1 Kings ( Book 11 )
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1 Kings 1
1 Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him
with clothes, but he gat no heat.
2 Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord
the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let
her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king
may get heat.
3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel,
and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
4 And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered
to him: but the king knew her not.
5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be
king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run
before him.
6 And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast
thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare
him after Absalom.
7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the
priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.
8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the
prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to
David, were not with Adonijah.
9 And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of
Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king's
sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants:
10 But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon
his brother, he called not.
11 Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying,
Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and
David our lord knoweth it not?
12 Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou
mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.
13 Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou,
my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon
thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why
then doth Adonijah reign?
14 Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come
in after thee, and confirm thy words.
15 And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was
very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.
16 And Bathsheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king
said, What wouldest thou?
17 And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the LORD thy God unto
thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after
me, and he shall sit upon my throne.
18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou
knowest it not:
19 And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath
called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the
captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called.
20 And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that
thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the
king after him.
21 Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep
with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted
offenders.
22 And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also
came in.
23 And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he
was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his
face to the ground.
24 And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign
after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?
25 For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and
sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons, and the
captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat
and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah.
26 But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son
of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called.
27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed it
unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king
after him?
28 Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came
into the king's presence, and stood before the king.
29 And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed
my soul out of all distress,
30 Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly
Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne
in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.
31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to
the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.
32 And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet,
and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.
33 The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord,
and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him
down to Gihon:
34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king
over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king
Solomon.
35 Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my
throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to
be ruler over Israel and over Judah.
36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the
LORD God of my lord the king say so too.
37 As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with
Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king
David.
38 So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of
Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and
caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to
Gihon.
39 And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and
anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said,
God save king Solomon.
40 And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes,
and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of
them.
41 And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they
had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the
trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an
uproar?
42 And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the
priest came; and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a
valiant man, and bringest good tidings.
43 And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David
hath made Solomon king.
44 And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the
prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the
Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule:
45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in
Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city
rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard.
46 And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.
47 And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David,
saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make
his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon
the bed.
48 And also thus said the king, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which
hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.
49 And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up,
and went every man his way.
50 And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and
caught hold on the horns of the altar.
51 And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king
Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar,
saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me today that he will not slay his
servant with the sword.
52 And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall
not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found
in him, he shall die.
53 So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he
came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go
to thine house.
1 Kings 2
1 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged
Solomon his son, saying,
2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew
thyself a man;
3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep
his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his
testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest
prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest
thyself:
4 That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me,
saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in
truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not
fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
5 Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and
what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the
son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed
the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle
that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.
6 Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go
down to the grave in peace.
7 But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let
them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I
fled because of Absalom thy brother.
8 And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite
of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I
went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware
to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the
sword.
9 Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and
knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring
thou down to the grave with blood.
10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
11 And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven
years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in
Jerusalem.
12 Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom
was established greatly.
13 And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of
Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.
14 He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say
on.
15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all
Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom
is turned about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from the
LORD.
16 And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto
him, Say on.
17 And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will
not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.
18 And Bathsheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.
19 Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for
Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto
her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the
king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.
20 Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say
me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will
not say thee nay.
21 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy
brother to wife.
22 And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou
ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also;
for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the
priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.
23 Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more
also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.
24 Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set
me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as
he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day.
25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and
he fell upon him that he died.
26 And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto
thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this
time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the LORD God
before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all
wherein my father was afflicted.
27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that
he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the
house of Eli in Shiloh.
28 Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though
he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the
LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.
29 And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of
the LORD; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah
the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.
30 And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said unto him,
Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die
here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab,
and thus he answered me.
31 And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and
bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab
shed, from me, and from the house of my father.
32 And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon
two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the
sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of
Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether,
captain of the host of Judah.
33 Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the
head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon
his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the
LORD.
34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew
him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.
35 And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the
host: and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.
36 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee
an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any
whither.
37 For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the
brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die:
thy blood shall be upon thine own head.
38 And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king
hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many
days.
39 And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the
servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath.
And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath.
40 And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to
seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from
Gath.
41 And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath,
and was come again.
42 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not
make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know
for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any
whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word
that I have heard is good.
43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment
that I have charged thee with?
44 The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness
which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father:
therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head;
45 And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be
established before the LORD for ever.
46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and
fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the
hand of Solomon.
1 Kings 3
1 And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took
Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he
had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD,
and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
2 Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house
built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.
3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his
father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great
high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that
altar.
5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God
said, Ask what I shall give thee.
6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father
great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in
righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast
kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to
sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of
David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out
or come in.
8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen,
a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people,
that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this
thy so great a people?
10 And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast
not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for
thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for
thyself understanding to discern judgment;
12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a
wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee
before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both
riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings
like unto thee all thy days.
14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my
commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy
days.
15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to
Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and
offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a
feast to all his servants.
16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood
before him.
17 And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one
house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
18 And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that
this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no
stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.
19 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine
handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in
my bosom.
21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was
dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not
my son, which I did bear.
22 And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead
is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living
is my son. Thus they spake before the king.
23 Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy
son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead,
and my son is the living.
24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before
the king.
25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to
the one, and half to the other.
26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her
bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the
living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be
neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no
wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and
they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him,
to do judgment.
1 Kings 4
1 So king Solomon was king over all Israel.
2 And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the
priest,
3 Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son
of Ahilud, the recorder.
4 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and
Abiathar were the priests:
5 And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son
of Nathan was principal officer, and the king's friend:
6 And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was
over the tribute.
7 And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided
victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year
made provision.
8 And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:
9 The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Bethshemesh, and
Elonbethhanan:
10 The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the
land of Hepher:
11 The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the
daughter of Solomon to wife:
12 Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all
Bethshean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to
Abelmeholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam:
13 The son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; to him pertained the towns of Jair
the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the
region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with
walls and brasen bars:
14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim:
15 Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon
to wife:
16 Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth:
17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar:
18 Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin:
19 Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of
Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the
only officer which was in the land.
20 Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in
multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.
21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of
the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents,
and served Solomon all the days of his life.
22 And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour,
and threescore measures of meal,
23 Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred
sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.
24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from
Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and
he had peace on all sides round about him.
25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under
his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
26 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and
twelve thousand horsemen.
27 And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that
came unto king Solomon's table, every man in his month: they lacked
nothing.
28 Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto
the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.
29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and
largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the
east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and
Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations
round about.
32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand
and five.
33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even
unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of
beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.
34 And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all
kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.
1 Kings 5
1 And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had
heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for
Hiram was ever a lover of David.
2 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,
3 Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto
the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on
every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet.
4 But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that
there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.
5 And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my
God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I
will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my
name.
6 Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of
Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee
will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt
appoint: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can
skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians.
7 And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he
rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be the LORD this day, which hath
given unto David a wise son over this great people.
8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have considered the things which
thou sentest to me for: and I will do all thy desire concerning timber
of cedar, and concerning timber of fir.
9 My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon unto the sea: and I
will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt
appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt
receive them: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for
my household.
10 So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his
desire.
11 And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to
his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to
Hiram year by year.
12 And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was
peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.
13 And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was
thirty thousand men.
14 And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month
they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over
the levy.
15 And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and
fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains;
16 Beside the chief of Solomon's officers which were over the work, three
thousand and three hundred, which ruled over the people that wrought
in the work.
17 And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones,
and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house.
18 And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the
stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.
1 Kings 6
1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the
children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth
year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the
second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.
2 And the house which king Solomon built for the LORD, the length
thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits,
and the height thereof thirty cubits.
3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the
length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits
was the breadth thereof before the house.
4 And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.
5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about,
against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of
the oracle: and he made chambers round about:
6 The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six
cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the
wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams
should not be fastened in the walls of the house.
7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready
before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor
axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.
8 The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house:
and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out
of the middle into the third.
9 So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with
beams and boards of cedar.
10 And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high:
and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.
11 And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying,
12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in
my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to
walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake
unto David thy father:
13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my
people Israel.
14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both
the floor of the house, and the walls of the ceiling: and he covered
them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with
planks of fir.
16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor
and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within,
even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.
17 And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.
18 And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open
flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.
19 And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark
of the covenant of the LORD.
20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty
cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he
overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of
cedar.
21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a
partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it
with gold.
22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all
the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid
with gold.
23 And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten
cubits high.
24 And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the
other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto
the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.
25 And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one
measure and one size.
26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the
other cherub.
27 And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched
forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched
the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall;
and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.
28 And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.
29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved
figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and
without.
30 And the floors of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.
31 And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the
lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall.
32 The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them
carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid
them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm
trees.
33 So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a
fourth part of the wall.
34 And the two doors were of fir tree: the two leaves of the one door
were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.
35 And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and
covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.
36 And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row
of cedar beams.
37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid,
in the month Zif:
38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month,
was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according
to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.
1 Kings 7
1 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished
all his house.
2 He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof
was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the
height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with
cedar beams upon the pillars.
3 And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty
five pillars, fifteen in a row.
4 And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in
three ranks.
5 And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows: and light
was against light in three ranks.
6 And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits,
and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was before them:
and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them.
7 Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the
porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the
floor to the other.
8 And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which
was of the like work. Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh's
daughter, whom he had taken to wife, like unto this porch.
9 All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed
stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation
unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court.
10 And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of
ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.
11 And above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and
cedars.
12 And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones,
and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the
LORD, and for the porch of the house.
13 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.
14 He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a
man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and
understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to
king Solomon, and wrought all his work.
15 For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and
a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about.
16 And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the
pillars: the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, and the
height of the other chapiter was five cubits:
17 And nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the chapiters
which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one chapiter,
and seven for the other chapiter.
18 And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one
network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with
pomegranates: and so did he for the other chapiter.
19 And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily
work in the porch, four cubits.
20 And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above,
over against the belly which was by the network: and the pomegranates
were two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter.
21 And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up
the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up
the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.
22 And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the
pillars finished.
23 And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other:
it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of
thirty cubits did compass it round about.
24 And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it,
ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in
two rows, when it was cast.
25 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three
looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three
looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all
their hinder parts were inward.
26 And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought
like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two
thousand baths.
27 And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one
base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height
of it.
28 And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and
the borders were between the ledges:
29 And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and
cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the
lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work.
30 And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the
four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were
undersetters molten, at the side of every addition.
31 And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit: but the
mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and an
half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders,
foursquare, not round.
32 And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the
wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit
and half a cubit.
33 And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their
axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were
all molten.
34 And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and
the undersetters were of the very base itself.
35 And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit
high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders
thereof were of the same.
36 For on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof,
he graved cherubims, lions, and palm trees, according to the
proportion of every one, and additions round about.
37 After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting,
one measure, and one size.
38 Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: and
every laver was four cubits: and upon every one of the ten bases one
laver.
39 And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the
left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the
house eastward over against the south.
40 And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basons. So Hiram
made an end of doing all the work that he made king Solomon for the
house of the LORD:
41 The two pillars, and the two bowls of the chapiters that were on the
top of the two pillars; and the two networks, to cover the two bowls
of the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars;
42 And four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, even two rows of
pomegranates for one network, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters
that were upon the pillars;
43 And the ten bases, and ten lavers on the bases;
44 And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea;
45 And the pots, and the shovels, and the basons: and all these vessels,
which Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the LORD, were of
bright brass.
46 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground
between Succoth and Zarthan.
47 And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were
exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out.
48 And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the
LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the
shewbread was,
49 And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on
the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the
tongs of gold,
50 And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and
the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors
of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the
house, to wit, of the temple.
51 So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the
LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had
dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put
among the treasures of the house of the LORD.
1 Kings 8
1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the
tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king
Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant
of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.
2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at
the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.
3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.
4 And they brought up the ark of the LORD, and the tabernacle of the
congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle,
even those did the priests and the Levites bring up.
5 And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were
assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep
and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.
6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto
his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even
under the wings of the cherubims.
7 For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the
ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.
8 And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen
out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen
without: and there they are unto this day.
9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses
put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of
Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place,
that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,
11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud:
for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.
12 Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick
darkness.
13 I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for
thee to abide in for ever.
14 And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation
of Israel: (and all the congregation of Israel stood;)
15 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which spake with his
mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it,
saying,
16 Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I
chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that
my name might be therein; but I chose David to be over my people
Israel.
17 And it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the
name of the LORD God of Israel.
18 And the LORD said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart
to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine
heart.
19 Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall
come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto my name.
20 And the LORD hath performed his word that he spake, and I am risen up
in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as
the LORD promised, and have built an house for the name of the LORD
God of Israel.
21 And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of
the LORD, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of
the land of Egypt.
22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all
the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:
23 And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven
above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy
servants that walk before thee with all their heart:
24 Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst
him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with
thine hand, as it is this day.
25 Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my
father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a
man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children
take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked
before me.
26 And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified,
which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.
27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven
of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have
builded?
28 Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his
supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the
prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day:
29 That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even
toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that
thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make
toward this place.
30 And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people
Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in
heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.
31 If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon
him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in
this house:
32 Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning
the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the
righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.
33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they
have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess
thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house:
34 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel,
and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their
fathers.
35 When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned
against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name,
and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:
36 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of
thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they
should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy
people for an inheritance.
37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting,
mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege
them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever
sickness there be;
38 What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy
people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart,
and spread forth his hands toward this house:
39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and
give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest;
(for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of
men;)
40 That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which
thou gavest unto our fathers.
41 Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but
cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake;
42 (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of
thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house;
43 Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that
the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may
know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they
may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.
44 If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou
shalt send them, and shall pray unto the LORD toward the city which
thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name:
45 Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and
maintain their cause.
46 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and
thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they
carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;
47 Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were
carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the
land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and
have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;
48 And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul,
in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray
unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the
city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy
name:
49 Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy
dwelling place, and maintain their cause,
50 And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their
transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give
them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may
have compassion on them:
51 For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest
forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron:
52 That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and
unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in
all that they call for unto thee.
53 For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth,
to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy
servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O LORD God.
54 And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this
prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar
of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to
heaven.
55 And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud
voice, saying,
56 Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel,
according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of
all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his
servant.
57 The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not
leave us, nor forsake us:
58 That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and
to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which
he commanded our fathers.
59 And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the
LORD, be nigh unto the LORD our God day and night, that he maintain
the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all
times, as the matter shall require:
60 That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and
that there is none else.
61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in
his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
62 And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the
LORD.
63 And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered
unto the LORD, two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty
thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated
the house of the LORD.
64 The same day did the king hallow the middle of the court that was
before the house of the LORD: for there he offered burnt offerings,
and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings: because the
brasen altar that was before the LORD was too little to receive the
burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace
offerings.
65 And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a
great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of
Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even
fourteen days.
66 On the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessed the king,
and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the
goodness that the LORD had done for David his servant, and for Israel
his people.
1 Kings 9
1 And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the
house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire
which he was pleased to do,
2 That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared
unto him at Gibeon.
3 And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy
supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this
house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine
eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in
integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I
have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
5 Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever,
as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a
man upon the throne of Israel.
6 But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children,
and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set
before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:
7 Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them;
and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of
my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:
8 And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall
be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD
done thus unto this land, and to this house?
9 And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who
brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken
hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them:
therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.
10 And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built
the two houses, the house of the LORD, and the king's house,
11 (Now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and
fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire,) that then king
Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
12 And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given
him; and they pleased him not.
13 And he said, What cities are these which thou hast given me, my
brother? And he called them the land of Cabul unto this day.
14 And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold.
15 And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to
build the house of the LORD, and his own house, and Millo, and the
wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.
16 For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it
with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given
it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon's wife.
17 And Solomon built Gezer, and Bethhoron the nether,
18 And Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land,
19 And all the cities of store that Solomon had, and cities for his
chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired
to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his
dominion.
20 And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites,
Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of
Israel,
21 Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the
children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, upon those
did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day.
22 But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they
were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains,
and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen.
23 These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon's work,
five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought
in the work.
24 But Pharaoh's daughter came up out of the city of David unto her house
which Solomon had built for her: then did he build Millo.
25 And three times in a year did Solomon offer burnt offerings and peace
offerings upon the altar which he built unto the LORD, and he burnt
incense upon the altar that was before the LORD. So he finished the
house.
26 And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, which is beside
Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.
27 And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of
the sea, with the servants of Solomon.
28 And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and
twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.
1 Kings 10
1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning
the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.
2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that
bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was
come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid
from the king, which he told her not.
4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the
house that he had built,
5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the
attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers,
and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there
was no more spirit in her.
6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine
own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen
it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity
exceedeth the fame which I heard.
8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand
continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on
the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever,
therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.
10 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of
spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such
abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king
Solomon.
11 And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in
from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.
12 And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the
LORD, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers:
there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.
13 And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire,
whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal
bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her
servants.
14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six
hundred threescore and six talents of gold,
15 Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the
spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors
of the country.
16 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred
shekels of gold went to one target.
17 And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound of gold
went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest
of Lebanon.
18 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with
the best gold.
19 The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind:
and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two
lions stood beside the stays.
20 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the
six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.
21 And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the
vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none
were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.
22 For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram:
once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and
silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for
wisdom.
24 And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had
put in his heart.
25 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels
of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a
rate year by year.
26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a
thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom
he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at
Jerusalem.
27 And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made
he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.
28 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the
king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.
29 And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of
silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the
kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them
out by their means.
1 Kings 11
1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter
of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and
Hittites:
2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of
Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto
you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods:
Solomon clave unto these in love.
3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred
concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away
his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the
LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and
after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully
after the LORD, as did David his father.
7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of
Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the
abomination of the children of Ammon.
8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and
sacrificed unto their gods.
9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from
the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go
after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.
11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of
thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have
commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will
give it to thy servant.
12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's
sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.
13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe
to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which
I have chosen.
14 And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite:
he was of the king's seed in Edom.
15 For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of
the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every
male in Edom;
16 (For six months did Joab remain there with all Israel, until he had
cut off every male in Edom:)
17 That Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with
him, to go into Egypt; Hadad being yet a little child.
18 And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran: and they took men
with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of
Egypt; which gave him an house, and appointed him victuals, and gave
him land.
19 And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave
him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the
queen.
20 And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes
weaned in Pharaoh's house: and Genubath was in Pharaoh's household
among the sons of Pharaoh.
21 And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and
that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let
me depart, that I may go to mine own country.
22 Then Pharaoh said unto him, But what hast thou lacked with me, that,
behold, thou seekest to go to thine own country? And he answered,
Nothing: howbeit let me go in any wise.
23 And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah,
which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah:
24 And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when
David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt
therein, and reigned in Damascus.
25 And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the
mischief that Hadad did: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over
Syria.
26 And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's
servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted
up his hand against the king.
27 And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king:
Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David
his father.
28 And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing
the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the
charge of the house of Joseph.
29 And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem,
that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had
clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:
30 And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in
twelve pieces:
31 And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the
LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the
hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:
32 (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for
Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes
of Israel:)
33 Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the
goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom
the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to
do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my
judgments, as did David his father.
34 Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will
make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake,
whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes:
35 But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it
unto thee, even ten tribes.
36 And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have
a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me
to put my name there.
37 And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy
soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.
38 And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee,
and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my
statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be
with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will
give Israel unto thee.
39 And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.
40 Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and
fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until
the death of Solomon.
41 And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his
wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?
42 And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was
forty years.
43 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of
David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.
1 Kings 12
1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to
make him king.
2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in
Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king
Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)
3 That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation
of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,
4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the
grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon
us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to
me. And the people departed.
6 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before
Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that
I may answer this people?
7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this
people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good
words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.
8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him,
and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and
which stood before him:
9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this
people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father
did put upon us lighter?
10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying,
Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying,
Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus
shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my
father's loins.
11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add
to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will
chastise you with scorpions.
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the
king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's
counsel that they gave him;
14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My
father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father
also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
15 Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was
from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake
by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16 So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the
people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David?
neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O
Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto
their tents.
17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah,
Rehoboam reigned over them.
18 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all
Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam
made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
20 And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come
again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made
him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of
David, but the tribe of Judah only.
21 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of
Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand
chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel,
to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
22 But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
23 Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all
the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people,
saying,
24 Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your
brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for
this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the
LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.
25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and
went out from thence, and built Penuel.
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the
house of David:
27 If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at
Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their
lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go
again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said
unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy
gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the
one, even unto Dan.
31 And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of
the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth
day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered
upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that
he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places
which he had made.
33 So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth
day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his
own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he
offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.
1 Kings 13
1 And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the
LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
2 And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O
altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto
the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the
priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's
bones shall be burnt upon thee.
3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the
LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that
are upon it shall be poured out.
4 And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of
God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth
his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which
he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in
again to him.
5 The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar,
according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of
the LORD.
6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the
face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be
restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the
king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
7 And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh
thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
8 And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine
house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink
water in this place:
9 For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no
bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou
camest.
10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to
Bethel.
11 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told
him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the
words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their
father.
12 And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had
seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.
13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the
ass: and he rode thereon,
14 And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and
he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And
he said, I am.
15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
16 And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither
will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:
17 For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread
nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou
camest.
18 He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake
unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into
thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto
him.
19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank
water.
20 And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the
LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:
21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus
saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the
LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God
commanded thee,
22 But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of
the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water;
thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.
23 And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk,
that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had
brought back.
24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his
carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also
stood by the carcase.
25 And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and
the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the
city where the old prophet dwelt.
26 And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof,
he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of
the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which
hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which
he spake unto him.
27 And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled
him.
28 And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the
lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor
torn the ass.
29 And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it
upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the
city, to mourn and to bury him.
30 And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him,
saying, Alas, my brother!
31 And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his
sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein
the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:
32 For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the
altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which
are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.
33 After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made
again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places:
whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests
of the high places.
34 And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it
off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.
1 Kings 14
1 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick.
2 And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise
thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get
thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me
that I should be king over this people.
3 And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey,
and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child.
4 And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to
the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set
by reason of his age.
5 And the LORD said unto Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to
ask a thing of thee for her son; for he is sick: thus and thus shalt
thou say unto her: for it shall be, when she cometh in, that she shall
feign herself to be another woman.
6 And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in
at the door, that he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why
feignest thou thyself to be another? for I am sent to thee with heavy
tidings.
7 Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Forasmuch as I
exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my
people Israel,
8 And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee:
and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my
commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only
which was right in mine eyes;
9 But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone
and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger,
and hast cast me behind thy back:
10 Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and
will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him
that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of
the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.
11 Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him
that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: for the LORD
hath spoken it.
12 Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet
enter into the city, the child shall die.
13 And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of
Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some
good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.
14 Moreover the LORD shall raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut
off the house of Jeroboam that day: but what? even now.
15 For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and
he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their
fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have
made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger.
16 And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did
sin, and who made Israel to sin.
17 And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and when
she came to the threshold of the door, the child died;
18 And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, according to the
word of the LORD, which he spake by the hand of his servant Ahijah the
prophet.
19 And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred, and how he
reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the
kings of Israel.
20 And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years: and he
slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead.
21 And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty
and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen
years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the
tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was
Naamah an Ammonitess.
22 And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to
jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that
their fathers had done.
23 For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every
high hill, and under every green tree.
24 And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to
all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the
children of Israel.
25 And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak
king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem:
26 And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the
treasures of the king's house; he even took away all: and he took away
all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.
27 And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and committed
them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of
the king's house.
28 And it was so, when the king went into the house of the LORD, that the
guard bare them, and brought them back into the guard chamber.
29 Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they
not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.
31 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers
in the city of David. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.
And Abijam his son reigned in his stead.
1 Kings 15
1 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned
Abijam over Judah.
2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. and his mother's name was
Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before
him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart
of David his father.
4 Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in
Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:
5 Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and
turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of
his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
6 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his
life.
7 Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not
written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there
was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.
8 And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of
David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.
9 And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over
Judah.
10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name
was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
11 And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David
his father.
12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the
idols that his fathers had made.
13 And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen,
because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol,
and burnt it by the brook Kidron.
14 But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was
perfect with the LORD all his days.
15 And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the
things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD,
silver, and gold, and vessels.
16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their
days.
17 And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that
he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the
treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's
house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants: and king Asa
sent them to Benhadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of
Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
19 There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy
father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold;
come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may
depart from me.
20 So Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the
hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and
Dan, and Abelbethmaachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of
Naphtali.
21 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off
building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.
22 Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was
exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber
thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them
Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.
23 The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he
did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book
of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless in the time of
his old age he was diseased in his feet.
24 And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the
city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his
stead.
25 And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second
year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years.
26 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his
father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.
27 And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired
against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the
Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.
28 Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and
reigned in his stead.
29 And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of
Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had
destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake
by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:
30 Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made
Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of
Israel to anger.
31 Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not
written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their
days.
33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah
to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.
34 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of
Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.
1 Kings 16
1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against
Baasha, saying,
2 Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over
my people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and
hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their
sins;
3 Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of
his house; and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son
of Nebat.
4 Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that
dieth of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat.
5 Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might,
are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of
Israel?
6 So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah
his son reigned in his stead.
7 And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the
word of the LORD against Baasha, and against his house, even for all
the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, in provoking him to
anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam;
and because he killed him.
8 In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son
of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years.
9 And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against
him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza
steward of his house in Tirzah.
10 And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and
seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.
11 And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his
throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not one that
pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends.
12 Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word
of the LORD, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet.
13 For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, by which
they sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the
LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities.
14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not
written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
15 In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign
seven days in Tirzah. And the people were encamped against Gibbethon,
which belonged to the Philistines.
16 And the people that were encamped heard say, Zimri hath conspired, and
hath also slain the king: wherefore all Israel made Omri, the captain
of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp.
17 And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they
besieged Tirzah.
18 And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he
went into the palace of the king's house, and burnt the king's house
over him with fire, and died.
19 For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the LORD,
in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to
make Israel to sin.
20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he wrought,
are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of
Israel?
21 Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the
people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, 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.
24 And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver,
and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built,
after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.
25 But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all
that were before him.
26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his
sin wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD God of Israel
to anger with their vanities.
27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he
shewed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the
kings of Israel?
28 So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab
his son reigned in his stead.
29 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.
30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all
that were before him.
31 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.
32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had
built in Samaria.
33 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.
34 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.
1 Kings 17
1 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.
2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook
Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have
commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 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.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread
and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because
there had been no rain in the land.
8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell
there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
10 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 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.
12 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.
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.
14 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.
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and
he, and her house, did eat many days.
16 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.
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.
22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came
into him again, and he revived.
23 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.
24 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.
1 Kings 18
1 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.
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 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.)
5 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.
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.
7 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, I 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 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 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.
13 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?
14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he
shall slay me.
15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I
will surely shew myself unto him to day.
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet
Elijah.
17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him,
Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
18 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.
19 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.
20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the
prophets together unto mount Carmel.
21 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.
22 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.
23 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:
24 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.
25 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.
26 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.
27 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.
28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with
knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
29 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.
30 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.
31 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:
32 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.
33 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.
34 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.
35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also
with water.
36 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.
37 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.
38 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.
39 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.
40 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.
41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a
sound of abundance of rain.
42 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,
43 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.
44 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.
45 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.
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.
1 Kings 19
1 And 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 to morrow about this time.
3 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.
4 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.
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
cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him
down again.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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?
10 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 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:
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 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.
15 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:
16 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.
17 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.
18 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.
19 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.
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?
21 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.
1 Kings 20
1 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.
2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said
unto him, Thus saith Benhadad,
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 Benhadad,
saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me
thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;
6 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.
7 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.
8 And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto
him, nor consent.
9 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.
10 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 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 pavilions, that he said unto his
servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array
against the city.
13 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.
14 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.
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 seven thousand.
16 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.
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.
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.
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 Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an 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 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.
23 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.
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 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.
26 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.
27 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.
28 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.
29 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.
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 Benhadad
fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.
31 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.
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 Benhadad saith,
I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my
brother.
33 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.
34 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
thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent
him away.
35 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.
36 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.
37 Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the
man smote him, so that in smiting 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 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.
40 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.
41 And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of
Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.
42 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.
43 And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and
came to Samaria.
1 Kings 21
1 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.
2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may
have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I
will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good
to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.
3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the
inheritance of my fathers unto thee.
4 And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word
which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will
not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon
his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit
so sad, that thou eatest no bread?
6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and
said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please
thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I
will not give thee my vineyard.
7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom
of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will
give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal,
and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in
his city, dwelling with Naboth.
9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth
on high among the people:
10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against
him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him
out, and stone him, that he may die.
11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the
inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as