6 Yet I will send my servants to thee to-morrow about this time, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatever is 1 pleasant in thy eyes, they shall take at my feet. it in their hand, and carry it away.

3 Heb. are

whether they have 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 slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the horsemen.

21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.

22 And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said to him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou

pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent to me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold, and 2 I denied him not. 8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, Hearken not to him, nor con

sent.

gines.

9 Wherefore he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord the 7 Heb. apking, All that thou didst send for to thy proached. servant at the first, I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.

10 And Ben-hadad sent to him, and 9 said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that 3 follow me.

11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.

12 And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad heard this message as he was drinking, he and the kings in the 5 pavilions, that he said to his servants, & Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.

8 or, ser. vants.

Heb. bind, or, tie.

10 Heb. that was fallen.

11

Heb. to the 13 ¶ And behold, there 7 came a proph- war with et to Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus Israel. saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thy hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

12 or, were

victuated.

14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the 8 young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall 9 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 thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being 13 or, from seven thousand. chamber to chamber.

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.

17 And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Benhadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria.

14 Heb. into a chamber within a

18 And he said, Whether they have chamber. come out for peace, take them alive; or

king of Syria will come up against thee. 23 And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

24 And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms:

25 And number thee an army, like the army 10 that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened to their voice, and did so.

26 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hahad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, uto fight against Israel.

27 And the children of Israel were numbered, and 12 were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.

28 ¶ And there came a man of God, and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thy hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

29 And they encamped one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians a hundred thousand footmen in one day.

30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, 13 14 into an inner chamber.

31 And his servants said to him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel 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 Israel: it may be he will save thy life.

32 So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let

17

And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.

19 And thou shalt speak to him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou

Before CHRIST, 899.

a c. 14. 10. 2 Kings 9.8.

gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.

5 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to-day.

6 Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men,

the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

22.

c. 14. 10.

d c. 15. 29.

20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight c. 16. 3. of the LORD.

21 Behold, a I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab & the males, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

e

22 And will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation with which thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin. 23 And of Jezebel also spoke the LORD, saying, the dogs shall eat Jezebel by the 3 wall of Jezreel.

24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

25 But there was none like Ahab, who sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife instigated.

26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

27 And it came to pass, when Ahab

2 Kings 9.

36.

3 or, ditch.

moth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.

7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we may inquire of him?

8 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

9 Then the king of Israel called an 2 officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah.

10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a 3 void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou hast consumed them.

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 And the messenger that went to call Micaiah, spoke to him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets de

clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house. CHAP. XXII.

1 Ahab seduced by false prophets, according to the word of Micaiah, is slain at Ramoth-20r, eunuch. gilead. 37 The dogs lick up his blood, and Ahaziah succeedeth him. 41 Jehoshaphat's good reign: 45 his acts. 50 Jehoram succeedeth him. 51 Ahaziah's evil reign.

AND they continued three years with

out war between Syria and Israel.

a

2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.

3 And the king of Israel said to his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we are 1 still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?

4 And he said to Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth

3 Heb. floor.

let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.

14 And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith to me, that will I speak.

15 So he came to the king. And the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.

16 And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD?

17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.

18 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?

19 And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of

22 And the LORD said to him, With what? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets? And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, in a cham and do so.

23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all 7 these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

6 Heb.

a chamber

ber.

or, when he was to disguise himself and

enter into the battle.

ning: and the blood ran out of the wound into the 12 midst of the chariot.

36 And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the setting of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.

37 So the king died, and 13 was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armor; according to the word of the LORD which he spoke.

39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, 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 slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead. 41 ¶ And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth

e

to thee?

25 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go 6 into an inner chamber to hide thyself.

26 And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;

27 And say, Thus saith the king, Put this man in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction, and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.

bosom.

28 And Micaiah said, If thou shalt re-12 Heb. turn at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.

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 enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.

31 But the king of Syria, commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.

13 Heb.

came.

32 And it came to pass, when the cap-dc. 21. 19. tains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried

out.

42 Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

43 And he walked in all the way of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.

44 And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

46 And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he removed from the land.

47 There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king.

48 Jehoshaphat 14 made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber.

49 Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab to Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not.

50 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

51 ¶ Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.

52 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin :

53 For he served Baal, and worshiped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.

CHAP. I.

1 Moab rebelleth. 2 Ahaziah sending to Baalzebub, hath his judgment by Elijah. 5 Elijah twice bringeth fire from heaven upon them whom Ahaziah sent to apprehend him: 13 He pitieth the third captain, and encouraged by an angel, telleth the king of his death. 17 Jehoram succeedeth Ahaziah.

TH

HEN Moab rebelled against Israel a after the death of Ahab.

Before CHRIST, 896.

c. 3. 5.

2 And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick and he sent messengers, and said to them, Go, inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, whether I Heb. The shall recover from this disease.

3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? 4 Now therefore thus saith the LORD, 1 Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.

5 And when the messengers turned back to him, he said to them, Why have ye now returned?

6 And they said to him, There came up a man to meet us, and said to us, Go, turn again to the king that sent you, and say to him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.

7 And he said to them, 2 What manner of man was he who came up to meet you, and told you these words ?*

8 And they answered him, He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and behold, he sat on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.

10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

11 Again also he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, O'man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.

bed whither thou art

gone up,

thou shalt not come down from it.

2 Heb. What was the manner of the man?

3 Heb.

bowed.

The second Jehoram

year that

was Pro

rex, and the eigh teenth of

Jehosha phat, c.3. 1.

12 And Elijah answered and said to them, If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and a fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said to him, Ó man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.

14 Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.

15 And the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him to the king.

16 And he said to him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.

17 ¶ So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And 4 Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son.

18 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

CHAP. II.

1 Elijah, taking leave of Elisha, with his mantle divideth Jordan, § and granting Elisha his request, is taken up by a fiery chariot into heaven. 12 Elisha dividing Jordan with Elijah's mantle, is acknowledged his suc cessor. 16 The young prophets, hardly ob taining leave to seek Elijah, could not find him. 19 Elisha with salt healeth the unwholesome waters. 23 Bears destroy the children that mocked Elisha.

AND it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2 And Elijah said to Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el.

3 And the sons of the prophets that