21 And when aRehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of bBenjamin, 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.
22 But athe 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, afor 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
25 Then Jeroboam abuilt1 Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built bPenuel.
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David:
27 “If these people ago 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.”
28 Therefore the king asked advice, amade two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. bHere are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!”
29 And he set up one in aBethel, and the other he put in bDan.
30 Now this thing became aa sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.
31 He made 1shrines on the high places, aand made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
32 Jeroboam 1ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like athe feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. bAnd at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made.
33 So 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 adevised in his own heart. And he 1ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and bburned incense.
The Message of the Man of God
13
1 And 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.
2 Then he cried out against the altar 1by the word of the LORD, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, a child, aJosiah 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 bburned on you.’ ”
3 And he gave aa *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.”
4 So 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.
5 The 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.
6 Then the king answered and said to the man of God, “Please aentreat 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.
7 Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and aI will give you a reward.”
8 But the man of God said to the king, a“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, a‘You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.’ ”
10 So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bethel.
Death of the Man of God
11 Now an aold prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his 1sons 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.
12 And their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” For his sons 1had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah.
13 Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it,
14 and 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.”
15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.”
16 And he said, a“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 1I have been told aby the word of the LORD, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.’ ”
18 He 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.)
19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.
20 Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back;
21 and 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 aplace 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.’ ”
23 So 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.
24 When he was gone, aa 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.
25 And 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.
26 Now 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.”
27 And he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled it.
28 Then 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.
29 And 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.
30 Then he laid the corpse in his own tomb; and they mourned over him, saying, a“Alas, my brother!”
31 So 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; alay my bones beside his bones.
32 a“For the 1saying which he cried out by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the 2shrines on the high places which are in the cities of bSamaria, will surely come to pass.”
33 aAfter 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.
34 aAnd this thing was the sin of the house of Jeroboam, so as bto exterminate and destroy it from the face of the earth.
Judgment on the House of Jeroboam
14
1 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick.
2 And 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.
3 a“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.”
4 And Jeroboam’s wife did so; she arose aand went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were 1glazed by reason of his age.
5 Now 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.”
6 And 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: a“Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you ruler over My people Israel,
8 “and atore the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it to you; and yet you have not been as My servant David, bwho 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, afor you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molded images to provoke Me to anger, and bhave cast Me behind your back—
10 “therefore behold! aI will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and bwill cut off from Jeroboam every male in Israel, cbond 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 awhoever 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. aWhen 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 1come to the grave, because in him athere is found something good toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.
14 a“Moreover the LORD will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam; 1this is the day. What? Even now!
15 “For the LORD will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water. He will auproot Israel from this bgood land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them cbeyond 1the River, dbecause they have made their 2wooden images, provoking the LORD to anger.
16 “And He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, awho sinned and who made Israel sin.”
17 Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed, and came to aTirzah. bWhen she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.
18 And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, aaccording to the word of the LORD which He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet.
Death of Jeroboam
19 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he amade war and how he *reigned, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
20 The period that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years. So he rested with his fathers. Then aNadab his son reigned in his place.
Rehoboam Reigns in Judah
21 And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. aRehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king. He reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city bwhich the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. cHis mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess.
22 aNow Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they bprovoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done.
23 For they also built for themselves ahigh1 places, bsacred pillars, and cwooden images on every high hill and dunder every green tree.
24 aAnd there were also 1perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the babominations of the nations which the LORD had cast out before the children of cIsrael.
25 aIt happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.
26 aAnd 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 bwhich Solomon had made.
27 Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and 1committed them to the hands of the captains of the 2guard, who guarded the doorway of the king’s house.
28 And whenever the king entered the house of the LORD, the guards carried them, then brought them back into the guardroom.
29 aNow 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?
30 And there was awar between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.
31 aSo Rehoboam 1rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. bHis mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess. Then cAbijam2 his son reigned in his place.
Abijam Reigns in Judah
15
1 aIn the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah.
2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. aHis mother’s name was bMaachah the granddaughter of cAbishalom.
3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; ahis heart was not 1loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.
4 Nevertheless afor David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem;
5 because David adid 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, bexcept in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
6 aAnd there was war between 1Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.
7 aNow 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.
8 aSo Abijam 1rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his son reigned in his place.
Asa Reigns in Judah
9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king over Judah.
10 And he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother’s name was Maachah the granddaughter of Abishalom.
11 aAsa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did his father David.
12 aAnd he banished the 1perverted persons from the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
13 Also he removed aMaachah his grandmother from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of 1Asherah. And Asa cut down her obscene image and bburned it by the Brook Kidron.
14 aBut the 1high places were not removed. Nevertheless Asa’s bheart was loyal to the LORD all his days.
15 He also brought into the house of the LORD the things which his father ahad dedicated, and the things which he himself had dedicated: silver and gold and utensils.
16 Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
17 And aBaasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built bRamah, cthat he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
18 Then 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 aBen-Hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who dwelt in bDamascus, 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.”
20 So Ben-Hadad heeded King Asa, and asent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. He attacked bIjon, cDan, dAbel Beth Maachah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.
21 Now it happened, when Baasha heard it, that he stopped building Ramah, and remained in aTirzah.
22 aThen 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 bGeba of Benjamin, and cMizpah.
23 The 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 ain the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.
24 So Asa 1rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. aThen bJehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.
Nadab Reigns in Israel
25 Now aNadab the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years.
26 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in ahis sin by which he had made Israel sin.
27 aThen Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha killed him at bGibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.
28 Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place.
29 And 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 athe word of the LORD which He had spoken by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite,
30 abecause 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.
31 Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
32 aAnd there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
Baasha Reigns in Israel
33 In 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.
34 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in athe way of Jeroboam, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin.
16
1 Then the word of the LORD came to aJehu the son of bHanani, against cBaasha, saying:
2 a“Inasmuch as I lifted you out of the dust and made you ruler over My people Israel, and byou 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 atake1 away the posterity of Baasha and the posterity of his house, and I will make your house like bthe house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
4 “The dogs shall eat awhoever belongs to Baasha and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the fields.”
5 Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, what he did, and his might, aare they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
6 So Baasha 1rested with his fathers and was buried in aTirzah. Then Elah his son reigned in his place.
7 And also the word of the LORD came by the prophet aJehu 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 bhe killed them.
Elah Reigns in Israel
8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha became king over Israel, and reigned two years in Tirzah.
9 aNow his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him as he was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, bsteward1 of his house in Tirzah.
10 And Zimri went in and struck him and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place.
11 Then 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 adid not leave him one male, neither of his relatives nor of his friends.
12 Thus Zimri destroyed all the household of Baasha, aaccording to the word of the LORD, which He spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,
13 for 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 awith their 1idols.
14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
Zimri Reigns in Israel
15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri had reigned in Tirzah seven days. And the people were encamped aagainst Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.
16 Now 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.
17 Then Omri and all Israel with him went up from Gibbethon, and they besieged Tirzah.
18 And it happened, when Zimri saw that the city was 1taken, that he went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned the king’s house 2down upon himself with fire, and died,
19 because of the sins which he had committed in doing evil in the sight of the LORD, ain walking in the bway of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he had committed to make Israel sin.
20 Now 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
21 Then 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.
22 But the people who followed Omri prevailed over the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri reigned.
23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel, and reigned twelve years. Six years he reigned in aTirzah.
24 And 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, aSamaria,1 after the name of Shemer, *owner of the hill.
25 aOmri did *evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all who were before him.
26 For he awalked 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 bidols.1
27 Now 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?
28 So Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. Then Ahab his son reigned in his place.
Ahab Reigns in Israel
29 In 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.
30 Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.
31 And 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, athat he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the bSidonians; cand he went and served Baal and worshiped him.
32 Then he set up an altar for Baal in athe temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
33 aAnd Ahab made a 1wooden image. Ahab bdid more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
34 In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation 1with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, aaccording to the word of the LORD, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun.
Elijah Proclaims a Drought
17
1 And 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.”
2 Then 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 aravens to feed you there.”
5 So 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.
6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.
7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
Elijah and the Widow
8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
9 “Arise, go to aZarephath, which belongs to bSidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to *provide for you.”
10 So 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.”
11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”
12 So 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 adie.”
13 And 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.’ ”
15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.
16 The 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
17 Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so 1serious that 2there was no breath left in him.
18 So she said to Elijah, a“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?”
19 And 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.
20 Then 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?”
21 aAnd 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.”
22 Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he arevived.
23 And 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!”
24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this aI 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
18
1 And 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.”
2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab; and there was a severe famine in Samaria.
3 And Ahab had called Obadiah, who was 1in charge of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly.
4 For so it was, while Jezebel 1massacred 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.)
5 And 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.”
6 So they divided the land between them to explore it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
7 Now as Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Elijah met him; and he arecognized him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is that you, my lord Elijah?”
8 And he answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’ ”
9 So 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 athe 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!”
15 Then Elijah said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today.”
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
17 Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, a“Is that you, O btroubler of Israel?”
18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, ain 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 aMount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, band the four hundred prophets of 1Asherah, who 2eat at Jezebel’s table.”
Elijah’s Mount Carmel Victory
20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and agathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, a“How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, bfollow him.” But the people answered him not a word.
22 Then Elijah said to the people, a“I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; bbut 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 aanswers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said, 1“It is well spoken.”
25 Now 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.”
26 So 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, 1hear us!” But there was ano voice; no one answered. Then they 2leaped about the altar which they had made.
27 And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry 1aloud, 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.”
28 So they cried aloud, and acut themselves, as was their custom, with 1knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.
29 And when midday was past, athey prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was bno voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. aAnd he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, a“Israel shall be your name.”
32 Then with the stones he built an altar ain the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
33 And he aput the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and bpour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.”
34 Then 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.
35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled athe trench with water.
36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD aGod of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, blet it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that cI 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.”
38 Then athe 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.
39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, a“The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”
40 And Elijah said to them, a“Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook bKishon and cexecuted them there.
The Drought Ends
41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
42 So Ahab *went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; athen he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,
43 and 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.”
44 Then 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, 1‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”
45 Now 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.
46 Then the ahand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he bgirded1 up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
Elijah Escapes from Jezebel
19
1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had aexecuted all the prophets with the sword.
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, a“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.”
3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a 1broom tree. And he aprayed* that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”
5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an 1angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.”
6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on 1coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.
7 And the 1angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.”
8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and aforty nights as far as bHoreb, the mountain of God.
9 And 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?”
10 So he said, a“I have been very bzealous* for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and ckilled Your prophets with the sword. dI alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
God’s Revelation to Elijah
11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand aon the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD bpassed by, and ca 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;
12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire 1a still small voice.
13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that ahe wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. bSuddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 aAnd 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.”
15 Then the LORD said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; aand when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.
16 “Also you shall anoint aJehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And bElisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.
17 a“It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will bkill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, cElisha will kill.
18 a“Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, band every mouth that has not kissed him.”
Elisha Follows Elijah
19 So 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 amantle on him.
20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, a“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?”
21 So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and aboiled 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
20
1 Now 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.
2 Then 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.’ ”
4 And the king of Israel answered and said, “My lord, O king, just as you say, I and all that I have are yours.”
5 Then 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.’ ”
7 So 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.”
8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent.”
9 Therefore 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.
10 Then Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, a“The gods do so to me, and more also, if enough dust is left of Samaria for a handful for each of the people 1who follow me.”
11 So the king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him, ‘Let not the one who puts on his armor aboast like the one who takes it off.’ ”
12 And it happened when Ben-Hadad heard this message, as he and the kings were adrinking at the 1command post, that he said to his servants, “Get ready.” And they got ready to attack the city.
13 Suddenly a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, aI will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’ ”
14 So 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.”
15 Then 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.
16 So they went out at noon. Meanwhile Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two kings helping him were agetting drunk at the command post.
17 The 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!”
18 So he said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; and if they have come out for war, take them alive.”
19 Then these young leaders of the provinces went out of the city with the army which followed them.
20 And 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.
21 Then the king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22 And the prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself; take note, and see what you should do, afor 1in the spring of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.”
The Syrians Again Defeated
23 Then 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 1places;
25 “and you shall muster an army like the army 1that 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.
26 So it was, in the spring of the year, that Ben-Hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to aAphek to fight against Israel.
27 And 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 acountryside.
28 Then a aman 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 bI will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’ ”
29 And 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.
30 But 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
31 Then his servants said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please, let us aput sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life.”
32 So 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.”
33 Now 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.
34 So Ben-Hadad said to him, a“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
35 Now a certain man of athe sons of the prophets said to his neighbor bby the word of the LORD, “Strike me, please.” And the man refused to strike him.
36 Then 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, aa lion found him and killed him.
37 And he found another man, and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him, inflicting a wound.
38 Then the prophet departed and waited for the king by the road, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.
39 Now aas 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, byour life shall be for his life, or else you shall 1pay 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.”
41 And he hastened to take the bandage away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
42 Then he said to him, “Thus says the LORD: a‘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.’ ”
43 So the king of Israel awent to his house sullen and displeased, and came to Samaria.
Naboth Is Murdered for His Vineyard
21
1 And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in aJezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
2 So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your avineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.”
3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The LORD forbid athat I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!”
4 So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food.
5 But aJezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sullen that you eat no food?”
6 He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ ”
7 Then Jezebel his wife said to him, “You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8 And she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth.
9 She wrote in the letters, saying,
Proclaim a *fast, and seat Naboth 1with high honor among the people;
10 and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, “You have ablasphemed God and the king.” Then take him out, and bstone him, that he may die.
11 So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them.
12 aThey proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth with high honor among the people.
13 And two men, scoundrels, came in and sat before him; and the scoundrels awitnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth has blasphemed God and the king!” bThen they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died.
14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”
15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
16 So it was, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
The LORD Condemns Ahab
17 aThen the word of the LORD came to bElijah the Tishbite, saying,
18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, awho lives in Samaria. There he is, in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it.
19 “You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Have you murdered and also taken possession?” ’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: a“In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours.” ’ ”
20 So Ahab said to Elijah, a“Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because byou have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD:
21 ‘Behold, aI will bring calamity on you. I will take away your bposterity, and will cut off from Ahab cevery male in Israel, both dbond and free.
22 ‘I will make your house like the house of aJeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of bBaasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and made Israel sin.’
23 “And aconcerning Jezebel the LORD also spoke, saying, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the 1wall of Jezreel.’
24 “The dogs shall eat awhoever belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field.”
25 But athere was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the LORD, bbecause Jezebel his wife 1stirred him up.
26 And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according to all athat the Amorites had done, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
27 So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and aput sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning.
28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
29 “See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he ahas humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. bIn the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house.”
Micaiah Warns Ahab
22
1 Now three years passed without war between Syria and Israel.
2 Then it came to pass, in the third year, that aJehoshaphat the king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel.
3 And the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that aRamoth in Gilead is ours, but we hesitate to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?”
4 So he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, a“I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
5 Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, a“Please inquire for the word of the LORD today.”
6 Then the king of Israel agathered 1the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to fight, or shall I refrain?” So they said, “Go up, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
7 And aJehoshaphat said, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of 1Him?”
8 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!”
9 Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Bring Micaiah the son of Imlah quickly!”
10 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, having put on their robes, sat each on his throne, at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
11 Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made ahorns of iron for himself; and he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘With these you shall bgore the Syrians until they are destroyed.’ ”
12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the king’s hand.”
13 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Please, let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement.”
14 And Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, awhatever the LORD says to me, that I will speak.”
15 Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we refrain?” And he answered him, “Go and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king!”
16 So the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”
17 Then he said, “I saw all Israel ascattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’ ”
18 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
19 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: aI saw the LORD sitting on His throne, band all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left.
20 “And the LORD said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner.
21 “Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’
22 “The LORD said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the LORD said, a‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’
23 a“Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you.”
24 Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and astruck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, b“Which way did the spirit from the LORD go from me to speak to you?”
25 And Micaiah said, “Indeed, you shall see on that day when you go into an ainner chamber to hide!”
26 So the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son;
27 “and say, ‘Thus says the king: “Put this fellow in aprison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction, until I come in peace.” ’ ”
28 But Micaiah said, “If you ever return in peace, athe LORD has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Take heed, all you people!”
Ahab Dies in Battle
29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.
30 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel adisguised himself and went into battle.
31 Now the aking of Syria had commanded the thirty-two bcaptains of his chariots, saying, “Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel.”
32 So it was, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “Surely it is the king of Israel!” Therefore they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat acried out.
33 And it happened, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.
34 Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”
35 The battle increased that day; and the king was propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot.
36 Then, as the sun was going down, a shout went throughout the army, saying, “Every man to his city, and every man to his own country!”
37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria.
38 Then someone washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while 1the harlots bathed, according ato the word of the LORD which He had spoken.
39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, athe ivory house which he built and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
40 So Ahab 1rested with his fathers. Then aAhaziah his son reigned in his place.
Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah
41 aJehoshaphat the son of Asa had become king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
43 And ahe walked in all the ways of his father Asa. He did not turn aside from them, doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD. Nevertheless bthe high places were not taken away, for the people offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.
44 Also aJehoshaphat made bpeace with the king of Israel.
45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, the might that he showed, and how he made war, are they not written ain the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
46 aAnd the rest of the 1perverted persons, who remained in the days of his father Asa, he banished from the land.
47 aThere was then no king in Edom, only a deputy of the king.
48 aJehoshaphat bmade 1merchant ships to go to cOphir for gold; dbut they never sailed, for the ships were wrecked at eEzion Geber.
49 Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat would not.
50 And aJehoshaphat 1rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place.
Ahaziah Reigns in Israel
51 aAhaziah the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.
52 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and awalked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin;
53 for ahe served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger, baccording1 to all that his father had done.
1:4 Did not know her: David did not have sexual relations with her.
1:5 Adonijah … exalted himself: Even though Adonijah (the fourth son of David) was probably the oldest surviving son (compare 2 Sam. 3:2–4 with 2 Sam. 13:28; 18:15), there was no fixed pattern of succession. David had the right to appoint his own successor, and the kingdom had clearly been promised to Solomon (1 Chr. 22:9, 10; 28:4–7). In spite of this, Adonijah selfishly exalted himself in an attempt to bypass the Lord’s will and David’s choice. Therefore, Adonijah’s statement “I will be king” does not mean that he would be king, just that he wanted the throne. However, as Adonijah discovered, it is futile to attempt to overrule God’s providence. See note on 2:15.
1:7 In his rebellion, Adonijah is assisted by Joab (the general, and nephew of David) and Abiathar the priest. Abiathar was a descendant of Aaron through Ithamar (1 Chr. 24:3) and of the line of Eli (1 Sam. 2:31, 33). He was not loyal to David, and would be removed by Solomon (2:26, 27).
1:8 In contrast to Joab and Abiathar (v. 7), Zadok the priest, Benaiah (a military leader), and Nathan the prophet remain loyal to David and will anoint Solomon as king (v. 45). Zadok was a descendant of Aaron through Eleazar (1 Chr. 6:4–8, 50–52; 24:1–3), and would replace Abiathar (2:35). After Benaiah executed Adonijah (2:25) and Joab (2:26–34), he became Solomon’s general (2:35).
1:9 In hope that he may usurp the throne, Adonijah seeks to gain support by holding a victory celebration at En Rogel, a spring south of Jerusalem in the Kidron Valley.
1:11–14 Since Adonijah had not officially been anointed or proclaimed king, Nathan’s words Adonijah … has become king (vv. 11, 13) imply that Adonijah is gaining support and may take the throne (v. 25; 2:15) if something is not done to stop him.
1:29, 30 See section 1 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Kin.
1:29 David’s words are very representative of his language in the Psalms. God had allowed something redemptive to come out of David’s failure with Bathsheba. God is a redeemer in every generation.
1:29–36 David adheres to his promise and enlists Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, the captain of the guard, to anoint Solomon.
1:38 Cherethites … Pelethites: These are personal bodyguards that David chose from foreign mercenary troops (2 Sam. 8:18; 15:18; 20:7, 23; 23:22, 23; 1 Chr. 18:17), and Benaiah was their leader.
1:46 Solomon served as coregent with David for a period of time.
1:47 Bowed himself on the bed: He praised God while in bed.
1:50 Took hold of the horns of the altar: This ancient custom symbolized the seeking of sanctuary from execution.
2:2 Go the way of all the earth: David knew that he was going to die soon.
2:3, 4 Success in the economy of God is always contingent on obedience to His Word.
2:3 See section 1 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Kin.
2:13–25 Adonijah’s request to marry Abishag appears on the surface to be innocent, since she was a virgin (1:4; Deut. 22:30). However, Abishag was a member of David’s harem, which was considered his royal property and was to be passed on to his successor (2 Sam. 3:7; 12:8; 16:21). Adonijah had not given up the hope that he would be king, and this was a clever maneuver to take the throne. Solomon wisely realized the implications (v. 22), and he promptly had Adonijah put to death.
2:15 Adonijah’s words the kingdom was mine do not mean that he had become king, for he had never been officially crowned. He had gained the allegiance of Joab and Abiathar (1:7), and might have possessed the throne if he had gone unchecked (1:11). “The kingdom was mine” means Adonijah felt the kingdom was within his reach. Yet it was never really within reach, because God had chosen Solomon (1 Chr. 22:9, 10). Adonijah acknowledges this when he confesses that the kingdom has become my brother’s; for it was his from the LORD. No man can overrule what God has determined to do.
2:27 Solomon’s action was a fulfillment of God’s prophetic word that the priestly line of Eli, of which Abiathar was a member, would terminate (1 Sam. 2:30–36).
2:28 See note on 1:50.
2:35 Benaiah and Zadok are here officially installed in the offices they unofficially occupied during the coregency. The descendants of Zadok were henceforth regarded as the priestly line.
2:36 Shimei was a relative of King Saul (v. 8; 2 Sam. 16:5) and was resentful because David had taken the throne from Saul’s family. He had insulted David during the revolt of Absalom (2 Sam. 16:5–13). When David regained control, Shimei recanted to save his life, since what he had done amounted to treason (2 Sam. 19:18–23). David allowed him to live even though Shimei’s repentance was apparently insincere (v. 9). Therefore, in light of David’s instruction (v. 9), Solomon confined Shimei to the city of Jerusalem. Shimei was executed when he violated this command.
3:1 In accord with ancient Eastern practices, Solomon sealed many of his political alliances with marriages.
3:2–4 During the time of the Book of Judges, Israel adopted the pagan custom of offering sacrifices at high places (elevated hilltops). The pagans believed the closer they were to heaven, the greater the chance their prayer and sacrifices would reach their gods. Since many of these high places were old Baal sites, this practice was expressly forbidden to the Israelites (Lev. 17:3, 4). But in certain exceptions the Lord gave His approval for His people to worship Him at a high place (1 Sam. 9:12–14). The high places in v. 2 and the great high place in v. 4 appear to fall under this unusual exception, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days (v. 2). Since the tabernacle of Moses and the great bronze altar were at the great high place at Gibeon (1 Chr. 16:39; 21:29; 2 Chr. 1:3–6), Solomon’s sacrifice there is not to be seen as idolatrous. However, in the later years of Solomon (after the temple was built), he built high places for his pagan wives (11:7, 8). This is what v. 3 refers to when it says Solomon walked in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed … at the high places. After these exceptions in the early period of Israel’s history, the high places were off limits to God’s people. The high places were not done away with until the reign of Josiah (2 Kin. 23:8).
3:6–14 See section 1 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Kin.
3:7 Little child; I do not know how to go out or come in: Solomon was not young in years, but this was a humble admission of his inexperience.
3:15 Though the tabernacle of Moses and the bronze altar were in Gibeon, the ark of the covenant remained in Jerusalem at the tabernacle of David (2 Sam. 6:17).
3:16–28 This colorful account is a vivid demonstration of the gift of wisdom God had granted to Solomon, fulfilling vv. 9–12.
4:2–6 These verses list the officials of Solomon, the chief officers of his administration.
4:2 The word son often means “descendant.” Azariah was actually the grandson of Zadok (1 Chr. 6:8, 9).
4:7–19 Here is a list of the 12 governors who made provisions for the royal household, one for each month of the year.
4:26 Forty thousand: This is probably a copyist’s error, since 2 Chr. 9:25 says there were only “four thousand stalls.” The copyist apparently misread the Hebrew word for “four” as “forty.” Four thousand is probably the correct figure, since there were only “one thousand four hundred” chariots (10:26; 2 Chr. 1:14).
4:31 Ethan and Heman were musicians, and it is apparent from the titles of Ps. 88 and 89 that each of them wrote a psalm.
5:1, 12 Here another illustration of the wisdom of Solomon is set forth. Solomon capitalized on the friendly relationship that his father David had with Hiram of Tyre by obtaining the help of Hiram in building the temple.
5:6 The Sidonians were skilled timber workers who are later called Phoenicians.
6:1–38 It is interesting to note that the temple was built some 400 years after the tabernacle and stood for about 400 years before being destroyed in 586 B.C. It took approximately 30,000 Israelites and 150,000 Canaanites only seven years to complete the construction of the temple.
6:1 Even though the meaning of this verse is in dispute, it still provides a general perspective on the chronological relationship of biblical events. The exact date of this verse cannot be established because there is uncertainty as to when the beginning of the reign of Solomon is to be dated. The fourth year of Solomon’s reign is regarded by many to be about 960 B.C. In that case the Exodus could have occurred about 1440 B.C.
6:2 A cubit was approximately 18 inches; therefore, the temple was about 90 feet long by 30 feet wide by 45 feet tall. These dimensions exactly doubled those of the tabernacle of Moses.
6:13 Here the Lord explains the reason for the temple: God wanted to dwell among His people.
7:1–8 In addition to the temple, Solomon built a royal palace. It consisted of the House of the Forest of Lebanon (v. 2), the Hall of Pillars (v. 6), the Hall of Judgment (v. 7), his own personal residence (v. 8), and a residence for Pharaoh’s daughter (v. 8). According to the Jewish historian Josephus, these were not separate buildings, but sections of a single palace.
7:9–12 The building materials and style of architecture for Solomon’s palace were very similar to the temple’s.
7:13, 14 Huram: This is a variant spelling for the Hebrew name “Hiram,” an artisan, not to be confused with Hiram, the king of Tyre (5:1).
7:18–22 Two freestanding pillars or monuments, Jachin and Boaz were constructed to mark the entrance to the temple. This is characteristic of Phoenician structures and suggests that both the temple and Solomon’s palace reflected ancient Phoenician architecture.
7:23–26 Sea of cast bronze: This was a reservoir to hold the great amount of water needed for lavers and for worship in the temple.
7:27–39 These verses describe the carts (vv. 28–30) constructed for the bronze lavers (v. 38) to transport the water from the Sea of cast bronze (v. 39) to various stations in the temple.
7:48 The table may have been one large one, with nine others (2 Chr. 4:8). The showbread was a holy or consecrated bread placed in the tabernacle (Ex. 25:23–30) or the temple (2 Chr. 13:11; 29:18) every Sabbath (1 Chr. 9:32) to symbolize God’s continual presence and His provision for His people. The 12 loaves of bread symbolized the 12 tribes of the nation of Israel. The showbread was a reminder to them that God’s presence is more essential than one’s daily bread, and that they were to depend on God to provide for their spiritual and physical needs.
7:49 The tabernacle of Moses had one large lampstand, whereas the temple had 10 smaller lampstands.
8:2 The dedication of the temple coincided with the Feast of Tabernacles, about 11 months after its completion (6:38).
8:9 The rod of Aaron and the pot of manna, which had been kept in the ark (Heb. 9:4), were no longer there. They were lost or stolen (1 Sam. 6:19).
8:10, 11 The cloud that filled the house of the LORD (v. 10), the glory of the LORD (v. 11), is taken by some as a reference to the Holy Spirit. For further insight, see the reference to 2 Chr. 5:13, 14 in Introduction to 2 Chronicles: The Holy Spirit at Work. The priests could not continue ministering (v. 11): Evidently they were in some way incapacitated because of the presence of the Lord.
8:12–21 Solomon explained to the people why the cloud filled the temple (v. 10) and why he had built it for the Lord.
8:22–53 Much can be learned about prayer from Solomon’s prayer. First, Solomon begins his prayer with praise and worship (vv. 22–25). Second, he acknowledges his unworthiness to be in God’s presence (vv. 26–30). Third, Solomon requests forgiveness for Israel’s sins against their neighbors (vv. 31, 32), for sins that caused defeat by enemies (vv. 33, 34), for sins that caused drought (vv. 35, 36), and for sins that resulted in other misfortunes (vv. 37–40). Fourth, he asks the Lord to be merciful to foreigners who fear God (vv. 41–43). Fifth, Solomon prays that God will grant them victory in battle (vv. 44, 45). And sixth, the king seeks God for their future restoration when they fail (vv. 46–53).
8:22 Solomon … spread out his hands toward heaven: He lifted his hands to praise and give thanks to the Lord. The lifting of hands in Scripture is a frequent physical expression of worship to God.
8:46–50 See section 3 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Kin.
8:54 Here is one of the clearest pictures in the Bible showing the posture of an intercessor, kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.
8:56–61 See section 2 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Kin.
9:1–9 In the second appearance to Solomon (v. 2), the Lord promises the king an everlasting dynasty (v. 5). However, this promise is conditional upon Solomon and his sons walking in integrity and uprightness before the Lord (vv. 4, 6–9). This is a reaffirmation of the Davidic covenant.
9:25 The three times a year were probably the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Harvest (sometimes called the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost), and the Feast of Tabernacles (also called Ingathering).
10:1 Sheba was a rather mountainous country approximately 1,200 miles from Jerusalem. Sheba may have been the land of the Sabeans (Job 1:15; Ezek. 23:42; Joel 3:8), and is identified as modern Yemen.
10:5 There was no more spirit in her: The queen of Sheba was breathless with amazement at Solomon’s wealth, wisdom, and organization. Not only did she marvel at the lavish manner of the temple ceremonies but she observed that even insignificant aspects of Solomon’s household and public affairs were in such order that his wives and servants were happy (v. 8).
10:9 It is likely that the queen of Sheba was a pagan, and yet even she realized that the Lord was the source of all of Solomon’s blessings.
10:10 One hundred and twenty talents of gold would be over 4 tons.
10:14, 15 The annual income of gold would have been about 25 tons, aside from the taxes from both traveling caravans (the merchants and traders) and state monopolies (the kings and governors).
10:23, 24 God had raised this insignificant group of people to the pinnacle of political and economic power.
10:23 See section 3 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Kin.
10:26 See section 3 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Kin.
10:26, 28, 29 Though Solomon was wealthy and wise, we can observe here one of the seeds of his downfall. The Lord had instructed His people in the Mosaic Law (Deut. 17:16) not to multiply horses.
11:1–4 The greatest kingdom of the known world began to crumble, not from external opposition, but from internal weakness. Not only was Solomon prohibited from multiplying horses (see note on 10:26, 28, 29), but it was also forbidden for him to marry many wives (Deut. 17:17). The reason for this restriction was that pagan wives would lead God’s people into idolatry. As God had warned, so it happened.
11:1 See section 3 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Kin.
11:4 See section 2 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Kin.
11:5–7 Ashtoreth was the Canaanite goddess of fertility whose worship involved not only sexual rites, but astrology. The worship of Milcom or Molech included human sacrifices, especially of children. The worship of Chemosh was equally cruel and also centered in astrology. For an explanation of a high place, see note on 3:2–4.
11:9–13 Even in the midst of judgment, God shows mercy by promising not to take the kingdom from Solomon in his lifetime (v. 12) and by assuring him that his son will reign over one tribe (v. 13).
11:14–25 In addition to the internal weakness, the Lord now brings external opposition by raising up two adversaries: Hadad the Edomite (vv. 14–22) and Rezon … of Zobah (vv. 23–25).
11:26–28 The most dangerous adversary the Lord raised up against Solomon was Jeroboam, for he led a revolt from within. Jeroboam would later lead 10 of the tribes of Israel in a rebellion against Solomon’s successor Rehoboam, and he became the first king of the northern kingdom known as “Israel” (ch. 12).
11:29–39 In an illustrated prophecy, Ahijah tears a new garment into 12 pieces (v. 30) to give a visible demonstration of how God would tear the kingdom from Solomon. Ten pieces (vv. 31, 35) were given to Jeroboam and represented the 10 northern tribes (the Israel in vv. 37, 38). Two pieces would be left for Solomon’s son and represented the tribes of Judah and Simeon. Simeon was assimilated into Judah, so the two were often regarded as one tribe (vv. 32, 36) called “Judah” (see note on 12:20).
11:36 This is an illuminating commentary on the fact that God will honor His promises to a person, even beyond his lifetime on this Earth. Though David was gone, God honored His commitment to him.
11:40 Solomon, the man who began so humbly by asking for wisdom, now engages in an insane attempt to kill the one to whom the Lord has chosen to give the kingdom that Solomon had forfeited.
12:2–4 The leaders of the northern tribes sent for Jeroboam to come and be their spokesman. Sometime during Rehoboam’s coronation proceedings, he articulated to Rehoboam the people’s plea for lower taxes.
12:15 One of the mysteries of Scripture is how God works through men to accomplish His purposes. Here the self-seeking interests of Rehoboam were used by the Lord to fulfill His promise through the prophet Ahijah (11:29–39).
12:16 The negotiations having failed, the revolt continued. The cry To your tents was the cue for the 10 northern tribes to disperse.
12:17 The northern tribes had not yet made Jeroboam king; they were simply refusing to submit to Rehoboam. The only Israelites over whom Rehoboam exercised control were the ones in the cities of Judah.
12:18 Rehoboam attempted to enforce his oppressive tactics in the north, but this resulted in the death of his ambassador, Adoram, and he barely escaped with his own life.
12:20 From this point the kingdom remained divided until the downfall of Israel in 722 B.C. Subsequent to this, Kings refers to the northern kingdom as Israel and the southern kingdom as Judah, though it was later supplemented by Levites, Benjamites, and others of the 10 tribes.
12:25 It is possible that Jeroboam chose Shechem as his capital for a political reason, since this was where Rehoboam had been crowned (v. 1). Penuel was east of the Jordan River, and was probably fortified to give protection from the Gileadites who were loyal to David (2:7; 2 Sam. 17:27–29; 19:31–39).
12:26–33 Instead of trusting the Lord to establish his reign as promised (11:38, 39), Jeroboam became fearful that he would lose the people and resorted to methods of sinful manipulation. He set up new worship centers to rival Jerusalem (vv. 27–30), ordained his own priesthood (vv. 31, 32), and instituted a new festival as a counterfeit of Judah’s feast (vv. 32, 33). Jeroboam made two calves of gold (v. 28) and placed one at Bethel and the other at Dan (vv. 28–31), so that people would have places of worship and not return to Jerusalem (vv. 26, 27). Since v. 28 includes a quote from Ex. 32:4, Jeroboam’s statement may be intended to imply that these two calves of gold were the same as the golden calf made by Aaron. In light of the fact that some of the pagan gods were portrayed as standing on bulls or calves to symbolize their strength, another possibility is that Jeroboam made the two calves as a pedestal on which the God of Israel was to be enthroned. In either case, this new form of worship resulted in unprecedented idolatry (14:9).
12:32 Jeroboam ordained a counterfeit feast like the feast that was in Judah. There were three fall festivals that occurred in their seventh month (Tishri, September-October) and marked the end of the agricultural year. The Feast of Trumpets was on the first day of the month (Lev. 23:23–25; Num. 29:1–6), the Day of Atonement on the tenth day (Lev. 23:26–32; Num. 29:7–11), and the Feast of Tabernacles on the fifteenth day (Lev. 23:33–43; Num. 29:12–39). Jeroboam was apparently trying to provide an alternative to one or more of these feasts. That this new feast was to be held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month may indicate that Jeroboam was trying to counterfeit the Feast of Tabernacles, since it began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month (Lev. 23:34).
13:1, 2 The prophecy by this unnamed man of God against Jeroboam is truly remarkable, since it names and describes the actions of Josiah almost 300 years before this king comes on the scene.
