Does the Bible Prohibit Cremation? 1. Scripture says nothing about a required mode of burial for either believers or non-believers. However, burying the body was the standard practice among the Israelites in the Old Testament and Christians in the New (exceptions: 1 Sam. 31:8-13; Jos. 7:25). 2. Obviously any buried body will eventually decompose (Ecc. 12:7). So cremation isn’t a strange or wrong practice – it merely accelerates the natural process of oxidation. 3. The believer will one day receive a new body (1 Cor. 15:42-49; 1 Thes. 4:13-18; Job 19:25-26), thus the state of what remains of the old body is unimportant. 4. The imagery of Christ’s resurrection pictures burial and then a raising up from the dead (Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 15:3-4). Because of that, many Christians prefer burial to cremation to maintain a likeness to Christ's burial (although literally He was laid in state in a cave, not buried in the ground).
John MacArthur

The First Book of the Kings

The First Book of the Kings

{1:1} Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they coveredhim with clothes, but he gat no heat. {1:2} Wherefore his servants saidunto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: andlet her stand before the king, and cherish him; and let her lie in thybosom, that my lord the king may get heat. {1:3} So they sought for afair damsel throughout all the borders of Israel, and found Abishag theShunammite, and brought her to the king. {1:4} And the damsel was veryfair; and she cherished the king, and ministered to him; but the kingknew her not.

{1:5} Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, Iwill be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty mento run before him. {1:6} And his father had not displeased him at anytime in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he was also a very goodlyman; and he was born after Absalom. {1:7} And he conferred with Joabthe son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they followingAdonijah helped him. {1:8} But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son ofJehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mightymen that belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. {1:9} And Adonijahslew sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which isbeside En-rogel; and he called all his brethren, the king’s sons, andall the men of Judah, the king’s servants: {1:10} but Nathan theprophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, hecalled not.

{1:11} Then Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon,saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith dothreign, and David our lord knoweth it not? {1:12} Now therefore come,let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine ownlife, and the life of thy son Solomon. {1:13} Go and get thee in untoking David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swearunto thy handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign afterme, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?{1:14} Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also willcome in after thee, and confirm thy words.

{1:15} And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber: andthe king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering untothe king. {1:16} And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king.And the king said, What wouldest thou? {1:17} And she said unto him, Mylord, thou swarest by Jehovah thy God unto thy handmaid, [saying],Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit uponmy throne. {1:18} And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and thou, my lordthe king, knowest it not: {1:19} and he hath slain oxen and fatlingsand sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, andAbiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host; but Solomon thyservant hath he not called. {1:20} And thou, my lord the king, the eyesof all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shallsit on the throne of my lord the king after him. {1:21} Otherwise itwill come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers,that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.

{1:22} And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan theprophet came in. {1:23} And they told the king, saying, Behold, Nathanthe prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himselfbefore the king with his face to the ground. {1:24} And Nathan said, Mylord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and heshall sit upon my throne? {1:25} For he is gone down this day, and hathslain oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and hath called all theking’s sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest;and, behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and say, [Long]live king Adonijah. {1:26} But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok thepriest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hathhe not called. {1:27} Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thouhast not showed unto thy servants who should sit on the throne of mylord the king after him?

{1:28} Then king David answered and said, Call to me Bath-sheba. Andshe came into the king’s presence, and stood before the king. {1:29}And the king sware, and said, As Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed mysoul out of all adversity, {1:30} verily as I sware unto thee byJehovah, the God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shallreign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; verily sowill I do this day. {1:31} Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to theearth, and did obeisance to the king, and said, Let my lord king Davidlive for ever.

{1:32} And king David said, Call to me Zadok the priest, and Nathanthe prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before theking. {1:33} And the king said unto them, Take with you the servants ofyour lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, andbring him down to Gihon: {1:34} and let Zadok the priest and Nathan theprophet anoint him there king over Israel; and blow ye the trumpet, andsay, [Long] live king Solomon. {1:35} Then ye shall come up after him,and he shall come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in mystead; and I have appointed him to be prince over Israel and overJudah. {1:36} And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, andsaid, Amen: Jehovah, the God of my lord the king, say so [too]. {1:37}As Jehovah 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.

{1:38} So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah theson of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went down, andcaused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him toGihon. {1:39} And Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of theTent, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all thepeople said, [Long] live king Solomon. {1:40} And all the people cameup after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with greatjoy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.

{1:41} And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard itas they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of thetrumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in anuproar? {1:42} While he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiatharthe priest came: and Adonijah said, Come in; for thou art a worthy man,and bringest good tidings. {1:43} And Jonathan answered and said toAdonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king: {1:44} andthe king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet,and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and thePelethites; and they have caused him to ride upon the king’s mule;{1:45} and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed himking in Gihon; and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that thecity rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard. {1:46} And alsoSolomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom. {1:47} And moreover theking’s servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, Thy God makethe name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greaterthan thy throne: and the king bowed himself upon the bed. {1:48} Andalso thus said the king, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, whohath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.

{1:49} And all the guests of Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, andwent every man his way. {1:50} And Adonijah feared because of Solomon;and he arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.{1:51} And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth kingSolomon; for, lo, he hath laid hold on the horns of the altar, saying,Let king Solomon swear unto me first that he will not slay his servantwith the sword. {1:52} And Solomon said, If he shall show himself aworthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth; but ifwickedness be found in him, he shall die. {1:53} So king Solomon sent,and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and did obeisanceto king Solomon; and Solomon said unto him, Go to thy house.

{2:1} Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and hecharged Solomon his son, saying, {2:2} I am going the way of all theearth: be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man; {2:3} and keepthe charge of Jehovah thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep hisstatutes, [and] his commandments, and his ordinances, and histestimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses,that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thouturnest thyself. {2:4} That Jehovah may establish his word which hespake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, towalk 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.{2:5} Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did untome, even what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, untoAbner 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 hisgirdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on hisfeet. {2:6} Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoarhead go down to Sheol in peace. {2:7} But show kindness unto the sonsof Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thytable; for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom thy brother.{2:8} And, behold, there is with thee Shimei the son of Gera, theBenjamite, of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the daywhen I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, andI sware to him by Jehovah, saying, I will not put thee to death withthe sword. {2:9} Now therefore hold him not guiltless, for thou art awise man; and thou wilt know what thou oughtest to do unto him, andthou shalt bring his hoar head down to Sheol with blood.

{2:10} And David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the cityof David. {2:11} And the days that David reigned over Israel were fortyyears; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three yearsreigned he in Jerusalem. {2:12} And Solomon sat upon the throne ofDavid his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.

{2:13} Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba themother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said,Peaceably. {2:14} He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee.And she said, Say on. {2:15} And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdomwas mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I shouldreign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s;for it was his from Jehovah. {2:16} And now I ask one petition of thee;deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on. {2:17} And he said, Speak,I pray thee, unto Solomon the king (for he will not say thee nay), thathe give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife. {2:18} And Bath-sheba said,Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.

{2:19} Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak untohim for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himselfunto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a throne to be set forthe king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand. {2:20} Then she said,I ask one small petition of thee; deny me not. And the king said untoher, Ask on, my mother; for I will not deny thee. {2:21} And she said,Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.{2:22} And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dostthou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdomalso; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar thepriest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah. {2:23} Then king Solomon swareby Jehovah, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah hathnot spoken this word against his own life. {2:24} Now therefore asJehovah liveth, who hath established me, and set me on the throne ofDavid my father, and who hath made me a house, as he promised, surelyAdonijah shall be put to death this day. {2:25} And king Solomon sentby Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him, so that he died.

{2:26} And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee toAnathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but Iwill not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark ofthe Lord Jehovah before David my father, and because thou wastafflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted. {2:27} So Solomonthrust out Abiathar from being priest unto Jehovah, that he mightfulfil the word of Jehovah, which he spake concerning the house of Eliin Shiloh.

{2:28} And the tidings came to Joab; for Joab had turned afterAdonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto theTent of Jehovah, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. {2:29} Andit was told king Solomon, Joab is fled unto the Tent of Jehovah, and,behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son ofJehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him. {2:30} And Benaiah came to theTent of Jehovah, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth.And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the kingword again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me. {2:31} Andthe king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and buryhim; that thou mayest take away the blood, which Joab shed withoutcause, from me and from my father’s house. {2:32} And Jehovah willreturn his blood upon his own head, because he fell upon two men morerighteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, and myfather David knew it not, [to wit], Abner the son of Ner, captain ofthe host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host ofJudah. {2:33} So shall their blood return upon the head of Joab, andupon 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 everfrom Jehovah. {2:34} Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fellupon him, and slew him; and he was buried in his own house in thewilderness. {2:35} And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in hisroom over the host; and Zadok the priest did the king put in the roomof Abiathar.

{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 forththence any whither. {2:37} For on the day thou goest out, and passestover the brook Kidron, know thou for certain that thou shalt surelydie: thy blood shall be upon thine own head. {2:38} And Shimei saidunto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, sowill thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

{2:39} And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two ofthe servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish, son of Maacah, king ofGath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants are in Gath.{2:40} And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath toAchish, to seek his servants; and Shimei went, and brought his servantsfrom Gath. {2:41} And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone fromJerusalem to Gath, and was come again. {2:42} And the king sent andcalled for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not adjure thee by Jehovah,and protest unto thee, saying, Know for certain, that on the day thougoest out, and walkest abroad any whither, thou shalt surely die? andthou saidst unto me, The saying that I have heard is good. {2:43} Whythen hast thou not kept the oath of Jehovah, and the commandment that Ihave charged thee with? {2:44} The king said moreover to Shimei, Thouknowest all the wickedness which thy heart is privy to, that thou didstto David my father: therefore Jehovah shall return thy wickedness uponthine own head. {2:45} But king Solomon shall be blessed, and thethrone of David shall be established before Jehovah for ever. {2:46} Sothe king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out, andfell upon him, so that he died. And the kingdom was established in thehand of Solomon.

{3:1} And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and tookPharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until hehad made an end of building his own house, and the house of Jehovah,and the wall of Jerusalem round about. {3:2} Only the people sacrificedin the high places, because there was no house built for the name ofJehovah until those days. {3:3} And Solomon loved Jehovah, walking inthe statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incensein the high places.

{3:4} And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that wasthe great high place: a thousand burnt-offerings did Solomon offer uponthat altar. {3:5} In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream bynight; and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. {3:6} And Solomonsaid, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father greatlovingkindness, according as he walked before thee in truth, and inrighteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hastkept for him this great lovingkindness, that thou hast given him a sonto sit on his throne, as it is this day. {3:7} And now, O Jehovah myGod, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and Iam but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in. {3:8} Andthy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, agreat people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. {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 thisthy great people?

{3:10} And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked thisthing. {3:11} And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked thisthing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast askedriches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hastasked for thyself understanding to discern justice; {3:12} behold, Ihave done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and anunderstanding heart; so that there hath been none like thee beforethee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. {3:13} And Ihave also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches andhonor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee,all thy days. {3:14} And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep mystatutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I willlengthen thy days. {3:15} And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was adream: and he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of thecovenant of Jehovah, and offered up burnt-offerings, and offeredpeace-offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

{3:16} Then there came two women that were harlots, unto the king,and stood before him. {3:17} And the one woman said, Oh, my lord, I andthis woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with herin the house. {3:18} And it came to pass the third day after I wasdelivered, 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.{3:19} And this woman’s child died in the night, because she lay uponit. {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 deadchild in my bosom. {3:21} And when I rose in the morning to give mychild suck, behold, it was dead; but when I had looked at it in themorning, behold, it was not my son, whom I did bear. {3:22} And theother woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thyson. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is myson. Thus they spake before the king.

{3:23} Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son thatliveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy sonis the dead, and my son is the living. {3:24} And the king said, Fetchme a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. {3:25} And theking said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one,and half to the other. {3:26} Then spake the woman whose the livingchild was unto the king, for her heart yearned over her son, and shesaid, 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.{3:27} Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, andin no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. {3:28} And all Israelheard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared theking: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do justice.

{4:1} And king Solomon was king over all Israel. {4:2} And thesewere the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest;{4:3} Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphatthe son of Ahilud, the recorder; {4:4} and Benaiah the son of Jehoiadawas over the host; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; {4:5} andAzariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; and Zabud the son ofNathan was chief minister, [and] the king’s friend; {4:6} and Ahisharwas over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the mensubject to taskwork.

{4:7} And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who providedvictuals for the king and his household: each man had to make provisionfor a month in the year. {4:8} And these are their names: Ben-hur, inthe hill-country of Ephraim; {4:9} Ben-deker, in Makaz, and inShaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan; {4:10} Ben-hesed, inArubboth (to him [pertained] Socoh, and all the land of Hepher); {4:11}Ben-abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath the daughter ofSolomon to wife); {4:12} Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach andMegiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel,from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam; {4:13}Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (to him [pertained] the towns of Jair theson of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; [even] to him [pertained] theregion of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with wallsand brazen bars); {4:14} Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; {4:15}Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon towife); {4:16} Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; {4:17}Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; {4:18} Shimei the son ofEla, in Benjamin; {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[he was] the only officer that was in the land.

{4:20} Judah and Israel were many as the sand which is by the sea inmultitude, eating and drinking and making merry. {4:21} And Solomonruled over all the kingdoms from the River unto the land of thePhilistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought tribute, andserved Solomon all the days of his life. {4:22} And Solomon’s provisionfor one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measuresof meal, {4:23} ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, anda hundred sheep, besides harts, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fattedfowl. {4:24} For he had dominion over all [the region] on this side theRiver, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side theRiver: and he had peace on all sides round about him. {4:25} And Judahand Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under hisfig-tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. {4:26}And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, andtwelve thousand horsemen. {4:27} And those officers provided victualsfor king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table,every man in his month; they let nothing be lacking. {4:28} Barley alsoand straw for the horses and swift steeds brought they unto the placewhere [the officers] were, every man according to his charge.

{4:29} And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much,and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore.{4:30} And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children ofthe east, and all the wisdom of Egypt. {4:31} For he was wiser than allmen; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, thesons of Mahol: and his fame was in all the nations round about. {4:32}And he spake three thousand proverbs; and his songs were a thousand andfive. {4:33} And he spake of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanoneven unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; he spake also ofbeasts, and of birds, and of creeping things, and of fishes. {4:34} Andthere came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kingsof the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

{5:1} And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for hehad heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father:for Hiram was ever a lover of David. {5:2} And Solomon sent to Hiram,saying, {5:3} Thou knowest how that David my father could not build ahouse for the name of Jehovah his God for the wars which were about himon every side, until Jehovah put them under the soles of his feet.{5:4} But now Jehovah my God hath given me rest on every side; there isneither adversary, nor evil occurrence. {5:5} And, behold, I purpose tobuild a house for the name of Jehovah my God, as Jehovah spake untoDavid my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne inthy room, he shall build the house for my name. {5:6} Now thereforecommand thou that they cut me cedar-trees out of Lebanon; and myservants shall be with thy servants; and I will give thee hire for thyservants according to all that thou shalt say: for thou knowest thatthere is not among us any that knoweth how to cut timber like unto theSidonians.

{5:7} And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon,that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be Jehovah this day, whohath given unto David a wise son over this great people. {5:8} AndHiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have heard [the message] which thouhast sent unto me: I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar,and concerning timber of fir. {5:9} My servants shall bring them downfrom Lebanon unto the sea; and I will make them into rafts to go by seaunto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to bebroken up there, and thou shalt receive them; and thou shalt accomplishmy desire, in giving food for my household. {5:10} So Hiram gaveSolomon timber of cedar and timber of fir according to all his desire.{5:11} And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat forfood to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gaveSolomon to Hiram year by year. {5:12} And Jehovah gave Solomon wisdom,as he promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; andthey two made a league together.

{5:13} And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and thelevy was thirty thousand men. {5:14} And he sent them to Lebanon, tenthousand a month by courses; a month they were in Lebanon, and twomonths at home; and Adoniram was over the men subject to taskwork.{5:15} And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens,and fourscore thousand that were hewers in the mountains; {5:16}besides Solomon’s chief officers that were over the work, threethousand and three hundred, who bare rule over the people that wroughtin the work. {5:17} And the king commanded, and they hewed out greatstones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with wroughtstone. {5:18} And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and theGebalites did fashion them, and prepared the timber and the stones tobuild the house.

{6:1} And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth yearafter the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in thefourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which isthe second month, that he began to build the house of Jehovah. {6:2}And the house which king Solomon built for Jehovah, the length thereofwas threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty [cubits], and theheight thereof thirty cubits. {6:3} And the porch before the temple ofthe house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to thebreadth of the house; [and] ten cubits was the breadth thereof beforethe house. {6:4} And for the house he made windows of fixedlattice-work. {6:5} And against the wall of the house he built storiesround about, against the walls of the house round about, both of thetemple and of the oracle; and he made side-chambers round about. {6:6}The nethermost story was five cubits broad, and the middle was sixcubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad; for on the outsidehe made offsets [in the wall] of the house round about, that [thebeams] should not have hold in the walls of the house. {6:7} And thehouse, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready at thequarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heardin the house, while it was in building. {6:8} The door for the middleside-chambers was in the right side of the house: and they went up bywinding stairs into the middle [story], and out of the middle into thethird. {6:9} So he built the house, and finished it; and he covered thehouse with beams and planks of cedar. {6:10} And he built the storiesagainst all the house, each five cubits high: and they rested on thehouse with timber of cedar.

{6:11} And the word of Jehovah came to Solomon, saying, {6:12}Concerning this house which thou art building, if thou wilt walk in mystatutes, and execute mine ordinances, and keep all my commandments towalk in them; then will I establish my word with thee, which I spakeunto David thy father. {6:13} And I will dwell among the children ofIsrael, and will not forsake my people Israel.

{6:14} So Solomon built the house, and finished it. {6:15} And hebuilt the walls of the house within with boards of cedar: from thefloor of the house unto the walls of the ceiling, he covered them onthe inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with boardsof fir. {6:16} And he built twenty cubits on the hinder part of thehouse with boards of cedar from the floor unto the walls [of theceiling]: he built [them] for it within, for an oracle, even for themost holy place. {6:17} And the house, that is, the temple before [theoracle], was forty cubits [long]. {6:18} And there was cedar on thehouse within, carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; therewas no stone seen. {6:19} And he prepared an oracle in the midst of thehouse within, to set there the ark of the covenant of Jehovah. {6:20}And within the oracle was [a space of] twenty cubits in length, andtwenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof; andhe overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar.{6:21} So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he drewchains of gold across before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.{6:22} And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until all the housewas finished: also the whole altar that belonged to the oracle heoverlaid with gold.

{6:23} And in the oracle he made two cherubim of olive-wood, eachten cubits high. {6:24} And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub,and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost partof the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.{6:25} And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubim were ofone measure and one form. {6:26} The height of the one cherub was tencubits, and so was it of the other cherub. {6:27} And he set thecherubim within the inner house; and the wings of the cherubim werestretched forth, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, andthe wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wingstouched one another in the midst of the house. {6:28} And he overlaidthe cherubim with gold.

{6:29} And he carved all the walls of the house round about withcarved figures of cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, within andwithout. {6:30} And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold,within and without. {6:31} And for the entrance of the oracle he madedoors of olive-wood: the lintel [and] door-posts were a fifth part [ofthe wall]. {6:32} So [he made] two doors of olive-wood; and he carvedupon them carvings of cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, andoverlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold upon the cherubim, andupon the palm-trees. {6:33} So also made he for the entrance of thetemple door-posts of olive-wood, out of a fourth part [of the wall];{6:34} and two doors of fir-wood: the two leaves of the one door werefolding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. {6:35} Andhe carved [thereon] cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers; and heoverlaid them with gold fitted upon the graven work. {6:36} And hebuilt the inner court with three courses of hewn stone, and a course ofcedar beams.

{6:37} In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of Jehovahlaid, in the month Ziv. {6:38} And in the eleventh year, in the monthBul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout allthe parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was heseven years in building it.

{7:1} And Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and hefinished all his house. {7:2} For he built the house of the forest ofLebanon; the length thereof was a hundred cubits, and the breadththereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon fourrows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars. {7:3} And itwas covered with cedar above over the forty and five beams, that wereupon the pillars; fifteen in a row. {7:4} And there were beams in threerows, and window was over against window in three ranks. {7:5} And allthe doors and posts were made square with beams: and window was overagainst window in three ranks. {7:6} And he made the porch of pillars;the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirtycubits; and a porch before them; and pillars and a threshold beforethem. {7:7} And he made the porch of the throne where he was to judge,even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from floor tofloor. {7:8} And his house where he was to dwell, the other courtwithin the porch, was of the like work. He made also a house forPharaoh’s daughter (whom Solomon had taken to wife), like unto thisporch.

{7:9} All these were of costly stones, even of hewn stone, accordingto measure, sawed with saws, within and without, even from thefoundation unto the coping, and so on the outside unto the great court.{7:10} And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones,stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits. {7:11} And above werecostly stones, even hewn stone, according to measure, and cedar-wood.{7:12} And the great court round about had three courses of hewn stone,and a course of cedar beams; like as the inner court of the house ofJehovah, and the porch of the house.

{7:13} And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. {7:14}He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father wasa man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was filled with wisdom andunderstanding and skill, to work all works in brass. And he came toking Solomon, and wrought all his work. {7:15} For he fashioned the twopillars of brass, eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelvecubits compassed either of them about. {7:16} And he made two capitalsof molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of theone capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital wasfive cubits. {7:17} There were nets of checker-work, and wreaths ofchain-work, for the capitals which were upon the top of the pillars;seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital. {7:18} Sohe made the pillars; and there were two rows round about upon the onenetwork, to cover the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars:and so did he for the other capital. {7:19} And the capitals that wereupon the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily-work, fourcubits. {7:20} And there were capitals above also upon the two pillars,close by the belly which was beside the network: and the pomegranateswere two hundred, in rows round about upon the other capital. {7:21}And he set up the pillars at the porch of the temple: and he set up theright pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin; and he set up theleft pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz. {7:22} And upon the topof the pillars was lily-work: so was the work of the pillars finished.

{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 ofthirty cubits compassed it round about. {7:24} And under the brim of itround about there were knops which did compass it, for ten cubits,compassing the sea round about: the knops were in two rows, cast whenit was cast. {7:25} It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward thenorth, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward thesouth, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set upon themabove, and all their hinder parts were inward. {7:26} And it was ahandbreadth thick: and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of acup, like the flower of a lily: it held two thousand baths.

{7:27} And he made the ten bases of brass; four cubits was thelength of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and threecubits the height of it. {7:28} And the work of the bases was on thismanner: they had panels; and there were panels between the ledges;{7:29} and on the panels that were between the ledges were lions, oxen,and cherubim; and upon the ledges there was a pedestal above; andbeneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. {7:30} Andevery base had four brazen wheels, and axles of brass; and the fourfeet thereof had undersetters: beneath the laver were the undersettersmolten, with wreaths at the side of each. {7:31} And the mouth of itwithin the capital and above was a cubit: and the mouth thereof wasround after the work of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and also uponthe mouth of it were gravings, and their panels were foursquare, notround. {7:32} And the four wheels were underneath the panels; and theaxletrees of the wheels were in the base: and the height of a wheel wasa cubit and half a cubit. {7:33} And the work of the wheels was likethe work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their felloes, andtheir spokes, and their naves, were all molten. {7:34} And there werefour undersetters at the four corners of each base: the undersettersthereof were of the base itself. {7:35} And in the top of the base wasthere a round compass half a cubit high; and on the top of the base thestays thereof and the panels thereof were of the same. {7:36} And onthe plates of the stays thereof, and on the panels thereof, he gravedcherubim, lions, and palm-trees, according to the space of each, withwreaths round about. {7:37} After this manner he made the ten bases:all of them had one casting, one measure, and one form.

{7:38} And he made ten lavers of brass: one laver contained fortybaths; and every laver was four cubits; and upon very one of the tenbases one laver. {7:39} And he set the bases, five on the right side ofthe house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the seaon the right side of the house eastward, toward the south.

{7:40} And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basins.So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he wrought for kingSolomon in the house of Jehovah: {7:41} the two pillars, and the twobowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; and the twonetworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top ofthe pillars; {7:42} and the four hundred pomegranates for the twonetworks; two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the twobowls of the capitals that were upon the pillars; {7:43} and the tenbases, and the ten lavers on the bases; {7:44} and the one sea, and thetwelve oxen under the sea; {7:45} and the pots, and the shovels, andthe basins: even all these vessels, which Hiram made for king Solomon,in the house of Jehovah, were of burnished brass. {7:46} In the plainof the Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground betweenSuccoth and Zarethan. {7:47} And Solomon left all the vessels[unweighed], because they were exceeding many: the weight of the brasscould not be found out.

{7:48} And Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house ofJehovah: the golden altar, and the table whereupon the showbread was,of gold; {7:49} and the candlesticks, five on the right side, and fiveon the left, before the oracle, of pure gold; and the flowers, and thelamps, and the tongs, of gold; {7:50} and the cups, and the snuffers,and the basins, and the spoons, and the firepans, of pure gold; and thehinges, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, andfor the doors of the house, [to wit], of the temple, of gold.

{7:51} Thus all the work that king Solomon wrought in the house ofJehovah was finished. And Solomon brought in the things which David hisfather had dedicated, [even] the silver, and the gold, and the vessels,and put them in the treasuries of the house of Jehovah.

{8:1} Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the headsof the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ [houses] of the children ofIsrael, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of thecovenant of Jehovah out of the city of David, which is Zion. {8:2} Andall the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at thefeast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. {8:3} And allthe elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. {8:4} Andthey brought up the ark of Jehovah, and the tent of meeting, and allthe holy vessels that were in the Tent; even these did the priests andthe Levites bring up. {8:5} And king Solomon and all the congregationof Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark,sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be counted nor numbered formultitude. {8:6} And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant ofJehovah unto its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holyplace, even under the wings of the cherubim. {8:7} For the cherubimspread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubimcovered the ark and the staves thereof above. {8:8} And the staves wereso long that the ends of the staves were seen from the holy placebefore the oracle; but they were not seen without: and there they areunto this day. {8:9} There was nothing in the ark save the two tablesof stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when Jehovah made a covenantwith the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.{8:10} And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holyplace, that the cloud filled the house of Jehovah, {8:11} so that thepriests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for theglory of Jehovah filled the house of Jehovah.

{8:12} Then spake Solomon, Jehovah hath said that he would dwell inthe thick darkness. {8:13} I have surely built thee a house ofhabitation, a place for thee to dwell in for ever. {8:14} And the kingturned his face about, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: and allthe assembly of Israel stood. {8:15} And he said, Blessed be Jehovah,the God of Israel, who spake with his mouth unto David thy father, andhath with his hand fulfilled it, saying, {8:16} Since the day that Ibrought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of allthe tribes of Israel to build a house, that my name might be there; butI chose David to be over my people Israel. {8:17} Now it was in theheart of David my father to build a house for the name of Jehovah, theGod of Israel. {8:18} But Jehovah said unto David my father, Whereas itwas in thy heart to build a house for my name, thou didst well that itwas in thy heart: {8:19} nevertheless thou shalt not build the house;but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build thehouse for my name. {8:20} And Jehovah hath established his word that hespake; for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on thethrone of Israel, as Jehovah promised, and have built the house for thename of Jehovah, the God of Israel. {8:21} And there have I set a placefor the ark, wherein is the covenant of Jehovah, which he made with ourfathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.

{8:22} And Solomon stood before the altar of Jehovah in the presenceof all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands towardheaven; {8:23} and he said, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, there is noGod like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath; who keepestcovenant and lovingkindness with thy servants, that walk before theewith all their heart; {8:24} who hast kept with thy servant David myfather that which thou didst promise him: yea, thou spakest with thymouth, and hast fulfilled it with thy hand, as it is this day. {8:25}Now therefore, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, keep with thy servantDavid my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shallnot fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if onlythy children take heed to their way, to walk before me as thou hastwalked before me. {8:26} Now therefore, O God of Israel, let thy word,I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David myfather.

{8:27} But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? behold, heavenand the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this housethat I have builded! {8:28} Yet have thou respect unto the prayer ofthy servant, and to his supplication, O Jehovah my God, to hearken untothe cry and to the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee thisday; {8:29} that thine eyes may be open toward this house night andday, even toward the place whereof thou hast said, My name shall bethere; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall pray towardthis place. {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.

{8:31} If a man sin against his neighbor, and an oath be laid uponhim to cause him to swear, and he come [and] swear before thine altarin this house; {8:32} then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thyservants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head,and justifying the righteous, to give him according to hisrighteousness.

{8:33} When thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy,because they have sinned against thee; if they turn again to thee, andconfess thy name, and pray and make supplication unto thee in thishouse: {8:34} then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thypeople Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavestunto their fathers.

{8:35} When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because theyhave sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confessthy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them: {8:36}then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and ofthy people Israel, when thou teachest them the good way wherein theyshould walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thypeople for an inheritance.

{8:37} If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, ifthere be blasting [or] mildew, locust [or] caterpillar; if their enemybesiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoeversickness there be; {8:38} what prayer and supplication soever be madeby any man, [or] by all thy people Israel, who shall know every man theplague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:{8:39} then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, anddo, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heartthou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all thechildren of men;) {8:40} that they may fear thee all the days that theylive in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.

{8:41} Moreover concerning the foreigner, that is not of thy peopleIsrael, when he shall come out of a far country for thy name’s sake{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 thishouse; {8:43} hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and do accordingto all that the foreigner calleth to thee for; that all the peoples ofthe earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as doth thy people Israel,and that they may know that this house which I have built is called bymy name.

{8:44} If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, bywhatsoever way thou shalt send them, and they pray unto Jehovah towardthe city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I havebuilt for thy name; {8:45} then hear thou in heaven their prayer andtheir supplication, and maintain their cause.

{8:46} If they sin against thee (for there is no man that sinnethnot), and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, sothat they carry them away captive unto the land of the enemy, far offor near; {8:47} yet if they shall bethink themselves in the landwhither they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplicationunto thee in the land of them that carried them captive, saying, Wehave sinned, and have done perversely, we have dealt wickedly; {8:48}if they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soulin the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray untothee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the citywhich thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:{8:49} then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thydwelling-place, and maintain their cause; {8:50} and forgive thy peoplewho have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein theyhave transgressed against thee; and give them compassion before thosewho carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them {8:51}(for they are thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtestforth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron); {8:52} thatthine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and untothe supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them whensoeverthey cry unto thee. {8:53} For thou didst separate them from among allthe peoples of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest byMoses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, OLord Jehovah.

{8:54} And it was so, that, when Solomon had made an end of prayingall this prayer and supplication unto Jehovah, he arose from before thealtar of Jehovah, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spreadforth toward heaven. {8:55} And he stood, and blessed all the assemblyof Israel with a loud voice, saying, {8:56} Blessed be Jehovah, thathath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that hepromised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, whichhe promised by Moses his servant. {8:57} Jehovah our God be with us, ashe was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us; {8:58}that he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, andto keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, whichhe commanded our fathers. {8:59} And let these my words, wherewith Ihave made supplication before Jehovah, be nigh unto Jehovah our God dayand night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause ofhis people Israel, as every day shall require; {8:60} that all thepeoples of the earth may know that Jehovah, he is God; there is noneelse. {8:61} Let your heart therefore be perfect with Jehovah our God,to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

{8:62} And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrificebefore Jehovah. {8:63} And Solomon offered for the sacrifice ofpeace-offerings, which he offered unto Jehovah, two and twenty thousandoxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all thechildren of Israel dedicated the house of Jehovah. {8:64} The same daydid the king hallow the middle of the court that was before the houseof Jehovah; for there he offered the burnt-offering, and themeal-offering, and the fat of the peace-offerings, because the brazenaltar that was before Jehovah was too little to receive theburnt-offering, and the meal-offering, and the fat of thepeace-offerings. {8:65} So Solomon held the feast at that time, and allIsrael with him, a great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath unto thebrook of Egypt, before Jehovah our God, seven days and seven days, evenfourteen days. {8:66} On the eighth day he sent the people away; andthey blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad ofheart for all the goodness that Jehovah had showed unto David hisservant, and to Israel his people.

{9:1} And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building ofthe house of Jehovah, and the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desirewhich he was pleased to do, {9:2} that Jehovah appeared to Solomon thesecond time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon. {9:3} And Jehovahsaid unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thouhast 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 bethere perpetually. {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 mystatutes and mine ordinances; {9:5} then I will establish the throne ofthy kingdom over Israel for ever, according as I promised to David thyfather, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne ofIsrael. {9:6} But if ye shall turn away from following me, ye or yourchildren, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have setbefore you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; {9:7}then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; andthis house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of mysight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all peoples.{9:8} And though this house is so high, yet shall every one thatpasseth by it be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Whyhath Jehovah done thus unto this land, and to this house? {9:9} andthey shall answer, Because they forsook Jehovah their God, who broughtforth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on othergods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath Jehovahbrought all this evil upon them.

{9:10} And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, whereinSolomon had built the two houses, the house of Jehovah and the king’shouse {9:11} (now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon withcedar-trees and fir-trees, and with gold, according to all his desire),that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.{9:12} And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon hadgiven him; and they pleased him not. {9:13} And he said, What citiesare these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them theland of Cabul unto this day. {9:14} And Hiram sent to the king sixscoretalents of gold.

{9:15} And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised,to build the house of Jehovah, and his own house, and Millo, and thewall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer. {9:16} Pharaohking of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, andslain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a portionunto his daughter, Solomon’s wife. {9:17} And Solomon built Gezer, andBeth-horon the nether, {9:18} and Baalath, and Tamar in the wilderness,in the land, {9:19} and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and thecities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and thatwhich Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and inLebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. {9:20} As for all thepeople that were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites,the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel;{9:21} their children that were left after them in the land, whom thechildren of Israel were not able utterly to destroy, of them didSolomon raise a levy of bondservants unto this day. {9:22} But of thechildren of Israel did Solomon make no bondservants; but they were themen of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, andrulers of his chariots and of his horsemen.

{9:23} These were the chief officers that were over Solomon’s work,five hundred and fifty, who bare rule over the people that wrought inthe work.

{9:24} But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of the city of David untoher house which [Solomon] had built for her: then did he build Millo.

{9:25} And three times a year did Solomon offer burnt-offerings andpeace-offerings upon the altar which he built unto Jehovah, burningincense therewith, [upon the altar] that was before Jehovah. So hefinished the house.

{9:26} And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, whichis beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.{9:27} And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that hadknowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon. {9:28} And theycame to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twentytalents, and brought it to king Solomon.

{10:1} And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomonconcerning the name of Jehovah, she came to prove him with hardquestions. {10:2} And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train,with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones;and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that wasin her heart. {10:3} And Solomon told her all her questions: there wasnot anything hid from the king which he told her not. {10:4} And whenthe queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the housethat he had built, {10:5} and the food of his table, and the sitting ofhis servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel,and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the houseof Jehovah; there was no more spirit in her. {10:6} And she said to theking, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thine acts,and of thy wisdom. {10:7} Howbeit I believed not the words, until Icame, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me;thy wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard. {10:8} Happyare thy men, happy are these thy servants, that stand continuallybefore thee, [and] that hear thy wisdom. {10:9} Blessed be Jehovah thyGod, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel:because Jehovah loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, todo justice and righteousness. {10:10} And she gave the king a hundredand twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, andprecious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as thesewhich the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

{10:11} And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir,brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug-trees and precious stones.{10:12} And the king made of the almug-trees pillars for the house ofJehovah, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for thesingers: there came no such almug-trees, nor were seen, unto this day.

{10:13} And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire,whatsoever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royalbounty. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants.

{10:14} Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year wassix hundred threescore and six talents of gold, {10:15} besides [thatwhich] the traders [brought], and the traffic of the merchants, and ofall the kings of the mingled people, and of the governors of thecountry. {10:16} And king Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beatengold; six hundred [shekels] of gold went to one buckler. {10:17} And[he made] three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pounds of goldwent to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest ofLebanon. {10:18} Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, andoverlaid it with the finest gold. {10:19} There were six steps to thethrone, and the top of the throne was round behind; and there werestays on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standingbeside the stays. {10:20} And twelve lions stood there on the one sideand on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in anykingdom. {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 puregold: none were of silver; it was nothing accounted of in the days ofSolomon. {10:22} For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with thenavy of Hiram: once every three years came the navy of Tarshish,bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

{10:23} So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth inriches and in wisdom. {10:24} And all the earth sought the presence ofSolomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. {10:25}And they brought every man his tribute, vessels of silver, and vesselsof gold, and raiment, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a rateyear by year.

{10:26} And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and hehad a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen,that he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.{10:27} And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, andcedars made he to be as the sycomore-trees that are in the lowland, forabundance. {10:28} And the horses which Solomon had were brought out ofEgypt; and the king’s merchants received them in droves, each drove ata price. {10:29} And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for sixhundred [shekels] of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty; andso for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, didthey bring them out by their means.

{11:1} Now king Solomon loved many foreign women, together with thedaughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites,Sidonians, and Hittites; {11:2} of the nations concerning which Jehovahsaid unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go among them, neithershall they come among you; for surely they will turn away your heartafter their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. {11:3} And he hadseven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and hiswives turned away his heart. {11:4} For it came to pass, when Solomonwas old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and hisheart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as was the heart of Davidhis father. {11:5} For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of theSidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. {11:6}And Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and wentnot fully after Jehovah, as did David his father. {11:7} Then didSolomon build a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, in themount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of thechildren of Ammon. {11:8} And so did he for all his foreign wives, whoburnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

{11:9} And Jehovah was angry with Solomon, because his heart wasturned away from Jehovah, the God of Israel, who had appeared unto himtwice, {11:10} and had commanded him concerning this thing, that heshould not go after other gods: but he kept not that which Jehovahcommanded. {11:11} Wherefore Jehovah said unto Solomon, Forasmuch asthis is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and mystatutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdomfrom thee, and will give it to thy servant. {11:12} Notwithstanding inthy days I will not do it, for David thy father’s sake: but I will rendit out of the hand of thy son. {11:13} Howbeit I will not rend away allthe kingdom; but I will give one tribe to thy son, for David myservant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.

{11:14} And Jehovah raised up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad theEdomite: he was of the king’s seed in Edom. {11:15} For it came topass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was goneup to bury the slain, and had smitten every male in Edom {11:16} (forJoab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had cut offevery male in Edom); {11:17} that Hadad fled, he and certain Edomitesof his father’s servants with him, to go into Egypt, Hadad being yet alittle child. {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, untoPharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, and appointed himvictuals, and gave him land. {11:19} And Hadad found great favor in thesight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his ownwife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen. {11:20} And the sister ofTahpenes bare him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’shouse; and Genubath was in Pharaoh’s house among the sons of Pharaoh.{11:21} And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with hisfathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said toPharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country. {11:22} ThenPharaoh 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 only let me depart.

{11:23} And God raised up [another] adversary unto him, Rezon theson of Eliada, who had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah.{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 dwelttherein, and reigned in Damascus. {11:25} And he was an adversary toIsrael all the days of Solomon, besides the mischief that Hadad [did]:and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.

{11:26} And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, aservant of Solomon, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, he alsolifted up his hand against the king. {11:27} And this was the reasonwhy he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, andrepaired the breach of the city of David his father. {11:28} And theman Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon saw the young manthat he was industrious, and he gave him charge over all the labor ofthe house of Joseph. {11:29} And it came to pass at that time, whenJeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonitefound him in the way; now [Ahijah] had clad himself with a new garment;and they two were alone in the field. {11:30} And Ahijah laid hold ofthe new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces. {11:31}And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces; for thus saith Jehovah,the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand ofSolomon, and will give ten tribes to thee {11:32} (but he shall haveone tribe, for my servant David’s sake and for Jerusalem’s sake, thecity which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel); {11:33}because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth thegoddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the godof the children of Ammon; and they have not walked in my ways, to dothat which is right in mine eyes, and [to keep] my statutes and mineordinances, as did David his father. {11:34} Howbeit I will not takethe whole kingdom out of his hand; but I will make him prince all thedays of his life, for David my servant’s sake whom I chose, who kept mycommandments and my statutes; {11:35} but I will take the kingdom outof his son’s hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes. {11:36}And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may havea lamp alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me toput my name there. {11:37} And I will take thee, and thou shalt reignaccording to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.{11:38} And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I commandthee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that which is right in mineeyes, 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 builtfor David, and will give Israel unto thee. {11:39} And I will for thisafflict the seed of David, but not for ever. {11:40} Solomon soughttherefore to kill Jeroboam; but Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt,unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

{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 ofSolomon? {11:42} And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem overall Israel was forty years. {11:43} And Solomon slept with his fathers,and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his sonreigned in his stead.

{12:1} And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come toShechem to make him king. {12:2} And it came to pass, when Jeroboam theson of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt, whither he had fledfrom the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt, {12:3}and they sent and called him), that Jeroboam and all the assembly ofIsrael came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, {12:4} Thy father madeour yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thyfather, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we willserve thee. {12:5} And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days,then come again to me. And the people departed.

{12:6} And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, that hadstood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, Whatcounsel give ye me to return answer to this people? {12:7} And theyspake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people thisday, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words tothem, then they will be thy servants for ever. {12:8} But he forsookthe counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counselwith the young men that were grown up with him, that stood before him.{12:9} And he said unto them, What counsel give ye, that we may returnanswer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yokethat thy father did put upon us lighter? {12:10} And the young men thatwere grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou say untothis people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yokeheavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou speak untothem, My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins. {12:11} Andnow whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add toyour yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise youwith scorpions.

{12:12} So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the thirdday, as the king bade, saying, Come to me again the third day. {12:13}And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the counsel ofthe old men which they had given him, {12:14} and spake to them afterthe 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 Iwill chastise you with scorpions. {12:15} So the king hearkened notunto the people; for it was a thing brought about of Jehovah, that hemight establish his word, which Jehovah spake by Ahijah the Shiloniteto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

{12:16} And when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not untothem, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we inDavid? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents,O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed untotheir tents. {12:17} But as for the children of Israel that dwelt inthe cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. {12:18} Then kingRehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the men subject to taskwork; and allIsrael stoned him to death with stones. And king Rehoboam made speed toget him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. {12:19} So Israelrebelled against the house of David unto this day. {12:20} And it cameto pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was returned, that theysent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over allIsrael: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribeof Judah only.

{12:21} And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled allthe house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and fourscorethousand chosen men, that were warriors, to fight against the house ofIsrael, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.{12:22} But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,{12:23} Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and untoall the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people,saying, {12:24} Thus saith Jehovah, Ye shall not go up, nor fightagainst your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to hishouse; for this thing is of me. So they hearkened unto the word ofJehovah, and returned and went their way, according to the word ofJehovah.

{12:25} Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim,and dwelt therein; and he went out from thence, and built Penuel.{12:26} And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now will the kingdom return tothe house of David: {12:27} if this people go up to offer sacrifices inthe house of Jehovah at Jerusalem, then will the heart of this peopleturn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah; and theywill kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah. {12:28} Whereuponthe king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said untothem, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, OIsrael, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. {12:29} And heset the one in Beth-el, and the other put he in Dan. {12:30} And thisthing became a sin; for the people went [to worship] before the one,even unto Dan. {12:31} And he made houses of high places, and madepriests from among all the people, that were not of the sons of Levi.{12:32} And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on thefifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, andhe went up unto the altar; so did he in Beth-el, sacrificing unto thecalves that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the priests of thehigh places that he had made. {12:33} And he went up unto the altarwhich 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 heordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up unto thealtar, to burn incense.

{13:1} And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the wordof Jehovah unto Beth-el: and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burnincense. {13:2} And he cried against the altar by the word of Jehovah,and said, O altar, altar, thus saith Jehovah: Behold, a son shall beborn unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall hesacrifice the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee,and men’s bones shall they burn upon thee. {13:3} And he gave a signthe same day, saying, This is the sign which Jehovah hath spoken:Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shallbe poured out. {13:4} And it came to pass, when the king heard thesaying 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 onhim. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that hecould not draw it back again to him. {13:5} The altar also was rent,and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign whichthe man of God had given by the word of Jehovah. {13:6} And the kinganswered and said unto the man of God, Entreat now the favor of Jehovahthy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. Andthe man of God entreated Jehovah, and the king’s hand was restored himagain, and became as it was before. {13:7} And the king said unto theman of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will givethee a reward. {13:8} And the man of God said unto the king, If thouwilt give me half thy house, I will not go in with thee, neither will Ieat bread nor drink water in this place; {13:9} for so was it chargedme by the word of Jehovah, saying, Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drinkwater, neither return by the way that thou camest. {13:10} So he wentanother way, and returned not by the way that he came to Beth-el.

{13:11} Now there dwelt an old prophet in Beth-el; and one of hissons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done thatday in Beth-el: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them alsothey told unto their father. {13:12} And their father said unto them,What way went he? Now his sons had seen what way the man of God went,that came from Judah. {13:13} And he said unto his sons, Saddle me theass. So they saddled him the ass; and he rode thereon. {13:14} And hewent after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak; and hesaid unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And hesaid, I am. {13:15} Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eatbread. {13:16} And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in withthee; neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:{13:17} for it was said to me by the word of Jehovah, Thou shalt eat nobread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thoucamest. {13:18} And he said unto him, I also am a prophet as thou art;and an angel spake unto me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Bring himback with thee into thy house, that he may eat bread and drink water.[But] he lied unto him. {13:19} So he went back with him, and did eatbread in his house, and drank water.

{13:20} And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the wordof Jehovah came unto the prophet that brought him back; {13:21} and hecried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saithJehovah, Forasmuch as thou hast been disobedient unto the mouth ofJehovah, and hast not kept the commandment which Jehovah thy Godcommanded thee, {13:22} but camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunkwater in the place of which he said to thee, Eat no bread, and drink nowater; thy body shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.{13:23} And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he haddrunk, that he saddled for him the ass, [to wit], for the prophet whomhe had brought back. {13:24} And when he was gone, a lion met him bythe way, and slew him: and his body was cast in the way, and the assstood by it; the lion also stood by the body. {13:25} And, behold, menpassed by, and saw the body cast in the way, and the lion standing bythe body; and they came and told it in the city where the old prophetdwelt.

{13:26} And when the prophet that brought him back from the wayheard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient untothe mouth of Jehovah: therefore Jehovah hath delivered him unto thelion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word ofJehovah, which he spake unto him. {13:27} And he spake to his sons,saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled it. {13:28} And he went andfound his body cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing bythe body: the lion had not eaten the body, nor torn the ass. {13:29}And the prophet took up the body of the man of God, and laid it uponthe ass, and brought it back; and he came to the city of the oldprophet, to mourn, and to bury him. {13:30} And he laid his body in hisown grave; and they mourned over him, [saying], Alas, my brother!{13:31} And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake tohis sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre whereinthe man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. {13:32} Forthe saying which he cried by the word of Jehovah against the altar inBeth-el, and against all the houses of the high places which are in thecities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.

{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 there might be priests of thehigh places. {13:34} And this thing became sin unto the house ofJeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face ofthe earth.

{14:1} At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. {14:2} AndJeroboam 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 toShiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, who spake concerning methat I should be king over this people. {14:3} And take with thee tenloaves, and cakes, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he will tellthee what shall become of the child. {14:4} And Jeroboam’s wife did so,and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. NowAhijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age.{14:5} And Jehovah said unto Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboamcometh to inquire of thee concerning her son; for he is sick: thus andthus shalt thou say unto her; for it will be, when she cometh in, thatshe will feign herself to be another woman.

{14:6} And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, asshe 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 withheavy tidings. {14:7} Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith Jehovah, the God ofIsrael: Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and madethee prince over my people Israel, {14:8} and rent the kingdom awayfrom the house of David, and gave it thee; and yet thou hast not beenas my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me withall his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes, {14:9} buthast done evil above all that were before thee, and hast gone and madethee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hastcast me behind thy back: {14:10} therefore, behold, I will bring evilupon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam everyman-child, 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 sweepethaway dung, till it be all gone. {14:11} Him that dieth of Jeroboam inthe city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall thebirds of the heavens eat: for Jehovah hath spoken it. {14:12} Arisethou therefore, get thee to thy house: [and] when thy feet enter intothe city, the child shall die. {14:13} And all Israel shall mourn forhim, and bury him; for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave,because in him there is found some good thing toward Jehovah, the Godof Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. {14:14} Moreover Jehovah willraise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house ofJeroboam that day: but what? even now. {14:15} For Jehovah will smiteIsrael, as a reed is shaken in the water; and he will root up Israelout of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and will scatterthem beyond the River, because they have made their Asherim, provokingJehovah to anger. {14:16} And he will give Israel up because of thesins of Jeroboam, which he hath sinned, and wherewith he hath madeIsrael to sin.

{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.{14:18} And all Israel buried him, and mourned for him, according tothe word of Jehovah, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the prophet.

{14:19} And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred, and howhe reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles ofthe kings of Israel. {14:20} And the days which Jeroboam reigned weretwo and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his sonreigned in his stead.

{14:21} And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboamwas forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reignedseventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Jehovah had chosen out ofall the tribes of Israel, to put his name there: and his mother’s namewas Naamah the Ammonitess. {14:22} And Judah did that which was evil inthe sight of Jehovah, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sinswhich they committed, above all that their fathers had done. {14:23}For they also built them high places, and pillars, and Asherim, onevery high hill, and under every green tree; {14:24} and there werealso sodomites in the land: they did according to all the abominationsof the nations which Jehovah drove out before the children of Israel.

{14:25} And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, thatShishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem; {14:26} and he tookaway the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of theking’s house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shieldsof gold which Solomon had made. {14:27} And king Rehoboam made in theirstead shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the captainsof the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house. {14:28} And it wasso, that, as oft as the king went into the house of Jehovah, the guardbare them, and brought them back into the guard-chamber.

{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 ofJudah? {14:30} And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboamcontinually. {14:31} And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and wasburied with his fathers in the city of David: and his mother’s name wasNaamah the Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead.

{15:1} Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebatbegan Abijam to reign over Judah. {15:2} Three years reigned he inJerusalem: and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.{15:3} And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had donebefore him; and his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as theheart of David his father. {15:4} Nevertheless for David’s sake didJehovah his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son afterhim, and to establish Jerusalem; {15:5} because David did that whichwas right in the eyes of Jehovah, and turned not aside from anythingthat he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matterof Uriah the Hittite. {15:6} Now there was war between Rehoboam andJeroboam all the days of his life.

{15:7} And the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, arethey not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. {15:8} And Abijam sleptwith his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa hisson reigned in his stead.

{15:9} And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel beganAsa to reign over Judah. {15:10} And forty and one years reigned he inJerusalem: and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.{15:11} And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, as didDavid his father. {15:12} And he put away the sodomites out of theland, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. {15:13} Andalso Maacah his mother he removed from being queen, because she hadmade an abominable image for an Asherah; and Asa cut down her image,and burnt it at the brook Kidron. {15:14} But the high places were nottaken away: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with Jehovah allhis days. {15:15} And he brought into the house of Jehovah the thingsthat his father had dedicated, and the things that himself haddedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.

{15:16} And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel alltheir days. {15:17} And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah,and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any one to go out or come into Asa king of Judah. {15:18} Then Asa took all the silver and the goldthat were left in the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and thetreasures of the king’s house, and delivered them into the hand of hisservants; and king Asa sent them to Ben-hadad, the son of Tabrimmon,the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,{15:19} [There is] a league between me and thee, between my father andthy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold;go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may departfrom me. {15:20} And Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent thecaptains of his armies against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon,and Dan, and Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land ofNaphtali. {15:21} And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, thathe left off building Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah. {15:22} Then king Asamade a proclamation unto all Judah; none was exempted: and they carriedaway the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha hadbuilded; and king Asa built therewith Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.

{15:23} Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, andall that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written inthe book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? But in the time ofhis old age he was diseased in his feet. {15:24} And Asa slept with hisfathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David hisfather; and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.

{15:25} And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel inthe second year of Asa king of Judah; and he reigned over Israel twoyears. {15:26} And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah,and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he madeIsrael to sin. {15:27} And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house ofIssachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon,which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel were layingsiege to Gibbethon. {15:28} Even in the third year of Asa king of Judahdid Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead. {15:29} And it came topass 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 Jehovah, which he spake by his servantAhijah the Shilonite; {15:30} for the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned,and wherewith he made Israel to sin, because of his provocationwherewith he provoked Jehovah, the God of Israel, to anger.

{15:31} Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, arethey not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?{15:32} And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel alltheir days.

{15:33} In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the sonof Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, [and reigned] twenty andfour years. {15:34} And he did that which was evil in the sight ofJehovah, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith hemade Israel to sin.

{16:1} And the word of Jehovah came to Jehu the son of Hananiagainst Baasha, saying, {16:2} Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of thedust, and made thee prince over my people Israel, and thou hast walkedin the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, toprovoke me to anger with their sins; {16:3} behold, I will utterlysweep away Baasha and his house; and I will make thy house like thehouse of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. {16:4} Him that dieth of Baasha inthe city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth of his in the fieldshall the birds of the heavens eat.

{16:5} Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and hismight, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kingsof Israel? {16:6} And Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried inTirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his stead. {16:7} And moreover bythe prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of Jehovah againstBaasha, and against his house, both because of all the evil that he didin the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger with the work of hishands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he smote him.

{16:8} In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elahthe son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, [and reigned] twoyears. {16:9} And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots,conspired against him. Now he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk inthe house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah: {16:10} andZimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventhyear of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead. {16:11} And itcame to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne,that he smote all the house of Baasha: he left him not a singleman-child, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends. {16:12} Thusdid Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word ofJehovah, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, {16:13} forall the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, which theysinned, and wherewith they made Israel to sin, to provoke Jehovah, theGod of Israel, to anger with their vanities. {16:14} Now the rest ofthe acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the bookof the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

{16:15} In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah didZimri reign seven days in Tirzah. Now the people were encamped againstGibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. {16:16} And the peoplethat were encamped heard say, Zimri hath conspired, and hath alsosmitten the king: wherefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of thehost, king over Israel that day in the camp. {16:17} And Omri went upfrom Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.{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’shouse over him with fire, and died, {16:19} for his sins which hesinned in doing that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, in walkingin the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel tosin. {16:20} Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that hewrought, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of thekings of Israel?

{16:21} Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: halfof the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; andhalf followed Omri. {16:22} But the people that followed Omri prevailedagainst the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibnidied, and Omri reigned. {16:23} In the thirty and first year of Asaking of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, [and reigned] twelveyears: six years reigned he in Tirzah. {16:24} And he bought the hillSamaria 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 ofShemer, the owner of the hill, Samaria. {16:25} And Omri did that whichwas evil in the sight of Jehovah, and dealt wickedly above all thatwere before him. {16:26} For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam theson of Nebat, and in his sins wherewith he made Israel to sin, toprovoke Jehovah, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities.{16:27} Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his mightthat he showed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles ofthe kings of Israel? {16:28} So Omri slept with his fathers, and wasburied in Samaria; and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.

{16:29} And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah beganAhab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omrireigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years. {16:30} And Ahabthe son of Omri did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah aboveall that were before him. {16:31} And it came to pass, as if it hadbeen a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son ofNebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of theSidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. {16:32} And hereared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built inSamaria. {16:33} And Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did yet more toprovoke Jehovah, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings ofIsrael that were before him. {16:34} In his days did Hiel theBeth-elite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof with the lossof Abiram his first-born, and set up the gates thereof with the loss ofhis youngest son Segub, according to the word of Jehovah, which hespake by Joshua the son of Nun.

{17:1} And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the sojourners of Gilead,said unto Ahab, As Jehovah, the God of Israel, liveth, before whom Istand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to myword. {17:2} And the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying, {17:3} Getthee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brookCherith, that is before the Jordan. {17:4} And it shall be, that thoushalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed theethere. {17:5} So he went and did according unto the word of Jehovah;for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.{17:6} And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, andbread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. {17:7} Andit came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because therewas no rain in the land.

{17:8} And the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying, {17:9} Arise,get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Sidon, and dwell there:behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee. {17:10} So hearose 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, andsaid, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I maydrink. {17:11} And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, andsaid, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thy hand. {17:12} Andshe said, As Jehovah thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handfulof meal in the jar, and a little oil in the cruse: and, behold, I amgathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son,that we may eat it, and die. {17:13} And Elijah said unto her, Fearnot; go and do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cakefirst, and bring it forth unto me, and afterward make for thee and forthy son. {17:14} For thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, The jar ofmeal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until theday that Jehovah sendeth rain upon the earth. {17:15} And she went anddid according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house,did eat [many] days. {17:16} The jar of meal wasted not, neither didthe cruse of oil fail, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spakeby Elijah.

{17:17} And it came to pass after these things, that the son of thewoman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was sosore, that there was no breath left in him. {17:18} And she said untoElijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? thou art comeunto me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son! {17:19} Andhe said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom,and carried him up into the chamber, where he abode, and laid him uponhis own bed. {17:20} And he cried unto Jehovah, and said, O Jehovah myGod, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, byslaying her son? {17:21} And he stretched himself upon the child threetimes, and cried unto Jehovah, and said, O Jehovah my God, I pray thee,let this child’s soul come into him again. {17:22} And Jehovahhearkened unto the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came intohim again, and he revived. {17:23} And Elijah took the child, andbrought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered himunto his mother; and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. {17:24} And thewoman said to Elijah, Now I know that thou art a man of God, and thatthe word of Jehovah in thy mouth is truth.

{18:1} And it came to pass after many days, that the word of Jehovahcame to Elijah, in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab;and I will send rain upon the earth. {18:2} And Elijah went to showhimself unto Ahab. And the famine was sore in Samaria. {18:3} And Ahabcalled Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared Jehovahgreatly: {18:4} for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets ofJehovah, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty ina cave, and fed them with bread and water.) {18:5} And Ahab said untoObadiah, Go through the land, unto all the fountains of water, and untoall the brooks: peradventure we may find grass and save the horses andmules alive, that we lose not all the beasts. {18:6} So they dividedthe land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way byhimself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

{18:7} And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and heknew him, and fell on his face, and said, Is it thou, my lord Elijah?{18:8} And he answered him, It is I: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah[is here]. {18:9} And he said, Wherein have I sinned, that thouwouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? {18:10}As Jehovah thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither mylord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not here, hetook an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.{18:11} And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah [ishere]. {18:12} And it will come to pass, as soon as I am gone fromthee, that the Spirit of Jehovah will carry thee whither I know not;and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he will slayme: but I thy servant fear Jehovah from my youth. {18:13} Was it nottold my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of Jehovah, howI hid a hundred men of Jehovah’s prophets by fifty in a cave, and fedthem with bread and water? {18:14} And now thou sayest, Go, tell thylord, Behold, Elijah [is here]; and he will slay me. {18:15} And Elijahsaid, As Jehovah of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surelyshow myself unto him to-day.

{18:16} So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went tomeet Elijah. {18:17} And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, thatAhab said unto him, Is it thou, thou troubler of Israel? {18:18} And heanswered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house,in that ye have forsaken the commandments of Jehovah, and thou hastfollowed the Baalim. {18:19} Now therefore send, and gather to me allIsrael unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred andfifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, that eat atJezebel’s table.

{18:20} So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gatheredthe prophets together unto mount Carmel. {18:21} And Elijah came nearunto all the people, and said, How long go ye limping between the twosides? if Jehovah be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. Andthe people answered him not a word. {18:22} Then said Elijah unto thepeople, I, even I only, am left a prophet of Jehovah; but Baal’sprophets are four hundred and fifty men. {18:23} Let them thereforegive 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 nofire under. {18:24} And call ye on the name of your god, and I willcall on the name of Jehovah; and the God that answereth by fire, lethim be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

{18:25} And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you onebullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and callon the name of your god, but put no fire under. {18:26} And they tookthe bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called onthe name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us.But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped aboutthe altar which was made. {18:27} And it came to pass at noon, thatElijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud; for he is a god: either he ismusing, or he is gone aside, or he is on a journey, or peradventure hesleepeth and must be awaked. {18:28} And they cried aloud, and cutthemselves after their manner with knives and lances, till the bloodgushed out upon them. {18:29} And it was so, when midday was past, thatthey prophesied until the time of the offering of the [evening]oblation; but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any thatregarded.

{18:30} And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me; andall the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of Jehovahthat was thrown down. {18:31} And Elijah took twelve stones, accordingto the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word ofJehovah came, saying, Israel shall be thy name. {18:32} And with thestones he built an altar in the name of Jehovah; and he made a trenchabout the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.{18:33} And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces,and laid it on the wood. And he said, Fill four jars with water, andpour it on the burnt-offering, and on the wood. {18:34} And he said, Doit the second time; and they did it the second time. And he said, Do itthe third time; and they did it the third time. {18:35} And the waterran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.{18:36} And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the[evening] oblation, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, OJehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be knownthis day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, andthat I have done all these things at thy word. {18:37} Hear me, OJehovah, hear me, that this people may know that thou, Jehovah, artGod, and [that] thou hast turned their heart back again. {18:38} Thenthe fire of Jehovah fell, and consumed the burnt-offering, and thewood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was inthe trench. {18:39} And when all the people saw it, they fell on theirfaces: and they said, Jehovah, he is God; Jehovah, he is God. {18:40}and Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one ofthem escape. And they took them; and Elijah brought them down to thebrook Kishon, and slew them there.

{18:41} And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; forthere is the sound of abundance of rain. {18:42} So Ahab went up to eatand to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowedhimself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees.{18:43} And he said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. Andhe went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Goagain seven times. {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 asa man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Make ready [thychariot], and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. {18:45} Andit came to pass in a little while, that the heavens grew black withclouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went toJezreel: {18:46} and the hand of Jehovah was on Elijah; and he girdedup his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

{19:1} And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withalhow he had slain all the prophets with the sword. {19:2} Then Jezebelsend a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, andmore also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them byto-morrow about this time. {19:3} And when he saw that, he arose, andwent for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah,and left his servant there. {19:4} But he himself went a day’s journeyinto the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper-tree: and herequested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough; now, OJehovah, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. {19:5}And he lay down and slept under a juniper-tree; and, behold, an angeltouched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. {19:6} And he looked,and, behold, there was at his head a cake baken on the coals, and acruse of water. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.{19:7} And the angel of Jehovah came again the second time, and touchedhim, and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great forthee. {19:8} And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in thestrength of that food forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mountof God.

{19:9} And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and,behold, the word of Jehovah came to him, and he said unto him, Whatdoest thou here, Elijah? {19:10} And he said, I have been very jealousfor Jehovah, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsakenthy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with thesword: and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take itaway. {19:11} And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount beforeJehovah. And, behold, Jehovah passed by, and a great and strong windrent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before Jehovah; butJehovah was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; butJehovah was not in the earthquake: {19:12} and after the earthquake afire; but Jehovah was not in the fire: and after the fire a still smallvoice. {19:13} And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped hisface in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of thecave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doestthou here, Elijah? {19:14} And he said, I have been very jealous forJehovah, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thycovenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with thesword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take itaway.

{19:15} And Jehovah said unto him, Go, return on thy way to thewilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, thou shalt anoint Hazaelto be king over Syria; {19:16} and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thouanoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat ofAbel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. {19:17} Andit shall come to pass, that him that escapeth from the sword of Hazaelshall Jehu slay; and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shallElisha slay. {19:18} Yet will I leave [me] seven thousand in Israel,all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth whichhath not kissed him. {19:19} So he departed thence, and found Elishathe son of Shaphat, who was plowing, with twelve yoke [of oxen] beforehim, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed over unto him, and casthis mantle upon him. {19:20} And he left the oxen, and ran afterElijah, 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 again; forwhat have I done to thee? {19:21} And he returned from following him,and took the yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh withthe instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they dideat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

{20:1} And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his hosttogether; and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses andchariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.{20:2} And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city,and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad, {20:3} Thy silver and thy goldis mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.{20:4} And the king of Israel answered and said, It is according to thysaying, my lord, O king; I am thine, and all that I have. {20:5} Andthe messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben-hadad, saying, Isent indeed unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, andthy gold, and thy wives, and thy children; {20:6} but I will send myservants unto thee to-morrow about this time, and they shall search thyhouse, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoeveris pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take itaway.

{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: forhe sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver,and for my gold; and I denied him not. {20:8} And all the elders andall the people said unto him, Hearken thou not, neither consent. {20:9}Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord theking, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I willdo; but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, andbrought him word again. {20:10} And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said,The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shallsuffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. {20:11} And theking of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on[his armor] boast himself as he that putteth it off. {20:12} And itcame to pass, when [Ben-hadad] heard this message, as he was drinking,he and the kings, in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set[yourselves in array]. And they set [themselves in array] against thecity.

{20:13} And, behold, a prophet came near unto Ahab king of Israel,and said, Thus saith Jehovah, Hast thou seen all this great multitude?behold, I will deliver it into thy hand this day; and thou shalt knowthat I am Jehovah. {20:14} And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thussaith Jehovah, By the young men of the princes of the provinces. Thenhe said, Who shall begin the battle? And he answered, Thou. {20:15}Then he mustered the young men of the princes of the provinces, andthey were two hundred and thirty-two: and after them he mustered allthe people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.

{20:16} And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinkinghimself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and twokings that helped him. {20:17} And the young men of the princes of theprovinces went out first; and Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him,saying, There are men come out from Samaria. {20:18} And he said,Whether they are come out for peace, take them alive, or whether theyare come out for war, taken them alive. {20:19} So these went out ofthe city, the young men of the princes of the provinces, and the armywhich followed them. {20:20} And they slew every one his man; and theSyrians fled, and Israel pursued them: and Ben-hadad the king of Syriaescaped on a horse with horsemen. {20:21} And the king of Israel wentout, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with agreat slaughter.

{20:22} And the prophet came near to the king of Israel, and saidunto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest;for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up againstthee. {20:23} And the servants of the king of Syria 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 bestronger than they. {20:24} And do this thing: take the kings away,every man out of his place, and put captains in their room; {20:25} andnumber thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse forhorse, and chariot for chariot; and we will fight against them in theplain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened untotheir voice, and did so.

{20:26} And it came to pass at the return of the year, thatBen-hadad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight againstIsrael. {20:27} And the children of Israel were mustered, and werevictualled, and went against them: and the children of Israel encampedbefore them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled thecountry. {20:28} And a man of God came near and spake unto the king ofIsrael, and said, Thus saith Jehovah, Because the Syrians have said,Jehovah 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 yeshall know that I am Jehovah. {20:29} And they encamped one overagainst the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh daythe battle was joined; and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians ahundred thousand footmen in one day. {20:30} But the rest fled toAphek, into the city; and the wall fell upon twenty and seven thousandmen that were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into aninner chamber.

{20:31} And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heardthat the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, wepray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and goout to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life. {20:32}So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and [put] ropes on theirheads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadadsaith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is mybrother. {20:33} Now the men observed diligently, and hasted to catchwhether it were his mind; and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then hesaid, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him; and he causedhim to come up into the chariot. {20:34} And [Ben-hadad] said unto him,The cities which my father took from thy father I will restore; andthou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made inSamaria. And I, [said Ahab], will let thee go with this covenant. So hemade a covenant with him, and let him go.

{20:35} And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto hisfellow by the word of Jehovah, Smite me, I pray thee. And the manrefused to smite him. {20:36} Then said he unto him, Because thou hastnot obeyed the voice of Jehovah, behold, as soon as thou art departedfrom me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed fromhim, a lion found him, and slew him. {20:37} Then he found another man,and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, smiting andwounding him. {20:38} So the prophet departed, and waited for the kingby the way, and disguised himself with his headband over his eyes.{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 manturned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if byany means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or elsethou shalt pay a talent of silver. {20:40} And as thy servant was busyhere and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, Soshall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it. {20:41} And he hasted,and took the headband away from his eyes; and the king of israeldiscerned him that he was of the prophets. {20:42} And he said untohim, Thus saith Jehovah, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand theman whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore thy life shall go forhis life, and thy people for his people. {20:43} And the king of Israelwent to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.

{21:1} And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth theJezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace ofAhab king of Samaria. {21:2} And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Giveme thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because itis near unto my house; and I will give thee for it a better vineyardthan it: or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of itin money. {21:3} And Naboth said to Ahab, Jehovah forbid it me, that Ishould give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. {21:4} And Ahabcame into his house heavy and displeased because of the word whichNaboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, I will notgive thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon hisbed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

{21:5} But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why isthy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? {21:6} And he said untoher, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him,Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will givethee [another] vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give theemy vineyard. {21:7} And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou nowgovern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thy heartbe merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.{21:8} So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with hisseal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that werein his city, [and] that dwelt with Naboth. {21:9} And she wrote in theletters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among thepeople: {21:10} and set two men, base fellows, before him, and let thembear witness against him, saying, Thou didst curse God and the king.And then carry him out, and stone him to death.

{21:11} And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles whodwelt in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, according as itwas written in the letters which she had sent unto them. {21:12} Theyproclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. {21:13} Andthe two men, the base fellows, came in and sat before him: and the basefellows bare witness against him, even against Naboth, in the presenceof the people, saying, Naboth did curse God and the king. Then theycarried him forth out of the city, and stoned him to death with stones.{21:14} Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and isdead. {21:15} And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth wasstoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possessionof the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give theefor money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead. {21:16} And it came topass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to godown to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

{21:17} And the word of Jehovah came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,{21:18} Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who dwelleth inSamaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gonedown to take possession of it. {21:19} And thou shalt speak unto him,saying, Thus saith Jehovah, Hast thou killed and also taken possession?And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, In the placewhere dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, eventhine. {21:20} And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mineenemy? And he answered, I have found thee, because thou hast soldthyself to do that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah. {21:21}Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will utterly sweep thee awayand will cut off from Ahab every man-child, and him that is shut up andhim that is left at large in Israel: {21:22} and I will make thy houselike the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house ofBaasha the son of Ahijah for the provocation wherewith thou hastprovoked me to anger, and hast made Israel to sin. {21:23} And ofJezebel also spake Jehovah, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by therampart of Jezreel. {21:24} Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogsshall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the birds of theheavens eat. {21:25} (But there was none like unto Ahab, who did sellhimself to do that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, whom Jezebelhis wife stirred up. {21:26} And he did very abominably in followingidols, according to all that the Amorites did, whom Jehovah cast outbefore the children of Israel.)

{21:27} And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that herent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and layin sackcloth, and went softly. {21:28} And the word of Jehovah came toElijah the Tishbite, saying, {21:29} Seest thou how Ahab humblethhimself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will notbring the evil in his days; but in his son’s days will I bring the evilupon his house.

{22:1} And they continued three years without war between Syria andIsrael. {22:2} And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphatthe king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. {22:3} And the kingof 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 Syria?{22:4} And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle toRamoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thouart, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.

{22:5} And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire first,I pray thee, for the word of Jehovah. {22:6} Then the king of Israelgathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said untothem, 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 theking. {22:7} But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet ofJehovah besides, that we may inquire of him? {22:8} And the king ofIsrael said unto Jehoshaphat, there is yet one man by whom we mayinquire of Jehovah, Micaiah the son of Imlah: but I hate him; for hedoth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said,Let not the king say so. {22:9} Then the king of Israel called anofficer, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah. {22:10} Nowthe king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting eachon his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place at the entranceof the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying beforethem. {22:11} And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron,and said, Thus saith Jehovah, With these shalt thou push the Syrians,until they be consumed. {22:12} And all the prophets prophesied so,saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper; for Jehovah will deliverit into the hand of the king.

{22:13} And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake unto him,saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets [declare] good unto theking with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of oneof them, and speak thou good. {22:14} And Micaiah said, As Jehovahliveth, what Jehovah saith unto me, that will I speak. {22:15} And whenhe was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we goto Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him,Go up and prosper; and Jehovah will deliver it into the hand of theking. {22:16} And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjurethee that thou speak unto me nothing but the truth in the name ofJehovah? {22:17} And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon themountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and Jehovah said, These haveno master; let them return every man to his house in peace. {22:18} Andthe king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that hewould not prophesy good concerning me, but evil? {22:19} And [Micaiah]said, Therefore hear thou the word of Jehovah: I saw Jehovah sitting onhis throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his righthand and on his left. {22:20} And Jehovah said, Who shall entice Ahab,that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on thismanner; and another said on that manner. {22:21} And there came forth aspirit, and stood before Jehovah, and said, I will entice him. {22:22}And Jehovah said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, andwill 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.{22:23} Now therefore, behold, Jehovah hath put a lying spirit in themouth of all these thy prophets; and Jehovah hath spoken evilconcerning thee.

{22:24} Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smoteMicaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of Jehovahfrom me to speak unto thee? {22:25} And Micaiah said, Behold, thoushalt see on that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hidethyself. {22:26} And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carryhim back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’sson; {22:27} and say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in theprison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water ofaffliction, until I come in peace. {22:28} And Micaiah said, If thoureturn at all in peace, Jehovah hath not spoken by me. And he said,Hear, ye peoples, all of you.

{22:29} So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah wentup to Ramoth-gilead. {22:30} And the king of Israel said untoJehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but putthou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and wentinto the battle. {22:31} Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirtyand two captains of his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small norgreat, save only with the king of Israel. {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 againsthim: and Jehoshaphat cried out. {22:33} And it came to pass, when thecaptains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, thatthey turned back from pursuing him. {22:34} And a certain man drew hisbow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints ofthe armor: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thyhand, and carry me out of the host; for I am sore wounded. {22:35} Andthe battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in hischariot against the Syrians, and died at even; and the blood ran out ofthe wound into the bottom of the chariot. {22:36} And there went a crythroughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every manto his city, and every man to his country.

{22:37} So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and theyburied the king in Samaria. {22:38} And they washed the chariot by thepool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlotswashed themselves [there]); according unto the word of Jehovah which hespake. {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 ofIsrael? {22:40} So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his sonreigned in his stead.

{22:41} And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah inthe fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. {22:42} Jehoshaphat was thirtyand five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty andfive years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughterof Shilhi. {22:43} And he walked in all the way of Asa his father; Heturned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes ofJehovah: howbeit the high places were not taken away; the people stillsacrificed and burnt incense in the high places. {22:44} AndJehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

{22:45} Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might thathe showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of thechronicles of the kings of Judah? {22:46} And the remnant of thesodomites, that remained in the days of his father Asa, he put away outof the land. {22:47} And there was no king in Edom: a deputy was king.{22:48} Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold: butthey went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber. {22:49} Thensaid Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go withthy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not. {22:50} AndJehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers inthe city of David his father; And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

{22:51} Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel inSamaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and hereigned two years over Israel. {22:52} And he did that which was evilin the sight of Jehovah, and walked in the way of his father, and inthe way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat,wherein he made Israel to sin. {22:53} And he served Baal, andworshipped him, and provoked to anger Jehovah, the God of Israel,according to all that his father had done.

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