1 Now king David was He was about 70 years old, (2Sa_5:4). old [and] stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no For his natural heat was worn away with travels. heat. The Argument - Because the children of God should expect no continual rest and quietness in this world, the Holy Spirit sets before our eyes in this book the variety and change of things, which came to the people of Israel from the death of David, Solomon, and the rest of the kings, to the death of Ahab. Declaring that flourishing kingdoms, unless they are preserved by God's protection, (who then favours them when his word is truly set forth, virtue esteemed, vice punished, and concord maintained) fall to decay and come to nothing as appears by the dividing of the kingdom under Rehoboam and Jeroboam, who were one people before and now by the just punishment of God were made two. Judah and Benjamin were under Rehoboam, and this was called the kingdom of Judah. The other ten tribes held with Jeroboam, and this was called the kingdom of Israel. The king of Judah had his throne in Jerusalem, and the king of Israel in Samaria, after it was built by Omri Ahab's father. Because our Saviour Christ according to the flesh, comes from the stock of David, the genealogy of the kings of Judah is here described, from Solomon to Joram the son of Jehoshaphat, who reigned over Judah in Jerusalem as Ahab did over Israel in Samaria.
2 Wherefore his seruants saide vnto him, Let there be sought for my lord ye King a yong virgin, and let her stand before the King, and cherish him: and let her lie in thy bosome, that my lord the King may get heate.
3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag A city in the tribe of Issachar, (Jos_19:18). a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
4 And the maid was exceeding faire, and cherished the King, and ministred 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 Read (2Sa_15:1). fifty men to run before him.
6 And his father would not displease him from his childehood, to say, Why hast thou done so? And hee was a very goodly man, and his mother bare him next after Absalom.
7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah They took his part and followed him. helped [him].
8 But Zadok the Priest, & Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and Nathan the Prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the men of might, which were with Dauid, were not with Adoniiah.
9 Then Adoniiah sacrificed sheepe and oxen, and fat cattel by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, and called all his brethren the kings sonnes, & al the men of Iudah ye Kings seruants,
10 But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and As the Cherethites and Pelethites. the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.
11 Wherefore Nathan spake vnto Bath-sheba the mother of Salomon, saying, Hast thou not heard, that Adoniiah ye sonne of Haggith doeth reigne, and Dauid our lord knoweth it not?
12 Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own For Adonijah will destroy you and your son, if he reigns. life, and the life of thy son Solomon.
13 Go, and get thee in vnto King Dauid, and say vnto him, Didest not thou, my lorde, O King, sweare vnto thine handmaide, saying, Assuredly Salomo thy sonne shall reigne after me, & he shal sit vpon my throne? why is then Adoniiah King?
14 Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and By declaring such things, as may further the same. confirm thy words.
15 So Bath-sheba went in vnto the King into the chamber, and the King was verie olde, and Abishag the Shunammite ministred vnto ye King.
16 And Bath-sheba bowed and made obeisance vnto the King; the King saide, What is thy matter?
17 And shee answered him, My lorde, thou swarest by the Lorde thy God vnto thine handmaide, saying, Assuredly Salomon thy sonne shall reigne after me, and he shall sit vpon my throne.
18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest The king being worn with age, could not attend to the affairs of the realm, and also Adonijah had many who kept it from the king. [it] not:
19 And he hath offred many oxen, and fatte cattel, and sheepe, and hath called all the sonnes of the King, and Abiathar the Priest, and Ioab the captaine of the hoste: but Salomon thy seruant hath he not bidden.
20 And thou, my lorde, O King, knowest that the eyes of all Israel are on thee, that thou shouldest tell them, who shoulde 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 And so put to death as wicked transgressors. counted offenders.
22 And lo, while she yet talked with the King, Nathan also the Prophet 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 Acknowledging him to be the true and worthy king appointed by God, as the figure of his Christ. to the ground.
24 And Nathan saide, My lorde, O King, hast thou said, Adoniiah shall reigne after mee, and he shall sit vpon my throne?
25 For hee is gone downe this day, and hath slaine many oxen, and fat cattel, and sheepe, and hath called al the Kings sonnes, and the captaines of the hoste, and Abiathar the Priest: and behold, they eate and drinke before him, and say, God saue King Adoniiah.
26 But me thy seruant, and Zadok the Priest, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and thy seruant Salomon hath he not called.
27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed [it] unto thy Meaning, that in such affairs he should undertake nothing unless he had consulted with the Lord. servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?
28 Then King Dauid answered, and saide, Call me Bath-sheba; shee came into ye Kings presence, and stoode before the King.
29 And the King sware, saying, As the Lorde liueth, who hath redeemed my soule out of all aduersitie,
30 Even as I Moved by the Spirit of God to do so, because he foresaw that Solomon would be the figure of Christ. 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 Bath-sheba bowed her face to the earth, and did reuerence vnto the King, and said, God saue my lord King Dauid for euer.
32 And King Dauid saide, Call mee Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada; they came before the King.
33 The king also said unto them, Take with you the Meaning, the king's servants and such as were of his guard. 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 ouer Israel, and blowe ye the trumpet, and say, God saue king Salomon.
35 Then come vp after him, that hee may come and sit vpon my throne: and hee shall bee King in my steade: for I haue appointed him to be prince ouer Israel and ouer Iudah.
36 Then Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada answered the King, and said, So be it, and the Lord God of my lord the King ratifie it.
37 As the Lord hath bene with my lorde the King, so be he with Salomon, and exalt his throne aboue the throne of my lorde king Dauid.
38 So Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went downe and caused Salomon to ride vpon king Dauids mule, and brought him to Gihon.
39 And Zadok the priest took an horn of With which they were accustomed to anoint the priests and the holy instruments, (Exo_30:23). 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 vp after him, and the people piped with pipes, and reioyced with great ioye, so that the earth rang with the sound of them.
41 And Adoniiah and all the ghestes that were with him, heard it: (and they had made an ende of eating) and when Ioab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, What meaneth this noise and vprore in the citie?
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 He praised Jonathan, thinking to have heard good news but God wrought things contrary to his expectation, and so beat down his pride. good tidings.
43 And Ionathan answered, and said to Adoniiah, Verely our lord King Dauid hath made Salomon King.
44 And the King hath sent with him Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they haue caused him to ride vpon the Kings mule.
45 And Zadok the Priest, and Nathan ye Prophet haue anointed him King in Gihon: and they are gone vp from thence with ioy, and the citie is moued: this is the noise that ye haue heard.
46 And Salomon also sitteth on the throne of the kingdome.
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 He gave God thanks for the good success. bed.
48 And thus sayd the King also, Blessed bee the Lorde God of Israel, who hath made one to sit on my throne this day, euen in my sight.
49 Then all the ghestes that were with Adonijah, were afraide, and rose vp, and went euery man his way.
50 And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the Which David his father had built in the floor of Araunah, (2Sa_24:25). altar.
51 And one tolde Salomon, saying, Beholde, Adonijah doeth feare King Salomon: for lo, he hath caught holde on the hornes of the altar, saying, Let King Salomon sweare vnto me this day, that he will not slay his seruant with the sword.
52 Then Salomon sayd, If he will shewe him selfe a worthy man, there shall not an heare of him fall to the earth, but if wickednes be found in him, he shall dye.
53 Then King Salomon sent, & they brought him from the altar, and he came and did obeisance vnto King Salomon; Salomon sayde vnto him, Go to thine house.
1 Then the dayes of Dauid drewe neere that he should die, and hee charged Salomon his sonne, saying,
2 I go the I am ready to die as all men must. way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;
3 And keep the He shows how hard it is to govern and that no one can do it well except he obey God. 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 Without hypocrisy. 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 He shed his blood in time of peace, as if there had been war. shed the blood of war in peace, and He put the bloody sword into his sheath. put the blood of war upon his girdle that [was] about his loins, and in his shoes that [were] on his feet.
6 Doe therefore according to thy wisdome, and let thou not his hoare head go downe to the graue in peace.
7 But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: That is, they dealt mercifully with me. for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.
8 And beholde, with thee is Shimei the sonne of Gera, the sonne of Iemini, of Bahurim, which cursed mee with an horrible curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but hee came downe to meete me at Iorden, & I sware to him by the Lorde, saying, I will not slay thee 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 Let him be punished with death, see (1Ki_2:46). blood.
10 So Dauid slept with his fathers, and was buried in the citie of Dauid.
11 And the dayes which Dauid reigned vpon Israel, were fourtie yeeres: seuen yeeres reigned he in Hebron, and thirtie & three yeeres reigned he in Ierusalem.
12 Then sate Salomon vpon the throne of Dauid his father, and his kingdome was stablished mightily.
13 And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, For she was afraid lest he would work treason against the king. Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.
14 He said moreouer, I haue a sute vnto thee; she sayd, Say on.
15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and [that] all Israel In sign of their favour and consent. 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 Nowe therefore I aske thee one request, refuse me not; she said vnto him, Say on.
17 And he sayd, Speake, I pray thee, vnto Salomon ye King, (for he will not say thee nay) that he giue me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.
18 And Bath-sheba sayd, Well, I will speake for thee vnto the King.
19 Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and In token of reverence, and that others by his example might have her in greater honour. 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 sayd, I desire a small request of thee, say me not nay. Then the King sayde vnto her, Aske on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.
21 She sayd then, Let Abishag the Shunammite be giuen 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 Meaning, that if he would have granted Abishag, who was so dear to his father, he would later have aspired for the kingdom. 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 Salomon sware by the Lorde, saying, God doe so to me and more also, if Adoniiah hath not spoken this worde against his owne life.
24 Now therefore as ye Lord liueth, who hath established me, & set me on the throne of Dauid my father, who also hath made me an house, as he promised, Adoniiah shall surely die this day.
25 And King Salomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and hee smote him that he dyed.
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 When he fled before Absalom, (2Sa_15:24). 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 Salomon cast out Abiathar from being Priest vnto the Lord, that he might fulfill the wordes of the Lord, which he spake against the house of Eli in Shiloh.
28 Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had He took Adonijah's part when he would have usurped the kingdom (1Ki_1:7). 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 Thinking to be saved by the holiness of the place. altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.
30 And Benaiah came to the Tabernacle of the Lord, & sayd vnto him, Thus sayth the King, Come out; he sayde, Nay, but I will die here. Then Benaiah brought the King worde againe, saying, Thus sayd Ioab, & thus he answered me.
31 And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and For it was lawful to take the wilful murderer from the altar, (Exo_21:14). 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 Lorde shall bring his blood vpon his owne head: for he smote two men more righteous and better then he, and slew them with the sword, & my father Dauid knew not: to wit, Abner the sonne of Ner, captaine of the hoste of Israel, and Amasa the sonne of Iether captaine of the hoste of Iudah.
33 Their blood shall therefore return upon the Joab will be justly punished for the blood that he has cruelly shed. 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 sonne of Iehoiada went vp, & smote him, and slewe him, & he was buryed in his owne house in the wildernesse.
35 And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the And so took the office of high priest from the house of Eli, and restored it to the house of Phinehas. priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.
36 Afterwarde the King sent, & called Shimei, and sayde vnto him, Buylde thee an house in Ierusalem, and dwell there, and depart not thence any whither.
37 For that day that thou goest out, and passest ouer the riuer of Kidron, knowe assuredly, that thou shalt dye the death: thy blood shall be vpon thine owne head.
38 And Shimei sayd vnto the King, The thing is good: as my lord the King hath sayd, so wil thy seruant doe. So Shimei dwelt in Ierusalem many dayes.
39 And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the Thus God appoints the ways and means to bring his just judgments on the wicked. 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 His covetous mind moved him to risk his life, rather than to lose the worldly profit he had by his servants. Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.
41 And it was tolde Salomon, that Shimei had gone from Ierusalem to Gath, and was come againe.
42 And the King sent and called Shimei, and sayde vnto him, Did I not make thee to sweare by the Lorde, and protested vnto thee, saying, That day that thou goest out, and walkest any whither, knowe assuredly that thou shalt dye the death? And thou saydest vnto mee, The thing is good, that I haue heard.
43 Why then hast thou not kept the othe of the Lorde, and the commandement wherewith I charged thee?
44 The king said moreover to Shimei, For though you would deny it, your own conscience accuses you for reviling and doing wrong to my father, (2Sa_16:5). 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 let King Salomon be blessed, and the throne of Dauid stablished before the Lorde for euer.
46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was Because all his enemies were destroyed. established in the hand of Solomon.
1 And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the Which was Bethlehem. 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 Where altars were appointed before the temple was built, to offer to the Lord. 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 For his father had commanded him to obey the Lord and walk in his ways, (1Ki_2:3). father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
4 And the king went to For there the tabernacle was (2Ch_1:3). 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 Salomon in a dreame by night: and God sayd, Aske what I shal giue 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 You have performed your promise. 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 That is, to behave himself in executing this charge of ruling. go out or come in.
8 And thy seruant is in the mids of thy people, which thou hast chosen, euen a great people which cannot be told nor nobred 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 Which are so many in number. great a people?
10 And this pleased the Lorde wel, that Salomon had desired 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 That is, that their enemy would die. enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
12 Beholde, I haue done according to thy wordes: lo, I haue giuen thee a wise and an vnderstanding heart, so that there hath bene none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall arise the like vnto thee.
13 And I haue also giuen thee that, which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour, so that among the Kings there shall be none like vnto thee all thy dayes.
14 And if thou wilt walke in my wayes, to keepe mine ordinances & my commandements, as thy father Dauid did walke, I will prolong thy dayes.
15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, [it was] He knew that God had appeared to him in a dream. 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 By this example it appears that God kept his promise to Solomon in granting him wisdom. stood before him.
17 And the one woman sayd, Oh my lorde, I and this woman dwell in one house, and I was deliuered of a childe with her in the house.
18 And the third day after that I was deliuered, this woman was deliuered also: and we were in the house together: no stranger was with vs in the house, saue we twaine.
19 And this womans sonne died in the night: for she ouerlay him.
20 And she arose at midnight, and She stole the living child to avoid both the shame and punishment. 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 giue my sonne sucke, beholde, he was dead: and when I had wel considered him in the morning, beholde, it was not my sonne, whom I had borne.
22 Then the other woman sayd, Nay, but my sonne liueth, and thy sonne is dead. Againe she sayde, No, but thy sonne is dead, and mine aliue: thus they spake before the King.
23 Then sayde the King, She sayth, This that liueth is my sonne, and the dead is thy sonne: and the other sayth, Nay, but the dead is thy sonne, and the liuing is my sonne.
24 And the king said, Unless God gives judges understanding, the impudency of the trespasser will overthrow the just cause of the innocent. Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25 And the King sayde, Deuide ye the liuing child in twaine, & giue the one halfe to the one, and the other halfe 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 Her motherly affection appears in that she would rather endure the rigor of the law than see her child cruelly slain. 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 sayde, Giue her the liuing childe, and slay him not: this is his mother.
28 And all Israel heard the iudgement, which the King had iudged, and they feared the King: for they sawe that the wisedome of God was in him to doe iustice.
1 And King Salomon was King ouer all Israel.
2 And these [were] the That is, his chief officers. princes which he had; He was the son of Achimais and Zadok's nephew. Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,
3 Elihoreph and Ahiah the sonnes of Shisha scribes, Iehoshaphat the sonne of Ahilud, the recorder,
4 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] over the host: and Zadok and Not Abiathar whom Solomon had put from his office, (1Ki_2:27) but another of that name. Abiathar [were] the priests:
5 And Azariah the sonne of Nathan was ouer the officers, and Zabud the sonne of Nathan Priest was the Kings friend,
6 And Ahishar was ouer the houshold: and Adoniram the sonne of Abda was ouer the tribute.
7 And Salomon had twelue officers ouer all Israel, which prouided vitailes for the King and his housholde: eche man had a moneth in the yeere to prouide vitailes.
8 And these are their names: the sonne of Hur in mount Ephraim:
9 The sonne of Dekar in Makaz, and in Shaalbim and Beth-shemesh, and Elon and Beth-hanan:
10 The sonne of Hesed in Aruboth, to whom perteined Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher:
11 The sonne of Abinadab in all the region of Dor, which had Taphath the daughter of Salomon to wife.
12 Baana the sonne of Ahilud in Taanach, & Megiddo, & in all Beth-shean, which is by Zartanah beneath Izreel, from Beth-shean to Abelmeholah, eue til beyond ouer against Iokmeam:
13 The son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; to him [pertained] the towns of Which bore Jair's name, because he took them from the Canaanites, (Num_32:41). 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 sonne of Iddo had to Mahanaim:
15 Ahimaaz in Naphtali, and he tooke Basmath the daughter of Salomon to wife:
16 Baanah the sonne of Hushai in Asher and in Aloth:
17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Solomon did not observe the division that Joshua made, but divided it as might best serve his purposes. Issachar:
18 Shimei the sonne of Elah in Beniamin:
19 Geber the sonne of Vri in the countrey of Gilead, the land of Sihon King of the Amorites, and of Og King of Bashan, and was officer alone in the land.
20 Judah and Israel [were] many, as the sand which [is] by the sea in multitude, They lived in all peace and security. eating and drinking, and making merry.
21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the Which is the Euphrates. 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 Salomons vitailes for one day were thirtie measures of fine floure, and threescore measures of meale:
23 Ten fat oxen, and twentie oxen of the pastures, and an hundreth sheepe, beside hartes, and buckes, and bugles, and fat foule.
24 For he had dominion over all [the region] on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the For they were all tributaries to him. 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 Throughout all Israel. Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
26 And Salomon had fourtie thousande stalles of horses for his charets, and twelue thousand horsemen.
27 And these officers prouided vitaile for king Salomon, and for all that came to King Salomons table, euery man his moneth, and they suffred to lacke nothing.
28 Barley also and strawe for the horses and mules brought they vnto the place where the officers were, euery man according to his charge.
29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and Meaning, great understanding and able to comprehend all things. 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 That is, the philosophers and astronomers who were judged most wise. east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
31 For he was wiser then any man: yea, then were Ethan the Ezrahite, the Heman, then Chalcol, then Darda the sonnes of Mahol: and he was famous throughout all nations round about.
32 And he spake three thousand Which for the most part are thought to have perished in the captivity of Babylon. 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 From the highest to the lowest. 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 heare the wisedome of Salomon, from all Kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisedome.
1 And Hiram King of Tyrus sent his seruants vnto Salomon, (for he had heard, that they had anoynted him King in the roume of his father) because Hiram had euer loued Dauid.
2 Also Salomon sent to Hiram, saying,
3 Thou knowest that Dauid my father could not build an house vnto the Name of the Lorde his God, for the warres which were about him on euery side, vntill the Lord had put them vnder the soles of his feete.
4 But now the LORD my God hath given me He declares that he was bound to set forth God's glory for as much as the Lord had sent him rest and peace. rest on every side, [so that there is] neither adversary nor evil occurrent.
5 And beholde, I purpose to build an house vnto ye Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spake vnto Dauid my father, saying, Thy sonne, whom I wil set vpon thy throne for thee, he shal build an house vnto 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 This was his equity, that he would not receive a benefit without some recompence. 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 In Hiram is prefigured the calling of the Gentiles who would help build the spiritual temple. 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 Salomon, saying, I haue considered the things, for the which thou sentest vnto me, and will accomplish all thy desire, concerning the cedar trees and firre trees.
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 While my servants are occupied with your business. my household.
10 So Hiram gaue Salomon cedar trees and firre trees, euen his full desire.
11 And Salomon gaue Hiram twentie thousand measures of wheate for foode to his householde, & twentie measures of beaten oyle. Thus much gaue Salomon to Hiram yere by yere.
12 And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they Concerning the furniture of wood. two made a league together.
13 And King Salomon raised a summe out of all Israel, and the summe was thirtie thousand men:
14 Whome he sent to Lebanon, ten thousand a moneth by course: they were a moneth in Lebanon, and two moneths at home; Adoniram was ouer the summe.
15 And Salomon had seuentie thousand that bare burdens, and fourescore thousand masons in the mountaine,
16 Besides the princes, whome Salomon appoynted ouer the worke, euen three thousande and three hundreth, which ruled the people that wrought in the worke.
17 And the King commanded them, and they brought great stones and costly stones to make the foundation of the house, euen hewed stones.
18 And Solomon's builders and Hiram's The Hebrew word is Giblim, which some say were excellent masons. builders did hew [them], and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.
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 Which contains part of April and part of May. Zif, which [is] the second month, that he began to build the By which is meant the temple and the oracle. house of the LORD.
2 And the house which King Salomon built for the Lorde, was three score cubites long, and twentie broade, and thirtie cubites hie.
3 And the Or the court where the people prayed which was before the place where the altar of burnt offerings stood. 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 in the house he made windowes, broad without, and narrowe within.
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 When God spoke between the Cherubim, called also the most holy place. 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 Which were certain stones coming out of the wall, as stays for the beams to rest upon. rests round about, that [the beams] should not be fastened in the walls of the house.
7 And when the house was built, it was built of stone perfite, before it was brought, so that there was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any toole of yron heard in the house, while it was in building.
8 The doore of the middle chamber was in the right side of the house, & men went vp with winding stayres into the middlemost, and out of the middlemost into the third.
9 So he built the In Exodus it is called the tabernacle, and the temple is here called the sanctuary and the oracle the most holy place. house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.
10 And he built the galleries vpon al the wall of the house of fiue cubites height, and they were ioyned to the house with beames of cedar.
11 And the worde of the Lord came to Salomon, saying,
12 Cocerning this house which thou buildest, if thou wilt walke in mine ordinances, & execute my iudgements, & keepe al my commadements, to walke in them, then will I performe vnto thee my promes, which I promised to Dauid thy father.
13 And I will According as he promised to Moses, (Exo_25:22). dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.
14 So Salomon built the house & finished it,
15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and Meaning, to the roof which was also sealed. the walls of the cieling: [and] he covered [them] on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.
16 And he built twentie cubites in the sides of the house with boards of cedar, from the floore to the walles, and he prepared a place within it for the oracle, euen the most holy place.
17 And the For when he spoke of the house in the first verse, he meant both the oracle and the temple. house, that [is], the temple before it, was forty cubits [long].
18 And the cedar of the house within was carued with knops, and grauen with floures: all was cedar, so that no stone was seene.
19 And the oracle he prepared in the That is, in the most inward place of the house. house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD.
20 And the place of the oracle within was twentie cubites long, and twentie cubites broad, and twentie cubites hie, and hee couered it with pure golde, and couered the altar with cedar.
21 So Salomon couered the house within with pure golde: and he shut the place of the oracle with chaines of gold, and couered it with golde.
22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the Meaning, the altar of incense, (Exo_30:1). whole altar that [was] by the oracle he overlaid with gold.
23 And within the oracle he made two Cherubims of oliue tree, ten cubites hie.
24 The wing also of the one Cherub was fiue cubites, and the wing of the other Cherub was fiue cubites: from the vttermost part of one of his wings vnto the vttermost part of the other of his wings, were ten cubites.
25 Also the other Cherub was of ten cubites: both the Cherubims were of one measure and one sise.
26 For the height of the one Cherub was ten cubits, and so was the other Cherub.
27 And he put the Cherubims within the inner house, and the Cherubims stretched out their wings, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other Cherub touched the other wall: and their other wings touched one another in the middes of the house.
28 And he For the others which Moses made of beaten gold were taken away with the other jewels by their enemies, whom God permitted at various times to overcome them for their great sins. overlaid the cherubims with gold.
29 And he carued all the walles of the house round about with grauen figures of Cherubims and of Palmetrees, and grauen flowres within and without.
30 And the floore of the house hee couered with golde within and without.
31 And in the entring of the oracle he made two doores of oliue tree: and the vpper post and side postes were fiue square.
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 So that the fashion of the carved work might still appear. spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees.
33 And so made he for the doore of the Temple, postes of oliue tree foure square.
34 But the two doores were of firre tree, the two sides of the one doore were round, and the two sides of the other doore were round.
35 And he graued Cherubims, & palme trees, and carued floures and couered the carued worke with golde, finely wrought.
36 And he built the inner Where the priests were, and was thus called in respect to the great court, which is called the porch of Solomon in (Act_3:11) where the people used to pray. court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.
37 In the fourth yeere was the foundation of the house of the Lorde layed in the moneth of Zif:
38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Which contains part of October and part of November. 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 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he After he had built the temple. finished all his house.
2 He built also the house Because of the beauty of the place, and great abundance of cedar trees that went into the building of it, it was compared to mount Lebanon. 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 couered aboue with cedar vpon the beames, that lay on the fourtie and fiue pillars, fifteene in a rowe.
4 And [there were] windows [in] three rows, and light [was] There were as many and like proportion on the one side as the other, and at every end even three in a row one above another. against light [in] three ranks.
5 And all the doores, and the side postes with the windowes were foure square, and windowe was ouer against windowe in three rankes.
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 Before the pillars of the house. them: and the [other] pillars and the thick beam [were] before them.
7 Then he made a porch For his house which was at Jerusalem. 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 in his house, where he dwelt, was an other hall more inwarde then the porche which was of the same worke. Also Salomon made an house for Pharaohs daughter ( whom he had taken to wife) like vnto this porche.
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 Which were rests and stays for the beams to lie on. the coping, and [so] on the outside toward the great court.
10 And the foundation was of costly stones, and great stones, euen of stones of ten cubites, and stones of eight cubites.
11 And From the foundation upward. 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, As the Lord's house was built so was this, only the great court of Solomon's house was uncovered. both for the inner court of the house of the LORD, and for the porch of the house.
13 Then King Salomon sent, and set one Hiram out of Tyrus.
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 Thus when God will have his glory set forth, he raises up men, and gives them excellent gifts for the accomplishment of the same, (Exo_31:2-3). 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 brasse: ye height of a pillar was eighteene cubites, and a threede of twelue cubites did compasse either of ye pillars.
16 And he made two chapiters of molten brasse to set on the tops of the pillars: the height of one of the chapiters was fiue cubites, and the height of the other chapiter was fiue cubites.
17 He made grates like networke, and wrethen worke like chaynes for the chapiters that were on the top of the pillars, euen seuen for the one chapiter, and seuen for the other chapiter.
18 So he made the pillars and two rowes of pomegranates round about in the one grate to couer the chapiters that were vpon the top; thus did he for the other chapiter.
19 And the chapiters that [were] upon the top of the pillars [were] of As was seen commonly wrought in costly porches. lily work in the porch, four cubits.
20 And the chapiters vpon the two pillars had also aboue, ouer against the belly within the networke pomegranates: for two hudreth pomegranates were in the two rankes about vpon either of the chapiters.
21 And he set up the pillars in the Which was in the inner court between the temple and the oracle. porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof That is, he will stablish, that is, his promise toward this house. Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof That is, in strength: meaning the power of it will continue. Boaz.
22 And vpon the top of the pillars was worke of lilyes: so was the workemanship of the pillars finished.
23 And he made a molten So called for the size of the vessel. 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 vnder the brimme of it were knoppes like wilde cucumers compassing it round about, ten in one cubite, compassing the sea round about: and the two rowes of knoppes were cast, when it was molten.
25 It stoode on twelue bulles, three looking towarde the North, and three toward the West, and three toward the South, and three towarde the East: and the sea stoode aboue vpon them, and all their hinder partes 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 Bath and ephah seem to be one measure, (Eze_45:11) a bath contains about 5 gallons. baths.
27 And he made tenne bases of brasse, one base was foure cubites long, and foure cubites broad, and three cubites hie.
28 And the worke of the bases was on this maner, They had borders, and the borders were betweene the ledges:
29 And on the borders that were betweene the ledges, were lyons, bulles and Cherubims: and vpon the ledges there was a base aboue: and beneath the lyons and bulles, were addicions made of thinne worke.
30 And euery base had foure brasen wheeles, and plates of brasse: and the foure corners had vndersetters: vnder the caldron were vndersetters molten at the side of euery addicion.
31 And the The mouth of the great base or frame entered into the chapiter, or pillar that bore up the cauldron. 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 vnder the borders were foure wheeles, and the axeltrees of the wheeles ioyned to the base: and the height of a wheele was a cubite and halfe a cubite.
33 And the facion of the wheeles was like the facion of a charet wheele, their axeltrees, and their naues and their felloes, and their spokes were all molten.
34 And foure vndersetters were vpon the foure corners of one base: and the vndersetters thereof were of the base it selfe.
35 And in the top of the base [was there] a round Which was called the pillar, chapiter or small base, in which the cauldron stood. 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 And vpon the tables of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof he did graue Cherubims, lions and palmetrees, on the side of euery one, and addicions round about.
37 Thus made he the tenne bases, They had all one casting, one measure, and one syse.
38 Then made he To keep waters for the use of the sacrifices. 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 That is, of the temple or sanctuary. house eastward over against the south.
40 And Hiram made caldrons, and besomes, & basens, & Hiram finished all the worke that he made to King Salomon for the house of ye Lord:
41 To wit, two pillars and two bowles of the chapiters that were on the toppe of the two pillars, and two grates to couer the two bowles of the chapiters which were vpon the toppe of the pillars,
42 And foure hundreth pomegranates for the two grates, euen two rowes of pomegranates for euery grate to couer the two bowles of the chapiters, that were vpon the pillars,
43 And the ten bases, and ten caldrons vpon the bases,
44 And the sea, and twelue bulles vnder that sea,
45 And the pots, and the shovels, and the basons: and all these vessels, which By this name also Hiram the king of Tyrus was called. Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the LORD, [were of] bright brass.
46 In the plaine of Iorden did the King cast them in clay betweene Succoth and Zarthan.
47 And Salomon left to weigh all the vessels because of the exceeding aboundance, neyther could the weight of the brasse be counted.
48 And Solomon made all the vessels that [pertained] unto the house of the LORD: the This was done according to the form that the Lord prescribed to Moses in Exodus. altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread [was],
49 And the candlestickes, fiue at the right side, and fiue at the left, before the oracle of pure gold, and the flowres, and the lampes, and the snuffers of golde,
50 And the bowls, Some take this for some musical instrument. 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 finished all the worke that King Salomon made for the house of the Lorde, and Salomon brought in the things which Dauid his father had dedicated: the siluer and the golde and the vessels, and layed them among the treasures of the house of the Lord.
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 For David brought it from Obed-edom, and placed it in the tabernacle which he made for it in (2Sa_6:17). 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 Containing part of September and part of October, in which they held three solemn feasts, (Num_29:1). Ethanim, which [is] the seventh month.
3 And all the Elders of Israel came and the Priests tooke the Arke.
4 They bare the Arke of the Lorde, and they bare the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tabernacle: those did the Priestes and Leuites bring vp.
5 And King Salomon and all the Congregation of Israel, that were assembled vnto him, were with him before the Arke, offering sheepe and beeues, which could not be tolde, nor nombred for multitude.
6 And the That is, the Kohathites, (Num_4:5). 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 ye Cherubims stretched out their wings ouer the place of the Arke, and the Cherubims couered the Arke, and the barres thereof aboue.
8 And they They drew them out only far enough to be seen, for they could not pull them out completely, (Exo_25:15). 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 For it is likely that the enemy when they had the ark in their hands took away the rod of Aaron and the pot of manna. 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 when the Priestes were come out of the Sanctuarie, the cloude filled the house of the Lorde,
11 So that the Priestes could not stande to minister, because of the cloude: for the glorie of the Lorde had filled the house of the Lorde.
12 Then spake Salomon, The Lord said, that he woulde dwell in the darke cloude.
13 I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for He spoke according to the tenor of God's promise which was on the condition that they served him correctly. ever.
14 And the King turned his face, and blessed all the Congregation of Israel: for all the Congregation of Israel stoode there.
15 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who spake with his mouth vnto Dauid my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying,
16 Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no citie of all the tribes of Israel, to builde an house that my name might be there: but I haue chosen Dauid to be ouer my people Israel.
17 And it was in ye heart of Dauid my father to builde an house to the Name of the Lorde God of Israel.
18 And the Lord said vnto Dauid my father, Where as it was in thine heart to build an house vnto my Name, thou diddest well, that thou wast so minded:
19 Neuerthelesse thou shalt not builde the house, but thy sonne that shall come out of thy loynes, he shall builde the house vnto my Name.
20 And the Lorde hath made good his worde that he spake: and I am risen vp in the roume of Dauid my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and haue built the house for the Name of the Lord God of Israel.
21 And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein [is] the The two tables in which the articles of the covenant were written. covenant of the LORD, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.
22 Then Salomon stoode before the altar of the Lorde in the sight of all the Congregation of Israel, and stretched out his handes towarde heauen,
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 Truthfully and without hypocrisy. all their heart:
24 Thou that hast kept with thy seruant Dauid my father, that thou hast promised him: for thou spakest with thy mouth and hast fulfilled it with thine hande, as appeareth this day.
25 Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keepe with thy seruant Dauid my father that thou hast promised him, saying, Thou shalt not want a man in my sight to sit vpon ye throne of Israel: so that thy childre take heed to their way, that they walke before me; as thou hast walked in my sight
26 And nowe, O God of Israel, I pray thee, let thy worde be verified, which thou spakest vnto thy seruant Dauid my father.
27 He is ravished with the admiration of God's mercies, who being incomprehensible and Lord over all will become familiar with men.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 But haue thou respect vnto the prayer of thy seruant, and to his supplication, O Lorde, my God, to heare the cry and prayer which thy seruant prayeth before thee this day:
29 That thine eyes may be open toward this house, night and day, euen towarde the place whereof thou hast said, My Name shalbe there: that thou mayest hearken vnto the prayer which thy seruant prayeth in this place.
30 Heare thou therefore the supplication of thy seruant, and of thy people Israel, which pray in this place, & heare thou in the place of thine habitation, euen in heauen, and when thou hearest, haue mercie.
31 If any man trespass against his neighbour, That is, the judge or neighbours. 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 That is, make it known. 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 Acknowledge your just judgment and praise you. confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house:
34 Then heare thou in heauen, and be mercifull vnto the sinne of thy people Israel, and bring them againe vnto the lande, which thou gauest vnto their fathers.
35 When heaven is So that there is a drought to destroy the fruit of the land. 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 heare thou in heauen, and pardon the sinne of thy seruants and of thy people Israel (when thou hast taught the the good way wherein they may walke) and giue raine vpon the land that thou hast giuen to thy people to inherite.
37 When there shalbe famine in the land, when there shalbe pestilence, when there shall be blasting, mildewe, grashopper or caterpiller, when their enemie shall besiege them in the cities of their lande, or any plague, or any sickenesse,
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 For such are most suitable to receive God's mercies. heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:
39 Heare thou then in heauen, in thy dwelling place, and be mercifull, and doe, and giue euery man according to all his wayes, as thou knowest his heart, (for thou only knowest the heartes of all the children of men)
40 That they may feare thee as long as they liue in ye lad, which thou gauest vnto our fathers.
41 Moreover concerning a He means such as should be turned from their idolatry to serve the true God. stranger, that [is] not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake;
42 (When they shal heare of thy great name, and of thy mightie hande, and of thy stretched out arme) and shall come and pray in 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 That this is the true religion with which you will be worshipped. name.
44 When thy people shall go out to battell against their enemie by the way that thou shalt sende them, and shall pray vnto the Lorde towarde the way of the citie which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I haue built for thy Name,
45 Heare thou then in heauen their prayer & their supplication, and iudge their cause.
46 If they sinne against thee, ( for there is no man that sinneth not) and thou be angry with them, and deliuer them vnto the enemies, so that they cary them away prisoners vnto the land of the enemies, either farre or neere,
47 [Yet] if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee Though the temple was the chief place of prayer, yet he does not exclude them who being forced by necessity to call upon him in other places. 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 As Daniel did in (Dan_6:10). 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 heare thou their prayer and their supplication in heauen thy dwelling place, and iudge 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 He understood by faith, that God of enemies would make friends with them who converted to him. have compassion on them:
51 For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out of Egypt from the middes of the yron fornace.
52 Let thine eyes be open vnto the prayer of thy seruant, and vnto the prayer of thy people Israel, to hearken vnto them, in all that they call for vnto thee.
53 For thou diddest separate them to thee from among all people of the earth for an inheritance, as thou saidest by the hand of Moses thy seruant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.
54 And it was [so], that when Solomon had made an Solomon is a figure of Christ, who continually is the mediator between God and his Church. 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 stoode and blessed all the Congregation of Israel with a loud voyce, saying,
56 Blessed be the Lorde that hath giuen rest vnto his people Israel, according to all that hee promised: there hath not fayled one word of all his good promise which he promised by the hand of Moses his seruant.
57 The Lorde our God be with vs, as he was with our fathers, that he forsake vs not, neither leaue vs,
58 That he may He concludes that man of himself is enemy to God, and that all obedience to his law proceeds from his mercy. 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 these my wordes, which I haue prayed before the Lorde, be neere vnto the Lorde our God day and night, that he defende the cause of his seruant, and the cause of his people Israel alway as the matter requireth,
60 That all the people of ye earth may knowe, that the Lord is God, and none other.
61 Let your heart therefore be perfit with the Lorde our God to walke in his statutes, and to keepe his commandements, as this day.
62 Then the King and all Israel with him offred sacrifice before the Lorde.
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 Before the oracle where the ark was. house of the LORD.
64 The same day did the King halowe the middle of the court, that was before the house of the Lorde: for there he made burnt offerings, and the meate offrings, and the fat of the peace offeringes, because the brasen altar that was before the Lorde, was too litle to receiue the burnt offerings, and the meate offerings, and the fat of the peace offrings.
65 And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of That is, from North to South: meaning all the country. Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the LORD our God, Seven days for the dedication, and seven for the feast. seven days and seven days, [even] fourteen days.
66 And the eight day he sent the people away: and they thanked the King and went vnto their tentes ioyous and with glad heart, because of al the goodnesse that the Lord had done for Dauid his seruant, and for Israel his people.
1 When Salomon had finished the building of the house of ye Lorde, & the kings palace, & all that Salomon desired and minded to do,
2 Then the Lorde appeared vnto Salomon the second time, as he appeared vnto him at Gibeon.
3 And the Lord sayd vnto him, I haue heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I haue halowed this house (which thou hast built) to put my Name there for euer, and mine eyes, and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
4 And If you walk in my fear, and withdraw yourself from the common manner of men, who follow their sensualities. 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 will I stablish the throne of thy kingdome vpon Israel for euer, as I promised to Dauid thy father, saying, Thou shalt not wat a man vpon the throne of Israel.
6 [But] if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will God declares that disobedience against him, is the cause of his displeasure, and so of all misery. 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 The world will make a mockery of you for the vile contempt and abusing of God's most liberal benefit. proverb and a byword among all people:
8 Euen this hie house shall bee so: euery one that passeth by it, shalbe astonied, and shall hisse, and they shal say, Why hath the Lord done thus vnto this land and to this house?
9 And they shall answere, Because they forsooke the Lorde their God, which brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and haue taken holde vpon other gods, & haue worshipped them, and serued them, therfore hath the Lord brought vpon them all this euill.
10 And at the ende of twentie yeeres, when Salomon had buylded the two houses, the house of the Lord, and the Kings palace,
11 (For the which Hiram the King of Tyrus had brought to Salomon timber of cedar, and firre trees, and golde, and whatsoeuer he desired) then King Salomon gaue to Hiram twentie cities in the land of Galil.
12 And Hiram came out from Tyrus to see the cities which Salomon had giuen him, & they pleased him not.
13 Therefore hee sayde, What cities are these which thou hast giuen me, my brother? And hee called them the land of Cabul vnto this day.
14 And Hiram sent to the king For his tribute toward the building. sixscore The common talent was about 60 pound weight. 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 was as the town house or place of assembly which was open above. Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.
16 Pharaoh King of Egypt had come vp, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slew the Canaanites, that dwelt in the citie, and gaue it for a present vnto his daughter Salomons wife.
17 (Therefore Salomon builte Gezer and Beth-horon the nether,
18 And Baalath and Tamor in the wildernes of the land,
19 And all the cities Cities for his ammunition. 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] These were as bondmen and paid what was required, either labour or money. left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which [were] not of the children of Israel,
21 To wit, their children that were left after them in the lande, whome the children of Israel were not able to destroy, those did Salomo make tributaries vnto this day.
22 But of the children of Israel did Salomon make no bondmen: but they were men of warre and his seruants, and his princes, & his captaines, and rulers of his charets and his horsemen.
23 These [were] the chief of the officers that [were] over Solomon's work, The overseers of Solomon's works were divided into three parts: the first contained 3300, the second 300, and the third 250 who were Israelites. Here are the two last parts, which make 550. See (2Ch_8:10). five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.
24 And Pharaohs daughter came vp from the citie of Dauid vnto the house which Salomon had built for her: then did he buylde Millo.
25 And thrise a yere did Salomon offer burnt offringes and peace offrings vpon the altar which he built vnto the Lord: and hee burnt incense vpon the altar that was before the Lorde, when hee had finished the house.
26 Also King Salomon made a nauie of ships in Ezeon-geber, which is beside Eloth, and the brinke of the red Sea, in the land of Edom.
27 And Hiram sent with the nauie his seruats, that were mariners, and had knowledge of the sea, with the seruants of Salomon.
28 And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, In (2Ch_8:18), 30 more are mentioned who seem to have been employed for their wages. four hundred and twenty talents, and brought [it] to king Solomon.
1 And when the queen of Josephus says that she was Queen of Ethiopia, and that Sheba was the name of the chief city of Meroe, which is an island of the Nile. 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 Ierusalem with a verie great traine, and camels that bare sweete odours, and golde exceeding much, and precious stones: and shee came to Salomon, & communed with him of all that was in her heart.
3 And Salomon declared vnto her all her questions: nothing was hid from the King, which he expounded not vnto her.
4 Then the Queene of Sheba sawe all Salomons wisedome, and the house that he had built,
5 And the That is, the whole order, and trade of his house. 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 shee sayde vnto the King, It was a true worde that I heard in mine owne lande of thy sayings, and of thy wisedome.
7 Howebeit I beleeued not this report till I came, & had seene it with mine eyes: but lo, ye one halfe was not tolde mee: for thou hast more wisedome & prosperitie, then I haue heard by report.
8 Happy [are] thy men, happy [are] these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, [and] that hear thy But much more happy are they, who hear the wisdom of God revealed in his word. wisdom.
9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which It is a chief sign of God's favour, when godly and wise rulers fit in the throne of justice. 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 This is the reason kings are appointed. judgment and justice.
10 And she gaue the King sixe score talents of golde, and of sweete odours exceeding much, and precious stones. There came no more such aboudance of sweete odours, as the Queene of Sheba gaue to King Salomon.
11 The nauie also of Hiram (that caried gold from Ophir) brought likewise great plentie of Almuggim trees from Ophir & precious stones.
12 And the King made of ye Almuggim trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for ye Kings palace, and made harpes and psalteries for singers. There came no more such Almuggim trees, nor were any more seene vnto this day.
13 And King Salomo gaue vnto the Queene of Sheba, whatsoeuer she would aske, besides that, which Salomon gaue her of his kingly liberalitie: so she returned and went to her owne countrey, both shee, and her seruantes.
14 Also the weight of golde, that came to Salomon in one yeere, was sixe hundreth three score 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 That is, Arabia, which for the great abundance of all things was called Happy. country.
16 And King Salomon made two hundreth targets of beaten golde, sixe hundreth shekels of gold went to a target:
17 And three hundreth shieldes of beaten golde, three pound of gold went to one shielde: and the King put them in the house of the wood of Lebanon.
18 Then the King made a great throne of yuorie, and couered it with the best golde.
19 The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne [was] round behind: and [there were] As the chair bows, or places to lean upon. stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.
20 And there stoode twelue lions on the sixe steps on either side: there was not the like made in any kingdome.
21 And all King Salomons drinking vessels were of golde, and all the vessels of the house of the woode of Lebanon were of pure golde, none were of siluer: for it was nothing esteemed in the dayes of Salomon.
22 For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of By Tharshish is meant Cilicia, which was abundant in the variety of precious things. Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
23 So King Salomon exceeded all the kings of the earth both in riches and in wisedome.
24 And al the world sought to see Salomon, to heare his wisedome, which God had put in his heart,
25 And they brought euery man his present, vessels of siluer, and vessels of golde, and raiment, and armour, and sweete odours, horses & mules, from yeere to yeere.
26 Then Salomon gathered together charrets and horsemen: and he had a thousand and foure hundreth charets, and twelue thousande horsemen, whome hee placed in the charet cities, and with the King at Ierusalem.
27 And the King gaue siluer in Ierusalem as stones, and gaue cedars as the wilde figtrees that growe abundantly in the plaine.
28 Also Salomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and fine linen: the Kings marchants receiued the linen for a price.
29 There came vp & went out of Egypt some charet, worth sixe hundreth shekels of siluer: that is, one horse, an hundreth and fiftie and thus they brought horses to all the Kings of the Hittites and to the Kings of Aram by their meanes.
1 But king Solomon loved many Who were idolaters. strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, [and] Hittites;
2 Of the nations, whereof the Lord had sayd vnto the children of Israel, Goe not ye in to them, nor let them come in to you: for surely they will turne your hearts after their gods, to them, I say, did Salomon ioyne in loue.
3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred To whom belonged no dowry. 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 He did not serve God with a pure heart. 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 Who was also called Molech in (1Ki_11:7). See also (2Ki_23:10). Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6 So Salomon wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lord, but continued not to followe the Lord, as did Dauid his father.
7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the Thus the scripture calls whatever man reveres and serves as God. abomination of Moab, in the hill that [is] before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
8 And so did he for all his outlandish wiues, which burnt incense and offered vnto their gods.
9 Therefore the Lord was angry with Salomon, because hee had turned his heart from the Lorde God of Israel, which had appeared vnto him twise,
10 And had giuen him a charge concerning this thing, that he should not follow other gods: but he kept not that, which the Lorde had commaunded him.
11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as That you have forsaken me and worshipped idols. 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 dayes I will not doe it, because of Dauid thy father, but I will rent it out of the hand of thy sonne:
13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; [but] will give one Because the tribes of Judah and Benjamin had their possessions mixed, they are here taken as one tribe. 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 Of the king of Edom's stock. 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 Of the Edomites. slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom;
16 (For six moneths did Ioab remaine there, and all Israel, till he had destroyed all the males in Edom)
17 That Hadad Thus God reserved this idolater as scourge to punish his people's sins. 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 tooke men with them out of Paran, and came to Egypt vnto Pharaoh King of Egypt, which gaue him an house, and appointed him vitailes, and gaue him lande.
19 And Hadad God brought him honour, that his power might be more able to compass his enterprises against Solomon's house. 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 sonne, whome Tahpenes wayned in Pharaohs house: and Genubath was in Pharaohs house among the sonnes of Pharaoh.
21 And when Hadad heard in Egypt, that Dauid slept with his fathers, and that Ioab the captaine of the hoste was dead, Hadad sayde to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may goe to mine owne countrey.
22 But Pharaoh saide vnto him, What hast thou lacked with me, that thou wouldest thus go to thine owne countrey? And he answered, Nothing, but in any wise let me goe.
23 And God stirred him up [another] adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which When David had defeated Hadadezer and his army. 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, That is, the men whom he had gathered to him. and reigned in Damascus.
25 Therefore was he an aduersarie to Israel all the daies of Salomon: besides the euil that Hadad did, he also abhorred Israel, & reigned ouer Aram
26 And Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat an Ephrathite of Zereda Salomons seruant (whose mother was called Zeruah a widowe) lift vp his hand against the King.
27 And this was the cause that he lift vp his hande against the King, When Salomon built Millo, he repared the broken places of the citie of Dauid 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 He was overseer of Solomon's works for the tribe of Ephraim and Manasseh. ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.
29 And at that time, when Ieroboam went out of Ierusalem, the Prophet Ahiiah the Shilonite founde him in the way, hauing a newe garment on him, and they two were alone in ye field.
30 And Ahijah caught the new garment that [was] on him, and By these visible signs the prophets would more deeply print their message into the hearts of those to whom they were sent. rent it [in] twelve pieces:
31 And said to Ieroboam, Take vnto thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lorde God of Israel, Beholde, I wil rent the kingdome out of ye hands of Salomon, and will giue ten tribes to thee.
32 But he shall haue one tribe for my seruant Dauids sake, and for Ierusalem the citie, which I haue chosen out of all the tribes of Israel,
33 Because they haue forsaken me, and haue worshipped Ashtaroth the god of the Zidonians, and Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and haue not walked in my wayes (to do right in mine eyes, & my statutes, & my lawes) as did Dauid his father.
34 But I will not take the whole kingdome out of his hande: for I will make him prince all his life long for Dauid my seruants sake, whome I haue chosen, and who kept my commandements and my statutes.
35 But I will take the kingdome out of his sonnes hand, and will giue it vnto thee, euen the ten tribes.
36 And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a He refers to the Messiah, who would be the bright star that would shine through all the world. light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.
37 And I wil take thee, and thou shalt reigne, euen as thine heart desireth, and shalt be King ouer Israel.
38 And if thou hearken vnto all that I commande thee, and wilt walke in my wayes, and doe right in my sight, to keepe my statutes and my commandements, as Dauid my seruant did, then will I be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built vnto Dauid, and wil giue Israel vnto thee.
39 And I will For this idolatry that Solomon has committed. for this afflict the seed of David, For the whole spiritual kingdom was restored in the Messiah. but not for ever.
40 Salomon sought therefore to kill Ieroboam, and Ieroboam arose, and fled into Egypt vnto Shishak King of Egypt, and was in Egypt vntil the death of Salomon.
41 And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, [are] they not written in the Which it is thought was lost in their captivity. book of the acts of Solomon?
42 The time that Salomon reigned in Ierusalem ouer all Israel, was fourtie yeere.
43 And Salomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the citie of Dauid his father: and Rehoboam his sonne reigned in his steade.
1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for al Israel were come to Sheche, to make him king
2 And whe Ieroboam ye sonne of Nebat heard of it (who was yet in Egypt, whither Ieroboam had fled from king Salomon, & dwelt in Egypt)
3 Then they sent and called him: and Ieroboam and all the Congregation of Israel came, and spake vnto 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, Do not oppress us with such high taxes, which we are not able to pay. lighter, and we will serve thee.
5 And he said vnto them, Depart yet for three dayes, then come againe to me; the people departed.
6 And King Rehoboam tooke counsell with the olde men that had stande before Salomon his father, while he yet liued, and sayde, What counsell giue ye, that I may make an answere to this people?
7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a They showed him that there was no way to win the people's hearts but to grant them their just petition. 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 forsooke the counsell that the olde men had giuen him, and asked counsell of the yong men that had bene brought vp with him, and waited on him.
9 And he said unto them, There is nothing harder for them that are in authority than to control their desires and follow good counsel. 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 I am much more able to keep you in subjection than my father was. thicker than my father's loins.
11 Now where as my father did burden you with a grieuous yoke, I will yet make your yoke heauier: my father hath chastised you with rods, but I will correct you with scourges.
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had The people declare their obedience in this that they attempted nothing before the king gave them just opportunity. appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
13 And the king answered the people sharpely, and left the old mens counsell that they gaue him,
14 And spake to them after the counsell of the yong men, saying, My father made your yoke grieuous, and I will make your yoke more grieuous: my father hath chastised you with rods, but I will correct you with scourges.
15 And the King hearkened not vnto the people: for it was the ordinance of the Lorde, that he might perfourme his saying, which the Lorde had spoken by Ahiiah the Shilonite vnto Ieroboam the sonne 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 Though their cause was good, yet it was hard for the people to control their desires, as these vile words declare. 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 Howbeit ouer the children of Israel, which dwelt in the cities of Iudah, did Rehoboam reigne still.
18 Nowe the King Rehoboam sent Adoram the receiuer of the tribute, and all Israel stoned him to death: then King Rehoboam made speede to get him vp to his charet, to flee to Ierusalem.
19 So Israel rebelled against the house By the just judgment of God for Solomon's sins. of David unto this day.
20 And when all Israel had heard that Ieroboam was come againe, they sent and called him vnto the assemblie, and made him King ouer all Israel: none followed the house of Dauid, but the tribe of Iudah onely.
21 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he For as yet he did not realize that the Lord had so appointed it. 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 That is, the Prophet. man of God, saying,
23 Speake vnto Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon King of Iudah, and vnto all the house of Iudah and Beniamin, and the remnant of the people, saying,
24 Thus saith the Who of his just judgment will punish the trespasser, and of his mercy spare the innocent people. 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 Ieroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein, and went fro thence, and built Penuel.
26 And Ieroboam thought in his heart, Nowe shall the kingdome returne to the house of Dauid.
27 If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD He feared least his people should have by this means been enticed to rebel against him. 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, So crafty are carnal persuasions of princes, when they will make a religion serve their appetite. 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 Beth-el, and the other set he in Dan.
30 And this thing turned to sinne: for the people went (because of the one) euen to Dan.
31 And he made an That is, a temple, where altars were built for idolatry. 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 Because he would bind the people's devotion to his idolatry even more, he made a new holy day, besides those that the Lord had appointed in the law. 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 And he offered vpon the altar, which he had made in Beth-el, the fifteenth day of the eight moneth, (euen in the moneth which he had forged of his owne heart) and made a solemne feast vnto the children of Israel: and he went vp to the altar, to burne incense.
1 And, behold, there came That is, a prophet. a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Not that that was called Luz in Benjamin, but another of that name. Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
2 And he cryed against the altar by the comandement of the Lorde, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord, Beholde, a child shalbe borne vnto the house of Dauid, Iosiah by name, and vpon thee shall he sacrifice the Priestes of the hie places that burne incense vpon thee, and they shall burne mens bones vpon thee.
3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This [is] the By this sign you will know that the Lord has sent me. 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, The wicked rage against the prophets of God, when they declare God's judgment to them. 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 claue asunder, and the ashes fell out from the altar, according to the signe, which the man of God had giuen by the commandement of the Lord.
6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Though the wicked humble themselves for a time when they feel God's judgment, they return to their old malice and declare that they are but vile hypocrites. 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 Then the King sayde vnto the man of God, Come home with mee, that thou mayest dyne, and I will giue thee a reward.
8 But the man of God saide vnto the King, If thou wouldest giue me halfe thine house, I would not goe in with thee, neither woulde I eate bread nor drinke water in this place.
9 For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Seeing he had the express word of God, he should not have declined from it, neither for the persuasion of man nor angel. 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 Beth-el.
11 And an olde Prophet dwelt in Beth-el, and his sonnes came and tolde him all ye woorkes, that the man of God had done that day in Beth-el, and the wordes which he had spoken vnto the King, tolde they their father.
12 And their father sayde vnto them, What way went he? and his sonnes shewed him what waye the man of God went, which came from Iudah.
13 And hee saide vnto his sonnes, Saddle mee the asse. Who sadled him the asse, and hee rode thereon,
14 And went after the man of God, & found him sitting vnder an oke: and he saide vnto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Iudah? And he sayd, Yea.
15 Then he said unto him, This he did of a simple mind, thinking it his duty to declare friendship to a prophet. Come home with me, and eat bread.
16 But he answered, I may not returne with thee, nor go in with thee, neither wil I eate bread nor drinke water with thee in this place.
17 For it was charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Thou shalt eate no bread, nor drinke water there, nor turne againe to goe by the way that thou wentest.
18 He said unto him, I [am] a prophet also as thou [art]; and an His fault is here double, first in that he did not permit the prophet to obey God's express commandment, and next that he pretended to have a revelation to the contrary. 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 againe with him, and did eate bread in his house, and dranke water.
20 And as they sate at the table, the worde of the Lorde came vnto the Prophet, that brought him againe.
21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, God would reprove his folly by him who caused him to err. 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 backe againe, and hast eaten bread and drunke water in the place (whereof he did say vnto thee, Thou shalt eate no bread nor drinke any water) thy carkeis shall not come vnto the sepulchre of thy fathers.
23 And when he had eaten bread & drunke, he sadled him the asse, to wit, to the Prophet whome he had brought againe.
24 And when he was gone, By this fearful example, God sets forth how dangerous it is for men to behave coldly, or deceitfully in the charge to which God has called them. 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 beholde, men that passed by, sawe the carkeis cast in the way, and the lion standing by the corps: and they came and tolde it in ye towne where the olde Prophet dwelt.
26 And when the Prophet that brought him backe againe from the waye, hearde thereof, hee sayde, It is the man of God, who hath bene disobedient vnto the commandement of the Lorde: therefore the Lorde hath deliuered him vnto the lion, which hath rent him and slayne him, according to the worde of the Lorde, which hee spake vnto him.
27 And he spake to his sonnes, saying, Saddle me the asse; they sadled 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 To declare that this was only the judgment of God: for if the lion had done it for hunger, he would also have devoured the body. not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.
29 And the Prophet tooke vp the body of the man of God, & layed it vpon the asse, & brought it againe, and the olde Prophet came to the citie, to lament and burie him.
30 And he laid his carcase in his Which he had prepared for himself. own grave; and they mourned over him, [saying], Alas, my brother!
31 And when he had buried him, hee spake to his sonnes, saying, When I am dead, burie ye mee also in the sepulchre, wherein the man of God is buried: lay my bones beside his bones.
32 For that thing which he cried by the word of the Lorde against the altar that is in Beth-el, and against all the houses of the hie places, which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to passe.
33 After this thing Jeroboam So the wicked do not profit by God's threatenings, but go backward and become worse and worse, (2Ti_3:13). 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 turned to sinne vnto the house of Ieroboam, euen to roote it out, and destroy it from the face of the earth.
1 At that time Abiiah the sonne of Ieroboam fell sicke.
2 And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, His own conscience bore witness to him that the prophet of God would not satisfy his desires, who was a wicked man. 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 According to the custom when they went to ask counsel of prophets, (1Sa_9:7). 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 Ieroboams wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahiiah: but Ahiiah could not see, for his sight was decayed for 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] Than the wife of Jeroboam. 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 For God often discloses to his own the craft and subtilty of the wicked. 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 Who was but a servant. thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel,
8 And haue rent the kingdome away from the house of Dauid, and haue giuen it thee, and thou hast not bene as my seruant Dauid, which kept my commaundements, and followed mee with all his heart, and did onely that 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 That is, two calves. 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 Every male even to the dogs, (1Sa_25:22). pisseth against the wall, [and] him that As well him that is in the stronghold, as him that is abroad. 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: They will lack the honour of burial in token of God's curse. for the LORD hath spoken [it].
12 Vp therefore and get thee to thine house: for when thy feete enter into the citie, the childe 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 In the midst of the wicked, God has some on whom he bestows his mercies. [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: The Lord will begin to destroy it out of hand. 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 Meaning the Euphrates. 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 The people will not be excused when they do evil at the commandment of their governors. made Israel to sin.
17 And Ieroboams wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah, and when shee came to the threshold of the house, the yong man dyed,
18 And they buried him, and all Israel lamented him; according to the word of the Lord, which hee spake by the hand of his seruant Ahiiah the Prophet.
19 And the rest of Ieroboams actes, how hee warred, and howe hee reigned, beholde, they are written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
20 And the days which Jeroboam reigned [were] two and twenty years: and he The Lord smote him and he died, (2Ch_13:20). 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 And died about four years before Jeroboam. 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 Iudah wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lorde: and they prouoked him more with their sinnes, which they had committed, then all that which their fathers had done.
23 For they also made them hie places, and images, and groues on euery hie hill, and vnder euery greene tree.
24 And there were also sodomites in the Where idolatry reigns, all horrible vices are committed, till at length God's just judgment destroys them completely. land: [and] they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
25 And in the fift yere of King Rehoboam, Shishak King of Egypt came vp against Ierusale,
26 And tooke the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the Kings house, and tooke away all: also he caried away all the shields of golde which Salomon had made.
27 And King Rehoboam made for them brasen shieldes, and committed them vnto ye hands of the chiefe of the garde, which wayted at the doore of the Kings house.
28 And when the King went into the house of the Lorde, the garde bare them, and brought them againe into the gard chamber.
29 Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, [are] they not written in Which were called the books of Shemaiah and Iddo the prophets, (2Ch_12:15). the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam That is, all the days of Rehoboam's life. 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 Whose idolatry Rehoboam her son followed. Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead.
1 And in the eighteene yere of King Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, reigned Abiiam ouer Iudah.
2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Maachah, the daughter of Some think that this was Absalom Solomon's son. Abishalom.
3 And hee walked in all the sinnes of his father, which hee had done before him: and his heart was not perfit with the Lord his God as the heart of Dauid his father.
4 Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a Meaning, a son to reign over Judah. lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:
5 Because Dauid did that which was right in the sight of the Lorde, and turned from nothing that he commanded him, all the dayes of his life, saue onely in the matter of Vriah the Hittite.
6 And there was warre betweene Rehoboam and Ieroboam as long as he liued.
7 The rest also of the actes of Abiiam, and all that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah? There was also warre betweene Abiiam, and Ieroboam.
8 And Abiiam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the citie of Dauid: and Asa his sonne reigned in his steade.
9 And in the twentie yeere of Ieroboam King of Israel reigned Asa ouer Iudah.
10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his That is, his grandmother, as David is often called the father of those who are his grandchildren. mother's name [was] Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
11 And Asa did right in the eyes of the Lord, as did Dauid his father.
12 And he tooke away the Sodomites out of the lande, and put away all the idoles that his fathers had made.
13 And also Maachah his mother, even her he Neither kindred nor authority should be regarded when they blaspheme God and become idolaters, but must be punished. 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 Though he permitted them to worship God in other places than he had appointed it came from ignorance, and not from malice. perfect with the LORD all his days.
15 Also he brought in the holy vessels of his father, & the things that he had dedicated vnto ye house of the Lord, siluer, and golde, and vessels.
16 And there was warre betweene Asa and Baasha King of Israel all their dayes.
17 And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built For the same reason that Jeroboam did, because the people should not go up to Jerusalem, least they follow Asa. Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
18 Then Asa tooke all the siluer and the gold that was left in the treasures of the house of the Lord, & the treasures of the kings house, and deliuered them into the handes of his seruantes, and King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the sonne of Tabrimon, the sonne of Hezion king of Aram 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 And vex me no longer. depart from me.
20 So Ben-hadad hearkened vnto King Asa, and sent the captaines of the hosts, which he had, against the cities of Israel, and smote lion, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, & all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.
21 And when Baasha heard thereof, hee left buylding of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.
22 Then king Asa assembled al Iudah, none excepted; they tooke the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had buylt, & King Asa built with them Geba of Beniamin 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 He had gout and put his trust physicians rather than in the Lord, (2Ch_16:12). feet.
24 And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his His great-grandfather. father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.
25 And Nadab the sonne of Ieroboam began to reigne ouer Israel the second yere of Asa King of Iudah, and reigned ouer Israel two yeere.
26 And he did euill in the sight of the Lorde, walking in the way of his father, and in his sinne wherewith he made Israel to sinne.
27 And Baasha the sonne of Ahijah of ye house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha slue him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistims: for Nadab and all Israel layde siege to Gibbethon.
28 Euen in the third yeere of Asa King of Iudah did Baasha slay him, & reigned in his steade.
29 And it came to pass, when he reigned, [that] he So God stirred up one tyrant to punish the wickedness of another. 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 By causing the people to commit idolatry with his calves, and so provoking God to anger. provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.
31 And the residue of the actes of Nadab, & all that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
32 And there was warre betweene Asa & Baasha King of Israel, all their dayes.
33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Which was the place where the kings of Israel remained. Tirzah, twenty and four years.
34 And he did euill in the sight of the Lorde, walking in the way of Ieroboam, & in his sinne, wherewith he made Israel to sinne.
1 Then the word of the Lord came to Iehu the sonne of Hanani against Baasha, saying,
2 Thus spoke Jehu to Baasha in the Name of the Lord.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 Meaning, the house of Baasha. thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
4 He that dyeth of Baashas stocke in the citie, him shal the dogs eate: and that man of him which dyeth in the fieldes, shall the foules of the ayre eate.
5 And the rest of the actes of Baasha & what he did, & his power, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?
6 So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buryed in Tirzah, and Elah his sonne reigned in his steade.
7 And also That is, the prophet did his message. 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 Meaning, Nadab Jeroboam's son. him.
8 In the sixe and twentie yeere of Asa king of Iudah began Elah ye sonne of Baasha to reigne ouer Israel in Tirzah, and reigned two yeere.
9 And his servant Zimri, captain of half [his] chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, The Chaldee text has this, «Drinking till he was drunk in the temple of Arza the idol by his house in Tirzah». drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of [his] house in Tirzah.
10 And Zimri came and smote him & killed him, in the seuen and twentie yeere of Asa king of Iudah, and reigned in his stead.
11 And when he was King, and sate on his throne, he slew al the house of Baasha, not leauing thereof one to pisse against a wall, neither of his kinsfolkes nor of his friendes.
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 Both Hanani his father and he were prophets. prophet,
13 For all the sinnes of Baasha, and sinnes of Elah his sonne, which they sinned & made Israel to sinne, and prouoked the Lorde God of Israel with their vanities.
14 And the rest of the actes of Elah, & all that he did, are they not written in the booke 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 The siege had continued from the time of Nadab Jeroboam's son. against Gibbethon, which [belonged] to the Philistines.
16 And the people of the hoste heard saye, Zimri hath conspired, and hath also slayne the King. Wherefore all Israel made Omri the captaine of the hoste, king ouer Israel that same day, euen in the hoste.
17 And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Where Zimri holed up. Tirzah.
18 And when Zimri saw, that the citie was taken, he went into the palace of the Kings house, and burnt himselfe, and the Kings house with fire, and so dyed,
19 For his sinnes which hee sinned, in doing that which is euil in the sight of the Lord, in walking in the way of Ieroboam, and in his sinnes which he did, causing Israel to sinne.
20 And the rest of the actes of Zimri, and his treason that hee wrought, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kinges of Israel?
21 Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: That is, the people who were not at the siege of Gibbethon: for there they had chosen Omri. half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri.
22 But the people that folowed Omri, preuayled against the people that followed Tibni the sonne of Ginath: so Tibni dyed, & Omri reigned.
23 In the one and thirtie yeere of Asa King of Iudah bega Omri to reigne ouer Israel, & reigned twelue yeere. Sixe yeere reigned he in Tirzah.
24 And he bought the mountaine Samaria of one Shemer for two talents of siluer, & buylt in the mountaine, & called the name of the citie, which he buylt, after the name of Shemer lord of the mountaine, Samaria.
25 But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did For such is the nature of idolatry, that the superstition of it daily increases, and the older it is, the more abominable it is before God and his Church. worse than all that [were] before him.
26 For he walked in all the way of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, & in his sinnes wherewith he made Israel to sinne in prouoking the Lord God of Israel with their vanities.
27 And the rest of the actes of Omri, that hee did, and his strength that he shewed, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
28 So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in He was the first king that was buried in Samaria, after that the kings house was burnt in Tirzah. Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.
29 Nowe Ahab the sonne of Omri began to reigne ouer Israel, in the eyght & thirtie yeere of Asa king of Iudah: and Ahab the sonne of Omri reigned ouer Israel in Samaria two & twety yere.
30 And Ahab the sonne of Omri did worse in ye sight of the Lord then al 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 By whose influence he fell into wicked and strange idolatry and cruel persecution. to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.
32 Also he reared vp an altar to Baal in the house of Baal, which he had buylt in Samaria.
33 And Ahab made a groue, & Ahab proceeded, & did prouoke the Lord God of Israel more then all the kings of Israel that were before him.
34 In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build See (Jos_6:26). 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 And Elijah the Tishbite, [who was] of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, [As] the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I That is, whom I serve. stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but But as I will declare it by God's revelation. according to my word.
2 And the worde of the Lorde came vnto him, saying,
3 Go hence, and turne thee Eastwarde, and hide thy selfe in the riuer Cherith, that is ouer against Iorden,
4 And it shall be, [that] thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the To strengthen his faith against persecution, God promises to feed him miraculously. ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went & did according vnto the word of the Lord: for he went, and remained by the riuer Cherith that is ouer against Iorden.
6 And the rauens brought him bread & flesh in the morning, and bread & flesh in the euening, and he dranke of the riuer.
7 And after a while the riuer dryed vp, because there fell no rayne vpon the earth.
8 And the As the troubles of the saints of God are many, so his mercy is always at hand to deliver them. word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
9 Vp, & get thee to Zarephath, which is in Zidon, and remaine there: beholde, I haue commanded a widow there to sustaine 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 All this was to strengthen the faith of Elijah, to the intent that he would look for nothing worldly, but only trust God's providence. 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 fet it, he called to her, and sayde, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsell 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 For there is no hope of any more sustenance. die.
13 And Eliiah said vnto her, Feare not, come, do as thou hast sayd, but make me thereof a litle cake first of all, and bring it vnto mee, and afterward make for thee, and thy sonne.
14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, God receives no benefit for the use of his own, but he promises an ample recompence for them. 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 That is, till he had rain and food on the earth. [many] days.
16 The barrell of the meale wasted not, nor the oyle was spent out of the cruse, according to the worde of the Lorde, which he spake by the hand of Eliiah.
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 God would test whether she had learned by his merciful providence to make him her only stay and comfort. breath left in him.
18 And she said vnto Eliiah, What haue I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come vnto me to call my sinne to remembrance, and to slay my sonne?
19 And he said vnto her, Giue me thy sonne; he tooke him out of her bosome, and caryed him vp into a chamber, where he abode, and laid him vpon his owne bed.
20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also He was afraid lest God's name be blasphemed and his ministry contemned, unless he continued his mercies as he had begun them, especially while he remained there. brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
21 And he stretched himselfe vpon the childe three times, and called vnto the Lord, and saide, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this childes soule come into him againe.
22 Then the Lord heard the voyce of Eliiah, and the soule of the child came into him againe, and he reuiued.
23 And Eliiah tooke the childe, and brought him downe out of the chamber into the house, and deliuered him vnto his mother, and Eliiah sayd, Behold, thy sonne liueth.
24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this It is hard to depend on God, unless we are confirmed by miracles. I know that thou [art] a man of God, [and] that the word of the LORD in thy mouth [is] truth.
1 And it came to pass [after] many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the After that he departed from the river Cherith. third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.
2 And Eliiah went to shew himselfe vnto Ahab, and there was a great famine in Samaria.
3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which [was] the governor of [his] house. (Now Obadiah God had begun to work his fear in his heart, but had not yet brought him to the knowledge which is also required of the godly: that is, to profess his Name openly. feared the LORD greatly:
4 For when Iezebel destroyed the Prophets of the Lorde, Obadiah tooke an hundreth Prophets, and hid them, by fiftie in a caue, and he fed them with bread and water.)
5 And Ahab saide vnto Obadiah, Goe into the land, vnto all the fountaines of water, and vnto all the riuers, if so be that we may finde grasse to saue the horses and the mules aliue, lest we depriue the lande of the beastes.
6 And so they deuided the lande betweene them to walke thorowe it. Ahab went one way by him selfe, and Obadiah went another way by him selfe.
7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah God often pities the wicked for the sake of the godly, and causes Elijah to meet with Obadiah, that the blessing might be known to be granted for the sake of God's children. met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, [Art] thou that my lord Elijah?
8 And he answered him, Yea, goe tell thy lord, Behold, Eliiah is here.
9 And he said, What haue I sinned, that thou wouldest deliuer thy seruant into the hande of Ahab, to slay me?
10 As the Lorde thy God liueth, there is no nation or kingdome, whither my lorde hath not sent to seeke thee: and when they sayd, He is not here, he tooke an othe of the kingdome and nation, if they had not found thee.
11 And now thou sayest, Goe, tell thy lorde, Beholde, Eliiah 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 I am not of the wicked persecutors that you should procure to me such displeasure, but serve God and favour his children. fear the LORD from my youth.
13 Was it not tolde my lord, what I did when Iezebel slew the Prophets of the Lord, how I hid an hundreth men of the Lordes Prophets by fifties in a caue, and fed them with bread & water?
14 And now thou sayest, Go, tel thy lord, Behold, Eliiah is here, that he may slay me.
15 And Elijah said, [As] the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew By my presence I will declare that you have told him the truth. myself unto him to day.
16 So Obadiah went to meete Ahab, and tolde him: And Ahab went to meete Eliiah.
17 And when Ahab saw Eliiah, Ahab said vnto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but The true ministers of God should not only not permit falsehoods, but should boldly reprove the wicked slanderers without respect of persons. 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 vnto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal foure hundreth and fiftie, and the prophets of the groues foure hundreth, which eate at Iezebels table.
20 So Ahab sent vnto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together vnto mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long Be consistent in religion and do not be indifferent, whether you follow God or Baal, or whether you serve God wholly or in part, (Zep_1:5). 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 Eliiah vnto the people, I onely remayne a Prophet of the Lorde: but Baals prophets are foure hundreth and fiftie men.
23 Let them therefore giue vs two bullockes, and let them chuse the one, & cut him in pieces, and lay him on the wood, but put no fire vnder, and I will prepare the other bullocke, and lay him on the wood, and will put no fire vnder.
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 sending down fire from heaven to burn the sacrifice. by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
25 And Eliiah said vnto the prophets of Baal, Chuse you a bullocke, and prepare him first, (for ye are many) and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire vnder.
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 As men possessed by some strange spirit. 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 He mocks their beastly madness, who think that by any instance or suit, the dead and vile idols can help their worshippers in their necessity. awaked.
28 And they cryed loude, and cut them selues as their maner was, with kniues and launcers, till the blood gushed out vpon them.
29 And when midday was passed, & they had prophecied vntil the offring of the euening sacrifice, there was neither voyce, nor one to answere, nor any that regarded.
30 And Eliiah said vnto all the people, Come to me; all the people came to him; he repayred the altar of the Lorde that was broken downe.
31 And Eliiah tooke twelue stones, according to the nomber of the tribes of the sonnes of Iaakob, (vnto whome the worde of the Lord came, saying, Israel shalbe thy name)
32 And with the stones he buylt an altar in the Name of the Lorde: and he made a ditch round about the altar, as great as woulde conteine two measures of seede.
33 And he put the wood in order, and hewed the bullocke in pieces, & layd him on the wood,
34 And said, Fill foure barrels with water, and powre it on the burnt offring and on the wood. Againe he said, Doe so againe; they did so the second time; he sayde, Doe it the third time; they did it the third time.
35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he By this he declared the excellent power of God, who contrary to nature could make the fire burn even in the water, so that they should have no opportunity to doubt that he is the only God. filled the trench also with water.
36 And when they should offer the euening sacrifice, Eliiah the Prophet came, and sayd, Lord God of Abraham, Izhak and of Israel, let it be knowen this day, that thou art the God of Israel, and that I am thy seruant, and that I haue done all these things at thy commandement.
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 Though God permits his to run in blindness and error for a time, yet eventually he calls them home to him by some notorious sign and work. again.
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offring, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked vp the water that was in the ditche.
39 And when all the people sawe it, they fell on their faces, and saide, The Lord is God, the Lord is God.
40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not He commanded them that as they were truly persuaded to confess the only God: so they should serve him with all their power, and destroy the idolaters his enemies. one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
41 And Eliiah sayde vnto Ahab, Get thee vp, eate and drinke, for there is a sound of much rayne.
42 So Ahab went vp to eate and to drinke, and Eliiah went vp to the top of Carmel: and he crouched vnto the earth, & put his face betweene 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 As God's spirit moved him to pray, so was he strengthened by the same that he did not faint, but continued still till he had obtained. seven times.
44 And at the seuenth time he sayd, Behold, there ariseth a litle cloude out of the sea like a mans hand. Then he sayd, Vp, and say vnto Ahab, Make readie thy charet, and get thee downe, that the raine stay thee not.
45 And in the meane while the heauen was blacke with cloudes and winde, and there was a great rayne. Then Ahab went vp and came to Izreel.
46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran He was so strengthened by God's spirit that he ran faster than the chariot was able to run. before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the That is, of Baal. prophets with the sword.
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, Though the wicked rage against God's children, yet he holds them back so they cannot execute their malice. 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 When he sawe that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which is in Iudah, and left his seruant 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, It is so hard to control our impatience in affliction, that the saints could not overcome the same. take away my life; for I [am] not better than my fathers.
5 And as he lay and slept vnder the iuniper tree, behold now, an Angel touched him, and said vnto him, Vp, and eate.
6 And when he looked about, behold, there was a cake baken on the coles, and a pot of water at his head: so he did eate and drinke, and returned and slept.
7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise [and] eat; because He declares that unless God had nourished him miraculously it would have been impossible for him to have gone on this journey. the journey [is] too great for thee.
8 Then he arose, and did eate and drinke, and walked in the strength of that meate fourtie dayes and fourtie nights, vnto Horeb the mount of God.
9 And there he entred into a caue, & lodged there: and beholde, the Lorde spake to him, and said vnto him, What doest thou here, Eliiah?
10 And he said, I have He complains that the more zealous he was to maintain God's glory, the more cruelly he was persecuted. 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] For the nature of man is not able to come near God, if he appeared in his strength and full majesty, and therefore he mercifully submits himself to our limitations. not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; [but] the LORD [was] not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake came fire: but the Lorde was not in the fire: and after the fire came a still and soft voyce.
13 And when Eliiah heard it, he couered his face with his mantel, and went out, and stoode in the entring in of ye caue: and behold, there came a voyce vnto him, and sayd, What doest thou here, Eliiah?
14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: So should not depend on the multitude in maintaining God's glory, but because our duty requires us to do it. 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 vnto him, Goe, returne by the wildernes vnto Damascus, and when thou commest there, anoint Hazael King ouer Aram.
16 And Iehu the sonne of Nimshi shalt thou anoynt King ouer Israel: and Elisha the sonne of Shaphat of Abel Meholah shalt thou anoynt to be Prophet in thy roume.
17 And him that escapeth from the sworde of Hazael, shall Iehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Iehu, shall Elisha slay.
18 Yet I have left [me] seven thousand in Israel, He declares that wicked deceivers and idolaters are not his. 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 sonne of Shaphat who was plowing with twelue yoke of oxen before him, and was with the twelft: & Eliiah went towards him, and cast his mantel vpon him.
20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Though this natural affection is not to be contemned, yet it should not move us when God calls us to serve him. 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 He would not stay till wood was brought, so great was his desire to follow his calling. 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 And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and [there were] thirty and two That is, governors and rulers of provinces. 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 citie,
3 And sayd vnto him, Thus sayth Ben-hadad, Thy siluer & thy golde is mine: also thy women, and thy fayre children are mine.
4 And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am content to obey and pay tribute. I [am] thine, and all that I have.
5 And when the messengers came againe, they said, Thus commandeth Ben-hadad, & saith, When I shal send vnto thee, and command, thou shalt deliuer me thy siluer and thy golde, and thy women, and thy children,
6 He would not accept his answer unless he out of hand delivered whatever he asked, for he sought an opportunity to make war against him.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 sent for all the Elders of the land, & sayd, Take heede, I pray you, and see how he seeketh mischiefe: for he sent vnto me for my wiues, and for my children, and for my siluer, and for my golde, and I denyed him not.
8 And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken They thought it their duty to risk their lives, rather than grant that thing which was not lawful, only to satisfy the lust of a tyrant. not [unto him], nor consent.
9 Wherefore hee sayde vnto the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lorde the King, All that thou didddest sende for to thy seruant at the first time, that I will doe, but this thing I may not do; the messengers departed, and brought him an answere.
10 And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the Much less will there be found any prey that is worth anything, when they are so many. 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 Do not boast before the victory is won. putteth it off.
12 And when he heard that tidings, as he was with the Kings drinking in the pauilions, he sayd vnto his seruants, Bring forth your engines, and they set them against the citie.
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 Before God went about with signs and miracles to pull Ahab from his impiety, and now again with wonderful victories. that I [am] the LORD.
14 And Ahab sayd, By whome? And he sayde, Thus sayth the Lord, By the seruants of the princes of the prouinces. He sayde againe, Who shall order the battel? And he answered, Thou.
15 Then he nombred the seruantes of the princes of the prouinces, and they were two hundreth, two and thirtie: and after them he nombred the whole people of all the children of Israel, euen seuen thousand.
16 And they went out at noone: but Ben-hadad did drinke till he was drunken in the tentes, both he and the Kings: for two and thirtie Kings helped him.
17 And the That is, young men trained in the service of princes. 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 sayde, Whether they be come out for peace, take them aliue: or whether they bee come out to fight, take them yet aliue.
19 So they came out of the citie, to wit, the seruants of the princes of the prouinces, and the hoste 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 They who were appointed for the preservation of his person. horsemen.
21 And the King of Israel went out, & smote the horses and charets, and with a great slaughter slew he the Aramites.
22 (For there had come a Prophet to the King of Israel, and had sayd vnto him, Goe, be of good courage, and consider, and take heede what thou doest: for when the yeere is gone about, the King of Aram wil come vp against thee)
23 And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their Thus the wicked blaspheme God in their fury, who nonetheless he does not permit to go unpunished. 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 this doe, Take the Kings away, euery one out of his place, & place captaines for them.
25 And nomber thy selfe an armie, like the armie that thou hast lost, with such horses, & such charets, & we wil fight against them in the plaine, and doubtlesse we shall ouercome them: and he hearkened vnto their voyce, and did so.
26 And after the yeere was gone about, Ben-hadad nombred the Aramites, and went vp to Aphek to fight against Israel.
27 And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all All those who were in the battle of the previous years, (1Ki_20:15). 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 Who has the same power in the valley as on the hills and can also destroy a multitude with few as with many. I [am] the LORD.
29 And they pitched one ouer against the other seuen dayes, & in the seuenth day the battel was ioyned: and the children of Israel slew of the Aramites an hundreth thousand footemen in one day.
30 But the rest fled to Aphek into the citie: & there fel a wall vpon seuen and twentie thousand men that were left: and Ben-hadad fled into the citie, and came into a secret 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 In sign of submission and that we have deserved death, if he will punish us with rigour. loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life.
32 Then they gyrded sackecloth about their loynes, & put ropes about their heads, and came to the King of Israel, and sayd, Thy seruant Ben-hadad sayth, I pray thee, let me liue: and he sayd, Is he yet aliue? 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 He is alive. 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 [Benhadad] said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in You shall appoint in my chief city what you will, and I will obey you. Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then [said Ahab], I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.
35 And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the LORD, By this external sign he would more likely touch the king's heart. 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 Because you have transgressed the commandment of the Lord. slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.
37 Then he founde another man, and sayde, Smite mee, I pray thee; the man smote him, and in smiting wounded him.
38 So the Prophet departed, & wayted for the King by the way, & disguised himselfe with ashes vpon his face.
39 And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, By this parable he makes Ahab condemn himself who made a covenant with God's enemy, and let him escape whom God had appointed to be slain. 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 seruant had here and there to do, he was gone: And the King of Israel said vnto him, So shall thy iudgement be: thou hast giuen sentence.
41 And hee hasted, and tooke the ashes away from his face: and the King of Israel knewe him that he was of the Prophets:
42 And he said vnto him, Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast let goe out of thine handes a man whom I appoynted to dye, thy life shall goe for his life, and thy people for his people.
43 And the King of Israel went to his house heauie and in displeasure, & came to Samaria.
1 After these things Naboth the Izreelite had a vineyarde in Izreel, hard by the palace of Ahab King of Samaria.
2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Though Ahab's tyranny is condemned by the Holy Spirit, yet he was not so rigorous that he would take from another man his right without full recompense. 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 keepe me from giuing the inheritance of my father vnto 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 Thus the wicked do not consider what is just and lawful, but fret inwardly when they cannot have their inordinate lusts satisfied. upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
5 Then Iezebel his wife came to him & said vnto him, Why is thy spirit so sad that thou eatest no bread?
6 And he said vnto her, Because I spake vnto Naboth the Izreelite, & sayd vnto him, Giue me thy vineyard for money, or if it please thee, I will giue thee another vineyard for it: but he answered, I wil not giue thee my vineyarde.
7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, As though she said, «You do not know what it means to reign. Command and do not beg». 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 Ahabs name, and sealed them with his seale, and sent the letters vnto the Elders, and to the nobles that were in his citie dwelling with Naboth.
9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a For then they used to enquire of men's faults: for no one could truly fast if he was a notorious sinner. fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:
10 And set two wicked men before him, & let them witnesse against him, saying, Thou diddest blaspheme God and the King: then cary him out, and stone him that he may dye.
11 And the Thus the worldlings contrary to God's commandment, who does not consent to the shedding of innocent blood, would rather obey the wicked commandments of princes than the just laws. 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 it [was] written in the letters which she had sent unto them.
12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth among the chiefe of the people,
13 And there came two wicked men, & sate before him: & the wicked men witnessed against Naboth in the presence of the people saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the King. Then they caried him away out of the citie, and stoned him with stones, that he dyed.
14 Then they sent to Iezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned and is dead.
15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, This example of monstrous cruelty the Holy Spirit leaves to us, to the intent that we should abhor all tyranny, and especially in those whom nature and kind should move to be pitiful and inclined to mercy. Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.
16 And when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he rose to go downe to the vineyard of Naboth the Izreelite, to take possession of it.
17 And the word of the Lord came vnto Eliiah the Tishbite, saying,
18 Arise, goe downe to meete Ahab King of Israel, which is in Samaria. loe, he is in the vineyarde of Naboth, whither he is gone downe to take possession of it.
19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Do you think to have an advantage by murdering an innocent? Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, This was fulfilled in Joram his son (2Ki_9:25-26). In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.
20 And Ahab sayd to Eliiah, Hast thou found mee, O mine enemie? And he answered, I haue found thee: for thou hast solde thy selfe to worke wickednes in the sight of the Lord.
21 Beholde, I will bring euill vpon thee, and wil take away thy posteritie, and wil cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, as well him that is shut vp, as him that is left in Israel,
22 And I wil make thine house like the house of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the sonne of Ahiiah, for the prouocation wherewith thou hast prouoked, and made Israel to sinne.
23 And also of Iezebel spake the Lorde, saying, The dogs shall eate Iezebel, by the wall of Izreel.
24 The dogs shall eate him of Ahabs stocke, that dyeth in the citie: and him that dyeth in the fieldes, shall the foules of the ayre eate.
25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did By the wicked counsel of his wife he became a vile idolater, and cruel murderer, as one that gave himself wholly to serve sin. sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
26 For he did exceeding abominably in following idoles, according to all that the Amorites did, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.)
27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went In token of mourning, or as some read, barefooted. softly.
28 And the worde of the Lord came to Eliiah the Tishbite, saying,
29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: [but] in his Meaning, in Joram's time, (2Ki_9:26). son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.
1 And they continued Ben-hadad the king of Syria, and Ahab made a peace which endured three years. three years without war between Syria and Israel.
2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah To see and visit him. came down to the king of Israel.
3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that The kings of Syria kept Ramoth before this league was made by Benhadad: therefore he did not think he was bound by it to restore it. Ramoth in Gilead [is] ours, and we [be] still, [and] take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?
4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am ready to join and go with you, and all of mine is at your command. I [am] as thou [art], my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.
5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, He seemed that he would not go to war unless God approved it, yet when Michaiah advised the opposite he would not obey. Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.
6 Then the king of Israel gathered the Meaning the false prophets, who were liars and served for money whom Jezebel had assembled and kept after the death of those whom Elijah slew. prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver [it] into the hand of the king.
7 And Jehoshaphat said, [Is there] not here a prophet of the Jehoshaphat did not acknowledge the false prophets to be God's ministers, but contemned them. LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?
8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, [There is] yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but By which we see that the wicked cannot abide to hear the truth, but hate the prophets of God and molest them. I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
9 Then the king of Israel called an Read (Gen_37:36). officer, and said, Hasten [hither] Micaiah the son of Imlah.
10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their In their kingly apparel. robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him The true prophets of God were accustomed to use signs for the confirmation of their doctrine, (Isa_20:2; Jer_7:2) in which the false prophets imitated them, thinking by it to make their doctrine more believable. horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
12 And all the prophets prophecied so, saying, Goe vp to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliuer it into the Kings hand.
13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets [declare] good unto the king with This is the common argument of the wicked, who think that no one should speak against anything if the majority approves of it, be they ever so ungodly. one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak [that which is] good.
14 And Michaiah saide, As the Lord liueth, whatsoeuer the Lord sayth vnto me, that will I speake.
15 So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, He speaks this in derision, because the king attributed so much to the false prophets, meaning that by experience he should discern that they were liars. Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver [it] into the hand of the king.
16 And the King said vnto him, How oft shall I charge thee, that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the Name of the Lord?
17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, It is better for them to return home than to be punished and scattered because they go to war without God's counsel and approval. These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.
18 (And the King of Israel saide vnto Iehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee, that he would prophecie no good vnto me, but euill?)
19 And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the Meaning, his angels. host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
20 And the Lord sayd, Who shall entise Ahab that he may go and fall at Ramoth Gilead? And one said on this maner, and another sayd on that maner.
21 And there came forth a spirit, and Here we see that though the devil is always ready to bring us to destruction, yet he has no more power than God gives him. stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a I will cause all his prophets to tell lies. lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade [him], and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
23 Now therefore behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirite in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath appoynted euill against thee.
24 But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Thus the wicked would that none were in the favour of God but they, and that God has given his graces to none so much as to them. Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?
25 And Michaiah saide, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt goe from chamber to chamber to hide thee.
26 And the King of Israel sayd, Take Michaiah, and cary him vnto Amon the gouernour of the citie, and vnto Ioash the Kings sonne,
27 And say, Thus saith the king, Put this [fellow] in the prison, and feed him with Let him waste away with hunger and be fed with a small portion of bread and water. bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.
28 And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, That when you see these things come to pass you may give God the glory, and know that I am his true prophet. Hearken, O people, every one of you.
29 So the King of Israel and Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah went vp to Ramoth Gilead.
30 And the King of Israel sayde to Iehoshaphat, I will change mine apparell, and will enter into the battell, but put thou on thine apparell; the King of Israel changed himselfe, and went into the battel.
31 And the King of Aram commaunded his two and thirtie captaines ouer his charets, saying, Fight neither with small, nor great, saue onely against the King of Israel.
32 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it [is] the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat That is, to the Lord for help. cried out.
33 And when the captaines of the charets saw that he was not the King of Israel, they turned backe from him.
34 Then a certaine man drewe a bow mightily and smote the King of Israel betweene the ioyntes of his brigandine. Wherefore he sayde vnto his charet man, Turne thine hand and cary me out of the hoste: for I am hurt.
35 And the battle increased that day: and the That is, Ahab, king of Israel. king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.
36 And there went a proclamation throughout the Of the Israelites. host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.
37 So the King died, and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the King in Samaria.
38 And one washed the charet in the poole of Samaria, and the dogs licked vp his blood (and they washed his armour) according vnto the word of the Lord which he spake.
39 Concerning the rest of the actes of Ahab and all that he did, and the yuorie house which he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
40 So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his sonne reigned in his stead.
41 And Iehoshaphat the sonne of Asa began to reigne vpon Iudah in the fourth yeere of Ahab King of Israel.
42 Iehoshaphat was fiue and thirty yere olde, when he began to reigne, and reigned fiue and twentie yeere in Ierusalem; his mothers name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
43 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing [that which was] right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless Meaning, that he was led with an error, thinking that they might still sacrifice to the Lord in those places, as they did before the temple was built. the high places were not taken away; [for] the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.
44 And Iehoshaphat made peace with the King of Israel.
45 Concerning the rest of the actes of Iehoshaphat, and his worthy deedes that he did, and his battels which he fought, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah?
46 And the Sodomites, which remayned in the dayes of his father Asa, he put cleane out of the land.
47 [There was] then no king in Edom: a In the time of this king, Idumea was subject to Judah, and was governed by whom they of Judah appointed. deputy [was] king.
48 Jehoshaphat made ships of By Tharshish the scripture means Cilicia and all the Mediterranean Sea. Tharshish to go to Josephus writes that Ophir is in India, where the Egyptians and Arabians traffic for gold. Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber.
49 Then sayde Ahaziah the sonne of Ahab vnto Iehoshaphat, Let my seruants goe with thy seruants in the ships, But Iehoshaphat would not.
50 And Iehoshaphat did sleepe with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the citie of Dauid his father, and Iehoram his sonne reigned in his stead.
51 Ahaziah the sonne of Ahab began to reigne ouer Israel in Samaria, the seuenteenth yeere of Iehoshaphat King of Iudah, and reigned two yeeres ouer Israel.
52 But he did euill in the sight of the Lorde, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, which made Israel to sinne.
53 For he serued Baal and worshipped him, and prouoked the Lorde God of Israel vnto wrath, according vnto all that his father had done.