20 And he left the Oxen, and ran after Elijah, and faid, Let me, I pray thee, kifs my Father and my Mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again, for what have I done to thee?

21 And he returned back from him, and took a Yoke of Oxen, and flew them, and boiled their Flefh with the Inftruments of the Oxen, and gave unto the People, and they did eat: Then he arose and went after Elijah, and miniftred unto him.

Hew down the Tree, and cut off his
Branches, shake off his Leaves, and

fcatter his Fruit; let the Beafts get
away from under it, and the Fowls
from his Branches.

of his Roots in the Earth, even with Is Nevertheless, leave the Stump a Band of Iron and Brass, and let it be wet with the Dew of Heaven, and

let his Portion be with the Beasts in the Grafs of the Earth.

16 Let his Heart be changed from Man's, and let a Beaft's Heart be given unto him, and let feven Times

pass over him.

17 This Matter is by the Decree of the WATCHERS, and the Demand by the Word of the HOLY ONES: to

the Intent that the Living may know, that the MOST HIGH RULETH in the KINGDOM of Men, and GIVETH it to whomfoever he will, and SETTETH UP over it the BASEST of MEN.

Job xii. 17 He leadeth the Counfellors away fpoiled, and maketh the Judges Fools.

19 He leadeth PRINCES away SPOILED, and REMOVETH the MIGHTY. 21 He poureth CONTEMPT upon PRINCES, and weakneth the STRENGTH of the MIGHTY.

Pfal. cvii. 40 He poureth CONTEMPT upon PRINCES, and causeth them to WANDER in the Wilderness, where there is no Way.

Pfal. ii. 10 Be WISE now therefore, O ye KINGS: be INSTRUCTED, Ye JUDGES of the Earth.

II SERVE the LORD with FEAR, and REJOYCE with TREMBLING,

Benhadad befiegeth Samaria. 13 The Syrians are flain. 31 Ahab difmiffeth Benhadad: 35 The Prophet reproveth

bim.

A

Ver. 1 AND Benhadad the King of Syria gathered all his Hoft together, and there were thirty and two Kings with him and he befieged Samaria.

2 And he fent Meffengers to Ahab, and faid unto him, Thus faith Benhadad,

3 Thy Silver, and thy Gold is mine, thy Wives also, and thy Children, even the goodlieft are mine.

4 And the King of Ifrael anfwered, and faid, My LORD, O King, according to thy Saying I am thine, and all that I have.

5 And the Meffengers came again, and faid, Thus fpeaketh Benhadad, faying, Although I have fent unto thee, fay

Rrr2

ing,

ing, Thou shalt deliver me thy Silver, and thy Gold, and thy Wives, and thy Children:

6 Yet I will fend my Servants unto thee To-morrow about this time, and they fhall fearch thine House, and the Houfes of thy Servants: and it fhall be, that whatsoever is pleafant in thine Eyes, they fhall put it in their Hand, and take it away.

7 Then the King of Ifrael called all the Elders of the Land, and faid, Mark I pray you, and fee how this Man feeketh Mischief: for he fent unto me for my Wives, and for my Children, and for my Silver, and for my Gold, and I denied him not.

8 And all the Elders, and all the People faid unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor confent.

9 Wherefore he faid unto the Messengers of Benhadad, Tell my Lord the King, all that thou didst fend for to thy Servant at the firft I will do: but this Thing I may not do. And the Meffengers departed, and brought him word again.

10 And Benhadad fent unto him, and faid, The Gods do fo unto me and more alfo, if the Duft of Samaria fhall fuffice for Handfuls for all the People that follow me.

11 And the King of Ifrael answered, and faid, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his Harness boaft himself, as he that putteth it off.

12 And it came to pafs when Benhadad heard this Meffage (as he was drinking he and the Kings in the Pavillions) that he faid unto his Servants, Set yourselves in Aray. And they fet themselves in Aray against the City.

13 And behold, there came a Prophet unto Ahab, faying, Thus faith the LORD, Haft thou feen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine Hand this Day, and thou fhalt know that I am the LORD.

14 And Ahab faid, By whom? And he faid, Thus faith the LORD, Even by the young Men of the Princes of the Provinces. Then he faid, Who fhall order the Battle? And he answered, Thou.

15 Then he numbred the young Men of the Princes of the Provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two,. and after them he numbred all the People, even all the Chil dren of Ifrael, being seven thousand.

16 And they went out at Noon: But Benhadad was drink ing himself drunk in the Pavillions, he and the Kings, the thirty and two Kings that helped him.

17 And the young Men of the Princes of the Provinces went out first, and Benhadad fent out, and they told him, faying, There are Men come out of Samaria.

18 And he faid, Whether they be come out for Peace, take them alive or whether they be come out for War, take them alive.

19 So these young Men of the Princes of the Provinces came out of the City, and the Army which followed them: 20 And they flew every one his Man: and the Syrians fled, and Ifrael pursued them and Benhadad the King of Syria escaped on an Horfe, with the Horsemen.

21 And the King of Ifrael went out, and fmote the Horfes and Chariots, and flew the Syrians with a great Slaugh

ter.

22 And the Prophet came to the King of Ifrael, and faid unto him, Go, ftrengthen thyfelf, and mark, and see what thou dost: for at the return of the Year the King of Syria will come up against thee.

23 And the Servants of the King of Syria faid unto him, Their Gods are Gods of the Hills, therefore they were ftronger than we: but let us fight against them in the Plain, and furely we fhall be stronger than they.

25 And number thee an Army, like the Army that thou haft loft and we will fight against them in the Plain, and furely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their Voice, and did fo.

26 And it came to pass at the return of the Year, that Benhadad went up to Aphek, to fight against Ifrael.

27 And the Children of Ifrael were numbred, and were all prefent, and went against them, and the Children of Ifrael pitched before them, like two little Flocks of Kids: but the Syrians filled the Countrey.

28 And there came a Man of GOD, and fpake unto the King of Ifrael, and said, Thus faith the LORD, Because the Syrians have faid, The LORD is GOD of the Hills, but he is not God of the Vallies: therefore will I deliver all this great Multitude into thine Hand, and ye fhall know that I am the LORD.

29 And they pitched one over aginft the other seven Days, and fo it was, that on the feventh Day the Battle was joined: and the Children of Ifrael flew of the Syrians an hundred thoufand Footmen in one Day.

30 But the rest fled to Aphek into the City, and there a Wall fell upon twenty and feven thousand of the Men that were left; and Benhadad fled, and came into the City, into an inner Chamber.

31 And his Servants faid unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the Kings of the House of Ifrael are merciful Kings: let us, I pray thee, put Sackcloth on our Loins, and Ropes upon our Heads, and go out to the King of If rael; peradventure he will fave thy Life.

32 So they girded Sackcloth on their Loins, and put Ropes on their Heads, and came to the King of Ifrael, and faid, Thy Servant Benhadad faith, I pray thee, let me live. And he faid, Is he yet alive? he is my Brother.

33 Now the Men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did haftily catch it: and they faid, Thy Brother Benhadad. Then he faid, Go ye, bring him then Benhadad came forth to him, and he caused him to come up into the Chariot.

34 And Benhadad faid unto him, The Cities which my Father took from thy Father, I will reftore, and thou fhalt make Streets for thee in Damafcus, as my Father made in Samaria. Then faid Ahab, I will fend thee away with this Covenant. So he made a Covenant with him, and fent him away.

35 And a certain Man of the Sons of the Prophets faid unto his Neighbour in the Word of the LORD, Smite me, I pray thee. And the Man refused to smite him.

36 Then faid he unto him, Because thou haft not obeyed the Voice of the LORD, behold, affoon as thou art departed from me, a Lion fhall flay thee. And affoon as he was departed from him, a Lion found him, and flew him.

37 Then he found another Man, and faid, Smite me, I pray thee. And the Man fmote him, so that in fmiting he wounded him.

38 So the Prophet departed, and waited for the King by the Way, and disguised himself with Ashes upon his Face.

39 And as the King paffed by, he cried unto the King: and he said, Thy Servant went out into the midst of the Battle, and behold, a Man turned afide, and brought a Man unto me, and faid, Keep this Man: if by any means he be miffing, then fhall thy Life be for his Life, or else thou fhalt pay a Talent of Silver,

40 And as thy Servant was bufy here and there, he was gone. And the King of Ifrael faid unto him, So fhall thy Judgment be; thyself haft decided it.

41 And he hafted, and took the Ashes away from his Face, and the King of Ifrael discerned him, that he was of the Prophets.

42 And he faid unto him, Thus faith the LORD, Because thou haft let go out of thy Hand a Man whom I appointed to utter Destruction, therefore thy Life fhall go for his Life, and thy People for his People.

43 And the King of Ifrael went to his House heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.

CHA P. XXI.

1 Ahab being denied Naboth's Vineyard, is grieved. 5 Jezebel writing Letters against Naboth, he is condemned of Blafphemy. 15 Ahab taketh poffeffion of the Vineyard. 17 ÉElijah denounceth Judgments against Ahab and Jezebel. 25 Wicked Ahab repenting, GOD deferreth the Judgment.

Ver. 1

'A'

b Habak. ii. 9 Wo to him that coVETETH an evil Covetousness to his House, that he may fet his Neft on high.

ND it came to pafs after thefe Things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a Vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the Palace of Ahab King of Samaria. b And Ahab fpake unto Naboth, faying, Give me thy Vineyard, that I may have it E for a Garden of Herbs, because it is near unto mine House, and I will give thee for it a better Vineyard than it: or if it feem good to thee, I will give thee the Worth of it in Money.

3 And Naboth faid to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I fhould give the Inheritance of my Fathers unto thee.

4 And Ahab came into his House heavy and difpleafed, because of the Word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had

II For the Stone fhall cry out of the Wall, and the Beam out of the

Timber fhall answer it.

12 Wo to him that buildeth

Town with Blood, and stablisheth a
City by Iniquity.

10 Thou haft confulted Shame to

thy Houfe, by cutting off many People, and hath finned against thy Soul.

Luke xii. 15 And he faid unto them, Take heed, and BEWARE of COVETOUSNESS: for a Man's Life

confifteth not in the abundance of

the Things which he poffeffeth.

Ephef. v. 3 But Fornication, and all Uncleanness, or COVETOUSNESS, let it not be once named among you, as becometh Saints.

6 Let no Man deceive you with vain Words: for because of these

Things cometh the WRATH of GoD

upon the Children of Disobedience.