The Book Of 1 Kings

Modernized spelling by David L. Brown & James Krueger

© 2001 & 2009 David L. Brown  – All Rights Reserved

I Kings Chapter 1

1 Now when king David was old, and stricken in years, they covered him with clothes, but no heat came unto him.

2 Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin, and let her stand before the king, and cherish him: and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.

3 So they sought for a fair young maid throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found one Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

4 And the maid was exceeding fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him, but the king knew her not.

5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king. And he gat him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

6 And his father would not displease him from his childhood, to say, Why hast thou done so? And he was a very goodly man, and his mother bear him next after Absalom.

7 And he took counsel of Joab the son of Zeruiah, and of Abiathar the priest: and they helped forward Adonijah.

8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the men of might, which were with David, were not with Adonijah.

9 Then Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen, and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the King's servants,

10 But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother he called not.

11 Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard, that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?

12 Now therefore come, and I will now give thee counsel, how to save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

13 Go, and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? Why is then Adonijah king?

14 Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words.

15 So Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber, and the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.

16 And Bath-sheba bowed and made obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What is thy matter?

17 And she answered him, My lord, thou swearest by the Lord thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.

18 And behold, now is Adonijah king, and now, my lord, O king, thou knowest it not.

19 And he hath offered many oxen, and fat cattle, and sheep, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not bidden.

20 And thou, my lord, O king, knowest that the eyes of all Israel are on thee, that thou shouldest tell them, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

21 For else when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, I and my son Solomon shall be reputed vile.

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 to the king, he made obeisance before the king upon his face to the ground.

24 And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?

25 For he is gone down this day, and hath slain many oxen, and fat cattle, and sheep, and hath called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest: and behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah.

26 But me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon hath he not called.

27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not showed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

28 Then king David answered, and said, Call me Bath-sheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king.

29 And the king swear, saying, As the Lord liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

30 That as I swear 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 place, so will I certainly do this day.

31 Then Bath-sheba bowed her face to the earth, and did reverence unto the king, and said, God save my lord king David forever.

32 And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.

33 Then the king said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and carry him down to Gihon.

34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel, and blow ye the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.

35 Then come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne: and he shall be king in my stead: for I have appointed him to be prince over Israel and over Judah.

36 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, So be it, and the Lord God of my lord the king ratify it.

37 As the Lord hath been with my lord the king, so be he with Solomon, and exalt his throne above the throne of my lord king David.

38 So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon.

39 And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon: and they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, God save king Solomon.

40 And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rang with the sound of them.

41 And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him, heard it: (and they had made an end of eating) and when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, What meaneth this noise and uproar in the city?

42 And as he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said, Come in: for thou art a worthy man, and bringest good tidings.

43 And Jonathan answered, and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king.

44 And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule.

45 And Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are gone up from thence with joy, and the city is moved: this is the noise that ye have heard.

46 And Solomon also sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.

47 And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon more famous than thy name, and exalt his throne above thy throne: therefore the king worshiped upon the bed.

48 And thus said the king also, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath made one to sit on my throne this day, even in my sight.

49 Then all the guests that were with Adonijah, were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.

50 And Adonijah fearing the presence of Solomon, arose and went, and took hold on the horns of the altar.

51 And one told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah doth fear king Solomon: for lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me this day, that he will not slay his servant with the sword.

52 Then Solomon said, If he will show himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth, but if wickedness be found in him, he shall die.

53 Then king Solomon sent, and they brought him from the altar, and he came and did obeisance unto king Solomon. And Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house.

I Kings Chapter 2

1 Then the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying,

2 I go the way of all the earth: be strong therefore, and show thyself a man,

3 And take heed to the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and 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 in everything whereunto thou turnest thee,

4 That the Lord may confirm his word which he spake unto me, saying, If thy sons take heed to their way, that they walk before me in truth, with all their hearts, and with all their souls, thou shalt not (said he) want one of thy posterity upon the throne of Israel.

5 Thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether: whom he slew, and shed blood of battle in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.

6 Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let thou not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.

7 But show kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among them that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom thy brother.

8 And behold, with thee is Shimei the son of Gera, the son of Benjamin, of Bahurim, which cursed me with an horrible curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I swear to him by the Lord, saying, I will not slay thee with the sword.

9 But thou shalt not count him innocent: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him: therefore thou shalt cause his hoar head to go down to the grave with blood.

10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

11 And the days which David reigned upon Israel, were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

12 Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was stablished mightily.

13 And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon: and she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Yea.

14 He said moreover, I have a suit unto thee. And she said, Say on.

15 Then he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned away, and is my brother's: for it came to him by the Lord.

16 Now therefore I ask thee one request, refuse me not. And she said unto him, Say on.

17 And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.

18 And Bath-sheba said, Well, I will speak for thee unto the king.

19 Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah: and the king rose to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne: and he caused a seat to be set for the king's mother, and she sat at his right hand.

20 Then she said, I desire a small request of thee, say me not nay. Then the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.

21 She said then, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

22 But king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also: for he is mine elder brother, and hath for him both Abiathar the priest, and Joab the son of Zeruiah.

23 Then king Solomon swear by the Lord, saying, God do so to me and more also, if Adonijah hath not spoken this word against his own life.

24 Now therefore as the Lord liveth, who hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, who also hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall surely die this day.

25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he smote him that he died.

26 Then the king said unto Abiathar the priest, Go to Anathoth unto thine own fields: for thou art worthy of death: but I will not this day kill thee, because thou barest the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because thou hast suffered in all, wherein my father hath been afflicted.

27 So Solomon cast out Abiathar from being priest unto the Lord, that he might fulfill the words of the Lord, which he spake against the house of Eli in Shiloh.

28 Then tidings came to Joab: (for Joab had turned after Adonijah, but he turned not after Absalom) and Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

29 And it was told king Solomon, that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord, and behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.

30 And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come out. And he said, Nay, but I will die here. Then Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.

31 And the King said unto him, Do as he hath said, and smite him, and bury him, that thou mayest take away the blood, which Joab shed causeless, from me and from the house of my father.

32 And the Lord shall bring his blood upon his own head: for he smote two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, and my father David knew not: to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether captain of the host of Judah.

33 Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and on the head of his seed forever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne shall there be peace forever from the Lord.

34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and smote him, and slew him, and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

35 And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and the king set Zadok the priest in the room of Abiathar.

36 Afterward the king sent, and called Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and depart not thence any whither.

37 For that day that thou goest out, and passest over the river of Kidron, know assuredly, that thou shalt die the death: thy blood shall be upon thine own head.

38 And Shimei said unto the king, The thing is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. So Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

39 And after three years two of the servants of Shimei fled away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath: and they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath.

40 And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish, to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.

41 And it was told Solomon, that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again.

42 And the king sent and called Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the Lord, and protested unto thee, saying, That day that thou goest out, and walkest any whither, know assuredly that thou shalt die the death? And thou saidest unto me, The thing is good, that I have heard.

43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment wherewith I charged thee?

44 The king said also to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness whereunto thine heart is privy, that thou didst to David my father: the Lord therefore shall bring thy wickedness upon thine own head.

45 And let king Solomon be blessed, and the throne of David stablished before the Lord forever.

46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada: who went out and smote him that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

I Kings Chapter 3

1 Solomon then made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

2 Only the people sacrificed in the 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 ordinances of David his father: only he sacrificed and offered incense in the high places.

4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the chief high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

6 And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, when he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee: and thou hast kept for him this great mercy, and hast given him a son, to sit on his throne, as appeareth 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 young child, and know not how to go out and in.

8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people, which thou hast chosen, even a great people which cannot be told nor numbered for multitude.

9 Give therefore unto 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 mighty people?

10 And this pleased the Lord well, that Solomon 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 enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to hear judgment,

12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall arise the like unto thee.

13 And I have also given thee that, which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that among the kings there shall be none like unto thee all thy days.

14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep mine ordinances and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, I will prolong thy days.

15 And when Solomon awoke, behold, it was a dream, and he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

16 Then came two harlots unto the king, and stood before him.

17 And the one woman said, Oh my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house, and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

18 And the third day after that I was delivered, this woman was delivered also: and we were in the house together: no stranger was with us in the house, save we twain.

19 And this woman's son died in the night: for she overlay him.

20 And she rose at midnight, and took my son from my side, while thine handmaid slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom.

21 And when I rose in the morning to give my son suck, behold, he was dead: and when I had well considered him in the morning, behold, it was not my son, whom I had born.

22 Then the other woman said, Nay, but my son liveth, and thy son is dead. Again she said, No, but thy son is dead, and mine alive: thus they spake before the king.

23 Then said the king, She saith, This that liveth is my son, and the dead is thy son: and the other saith, Nay, but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son.

24 Then the king said, Bring me a sword: and they brought out a sword before the king.

25 And the king said, Divide ye the living child in twain, and give the one half to the one, and the other half to the other.

26 Then spake the woman, whose the living child was, unto the king, for her compassion was kindled toward her son, and she said, Oh my lord, give her the living child, and slay him not: but the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.

27 Then the king answered, and said, Give her the living child, and slay him not: this is his mother.

28 And all Israel heard the judgment, which the king had judged, and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

I Kings Chapter 4

1 And king Solomon was king over all Israel.

2 And these were his princes, Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,

3 Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha scribes, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder,

4 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host, and Zadok and Abiathar priests,

5 And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers, and Zabud the son of Nathan priest was the king's friend,

6 And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.

7 And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man had a month in the year to provide victuals.

8 And these are their names: the son of Hur in mount Ephraim:

9 The son of Dekar in Makaz, and in Shaalbim and Beth-shemesh, and Elon and Beth-hanan:

10 The son of Hesed in Aruboth, to whom pertained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher:

11 The son of Abinadab in all the region of Dor, which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife.

12 Baana the son of Ahilud in Taanach, and Megiddo, and in all Beth-shean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abelmeholah, even till beyond over against Jokneam:

13 The son of Geber in Ramoth Gilead, and his were the towns of Jair, the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, and under him was the region of Argob, which is in Bashan: threescore great cities with walls and bars of brass.

14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo had to Mahanaim:

15 Ahimaaz in Naphtali, and he took Basemath the daughter of Solomon to wife:

16 Baanah the son of Hushai in Asher and in Aloth:

17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah in Issachar.

18 Shimei the son of Elah in Benjamin:

19 Geber the son of Uri in the country 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 of the sea in number, eating, drinking, and making merry.

21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms, from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt, and they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

22 And Solomon's victuals for one day were thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal:

23 Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and bucks, and bugles, and fat fowl.

24 For he ruled in all the region on the other side of the river, from Tiphsah even unto Azzah, over all the kings on the other side the river: and he had peace round about him on every side.

25 And Judah and Israel dwelt without fear, every man under his vine, and under his fig tree, from Dan, even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon.

26 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

27 And these officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came to king Solomon's table, every man his month, and they suffered to lack nothing.

28 Barley also and straw for the horses and mules brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.

29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and a large heart, even as the sand that is on the seashore,

30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.

31 For he was wiser than any man: yea, than were Ethan the Ezrahite, the Heman, than Chalcol, than Darda the sons of Mahol: and he was famous throughout all nations round about.

32 And Solomon spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.

33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowls, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

34 And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

I Kings Chapter 5

1 And Hiram king of Tyrus sent his servants unto Solomon, (for he had heard, that they had anointed him king in the room of his father) because Hiram had ever loved David.

2 Also Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,

3 Thou knowest that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the Lord his God, for the wars which were about him on every side, until the Lord had put them under the soles of his feet.

4 But now the Lord my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary, nor evil to resist.

5 And behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne for thee, he shall build an house unto my name.

6 Now therefore command, that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon, and my servants shall be with thy servants, and unto thee will I give the hire for thy servants, according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that there are none among us, that can hew timber like unto the Sidonians.

7 And when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be the Lord this day, which hath given unto David a wise son over this mighty people.

8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have considered the things, for the which thou sentest unto me, and will accomplish all thy desire, concerning the cedar trees and fir trees.

9 My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea: and I will convey them by sea in rafts unto the place that thou shalt show me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them: now thou shalt do me a pleasure to minister food for my family.

10 So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees, even his full desire.

11 And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of beaten oil. Thus much gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.

12 And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they two made a covenant.

13 And king Solomon raised a sum out of all Israel, and the sum was thirty thousand men:

14 Whom he sent to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by course: they were a month in Lebanon, and two months at home. And Adoniram was over the sum.

15 And Solomon had seventy thousand that bear burdens, and fourscore thousand masons in the mountain,

16 Besides the princes, whom Solomon appointed over the work, even three thousand and three hundred, which ruled the people that wrought in the work.

17 And the king commanded them, and they brought great stones and costly stones to make the foundation of the house, even hewed stones.

18 And Solomon's workmen, and the workmen of Hiram, and the masons hewed and prepared timber and stones for the building of the house.

I Kings Chapter 6

1 And in the four hundred and fourscore year (after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt) and in the fourth year of the reign of Solomon over Israel, in the month Zif, (which is the second month) he built the house of the Lord.

2 And the house which king Solomon built for the Lord, was threescore cubits long, and twenty broad, and thirty cubits high.

3 And the porch before the temple of the house was twenty cubits long according to the breadth of the house, and ten cubits broad before the house.

4 And in the house he made windows, broad without, and narrow within.

5 And by the wall of the house he made galleries round about, even by the walls of the house round about the temple and the oracle, and made chambers round about.

6 The nethermost gallery was five cubits broad, and the middlemost six cubits broad, and the third seven cubits broad: for he made rests round about without the house, 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 perfect, before it was brought, so that there was neither hammer, nor ax, nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.

8 The door of the middle chamber was in the right side of the house, and men went up with winding stairs into the middlemost, and out of the middlemost into the third.

9 So he built the house and finished it, and sealed the house being vaulted with ceiling of cedar trees.

10 And he built the galleries upon all the wall of the house of five cubits height, and they were joined to the house with beams of cedar.

11 And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying,

12 Concerning this house which thou buildest, if thou wilt walk in mine ordinances, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments, to walk in them, then will I perform unto thee my promise, which I promised to David thy father.

13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

14 So Solomon built the house and finished it,

15 And built the walls of the house within, with boards of cedar tree from the pavement of the house unto the walls of the ceiling, and within he covered them with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.

16 And he built twenty cubits in the sides of the house with boards of cedar, from the floor to the walls, and he prepared a place within it for the oracle, even the most holy place.

17 But the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.

18 And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops, and graven with flowers: all was cedar, so that no stone was seen.

19 Also he prepared the place of the oracle in the midst of the house within, to set the ark of the covenant of the Lord there.

20 And the place of the oracle within was twenty cubits long, and twenty cubits broad, and twenty cubits high, and he covered it with pure gold, and covered the altar with cedar.

21 So Solomon covered the house within with pure gold: and he shut the place of the oracle with chains of gold, and covered it with gold.

22 And he overlaid all the house with gold, until all the house was made perfect. also he covered the whole altar, that was before the oracle, with gold.

23 And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, ten cubits high.

24 The wing also of the one cherub was five cubits, and the wing of the other cherub was five cubits: from the uttermost part of one of his wings unto the uttermost part of the other of his wings, were ten cubits.

25 Also the other cherub was of ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one size.

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 midst of the house.

28 And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.

29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with graven figures of cherubims and of palm trees, and graven flowers within and without.

30 And the floor of the house he covered with gold within and without.

31 And in the entering of the oracle he made two doors of olive tree: and the upper post and side posts were five square.

32 The two doors also were of olive tree, and he graved them with graving of cherubims and palm trees, and graven flowers, and covered them with gold, and laid thin gold upon the cherubims and upon the palm trees.

33 And so made he for the door of the temple, posts of olive tree four square.

34 But the two doors were of fir tree, the two sides of the one door were round, and the two sides of the other door were round.

35 And he graved cherubims, and palm trees, and carved flowers and covered the carved work with gold, finely wrought.

36 And he built the court within with three rows of hewed stone, and one row of beams of cedar.

37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the Lord laid in the month of Zif:

38 And in the eleventh year in the month of Bul, (which is the eighth month) he finished the house with all the furniture thereof, and in every point: so was he seven year in building it.

I Kings Chapter 7

1 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and finished all his house.

2 He built also an house called the forest of Lebanon, an hundred cubits long, and fifty cubits broad, and thirty cubits high, upon four rows of cedar pillars, and cedar beams were laid upon the pillars.

3 And it was covered above with cedar upon the beams, that lay on the forty and five pillars, fifteen in a row.

4 And the windows were in three rows, and window was against window in three ranks.

5 And all the doors, and the side posts with the windows were four square, and window was over against window in three ranks.

6 And he made a porch of pillars fifty cubits long, and thirty cubits broad, and the porch was before them, even before them were thirty pillars.

7 Then he made a porch for the throne, where he judged, even a porch of judgment, and it was sealed with cedar from pavement to pavement.

8 And in his house, where he dwelt, was another hall more inward than the porch which was of the same work. Also Solomon made an house for Pharaoh's daughter (whom he had taken to wife) like unto this porch.

9 All these were of costly stones, hewed by measure, and sawed with saws within and without, from the foundation unto the stones of an hand breadth, and on the outside to the great court.

10 And the foundation was of costly stones, and great stones, even of stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.

11 Above also were costly stones, squared by rule, and boards of cedar.

12 And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams: so was it to the inner court of the house of the Lord, and to the porch of the house.

13 Then king Solomon sent, and set one Hiram out of Tyrus.

14 He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, his father being a man of Tyrus, and wrought in brass: he was full of wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge to work all manner of work in brass: who came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.

15 For he cast two pillars of brass: the height of a pillar was eighteen cubits, and a thread of twelve cubits did compass either of the pillars.

16 And he made two chapiters of molten brass to set on the tops of the pillars: the height of one of the chapiters was five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits.

17 He made grates like network, and writhen work like chains for the chapiters that were on the top of the pillars, even seven for the one chapiter, and seven for the other chapiter.

18 So he made the pillars and two rows of pomegranates round about in the one grate to cover the chapiters that were upon the top. And thus did he for the other chapiter.

19 And the chapiters that were on the top of the pillars were after lily work in the porch, four cubits.

20 And the chapiters upon the two pillars had also above, over against the belly within the network pomegranates: for two hundred pomegranates were in the two ranks about upon either of the chapiters.

21 And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple. And when he had set up the right pillar, he called the name thereof Jachin: and when he had set up the left pillar, he called the name thereof Boaz.

22 And upon the top of the pillars was work of lilies: so was the workmanship of the pillars finished.

23 And he made a molten sea ten cubits wide from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits did compass it about.

24 And under the brim of it were knops like wild cucumbers compassing it round about, ten in one cubit, compassing the sea round about: and the two rows of knops were cast, when it was molten.

25 It stood on twelve bulls, three looking toward the north, and three toward the west, and three toward the south, and three toward the east: and the sea stood above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

26 It was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was like the work of the brim of a cup with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.

27 And he made ten bases of brass, one base was four cubits long, and four cubits broad, and three cubits high.

28 And the work of the bases was on this manner, They had borders, and the borders were between the ledges:

29 And on the borders that were between the ledges, were lions, bulls and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and bulls, were additions made of thin work.

30 And every base had four brazen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners had under setters: under the cauldron were under setters molten at the side of every addition.

31 And the mouth of it was within the chapiter and above to measure by the cubit: for the mouth thereof was round made like a base, and it was a cubit and half a cubit: and also upon the mouth thereof were graven works, whose borders were four square, and not round.

32 And under the borders were four wheels, and the axletrees of the wheels joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.

33 And the fashion of the wheels was like the fashion of a chariot wheel, their axletrees, and their naves and their felloes, and their spokes were all molten.

34 And four under setters were upon the four corners of one base: and the under setters thereof were of the base itself.

35 And in the top of the base was a round compass of half a cubit high round about: and upon the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.

36 And upon the tables of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof he did grave cherubims, lions and palm trees, on the side of every one, and additions round about.

37 Thus made he the ten bases, They had all one casting, one measure, and one size.

38 Then made he ten cauldrons of brass, one cauldron contained forty baths: and every cauldron was four cubits, one cauldron was upon one base throughout the ten bases.

39 And he set the bases, five on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house. And he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward toward the south.

40 And Hiram made cauldrons, and besoms, and basins, and Hiram finished all the work that he made to king Solomon for the house of the Lord:

41 To wit, two pillars and two bowls of the chapiters that were on the top of the two pillars, and two grates to cover the two bowls of the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars,

42 And four hundred pomegranates for the two grates, even two rows of pomegranates for every grate to cover the two bowls of the chapiters, that were upon the pillars,

43 And the ten bases, and ten cauldrons upon the bases,

44 And the sea, and twelve bulls under that sea,

45 And pots, and besoms and basins: and all these vessels, which Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the Lord, were of shining brass.

46 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them in clay between Succoth and Zarthan.

47 And Solomon left to weigh all the vessels because of the exceeding abundance, neither could the weight of the brass be counted.

48 So Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the Lord, the golden altar, and the golden table, whereon the showbread was,

49 And the candlesticks, five at the right side, and five at the left, before the oracle of pure gold, and the flowers, and the lamps, and the snuffers of gold,

50 And the bowls, and the hooks, and the basins, and the spoons, and the ash pans of pure gold, and the hinges of gold for the doors of the house within, even for the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple.

51 So was finished all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the Lord, and Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated: the silver and the gold and the vessels, and laid them among the treasures of the house of the Lord.

I Kings Chapter 8

1 Then king Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, even all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel unto him in Jerusalem, for to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David, which is Zion.

2 And all the men of Israel assembled unto king Solomon at the feast in the month of Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

3 And all the elders of Israel came and the priests took the ark.

4 They bear the ark of the Lord, and they bear the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle: those did the priests and Levites bring up.

5 And king Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, offering sheep and beeves, which could not be told, nor numbered for multitude.

6 So the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, into the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims.

7 For the cherubims stretched out their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark, and the bars thereof above.

8 And they drew out the bars, that the ends of the bars might appear out of the sanctuary before the oracle, but they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day.

9 Nothing was in the ark save the two tables of stone which Moses had put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.

10 And when the priests were come out of the sanctuary, the cloud filled the house of the Lord,

11 So that the priests could not stand to minister, because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.

12 Then spake Solomon, The Lord said, that he would dwell in the dark cloud.

13 I have built thee an house to dwell in, an habitation for thee to abide in forever.

14 And the king turned his face, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: for all the congregation of Israel stood there.

15 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who spake with his mouth unto David 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 city of all the tribes of Israel, to build an house that my name might be there: but I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.

17 And it was in the heart of David my father to build an house to the name of the Lord God of Israel.

18 And the Lord said unto David my father, Where as it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well, that thou wast so minded:

19 Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house, but thy son that shall come out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto my name.

20 And the Lord hath made good his word that he spake: and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.

21 And I have prepared therein a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.

22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the sight of all the congregation of Israel, and stretched out his hands toward heaven,

23 And said, O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, thou that keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart,

24 Thou that hast kept with thy servant David my father, that thou hast promised him: for thou spakest with thy mouth and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as appeareth this day.

25 Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou hast promised him, saying, Thou shalt not want a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel: so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me; as thou hast walked in my sight

26 And now, O God of Israel, I pray thee, let thy word be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.

27 Is it true indeed that God will dwell on the earth? Behold, the heavens, and the heavens of heavens are not able to contain thee: how much more unable is this house that I have built?

28 But have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord, my God, to hear the cry and prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee this day:

29 That thine eyes may be open toward this house, night and day, even toward the place whereof thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth in this place.

30 Hear thou therefore the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which pray in this place, and hear thou in the place of thine habitation, even in heaven, and when thou hearest, have mercy.

31 When a man shall trespass against his neighbor, and he lay upon him an oath to cause him to swear, and the swearer shall come before thine altar in this house,

32 Then hear thou in heaven, and do and judge thy servants, that thou condemn the wicked to bring his way upon his head, and justify the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

33 When thy people Israel shall be overthrown before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication unto thee in this house,

34 Then hear thou in heaven, and be merciful unto the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land, which thou gavest unto their fathers.

35 When heaven shall be shut up, and there shall be no rain because they have sinned against thee, and shall pray in this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them,

36 Then hear thou in heaven, and pardon the sin of thy servants and of thy people Israel (when thou hast taught them the good way wherein they may walk) and give rain upon the land that thou hast given to thy people to inherit.

37 When there shall be famine in the land, when there shall be pestilence, when there shall be blasting mildew, grasshopper or caterpillar, when their enemy shall besiege them in the cities of their land, or any plague, or any sickness,

38 Then what prayers, and supplication so ever shall be made of any man or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know the plague in his own heart, and stretch forth his hands in this house,

39 Hear thou then in heaven, in thy dwelling place, and be merciful, and do, and give every man according to all his ways, as thou knowest his heart, (for thou only knowest the hearts of all the children of men)

40 That they may fear thee as long as they live in the land, which thou gavest unto our fathers.

41 Moreover as touching the stranger that is not of thy people Israel, who shall come out of a far country for thy name's sake,

42 (When they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thy stretched out arm) 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 for unto thee: that all the people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as do thy people Israel: and that they may know, that thy name is called upon in this house which I have built.

44 When thy people shall go out to battle against their enemy by the way that thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the Lord toward the way of the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name,

45 Hear thou then in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and judge their cause.

46 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them unto the enemies, so that they carry them away prisoners unto the land of the enemies, either far or near,

47 Yet if they turn again unto their heart in the land (to the which they be carried away captives) and return and pray unto thee in the land of them that carried them away captives, saying, We have sinned, we have transgressed, and done wickedly,

48 If they turn again unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, which led them away captives, and pray unto thee toward the way of their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and the house, which I have built for thy name,

49 Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and judge their cause,

50 And be merciful unto thy people that have sinned against thee, and unto all their iniquities (wherein they have transgressed against thee) and cause that they, which led them away captives, may have pity and compassion on them:

51 For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out of Egypt from the midst of the iron furnace.

52 Let thine eyes be open unto the prayer of thy servant, and unto the prayer of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them, in all that they call for unto thee.

53 For thou didst separate them to thee from among all people of the earth for an inheritance, as thou saidest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.

54 And when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees, and stretching of his hands to heaven,

55 And stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,

56 Blessed be the Lord that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.

57 The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers, that he forsake us not, neither leave us,

58 That he may bow our hearts unto him, that we may walk in all his ways, and keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his laws, which he commanded our fathers.

59 And these my words, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near unto the Lord our God day and night, that he defend the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel alway as the matter requireth,

60 That all the people of the earth may know, that the Lord is God, and none other.

61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as this day.

62 Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifice before the Lord.

63 And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings which he offered unto the Lord, to wit, two and twenty thousand beeves, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord.

64 The same day did the king hallow the middle of the court, that was before the house of the Lord: for there he made burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brazen altar that was before the Lord, was too little to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.

65 And Solomon made at that time a feast and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, even from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.

66 And the eighth day he sent the people away: and they thanked the king and went unto their tents joyous and with glad heart, because of all the goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.

I Kings Chapter 9

1 When Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord, and the king's palace, and all that Solomon desired and minded to do,

2 Then the Lord appeared unto Solomon the second time, as he appeared unto him at Gibeon.

3 And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house (which thou hast built) to put my name there forever, and mine eyes, and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

4 And if thou wilt walk before me (as David thy father walked in pureness of heart and in righteousness) to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and keep my statutes, and my judgments,

5 Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel forever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, Thou shalt not want a man upon the throne of Israel.

6 But if ye and your children turn away from me, and will not keep my commandments, and my statutes (which I have set before you) but go and serve other gods, and worship them,

7 Then will I cut off Israel from the land, which I have given them, and the house which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and Israel shall be a proverb, and a common talk among all people.

8 Even this high house shall be so: every one that passeth by it, shall be astonied, and shall hiss, and they shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land and to this house?

9 And they shall answer, Because they forsook the Lord their God, which brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshiped them, and served them, therefore hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil.

10 And at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had builded the two houses, the house of the Lord, and the king's palace,

11 (For the which Hiram the king of Tyrus had brought to Solomon timber of cedar, and fir trees, and gold, and whatsoever he desired) then king Solomon gave to Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galil.

12 And Hiram came out from Tyrus to see the cities which Solomon had given him, and they pleased him not.

13 Therefore he said, What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul unto this day.

14 And Hiram had sent the king six score talents of gold.

15 And this is the cause of the tribute why king Solomon raised tribute, to wit, to build the house of the Lord, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.

16 Pharaoh king of Egypt had come up, and taken Gezer, and burned it with fire, and slew the Canaanites, that dwelt in the city, and gave it for a present unto his daughter Solomon's wife.

17 (Therefore Solomon built Gezer and Beth-horon the nether,

18 And Baalath and Tamor in the wilderness of the land,

19 And all the cities of store, that Solomon had, even cities for chariots, and cities for horsemen, and all that Solomon desired and would build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon and in all the land of his dominion)

20 All the people that were 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 land, whom the children of Israel were not able to destroy, those did Solomon make tributaries unto this day.

22 But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they were men of war and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots and his horsemen.

23 These were the princes of the officers, that were over Solomon's work: even five hundred and fifty, and they ruled the people that wrought in the work.

24 And Pharaoh's daughter came up from the city of David unto the house which Solomon had built for her: then did he build Millo.

25 And thrice a year did Solomon offer burnt offerings and peace offerings upon the altar which he built unto the Lord: and he burned incense upon the altar that was before the Lord, when he had finished the house.

26 Also king Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, and the brink of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.

27 And Hiram sent with the navy his servants, that were mariners, and had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.

28 And they came to Ophir and set from thence four hundred and twenty talents of gold, and brought it to king Solomon.

I Kings Chapter 10

1 And the queen of Sheba hearing the fame of Solomon (concerning the name of the Lord) came to prove him with hard questions.

2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, and camels that bear sweet odors, and gold exceeding much, and precious stones: and she came to Solomon, and communed with him of all that was in her heart.

3 And Solomon declared unto her all her questions: nothing was hid from the king, which he expounded not unto her.

4 Then the queen of Sheba saw all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,

5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the order of his ministers, and their apparel, and his drinking vessels, and his burnt offerings, that he offered in the house of the Lord, and she was greatly astonied.

6 And she said unto the king, It was a true word that I heard in mine own land of thy sayings, and of thy wisdom.

7 Howbeit I believed not this report till I came, and had seen it with mine eyes: but lo, the one half was not told me: for thou hast more wisdom and prosperity, than I have heard by report.

8 Happy are the men, happy are these thy servants, which stand ever before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

9 Blessed be the Lord thy God, which loved thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel, because the Lord loved Israel forever and made thee king to do equity and righteousness.

10 And she gave the king sixscore talents of gold, and of sweet odors exceeding much, and precious stones. There came no more such abundance of sweet odors, as the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

11 The navy also of Hiram (that carried gold from Ophir) brought likewise great plenty of almuggim trees from Ophir and precious stones.

12 And the king made of the almuggim trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king's palace, and made harps and psalteries for singers. There came no more such almuggim trees, nor were any more seen unto this day.

13 And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba, whatsoever she would ask, besides that, which Solomon gave her of his kingly liberality: so she returned and went to her own country, both she, and her servants.

14 Also the weight of gold, that came to Solomon in one year, was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,

15 Besides that he had of merchantmen and of the merchandises of them that sold spices, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the princes of the country.

16 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold, six hundred shekels of gold went to a target:

17 And three hundred shields of beaten gold, three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the wood of Lebanon.

18 Then the king made a great throne of ivory, and covered it with the best gold.

19 And the throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind, and there were stays on either side on the place of the throne, and two lions standing by the stays.

20 And there stood twelve lions on the six steps on either side: there was not the like made in any kingdom.

21 And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the wood of Lebanon were of pure gold, none were of silver: for it was nothing esteemed in the days of Solomon.

22 For the king had on the sea the navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three year came the navy of Tharshish, and brought gold and silver, ivory, and apes and peacocks.

23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth both in riches and in wisdom.

24 And all the world sought to see Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart,

25 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, and armor, and sweet odors, horses and mules, from year to year.

26 Then Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

27 And the king gave silver in Jerusalem as stones, and gave cedars as the wild fig trees that grow abundantly in the plain.

28 Also Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and fine linen: the king's merchants received the linen for a price.

29 There came up and went out of Egypt some chariot, worth six hundred shekels of silver: that is, one horse, an hundred and fifty and thus they brought horses to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram [Syria] by their means.

I Kings Chapter 11

1 But king Solomon loved many outlandish women: both the daughter of Pharaoh, and the women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, Zidon and Heth,

2 Of the nations, whereof the Lord had said unto the children of Israel, Go not ye into them, nor let them come in to you: for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods, to them, I say, did Solomon join in love.

3 And he had seven hundred wives, that were princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned away his heart.

4 For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, so that his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

5 For Solomon followed Ashtaroth the god of the Zidonians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

6 So Solomon wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord, but continued not to follow the Lord, as did David his father.

7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, in the mountain that is over against Jerusalem, and unto Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon.

8 And so did he for all his outlandish wives, which burned incense and offered unto their gods.

9 Therefore the Lord was angry with Solomon, because he had turned his heart from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,

10 And had given him a charge concerning this thing, that he should not follow other gods: but he kept not that, which the Lord had commanded him.

11 Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant, and my statutes (which I commanded thee) I will surely rent the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it, because of David thy father, but I will rent it out of the hand of thy son:

13 Howbeit I will not rent all the kingdom, but will give one tribe to thy son, because of David my servant, and because of Jerusalem which I have chosen.

14 Then the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, even Hadad the Edomite, of the king's seed, which was in Edom.

15 For when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host had smitten all the males in Edom, and was gone up to bury the slain,

16 (For six months did Joab remain there, and all Israel, till he had destroyed all the males in Edom)

17 Then this Hadad fled and certain other 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 took men with them out of Paran, and came to Egypt unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, which gave him an house, and appointed him victuals, and gave him land.

19 So Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, and he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, even the sister of Tahpenes the queen.

20 And the sister of Tahpenes bear him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house: and Genubath was in Pharaoh's house among the sons of Pharaoh.

21 And when Hadad heard in Egypt, that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country.

22 But Pharaoh said unto him, What hast thou lacked with me, that thou wouldest thus go to thine own country? And he answered, Nothing, but in any wise let me go.

23 And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliada, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah.

24 And he gathered men unto him, and had been captain over the company, when David slew them. And they went to Damascus, and dwelt there, and they made him king in Damascus.

25 Therefore was he an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon: besides the evil that Hadad did, he also abhorred Israel, and reigned over Aram [Syria]

26 And Jeroboam the son of Nebat an Ephrathite of Zereda Solomon's servant (whose mother was called Zeruah a widow) lift up his hand against the king.

27 And this was the cause that he lift up his hand against the king, When Solomon built Millo, he repaired the broken places of the city of David his father.

28 And this man Jeroboam was a man of strength and courage, and Solomon seeing that the young man was meet for the work, he made him overseer of all the labor of the house of Joseph.

29 And at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the Prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way, having a new garment on him, and they two were alone in the field.

30 Then Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces,

31 And said to Jeroboam, Take unto thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I will rent the kingdom out of the hands of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee.

32 But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem the city, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel,

33 Because they have forsaken me, and have worshiped Ashtaroth the god of the Zidonians, and Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in my ways (to do right in mine eyes, and my statutes, and my laws) as did David his father.

34 But I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: for I will make him prince all his life long for David my servant's sake, whom I have chosen, and who kept my commandments and my statutes.

35 But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even the ten tribes.

36 And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem the city, which I have chosen me, to put my name there.

37 And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign, even as thine heart desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.

38 And if thou hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, then will I be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built unto David, and will give Israel unto thee.

39 And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not forever.

40 Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam, and Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

41 And the rest of the words of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?

42 The time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel, was forty year.

43 And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

1 Kings Chapter 12

1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem, to make him king

2 And when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (who was yet in Egypt, whither Jeroboam had fled from king Solomon, and dwelt in Egypt)

3 Then they sent and called him: and Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,

4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous servitude of thy father, and his sore yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.

5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.

6 And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stand before Solomon his father, while he yet lived, and said, What counsel give ye, that I may make an answer to this people?

7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be a servant unto this people this day, and serve them, and answer them, and speak kind words to them, they will be thy servants forever.

8 But he forsook the counsel that the old men had given him, and asked counsel of the young men that had been brought up with him, and waited on him.

9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye, that we may answer this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke, which thy father did put upon us, lighter?

10 Then the young men that were brought up with him, spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto this people, that have spoken unto thee, and said, Thy father hath made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us: even thus shalt thou say unto them, My least part shall be bigger than my father's loins.

11 Now where as my father did burden you with a grievous yoke, I will yet make your yoke heavier: my father hath chastised you with rods, but I will correct you with scourges.

12 Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.

13 And the king answered the people sharply, and left the old men's counsel that they gave him,

14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke grievous, and I will make your yoke more grievous: my father hath chastised you with rods, but I will correct you with scourges.

15 And the king hearkened not unto the people: for it was the ordinance of the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 So when all Israel saw that the king regarded them not, the people answered the king thus, saying, What portion have we in David? We have none 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 over the children of Israel, which dwelt in the cities of Judah, did Rehoboam reign still.

18 Now the king Rehoboam sent Adoram the receiver of the tribute, and all Israel stoned him to death: then king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

19 And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

20 And when all Israel had heard that Jeroboam was come again, they sent and called him unto the assembly, and made him king over all Israel: none followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

21 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand of chosen men (which were good warriors) to fight against the house of Israel, and to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

22 But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

23 Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and the remnant of the people, saying,

24 Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house: for this thing is done by me. They obeyed therefore the word of the Lord and returned, and departed, according to the word of the Lord.

25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein, and went from thence, and built Penuel.

26 And Jeroboam thought in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David.

27 If this people go up and do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah: so shall they kill me and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.

28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold, O Israel, thy gods, 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 sin: for the people went (because of the one) even to Dan.

31 Also he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

32 And Jeroboam made a feast the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and offered on the altar. So did he in Beth-el and offered unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the priests of the high places, which he had made.

33 And he offered upon the altar, which he had made in Beth-el, the fifteenth day of the eighth month, (even in the month which he had forged of his own heart) and made a solemn feast unto the children of Israel: and he went up to the altar, to burn incense.

I Kings Chapter 13

1 And behold, there came a man of God out of Judah (by the commandment of the Lord) unto Beth-el, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to offer incense.

2 And he cried against the altar by the commandment of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord, Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name, and upon thee shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and they shall burn men's bones upon thee.

3 And he gave a sign the same time, saying, This is the sign, that the Lord hath spoken, Behold, the altar shall rent, and the ashes that are upon it, shall fall out.

4 And when the king had heard the saying of the man of God, which he had cried against the altar in Beth-el, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him: but his hand which he put forth against him, dried up, and he could not pull it in again to him.

5 The altar also clave asunder, and the ashes fell out from the altar, according to the sign, which the man of God had given by the commandment of the Lord.

6 Then the king answered, and said unto the man of God, I beseech thee, pray unto the Lord thy God, and make intercession for me, that mine hand may be restored unto me. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king's hand was restored, and became as it was afore.

7 Then the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, that thou mayest dine, and I will give thee a reward.

8 But the man of God said unto the king, If thou wouldest give me half thine house, I would not go in with thee, neither would I eat bread nor drink water in this place.

9 For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.

10 So he went another way and returned not by the way that he came to Beth-el.

11 And an old prophet dwelt in Beth-el, and his sons came and told him all the works, that the man of God had done that day in Beth-el, and the words which he had spoken unto the king, told they their father.

12 And their father said unto them, What way went he? And his sons showed him what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.

13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. Who saddled him the ass, and he rode thereon,

14 And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, Yea.

15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.

16 But he answered, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place.

17 For it was charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou wentest.

18 And he said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art, and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him again with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water: but he lied unto him.

19 So he went again with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.

20 And as they sat at the table, the word of the Lord came unto the prophet, that brought him again.

21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee,

22 But camest back again, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place (whereof he did say unto thee, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink any water) thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.

23 And when he had eaten bread and drunk, he saddled him the ass, to wit, to the prophet whom he had brought again.

24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him, and his body was cast in the way, and the ass stood thereby: the lion stood by the corpse also.

25 And behold, men that passed by, saw the carcass cast in the way, and the lion standing by the corpse: and they came and told it in the town where the old prophet dwelt.

26 And when the prophet, that brought him back again from the way, heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who hath been disobedient unto the commandment of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath rent him and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him.

27 And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him.

28 And he went and found his body cast in the way, and the ass and the lion stood by the corpse: and the lion had not eaten the body, nor torn the ass.

29 And the prophet took up the body of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it again, and the old prophet came to the city, to lament and bury him.

30 And he laid his body in his own grave, and they lamented over him, saying, Alas, my brother.

31 And when he had buried him, he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, bury ye me 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 Lord against the altar that is in Beth-el, and against all the houses of the high places, which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.

33 Howbeit after this, Jeroboam converted not from his wicked way, but turned again, and made of the lowest of the people priests of the high places. Who would, might consecrate himself, and be of the priests of the high places.

34 And this thing turned to sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to root it out, and destroy it from the face of the earth.

I Kings Chapter 14

1 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick.

2 And Jeroboam said unto his wife, Up, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that they know not that thou art the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh: for there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people,

3 And take with thee ten loaves and cracknels, and a bottle of honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the young man.

4 And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah: but Ahijah could not see, for his sight was decayed for his age.

5 Then 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 when she cometh in, she shall feign herself to be another.

6 Therefore when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came in at the door, he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam: why feignest thou thus thyself to be another? I am sent to thee with heavy tidings.

7 Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Forasmuch as I have exalted thee from among the people, and have made thee prince over my people Israel,

8 And have rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and have given it thee, and thou hast not been as my servant David, which kept my commandments, and followed me with all his heart, and did only 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 molten images, to provoke me, and hast cast me behind thy back)

10 Therefore behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, as well him that is shut up, as him that is left in Israel, and will sweep away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man sweepeth away dung, till it be all gone.

11 The dogs shall eat him of Jeroboam's stock that dieth in the city, and the fowls of the air shall eat him that dieth in the field: for the Lord hath said it.

12 Up therefore and get thee to thine house: for when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die.

13 And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some goodness toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.

14 Moreover, the Lord shall stir him up a king over Israel, which shall destroy the house of Jeroboam in that day: what? Yea, even now.

15 For the Lord shall smite Israel, as when a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall weed Israel out of his good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made them groves, provoking the Lord to anger.

16 And he shall give Israel up, because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and made Israel to sin.

17 And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah, and when she came to the threshold of the house, the young man died,

18 And they buried him, and all Israel lamented him; according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by the hand of his servant Ahijah the prophet.

19 And the rest of Jeroboam's acts, how he warred, and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

20 And the days which Jeroboam reigned, were two and twenty year: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead.

21 Also Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was one and forty year old, when he began to reign, and reigned seventeen year 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 Ammonite.

22 And Judah wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord: and they provoked him more with their sins, which they had committed, than all that which their fathers had done.

23 For they also made them high places, and images, and groves on every high hill, and under every green tree.

24 There were also Sodomites in the land, they did according to all the abominations of the nations, which the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.

25 And in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem,

26 And took the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house, and took away all: also he carried away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

27 And king Rehoboam made for them brazen shields, and committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which waited at the door of the king's house.

28 And when the king went into the house of the Lord, the guard bear them, and brought them again into the guard chamber.

29 And the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

31 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonite. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead.

I Kings Chapter 15

1 And in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat, reigned Abijam over Judah.

2 Three year reigned he in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Maachah the daughter of Abishalom.

3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God as the heart of David his father.

4 But for David's sake did the Lord his God give him a light in Jerusalem, and set up his son after him, and established Jerusalem,

5 Because David did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and turned from nothing that he commanded him, all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

6 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam as long as he lived.

7 The rest also of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? There was also war between Abijam, and Jeroboam.

8 And Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.

9 And in the twenty year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.

10 He reigned in Jerusalem one and forty year, and his mother's name was Maachah the daughter of Abishalom.

11 And Asa did right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father.

12 And he took away the Sodomites out of the land, and put away all the idols that his fathers had made.

13 And he put down Maachah his mother also from her estate, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa destroyed her idols, and burned them by the brook Kidron.

14 But they put not down the high places. Nevertheless Asa's heart was upright with the Lord all his days.

15 Also he brought in the holy vessels of his father, and the things that he had dedicated unto the house of the Lord, silver, and gold, and vessels.

16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

17 Then Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, so that he would let none go out or in to Asa king of Judah.

18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that was left in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hands of his servants, and king Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion king of Aram [Syria] that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

19 There is a covenant between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold: come, break thy covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.

20 So Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts, which he had, against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.

21 And when Baasha heard thereof, he left building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.

22 Then king Asa assembled all Judah, none accepted. and they took the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had built, and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

23 And 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? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet.

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

25 And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two year.

26 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.

27 And Baasha the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha slew him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines: for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.

28 Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead.

29 And when he was king, he smote all the house of Jeroboam, he left none alive to Jeroboam, until he had destroyed him, according to the word of the Lord which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite,

30 Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he committed, and wherewith he made Israel to sin, by his provocation, wherewith he provoked the Lord God of Israel.

31 And the residue of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel, all their days.

33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, and reigned four and twenty years.

34 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin, wherewith he made Israel to sin.

I Kings Chapter 16

1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,

2 Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee captain over my people Israel, and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me with their sins,

3 Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of his house, and will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

4 He that dieth of Baasha's stock in the city, him shall the dogs eat: and that man of him which dieth in the fields, shall the fowls of the air eat.

5 And the rest of the acts of Baasha and what he did, and his power, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

6 So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah, and Elah his son reigned in his stead.

7 And also by the hand of Jehu the son of Hanani the prophet, came the word of the Lord to Baasha, and to his house, that he should be like the house of Jeroboam, even for all the wickedness that he did in the sight of the Lord, in provoking him with the work of his hands, and because he killed him.

8 In the six and twenty year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, and reigned two year.

9 And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah drinking, till he was drunken in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah.

10 And Zimri came and smote him and killed him, in the seven and twenty year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.

11 And when he was king, and sat on his throne, he slew all the house of Baasha, not leaving thereof one to piss against a wall, neither of his kinsfolk nor of his friends.

12 So did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord which he spake against Baasha by the hand of Jehu the prophet,

13 For all the sins of Baasha, and sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and made Israel to sin, and provoked the Lord God of Israel with their vanities.

14 And the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

15 In the seven and twenty year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign seven days in Tirzah, and the people was then in the host besieging Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.

16 And the people of the host heard say, Zimri hath conspired, and hath also slain the king. Wherefore all Israel made Omri the captain of the host, king over Israel that same day, even in the host.

17 Then Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.

18 And when Zimri saw, that the city was taken, he went into the palace of the king's house, and burned himself, and the king's house with fire, and so died,

19 For his sins which he sinned, in doing that which is evil in the sight of the Lord, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sins which he did, causing Israel to sin.

20 And the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

21 Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: for half the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath to make him king, and the other half followed Omri.

22 But the people that followed Omri, prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.

23 In the one and thirty year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, and reigned twelve year. Six year reigned he in Tirzah.

24 And he bought the mountain Samaria of one Shemer for two talents of silver, and built in the mountain, and called the name of the city, which he built, after the name of Shemer lord of the mountain, Samaria.

25 But Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all that were before him.

26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins wherewith he made Israel to sin in provoking the Lord God of Israel with their vanities.

27 And the rest of the acts of Omri, that he did, and his strength that he showed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

28 And Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.

29 Now Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, in the eight and thirty year of Asa king of Judah: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria two and twenty year.

30 And Ahab the son of Omri did worse in the sight of the Lord than all that were before him.

31 For was it a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, except he took Jezebel also the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians to wife, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him?

32 Also he reared up an altar to Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

33 And Ahab made a grove, and Ahab proceeded, and did provoke the Lord God of Israel more than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

34 In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his eldest son, 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.

I Kings Chapter 17

1 And Elijah the Tishbite one of the inhabitants of Gilead said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

2 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,

3 Go hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself in the river Cherith, that is over against Jordan,

4 And thou shalt drink of the river: and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

5 So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went, and remained by the river Cherith that is over against Jordan.

6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the river.

7 And after a while the river dried up, because there fell no rain upon the earth.

8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,

9 Up, and get thee to Zarephath, which is in Zidon, and remain there: behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee.

10 So he arose, and went to Zarephath: and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow was there gathering sticks: and he called her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but even an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and behold, I am gathering a few sticks for to go in, and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not, come, do as thou hast said, but make me thereof a little cake first of all, and bring it unto me, and afterward make for thee, and thy son.

14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The meal in the barrel shall not be wasted, neither shall the oil in the cruse be diminished, unto the time that the Lord send rain upon the earth.

15 So she went, and did as Elijah said, and she did eat: so did he and her house for a certain time.

16 The barrel of the meal wasted not, nor the oil was spent out of the cruse, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by the hand of Elijah.

17 And after these things, the son of the wife of the house fell sick, and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.

18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? Art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?

19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. and he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a chamber, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.

20 Then he called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, hast thou punished also this widow, with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?

21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.

22 Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.

23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother, and Elijah said, Behold, thy son liveth.

24 And the woman said unto Elijah, Now I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is true.

I Kings Chapter 18

1 After many days, the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.

2 And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab, and there was a great famine in Samaria.

3 And Ahab called Obadiah the governor of his house: (and Obadiah feared God greatly:

4 For when Jezebel destroyed the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them, by fifty in a cave, and he fed them with bread and water.)

5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all the fountains of water, and unto all the rivers, if so be that we may find grass to save the horses and the mules alive, lest we deprive the land of the beasts.

6 And so they divided the land between them to walk through it. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art not thou my lord Elijah?

8 And he answered him, Yea, go tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?

10 As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not here, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, if they had not found thee.

11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

12 And when I am gone from thee, the spirit of the Lord shall carry thee into some place that I do not know: so when I come and tell Ahab, if he cannot find thee, then will he kill me: But I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth.

13 Was it not told my lord, what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, how I hid an hundred men of the Lord's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?

14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here, that he may slay me.

15 And Elijah said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him this day.

16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: And Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17 And when Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?

18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.

19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.

20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.

21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal be he, then go after him. And the people answered him not a word.

22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I only remain a prophet of the Lord: but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks, and let them choose the one, and cut him in pieces, and lay him on the wood, but put no fire under, and I will prepare the other bullock, and lay him on the wood, and will put no fire under.

24 Then call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and then the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered, and said, It is well spoken.

25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you a bullock, and prepare him first, (for ye are many) and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.

26 So they took the one bullock, that was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal, from morning to noon, saying, O Baal, hear us: but there was no voice, nor any to answer: and they leaped upon the altar that was made.

27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry loud: for he is a god: either he talketh or pursueth his enemies, or is in his journey, or it may be that he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

28 And they cried loud, and cut themselves as their manner was, with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.

29 And when midday was passed, and they had prophesied until the offering of the evening sacrifice, there was neither voice, nor one to answer, nor any that regarded.

30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come to me. And all the people came to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.

31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, (unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name)

32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a ditch round about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

33 And he put the wood in order, and hewed the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood,

34 And said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood. Again he said, Do so again. And they did so the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.

35 And the water ran round about the altar: and he filled the ditch with water also.

36 And when they should offer the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and of Israel, let it be known this day, that thou art the God of Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy commandment.

37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, and let this people know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart again at the last.

38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the ditch.

39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and said, The Lord is God, the Lord is God.

40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal, let not a man of them escape. and they took them, and Elijah brought them to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of much rain.

42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink, and Elijah went up to the top of Carmel: and he crouched unto the earth, and put his face between his knees,

43 And said to his servant, Go up now and look toward the way of the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. Again he said, Go again seven times.

44 And at the seventh time he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea like a man's hand. Then he said, Up, and say unto Ahab, Make ready thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stay thee not.

45 And in the mean while the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Then Ahab went up and came to Jezreel.

46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab till he came to Jezreel.

I Kings Chapter 19

1 Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, The gods do so to me and more also, if I make not thy life like one of their lives by tomorrow this time.

3 When he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which is in Judah, and left his servant there.

4 But he went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree, and desired that he might die, and said, It is now enough: O Lord, take my soul, for I am no better than my fathers.

5 And as he lay and slept under the juniper tree, behold now, an angel touched him, and said unto him, Up, and eat.

6 And when he looked about, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a pot of water at his head: so he did eat and drink, and returned and slept.

7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Up, and eat: for thou hast a great journey.

8 Then he arose, and did eat and drink, and walked in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights, unto Horeb the mount of God.

9 And there he entered into a cave, and lodged there: and behold, the Lord spake to him, and said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

10 And he answered, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, broken down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword, and I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away.

11 And he said, Come out, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord went by, and a mighty strong wind rent the mountains, and break the rocks before the Lord: but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind came an earthquake: but the Lord was not in the earthquake:

12 And after the earthquake came fire: but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire came a still and soft voice.

13 And when Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave: and behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

14 And he answered, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, cast down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword, and I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away.

15 And the Lord said unto him, Go, return by the wilderness unto Damascus, and when thou comest there, anoint Hazael king over Aram [Syria].

16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.

17 And him that escapeth from the sword of Hazael, shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu, shall Elisha slay.

18 Yet will I leave seven thousand in Israel, even all the knees that have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth that hath not kissed him.

19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and was with the twelfth: and Elijah went towards him, and cast his mantle upon him.

20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. Who answered him, Go, return: for what have I done to thee?

21 And when he went back again from him, he took a couple of oxen, and slew them, and seethe their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat: then he arose and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

I Kings Chapter 20

1 Then Ben-hadad the king of Aram [Syria] assembled all his army, and two and thirty kings with him, with horses, and chariots, and went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.

2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city,

3 And said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad, Thy silver and thy gold is mine: also thy women, and thy fair children are mine.

4 And the king of Israel answered, and said, My lord king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.

5 And when the messengers came again, they said, Thus commandeth Ben-hadad, and saith, When I shall send unto thee, and command, thou shalt deliver me thy silver and thy gold, and thy women, and thy children,

6 Or else I will send my servants unto thee by tomorrow this time: and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants: and whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall take it in their hands, and bring it away.

7 Then the king of Israel sent for all the elders of the land, and said, Take heed, I pray you, and see how he seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold, and I denied him not.

8 And all the elders, and all the people said to him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent.

9 Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first time, that I will do, but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him an answer.

10 And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria be enough to all the people that follow me, for every man an handful.

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

12 And when he heard that tidings, as he was with the kings drinking in the pavilions, he said unto his servants, Bring forth your engines, and they set them against the city.

13 And behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day, that thou mayest know, that I am the Lord.

14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the Lord, By the servants of the princes of the provinces. He said again, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou.

15 Then he numbered the servants of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred, two and thirty: and after them he numbered the whole people of all the children of Israel, even seven thousand.

16 And they went out at noon: but Ben-hadad did drink till he was drunken in the tents, both he and the kings: for two and thirty kings helped him.

17 So the servants of the princes of the provinces went out first: and Ben-hadad sent out, and they showed him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria.

18 And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive: or whether they be come out to fight, take them yet alive.

19 So they came out of the city, to wit, the servants of the princes of the provinces, and the host which followed them.

20 And they slew every one his enemy: and the Aramites [Syrians] fled, and Israel pursued them: but Ben-hadad the king of Aram escaped on an horse with his horsemen.

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

22 (For there had come a prophet to the king of Israel, and had said unto him, Go, be of good courage, and consider, and take heed what thou doest: for when the year is gone about, the king of Aram [Syria] will come up against thee)

23 Then the servants of the king of Aram [Syria] said unto him, Their gods are gods of the mountains, and therefore they overcame us: but let us fight against them in the plain, and doubtless we shall overcome them.

24 And this do, Take the kings away, every one out of his place, and place captains for them.

25 And number thyself an army, like the army that thou hast lost, with such horses, and such chariots, and we will fight against them in the plain, and doubtless we shall overcome them: and he hearkened unto their voice, and did so.

26 And after the year was gone about, Ben-hadad numbered the Aramites [Syrians], and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

27 And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all assembled and went against them, and the children of Israel pitched before them, like two little flocks of kids: but the Aramites [Syrians] filled the country.

28 And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Because the Aramites [Syrians] have said, The Lord is the God of the mountains, and not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

29 And they pitched one over against the other seven days, and in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Aramites [Syrians] an hundred thousand footmen in one day.

30 But the rest fled to Aphek into the city: and there fell a wall upon seven and twenty thousand men that were left: and Ben-hadad fled into the city, and came into a secret chamber.

31 And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard say that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: we pray thee, let us put sackcloth about our loins, and ropes about our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: it may be that he will save thy life.

32 Then they girded sackcloth about their loins, and put ropes about their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live: and he said, Is he yet alive? He is my brother.

33 Now the men took diligent heed, if they could catch anything of him, and made haste, and said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. And he said, Go, bring him. So Ben-hadad came out unto him, and he caused him to come up unto the chariot.

34 And Ben-hadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore, and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will let thee go with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and let him go.

35 Then a certain man of the children of the prophets said unto his neighbor by the commandment of the Lord, Smite me, I pray thee. But the man refused to smite him.

36 Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. So when he was departed from him, a lion found him and slew him.

37 Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, and in smiting wounded him.

38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.

39 And when the king came by, he cried unto the king, and said, Thy servant went into the midst of the battle: and behold, there went away a man, whom another man brought unto me, and said, Keep this man: if he be lost, and want, thy life shall go for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.

40 And as thy servant had here and there to do, he was gone: And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be: thou hast given sentence.

41 And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face: and the king of Israel knew him that he was of the prophets:

42 And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast let go out of thine hands a man whom I appointed to die, thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.

43 And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and in displeasure, and came to Samaria.

I Kings Chapter 21

1 After these things Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab King of Samaria.

2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may make me a garden of herbs thereof, because it is near by mine house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it is: or if it please thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.

3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord keep me from giving the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

4 Then Ahab came into his house heavy and in displeasure, because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken unto him. for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers, and he lay upon his bed, and turned his face and would eat no bread.

5 Then Jezebel his wife came to him and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad that thou eatest no bread?

6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money, or if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: but he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.

7 Then Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? Up, eat bread, and be of good cheer, I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders, and to the nobles that were in his city dwelling with Naboth.

9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth among the chief of the people,

10 And set two wicked men before him, and let them witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king: then carry him out, and stone him that he may die.

11 And the men of his city, even the elders and governors, which dwelt in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them: as it was written in the letters, which she had sent unto them.

12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth among the chief of the people,

13 And there came two wicked men, and sat before him: and the wicked men witnessed against Naboth in the presence of the people saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him away out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned and is dead.

15 And when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, Up, and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but is dead.

16 And when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he rose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

17 And the word of the Lord came unto Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria. lo, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to take possession of it.

19 Therefore shalt thou say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also gotten possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick even thy blood also.

20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: for thou hast sold thyself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord.

21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, as well him that is shut up, as him that is left in Israel,

22 And I will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked, and made Israel to sin.

23 And also of Jezebel spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel, by the wall of Jezreel.

24 The dogs shall eat him of Ahab’s stock, that dieth in the city: and him that dieth in the fields, shall the fowls of the air eat.

25 (But there was none like Ahab, who did fell himself, to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord: whom Jezebel his wife provoked.

26 For he did exceeding abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites did, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.)

27 Now when Ahab heard those words, he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon him and fasted, and lay in sackcloth and went softly.

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

29 Seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me? Because he submitteth himself before me, I will not bring that evil in his days, but in his son’s days will I bring evil upon his house.

I Kings Chapter 22

1 And they continued three year without war between Aram [Syria] and Israel.

2 And in the third year did Jehoshaphat the king of Judah come down to the king of Israel.

3 (Then the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye not that Ramoth Gilead was ours? And we stay, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Aram [Syria]?)

4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle against Ramoth Gilead? And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and mine horses as thine horses.

5 Then Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Ask counsel, I pray thee, of the Lord today.

6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets upon a four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I let it alone? And they said, Go up: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hands of the king.

7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there here never a prophet of the Lord more, that we might inquire of him?

8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man (Michaiah the son of Imlah) by whom we may ask counsel of the Lord, but I hate him: for he doth not prophesy good unto me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

9 Then the king of Israel called an Eunuch, and said, Call quickly Michaiah the son of Imlah.

10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat either of them on his throne in their apparel in the void place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them.

11 And Zidekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and said, Thus saith the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Aramites [Syrians], until thou hast consumed them.

12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the king’s hand.

13 And the messenger that was gone to call Michaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one accord: let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak thou good.

14 And Michaiah said, As the Lord liveth, whatsoever the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.

15 So he came to the king, and the king said unto him, Michaiah, shall we go against Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall we leave off? And he answered him, Go up, and prosper: and the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.

16 And the king said unto him, How oft shall I charge thee, that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the Lord?

17 Then he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that had no shepherd. And the Lord said, These have no master, let every man return unto his house in peace.

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

19 Again he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sit on his throne, and all the host of heaven stood about him on his right hand and on his left hand.

20 And the Lord said, Who shall entice Ahab that he may go and fall at Ramoth Gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.

21 Then there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will entice him. And the Lord said unto him, Where with?

22 And he said, I will go out, and be a false spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. Then he said, Thou shalt entice him, and shalt also prevail: go forth, and do so.

23 Now therefore behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath appointed evil against thee.

24 Then Zidekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Michaiah on the cheek and said, When 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 go from chamber to chamber to hide thee.

26 And the king of Israel said, Take Michaiah, and carry him unto Amon the governor of the city, and unto Joash the king’s son,

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

28 And Michaiah said, If thou return in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken all ye people.

29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.

30 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will change mine apparel, and will enter into the battle, but put thou on thine apparel. And the king of Israel changed himself, and went into the battle.

31 And the king of Aram [Syria] commanded his two and thirty captains over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small, nor great, save only against the king of Israel.

32 And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, Surely it is the king of Israel, and they turned to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried.

33 And when the captains of the chariots saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from him.

34 Then a certain man drew a bow mightily and smote the king of Israel between the joints of his brigandine. Wherefore he said unto his chariot man, Turn thine hand and carry me out of the host: for I am hurt.

35 And the battle increased that day, and the king stood still in his chariot against the Aramites [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 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 chariot in the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (and they washed his armor) according unto the word of the Lord which he spake.

39 Concerning the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

40 So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

41 And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign upon Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

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

43 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father, and declined not there from, but did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord. Nevertheless the high places were not taken away: for the people offered still and burnt incense in the high places.

44 And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

45 Concerning the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his worthy deeds that he did, and his battles which he fought, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

46 And the Sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he put clean out of the land.

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

48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to sail to Ophir for gold, but they went not, for the ships were broken at Ezion Gaber.

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

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

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

52 But he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin.

53 For he served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked the Lord God of Israel unto wrath, according unto all that his father had done.