to the words of Elijah. And the son of the Woman fell sick, and there was no breath in him. And she cried unto Elijah, and he said, Give me thy son,—and he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, and laid him on his own bed. And he cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee let this child's soul come into him again, and he stretched himself upon the child three times; and the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived; and he delivered him to his Mother.

CHAPTER 76.

THE PROPHETS OF BAAL.

AND after three years the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying, Go shew thyself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth. Now there was a sore famine in Samaria. And Ahab sent Obadiah, the governor of his house, to search for grass, and as Obadiah was in the way, behold Elijah met him. Now Ahab had searched for Elijah in every country, and Ahab went to meet Elijah, and said, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? And he said, I have not troubled Israel but thou; now send and gather all Israel to Mount Carmel, the Prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the Prophets of the Groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. And Ahab did so.

And Elijah said, How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God follow him: but if Baal then follow him,-I remain only a Prophet unto the Lord, but Baal's Prophets are four hundred and fifty. Let them give us two bullocks, and they choose one bullock and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and

put no fire under. And call upon the name of your God, and I will call on the name of the Lord,—and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God.

So the Prophets of Baal took their bullock and dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from the morning even until noon, saying, O Baal hear us,--but there was no voice nor any that answered. And at noon Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud, for he is a God, either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is on a journey,—or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awakened. But there was neither voice, or any to answer, or any that regarded.

And Elijah built an Altar, and made a trench round about, and put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood. And he poured barrels of water thereon three times, and filled the trench with water.

And it came to pass that at the time of the offering the Evening Sacrifice, Elijah came near and said, O Lord God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God, and that I am thy servant, and have done all things at thy word. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the Sacrifice, the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the People saw it they fell on their faces, and said, The Lord he is God. And Elijah said, Take the Prophets of Baal, let not one of them escape; and they took them, and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon, and slew them there.

And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of abundance of rain. And Elijah went up to the Top of Carmel, and cast himself upon the Earth, and put his face between his knees;

and said to his servant, Go up, East towards the Sea, and he did so, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again, seven times. And the seventh time, he said, Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the Sea like a Man's hand. And Elijah said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy Chariot, get thee down that the rain stop thee not. And the Heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain; and Ahab rode and went to Jezreel, and Elijah ran and girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

CHAPTER 77.

THE PROPHET ELISHA.

AND Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had slain the Prophets with the sword. 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 to-morrow about this time. -And Elijah went for his life, and fled to Beersheba, and left his servant there, but he himself went a day's journey into the Wilderness, and sat under a juniper tree, and requested that he might die, and said, It is enough now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am not better than my fathers. And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold an Angel touched him and said, Arise and eat. And behold there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink and laid him down again. And the Angel came the second time, and said, Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and driuk, and went in the strength of that meat, forty days and forty nights unto Horeb, the Mount of God. This is the Mountain on which God appeared to Moses.

And he came unto a cave and lodged there, and the word of the Lord came to him, and said, What doest thou here Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts, for Israel hath forsaken thy Covenant, thrown down thy Altars, and slain thy Prophets, and I only am left, and they seek my life. And behold the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the Mountains, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire, a still small voice.

And the Lord said unto Elijah, Go, return and anoint Hazael to be King over Syria, and Jehu the son of Nimshi, shalt thou anoint to be King over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat, shalt thou anoint to be Prophet in thy room. So he departed and found Elisha ploughing; and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the Oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he arose and went after Elijah and ministered unto him.

CHAPTER 78.

THE BATTLES WITH THE SYRIANS.

AND Benhadad the King of Syria gathered all his Host together, and there were thirty and two Kings with him, and Horses and Chariots, and he warred against Israel, and sent Messengers to Ahab saying, Thy silver and thy gold, thy wives and thy children are mine. And Ahab answered, I am thine and all that I have, but Benhadad was only the more proud, and said, Tomorrow my servants shall come and take whatsoever

pleaseth them. Then the King of Israel called all the Elders, and said, Mark how this Man seeketh mischief, and all the Elders said, Hearken not unto him, nor consent. Then Benhadad boasted, and said, The dust of Samaria shall not suffice for handfulls for all the People that follow me. And the King of Israel said, Tell him, let not him that girdeth on his harness, boast himself as he that putteth it off.

And when Benhadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the Kings in the Pavilions, he said, Set yourselves in array, and they set themselves in array against the City. And there came a Prophet unto Ahab saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou seen this great multitude? Behold I will deliver it into thine hand this day. And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, by the young men of the Princes of the Provinces. And he numbered the young men, two hundred and thirty-two, and all the people were seven thousand. And they went out at noon; but Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the Pavilions, he and the thirty and two Kings. And they told Benhadad, and he said, Whether they be come for peace or war, take them alive. So the young men went out and the army that followed them, and they slew every one his man,-and the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued, and Benhadad escaped on an horse with the Horsemen. And the King of Israel went out and smote the Horses and Chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.

And the Prophet said to the King of Israel, Strengthen thyself and mark, for at the return of the year, the King of Syria will come up against thee. And the servants of Benhadad said, Their Gods are Gods of the Hills, therefore were they stronger than