that he shewed, are they not written in the book of the
chronicles of the kings of Israel?
11:016:028 So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and
Ahab his son reigned in his stead.
11:016:029 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.
11:016:030 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD
above all that were before him.
11:016:031 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.
11:016:032 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which
he had built in Samaria.
11:016:033 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.
11:016:034 In his days did Hiel the Bethelite 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.
11:017:001 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead,
said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom
I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but
according to my word.
11:017:002 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
11:017:003 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by
the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
11:017:004 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I
have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
11:017:005 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he
went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
11:017:006 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and
bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
11:017:007 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up,
because there had been no rain in the land.
11:017:008 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
11:017:009 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and
dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to
sustain thee.
11:017:010 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.
11:017:011 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said,
Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
11:017:012 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake,
but an 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.
11:017:013 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.
11:017:014 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.
11:017:015 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and
she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
11:017:016 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.
11:017:017 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.
11:017:018 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?
11:017:019 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.
11:017:020 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?
11:017:021 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.
11:017:022 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the
child came into him again, and he revived.
11:017:023 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the
chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and
Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.
11:017:024 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art
a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is
truth.
11:018:001 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD
came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself
unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.
11:018:002 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a
sore famine in Samaria.
11:018:003 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house.
(Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:
11:018:004 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD,
that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty
in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
11:018:005 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all
fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may
find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose
not all the beasts.
11:018:006 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it:
Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by
himself.
11:018:007 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?
11:018:008 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah
is here.
11:018:009 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver
thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
11:018:010 As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or 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.
11:018:011 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is
here.
11:018:012 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.
11:018:013 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the
prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD's
prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and
water?
11:018:014 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is
here: and he shall slay me.
11:018:015 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I
stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.
11:018:016 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to
meet Elijah.
11:018:017 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto
him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
11:018:018 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy
father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of
the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.
11:018:019 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount
Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and
the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at
Jezebel's table.
11:018:020 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the
prophets together unto mount Carmel.
11:018:021 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt
ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but
if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a
word.
11:018:022 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a
prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and
fifty men.
11:018:023 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose
one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it
on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other
bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
11:018:024 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the
name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him
be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well
spoken.
11:018:025 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one
bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many;
and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
11:018:026 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they
dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even
until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice,
nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which
was made.
11:018:027 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and
said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he
is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he
sleepeth, and must be awaked.
11:018:028 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner
with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
11:018:029 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied
until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that
there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that
regarded.
11:018:030 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And
all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar
of the LORD that was broken down.
11:018:031 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the
tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD
came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
11:018:032 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD:
and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would
contain two measures of seed.
11:018:033 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces,
and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with
water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
11:018:034 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second
time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the
third time.
11:018:035 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the
trench also with water.
11:018:036 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening
sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD
God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day
that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and
that I have done all these things at thy word.
11:018:037 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou
art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back
again.
11:018:038 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt
sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and
licked up the water that was in the trench.
11:018:039 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and
they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.
11:018:040 And Elijah said unto them, 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.
11:018:041 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for
there is a sound of abundance of rain.
11:018:042 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the
top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and
put his face between his knees,
11:018:043 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And
he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he
said, Go again seven times.
11:018:044 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold,
there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's
hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot,
and get thee down that the rain stop thee not.
11:018:045 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was
black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And
Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
11:018:046 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his
loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
11:019:001 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how
he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
11:019:002 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.
11:019:003 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and
came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his
servant there.
11:019:004 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and
came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for
himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O
LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
11:019:005 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an
angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
11:019:006 And he looked, 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.
11:019:007 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and
touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is
too great for thee.
11:019:008 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength
of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount
of God.
11:019:009 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and,
behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto
him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
11:019:010 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of
hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant,
thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the
sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to
take it away.
11:019:011 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the
LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong
wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks 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:
11:019:012 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the
fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
11:019:013 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?
11:019:014 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of
hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy
covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets
with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my
life, to take it away.
11:019:015 And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the
wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to
be king over Syria:
11:019:016 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over
Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt
thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
11:019:017 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of
Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword
of Jehu shall Elisha slay.
11:019:018 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees
which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not
kissed him.
11:019:019 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat,
who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he
with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his
mantle upon him.
11:019:020 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?
11:019:021 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and
slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the
oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he
arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.
11:020:001 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 went up and besieged Samaria, and warred
against it.
11:020:002 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city,
and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad,
11:020:003 Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy
children, even the goodliest, are mine.
11:020:004 And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king,
according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.
11:020:005 And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh
Benhadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou
shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and
thy children;
11:020:006 Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this
time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy
servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in
thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.
11:020:007 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and
said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief:
for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for
my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not.
11:020:008 And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken
not unto him, nor consent.
11:020:009 Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my
lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at
the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the
messengers departed, and brought him word again.
11:020:010 And Benhadad 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.
11:020:011 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.
11:020:012 And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad heard this message, as he
was 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.
11:020:013 And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel,
saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great
multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day;
and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.
11:020:014 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even
by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he
said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou.
11:020:015 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 seven thousand.
11:020:016 And they went out at noon. But Benhadad was drinking himself
drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two
kings that helped him.
11:020:017 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.
11:020:018 And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them
alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.
11:020:019 So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of
the city, and the army which followed them.
11:020:020 And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and
Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on
an horse with the horsemen.
11:020:021 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and
chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.
11:020:022 And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him,
Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for
at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up
against thee.
11:020:023 And the servants of the king of Syria said unto 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.
11:020:024 And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his
place, and put captains in their rooms:
11:020:025 And number thee an army, like the army 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 unto their voice, and did so.
11:020:026 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad
numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against
Israel.
11:020:027 And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all
present, and went against them: and the children of Israel
pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the
Syrians filled the country.
11:020:028 And there came a man of God, and spake unto 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 thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
11:020:029 And they pitched 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 an hundred thousand
footmen in one day.
11:020:030 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 Benhadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner
chamber.
11:020:031 And his servants said unto 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: peradventure he will
save thy life.
11:020:032 So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on
their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy
servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said,
Is he yet alive? he is my brother.
11:020:033 Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would
come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy
brother Benhadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then
Benhadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into
the chariot.
11:020:034 And Ben-hadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took
from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets
for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said
Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a
covenant with him, and sent him away.
11:020:035 And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his
neighbour in the word of the LORD, Smite me, I pray thee. And
the man refused to smite him.
11:020:036 Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice
of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a
lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him,
a lion found him, and slew him.
11:020:037 Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee.
And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.
11:020:038 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way,
and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.
11:020:039 And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he
said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and,
behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and
said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall
thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of
silver.
11:020:040 And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And
the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be;
thyself hast decided it.
11:020:041 And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the
king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.
11:020:042 And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast
let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter
destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy
people for his people.
11:020:043 And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased,
and came to Samaria.
11:021:001 And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the
Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the
palace of Ahab king of Samaria.