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CHAP. XVII.

from Gibbe-been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, 17 And Omri went up that he took to wife Jezebel the daughthon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. 18 And it came to pass, when Zim- ter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, ri saw that the city was taken, that he and went and served Baal, and worwent into the palace of the king's shipped him.

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house, and burnt the king's house over

him with fire, and died,

32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he

19 For his sins which he sinned in had built in Samaria. doing evil in the sight of the LORD, in 33 And Ahab made a grove; and walking in the way of Jeroboam, and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD in his sin which he did, to make Israel God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. to sin. 20 Now the rest of the acts of Zim- 34 1 In his days did Hiel the Bethri, and his treason that he wrought, elite build Jericho: he laid the foun are they not written in the book of the dation thereof in Abiram his first-born, Chronicles of the kings of Israel?

nath, to make him king; and half followed Omri.

22 But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.

23 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 called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a 11 And as she was going to fetch it, vessel, that I may drink.

31 And it came to pass, as if it had the called to her, and said, Bring me,

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CHAP. XVIII.

I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thy Elijah slays the prophets of Baal. hand. 12 And she said, As the LORD thy ND it came to pass after many A days, that the word of the LORD God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a lit- came to Elijah in the third year, saytle oil in a cruse: and behold, I am ing, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and gathering two sticks, that I may go in I will send rain upon the earth. and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

13 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.

2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.

3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly: 4 For it was so, when Jezebel cut 14 For thus saith the LORD God of off the prophets of the LORD, that Israel, The barrel of meal shall not Obadiah took a hundred prophets, waste, neither shall the cruse of oil and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fail, until the day that the LORD send- fed them with bread and water:) eth rain upon the earth.

5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and water, and unto all brooks: peradvenhe, and her house, did eat many days. ture we may find grass to save the

16 And the barrel of meal wasted horses and mules alive, that we lose not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, not all the beasts. according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

17 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.

18 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?

19 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.

20 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? ? 21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.

6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

71 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah? 8 And he answered him, 1 am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. 9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?

10 As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation nor kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there: he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.

11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth.

22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. 13 Was it not told my lord what I 23 And Elijah took the child, and did when Jezebel slew the prophets of brought him down out of the chamber the LORD, how I hid a hundred men into the house, and delivered him unto of the LORD's prophets by fi.ty in a his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy cave, and fed them with bread and

son liveth.

24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.

water?

14 And now thon sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.

15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of

CHAP. XVIII.

hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a
and must be awaked.
will surely shew myself unto him to- journey, or peradventure he sleepeth,
day.

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16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gush17 And it came to pass, when ed out upon them. Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto 29 And it came to pass, when midhim, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? day was past, and they prophesied 18 And he answered, I have not until the time of the offering of the troubled Israel; but thou, and thy fa- evening sacrifice, that there was neither's house, in that ye have forsaken ther voice, nor any to answer, nor any the commandments of the LORD, and that regarded. thou hast followed Baalim.

19 Now therefore send, and gather ple, Come near unto me. And all the to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, people came near unto him. And he and the prophets of Baal four hundred repaired the altar of the LORD that and fifty, and the prophets of the was broken down.

20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the pro- word of the LORD came, saying, Isphets together unto mount Carmel.

21 And Elijah came unto all the 32 And with the stones he built an people, and said, How long halt ye altar in the name of the LORD: and he between two opinions? if the LORD made a trench about the altar, as be God, follow him: but if Baal, then great as would contain two measures follow him. And the people answered of seed.

39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, 27 And it came to pass at noon, that The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, 40 And Elijah said unto them, Take Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry he is the God. aloud: for he is a god; either he is

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the prophets of Baal; let not one of cruse of water at his head. And he them escape. And they took them: and did eat and drink, and laid him down Elijah brought them down to the brook again.

Kishon, and slew them there.

7 And the angel of the LORD came

41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, again the second time, and touched Get thee up, eat and drink; for there him, and said, Arise and eat, because is a sound of abundance of rain. the journey is too great for thee.

42 So Ahab went up to eat and 8 And he arose, and did eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the drink, and went in the strength of that top of Carmel; and he cast himself meat forty days and forty nights unto down upon the earth, and put his face Horeb the mount of God.

between his knees,

9 And he came thither unto a

43 And said to his servant, Go up cave, and lodged there; and behold, now, look toward the sea. And he the word of the LORD came to him, went up, and looked, and said, There and he said unto him, What doest thou is nothing. And he said, Go again here, Elijah?

seven times.

10 And he said, I have been very

44 And it came to pass at the jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for seventh time, that he said, Behold, the children of Israel have forsaken there ariseth a little cloud out of the thy covenant, thrown down thine alsea, like a man's hand. And he said, tars, and slain thy prophets with the Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy sword; and I, even I only, am left; chariot, and get thee down, that the and they seek my life to take it away. rain stop thee not. 11 And he said, Go forth, and stand

45 And it came to pass in the mean upon the mount before the LORD. while, that the heaven was black with And behold, the LORD passed by, and clouds and wind, and there was a agreat and strong wind rent the moungreat rain. And Ahab rode, and went tains, and brake in pieces the rocks to Jezreel.

46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

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CHAP. XIX.

Elisha followeth Elijah.

ND Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.

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 a still small voice.

13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have

3 And when he saw that, he arose, forsaken thy covenant, thrown down and went for his life, and came to Beer-thine altars, and slain thy prophets sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and with the sword; and I, even I only, left his servant there. am left; and they seek my life, to

4 But he himself went a day's take it away. journey into the wilderness, and came 15 And the LORD said unto him, and sat down under a juniper tree: Go, return on thy way to the wilderand he requested for himself that he ness of Damascus: and when thou might die; and said, It is enough; comest, anoint Hazael to be king over now, O LORD, take away my life; Syria: for I am not better than my fathers. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt

5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

6 And he looked, and behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a

thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.

17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escap

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esh from the sword of Jehu shall and for my silver, and for my gold,

Elisha slay.

18 Yet I have left me seven thousand în Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

and I denied him not.

8 And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent.

9 Wherefore he said unto the mes

19 So he departed thence, and sengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who the king, All that thou didst send for was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen to thy servant at the first, I will do: before him, and he with the twelfth: but this thing I may not do. And the and Elijah passed by him, and cast messengera departed, and brought him

his mantle upon him.

20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

word again.

10 And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.

11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that

21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew girdeth on his harness boast himself as them, and boiled their flesh with the he that putteth it off. instruments of the oxen, and gave unto 12 And it came to pass, when Benthe people, and they did eat. Then hadad heard this message as he was

he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

CHAP. XX.

Ben-hadad besiegeth Samaria.

drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.

AND Ben-hadad the king of Syria 13 And behold, there came a pro

gathered all his host together: phet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, and there were thirty and two kings Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen with him, and horses, and chariots: all this great multitude? behold, I will and he went up and and besieged Samaria, deliver it into thy hand this day; and

and warred against it.

2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad,

3 Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.

4 And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.

5 And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben-hadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;

thou shalt know that I am the LORD. 14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Eren by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou.

15 Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirtytwo: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.

16 And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him,

6 Yet I will send my servants unto 17 And the young men of the princes thee to-morrow about this time, and of the provinces went out first: and they shall search thy house, and the Ben-hadad sent out, and they told houses of thy servants; and it shall be, him, saying, There are men come out that whatsoever is pleasant in thine of Samaria.

eyes, they shall put it in their hand,

and take it away.

18 And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.

7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man 19 So these young men of the princes seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me of the provinces came out of the city, for my wives, and for my children, and the army which followed them. 20 And they slew every one his man:

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