The Queen of Sheba’s Praise of Solomon
1Now when the aqueen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came bto test him with hard questions.
2She came to Jerusalem with a very great 1retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.
3So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing 2so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her.
4And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,
5the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers, cand his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.
6Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.
7“However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard.
8d“Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!
9e“Blessed be the LORD your God, who fdelighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, gto do justice and righteousness.”
10Then she hgave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great quantity, and precious stones. There never again came such abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
11iAlso, the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought great quantities of 3almug wood and precious stones from Ophir.
12jAnd the king made 4steps of the almug wood for the house of the LORD and for the king’s house, also harps and stringed instruments for singers. There never again came such kalmug wood, nor has the like been seen to this day. The Land of the Divided Kingdom
13Now King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, besides what Solomon had given her according to the royal generosity. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.
Solomon’s Great Wealth
14The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,
15besides that from the ltraveling merchants, from the income of traders, mfrom all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the country.
16And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield.
17He also made nthree hundred shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the oHouse of the Forest of Lebanon.
18pMoreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
19The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round at the back; there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests.
20Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.
21qAll King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.
22For the king had rmerchant5 ships at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant sships came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and 6monkeys.
23So tKing Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
24Now all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
25Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.
26uAnd Solomon vgathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he 7stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.
27wThe king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.
28xAlso Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price.
29Now a chariot that was imported from Egypt cost six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse one hundred and fifty; yand 8thus, through their agents, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.
Solomon’s Heart Turns from the LORD
1But aKing Solomon loved bmany foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites—
2from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, c“You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.
3And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.
4For it was so, when Solomon was old, dthat his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his eheart was not 1loyal to the LORD his God, fas was the heart of his father David.
5For Solomon went after gAshtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after hMilcom2 the abomination of the iAmmonites.
6Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not fully follow the LORD, as did his father David.
7jThen Solomon built a 3high place for kChemosh the abomination of Moab, on lthe hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon.
8And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. The Kings of the Divided Kingdom
9So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, mwho had appeared to him twice,
10and nhad commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD had commanded.
11Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, oI will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your pservant.
12“Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son.
13q“However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give rone tribe to your son sfor the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem twhich I have chosen.”
Adversaries of Solomon
14Now the LORD uraised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom.
15vFor it happened, when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain, wafter he had killed every male in Edom
16(because for six months Joab remained there with all Israel, until he had cut down every male in Edom),
17that Hadad fled to go to Egypt, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him. Hadad was still a little child.
18Then they arose from Midian and came to Paran; and they took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, apportioned food for him, and gave him land.
19And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife, that is, the sister of Queen Tahpenes.
20Then the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house. And Genubath was in Pharaoh’s household among the sons of Pharaoh.
21xSo when Hadad heard in Egypt that David 4rested with his fathers, and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, 5“Let me depart, that I may go to my own country.”
22Then Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you lacked with me, that suddenly you seek to go to your own country?” So he answered, “Nothing, but do let me go anyway.”
23And God raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, yHadadezer king of Zobah.
24So he gathered men to him and became captain over a band of raiders, zwhen David killed those of Zobah. And they went to Damascus and dwelt there, and reigned in Damascus.
25He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon (besides the trouble that Hadad caused); and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.
Jeroboam’s Rebellion
26Then Solomon’s servant, aJeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zereda, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, balso crebelled against the king.
27And this is what caused him to rebel against the king: dSolomon had built the Millo and 6repaired the damages to the City of David his father.
28The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon, seeing that the young man was eindustrious, made him the officer over all the labor force of the house of Joseph.
29Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet fAhijah the Shilonite met him on the way; and he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field.
30Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and gtore it into twelve pieces.
31And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for hthus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you
32‘(but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel),
33i‘because 7they have forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the people of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and keep My statutes and My judgments, as did his father David.
34‘However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of My servant David, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes.
35‘But jI will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and give it to you—ten tribes.
36‘And to his son I will give one tribe, that kMy servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there.
37‘So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel.
38‘Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then lI will be with you and mbuild for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you.
39‘And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever.’ ”
40Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to nShishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
Death of Solomon
41Now othe rest of the acts of Solomon, all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?
42pAnd the period that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
43qThen Solomon 8rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his rplace.
The Revolt Against Rehoboam
1And aRehoboam went to bShechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.
2So it happened, when cJeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in dEgypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt),
3that they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
4“Your father made our eyoke 1heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”
5So he said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” And the people departed.
6Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”
7And they spoke to him, saying, f“If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”
8But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
9And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”
10Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist!
11‘And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with 2scourges!’ ”
12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.”
13Then the king answered the people 3roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him;
14and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with 4scourges!”
15So the king did not listen to the people; for gthe turn of events was from the LORD, that He might fulfill His word, which the LORD had hspoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying:
i“What share have we in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
To your tents, O Israel!
Now, see to your own house, O David!”
So Israel departed to their tents.
17But Rehoboam reigned over jthe children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.
18Then King Rehoboam ksent Adoram, who was in charge of the revenue; but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem.
19So lIsrael has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
20Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all mIsrael. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah nonly.
21And when oRehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of pBenjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
22But qthe word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
23“Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,
24‘Thus says the LORD: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, rfor this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the word of the LORD, and turned back, according to the word of the LORD.
Jeroboam’s Gold Calves
25Then Jeroboam sbuilt5 Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built tPenuel.
26And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David:
27“If these people ugo up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
28Therefore the king asked advice, vmade two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. wHere are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!”
29And he set up one in xBethel, and the other he put in yDan.
30Now this thing became za sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.
31He made 6shrines on the high places, aand made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
32Jeroboam 7ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like bthe feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. cAnd at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made.
33So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had ddevised in his own heart. And he 8ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and eburned incense.
The Message of the Man of God
1And behold, aa man of God went from Judah to Bethel 1by the word of the LORD, band Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
2Then he cried out against the altar 2by the word of the LORD, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, a child, cJosiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be dburned on you.’ ”
3And he gave ea sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the LORD has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out.”
4So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Arrest him!” Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself.
5The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.
6Then the king answered and said to the man of God, “Please fentreat the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and became as before.
7Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and gI will give you a reward.”
8But the man of God said to the king, h“If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place.
9“For so it was commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, i‘You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.’ ”
10So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bethel.
Death of the Man of God
11Now an jold prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his 3sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king.
12And their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” For his sons 4had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah.
13Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it,
14and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” Resuscitations From the Dead
15Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.”
16And he said, k“I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place.
17“For 5I have been told lby the word of the LORD, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.’ ”
18He said to him, “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ” (He was lying to him.)
19So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.
20Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back;
21and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD, and have not kept the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you,
22‘but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the mplace of which the LORD said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’ ”
23So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back.
24When he was gone, na lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse.
25And there, men passed by and saw the corpse thrown on the road, and the lion standing by the corpse. Then they went and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.
26Now when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard it, he said, “It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the LORD. Therefore the LORD has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke to him.”
27And he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled it.
28Then he went and found his corpse thrown on the road, and the donkey and the lion standing by the corpse. The lion had not eaten the corpse nor torn the donkey.
29And the prophet took up the corpse of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back. So the old prophet came to the city to mourn, and to bury him.
30Then he laid the corpse in his own tomb; and they mourned over him, saying, o“Alas, my brother!”
31So it was, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, “When I am dead, then bury me in the tomb where the man of God is buried; play my bones beside his bones.
32q“For the 6saying which he cried out by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the 7shrines on the high places which are in the cities of rSamaria, will surely come to pass.”
33sAfter this event Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but again he made priests from every class of people for the high places; whoever wished, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.
34tAnd this thing was the sin of the house of Jeroboam, so as uto exterminate and destroy it from the face of the earth. The Ministries of Elijah and Elisha
Judgment on the House of Jeroboam
1At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick.
2And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Please arise, and disguise yourself, that they may not recognize you as the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Indeed, Ahijah the prophet is there, who told me that aI would be king over this people.
3b“Also take 1with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him; he will tell you what will become of the child.”
4And Jeroboam’s wife did so; she arose cand went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were 2glazed by reason of his age.
5Now the LORD had said to Ahijah, “Here is the wife of Jeroboam, coming to ask you something about her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus you shall say to her; for it will be, when she comes in, that she will pretend to be another woman.”
6And so it was, when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps as she came through the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another person? For I have been sent to you with bad news.
7“Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel: d“Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you ruler over My people Israel,
8“and etore the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it to you; and yet you have not been as My servant David, fwho kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes;
9“but you have done more evil than all who were before you, gfor you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molded images to provoke Me to anger, and hhave cast Me behind your back—
10“therefore behold! iI will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and jwill cut off from Jeroboam every male in Israel, kbond and free; I will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as one takes away refuse until it is all gone.
11“The dogs shall eat lwhoever belongs to Jeroboam and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field; for the LORD has spoken!” ’
12“Arise therefore, go to your own house. mWhen your feet enter the city, the child shall die.
13“And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he is the only one of Jeroboam who shall 3come to the grave, because in him nthere is found something good toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.
14o“Moreover the LORD will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam; 4this is the day. What? Even now!
15“For the LORD will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water. He will puproot Israel from this qgood land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them rbeyond 5the River, sbecause they have made their 6wooden images, provoking the LORD to anger.
16“And He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, twho sinned and who made Israel sin.”
17Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed, and came to uTirzah. vWhen she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.
18And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, waccording to the word of the LORD which He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet.
Death of Jeroboam
19Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he xmade war and how he reigned, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
20The period that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years. So he rested with his fathers. Then yNadab his son reigned in his place.
Rehoboam Reigns in Judah
21And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. zRehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king. He reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city awhich the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. bHis mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess.
22cNow Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they dprovoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done.
23For they also built for themselves ehigh7 places, fsacred pillars, and gwooden images on every high hill and hunder every green tree.
24iAnd there were also 8perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the jabominations of the nations which the LORD had cast out before the children of kIsrael.
25lIt happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.
26mAnd he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house; he took away everything. He also took away all the gold shields nwhich Solomon had made.
27Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and 9committed them to the hands of the captains of the 10guard, who guarded the doorway of the king’s house.
28And whenever the king entered the house of the LORD, the guards carried them, then brought them back into the guardroom.
29oNow the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
30And there was pwar between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.
31qSo Rehoboam 11rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. rHis mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess. Then sAbijam12 his son reigned in his place.
Abijam Reigns in Judah
1aIn the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah.
2He reigned three years in Jerusalem. bHis mother’s name was cMaachah the granddaughter of dAbishalom.
3And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; ehis heart was not 1loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.
4Nevertheless ffor David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem;
5because David gdid what was right in the eyes of the LORD, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, hexcept in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
6iAnd there was war between 2Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.
7jNow the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.
8kSo Abijam 3rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his son reigned in his place.
Asa Reigns in Judah
9In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king over Judah.
10And he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother’s name was Maachah the granddaughter of Abishalom.
11lAsa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did his father David.
12mAnd he banished the 4perverted persons from the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
13Also he removed nMaachah his grandmother from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of 5Asherah. And Asa cut down her obscene image and oburned it by the Brook Kidron.
14pBut the 6high places were not removed. Nevertheless Asa’s qheart was loyal to the LORD all his days.
15He also brought into the house of the LORD the things which his father rhad dedicated, and the things which he himself had dedicated: silver and gold and utensils.
16Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
17And sBaasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built tRamah, uthat he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
18Then Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the treasuries of the king’s house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants. And King Asa sent them to vBen-Hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who dwelt in wDamascus, saying,
19“Let there be a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you a present of silver and gold. Come and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.”
20So Ben-Hadad heeded King Asa, and xsent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. He attacked yIjon, zDan, aAbel Beth Maachah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.
21Now it happened, when Baasha heard it, that he stopped building Ramah, and remained in bTirzah.
22cThen King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted. And they took away the stones and timber of Ramah, which Baasha had used for building; and with them King Asa built dGeba of Benjamin, and eMizpah.
23The rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? But fin the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.
24So Asa 7rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. gThen hJehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.
Nadab Reigns in Israel
25Now iNadab the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years.
26And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in jhis sin by which he had made Israel sin.
27kThen Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha killed him at lGibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.
28Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place.
29And it was so, when he became king, that he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according to mthe word of the LORD which He had spoken by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite,
30nbecause of the sins of Jeroboam, which he had sinned and by which he had made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he had provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.
31Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
32oAnd there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
Baasha Reigns in Israel
33In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah became king over all Israel in Tirzah, and reigned twenty-four years.
34He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in pthe way of Jeroboam, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin.
The Reigns of Elah, Zimri, Omri, and Ahab
1Then the word of the LORD came to aJehu the son of bHanani, against cBaasha, saying:
2d“Inasmuch as I lifted you out of the dust and made you ruler over My people Israel, and eyou have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and have made My people Israel sin, to provoke Me to anger with their sins,
3“surely I will ftake1 away the posterity of Baasha and the posterity of his house, and I will make your house like gthe house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
4“The dogs shall eat hwhoever belongs to Baasha and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the fields.”
5Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, what he did, and his might, iare they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
6So Baasha 2rested with his fathers and was buried in jTirzah. Then Elah his son reigned in his place.
7And also the word of the LORD came by the prophet kJehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD in provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because lhe killed them.
Elah Reigns in Israel
8In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha became king over Israel, and reigned two years in Tirzah.
9mNow his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him as he was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, nsteward3 of his house in Tirzah.
10And Zimri went in and struck him and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place.
11Then it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he was seated on his throne, that he killed all the household of Baasha; he odid not leave him one male, neither of his relatives nor of his friends.
12Thus Zimri destroyed all the household of Baasha, paccording to the word of the LORD, which He spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,
13for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, by which they had sinned and by which they had made Israel sin, in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger qwith their 4idols.
14Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
Zimri Reigns in Israel
15In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri had reigned in Tirzah seven days. And the people were encamped ragainst Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.
16Now the people who were encamped heard it said, “Zimri has conspired and also has killed the king.” So all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp.
17Then Omri and all Israel with him went up from Gibbethon, and they besieged Tirzah.
18And it happened, when Zimri saw that the city was 5taken, that he went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned the king’s house 6down upon himself with fire, and died,
19because of the sins which he had committed in doing evil in the sight of the LORD, sin walking in the tway of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he had committed to make Israel sin.
20Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and the treason he committed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
Omri Reigns in Israel
21Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri.
22But the people who followed Omri prevailed over the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri reigned.
23In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel, and reigned twelve years. Six years he reigned in uTirzah.
24And he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; then he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, vSamaria,7 after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill.
25wOmri did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all who were before him.
26For he xwalked in all the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin, provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their yidols.8
27Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
28So Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. Then Ahab his son reigned in his place.
Ahab Reigns in Israel
29In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.
30Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.
31And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, zthat he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the aSidonians; band he went and served Baal and worshiped him.
32Then he set up an altar for Baal in cthe temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
33dAnd Ahab made a 9wooden image. Ahab edid more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
34In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation 10with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, faccording to the word of the LORD, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun.
Elijah Proclaims a Drought
1And Elijah the Tishbite, of the ainhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, b“As the LORD God of Israel lives, cbefore whom I stand, dthere shall not be dew nor rain ethese years, except at my word.”
2Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
3“Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.
4“And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the fravens to feed you there.”
5So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.
6The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.
7And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
Elijah and the Widow
8Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
9“Arise, go to gZarephath, which belongs to hSidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
10So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.”
11And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”
12So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a 1jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and idie.”
13And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.
14“For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’ ”
15So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.
16The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.
Elijah Revives the Widow’s Son
17Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so 2serious that 3there was no breath left in him.
18So she said to Elijah, j“What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?”
19And he said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.
20Then he cried out to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?”
21kAnd he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.”
22Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he lrevived.
23And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives!”
24Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this mI know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth.”
Elijah’s Message to Ahab
1And it came to pass after amany days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and bI will send rain on the earth.”
2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab; and there was a severe famine in Samaria.
3And Ahab had called Obadiah, who was 1in charge of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly.
4For so it was, while Jezebel 2massacred the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and had fed them with bread and water.)
5And Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go into the land to all the springs of water and to all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, so that we will not have to kill any livestock.”
6So they divided the land between them to explore it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
7Now as Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Elijah met him; and he crecognized him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is that you, my lord Elijah?”
8And he answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’ ”
9So he said, “How have I sinned, that you are delivering your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?
10“As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you; and when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they could not find you.
11“And now you say, ‘Go, tell your master, “Elijah is here” ’!
12“And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, that dthe Spirit of the LORD will carry you to a place I do not know; so when I go and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me. But I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth.
13“Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, how I hid one hundred men of the LORD’s prophets, fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
14“And now you say, ‘Go, tell your master, “Elijah is here.” ’ He will kill me!”
15Then Elijah said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today.”
16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
17Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, e“Is that you, O ftroubler of Israel?”
18And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, gin that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.
19“Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on hMount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, iand the four hundred prophets of 3Asherah, who 4eat at Jezebel’s table.”
Elijah’s Mount Carmel Victory
20So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and jgathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
21And Elijah came to all the people, and said, k“How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, lfollow him.” But the people answered him not a word.
22Then Elijah said to the people, m“I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; nbut Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
23“Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it.
24“Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who oanswers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said, 5“It is well spoken.”
25Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”
26So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, 6hear us!” But there was pno voice; no one answered. Then they 7leaped about the altar which they had made.
27And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry 8aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”
28So they cried aloud, and qcut themselves, as was their custom, with 9knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.
29And when midday was past, rthey prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was sno voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.
30Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. tAnd he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
31And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, u“Israel shall be your name.”
32Then with the stones he built an altar vin the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
33And he wput the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and xpour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.”
34Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time.
35So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled ythe trench with water.
36And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD zGod of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, alet it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that bI have done all these things at Your word.
37“Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
38Then cthe fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
39Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, d“The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”
40And Elijah said to them, e“Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook fKishon and gexecuted them there.
The Drought Ends
41Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
42So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; hthen he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,
43and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”
44Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, 10‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”
45Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.
46Then the ihand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he jgirded11 up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
Elijah Escapes from Jezebel
1And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had aexecuted all the prophets with the sword.
2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, b“So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.”
3And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a 1broom tree. And he cprayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”
5Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an 2angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.”
6Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on 3coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.
7And the 4angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.”
8So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and dforty nights as far as eHoreb, the mountain of God.
9And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10So he said, f“I have been very gzealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and hkilled Your prophets with the sword. iI alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
God’s Revelation to Elijah
11Then He said, “Go out, and stand jon the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD kpassed by, and la great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;
12and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire 5a still small voice.
13So it was, when Elijah heard it, that mhe wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. nSuddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14oAnd he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
15Then the LORD said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; pand when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.
16“Also you shall anoint qJehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And rElisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.
17s“It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will tkill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, uElisha will kill.
18v“Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, wand every mouth that has not kissed him.”
Elisha Follows Elijah
19So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his xmantle on him.
20And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, y“Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”
21So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and zboiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.
Ahab Defeats the Syrians
1Now aBen-Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his forces together; thirty-two kings were with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged bSamaria, and made war against it.
2Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, “Thus says Ben-Hadad:
3‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your loveliest wives and children are mine.’ ”
4And the king of Israel answered and said, “My lord, O king, just as you say, I and all that I have are yours.”
5Then the messengers came back and said, “Thus speaks Ben-Hadad, saying, ‘Indeed I have sent to you, saying, “You shall deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children”;
6‘but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants. And it shall be, that whatever is 1pleasant in your eyes, they will put in their hands and take it.’ ”
7So the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Notice, please, and see how this man seeks trouble, for he sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold; and I did not deny him.”
8And all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent.”
9Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’ ” And the messengers departed and brought back word to him.
10Then Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, c“The gods do so to me, and more also, if enough dust is left of Samaria for a handful for each of the people 2who follow me.”
11So the king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him, ‘Let not the one who puts on his armor dboast like the one who takes it off.’ ”
12And it happened when Ben-Hadad heard this message, as he and the kings were edrinking at the 3command post, that he said to his servants, “Get ready.” And they got ready to attack the city.
13Suddenly a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, fI will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’ ”
14So Ahab said, “By whom?” And he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘By the young leaders of the provinces.’ ” Then he said, “Who will set the battle in order?” And he answered, “You.”
15Then he mustered the young leaders of the provinces, and there were two hundred and thirty-two; and after them he mustered all the people, all the children of Israel—seven thousand.
16So they went out at noon. Meanwhile Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two kings helping him were ggetting drunk at the command post.
17The young leaders of the provinces went out first. And Ben-Hadad sent out a patrol, and they told him, saying, “Men are coming out of Samaria!”
18So he said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; and if they have come out for war, take them alive.”
19Then these young leaders of the provinces went out of the city with the army which followed them.
20And each one killed his man; so the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them; and Ben-Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the cavalry.
21Then the king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22And the prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself; take note, and see what you should do, hfor 4in the spring of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.”
The Syrians Again Defeated
23Then the servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than they.
24“So do this thing: Dismiss the kings, each from his position, and put captains in their 5places;
25“and you shall muster an army like the army 6that you have lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain; surely we will be stronger than they.” And he listened to their voice and did so.
26So it was, in the spring of the year, that Ben-Hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to iAphek to fight against Israel.
27And the children of Israel were mustered and given provisions, and they went against them. Now the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, while the Syrians filled the jcountryside.
28Then a kman of God came and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The LORD is God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys,” therefore lI will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’ ”
29And they encamped opposite each other for seven days. So it was that on the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel killed one hundred thousand foot soldiers of the Syrians in one day.
30But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; then a wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the men who were left. And Ben-Hadad fled and went into the city, into an inner chamber.
Ahab’s Treaty with Ben-Hadad
31Then his servants said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please, let us mput sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life.”
32So they wore sackcloth around their waists and put ropes around their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’ ” And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
33Now the men were watching closely to see whether any sign of mercy would come from him; and they quickly grasped at this word and said, “Your brother Ben-Hadad.” So he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben-Hadad came out to him; and he had him come up into the chariot.
34So Ben-Hadad said to him, n“The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Then Ahab said, “I will send you away with this treaty.” So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.
Ahab Condemned
35Now a certain man of othe sons of the prophets said to his neighbor pby the word of the LORD, “Strike me, please.” And the man refused to strike him.
36Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, surely, as soon as you depart from me, a lion shall kill you.” And as soon as he left him, qa lion found him and killed him.
37And he found another man, and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him, inflicting a wound.
38Then the prophet departed and waited for the king by the road, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.
39Now ras the king passed by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and there, a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, syour life shall be for his life, or else you shall 7pay a talent of silver.’
40“While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” Then the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.”
41And he hastened to take the bandage away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
42Then he said to him, “Thus says the LORD: t‘Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.’ ”
43So the king of Israel uwent to his house sullen and displeased, and came to Samaria.