And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin. And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.

Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead.

And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite: because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.

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? And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.

Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,

Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to

sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins; behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of his house; and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat and him that dieth of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat.

Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead.

And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the LORD against Baasha, and against his house, even for 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 he killed him.

In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years.

And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah. And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.

And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne that he slew all the house of Baasha.

Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet. For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities.

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?

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

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

And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died, for his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the LORD, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin.

Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri. But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath : SO Tibni died, and Omri reigned.

In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah. And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which

he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.

But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that were before him. For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities.

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

So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.

And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.

And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him. And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

In his days did Hiel the Beth-elite build Jericho he laid the foundation. thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.

Question.-Who was Shishak, King of Egypt?

Answer. He was the king to whom Jeroboam had fled for protection from Solomon. In the sculpture of the great temple of Kairah in Egypt, there are representations of the expedition he undertook against Rehoboam. Q.-Is anything known of Naamah, an Ammonitess, mother of King Rehoboam?

A.-She was the wife of King Solomon, who married her about two years before the death of David.

Q. Who were the Ammonites?

A. They are also spoken of as the children of Ammon, and were descendants of Ammon, one of the sons of Lot. They were a fierce and roving people. The country occupied by them lay beyond the river Jordan. Q. What is the meaning of the statement that God gave Abijam a lamp in Jerusalem ?

A.-It is a phrase meaning that the Lord allowed him to reign, and continued the kingdom in the family of David.

Q.-Has the name Abijam, or Abijah as it is spelt in other parts of the Bible, any special meaning? A.-It means "The well of Jehovah."

Q. What is to be understood by the words so frequently repeated in this book, "Slept with his fathers?

A.-It means that the king referred to died, as his forefathers died.

Q. Where is Ramah, built by Baasha, King of Israel?

A.-About six miles to the north of Jerusalem.

Q. Who was Jehu, the son of Hanani? A.-A messenger sent by the Lord to warn King Baasha of the consequences of the Divine anger. His father, Hanani, is the prophet who rebuked Asa for losing faith in the protecting power of God.

Q.-Where was Tirza, the royal residence of Baasha? A.-There are now no traces; but it seems to have been a very beautiful place, where several of the kings of Israel resided. It was one of the Canaanitish cities taken by Joshua.

Q. What was the value of a talent of silver, for two of which Omri bought the hill of Samaria ? A.-It was equal to four hundred and fifty pounds of English money.

Q. What are we to understand by the statement that when Hiel, the Beth-elite, built Jericho, he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram, his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Sejab?

A. It was the fulfilment of a prophecy made by Joshua, after the destruction of the walls of Jericho, "Cursed be the man before the Lord that riseth up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it." This prophecy was exactly fulfilled more than five hundred years after it was spoken, for Hiel's eldest son died when the foundation was laid, and his youngest son when the wall of the city was finished.

Question. Has the name Elijah any particular meaning?

Answer. It means "my God is Jehovah."

Q. From what place did Elijah come to the court of Ahab?

A. From the land of Gilead, which lies to the east of the river Jordan. The people of Gilead were a wild race of wandering shepherds, and Elijah, who lived among them, and had adopted their habits, wore only a belt of skin around his body, and a large, rough mantle made of sheepskin. A tall, powerful man, with his long hair hanging around him, he must have seemed a strange figure when he presented himself before Ahab and his high officers, all splendidly dressed.

Q. Why did he not remain after delivering his message to Ahab?

A.-The king and his wicked wife, Jezebel, would probably have taken his life, so the Lord commanded him to conceal himself. Cherith is a little brook, running through a valley on the other side of the river Jordan. Q. What followed the message delivered to Ahab? A.-The apostle James tells us in the New Testament that not only did Elijah threaten the king and his people with a terrible punishment, but he also "prayed earnestly that it might not rain," and that there be no rain for three years and six months. This is, indeed, an awful result of God's message and the prophet's prayer; and yet it did not turn the hearts of Ahab and Jezebel from the false idols to the true God.

AND it came to pass after a while,

that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold I have com'manded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thy hand. And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD

God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.

And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?

And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said,