,1 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying:

1�2,2 'I go the way of all the earth; be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man;

1�2,3 and keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself;

1�2,4 that the LORD may establish His word which He spoke concerning me, saying: If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee, said He, a man on the throne of Israel.

1�2,5 Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did unto me, even what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.

1�2,6 Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.

1�2,7 But show kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table; for so they drew nigh unto me when I fled from Absalom thy brother.

1�2,8 And, behold, there is with thee Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying: I will not put thee to death with the sword.

1�2,9 Now therefore hold him not guiltless, for thou art a wise man; and thou wilt know what thou oughtest to do unto him, and thou shalt bring his hoar head down to the grave with blood.'

1�2,10 And David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. {P}

1�2,11 And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

1�2,12 And Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established firmly. {S}

1�2,13 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon. And she said: 'Comest thou peaceably?' And he said: 'Peaceably.'

1�2,14 He said moreover: 'I have somewhat to say unto thee.' And she said: 'Say on.'

1�2,15 And he said: 'Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign; howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's; for it was his from the LORD.

1�2,16 And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not.' And she said unto him: 'Say on.'

1�2,17 And he said: 'Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king--for he will not say thee nay--that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.'

1�2,18 And Bath-sheba said: 'Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.'

1�2,19 Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed down unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.

1�2,20 Then she said: 'I ask one small petition of thee; deny me not.' And the king said unto her: 'Ask on, my mother; for I will not deny thee.'

1�2,21 And she said: 'Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.'

1�2,22 And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother: 'And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.' {P}

1�2,23 Then king Solomon swore by the LORD, saying: 'God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.

1�2,24 Now therefore as the LORD liveth, who hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me a house, as He promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death this day.'

1�2,25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him, so that he died. {S}

1�2,26 And unto Abiathar the priest said the king: 'Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art deserving of death; but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou didst bear the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou wast afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.'

1�2,27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that the word of the LORD might be fulfilled, which He spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. {P}

1�2,28 And the tidings came to Joab; for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the Tent of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

1�2,29 And it was told king Solomon: 'Joab is fled unto the Tent of the LORD, and, behold, he is by the altar.' Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying: 'Go, fall upon him.'

1�2,30 And Benaiah came to the Tent of the LORD, and said unto him: 'Thus saith the king: Come forth.' And he said: 'Nay; but I will die here.' And Benaiah brought back word unto the king, saying: 'Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.'

1�2,31 And the king said unto him: 'Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the blood, which Joab shed without cause, from me and from my father's house.

1�2,32 And the LORD will return his blood upon his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, and my father David knew it not: Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.

1�2,33 So shall their blood return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever; but unto David, and unto his seed, and unto his house, and unto his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD.'

1�2,34 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

1�2,35 And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host; and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.

1�2,36 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him: Build thee a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither.

1�2,37 For on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, know thou for certain that thou shalt surely die; thy blood shall be upon thine own head.'

1�2,38 And Shimei said unto the king: 'The saying is good; as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do.' And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. {S}

1�2,39 And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying: 'Behold, thy servants are in Gath.'

1�2,40 And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish, to seek his servants; and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath. {S}

1�2,41 And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come back.

1�2,42 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him: 'Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and forewarned thee, saying: Know for certain, that on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me: The saying is good; I have heard it.

1�2,43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with?'

1�2,44 The king said moreover to Shimei: 'Thou knowest all the wickedness which thy heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father; therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head.

1�2,45 But king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever.'

1�2,46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out, and fell upon him, so that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

1�3,1 And Solomon became allied to Pharaoh king of Egypt by marriage, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

1�3,2 Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days. {P}

1�3,3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father; only he sacrificed and offered in the high places.

1�3,4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place; a thousand burnt-offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

1�3,5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said: 'Ask what I shall give thee.'

1�3,6 And Solomon said: 'Thou hast shown unto Thy servant David my father great kindness, according as he walked before Thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with Thee; and Thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that Thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

1�3,7 And now, O LORD my God, Thou hast made Thy servant king instead of David my father; and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in.

1�3,8 And Thy servant is in the midst of Thy people which Thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

1�3,9 Give Thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this Thy great people?'

1�3,10 And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.

1�3,11 And God said unto him: 'Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern justice;

1�3,12 behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

1�3,13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour--so that there hath not been any among the kings like unto thee--all thy days.

1�3,14 And if thou wilt walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.' {S}

1�3,15 And Solomon awoke, and, behold, it was a dream; and he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt-offerings, and offered peace-offerings, and made a feast to all his servants. {P}

1�3,16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.

1�3,17 And the one woman said: 'Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

1�3,18 And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also; and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.

1�3,19 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlay it.

1�3,20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.

1�3,21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead; but when I had looked well at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, whom I did bear.'

1�3,22 And the other woman said: 'Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son.' And this said: 'No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son.' Thus they spoke before the king.

1�3,23 Then said the king: 'The one saith: This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead; and the other saith: Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.' {P}

1�3,24 And the king said: 'Fetch me a sword.' And they brought a sword before the king.

1�3,25 And the king said: 'Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.'

1�3,26 Then spoke the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her heart yearned upon her son, and she said: 'Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it.' But the other said: 'It shall be neither mine nor thine; divide it.'

1�3,27 Then the king answered and said: 'Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.' {S}

1�3,28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king; for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do justice. {S}

1�4,1 And king Solomon was king over all Israel. {S}

1�4,2 And these were the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; {S}

1�4,3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; {S} Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; {S}

1�4,4 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host; {S} and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; {S}

1�4,5 and Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; {S} and Zabud the son of Nathan was chief minister and the king's friend; {S}

1�4,6 and Ahishar was over the household; {S} and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the levy. {S}

1�4,7 And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided victuals for the king and his household: each man had to make provision for a month in the year. {S}

1�4,8 And these are their names: The son of Hur, in the hill-country of Ephraim; {S}

1�4,9 the son of Deker, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan; {S}

1�4,10 the son of Hesed, in Arubboth; to him pertained Socoh, and all the land of Hepher; {S}

1�4,11 the son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife; {S}

1�4,12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam; {S}

1�4,13 the son of Geber, in Ramoth-gilead; to him pertained the villages of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; even to him pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brazen bars; {S}

1�4,14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; {S}

1�4,15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon to wife; {S}

1�4,16 Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; {S}

1�4,17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; {S}

1�4,18 Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; {S}

1�4,19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and one officer that was [over all the officers] in the land.

1�4,20 Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry.

1�5,1 And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt; they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. {P}

1�5,2 And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal;

1�5,3 ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and a hundred sheep, beside harts, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fatted fowl.

1�5,4 For he had dominion over all the region on this side the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the River; and he had peace on all sides round about him.

1�5,5 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. {S}

1�5,6 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

1�5,7 And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon's table, every man in his month; they let nothing be lacking.

1�5,8 Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds brought they unto the place where it should be, every man according to his charge. {S}

1�5,9 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore.

1�5,10 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt.

1�5,11 For he was wiser than all men: than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the nations round about.

1�5,12 And he spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs were a thousand and five.

1�5,13 And he spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; he spoke also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

1�5,14 And there came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom. {S}

1�5,15 And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father; for Hiram was ever a lover of David. {S}

1�5,16 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying:

1�5,17 'Thou knowest how that David my father could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of my feet.

1�5,18 But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary, nor evil occurrence.

1�5,19 And, behold, I purpose to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spoke unto David my father, saying: Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build the house for My name.

1�5,20 Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar-trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants; and I will give thee hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt say; for thou knowest that there is not among us any that hath skill to hew timber like unto the Zidonians.'

1�5,21 And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said: 'Blessed be the LORD this day, who hath given unto David a wise son over this great people.'

1�5,22 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying: 'I have heard that which thou hast sent unto me; I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of cypress.

1�5,23 My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon unto the sea; and I will make them into rafts to go by sea unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be broken up there, and thou shalt receive them; and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household.'

1�5,24 So Hiram gave Solomon timber of cedar and timber of cypress according to all his desire.

1�5,25 And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of beaten oil; thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. {P}

1�5,26 And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as He promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.

1�5,27 And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.

1�5,28 And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home; and Adoniram was over the levy. {S}

1�5,29 And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bore burdens, and fourscore thousand that were hewers in the mountains;

1�5,30 besides Solomon's chief officers that were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who bore rule over the people that wrought in the work. {S}

1�5,31 And the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with hewn stone.

1�5,32 And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Gebalites did fashion them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house. {P}

1�6,1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.

1�6,2 And the house which king Solomon built for the LORD, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.

1�6,3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.

1�6,4 And for the house he made windows broad within, and narrow without.

1�6,5 And against the wall of the house he built a side-structure round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the sanctuary; and he made side-chambers round about;

1�6,6 the nethermost story of the side-structure was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad; for on the outside he made rebatements in the wall of the house round about, that the beams should not have hold in the walls of the house.--

1�6,7 For the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.--

1�6,8 The door for the lowest row of chambers was in the right side of the house and they went up by winding stairs into the middle row, and out of the middle into the third.

1�6,9 So he built the house, and finished it; and he covered in the house with planks of cedar over beams.

1�6,10 And he built the stories of the side-structure against all the house, each five cubits high; and they rested on the house with timber of cedar. {P}

1�6,11 And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying:

1�6,12 'As for this house which thou art building, if thou wilt walk in My statutes, and execute Mine ordinances, and keep all My commandments to walk in them; then will I establish My word with thee, which I spoke unto David thy father;

1�6,13 in that I will dwell therein among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.' {P}

1�6,14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.

1�6,15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house unto the joists of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress.

1�6,16 And he built twenty cubits on the hinder part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor unto the joists; he even built them for himself within, for a Sanctuary, even for the most holy place.

1�6,17 And the house, that is, the temple before [the Sanctuary], was forty cubits long.

1�6,18 And the cedar on the house within was carved with knops and open flowers; all was cedar; there was no stone seen.

1�6,19 And he prepared the Sanctuary in the midst of the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

1�6,20 And before the Sanctuary which was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof, overlaid with pure gold, he set an altar, which he covered with cedar.

1�6,21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold; and he drew chains of gold across the wall before the Sanctuary; and he overlaid it with gold.

1�6,22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until all the house was finished; also the whole altar that belonged to the Sanctuary he overlaid with gold.

1�6,23 And in the Sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive-wood, each ten cubits high.

1�6,24 And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub; from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.

1�6,25 And the other cherub was ten cubits; both the cherubim were of one measure and one form.

1�6,26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.

1�6,27 And he set the cherubim within the inner house; and the wings of the cherubim were stretched forth, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.

1�6,28 And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.

1�6,29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, within and without.

1�6,30 And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.

1�6,31 And for the entrance of the Sanctuary he made doors of olive-wood, the door-posts within the frame having five angles.

1�6,32 And as for the two doors of olive-wood, he carved upon them carvings of cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold upon the cherubim, and upon the palm-trees.

1�6,33 So also made he for the entrance of the temple door-posts of olive-wood, within a frame four-square;

1�6,34 and two doors of cypress-wood; the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.

1�6,35 And he carved thereon cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold fitted upon the graven work.

1�6,36 And he built the inner court with three rows of hewn stone, and a row of cedar beams.

1�6,37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Ziv.

1�6,38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.

1�7,1 And Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.

1�7,2 For he built the house of the forest of Lebanon: the length thereof was a hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.

1�7,3 And it was covered with cedar above upon the side-chambers, that lay on forty and five pillars, fifteen in a row.

1�7,4 And there were beams in three rows; and light was over against light in three ranks.

1�7,5 And all the doors with their posts were square in the frame; and light was over against light in three ranks.

1�7,6 And he made the porch of pillars: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits; and a porch before them; and pillars and thick beams before them.

1�7,7 And he made the porch of the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment; and it was covered with cedar from floor to floor.

1�7,8 And his house where he might dwell, in the other court, within the porch, was of the like work. He made also a house for Pharaoh's daughter, whom Solomon had taken to wife, like unto this porch.

1�7,9 All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewn stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside unto the great court.

1�7,10 And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.

1�7,11 And above were costly stones, after the measure of hewn stones, and cedar-wood.

1�7,12 And the great court round about had three rows of hewn stone, and a row of cedar beams, like as the inner court of the house of the LORD, and the court of the porch of the house. {P}

1�7,13 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.

1�7,14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill, to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.

1�7,15 Thus he fashioned the two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high each; and a line of twelve cubits did compass it about; [and so] the other pillar.

1�7,16 And he made two capitals of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits.

1�7,17 He also made nets of checker-work, and wreaths of chain-work, for the capitals which were upon the top of the pillars: seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital.

1�7,18 And he made the pillars; and there were two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the capitals that were upon the top of the pomegranates; and so did he for the other capital.

1�7,19 And the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily-work, four cubits.

1�7,20 And there were capitals above also upon the two pillars, close by the belly which was beside the network; and the pomegranates were two hundred, in rows round about upon each capital.

1�7,21 And he set up the pillars at the porch of the temple; and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin; and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.

1�7,22 And upon the top of the pillars was lily-work; so was the work of the pillars finished.

1�7,23 And he made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and the height thereof was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

1�7,24 And under the brim of it round about there were knops which did compass it, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about; the knops were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

1�7,25 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set upon them above, and all their hinder parts were inward.

1�7,26 And it was a hand-breadth thick; and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; it held two thousand baths. {P}

1�7,27 And he made the ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.

1�7,28 And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders; and there were borders between the stays;

1�7,29 and on the borders that were between the stays were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and upon the stays it was in like manner above; and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work.

1�7,30 And every base had four brazen wheels, and axles of brass; and the four feet thereof had undersetters; beneath the laver were the undersetters molten, with wreaths at the side of each.

1�7,31 And the mouth of it within the crown and above was a cubit high; and the mouth thereof was round after the work of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and also upon the mouth of it were gravings; and their borders were foursquare, not round.

1�7,32 And the four wheels were underneath the borders; and the axletrees of the wheels were in the base; and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.

1�7,33 And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel; their axletrees, and their felloes, and their spokes, and their naves, were all molten.

1�7,34 And there were four undersetters at the four corners of each base; the undersetters thereof were of one piece with the base itself.

1�7,35 And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high; and on the top of the base the stays thereof and the borders thereof were of one piece therewith.

1�7,36 And on the plates of the stays thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graved cherubim, lions, and palm-trees, according to the space of each, with wreaths round about.

1�7,37 After this manner he made the ten bases; all of them had one casting, one measure, and one form. {S}

1�7,38 And he made ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths; and every laver was four cubits; and upon every one of the ten bases one laver.

1�7,39 And he set the bases, five on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house; and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward, toward the south. {S}

1�7,40 And Hiram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he wrought for king Solomon in the house of the LORD:

1�7,41 the two pillars, and the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars;

1�7,42 and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars;

1�7,43 and the ten bases, and the ten lavers on the bases;

1�7,44 and the one sea, and the twelve oxen under the sea;

1�7,45 and the pots, and the shovels, and the basins; even all these vessels, which Hiram made for king Solomon, in the house of the LORD, were of burnished brass.

1�7,46 In the plain of the Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan.

1�7,47 And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many; the weight of the brass could not be found out.

1�7,48 And Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of the LORD: the golden altar, and the table whereupon the showbread was, of gold;

1�7,49 and the candlesticks, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the Sanctuary, of pure gold; and the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, of gold;

1�7,50 and the cups, and the snuffers, and the basins, and the pans, and the fire-pans, of pure gold; and the hinges, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, that is, of the temple, of gold. {P}

1�7,51 Thus all the work that king Solomon wrought in the house of the LORD was finished. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated, the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the house of the LORD. {P}

1�8,1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers' houses of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.

1�8,2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

1�8,3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.

1�8,4 And they brought up the ark of the LORD, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; even these did the priests and the Levites bring up.

1�8,5 And king Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.

1�8,6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto its place, into the Sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim.

1�8,7 For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

1�8,8 And the staves were so long that the ends of the staves were seen from the holy place, even before the Sanctuary; but they could not be seen without; and there they are unto this day.

1�8,9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt.

1�8,10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,

1�8,11 so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. {P}

1�8,12 Then spoke Solomon: The LORD hath said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.

1�8,13 I have surely built Thee a house of habitation, a place for Thee to dwell in for ever.

1�8,14 And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel; and all the congregation of Israel stood.

1�8,15 And he said: 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth unto David my father, and hath with His hand fulfilled it, saying:

1�8,16 Since the day that I brought forth My people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that My name might be there; but I chose David to be over My people Israel.

1�8,17 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

1�8,18 But the LORD said unto David my father: Whereas it was in thy heart to build a house for My name, thou didst well that it was in thy heart;

1�8,19 nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for My name.

1�8,20 And the LORD hath established His word that He spoke; for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

1�8,21 And there have I set a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD, which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.' {S}

1�8,22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;

1�8,23 and he said: 'O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like Thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath; who keepest covenant and mercy with Thy servants, that walk before Thee with all their heart;

1�8,24 who hast kept with Thy servant David my father that which Thou didst promise him; yea, Thou spokest with Thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with Thy hand, as it is this day.

1�8,25 Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with Thy servant David my father that which Thou hast promised him saying: There shall not fail thee a man in My sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy children take heed to their way, to walk before Me as thou hast walked before Me.

1�8,26 Now therefore, O God of Israel, let Thy word, I pray Thee, be verified, which Thou didst speak unto Thy servant David my father.

1�8,27 But will God in very truth dwell on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house that I have builded!

1�8,28 Yet have Thou respect unto the prayer of Thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which Thy servant prayeth before Thee this day;

1�8,29 that Thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof Thou hast said: My name shall be there; to hearken unto the prayer which Thy servant shall pray toward this place.

1�8,30 And hearken Thou to the supplication of Thy servant, and of Thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place; yea, hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling-place; and when Thou hearest, forgive.

1�8,31 If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be exacted of him to cause him to swear, and he come and swear before Thine altar in this house;

1�8,32 then hear Thou in heaven, and do, and judge Thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

1�8,33 When Thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy, when they do sin against Thee, if they turn again to Thee, and confess Thy name, and pray and make supplication unto Thee in this house;

1�8,34 then hear Thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of Thy people Israel, and bring them back unto the land which Thou gavest unto their fathers. {S}

1�8,35 When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, when they do sin against Thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess Thy name, and turn from their sin, when Thou dost afflict them;

1�8,36 then hear Thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of Thy servants, and of Thy people Israel, when Thou teachest them the good way wherein they should walk; and send rain upon Thy land, which Thou hast given to Thy people for an inheritance. {S}

1�8,37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be;

1�8,38 what prayer and supplication soever be made by any man of all Thy people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house;

1�8,39 then hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest--for Thou, even Thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men--

1�8,40 that they may fear Thee all the days that they live in the land which Thou gavest unto our fathers.

1�8,41 Moreover concerning the stranger that is not of Thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for Thy name's sake--

1�8,42 for they shall hear of Thy great name, and of Thy mighty hand, and of Thine outstretched arm--when he shall come and pray toward this house;

1�8,43 hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for; that all the peoples of the earth may know Thy name, to fear Thee, as doth Thy people Israel, and that they may know that Thy name is called upon this house which I have built.

1�8,44 If Thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatsoever way Thou shalt send them, and they pray unto the LORD toward the city which Thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Thy name;

1�8,45 then hear Thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

1�8,46 If they sin against Thee--for there is no man that sinneth not--and Thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive unto the land of the enemy, far off or near;

1�8,47 yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn back, and make supplication unto Thee in the land of them that carried them captive, saying: We have sinned, and have done iniquitously, we have dealt wickedly;

1�8,48 if they return unto Thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray unto Thee toward their land, which Thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which Thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for Thy name;

1�8,49 then hear Thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven Thy dwelling-place, and maintain their cause;

1�8,50 and forgive Thy people who have sinned against Thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against Thee; and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them;

1�8,51 for they are Thy people, and Thine inheritance, which Thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron;

1�8,52 that Thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of Thy servant, and unto the supplication of Thy people Israel, to hearken unto them whensoever they cry unto Thee.

1�8,53 For Thou didst set them apart from among all the peoples of the earth, to be Thine inheritance, as Thou didst speak by the hand of Moses Thy servant, when Thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD.' {P}

1�8,54 And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven.

1�8,55 And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying:

1�8,56 'Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto His people Israel, according to all that He promised; there hath not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses His servant.

1�8,57 The LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; let Him not leave us, nor forsake us;

1�8,58 that He may incline our hearts unto Him, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and His statutes, and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers.

1�8,59 And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be nigh unto the LORD our God day and night, that He maintain the cause of His servant, and the cause of His people Israel, as every day shall require;

1�8,60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD, He is God; there is none else.

1�8,61 Let your heart therefore be whole with the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes, and to keep His commandments, as at this day.'

1�8,62 And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD.

1�8,63 And Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, which he offered unto the LORD, two and twenty thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD.

1�8,64 The same day did the king hallow the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD; for there he offered the burnt-offering, and the meal-offering, and the fat of the peace-offerings; because the brazen altar that was before the LORD was too little to receive the burnt-offering, and the meal-offering, and the fat of the peace-offerings.

1�8,65 So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entrance Hamath unto the Brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.

1�8,66 On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had shown unto David His servant, and to Israel His people.

1�9,1 And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all Solomon's delight which he was pleased to do, {P}

1�9,2 that the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared unto him at Gibeon.

1�9,3 And the LORD said unto him: 'I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before Me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put My name there for ever; and Mine eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually.

1�9,4 And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before Me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep My statutes and Mine ordinances;

1�9,5 then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom over Israel for ever; according as I promised to David thy father, saying: There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.

1�9,6 But if ye shall turn away from following Me, ye or your children, and not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;

1�9,7 then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for My name, will I cast out of My sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a by word among all peoples;

1�9,8 and this house which is so high [shall become desolate], and every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and when they shall say: Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?

1�9,9 they shall be answered: Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them; therefore hath the LORD brought all this evil upon them.' {P}

1�9,10 And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the LORD and the king's house--

1�9,11 now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar-trees and cypress-trees, and with gold, according to all his desire--that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.

1�9,12 And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him: and they pleased him not.

1�9,13 And he said: 'What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother?' And they were called the land of Cabul, unto this day. {P}

1�9,14 And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold.

1�9,15 And this is the account of the levy which king Solomon raised; to build the house of the LORD, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.

1�9,16 Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a portion unto his daughter, Solomon's wife.

1�9,17 And Solomon built Gezer, and Beth-horon the nether,

1�9,18 and Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land,

1�9,19 and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

1�9,20 All the people that were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel;

1�9,21 even their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel were not able utterly to destroy, of them did Solomon raise a levy of bondservants, unto this day.

1�9,22 But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondservants; but they were the men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen. {S}

1�9,23 These were the chief officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, who bore rule over the people that wrought in the work.

1�9,24 But Pharaoh's daughter came up out of the city of David unto her house which [Solomon] had built for her; then did he build Millo.

1�9,25 And three times in a year did Solomon offer burnt-offerings and peace-offerings upon the altar which he built unto the LORD, offering thereby, upon the altar that was before the LORD. So he finished the house.

1�9,26 And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.

1�9,27 And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.

1�9,28 And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon. {P}

1�10,1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon because of the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.

1�10,2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices and gold very much, and precious stones; and when she was come to Solomon, she spoke with him of all that was in her heart.

1�10,3 And Solomon told her all her questions; there was not any thing hid from the king which he told her not.

1�10,4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

1�10,5 and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his burnt-offering which he offered in the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.

1�10,6 And she said to the king: 'It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom.

1�10,7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and, behold, the half was not told me; thou hast wisdom and prosperity exceeding the fame which I heard.

1�10,8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, that stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.

1�10,9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel; because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made He thee king, to do justice and righteousness.'

1�10,10 And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones; there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

1�10,11 And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of sandal-wood and precious stones.

1�10,12 And the king made of the sandal-wood pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for the singers; there came no such sandal-wood, nor was seen, unto this day.

1�10,13 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants. {P}

1�10,14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,

1�10,15 beside that which came of the merchants, and of the traffic of the traders, and of all the kings of the mingled people and of the governors of the country.

1�10,16 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target.

1�10,17 And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold: three pounds of gold went to one shield; and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. {P}

1�10,18 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold.

1�10,19 There were six steps to the throne, and the top of the throne was round behind; and there were arms on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms.

1�10,20 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps; there was not the like made in any kingdom.

1�10,21 And all king Solomon's drinking-vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver; it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

1�10,22 For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram; once every three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

1�10,23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

1�10,24 And all the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

1�10,25 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year. {S}

1�10,26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen; and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

1�10,27 And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the Lowland, for abundance.

1�10,28 And the horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; also out of Keveh, the king's merchants buying them of the men of Keveh at a price.

1�10,29 And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty; and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Aram, did they bring them out by their means. {P}

1�11,1 Now king Solomon loved many foreign women, besides the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;

1�11,2 of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel: 'Ye shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you; for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods'; Solomon did cleave unto these in love.

1�11,3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.

1�11,4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not whole with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

1�11,5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the detestation of the Ammonites.

1�11,6 And Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. {S}

1�11,7 Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh the detestation of Moab, in the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestation of the children of Ammon.

1�11,8 And so did he for all his foreign wives, who offered and sacrificed unto their gods.

1�11,9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared unto him twice,

1�11,10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. {P}

1�11,11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon: 'Forasmuch as this hath been in thy mind, and thou hast not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

1�11,12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it, for David thy father's sake; but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.

1�11,13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to thy son; for David My servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.' {S}

1�11,14 And the LORD raised up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was of the king's seed in Edom.

1�11,15 For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, and had smitten every male in Edom--

1�11,16 for Joab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom--

1�11,17 that Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad being yet a little child.

1�11,18 And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran; and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, and appointed him victuals, and gave him land.

1�11,19 And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.

1�11,20 And the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh's house among the sons of Pharaoh.

1�11,21 And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh: 'Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country.'

1�11,22 Then Pharaoh said unto him: 'But what hast thou lacked with me, that, behold, thou seekest to go to thine own country?' And he answered: 'Nothing; howbeit let me depart in any wise.'

1�11,23 And God raised up another adversary unto him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah.

1�11,24 And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a troop, when David slew them [of Zobah]; and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.

1�11,25 And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did; and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Aram. {P}

1�11,26 And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow, he also lifted up his hand against the king.

1�11,27 And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breach of the city of David his father.

1�11,28 And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour; and Solomon saw the young man that he was industrious, and he gave him charge over all the labour of the house of Joseph. {S}

1�11,29 And it came to pass at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; now Ahijah had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field.

1�11,30 And Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces.

1�11,31 And he said to Jeroboam: 'Take thee ten pieces; for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee--

1�11,32 but he shall have one tribe, for My servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel--

1�11,33 because that they have forsaken Me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, to do that which is right in Mine eyes, and to keep My statutes and Mine ordinances, as did David his father.

1�11,34 Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand; but I will make him prince all the days of his life, for David My servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept My commandments and My statutes;

1�11,35 but I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.

1�11,36 And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David My servant may have a lamp alway before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen Me to put My name there.

1�11,37 And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign over all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.

1�11,38 And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in My ways, and do that which is right in Mine eyes, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as David My servant did, that I will be with thee, and will build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.

1�11,39 And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.' {S}

1�11,40 Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam; but Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. {S}

1�11,41 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?

1�11,42 And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.

1�11,43 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead. {S}

1�12,1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem; for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.

1�12,2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it--for he was yet in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt,

1�12,3 and they sent and called him--that Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spoke unto Rehoboam, saying:

1�12,4 'Thy father made our yoke grievous; now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.'

1�12,5 And he said unto them: 'Depart yet for three days, then come again to me.' And the people departed.

1�12,6 And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying: 'What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?'

1�12,7 And they spoke unto him, saying: 'If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.'

1�12,8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men that were grown up with him, that stood before him.

1�12,9 And he said unto them: 'What counsel give ye, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying: Make the yoke that thy father did put upon us lighter?'

1�12,10 And the young men that were grown up with him spoke unto him, saying: 'Thus shalt thou say unto this people that spoke unto thee, saying: Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou speak unto them: My little finger is thicker than my father's loins.

1�12,11 And now whereas my father did burden you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.'

1�12,12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king bade, saying: 'Come to me again the third day.'

1�12,13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him;

1�12,14 and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying: 'My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.'

1�12,15 So the king hearkened not unto the people; for it was a thing brought about of the LORD, that He might establish His word, which the LORD spoke by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

1�12,16 And when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying: 'What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse; to your tents, O Israel; now see to thine own house, David.' So Israel departed unto their tents.

1�12,17 But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. {P}

1�12,18 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the levy; and all Israel stoned him with stones, so that he died. And king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

1�12,19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David, unto this day. {S}

1�12,20 And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was returned, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel; there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

1�12,21 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, be assembled all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men that were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. {P}

1�12,22 But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying:

1�12,23 'Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying:

1�12,24 Thus saith the LORD: Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel; return every man to his house; for this thing is of Me.' So they hearkened unto the word of the LORD, and returned and went their way, according to the word of the LORD. {S}

1�12,25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and he went out from thence, and built Penuel.

1�12,26 And Jeroboam said in his heart: 'Now will the kingdom return to the house of David.

1�12,27 If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then will the heart of this people turn back unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.'

1�12,28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said unto them: 'Ye have gone up long enough to Jerusalem; behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.'

1�12,29 And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other put he in Dan.

1�12,30 And this thing became a sin; for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.

1�12,31 And he made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, that were not of the sons of Levi.

1�12,32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he went up unto the altar; so did he in Beth-el, to sacrifice unto the calves that he had made; and he placed in Beth-el the priests of the high places that he had made.

1�12,33 And he went up unto the altar which he had made in Beth-el on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up unto the altar, to offer. {P}

1�13,1 And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Beth-el; and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to offer.

1�13,2 And he cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said: 'O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD: Behold, a son shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places that offer upon thee, and men's bones shall they burn upon thee.'

1�13,3 And he gave a sign the same day saying: 'This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken: Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.'

1�13,4 And it came to pass, when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Beth-el, that Jeroboam put forth his hand from the altar, saying: 'Lay hold on him.' And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to him.

1�13,5 The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.

1�13,6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God: 'Entreat now the favour of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me.' And the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him, and became as it was before.

1�13,7 And the king said unto the man of God: 'Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.'

1�13,8 And the man of God said unto the king: 'If thou wilt give me half thy house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place.

1�13,9 For it so was charged me by the word of the LORD, saying: Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water, neither return by the way that thou camest.'

1�13,10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Beth-el. {P}

1�13,11 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Beth-el; and one of his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Beth-el, and the words which he had spoken unto the king, and they told them unto their father.

1�13,12 And their father said unto them: 'What way went he?' For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, that came from Judah.

1�13,13 And he said unto his sons: 'Saddle me the ass.' So they saddled him the ass; and he rode thereon.

1�13,14 And he went after the man of God, and found him sitting under a terebinth; and he said unto him: 'Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah?' And he said: 'I am.'

1�13,15 Then he said unto him: 'Come home with me, and eat bread.'

1�13,16 And he said: 'I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee; neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place.

1�13,17 For it was said to me by the word of the LORD: Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn back to go by the way that thou camest.'

1�13,18 And he said unto him: 'I also am a prophet as thou art; and an angel spoke unto me by the word of the LORD, saying: Bring him back with thee into thy house, that he may eat bread and drink water.'--He lied unto him.--

1�13,19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.

1�13,20 And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, {P}

�

that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back.

1�13,21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying: 'Thus saith the LORD: Forasmuch as thou hast rebelled against the word of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,

1�13,22 but camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to thee: Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.'

1�13,23 And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, namely, for the prophet whom he had brought back.

1�13,24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him; and his carcass was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it; the lion also stood by the carcass.

1�13,25 And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcass cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcass; and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.

1�13,26 And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said: 'It is the man of God, who rebelled against the word of the LORD; therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke unto him.'

1�13,27 And he spoke to his sons, saying: 'Saddle me the ass.' And they saddled it.

1�13,28 And he went and found his carcass cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcass; the lion had not eaten the carcass, nor torn the ass.

1�13,29 And the prophet took up the carcass of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back; and he came to the city of the old prophet, to lament, and to bury him.

1�13,30 And he laid his carcass in his own grave; and they made lamentation for him: 'Alas, my brother!'

1�13,31 And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying: 'When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones.

1�13,32 For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Beth-el, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.' {P}

1�13,33 After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again from among all the people priests of the high places; whosoever would, he consecrated him, that he might be one of the priests of the high places.

1�13,34 And by this thing there was sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth. {P}

1�14,1 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick.

1�14,2 And Jeroboam said to his wife: 'Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh; behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, who spoke concerning me that I should be king over this people.

1�14,3 And take with thee ten loaves, and biscuits, and a cruse of honey, and go to him; he will tell thee what shall become of the child.'

1�14,4 And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age. {P}

1�14,5 Now the LORD had said unto Ahijah: 'Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to inquire of thee concerning her son; for he is sick; thus and thus shalt thou say unto her; for it will be, when she cometh in, that she will feign herself to be another woman.'

1�14,6 And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said: 'Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself to be another? for I am sent to thee with heavy tidings.

1�14,7 Go, tell Jeroboam: Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over My people Israel,

1�14,8 and rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee; and yet thou hast not been as My servant David, who kept My commandments, and who followed Me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in Mine eyes;

1�14,9 but hast done evil above all that were before thee, and hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke Me, and hast cast Me behind thy back;

1�14,10 therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every man-child, and him that is shut up and him that is left at large in Israel, and will utterly sweep away the house of Jeroboam, as a man sweepeth away dung, till it be all gone.

1�14,11 Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat; for the LORD hath spoken it.

1�14,12 Arise thou therefore, get thee to thy house; and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die.

1�14,13 And all Israel shall make lamentation for him, and bury him; for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave; because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam.

1�14,14 Moreover the LORD will raise Him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day. But what is it even then?

1�14,15 for the LORD will smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will root up Israel out of this good land, which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River; because they have made their Asherim, provoking the LORD.

1�14,16 And He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he hath sinned, and wherewith he hath made Israel to sin.'

1�14,17 And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah; and as she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.

1�14,18 And all Israel buried him, and made lamentation for him; according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke by the hand of His servant Ahijah the prophet.

1�14,19 And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred, and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

1�14,20 And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years; and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead. {P}

1�14,21 And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there; and his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess.

1�14,22 And Judah did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; and they moved Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, above all that their fathers had done.

1�14,23 For they also built them high places, and pillars, and Asherim, on every high hill, and under every leafy tree;

1�14,24 and there were also sodomites in the land; they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD drove out before the children of Israel. {P}

1�14,25 And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem;

1�14,26 and he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he even took away all; and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

1�14,27 And king Rehoboam made in their stead shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house.

1�14,28 And it was so, that as oft as the king went into the house of the LORD, the guard bore them, and brought them back into the guard-chamber.

1�14,29 Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

1�14,30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

1�14,31 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead. {P}

1�15,1 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat began Abijam to reign over Judah.

1�15,2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

1�15,3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and his heart was not whole with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.

1�15,4 Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem;

1�15,5 because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that He commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

1�15,6 Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

1�15,7 And the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

1�15,8 And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son reigned in his stead. {P}

1�15,9 And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Asa to reign over Judah.

1�15,10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

1�15,11 And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.

1�15,12 And he put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

1�15,13 And also Maacah his mother he removed from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; and Asa cut down her image, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

1�15,14 But the high places were not taken away; nevertheless the heart of Asa was whole with the LORD all his days. {S}

1�15,15 And he brought into the house of the LORD the things that his father had hallowed, and the things that himself had hallowed, silver, and gold, and vessels.

1�15,16 And there was war between Asa and Baasa king of Israel all their days.

1�15,17 And Baasa king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

1�15,18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants; and king Asa sent them to Ben-hadad, the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram, that dwelt at Damascus, saying:

1�15,19 'There is a league between me and thee, between my father and thy father; behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasa king of Israel, that he may depart from me.'

1�15,20 And Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.

1�15,21 And it came to pass, when Baasa heard thereof, that he left off building Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.

1�15,22 Then king Asa made a proclamation unto all Judah; none was exempted; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasa had builded; and king Asa built therewith Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.

1�15,23 Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? But in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.

1�15,24 And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead. {P}

1�15,25 And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years.

1�15,26 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.

1�15,27 And Baasa the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasa smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

1�15,28 Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasa slay him, and reigned in his stead.

1�15,29 And it came to pass that, as soon as he was king, he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him; according unto the saying of the LORD, which He spoke by the hand of His servant Ahijah the Shilonite;

1�15,30 for the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and wherewith he made Israel to sin; because of his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel.

1�15,31 Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

1�15,32 And there was war between Asa and Baasa king of Israel all their days. {P}

1�15,33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasa the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, and reigned twenty and four years.

1�15,34 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin. {S}

1�16,1 And the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasa, saying:

1�16,2 'Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over My people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made My people Israel to sin, to provoke Me with their sins;

1�16,3 behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasa and his house; and I will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

1�16,4 Him that dieth of Baasa in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth of his in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.'

1�16,5 Now the rest of the acts of Baasa, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

1�16,6 And Baasa slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his stead.

1�16,7 And moreover by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the LORD against Baasa, and against his house, both because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he smote him. {P}

1�16,8 In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasa to reign over Israel in Tirzah, and reigned two years.

1�16,9 And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him; now he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah;

1�16,10 and Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.

1�16,11 And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he smote all the house of Baasa; he left him not a single man-child, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends.

1�16,12 Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasa, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke against Baasa by Jehu the prophet,

1�16,13 for all the sins of Baasa, and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned, and wherewith they made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, with their vanities.

1�16,14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? {P}

1�16,15 In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign seven days in Tirzah. Now the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.

1�16,16 And the people that were encamped heard say: 'Zimri hath conspired, and hath also smitten the king'; wherefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp.

1�16,17 And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.

1�16,18 And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the castle of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died;

1�16,19 for his sins which he sinned in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin.

1�16,20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? {P}

1�16,21 Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri.

1�16,22 But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath; so Tibni died, and Omri reigned. {P}

1�16,23 In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, and reigned twelve years; six years reigned he in Tirzah.

1�16,24 And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Samaria.

1�16,25 And Omri did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and dealt wickedly above all that were before him.

1�16,26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, with their vanities.

1�16,27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he showed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

1�16,28 And Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son reigned in his stead. {P}

1�16,29 And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.

1�16,30 And Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.

1�16,31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.

1�16,32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

1�16,33 And Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did yet more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

1�16,34 In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho; with Abiram his first-born he laid the foundation thereof, and with his youngest son Segub he set up the gates thereof; according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke by the hand of Joshua the son of Nun. {S}

1�17,1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said unto Ahab: 'As the LORD, the God of Israel, liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.' {S}

1�17,2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying:

1�17,3 'Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.

1�17,4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.'

1�17,5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD; for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.

1�17,6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

1�17,7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. {S}

1�17,8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying:

1�17,9 'Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee.'

1�17,10 So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her, and said: 'Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.'

1�17,11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said: 'Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thy hand.'

1�17,12 And she said: 'As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, only a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the cruse; and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.'

1�17,13 And Elijah said unto her: 'Fear not; go and do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it forth unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son.

1�17,14 For thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: The jar of meal shall not be spent, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the land.'

1�17,15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah; and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

1�17,16 The jar of meal was not spent, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke by Elijah. {P}

1�17,17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.

1�17,18 And she said unto Elijah: 'What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?'

1�17,19 And he said unto her: 'Give me thy son.' And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into the upper chamber, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.

1�17,20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said: 'O LORD my God, hast Thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?'

1�17,21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said: 'O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come back into him.'

1�17,22 And the LORD hearkened unto the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back into him, and he revived.

1�17,23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the upper chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother; and Elijah said: 'See, thy son liveth.'

1�17,24 And the woman said to Elijah: 'Now I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.' {P}

1�18,1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying: 'Go, show thyself unto Ahab, and I will send rain upon the land.'

1�18,2 And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab. And the famine was sore in Samaria.

1�18,3 And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household.--Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly;

1�18,4 for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.--

1�18,5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah: 'Go through the land, unto all the springs of water, and unto all the brooks; peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.'

1�18,6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

1�18,7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him; and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said: 'Is it thou, my lord Elijah?'

1�18,8 And he answered him: 'It is I; go, tell thy lord: Behold, Elijah is here.'

1�18,9 And he said: 'Wherein have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?

1�18,10 As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee; and when they said: He is not here, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.

1�18,11 And now thou sayest: Go, tell thy lord: Behold, Elijah is here.

1�18,12 And it will come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the spirit of the LORD will carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he will slay me; but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth.

1�18,13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid a hundred men of the LORD'S prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?

1�18,14 And now thou sayest: Go, tell thy lord: Behold, Elijah is here; and he will slay me.' {S}

1�18,15 And Elijah said: 'As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him to-day.'

1�18,16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

1�18,17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him: 'Is it thou, thou troubler of Israel?'

1�18,18 And he answered: 'I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed the Baalim.

1�18,19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, that eat at Jezebel's table.'

1�18,20 And Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.

1�18,21 And Elijah came near unto all the people, and said: 'How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.' And the people answered him not a word.

1�18,22 Then said Elijah unto the people: 'I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

1�18,23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under.

1�18,24 And call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God.' And all the people answered and said: 'It is well spoken.'

1�18,25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal: 'Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under.'

1�18,26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying: 'O Baal, answer us.' But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they danced in halting wise about the altar which was made.

1�18,27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said: 'Cry aloud; for he is a god; either he is musing, or he is gone aside, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.'

1�18,28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with swords and lances, till the blood gushed out upon them.

1�18,29 And it was so, when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening offering; but their was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

1�18,30 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 thrown down.

1�18,31 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.'

1�18,32 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.

1�18,33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it on the wood.

1�18,34 And he said: 'Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt-offering, and on the wood.' 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.

1�18,35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

1�18,36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening offering, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said: 'O LORD, the God of Abraham, of 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.

1�18,37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that Thou, LORD, art God, for Thou didst turn their heart backward.'

1�18,38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt-offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

1�18,39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said: 'The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.'

1�18,40 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.

1�18,41 And Elijah said unto Ahab: 'Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.'

1�18,42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees.

1�18,43 And he 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.'

1�18,44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said: 'Behold, there ariseth a cloud out of the sea, as small as a man's hand.' And he said: 'Go up, say unto Ahab: Make ready thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.'

1�18,45 And it came to pass in a little while, that the heaven grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

1�18,46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

1�19,1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

1�19,2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying: 'So let the gods do [to me], and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time.'

1�19,3 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.

1�19,4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom-tree; and he requested for himself that he might die; and said: 'It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.'

1�19,5 And he lay down and slept under a broom-tree; and, behold, an angel touched him, and said unto him: 'Arise and eat.'

1�19,6 And he looked, and, behold, there was at his head a cake baked on the hot stones, and a cruse of water. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

1�19,7 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.'

1�19,8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meal forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

1�19,9 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?'

1�19,10 And he said: 'I have been very jealous for the LORD, the 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.'

1�19,11 And He said: 'Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD.' And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke 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;

1�19,12 and after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

1�19,13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said: 'What doest thou here, Elijah?'

1�19,14 And he said: 'I have been very jealous for the LORD, the 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.' {S}

1�19,15 And the LORD said unto him: 'Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when thou comest, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Aram;

1�19,16 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�19,17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay; and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

1�19,18 Yet will I leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.'

1�19,19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth; and Elijah passed over unto him, and cast his mantle upon him.

1�19,20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said: 'Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee.' And he said unto him: 'Go back; for what have I done to thee?'

1�19,21 And he returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him. {P}

1�20,1 And Ben-hadad the king of Aram 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 fought against it.

1�20,2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city,

1�20,3 and said unto him: 'Thus saith Ben-hadad: Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.'

1�20,4 And the king of Israel answered and said: 'It is according to thy saying, my lord, O king: I am thine, and all that I have.'

1�20,5 And the messengers came again, and said: 'Thus speaketh Ben-hadad, saying: I sent indeed unto thee, saying: Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;

1�20,6 but I will send my servants unto thee tomorrow about this time, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.'

1�20,7 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.'

1�20,8 And all the elders and all the people said unto him: 'Hearken thou not, neither consent.'

1�20,9 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 back word.

1�20,10 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.'

1�20,11 And the king of Israel answered and said: 'Tell him: Let not him that girdeth on his armour boast himself as he that putteth it off.'

1�20,12 And it came to pass, when [Ben-hadad] heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings, in the booths, that he said unto his servants: 'Set yourselves in array.' And they set themselves in array against the city.

1�20,13 And, behold, a prophet came near unto Ahab king of Israel, and said: 'Thus saith the LORD: Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thy hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.'

1�20,14 And Ahab said: 'By whom?' And he said: 'Thus saith the LORD: By the young men of the princes of the provinces.' Then he said: 'Who shall begin the battle?' And he answered: 'Thou.'

1�20,15 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.

1�20,16 And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him.

1�20,17 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 from Samaria.'

1�20,18 And he said: 'Whether they are come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they are come out for war, take them alive.'

1�20,19 So these went out of the city, the young men of the princes of the provinces, and the army which followed them.

1�20,20 And they slew every one his man; and the Arameans fled, and Israel pursued them; and Ben-hadad the king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.

1�20,21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Arameans with a great slaughter.

1�20,22 And the prophet came near 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 king of Aram will come up against thee.' {P}

1�20,23 And the servants of the king of Aram said unto him: 'Their God is a God 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.

1�20,24 And do this thing: take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put governors in their room:

1�20,25 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. {P}

1�20,26 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

1�20,27 And the children of Israel were mustered, and were victualled, and went against them; and the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Arameans filled the country.

1�20,28 And a man of God came near and spoke unto the king of Israel, and said: 'Thus saith the LORD: Because the Arameans have said: The LORD is a God of the hills, but he is not a God of the valleys; therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thy hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.'

1�20,29 And they encamped 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 Arameans a hundred thousand footmen in one day.

1�20,30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and the wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand men that were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.

1�20,31 And his servants said unto him: 'Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings; let us, we pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; peradventure he will save thy life.'

1�20,32 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.'

1�20,33 Now the men took it for a sign, and hastened to catch it from him; 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 his chariot.

1�20,34 And [Ben-hadad] said unto him: 'The cities which my father took from thy father I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria.' 'And I[, said Ahab,] will let thee go with this covenant.' So he made a covenant with him, and let him go. {S}

1�20,35 And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his fellow by the word of the LORD: 'Smite me, I pray thee.' And the man refused to smite him.

1�20,36 Then said he unto him: 'Because thou hast not hearkened to the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee.' And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him; and slew him.

1�20,37 Then he found another man, and said: 'Smite me, I pray thee.' And the man smote him, smiting and wounding him.

1�20,38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with his headband over his eyes.

1�20,39 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 pay a talent of silver.

1�20,40 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.'

1�20,41 And he hastened, and took the headband away from his eyes; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.

1�20,42 And he said unto him: 'Thus saith the LORD: Because thou hast let go out of thy hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.'

1�20,43 And the king of Israel went to his house sullen and displeased, and came to Samaria. {P}

1�21,1 And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.

1�21,2 And Ahab spoke unto Naboth, saying: 'Give me thy vineyard, 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.'

1�21,3 And Naboth said to Ahab: 'The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.'

1�21,4 And Ahab came into his house sullen 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.

1�21,5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him: 'Why is thy spirit so sullen, that thou eatest no bread?'

1�21,6 And he said unto her: 'Because I spoke 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.'

1�21,7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him: 'Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thy heart be merry; I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.'

1�21,8 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, and that dwelt with Naboth.

1�21,9 And she wrote in the letters, saying: 'Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people;

1�21,10 and set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them bear witness against him, saying: Thou didst curse God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he die.'

1�21,11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who dwelt in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, according as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.

1�21,12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people.

1�21,13 And the two men, the base fellows, came in and sat before him; and the base fellows bore witness against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying: 'Naboth did curse God and the king.' Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

1�21,14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying: 'Naboth is stoned, and is dead.'

1�21,15 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.'

1�21,16 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. {P}

1�21,17 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:

1�21,18 'Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who dwelleth in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to take possession of it.

1�21,19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying: Thus saith the LORD: Hast thou killed, and also taken possessions? 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.'

1�21,20 And Ahab said to Elijah: 'Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?' And he answered: 'I have found thee; because thou hast given thyself over to do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD.

1�21,21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will utterly sweep thee away, and will cut off from Ahab every man-child, and him that is shut up and him that is left at large in Israel.

1�21,22 And I will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasa the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked Me, and hast made Israel to sin.

1�21,23 And of Jezebel also spoke the LORD, saying: The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the moat of Jezreel.

1�21,24 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.'

1�21,25 But there was none like unto Ahab, who did give himself over to do that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

1�21,26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites did, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. {P}

1�21,27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softy. {P}

1�21,28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:

1�21,29 '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 son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.'

1�22,1 And they continued three years without war between Aram and Israel. {P}

1�22,2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.

1�22,3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants: 'Know ye that Ramoth-gilead is ours, and we are still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Aram?'

1�22,4 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.'

1�22,5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel: 'Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD today.'

1�22,6 Then the king of Israel gathered 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 will deliver it into the hand of the king.'

1�22,7 But Jehoshaphat said: 'Is there not here besides a prophet of the LORD, that we might inquire of him?'

1�22,8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat: 'There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.' And Jehoshaphat said: 'Let not the king say so.'

1�22,9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said: 'Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah.'

1�22,10 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in a threshing-floor, at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

1�22,11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and said: 'Thus saith the LORD: With these shalt thou gore the Arameans, until they be consumed.'

1�22,12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying: 'Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper; for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.'

1�22,13 And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spoke 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 thou good.'

1�22,14 And Micaiah said: 'As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.'

1�22,15 And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him: 'Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear?' And he answered him: 'Go up, and prosper; and the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.'

1�22,16 And the king said unto him: 'How many times shall I adjure thee that thou speak unto me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?'

1�22,17 And he said: 'I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd; and the LORD said: These have no master; let them return every man to his house in peace.'

1�22,18 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: 'Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?' {S}

1�22,19 And he said: 'Therefore hear thou the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on his left.

1�22,20 And the LORD said: Who shall entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead. And one said: On this manner; and another said: On that manner.

1�22,21 And there came forth the spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said: I will entice him.

1�22,22 And the LORD said unto him: Wherewith? And he said: I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And He said: Thou shalt entice him, and shalt prevail also; go forth, and do so.

1�22,23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets; and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.'

1�22,24 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah on the check, and said: 'Which way went the spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?'

1�22,25 And Micaiah said: 'Behold, thou shalt see on that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.'

1�22,26 And the king of Israel said: 'Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;

1�22,27 and say: Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with scant bread and with scant water, until I come in peace.'

1�22,28 And Micaiah said: 'If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me.' And he said: 'Hear, ye peoples, all of you.'

1�22,29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.

1�22,30 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat: 'I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but put thou on thy robes.' And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.

1�22,31 Now the king of Aram had commanded the thirty and two captains of his chariots, saying: 'Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.'

1�22,32 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said: 'Surely it is the king of Israel'; and they turned aside to fight against him; and Jehoshaphat cried out.

1�22,33 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.

1�22,34 And a certain man drew his bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the lower armour and the breastplate; wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot: 'Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am sore wounded.'

1�22,35 And the battle increased that day; and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Arameans, and died at even; and the blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot.

1�22,36 And there went a cry throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying: 'Every man to his city, and every man to his country.'

1�22,37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

1�22,38 And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; the harlots also washed themselves there; according unto the word of the LORD which He spoke.

1�22,39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

1�22,40 So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead. {P}

1�22,41 And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

1�22,42 Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

1�22,43 And he walked in all the way of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD;

1�22,44 howbeit the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and offered in the high places.

1�22,45 And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

1�22,46 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

1�22,47 And the remnant of the sodomites that remained in the days of his father Asa, he put away out of the land.

1�22,48 And there was no king in Edom: a deputy was king.

1�22,49 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold; but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber.

1�22,50 Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat: 'Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships.' But Jehoshaphat would not.

1�22,51 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead. {S}

1�22,52 Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel.

1�22,53 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherein he made Israel to sin.

1�22,54 And he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.

2�1,1 And Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.

2�1,2 And Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick; and he sent messengers, and said unto them: 'Go, inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this sickness.' {S}

2�1,3 But an angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite: 'Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them: Is it because there is no God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?

2�1,4 Now therefore thus saith the LORD: Thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.' And Elijah departed.

2�1,5 And the messengers returned unto him, and he said unto them: 'Why is it that ye are returned?'

2�1,6 And they said unto him: 'There came up a man to meet us, and said unto us: Go, return unto the king that sent you, and say unto him: Thus saith the LORD: Is it because there is no God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.'

2�1,7 And he said unto them: 'What manner of man was he that came up to meet you, and told you these words?'

2�1,8 And they answered him: 'He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins.' And he said: 'It is Elijah the Tishbite.'

2�1,9 Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him; and, behold, he sat on the top of the hill. And he spoke unto him: 'O man of God, the king hath said: Come down.'

2�1,10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty: 'If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty.' And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

2�1,11 And again he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him: 'O man of God, thus hath the king said: Come down quickly.'

2�1,12 And Elijah answered and said unto them: 'If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty.' And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

2�1,13 And again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him: 'O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.

2�1,14 Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and consumed the two former captains of fifty with their fifties; but now let my life be precious in thy sight' {S}

2�1,15 And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah: 'Go down with him; be not afraid of him.' And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.

2�1,16 And he said unto him: 'Thus saith the LORD: Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed whether thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.'

2�1,17 So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram began to reign in his stead {P}

�

in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son. {S}

2�1,18 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? {P}

2�2,1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2�2,2 And Elijah said unto Elisha: 'Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me as far as Beth-el.' And Elisha said: 'As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.' So they went down to Beth-el.--

2�2,3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him: 'Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to-day?' And he said: 'Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.'--

2�2,4 And Elijah said unto him: 'Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho.' And he said: 'As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.' So they came to Jericho.--

2�2,5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said unto him: 'Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to-day?' And he answered: 'Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.'--

2�2,6 And Elijah said unto him: 'Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to the Jordan.' And he said: 'As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.' And they two went on.

2�2,7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood over against them afar off; and they two stood by the Jordan.

2�2,8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

2�2,9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha: 'Ask what I shall do for thee, before I am taken from thee.' And Elisha said: 'I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.'

2�2,10 And he said: 'Thou hast asked a hard thing; nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.'

2�2,11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them both assunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

2�2,12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried: 'My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof!' And he saw him no more; and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

2�2,13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan.

2�2,14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said: 'Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?' and when he also had smitten the waters, they were divided hither and thither; and Elisha went over.

2�2,15 And when the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho some way off saw him, they said: 'The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha.' And they came to meet him, and bowed down to the ground before him.

2�2,16 And they said unto him: 'Behold now, there are with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master; lest peradventure the spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley.' And he said: 'Ye shall not send.'

2�2,17 And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said: 'Send.' They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.

2�2,18 And they came back to him, while he tarried at Jericho; and he said unto them: 'Did I not say unto you: Go not?' {S}

2�2,19 And the men of the city said unto Elisha: 'Behold, we pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth; but the water is bad, and the land miscarrieth.

2�2,20 And he said: 'Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein.' And they brought it to him.

2�2,21 And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and said: 'Thus saith the LORD: I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or miscarrying.'

2�2,22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke. {P}

2�2,23 And he went up from thence unto Beth-el; and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him: 'Go up, thou baldhead; go up, thou baldhead.'

2�2,24 And he looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tore forty and two children of them.

2�2,25 And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria. {P}

2�3,1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.

2�3,2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother; for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made.

2�3,3 Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom. {P}

2�3,4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master; and he rendered unto the king of Israel the wool of a hundred thousand lambs, and of a hundred thousand rams.

2�3,5 But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

2�3,6 And king Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered all Israel.

2�3,7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying: 'The king of Moab hath rebelled against me; wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle?' And he said: 'I will go up; I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.'

2�3,8 And he said: 'Which way shall we go up?' And he answered: 'The way of the wilderness of Edom.'

2�3,9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days' journey; and there was no water for the host, nor for the beasts that followed them.

2�3,10 And the king of Israel said: 'Alas! for the LORD hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.' {S}

2�3,11 But Jehoshaphat said: 'Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?' And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said: 'Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.'

2�3,12 And Jehoshaphat said: 'The word of the LORD is with him.' So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

2�3,13 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel: 'What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother.' And the king of Israel said unto him: 'Nay; for the LORD hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.'

2�3,14 And Elisha said: 'As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.

2�3,15 But now bring me a minstrel.' And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.

2�3,16 And he said: 'Thus saith the LORD: Make this valley full of trenches.

2�3,17 For thus saith the LORD: Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain, yet that valley shall be filled with water; and ye shall drink, both ye and your cattle and your beasts.

2�3,18 And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.

2�3,19 And ye shall smite every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all fountains of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.'

2�3,20 And it came to pass in the morning, about the time of making the offering, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

2�3,21 Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood on the border.

2�3,22 And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water some way off as red as blood;

2�3,23 and they said: 'This is blood: the kings have surely fought together, and they have smitten each man his fellow; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.'

2�3,24 And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them. And they smote the land, even Moab, mightily.

2�3,25 And they beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land they cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the fountains of water, and felled all the good trees; until there was left only Kir-hareseth with the stones of the wall thereof; so the slingers encompassed it, and smote it.

2�3,26 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew sword, to break through unto the king of Edom; but they could not.

2�3,27 Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt-offering upon the wall. And there came great wrath upon Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their own land. {P}

2�4,1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying: 'Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD; and the creditor is come to take unto him my two children to be bondmen.'

2�4,2 And Elisha said unto her: 'What shall I do for thee? tell me; what hast thou in the house?' And she said: 'Thy handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.'

2�4,3 Then he said: 'Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

2�4,4 And thou shalt go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels; and thou shalt set aside that which is full.'

2�4,5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons; they brought the vessels to her, and she poured out.

2�4,6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son: 'Bring me yet a vessel.' And he said unto her: 'There is not a vessel more.' And the oil stayed.

2�4,7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said: 'Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy sons of the rest.' {P}

2�4,8 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.

2�4,9 And she said unto her husband: 'Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, that passeth by us continually.

2�4,10 Let us make, I pray thee, a little chamber on the roof; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick; and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.'

2�4,11 And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the upper chamber and lay there.

2�4,12 And he said to Gehazi his servant: 'Call this Shunammite.' And when he had called her, she stood before him.

2�4,13 And he said unto him: 'Say now unto her: Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host?' And she answered: 'I dwell among mine own people.'

2�4,14 And he said: 'What then is to be done for her?' And Gehazi answered: 'Verily she hath no son, and her husband is old.'

2�4,15 And he said: 'Call her.' And when he had called her, she stood in the door.

2�4,16 And he said: 'At this season, when the time cometh round, thou shalt embrace a son.' And she said: 'Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thy handmaid.'

2�4,17 And the woman conceived, and bore a son at that season, when the time came round, as Elisha had said unto her.

2�4,18 And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.

2�4,19 And he said unto his father: 'My head, my head.' And he said to his servant: 'Carry him to his mother.'

2�4,20 And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

2�4,21 And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.

2�4,22 And she called unto her husband, and said: 'Send me, I pray thee, one of the servants, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come back.'

2�4,23 And he said: Wherefore wilt thou go to him today? it is neither new moon nor sabbath.' And she said: 'It shall be well.'

2�4,24 Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant: 'Drive, and go forward; slacken me not the riding, except I bid thee.'

2�4,25 So she went, and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant: 'Behold, yonder is that Shunammite.

2�4,26 Run, I pray thee, now to meet her, and say unto her: Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child?' And she answered: 'It is well.'

2�4,27 And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to thrust her away; but the man of God said: 'Let her alone; for her soul is bitter within her; and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told Me.'

2�4,28 Then she said: 'Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say: Do not deceive me?'

2�4,29 Then he said to Gehazi: 'Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go thy way; if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not; and lay my staff upon the face of the child.'

2�4,30 And the mother of the child said: 'As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.' And he arose, and followed her.

2�4,31 And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he returned to meet him, and told him, saying: 'The child is not awaked.'

2�4,32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.

2�4,33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.

2�4,34 And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands; and he stretched himself upon him; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.

2�4,35 Then he returned, and walked in the house once to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him; and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

2�4,36 And he called Gehazi, and said: 'Call this Shunammite.' So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said: 'Take up thy son.'

2�4,37 Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed down to the ground; and she took up her son, and went out. {P}

2�4,38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal; and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said unto his servant: 'Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.'

2�4,39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage; for they knew them not.

2�4,40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said: 'O man of God, there is death in the pot.' And they could not eat thereof.

2�4,41 But he said: 'Then bring meal.' And he cast it into the pot; and he said: 'Pour out for the people, that they may eat.' And there was no harm in the pot. {S}

2�4,42 And there came a man from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of corn in his sack. And he said: 'Give unto the people, that they may eat.'

2�4,43 And his servant said: 'How should I set this before a hundred men?' But he said: 'Give the people, that they may eat; for thus saith the LORD: They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.'

2�4,44 So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD. {P}

2�5,1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and held in esteem, because by him the LORD had given victory unto Aram; he was also a mighty man of valour, but he was a leper.

2�5,2 And the Arameans had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.

2�5,3 And she said unto her mistress: 'Would that my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! then would he recover him of his leprosy.'

2�5,4 And he went in, and told his lord, saying: 'Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.'

2�5,5 And the king of Aram said: 'Go now, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel.' And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

2�5,6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying: 'And now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.'

2�5,7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said: 'Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? but consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh an occasion against me.'

2�5,8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying: 'Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.'

2�5,9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

2�5,10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying: 'Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come back to thee, and thou shalt be clean.'

2�5,11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said: 'Behold, I thought: He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

2�5,12 Are not Amanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean?' So he turned, and went away in a rage.

2�5,13 And his servants came near, and spoke unto him, and said: 'My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee: Wash, and be clean?'

2�5,14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came back like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

2�5,15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him; and he said: 'Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; now therefore, I pray thee, take a present of thy servant.'

2�5,16 But he said: 'As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none.' And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

2�5,17 And Naaman said: 'If not, yet I pray thee let there be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth; for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt-offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.

2�5,18 In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant: when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I prostrate myself in the house of Rimmon, when I prostrate myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.'

2�5,19 And he said unto him: 'Go in peace.' So he departed from him some way. {S}

2�5,20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said: 'Behold, my master hath spared this Naaman the Aramean, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought; as the LORD liveth, I will surely run after him, and take somewhat of him.'

2�5,21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw one running after him, he alighted from the chariot to meet him, and said: 'Is all well?'

2�5,22 And he said: 'All is well. My master hath sent me, saying: Behold, even now there are come to me from the hill-country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of raiment.'

2�5,23 And Naaman said: 'Be content, take two talents.' And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of raiment, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bore them before him.

2�5,24 And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and deposited them in the house; and he let the men go, and they departed.

2�5,25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him: 'Whence comest thou, Gehazi?' And he said: 'Thy servant went no whither.'

2�5,26 And he said unto him: 'Went not my heart [with thee], when the man turned back from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and men-servants and maid-servants?

2�5,27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever.' And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

2�6,1 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha: 'Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee is too strait for us.

2�6,2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell.' And he answered: 'Go ye.'

2�6,3 And one said: 'Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants.' And he answered: 'I will go.'

2�6,4 So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.

2�6,5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water; and he cried, and said: 'Alas, my master! for it was borrowed.'

2�6,6 And the man of God said: 'Where fell it?' And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and made the iron to swim.

2�6,7 And he said: 'Take it up to thee.' So he put out his hand, and took it. {P}

2�6,8 Now the king of Aram warred against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying: 'In such and such a place shall be my camp.'

2�6,9 And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying: 'Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Arameans are coming down.'

2�6,10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he guarded himself there, not once nor twice.

2�6,11 And the heart of the king of Aram was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them: 'Will ye not tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?'

2�6,12 And one of his servants said: 'Nay, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bed-chamber.'

2�6,13 And he said: 'Go and see where he is, that I may send and fetch him.' And it was told him, saying: 'Behold, he is in Dothan.'

2�6,14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host; and they came by night, and compassed the city about.

2�6,15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, a host with horses and chariots was round about the city. And his servant said unto him: 'Alas, my master! how shall we do?'

2�6,16 And he answered: 'Fear not: for they that are with us are more than they that are with them.'

2�6,17 And Elisha prayed, and said: 'LORD, I pray Thee, open his eyes, that he may see.' And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw; and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

2�6,18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said: 'Smite this people, I pray Thee, with blindness.' And He smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

2�6,19 And Elisha said unto them: 'This is not the way, neither is this the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek.' And he led them to Samaria.

2�6,20 And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said: 'LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.' And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

2�6,21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them: 'My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?'

2�6,22 And he answered: 'Thou shalt not smite them; hast thou taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow those whom thou wouldest smite? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.'

2�6,23 And he prepared great provision for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Aram came no more into the land of Israel. {P}

2�6,24 And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

2�6,25 And there was a great famine in Samaria; and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.

2�6,26 And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying: 'Help, my lord, O king.'

2�6,27 And he said: 'If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the threshingfloor, or out of the winepress?'

2�6,28 And the king said unto her: 'What aileth thee?' And she answered: 'This woman said unto me: Give thy son, that we may eat him to-day, and we will eat my son to-morrow.

2�6,29 So we boiled my son, and did eat him; and I said unto her on the next day: Give thy son, that we may eat him; and she hath hid her son.'

2�6,30 And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes--now he was passing by upon the wall--and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

2�6,31 Then he said: 'God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.'

2�6,32 But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him; but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders: 'See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away my head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold the door fast against him; is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?'

2�6,33 And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him; and [the king] said: 'Behold, this evil is of the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?' {P}

2�7,1 And Elisha said: 'Hear ye the word of the LORD; thus saith the LORD: To-morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.'

2�7,2 Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said: 'Behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might this thing be?' And he said: 'Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.' {P}

2�7,3 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said one to another: 'Why sit we here until we die?

2�7,4 If we say: We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Arameans; if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.'

2�7,5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Arameans; and when they were come to the outermost part of the camp of the Arameans, behold, there was no man there.

2�7,6 For the Lord had made the host of the Arameans to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host; and they said one to another: 'Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.'

2�7,7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.

2�7,8 And when these lepers came to the outermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and they came back, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.

2�7,9 Then they said one to another: 'We do not well; this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace; if we tarry till the morning light, punishment will overtake us; now therefore come, let us go and tell the king's household.'

2�7,10 So they came and called unto the porters of the city; and they told them, saying. 'We came to the camp of the Arameans, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but the horses tied, and the asses tied, and the tents as they were.'

2�7,11 And the porters called, and they told it to the king's household within.

2�7,12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants: 'I will now tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying: When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive, and get into the city.'

2�7,13 And one of his servants answered and said: 'Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city--behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are consumed--and let us send and see.'

2�7,14 They took therefore two chariots with horses; and the king sent after the host of the Arameans, saying: 'Go and see.'

2�7,15 And they went after them unto the Jordan; and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Arameans had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.

2�7,16 And the people went out, and spoiled the camp of the Arameans. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

2�7,17 And the king appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate; and the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.

2�7,18 And it came to pass, as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying: 'Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to-morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria';

2�7,19 and that captain answered the man of God, and said: 'Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be?' and he said: 'Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof';

2�7,20 it came to pass even so unto him; for the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died. {S}

2�8,1 Now Elisha had spoken unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying: 'Arise, and go thou and thy household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn; for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.'

2�8,2 And the woman arose, and did according to the word of the man of God; and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.

2�8,3 And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines; and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.

2�8,4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying: 'Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.' {S}

2�8,5 And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored to life him that was dead, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said: 'My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.'

2�8,6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying: 'Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.' {P}

2�8,7 And Elisha came to Damascus; and Ben-hadad the king of Aram was sick; and it was told him, saying. 'The man of God is come hither.'

2�8,8 And the king said unto Hazael: 'Take a present in thy hand, and go meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying: Shall I recover of this sickness?'

2�8,9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said: 'Thy son Ben-hadad king of Aram hath sent me to thee, saying: Shall I recover of this sickness?'

2�8,10 And Elisha said unto him: 'Go, say unto him: Thou shalt surely recover; howbeit the LORD hath shown me that he shall surely die.'

2�8,11 And he settled his countenance stedfastly upon him, until he was ashamed; and the man of God wept.

2�8,12 And Hazael said: 'Why weepeth my lord?' And he answered: 'Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash in pieces their little ones, and rip up their women with child.'

2�8,13 And Hazael said: 'But what is thy servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?' And Elisha answered: 'The LORD hath shown me that thou shalt be king over Aram.'

2�8,14 Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his master, who said to him: 'What said Elisha to thee?' And he answered: 'He told me that thou wouldest surely recover.'

2�8,15 And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took the coverlet, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died; and Hazael reigned in his stead. {P}

2�8,16 And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being the king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.

2�8,17 Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

2�8,18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab; for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife; and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.

2�8,19 Howbeit the LORD would not destroy Judah, for David His servant's sake, as He promised him to give unto him a lamp and to his children alway.

2�8,20 In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.

2�8,21 Then Joram passed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him; and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites that compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled to their tents.

2�8,22 Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, unto this day. Then did Libnah revolt at the same time.

2�8,23 And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

2�8,24 And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead. {P}

2�8,25 In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign.

2�8,26 Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri king of Israel.

2�8,27 And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab; for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab.

2�8,28 And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead; and the Arameans wounded Joram.

2�8,29 And king Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Arameans had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick. {P}

2�9,1 And Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and said unto him: 'Gird up thy loins, and take this vial of oil in thy hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead.

2�9,2 And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber.

2�9,3 Then take the vial of oil, and pour it on his head, and say: Thus saith the LORD: I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.'

2�9,4 So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead.

2�9,5 And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he said: 'I have an errand to thee, O captain.' And Jehu said: 'Unto which of us all?' And he said: 'To thee, O captain.'

2�9,6 And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him: 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel.

2�9,7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

2�9,8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish; and I will cut off from Ahab every man-child, and him that is shut up and him that is left at large in Israel.

2�9,9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasa the son of Ahijah.

2�9,10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her.' And he opened the door, and fled.

2�9,11 Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord; and one said unto him: 'Is all well? wherefore came this mad fellow to thee?' And he said unto them: 'Ye know the man and what his talk was.'

2�9,12 And they said: 'It is false; tell us now.' And he said: 'Thus and thus spoke he to me, saying: Thus saith the LORD: I have anointed thee king over Israel.'

2�9,13 Then they hastened, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew the horn, saying: 'Jehu is king.'

2�9,14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram.--Now Joram had been guarding Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Aram;

2�9,15 but king Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Arameans had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Aram.--And Jehu said: 'If this be your mind, then let none escape and go forth out of the city, to go to tell it in Jezreel.'

2�9,16 So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram.

2�9,17 Now the watchman stood on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said: 'I see a company.' And Joram said: 'Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say: Is it peace?'

2�9,18 So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said: 'Thus saith the king: Is it peace?' And Jehu said: 'What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me.' And the watchman told, saying: 'The messenger came to them, but he cometh not back.'

2�9,19 Then he sent out a second on horseback, who came to them, and said: 'Thus saith the king: Is it peace?' And Jehu answered: 'What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me.'

2�9,20 And the watchman told, saying: 'He came even unto them, and cometh not back; and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously.'

2�9,21 And Joram said: 'Make ready.' And they made ready his chariot. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu, and found him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.

2�9,22 And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said: 'Is it peace, Jehu?' And he answered: 'What peace, so long as the harlotries of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?'

2�9,23 And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah: 'There is treachery, O Ahaziah.'

2�9,24 And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and smote Joram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.

2�9,25 Then said [Jehu] to Bidkar his captain: 'Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD pronounced this burden against him:

2�9,26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plot, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plot of ground, according to the word of the LORD.'

2�9,27 But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden-house. And Jehu followed after him, and said: 'Smite him also in the chariot'; [and they smote him] at the ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.

2�9,28 And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David. {P}

2�9,29 And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah.

2�9,30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her eyes, and attired her head, and looked out at the window.

2�9,31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said: 'Is it peace, thou Zimri, thy master's murderer?'

2�9,32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said: 'Who is on my side? who?' And there looked out to him two or three officers.

2�9,33 And he said: 'Throw her down.' So they threw her down; and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses; and she was trodden under foot.

2�9,34 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink; and he said: 'Look now after this cursed woman, and bury her; for she is a king's daughter.'

2�9,35 And they went to bury her; but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.

2�9,36 Wherefore they came back, and told him. And he said: 'This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying: In the portion of Jezreel shall the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel;

2�9,37 and the carcass of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say: This is Jezebel.' {S}

2�10,1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and unto them that brought up [the sons of] Ahab, saying:

2�10,2 'And now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and armour;

2�10,3 look ye out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.'

2�10,4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said: 'Behold, the two kings stood not before him; how then shall we stand?'

2�10,5 And he that was over the household, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and they that brought up the children, sent to Jehu, saying: 'We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any man king; do thou that which is good in thine eyes.'

2�10,6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying: 'If ye be on my side, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to-morrow this time.' Now the king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who brought them up.

2�10,7 And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew them, even seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them unto him to Jezreel.

2�10,8 And there came a messenger, and told him, saying: 'They have brought the heads of the king's sons.' And he said: 'Lay ye them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.'

2�10,9 And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people: 'Ye are righteous; behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him; but who smote all these?

2�10,10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab; for the LORD hath done that which He spoke by His servant Elijah.'

2�10,11 So Jehu smote all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his familiar friends, and his priests, until there was left him none remaining.

2�10,12 And he arose and departed, and went to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing-house of the shepherds in the way,

2�10,13 Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said: 'Who are ye?' And they answered: 'We are the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.'

2�10,14 And he said: 'Take them alive.' And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing-house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them. {S}

2�10,15 And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him; and he saluted him, and said to him: 'Is thy heart right, as my heart is with thy heart?' And Jehonadab answered: 'It is.' 'If it be, [said Jehu,] give me thy hand.' And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

2�10,16 And he said: 'Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.' So they made him ride in his chariot.

2�10,17 And when he came to Samaria, he smote all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke to Elijah. {P}

2�10,18 And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them: 'Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu will serve him much.

2�10,19 Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshippers, and all his priests, let none be wanting; for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live.' But Jehu did it in subtlety, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.

2�10,20 And Jehu said: 'Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal.' And they proclaimed it.

2�10,21 And Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another.

2�10,22 And he said unto him that was over the vestry: 'Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal.' And he brought them forth vestments.

2�10,23 And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal; and he said unto the worshippers of Baal: 'Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only.'

2�10,24 And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings. Now Jehu had appointed him fourscore men without, and said: 'If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape, his life shall be for the life of him.'

2�10,25 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains: 'Go in, and slay them; let none come forth.' And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.

2�10,26 And they brought forth the pillars that were in the house of Baal, and burned them.

2�10,27 And they broke down the pillar of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a draught-house, unto this day.

2�10,28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

2�10,29 Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, the golden calves that were in Beth-el, and that were in Dan. {P}

2�10,30 And the LORD said unto Jehu: 'Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in Mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in My heart, thy sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.'

2�10,31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart; he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, wherewith he made Israel to sin.

2�10,32 In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short; and Hazael smote them in all the borders of Israel:

2�10,33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.

2�10,34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

2�10,35 And Jehu slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.

2�10,36 And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years. {P}

2�11,1 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.

2�11,2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons that were slain, even him and his nurse, and put them in the bed-chamber; and they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.

2�11,3 And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years; and Athaliah reigned over the land. {P}

2�11,4 And in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the captains over hundreds, of the Carites and of the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD; and he made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and showed them the king's son.

2�11,5 And he commanded them, saying: 'This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, and that keep the watch of the king's house--

2�11,6 now another third part was at the gate Sur, and another third part at the gate behind the guard--shall keep the watch of the house, and be a barrier.

2�11,7 And the other two parts of you, even all that go forth on the sabbath, shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king.

2�11,8 And ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and he that cometh within the ranks, let him be slain; and be ye with the king when he goeth out, and when he cometh in.'

2�11,9 And the captains over hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded; and they took every man his men, those that were to come in on the sabbath, with those that were to go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest.

2�11,10 And the priest delivered to the captains over hundreds the spear and shields that had been king David's, which were in the house of the LORD.

2�11,11 And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, by the king round about.

2�11,12 Then he brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown and the insignia; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said: 'Long live the king.' {S}

2�11,13 And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the house of the LORD.

2�11,14 And she looked, and, behold, the king stood on the platform, as the manner was, and the captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried: 'Treason, treason.'

2�11,15 And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them: 'Have her forth between the ranks; and him that followeth her slay with the sword'; for the priest said: 'Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD.'

2�11,16 So they made way for her; and she went by the way of the horses' entry to the king's house; and there was she slain. {S}

2�11,17 And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD'S people; between the king also and the people.

2�11,18 And all the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and broke it down; his altars and his images broke they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD.

2�11,19 And he took the captains over hundreds, and the Carites, and the guard, and all the people of the land; and they brought down the king from the house of the LORD, and came by the way of the gate of the guard unto the king's house. And he sat on the throne of the kings.

2�11,20 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet; and they slew Athaliah with the sword at the king's house. {S}

2�12,1 Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign. {P}

2�12,2 In the seventh year of Jehu began Jehoash to reign; and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.

2�12,3 And Jehoash did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.

2�12,4 Howbeit the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and offered in the high places.

2�12,5 And Jehoash said to the priests: 'All the money of the hallowed things that is brought into the house of the LORD, in current money, the money of the persons for whom each man is rated, all the money that cometh into any man's heart to bring into the house of the LORD,

2�12,6 let the priests take it to them, every man from him that bestoweth it upon him; and they shall repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found.' {P}

2�12,7 But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.

2�12,8 Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and for the other priests, and said unto them: 'Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore take no longer money from them that bestow it upon you, but deliver it for the breaches of the house.'

2�12,9 And the priests consented that they should take no longer money from the people, neither repair the breaches of the house.

2�12,10 And Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the LORD; and the priests that kept the threshold put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD.

2�12,11 And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king's scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags and counted the money that was found in the house of the LORD.

2�12,12 And they gave the money that was weighed out into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the LORD; and they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders, that wrought upon the house of the LORD,

2�12,13 and to the masons and the hewers of stone, and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.

2�12,14 But there were not made for the house of the LORD cups of silver, snuffers, basins, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the LORD;

2�12,15 for they gave that to them that did the work, and repaired therewith the house of the LORD.

2�12,16 Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to give to them that did the work; for they dealt faithfully.

2�12,17 The forfeit money, and the sin money, was not brought into the house of the LORD; it was the priests. {P}

2�12,18 Then Hazael king of Aram went up, and fought against Gath, and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

2�12,19 And Jehoash king Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and of the king's house, and sent it to Hazael king of Aram; and he went away from Jerusalem.

2�12,20 Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

2�12,21 And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and smote Joash at Beth-millo, on the way that goeth down to Silla.

2�12,22 For Jozacar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, smote him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David; and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead. {P}

2�13,1 In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.

2�13,2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

2�13,3 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Aram, and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael, continually.

2�13,4 And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, how that the king of Aram oppressed them.--

2�13,5 And the LORD gave Israel a deliverer, so that they went out from under the hand of the Arameans; and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.

2�13,6 Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, wherewith he made Israel to sin, but walked therein; and there remained the Asherah also in Samaria.--

2�13,7 For there was not left to Jehoahaz of the people save fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Aram destroyed them, and made them like the dust in threshing.

2�13,8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

2�13,9 And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria; and Joash his son reigned in his stead. {P}

2�13,10 In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years.

2�13,11 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin; but he walked therein.

2�13,12 Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

2�13,13 And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne; and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. {P}

2�13,14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he was to die; and Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over him, and said: 'My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof!'

2�13,15 And Elisha said unto him: 'Take bow and arrows'; and he took unto him bow and arrows.

2�13,16 And he said to the king of Israel: 'Put thy hand upon the bow'; and he put his hand upon it. And Elisha laid his hands upon the king's hands.

2�13,17 And he said: 'Open the window eastward'; and he opened it. Then Elisha said: 'Shoot'; and he shot. And he said: 'The LORD'S arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory against Aram; for thou shalt smite the Arameans in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.'

2�13,18 And he said: 'Take the arrows'; and he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel: 'Smite upon the ground'; and he smote thrice, and stayed.

2�13,19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and said: 'Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Aram till thou hadst consumed it; whereas now thou shalt smite Aram but thrice.' {P}

2�13,20 And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites used to invade the land at the coming in of the year.

2�13,21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha; and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet. {P}

2�13,22 And Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.

2�13,23 But the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither hath He cast them from His presence until now.

2�13,24 And Hazael king of Aram died; and Ben-hadad his son reigned in his stead.

2�13,25 And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash smite him, and recovered the cities of Israel. {P}

2�14,1 In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel began Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah to reign.

2�14,2 He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

2�14,3 And he did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not like David his father; he did according to all that Joash his father had done.

2�14,4 Howbeit the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and offered in the high places.

2�14,5 And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, that he slew his servants who had slain the king his father;

2�14,6 but the children of the murderers he put not to death; according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, as the LORD commanded saying: 'The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin.'

2�14,7 He slew of Edom in the Valley of Salt ten thousand, and took Sela by war, and called the name of it Joktheel, unto this day. {P}

2�14,8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying: 'Come, let us look one another in the face.'

2�14,9 And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying: 'The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying: Give thy daughter to my son to wife; and there passed by the wild beasts that were in Lebanon, and trod down the thistle.

2�14,10 Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and will thy heart lift thee up? glory therein, and remain at home; for why shouldest thou meddle with evil, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

2�14,11 But Amaziah would not hear. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-shemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

2�14,12 And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to his tent.

2�14,13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

2�14,14 And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

2�14,15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

2�14,16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead. {P}

2�14,17 And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.

2�14,18 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

2�14,19 And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.

2�14,20 And they brought him upon horses; and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.

2�14,21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.

2�14,22 He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers. {P}

2�14,23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years.

2�14,24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin.

2�14,25 He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath unto the sea of the AraBahá according to the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, which He spoke by the hand of His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-hepher.

2�14,26 For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter; for there was none shut up nor left at large, neither was there any helper for Israel.

2�14,27 And the LORD said not that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven; but He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

2�14,28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, for Judah in Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

2�14,29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zechariah his son reigned in his stead. {P}

2�15,1 In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.

2�15,2 Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.

2�15,3 And he did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.

2�15,4 Howbeit the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and offered in the high places.

2�15,5 And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a house set apart. And Jotham the king's son was over the household, judging the people of the land.

2�15,6 Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

2�15,7 And Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David; and Jotham his son reigned in his stead. {P}

2�15,8 In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.

2�15,9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done; he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin.

2�15,10 And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.

2�15,11 Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

2�15,12 This was the word of the LORD which He spoke unto Jehu, saying: 'Thy sons to the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel.' And so it came to pass. {P}

2�15,13 Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned the space of a month in Samaria.

2�15,14 And Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.

2�15,15 Now the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. {S}

2�15,16 Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the borders thereof, from Tirzah; because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up. {P}

2�15,17 In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.

2�15,18 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin.

2�15,19 There came against the land Pul the king of Assyria; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

2�15,20 And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land.

2�15,21 Now the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

2�15,22 And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead. {P}

2�15,23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years.

2�15,24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin.

2�15,25 And Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the castle of the king's house, by Argob and by Arieh; and with him were fifty men of the Gileadites; and he slew him, and reigned in his stead.

2�15,26 Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. {P}

2�15,27 In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.

2�15,28 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin.

2�15,29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maacah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria.

2�15,30 And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.

2�15,31 Now the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. {P}

2�15,32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.

2�15,33 Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.

2�15,34 And he did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

2�15,35 Howbeit the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and offered in the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD.

2�15,36 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

2�15,37 In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Aram, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.

2�15,38 And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead. {P}

2�16,1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.

2�16,2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not that which was right in the eyes of the LORD his God, like David his father.

2�16,3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

2�16,4 And he sacrificed and offered in the high places, and on the hills, and under every leafy tree.

2�16,5 Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war; and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.

2�16,6 At that time Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath to Aram, and drove the Jews from Elath; and the Edomites came to Elath, and dwelt there, unto this day. {P}

2�16,7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying: 'I am thy servant and thy son; come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Aram, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me.'

2�16,8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

2�16,9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.

2�16,10 And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw the altar that was at Damascus; and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.

2�16,11 And Urijah the priest built an altar; according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so did Urijah the priest make it against the coming of king Ahaz from Damascus.

2�16,12 And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar; and the king drew near unto the altar, and offered thereon.

2�16,13 And he offered his burnt-offering and his meal-offering, and poured his drink-offering, and dashed the blood of his peace-offerings against the altar.

2�16,14 And the brazen altar, which was before the LORD, he brought from the forefront of the house, from between his altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of his altar.

2�16,15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying: 'Upon the great altar offer the morning burnt-offering, and the evening meal-offering, and the king's burnt-offering, and his meal-offering, with the burnt-offering of all the people of the land, and their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings; and dash against it all the blood of the burnt-offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice; but the brazen altar shall be for me to look to.'

2�16,16 Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.

2�16,17 And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stone.

2�16,18 And the covered place for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without, turned he unto the house of the LORD, because of the king of Assyria.

2�16,19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

2�16,20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead. {P}

2�17,1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel, and reigned nine years.

2�17,2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not as the kings of Israel that were before him.

2�17,3 Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and brought him presents.

2�17,4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and offered no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year; therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.

2�17,5 Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.

2�17,6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away unto Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and in Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. {P}

2�17,7 And it was so, because the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,

2�17,8 and walked in the statutes of the nations, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they practised;

2�17,9 and the children of Israel did impute things that were not right unto the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city;

2�17,10 and they set them up pillars and Asherim upon every high hill, and under every leafy tree;

2�17,11 and there they offered in all the high places, as did the nations whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD;

2�17,12 and they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them: 'Ye shall not do this thing';

2�17,13 yet the LORD forewarned Israel, and Judah, by the hand of every prophet, and of every seer, saying: 'Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by the hand of My servants the prophets';

2�17,14 notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their neck, like to the neck of their fathers, who believed not in the LORD their God;

2�17,15 and they rejected His statutes, and His covenant that He made with their fathers, and His testimonies wherewith He testified against them; and they went after things of nought, and became nought, and after the nations that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not do like them;

2�17,16 and they forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal;

2�17,17 and they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and gave themselves over to do that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him;

2�17,18 that the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

2�17,19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they practised.

2�17,20 And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until He had cast them out of His sight.

2�17,21 For He rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king; and Jeroboam drew Israel away from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.

2�17,22 And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;

2�17,23 until the LORD removed Israel out of His sight, as He spoke by the hand of all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria, unto this day. {P}

2�17,24 And the king of Assyria brought men from Bábylon, and from Cuthah, and from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

2�17,25 And so it was, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD; therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them.

2�17,26 Wherefore they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying: 'The nations which thou hast carried away, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land; therefore He hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.'

2�17,27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying: 'Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.'

2�17,28 So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.

2�17,29 Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.

2�17,30 And the men of Bábylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,

2�17,31 and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

2�17,32 So they feared the LORD, and made unto them from among themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.

2�17,33 They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.

2�17,34 Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law or after the commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel;

2�17,35 with whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying: 'Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them;

2�17,36 but the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, Him shall ye fear, and Him shall ye worship, and to Him shall ye sacrifice;

2�17,37 and the statutes and the ordinances, and the law and the commandment, which He wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods;

2�17,38 and the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods;

2�17,39 but the LORD your God shall ye fear; and He will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.'

2�17,40 Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.

2�17,41 So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images; their children likewise, and their children's children, as did their fathers, so do they unto this day. {P}

2�18,1 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

2�18,2 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.

2�18,3 And he did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.

2�18,4 He removed the high places, and broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah; and he broke in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made; for unto those days the children of Israel did offer to it; and it was called Nehushtan.

2�18,5 He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among them that were before him.

2�18,6 For he cleaved to the LORD, he departed not from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.

2�18,7 And the LORD was with him: whithersoever he went forth he prospered; and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.

2�18,8 He smote the Philistines unto Gaza and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city. {P}

2�18,9 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.

2�18,10 And at the end of three years they took it; even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.

2�18,11 And the king of Assyria carried Israel away unto Assyria, and put them in Halah, and in Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes;

2�18,12 because they hearkened not to the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed His covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear it, nor do it. {P}

2�18,13 Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.

2�18,14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying: 'I have offended; return from me; that which thou puttest on me will I bear.' And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

2�18,15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house.

2�18,16 At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the door-posts which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. {P}

2�18,17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rab-saris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great army unto Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fullers' field.

2�18,18 And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.

2�18,19 And Rab-shakeh said unto them: 'Say ye now to Hezekiah: Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria: What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

2�18,20 Sayest thou that a mere word of the lips is counsel and strength for the war? Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?

2�18,21 Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it; so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.

2�18,22 But if ye say unto me: We trust in the LORD our God; is not that He, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and to Jerusalem: Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

2�18,23 Now therefore, I pray thee, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

2�18,24 How then canst thou turn away the face of one captain, even of the least of my masters servants? and yet thou puttest thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen!

2�18,25 Am I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said unto me: Go up against this land, destroy it.'

2�18,26 Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh: 'Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Aramean language; for we understand it; and speak not with us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.'

2�18,27 But Rab-shakeh said unto them: 'Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own water with you?'

2�18,28 Then Rab-shakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spoke, saying: 'Hear ye the word of the great king, the king of Assyria.

2�18,29 Thus saith the king: Let not Hezekiah beguile you; for he will not be able to deliver you out of his hand;

2�18,30 neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying: The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.

2�18,31 Hearken not to Hezekiah; for thus saith the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig-tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;

2�18,32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive-trees and of honey, that ye may live, and not die; and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying: The LORD will deliver us.

2�18,33 Hath any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

2�18,34 Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah? have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

2�18,35 Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'

2�18,36 But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, saying: 'Answer him not.'

2�18,37 Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rab-shakeh.

2�19,1 And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.

2�19,2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

2�19,3 And they said unto him: 'Thus saith Hezekiah: This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of contumely; for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

2�19,4 It may be the LORD thy God will hear all the words of Rab-shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to taunt the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD thy God hath heard; wherefore make prayer for the remnant that is left.'

2�19,5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

2�19,6 And Isaiah said unto them: 'Thus shall ye say to your master: Thus saith the LORD: Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.

2�19,7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.'

2�19,8 So Rab-shakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah; for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.

2�19,9 And when he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia: 'Behold, he is come out to fight against thee'; he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying:

2�19,10 'Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: Let not thy God in whom thou trustest beguile thee, saying: Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.

2�19,11 Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered?

2�19,12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden that were in Telassar?

2�19,13 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?'

2�19,14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. {P}

2�19,15 And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said: 'O LORD, the God of Israel, that sittest upon the cherubim, Thou art the God, even Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; Thou hast made heaven and earth.

2�19,16 Incline Thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open Thine eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, wherewith he hath sent him to taunt the living God.

2�19,17 Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,

2�19,18 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.

2�19,19 Now therefore, O LORD our God, save Thou us, I beseech Thee, out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou art the LORD God, even Thou only.' {S}

2�19,20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying: 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Whereas thou hast prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard thee.

2�19,21 This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning him: The virgin daughter of Zion hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

2�19,22 Whom hast thou taunted and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice? Yea, thou hast lifted up thine eyes on high, even against the Holy One of Israel!

2�19,23 By the messengers thou hast taunted the Lord, and hast said: With the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon; and I have cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice cypresses thereof; and I have entered into his farthest lodge, the forest of his fruitful field.

2�19,24 I have digged and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of Egypt.

2�19,25 Hast thou not heard? long ago I made it, in ancient times I fashioned it; now have I brought it to pass, yea, it is done; that fortified cities should be laid waste into ruinous heaps.

2�19,26 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it is grown up.

2�19,27 But I know thy sitting down, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy raging against Me.

2�19,28 Because of thy raging against Me, and for that thy tumult is come up into Mine ears, therefore will I put My hook in thy nose, and My bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

2�19,29 And this shall be the sign unto thee: ye shall eat this year that which groweth of itself, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.

2�19,30 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.

2�19,31 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out of mount Zion they that shall escape; the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall perform this. {S}

2�19,32 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come unto this city, nor shoot an arrow there, neither shall he come before it with shield, nor cast a mound against it.

2�19,33 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and he shall not come unto this city, saith the LORD.

2�19,34 For I will defend this city to save it, for Mine own sake, and for My servant David's sake.'

2�19,35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five thousand; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

2�19,36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

2�19,37 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sarezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead. {P}

2�20,1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him: 'Thus saith the LORD: Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.'

2�20,2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying:

2�20,3 'Remember now, O LORD, I beseech Thee, how I have walked before Thee in truth and with a whole heart, and have done that which is good in Thy sight.' And Hezekiah wept sore. {S}

2�20,4 And it came to pass, before Isaiah was gone out of the inner court of the city, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying:

2�20,5 'Return, and say to Hezekiah the prince of My people: Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father: I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears; behold, I will heal thee; on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.

2�20,6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for Mine own sake, and for My servant David's sake.'

2�20,7 And Isaiah said: 'Take a cake of figs.' And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

2�20,8 And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah: 'What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up unto the house of the LORD the third day?'

2�20,9 And Isaiah said: 'This shall be the sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that He hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?

2�20,10 And Hezekiah answered: 'It is a light thing for the shadow to decline ten degrees; nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.'

2�20,11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD; and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz. {P}

2�20,12 At that time Berodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Bábylon, sent a letter and a present unto Hezekiah; for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.

2�20,13 And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and showed them all his treasure-house, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious oil, and the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures; there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not.

2�20,14 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him: 'What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee?' And Hezekiah said: 'They are come from a far country, even from Bábylon.'

2�20,15 And he said: 'What have they seen in thy house?' And Hezekiah answered: 'All that is in my house have they seen; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.'

2�20,16 And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah: 'Hear the word of the LORD.

2�20,17 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thy house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried to Bábylon; nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.

2�20,18 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, whom thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be officers in the palace of the king of Bábylon.'

2�20,19 Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah: 'Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken.' He said moreover: 'Is it not so, if peace and truth shall be in my days?'

2�20,20 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made the pool, and the conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

2�20,21 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers; and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead. {P}

2�21,1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned five and fifty years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hephzi-bah.

2�21,2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the nations, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

2�21,3 For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as did Ahab king of Israel, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

2�21,4 And he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD said: 'In Jerusalem will I put My name.'

2�21,5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.

2�21,6 And he made his son to pass through the fire, and practised soothsaying, and used enchantments, and appointed them that divined by a ghost or a familiar spirit: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him.

2�21,7 And he set the graven image of Asherah, that he had made, in the house of which the LORD said to David and to Solomon his son: 'In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put My name for ever;

2�21,8 neither will I cause the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them.'

2�21,9 But they hearkened not; and Manasseh seduced them to do that which is evil more than did the nations, whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.

2�21,10 And the LORD spoke by His servants the prophets, saying:

2�21,11 'Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, that were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols; {S}

2�21,12 therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I bring such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.

2�21,13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.

2�21,14 And I will cast off the remnant of Mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;

2�21,15 because they have done that which is evil in My sight, and have provoked Me, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.'

2�21,16 Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.

2�21,17 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

2�21,18 And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza; and Amon his son reigned in his stead. {P}

2�21,19 Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.

2�21,20 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father.

2�21,21 And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them.

2�21,22 And he forsook the LORD, the God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the LORD.

2�21,23 And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and put the king to death in his own house.

2�21,24 But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.

2�21,25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

2�21,26 And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza; and Josiah his son reigned in his stead. {P}

2�22,1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.

2�22,2 And he did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. {P}

2�22,3 And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying.

2�22,4 'Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the money which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people;

2�22,5 and let them deliver it into the hand of the workmen that have the oversight of the house of the LORD; and let them give it to the workmen that are in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches of the house;

2�22,6 unto the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons; and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the house.'--

2�22,7 Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand; for they dealt faithfully.

2�22,8 And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe: 'I have found the book of the Law in the house of the LORD.' And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

2�22,9 And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought back word unto the king, and said: 'Thy servants have poured out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen that have the oversight of the house of the LORD.'

2�22,10 And Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying: 'Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book.' And Shaphan read it before the king.

2�22,11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the Law, that he rent his clothes.

2�22,12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying:

2�22,13 'Go ye, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.'

2�22,14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe--now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second quarter--and they spoke with her.

2�22,15 And she said unto them: 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Tell ye the man that sent you unto me:

2�22,16 Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read;

2�22,17 because they have forsaken Me, and have offered unto other gods, that they might provoke Me with all the work of their hands; therefore My wrath shall be kindled against this place, and it shall not be quenched.

2�22,18 But unto the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him: Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: As touching the words which thou hast heard,

2�22,19 because thy heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spoke against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become an astonishment and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before Me, I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.

2�22,20 Therefore, behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil which I will bring upon this place.' And they brought back word unto the king.

2�23,1 And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.

2�23,2 And the king went up to the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.

2�23,3 And the king stood on the platform, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart, and all his soul, to confirm the words of this covenant that were written in this book; and all the people stood to the covenant.

2�23,4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Beth-el.

2�23,5 And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to offer in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that offered unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven.

2�23,6 And he brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the common people.

2�23,7 And he broke down the houses of the sodomites, that were in the house of the LORD, where the women wove coverings for the Asherah.

2�23,8 And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had made offerings, from Geba to Beer-sheba; and he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man's left hand as he entered the gate of the city.

2�23,9 Nevertheless the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they did eat unleavened bread among their brethren.

2�23,10 And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.

2�23,11 And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nethan-melech the officer, which was in the precincts; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

2�23,12 And the altars that were on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, did the king break down, and beat them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.

2�23,13 And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the detestation of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the detestation of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

2�23,14 And he broke in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Asherim, and filled their places with the bones of men.

2�23,15 Moreover the altar that was at Beth-el, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he broke down; and he burned the high place and stamped it small to powder, and burned the Asherah.

2�23,16 And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount; and he sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and defiled it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things.

2�23,17 Then he said: 'What monument is that which I see?' And the men of the city told him: 'It is the sepulchre of the man of God, who came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Beth-el.'

2�23,18 And he said: 'Let him be; let no man move his bones.' So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.

2�23,19 And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke [the LORD], Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Beth-el.

2�23,20 And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there, upon the altars, and burned men's bones upon them; and he returned to Jerusalem.

2�23,21 And the king commanded all the people, saying: 'Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.'

2�23,22 For there was not kept such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;

2�23,23 but in the eighteenth year of king Josiah was this passover kept to the LORD in Jerusalem.

2�23,24 Moreover them that divined by a ghost or a familiar spirit, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the detestable things that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.

2�23,25 And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.

2�23,26 Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of His great wrath, wherewith His anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations wherewith Manasseh had provoked Him.

2�23,27 And the LORD said: 'I will remove Judah also out of My sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city which I have chosen, even Jerusalem, and the house of which I said: My name shall be there.'

2�23,28 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

2�23,29 In his days Pharaoh-necoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates; and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.

2�23,30 And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father's stead. {P}

2�23,31 Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

2�23,32 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.

2�23,33 And Pharaoh-necoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a fine of a hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.

2�23,34 And Pharaoh-necoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim; but he took Jehoahaz away; and he came to Egypt, and died there.

2�23,35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh; he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation, to give it unto Pharaoh-necoh. {S}

2�23,36 Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Zebudah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

2�23,37 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.

2�24,1 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Bábylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years; then he turned and rebelled against him.

2�24,2 And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldeans, and bands of the Arameans, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke by the hand of His servants the prophets.

2�24,3 Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of His sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did;

2�24,4 and also for the innocent blood that he shed; for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the LORD would not pardon.

2�24,5 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

2�24,6 So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers; and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

2�24,7 And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land; for the king of Bábylon had taken, from the Brook of Egypt unto the river Euphrates, all that pertained to the king of Egypt. {P}

2�24,8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign; and he reigned in Jerusalem three months; and his mother's name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

2�24,9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.

2�24,10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Bábylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.

2�24,11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Bábylon came unto the city, while his servants were besieging it.

2�24,12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Bábylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers; and the king of Bábylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.

2�24,13 And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.

2�24,14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths; none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.

2�24,15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Bábylon; and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the chief men of the land, carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Bábylon.

2�24,16 And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths a thousand, all of them strong and apt for war, even them the king of Bábylon brought captive to Bábylon.

2�24,17 And the king of Bábylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah. {P}

2�24,18 Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

2�24,19 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

2�24,20 For through the anger of the LORD did it come to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until He had cast them out from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Bábylon. {S}

2�25,1 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Bábylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about.

2�25,2 So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

2�25,3 On the ninth day of the [fourth] month the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.

2�25,4 Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war [fled] by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden--now the Chaldeans were against the city round about--and the king went by the way of the Arabah.

2�25,5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.

2�25,6 Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Bábylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.

2�25,7 And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and carried him to Bábylon. {S}

2�25,8 Now in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar, king of Bábylon, came Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Bábylon, unto Jerusalem.

2�25,9 And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great man's house, burnt he with fire.

2�25,10 And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls of Jerusalem round about.

2�25,11 And the residue of the people that were left in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Bábylon, and the residue of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away captive.

2�25,12 But the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.

2�25,13 And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases and the brazen sea that were in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldeans break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Bábylon.

2�25,14 And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the pans, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.

2�25,15 And the fire-pans, and the basins, that which was of gold, in gold, and that which was of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.

2�25,16 The two pillars, the one sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

2�25,17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a capital of brass was upon it; and the height of the capital was three cubits; with network and pomegranates upon the capital round about, all of brass; and like unto these had the second pillar with network.

2�25,18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door;

2�25,19 and out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war; and five men of them that saw the king's face, who were found in the city; and the scribe of the captain of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the city.

2�25,20 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Bábylon to Riblah.

2�25,21 And the king of Bábylon smote them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land.

2�25,22 And as for the people that were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Bábylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor.

2�25,23 Now when all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Bábylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men.

2�25,24 And Gedaliah swore to them and to their men, and said unto them: 'Fear not because of the servants of the Chaldeans; dwell in the land, and serve the king of Bábylon, and it shall be well with you.' {P}

2�25,25 But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah.

2�25,26 And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces, arose, and came to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. {S}

2�25,27 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Bábylon, in the year that he began to reign, did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison.

2�25,28 And he spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Bábylon.

2�25,29 And he changed his prison garments, and did eat bread before him continually all the days of his life.

2�25,30 And for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him of the king, every day a portion, all the days of his life. {P}

�