92 Bible Verses about Kings

Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. And he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines, for I have looked upon my pe

The trees went forth a time to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, Reign thou over us.

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

And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, As LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity, when he who told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good news, I took hold of him, and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. How much more, when evil men have slain a righteous man in his own house upon his bed, shall I not now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth? read more.
And David commanded his young men, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

And the king said to him, Do as he has said, and fall upon him, and bury him, that thou may take away the blood, which Joab shed without cause, from me and from my father's house.

Then king Solomon swore by LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life.

And king Solomon sent by Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he fell upon him so that he died.

And the king said to the guard who stood about him, Turn, and kill the priests of LORD, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and did not disclose it to me. But the servants of the king would no And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore a linen ephod.

Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where [the officers] were, every man according to his charge.

And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the wall, and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty. Nevertheless Saul spoke nothing that day, for he thought, Something has befallen him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean. And it came to pass on the morrow after the new moon, [which was] the second [day], that David's place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has the son of Jesse not come in to the food, neither yesterday, nor today?

And David said to him, Fear not, for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore to thee all the land of Saul thy father, and thou shall eat bread at my table continually. And he did obeisance, and said, What is thy servant that thou should look upon such a dead dog as I am? Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, All that pertained to Saul and to all his house I have given to thy master's son. read more.
And thou shall till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants. And thou shall bring in [the fruits] that thy master's son may have bread to eat, but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall always eat bread at my table. Now Then Ziba said to the king, According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, [the king said], he shall eat at my table as one of the king's sons. And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king's table. And he was lame in both his feet.

And the king said to Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will sustain thee with me in Jerusalem.

And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of meal, ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and a hundred sheep, besides harts, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fatted fowl.

And every man brought his tribute, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

And having come into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and having fallen down, they worshiped him. And having opened their treasures, they brought to him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she conversed with him of all that was in her heart.

And the king of Syria said, Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices a very great store, and precious stones. There came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

Saul chose for him three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash, and on the mount of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin, and the rest of the people he sent every man to

and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was over] the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David's sons were chief ministers.

And king Rehoboam made in their stead shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard that kept the door of the king's house.

Behold, he was more famous than the thirty, but he did not attain to the [first] three. And David set him over his guard.

And some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and silver for tribute. The Arabians also brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred he-goats.

And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

of their sons who were left after them in the land whom the sons of Israel did not consumed, of them Solomon raised a levy [of bondservants] to this day.

For he had dominion over all [the region] on this side the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side of the River. And he had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name And Judah did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, above all that their fathers had done. For they also built for them high places, and pillars, and Asherim, on every high hill, and under every green tree. read more.
And there were also sodomites in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which LORD drove out before the sons of Israel. And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. And he took away the treasures of the house of LORD, and the treasures of the king's house. He even took away all. And he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. And king Rehoboam made in their stead shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard who kept the door of the king's house. And it was so, that, as often as the king went into the house of LORD, the guard bore them, and brought them back into the guard-chamber. Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. And Abijah his son reigned in his stead.

And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to R But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, read more.
Thus says LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers the sons of Israel. Return every man to his house, for this thing is of me. So they hearkened to the word of LORD, and returned and went their way according to the

But as for the sons of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the men subject to task work. And the sons of Israel stoned him to death with stones. And king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. So Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day. read more.
And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam. But the word of LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, Thus says LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers. Return every man to his house. For this thing is of me. So they hearkened to the words of LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam. And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. He built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, And Beth-zur, and Soco, and Adullam, and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities. And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of victuals, and oil and wine. And in every city [he put] shields and spears, and made them exceedingly strong. And Judah and Benjamin belonged to him. And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their border. For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem. For Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, that they should not execute the priest's office to LORD. And he appointed priests for him for the high places, and for the he-goats, and for the calves which he had made. And after them, such as set their hearts to seek LORD, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem out of all the tribes of Israel to sacrifice to LORD, the God of their fathers. So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong three years. For they walked three years in the way of David and Solomon. And Rehoboam took him a wife, Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, [and of] Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse. And she bore sons for him: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham. And after her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom. And she bore for him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines. For he took eighteen wives, and thirty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and thirty daughters. And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah to be chief, the ruler among his brothers. For [he intended] to make him king. And he dealt wisely, and dispersed all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city. And he gave them provisions in abundance. And he sought [for them] many wives. And it came to pass, when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established, and he was strong, that he forsook the law of LORD, and all Israel with him. And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had trespassed against LORD, with twelve hundred chariots, and thirty thousand horsemen. And the people were without number who came with him out of Egypt: the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians. And he took the fortified cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem. Now Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam, and to the rulers of Judah, who were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, Thus says LORD, Ye have forsaken me, therefore I have also left you in the hand of Then the rulers of Israel and the king humbled themselves, and they said, LORD is righteous. And when LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jer Nevertheless they shall be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries. So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all away. He also took away the shields of gold which Solomon had made. And king Rehoboam made in their stead shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard that kept the door of the king's house. And it was so, that, as often as the king entered into the house of LORD, the guard came and bore them, and brought them back into the guard-chamber. And when he humbled himself, the wrath of LORD turned from him, so as not to destroy him altogether. And moreover in Judah there were good things. So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned. For Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Isra And he did that which was evil, because he did not set his heart to seek LORD. Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the histories of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, after the manner of genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. And Abijah his son reigned in his stead.

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

But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom is king in Hebron.

And she looked, and, behold, the king stood by the pillar, as the manner was, and the captains and the trumpets by the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes, and cried, Tre

Then they hastened, and every man took his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew the trumpet, saying, Jehu is king.

And he did obeisance, and said, What is thy servant that thou should look upon such a dead dog as I am?

And they told the king, saying, Behold, Nathan the prophet. And when he came in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance.

And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and did obeisance, and blessed the king. And Joab said, Today thy servant knows that I have found favor in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his serva

And Jesse took a donkey with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son to Saul.

But certain worthless fellows said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.

And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brothers had made preparation for them. Moreover those who were near to them, [even] as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on donkeys, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, provisions of meal, cakes of figs, and clusters of raisins, and wine, and

In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri king of Israel. And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, as did the house of Ahab, for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab. read more.
And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead, and the Syrians wounded Joram. And king Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab

So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah came down to see Joram. Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace? So one went on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus says the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What have thou to do with peace? Turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he does not come b read more.
Then he sent out a second on horseback who came to them, and said, Thus says the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What have thou to do with peace? Turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, He came to them, and does not come back. And the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously. And Joram said, Make ready. And they made his chariot ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu, and found him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite. And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and smote Joram between his arms. And the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot. Then [Jehu] said to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, LORD laid this burden upon him: Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, says LORD, and I will requite thee in this plot, says LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plot [of ground], according to the word of LORD. But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden-house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. [And they smote him] at the ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled t And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulcher with his fathers in the city of David. (And [it was] in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab Ahaziah began to reign over Judah.)

And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead, for the band of men who came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab. For his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. read more.
And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, as did the house of Ahab. For they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction. He walked also after their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead. And the Syrians wounded Joram. And he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they had given him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Azariah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel b Now the destruction of Ahaziah was of God, in that he went to Joram, for when he came he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. And it came to pass, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, that he found the rulers of Judah, and the sons of the brothers of Ahaziah, ministering to Ahaziah, and killed them. And he sought Ahaziah, and they caught him (now he was hiding in Samaria). And they brought him to Jehu, and killed him. And they buried him, for they said, He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought LORD with all his heart. And the

And Samuel said to Saul, Thou have done foolishly. Thou have not kept the commandment of LORD thy God, which he commanded thee. For now LORD would have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever,

that his heart not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left, to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his sons, in the midst of Israel

And Samuel said to him, LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and has given it to a neighbor of thine, who is better than thou. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent, for he is not a man that he should repent.

Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. And he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines, for I have looked upon my pe

And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and of a beautiful countenance, and fine to look upon. And LORD said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he.

When thou have come to the land which LORD thy God gives thee, and shall possess it, and shall dwell in it, and shall say, I will set a king over me like all the nations that are round about me, thou shall surely set him king over thee whom LORD thy God shall choose. Thou shall set a king over thee from among thy brothers. Thou may not put a foreigner over thee who is not thy brother.

And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, The men of Jabesh-gilead were those who buried Saul.

And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

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

In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.

And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he smote all the house of Baasha. He left him not a single man-child, neither of his kinfolks, nor of his friends. Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha according to the word of LORD, which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,

And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah.

In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the eyes of LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. read more.
However the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places. And LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and dwelt in a separate house. And Jotham the king's son was over the household, judging the people of the land. Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David. And Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

Then he brought out the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and [gave him] the testimony. And they made him king, and anointed him. And they clapped their hands, and said, Live, O king.

And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom LORD has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, Live, O king!

And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, Live, O king. Live, O king.

Then he brought out the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and [gave him] the testimony. And they made him king, and anointed him. And they clapped their hands, and said, Live, O king.

Then they brought out the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and [gave him] the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him. And they said, Live, O king.

For thou meet him with the blessings of goodness. Thou set a crown of fine gold on his head.

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed LORD's anointed?

And he said to his men, LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, LORD's anointed, to put forth my hand against him, since he is LORD's anointed.

And it came to pass, when they came, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely LORD's anointed is before him.

Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not that LORD has anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance?

Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

I have found David my servant. With my holy oil I have anointed him,

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

And also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.

And he took the captains over hundreds, and the Carites, and the guard, and all the people of the land, and they brought down the king from the house of LORD, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king's house. And he

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet [speaking] from the mouth of LORD. And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. But he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart against turning to LORD, the God of Israel. read more.
Moreover all the chiefs of the priests, and the people, trespassed very greatly after all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And LORD, the God of their fathers, sent to them by his messengers, rising up early and sending, because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling-place. But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or virgin, old man or hoary-headed. He gave them all into his And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his rulers, all these he brought to Babylon. And they burnt the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces of it with fire, and destroyed all the good vessels of it. And those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, and they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths; as long as it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, [Jehoiachin's] father's brother, king is his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. read more.
For it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah through the anger of LORD, until he had cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it. And they built forts So the city was besieged to the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. On the ninth day of the [fourth] month the famine was severe in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war [fled] by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about), and [the king] went by t But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. And all his army was scattered from him. Then they took the king, and carried him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah. And they gave judgment upon him. And they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

And they told the king, saying, Behold, Nathan the prophet. And when he came in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance.

Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be considered offenders.

And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in all the way of Asa his father. He turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of LORD. However the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high pla read more.
And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And he put away out of the land the remnant of the sodomites, who remained in the days of his father Asa. And there was no king in Edom; a deputy was king. Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber. Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not. And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel. And he placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken. And LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David, and did not seek for the Baalim, read more.
but sought for the God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. Therefore LORD established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat tribute, and he had riches and honor in abundance. And his heart was lifted up in the ways of LORD. And furthermore he took away the high places and the Asherim out of Judah. Also in the third year of his reign he sent his rulers, even Ben-hail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah. And with them the Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah, the Levites. And with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. And they taught in Judah, having the book of the law of LORD with them. And they went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught among the people. And the fear of LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat. And some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and silver for tribute. The Arabians also brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred he-goats. And Jehoshaphat grew exceedingly great. And he built in Judah castles and cities of storage. And he had many works in the cities of Judah, and men of war, mighty men of valor, in Jerusalem. And this was the numbering of them according to their fathers' houses. Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him three hundred thousand mighty men of valor; and next to him Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred and eighty thousand; and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to LORD, and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor. And of Benjamin: Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield; and next to him Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and eighty thousand ready prepared for war. These were those who waited on the king, besides those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah. Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance. And he joined affinity with Ahab. And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people who were with him, and moved him to go up [with him] to Ramoth-gilead. And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Will thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou are, and my people as thy people, and [will be] with thee in the war. And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire first, I pray thee, for the word of LORD. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up. For God will deliver it into the hand of the king. But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of LORD besides, that we may inquire of him? And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of LORD, but I hate him. For he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil; the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla. Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah each sat on his throne, arrayed in their robes. And they were sitting in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before th And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for him horns of iron, and said, Thus says LORD, With these thou shall push the Syrians until they be consumed. And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper. For LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king. And the messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets [are] good to the king with one mouth. Let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good. And Micaiah said, As LORD lives, what my God says, that will I speak. And when he came to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand. And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of LORD? And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And LORD said, These have no master. Let them return every man to his house in peace. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil? And [Micaiah] said, Therefore hear ye the word of LORD. I saw LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing at his right hand and at his left. And LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spoke saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before LORD, and said, I will entice him. And LORD said to him, With what? And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shall entice him, and shall also prevail. Go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets. And LORD has spoken evil concerning thee. Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way did the Spirit of LORD go from me to speak to thee? And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shall see on that day when thou shall go into an inner chamber to hide thyself. And the king of Israel said, Take ye Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son, and say, Thus says the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace. And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, LORD has not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, ye peoples, all of you. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and go into the battle, but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into the battle. Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel. And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they turned around to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out. And LORD helped him, and God moved them And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. And a certain man drew his bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to the driver of the chariot, Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the army. For I am severely wounded. And the battle increased that day. However the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening. And about the time of the going down of the sun he died. And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Should thou help the wicked, and love those who hate LORD? For this thing wrath is upon thee from before LORD. Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou have put away the Asheroth out of the land, and have set thy heart to seek God. And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem. And he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill-country of Ephraim, and brought them back to LORD, the God of their fathers. And he set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, and said to the judges, Consider what ye do. For ye judge not for man, but for LORD, and [he is] with you in the judgment. Now therefore let the fear of LORD be upon you. Take heed and do it. For there is no iniquity with LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes. Moreover in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat set from the Levites and the priests, and from the heads of the fathers of Israel for the judgment of LORD, and for controversies. And they returned to Jerusalem. And he charged them, saying, Thus ye shall do in the fear of LORD, faithfully, and with a perfect heart. And whenever any controversy shall come to you from your brothers who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, ye shall warn them, that they not be guilty towards LORD, a And, behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of LORD, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all the king's matters. The Levites shall also be officers before you. Deal courageously And it came to pass after this, that the sons of Moab, and the sons of Ammon, and with them some of the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. Then there came some who told Jehoshaphat, saying, There comes a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea from Syria. And, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (the same is En-gedi). And Jehoshaphat was afraid, and set himself to seek for LORD. And he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together, to seek [help] from LORD, even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek LORD. And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of LORD before the new court. And he said, O LORD, the God of our fathers, are thou not God in heaven? And are thou not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? And in thy hand is power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee. Did thou not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and give it to the seed of Abraham thy friend forever? And they dwelt therein, and have built for thee a sanctuary in it for thy name, saying, If evil comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house, and before thee, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry out to thee in our affliction, and thou will hear and save. And now, behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir (whom thou would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and did not destroyed them), behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou have given us to inherit. O our God, will thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us. Neither do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon thee. And all Judah stood before LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their sons. Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of LORD in the midst of the assembly. And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat. Thus says LORD to you, Fear ye not, neither be dismayed because of this great multitude. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow go ye down against them. Behold, they come up by the ascent of Ziz. And ye shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. Ye shall not need to fight in this [battle]. Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not, nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for LORD is with you. And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground. And all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before LORD, worshipping LORD. And the Levites, of the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise LORD, the God of Israel, with an exceedingly loud voice. And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in LORD your God, so shall ye be establ And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who should sing to LORD, and give praise in holy array, as they went out before the army, and say, Give thanks to LORD. For his loving kindness [is] forever. And when they began to sing and to praise, LORD set an ambushment against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir who came against Judah, and they were smitten. For the sons of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, to slay and destroy them utterly. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another [of themselves]. And when Judah came to the watch-tower of the wilderness, they looked upon the multitude. And, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and there were none who escaped. And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches and dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away. And t And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Beracah, for there they blessed LORD. Therefore the name of that place was called The valley of Beracah to this day. Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy. For LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies. And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets to the house of LORD. And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that LORD fought against the enemies of Israel. So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet. For his God gave him rest round about. And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign. And he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and did not turn aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of LORD. However the high places were not taken away. Neither as yet had the people set their hearts to the God of their fathers. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the history of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is inserted in the book of the kings of Israel. And after this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel. The same did very wickedly. And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish. And they made the ships in Ezion-geber. Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou have joined thyself with Ahaziah, LORD has destroyed thy works. And the ships were broken, so that they were not able to go to Tarshi And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

And Pharaoh-necoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt, and died there. And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold from the people of the land, of every one according to his t Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. read more.
And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, according to all that his fathers had done. In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. And LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldeans, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the sons of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of LORD, which he spoke by his Surely at the commandment of LORD this came upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did, and also for the innocent blood that he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and LORD would not pardon. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD his God. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. read more.
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, as did Manasseh his father. And Amon sacrificed to all the graven images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them. And he did not humble himself before LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself, but this same Amon trespassed more and more. read more.
And his servants conspired against him, and put him to death in his own house. But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against king Amon. And the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.

Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD as did Manasseh his father. And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them. read more.
And he forsook LORD, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of LORD. And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and put the king to death in his own house. But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against king Amon. And the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead. Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And he was buried in his sepulcher in the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son reigned in his stead.

and ate and drank before LORD on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him to LORD to be prince, and Zadok to be priest.

All these being men of war, who could order the battle array, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel. And all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.

And the king said to them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel. And blow ye the trumpet, and say, Live, king Solomon.

And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah to be chief, the ruler among his brothers. For [he intended] to make him king. And he dealt wisely, and dispersed all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city. And he gave them provisions in abundance. And he sought [for them] many wives.

And in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the captains over hundreds of the Carites and of the guard, and brought them to him into the house of LORD. And he made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house o And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you, who come in on the Sabbath, shall be keepers of the watch of the king's house; and a third part shall be at the gate Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard. So shall ye keep the watch of the house, and be a barrier. read more.
And the two companies of you, even all who go forth on the Sabbath, shall keep the watch of the house of LORD around the king. And ye shall encompass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand. And he who comes within the ranks, let him be slain. And be ye with the king when he goes out, and when he comes in. And the captains over hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And every man took his men, those who were to come in on the Sabbath, with those who were to go out on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the pr And the priest delivered to the captains over hundreds the spears and shields that had been king David's, which were in the house of LORD. And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, by the king round about. Then he brought out the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and [gave him] the testimony. And they made him king, and anointed him. And they clapped their hands, and said, Live, O king. And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard [and of] the people, she came to the people into the house of LORD. And she looked, and, behold, the king stood by the pillar, as the manner was, and the captains and the trumpets by the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes, and cried, Tre And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, Have her forth between the ranks, and kill with the sword the man who follows her. For the priest said, Let her not be slain i So they made way for her. And she went by the way of the horses' entry to the king's house, and there was she slain. And Jehoiada made a covenant between LORD and the king and the people, that they should be LORD's people; between the king also and the people. And all the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and broke it down. They broke in pieces his altars and his images thoroughly, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over And he took the captains over hundreds, and the Carites, and the guard, and all the people of the land, and they brought down the king from the house of LORD, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king's house. And he So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. And they had slain Athaliah with the sword at the king's house. Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. Joash began to reign in the seventh year of Jehu. And he reigned forty years in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. And Joash did that which was right in the eyes of LORD all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. However the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places. And Joash said to the priests, All the money of the hallowed things that is brought into the house of LORD, in current money, the money of the persons for whom each man is rated, and all the money that it come in any man's heart to let the priests take it to them, every man from his acquaintance, and they shall repair the broken parts of the house wherever any breach shall be found. But it was so, that in the twenty-third year of king Joash the priests had not repaired the broken parts of the house. Then king Joash called for Jehoiada the priest, and for the [other] priests, and said to them, Why do ye not repair the broken parts of the house? Now therefore take no [more] money from your acquaintance, but deliver it for the br And the priests consented that they should take no [more] money from the people, neither repair the broken parts of the house. But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as a man comes into the house of LORD. And the priests who kept the threshold put in it all the money that was And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king's scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags and counted the money that was found in the house of LORD. And they gave the money that was weighed out into the hands of those who did the work, who had the oversight of the house of LORD. And they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked upon the house of LORD, and to the masons and the hewers of stone, and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the broken parts of the house of LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it. But there were not made for the house of LORD cups of silver, snuffers, basins, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of LORD, for they gave that to those who did the work, and with it repaired the house of LORD. Moreover they did not reckon with the men into whose hand they delivered the money to give to those who did the work, for they dealt faithfully. The money for the trespass-offerings, and the money for the sin-offerings, was not brought into the house of LORD; it was the priests'. Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it. And Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. And Joash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house o Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and smote Joash at the house of Millo, [on the way] that goes down to Silla. For Jozacar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, smote him, and he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. And he did that which was right in the eyes of LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. And it came to pass, in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of LORD, saying, read more.
Go up to Hilkiah the high priest that he may sum the money which is brought into the house of LORD, which the keepers of the threshold have gathered of the people. And let them deliver it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of LORD. And let them give it to the workmen who are in the house of LORD, to repair the broken parts of the house, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons, and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the house. However there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, for they dealt faithfully. And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan, and he read it. And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of t And Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest has delivered to me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he tore his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, Go ye, inquire of LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found, for great is the wrath of LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened to the words o So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second quart And she said to them, Thus says LORD, the God of Israel: Tell ye the man who sent you to me, Thus says LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of it, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and it shall not be quenched. But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus says LORD, the God of Israel: As concerning the words which thou have heard, because thy heart was tender, and thou humbled thyself before LORD when thou heard what I spoke against this place, and against the inhabitants of it, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and have torn thy clothes, and Therefore, behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shall be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again. And the king sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. And the king went up to the house of LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great. And he read in their ears all the words And the king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before LORD to walk after LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all [his] heart, and all [his] soul, to confirm the words of this coven And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring forth out of the temple of LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the Asherah, and for a And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and And he brought out the Asherah from the house of LORD, outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and beat it to dust, and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people. And he broke down the houses of the sodomites that were in the house of LORD where the women wove hangings for the Asherah. And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba. And he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the ga Nevertheless the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech. And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of the house of LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs. And he burned the chariots of the sun with f And the altars that were on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of LORD, the king broke down, and beat [them] down from the And the king defiled the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh th And he broke in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Asherim, and filled their places with the bones of men. Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he broke down. And he burned the high place and beat it to dust, and bu And as Josiah turned himself, he noticed the sepulchers that were there in the mount. And he sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchers, and burned them upon the altar, and defiled it, according to the word of LORD which the ma Then he said, What monument is that which I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulcher of the man of God who came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou have done against the altar of Bethel. And he said, Let him be; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria. And Josiah also took away all the houses of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke [LORD] to anger. And he did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel. And he killed all the priests of the high places that were there, upon the altars, and burned men's bones upon them. And he returned to Jerusalem. And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the Passover to LORD your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant. Surely such a Passover was not kept from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah. But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah this Passover was kept to LORD in Jerusalem. Moreover Josiah put away the psychics, and the wizards, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might perform the words of the law which were written i And there was no king before him like him, who turned to LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither arose any like him after him. Notwithstanding, LORD did not turn from the fierceness of his great wrath, with which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him. And LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city which I have chosen, even Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there. Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? In his days Pharaoh-necoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates, and king Josiah went against him. And [Pharaoh-necoh] killed him at Megiddo when he had seen him. And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulcher. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his

Let every soul be subject to offices of authority that rank higher, for there is no office of authority if not by God, and the offices of authority that are by God, are those that have been instituted.

Therefore there is a need to be subordinate, not only because of the wrath, but also because of the conscience.

Therefore because of the Lord, ye should submit to every human establishment, whether to a king as being supreme,

thou shall surely set him king over thee whom LORD thy God shall choose. Thou shall set a king over thee from among thy brothers. Thou may not put a foreigner over thee who is not thy brother.

However LORD, the God of Israel, chose me out of all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For he has chosen Judah to be ruler, and in the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father he And of all my sons (for LORD has given me many sons), he has chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of LORD over Israel. And he said to me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.

And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel came to Shechem to make him king. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt, and they sent and called him), that Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, read more.
Thy father made our yoke grievous. Now therefore make thou lighter the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, and we will serve thee. And he said to them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed. And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye to me to return an answer to this people? And they spoke to him, saying, If thou will be a servant to this people this day, and will serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants forever. But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men that grew up with him, who stood before him. And he said to them, What counsel give ye, that we may return an answer to this people who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that thy father put upon us lighter? And the young men that grew up with him spoke to him, saying, Thus shall thou say to this people that spoke to thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter to us; thus shall thou speak to them, My little f And now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come to me again the third day. And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. So the king did not hearken to the people, for it was a thing brought about by LORD, that he might establish his word, which LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. And when all Israel saw that the king did not hearken to them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel. Now see to thine own hous But as for the sons of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram who was over the men subject to task work. And all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And king Rehoboam made speed to get up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. So Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day. And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was returned, that they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David, but only the tribe of Jud

And Rehoboam went to Shechem. For all Israel came to Shechem to make him king. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, (for he was in Egypt, from where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon), that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. And they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came, and they spoke to Rehoboam, saying, read more.
Thy father made our yoke grievous. Now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. And he said to them, Come again to me after three days. And the people departed. And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel do ye give me to return an answer to this people? And they spoke to him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants forever. But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men that grew up with him, who stood before him. And he said to them, What counsel do ye give, that we may return an answer to this people who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that thy father put upon us lighter? And the young men that grew up with him spoke to him, saying, Thus shall thou say to the people who spoke to thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter to us. Thus shall thou say to them, My little finge And now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I with scorpions. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come to me again the third day. And the king answered them roughly. And king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto. My father chastised you with whips, but I with scorpions. So the king did not hearkened to the people. For it was brought about by God, that LORD might establish his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. And when all Israel saw that the king did not hearkened to them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel. Now see to th

And all the people went to Gilgal. And there they made Saul king before LORD in Gilgal, and there they offered sacrifices of peace-offerings before LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. And Samuel said to all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened to your voice in all that ye said to me, and have made a king over you. And now, behold, the king walks before you. And I am old and gray headed, and, behold, my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my youth to this day. read more.
Here I am. Witness against me before LORD, and before his anointed: Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or of whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with i And they said, Thou have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have thou taken anything of any man's hand. And he said to them, LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found anything in my hand. And they said, He is witness. And Samuel said to the people, It is LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before LORD concerning all the righteous acts of LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers. When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to LORD, then LORD sent Moses and Aaron who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place. But they forgot LORD their God; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. And they cried to LORD, and said, We have sinned because we have forsaken LORD, and have served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth, but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. And LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelt in safety. And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, ye said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us, when LORD your God was your king. Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have asked for. And, behold, LORD has set a king over you. If ye will fear LORD, and serve him, and hearken to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of LORD, then both ye and also the king who reigns over you shall be followers of LORD your God. But if ye will not hearken to the voice of LORD, but rebel against the commandment of LORD, then the hand of LORD will be against you as it was against your fathers. Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which LORD will do before your eyes. Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to LORD that he may send thunder and rain, and ye shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of LORD in asking a king for you. So Samuel called to LORD, and LORD sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared LORD and Samuel. And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for thy servants to LORD thy God that we not die, for we have added to all our sins [this] evil, to ask a king for us. And Samuel said to the people, Fear not. Ye have indeed done all this evil, yet turn not aside from following LORD, but serve LORD with all your heart. And turn ye not aside after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain. For LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake, because it has pleased LORD to make you a people to himself. Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against LORD in ceasing to pray for you. But I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart, for consider what great things he has done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king. Saul was [forty] years old when he began to reign. And when he had reigned two years over Israel, Saul chose for him three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash, and on the mount of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin, and the rest of the people he sent every man to And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal. And the Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel: thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude. And they came up, and encamped in Michmash, When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in coverts, and in pits. Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead, but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel [had appointed], but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him. And Saul said, Bring here the burnt-offering to me, and the peace-offerings. And he offered the burnt-offering. And it came to pass that, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came, and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. And Samuel said, What have thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash, therefore I said, Now the Philistines will come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of LORD. I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou have done foolishly. Thou have not kept the commandment of LORD thy God, which he commanded thee. For now LORD would have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever, but now thy kingdom shall not continue. LORD has sought for him a man after his own heart, and LORD has appointed him to be prince over his people, because thou have not kept that which LORD commanded thee. And Samuel arose, and got up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual, and another company turned the way to Beth-horon, and another company turned the way of the border that looks down upon the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make for them swords or spears, but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to set the goads. So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But with Saul and with Jonathan his son there was found. And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash. Now it fell upon a day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison that is on yonder side. But he did not tell his father. And Saul abode in the outermost part of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron. And the people who were with him were about six hundred men, and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of LORD in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone. And between the passes by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side. And the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba. And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that LORD will work for us, for there is no limitation to LORD to save by many or by few. And his armor bearer said to him, Do all that is in thy heart. Turn thee, behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. Then Jonathan said, Behold, we will pass over to the men, and we will disclose ourselves to them. If they say thus to us, Tarry until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up to them. But if they say thus, Come up to us, then we will go up, for LORD has delivered them into our hand, and this shall be the sign to us. And both of them disclosed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, Come up after me, for LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armor bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed them after him. And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land. And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled. And the earth quaked, so there was an exceedingly great trembling. And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went [here] and there. Then Saul said to the people who were with him, Number now, and see who has gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there. And Saul said to Ahijah, Bring here the ark of God. For the ark of God was [there] at that time with the sons of Israel. And it came to pass, while Saul talked to the priest, that the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased. And Saul said to the priest, Withdraw thy hand. And Saul and all the people who were with him were gathered together, and came to the battle. And, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, [and there was] a very great discomfiture. Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines as formerly, and who went up with them into the camp, [from the country] round about, even they also [turned] to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. Likewise all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in the hill-country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed close after them in the battle. So LORD saved Israel that day, and the battle passed over by Beth-aven. And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man who eats any food until it be evening, and I be avenged on my enemies. So none of the people tasted food. And all the people came into the forest, and there was honey upon the ground. And when the people came to the forest, behold, the honey dropped, but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath, therefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened. Then one of the people answered, and said, Thy father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man who eats food this day, and the people were faint. Then Jonathan said, My father has troubled the land. See, I pray you, how my eyes have been enlightened because I tasted a little of this honey. How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? For now there has been no great slaughter among the Philistines. And they smote of the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint, and the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and killed them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood. Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, ye have dealt treacherously. Roll a great stone to me this day. And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, Bring me here every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and kill them here, and eat. And sin not against LORD in eating with the blood. And all the people broug And Saul built an altar to LORD; the same was the first altar that he built to LORD. And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatever seems good to thee. Then the priest said, Let us draw n And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he did not answer him that day. And Saul said, Draw near here, all ye chiefs of the people, and know and see how this sin has been this day. For, as LORD lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people who answered him. Then he said to all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said to Saul, Do what seems good to thee. Therefore Saul said to LORD, the God of Israel, Show the right. And Jonathan and Saul were taken [by lot], but the people escaped. And Saul said, Cast [lots] between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou have done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did certainly taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. And, lo, I must die. And Saul said, God do so and more also, for thou shall surely die, Jonathan. And the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far from it. As LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has wrought with God this day. So the peop Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place. Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the sons of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. And where And he did valiantly, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who despoiled them. Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishvi, and Malchishua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the first-born Merab, and the name of the younger Michal. And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the captain of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. And Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. And there was great war against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him to him. And Samuel said to Saul, LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore hearken thou to the voice of the words of LORD. Thus says LORD of hosts, I have remembered that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way when he came up out of Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to the city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. And Saul said to the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them, for ye showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the And Saul smote the Amalekites, from Havilah as thou go to Shur, that is before Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. But everything that was vile and refuse, that they dest Then the word of LORD came to Samuel, saying, I regret that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments. And Samuel was angry, and he cried out to LORD all night. And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, and it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set up for him a monument, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal. And Samuel came to Saul. And Saul said to him, Blessed be thou of LORD. I have performed the commandment of LORD. And Samuel said, What then means this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to LORD thy God, and the rest we have utterly destroyed. Then Samuel said to Saul, Stop, and I will tell thee what LORD has said to me this night. And he said to him, Say on. And Samuel said, Though thou were little in thine own sight, were thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And LORD anointed thee king over Israel. And LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. Why then did thou not obey the voice of LORD, but did fly upon the spoil, and did that which was evil in the sight of LORD? And Saul said to Samuel, Yes, I have obeyed the voice of LORD, and have gone the way which LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to LORD thy God in Gilgal. And Samuel said, Has LORD as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou have rejected the word of LORD, he has also rejected thee from being king. And Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of LORD, and thy words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me that I may worship LORD. And Samuel said to Saul, I will not return with thee, for thou have rejected the word of LORD, and LORD has rejected thee from being king over Israel. And as Samuel turned about to go away, [Saul] laid hold upon the skirt of his robe, and it tore. And Samuel said to him, LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and has given it to a neighbor of thine, who is better than thou. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent, for he is not a man that he should repent. Then he said, I have sinned. Yet honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship LORD thy God. So Samuel turned again after Saul, and Saul worshipped LORD. Then Samuel said, Bring ye here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came to him cheerfully. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. And Samuel said, As thy sword has made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before LORD in Gilgal. Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death, for Samuel mourned for Saul, and LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. And LORD said to Samuel, How long will thou mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill thy horn with oil, and go. I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for me a king among And Samuel said, How do I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me. And LORD said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I have come to sacrifice to LORD. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shall do. And thou shall anoint to me him whom I name to thee. And Samuel did that which LORD spoke, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Do thou come peaceably? And he said, Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. And it came to pass, when they came, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely LORD's anointed is before him. But LORD said to Samuel, Do not look on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For [LORD sees] not as man sees, for man looks on the outward appearance, but LORD looks on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has LORD chosen this man. Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither has LORD chosen this man. And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, LORD has not chosen these men. And Samuel said to Jesse, Are all thy sons here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he is keeping the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he comes here. And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and of a beautiful countenance, and fine to look upon. And LORD said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. Now the Spirit of LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from LORD troubled him. And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles thee. Let our lord now command thy servants, who are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp. And it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou sh And Saul said to his servants, Provide for me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me. Then one of the young men answered, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valor, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely man, and LORD is with him Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send to me David thy son, who is with the sheep. And Jesse took a donkey with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son to Saul. And David came to Saul, and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight. And it came to pass, when the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand. So Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle. And they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the vale of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, and there was a valley between them. And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail. And the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head [weighed] six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. And he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, Why have ye come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me, and kill me, then we will be your servants, but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then ye shall be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together. And when Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid. Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah, whose name was Jesse. And he had eight sons, and the man was an old man in the days of Saul, stricken [in years] among men. And the three eldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the first-born, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. And David was the youngest, and the three eldest followed Saul. Now David went to and fro from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. And Jesse said to David his son, Take now for thy brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry [them] quickly to the camp to thy brothers. And bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand. And look how thy brothers fare, and take their pledge. Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the place of the wagons as the army which was going forth to the fight shouted for the battle. And Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army. And David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the army, and came and saluted his brothers. And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words, and David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were greatly afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man who has come up? Surely to defy Israel he has come up. And it shall be, that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and m And David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the l And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that kills him. And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why have thou come down? And with whom have thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and t And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke after the same manner, and the people answered him again after the former manner. And when the words were heard which David spoke, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him. Thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Thou are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for thou are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And David said to Saul, Thy servant was keeping his father's sheep, and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and killed him. Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God. And David said, LORD who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and LORD shall be with thee. And Saul clad David with his apparel, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword upon his apparel, and he attempted to go, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them. And David put them off of him. And he took his staff in his hand, and chose for him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his wallet. And his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine. And the Philistine came on and drew near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that thou come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the field. Then David said to the Philistine, Thou come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin, but I come to thee in the name of LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou have defied. This day LORD will deliver thee into my hand, and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee. And I will give the dead bodies of the armies of the Philistines this day to the birds of the heavens, and to the wild beasts of and that all this assembly may know that LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is LORD's, and he will give you into our hand. And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew near to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took from there a stone, and slung it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Then David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath of it, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines until thou come to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath, and to Ekron. And the sons of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the army, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul lives, O king, I cannot tell. And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling is. And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said to him, Whose son are thou, young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite. And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would no more let him go home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his apparel, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his belt. And David went out wherever Saul sent him, [and] behaved himself wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. And it came to pass as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels, with joy, and with instruments And the women sang one to another as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him, and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands, and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. And David played with his hand, as he did day by day, and Saul had his spear in his hand. And Saul cast the spear, for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David turned away from his presence twice. And Saul was afraid of David because LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand, and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways, and LORD was with him. And when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them. And Saul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, I will give her to thee for a wife. Only be thou valiant for me, and fight LORD's battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be And David said to Saul, Who am I, and what is my life, [or] my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king? But it came to pass at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite to wife. And Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David, and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David, Thou shall this day be my son-in-law a second time. And Saul commanded his servants, [saying], Converse with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king has delight in thee, and all his servants love thee. Now therefore be the king's son-in-law. And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, Does it seem to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed? And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner David spoke. And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king does not desire any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. And the days were not expired, and David arose and went, he and his men, and killed of the Philistines two hundred men. And David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Mi And Saul saw and knew that LORD was with David, and Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him. And Saul was yet the more afraid of David, and Saul was David's enemy continually. Then the rulers of the Philistines went forth, and it came to pass, as often as they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was very precious. And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David. And Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeks to kill thee. Now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself in the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou are, and I will converse with my father of thee, and if I see anything, I will tell thee. And Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against thee, and because his works have been very good toward thee. For he put his life in his hand, and smote the Philistine, and LORD wrought a great victory for all Israel. Thou saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will thou sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause? And Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan. And Saul swore, As LORD lives, he shall not be put to death. And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as beforetime. And there was war again. And David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and killed them with a great slaughter, and they fled before him. And an evil spirit from LORD was upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing with his hand. And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the spear into the wall. And David fled, and escaped that night. And Saul sent messengers to David's house, to watch him, and to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, If thou save not thy life tonight, tomorrow thou will be slain. So Michal let David down through the window, and he went, and fled, and escaped. And Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' [hair] at the head of it, and covered it with the clothes. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him. And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' [hair] at the head of it. And Saul said to Michal, Why have thou deceived me thus, and let my enemy go, so that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said to me, Let me go. Why should I kill thee? Now David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah. And Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah. And he went there to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets? And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? What is my iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeks my life? And he said to him, Far from it. Thou shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it to me, and why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so. And David swore moreover, and said, Thy father knows well that I have found favor in thine eyes, and he says, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly as LORD lives, and as thy soul lives, there is but a step betwe Then Jonathan said to David, Whatever thy soul desires, I will even do it for thee. And David said to Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go that I may hide myself in the field to the third day at evening. If thy father misses me at all, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city, for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family. If he says thus, It is well. Thy servant shall have peace. But if he is angry, then know that evil is determined by him. Therefore deal kindly with thy servant, for thou have brought thy servant into a covenant of LORD with thee. But if there be in me iniquity, kill me thyself, for why should thou bring me to thy father? And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee, for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would I not tell it to thee? Then David said to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answers thee roughly? And Jonathan said to David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field. And Jonathan said to David, LORD, the God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about this time tomorrow, [or] the third day, behold, if there be good toward David, shall I not then send to thee, and disclose it to thee? LORD do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do thee evil, if I not disclose it to thee, and send thee away that thou may go in peace. And LORD be with thee as he has been with my father. And thou shall not only show me the loving kindness of LORD, while I yet live, that I not die, but also thou shall not cut off thy kindness from my house forever. No, not when LORD has cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, [saying], And LORD will require it at the hand of David's enemies. And Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him. For he loved him as he loved his own soul. Then Jonathan said to him, Tomorrow is the new moon, and thou will be missed because thy seat will be empty. And when thou have stayed three days, thou shall go down quickly, and come to the place where thou hid thyself when the business was in hand, and shall remain by the stone Ezel. And I will shoot three arrows on the side of it, as though I shot at a mark. And, behold, I will send the lad, [saying], Go, find the arrows. If I say to the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them, and come, for there is peace to thee and no hurt, as LORD lives. But if I say thus to the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee, go thy way, for LORD has sent thee away. And concerning the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, LORD is between thee and me forever. So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the wall, and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty. Nevertheless Saul spoke nothing that day, for he thought, Something has befallen him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean. And it came to pass on the morrow after the new moon, [which was] the second [day], that David's place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has the son of Jesse not come in to the food, neither yesterday, nor today? And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. And he said, Let me go, I pray thee, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother, he has commanded me. And now, if I have found favor in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brothers. Therefore he has Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, Thou son of a perverse rebellious woman, do I not know that thou have chosen the son of Jesse to thine own shame, and to the shame of thy mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the ground, thou shall not be established, nor thy kingdom. Therefore now send and fetch him to me, for he shall surely die. And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, Why should he be put to death? What has he done? And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him. By this Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to put David to death. So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David because his father had done him shame. And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. And he said to his lad, Run, now find the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee? And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. But the lad knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter. And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city. And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of [a place] toward the South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. And they kissed each other, and wept one with another until David surpassed [him]. And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, inasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of LORD, saying, LORD shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed, forever. And he arose and departed, and Jonathan went i Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, Why are thou alone, and no man with thee? And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, Let no man know anything of the business about which I send thee, and what I have commanded thee, and I have assigned the young men t Now therefore what is under thy hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever there is present. And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread. If only the young men have kept themselves from women. And David answered the priest, and said to him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days. When I came out the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey. How much more then today sh So the priest gave him holy [bread], for there was no bread there but the showbread that was taken from before LORD to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away. Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before LORD. And his name was Doeg the Edomite, the foremost of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul. And David said to Ahimelech, And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste. And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou killed in the vale of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If thou will take that, take it, for there is no other except that here. And Da And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? And David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath. And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad. Why then have ye brought him to me? Do I lack madmen, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house? David therefore departed from there, and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. And every man who was in distress, and every man who was in debt, and every man who was discontented, gathered themselves to him, and he became captain over them. And there were with him about four hundred men. And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab, and he said to the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, [and be] with you, till I know what God will do for me. And he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the stronghold. And the prophet Gad said to David, Abide not in the stronghold. Depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth. And Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree in Ramah with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites. Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards. Will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none who discloses to me when my son makes a league with the son of Jesse. And there is none of you who is sorry for me, or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my serva Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. And he inquired of LORD for him, and gave him food, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were in Nob. And they came to the king, all of them. And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord. And Saul said to him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou have given him bread, and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me to lay in wait as at this day? Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who among all thy servants is so faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and is taken into thy council, and is honorable in thy house? Have I today begun to inquire of God for him? Be it far from me. Let not the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of my father, for thy servant knows nothing of all this, less or more. And the king said, Thou shall surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house. And the king said to the guard who stood about him, Turn, and kill the priests of LORD, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and did not disclose it to me. But the servants of the king would no And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore a linen ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, he smote with the edge of the sword, both men and women, sons and sucklings, and oxen and donkeys and sheep, with the edge of the sword. And one of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain LORD's priests. And David said to Abiathar, I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned [the death] of all the persons of thy father's house. Abide thou with me. Fear not, for he who seeks my life seeks thy life, for with me thou shall be in safeguard. And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing-floors. Therefore David inquired of LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And LORD said to David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. And David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? Then David inquired of LORD yet again. And LORD answered him, and said, Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand. And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand. And it was told Saul that David came to Keilah. And Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand, for he is shut in by entering into a town that has gates and bars. And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. And David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him, and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring here the ephod. Then said David, O LORD, the God of Israel, thy servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down as thy servant has heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And LORD said, He will come down. Then David said, Will the men of Keilah deliver up me and my men into the hand of Saul? And LORD said, They will deliver thee up. Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went wherever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah, and he ceased to go forth. And David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill-country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. And David saw that Saul came out to seek his life, and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the forest. And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose, and went to David into the forest, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said to him, Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee. And thou shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to thee. And that, Saul my father also knows. And those two made a covenant before LORD. And David abode in the forest, and Jonathan went to his house. Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the forest, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert? Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of thy soul to come down, and our part shall be to deliver him up into the king's hand. And Saul said, Blessed be ye of LORD, for ye have had compassion on me. Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, [and] who has seen him there, for it is told me that he deals very shrewdly. See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking-places where he hides himself, and come ye again to me of a certainty. And I will go with you, and it shall come to pass, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among a And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul, but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert. And Saul and his men went to seek him. And they told David. Therefore he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard [that], he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain. And David made haste to get away for fear of Saul. For Saul and his men encompassed David and his men round about to take them. But there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Hasten thee, and come, for the Philistines have made a raid upon the land. So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth. And David went up from there, and dwelt in the strongholds of En-gedi. And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi. Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave, and Saul went in to cover his feet. Now David and his men were abiding in the innermost parts of the cave. And the men of David said to him, Behold, the day of which LORD said to thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thy hand, and thou shall do to him as it shall seem good to thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. And he said to his men, LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, LORD's anointed, to put forth my hand against him, since he is LORD's anointed. So David restrained his men with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance. And David said to Saul, Why do thou hearken to men's words, saying, Behold, David seeks thy hurt? Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that LORD had delivered thee today into my hand in the cave. And some bade me kill thee, but [I] spared thee. And I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord, for he is LORD's anoi Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand, for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not. Know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned LORD judge between me and thee, and LORD avenge me of thee, but my hand shall not be upon thee. As says the proverb of the ancients, Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness, but my hand shall not be upon thee. After whom is the king of Israel come out? After whom do thou pursue? After a dead dog, after a flea. LORD therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thy hand. And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. And he said to David, Thou are more righteous than I, for thou have rendered to me good, whereas I have rendered to thee evil. And thou have declared this day how that thou have dealt well with me, inasmuch as when LORD had delivered me up into thy hand, thou killed me not. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away well? Therefore LORD reward thee good for that which thou have done to me this day. And now, behold, I know that thou shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thy hand. Swear now therefore to me by LORD, that thou will not cut off my seed after me, and that thou will not destroy my name out of my father's house. And David swore to Saul. And Saul went home, but David and his men got up to the stronghold. And Samuel died. And all Israel gathered themselves together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran. And there was a man in Maon whose possessions were in Carmel. And the man was very great [in goods], and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance, but the man was churlish and evil in his doings, and he was of the house of Caleb. And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. And David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. And thus ye shall say to him who lives [in prosperity], Peace be to thee, and peace be to thy house, and peace be to all that thou have. And now I have heard that thou have shearers. Thy shepherds have now been with us, and we did them no hurt, neither was there anything missing to them all the while they were in Carmel. Ask thy young men, and they will tell thee. Therefore let the young men find favor in thine eyes, for we come in a good day. Give, I pray thee, whatever comes to thy hand to thy servants, and to thy son David. And when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased. And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants now-a-days who break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men of whom I know not from where they are? So David's young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him according to all these words. And David said to his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And there went up after David about four hundred men, and two hundred abode by the baggage. But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he railed at them. But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, neither did we miss anything as long as we went with them when we were in the fields. They were a wall to us both by night and by day all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. Now therefore know and consider what thou will do, for evil is determined against our master, and against all his house. For he is such a worthless fellow that [a man] cannot speak to him. Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched grain, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on don And she said to her young men, Go on before me, behold, I come after you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal. And it was so, as she rode on her donkey, and came down by the covert of the mountain, that, behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them. Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him, and he has returned me evil for good. God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that pertains to him by the morning light so much as one man-child. And when Abigail saw David, she hastened, and alighted from her donkey, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground. And she fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me be the iniquity, and let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine ears, and hear thou the words of thy handmaid. Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this worthless fellow, even Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I thy handmaid saw not the young men of my lord whom thou sent. Now therefore, my lord, as LORD lives, and as thy soul lives, since LORD has withheld thee from blood guiltiness, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now therefore let thine enemies, and those who seek evil to my lord, b And now this present which thy servant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. Forgive, I pray thee, the trespass of thy handmaid. For LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights the battles of LORD, and evil shall not be found in thee all thy days. And though men be risen up to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with LORD thy God. And the souls of thine enemies, them he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling. And it shall come to pass, when LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee prince over Israel, that this shall be no grief to thee, nor offence of heart to my lord, either that thou have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. And when LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thy handmaid And David said to Abigail, Blessed be LORD, the God of Israel, who sent thee this day to meet me, and blessed be thy discretion, and blessed be thou, who have kept me this day from blood guiltiness, and from avenging myself with my own hand. For in very deed, as LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has withheld me from hurting thee, unless thou had hastened and come to meet me, surely there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light so much as one man-child. So David received from her hand that which she had brought him. And he said to her, Go up in peace to thy house. See, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person. And Abigail came to Nabal, and, behold, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. Therefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. And it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, that his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. And it came to pass about ten days after, that LORD smote Nabal, so that he died. And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be LORD, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil, and the evil-doing of Nabal LORD has returned upon his ow And when the servants of David came to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, David has sent us to thee, to take thee to him to wife. And she arose, and bowed herself with her face to the earth, and said, Behold, thy handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. And Abigail hastened, and arose, and rode upon a donkey, with five of her damsels who followed her. And she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife. David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they became his wives, both of them. Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim. And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert? Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul definitely came. And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his army. And Saul lay within the place of the wagons, and the people were encamped Then David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee. So David and Abishai came to the people by night. And, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the place of the wagons with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the people lay round about him. Then said Abishai to David, God has delivered up thine enemy into thy hand this day. Now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time. And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not, for who can put forth his hand against LORD's anointed, and be guiltless? And David said, As LORD lives, LORD will smite him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go down into battle and perish. LORD forbid that I should put forth my hand against LORD's anointed. But now take, I pray thee, the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go. So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head, and they got away. And no man saw it, nor knew it, neither did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from LORD was fallen upon them. Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off, a great space being between them. And David cried out to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answer thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who are thou that cries to the king? And David said to Abner, Are not thou a [valiant] man? And who is like to thee in Israel? Why then have thou not kept watch over thy lord the king? For there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord. This thing is not good that thou have done. As LORD lives, ye are worthy to die because ye have not kept watch over your lord, LORD's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head. And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. And he said, Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand? Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it be LORD who has stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering, but if it be the sons of men, cursed be they before LORD. For they have d Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of LORD. For the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when [a man] hunts a partridge in the mountains. Then Saul said, I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do thee harm because my life was precious in thine eyes this day. Behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. And David answered and said, Behold the spear, O king! Let then one of the young men come over and fetch it. And LORD will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness, inasmuch as LORD delivered thee into my hand today, and I would not put forth my hand against LORD's anointed. And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in my eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation. Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David. Thou shall both do mightily, and shall surely prevail. So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place. And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines, and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the bor And David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife. And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath, and he sought no more again for him. And David said to Achish, If now I have found favor in thine eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country that I may dwell there, for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee? Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag pertains to the kings of Judah to this day. And the number of the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months. And David and his men went up, and made a raid upon the Geshurites, and the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for those [nations] were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old as thou go to Shur, even to the land of Egypt. And David smote the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the donkeys, and the camels, and the apparel, and he returned, and came to Achish. And Achish said, Against whom have ye made a raid today? And David said, Against the South of Judah, and against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites. And David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring them to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell of us, saying, So did David, and so has been his manner all the while he has dwelt in the country of the Philistines. And Achish believed David, saying, He has made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he shall be my servant forever. And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shall go out with me in the army, thou and thy men. And David said to Achish, Therefore thou shall know what thy servant will do. And Achish said to David, Therefore I will make thee my chief bodyguard forever. Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those who had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and encamped in Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped in Gilboa. And when Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. And when Saul inquired of LORD, LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, Seek me a woman who has a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman who has a familiar spirit at En-dor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night, and he said, Divine to me, I pray thee, by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whomever I shall name to And the woman said to him, Behold, thou know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. Why then do thou lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And Saul swore to her by LORD, saying, As LORD lives, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up to thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why have thou deceived me? For thou are Saul. And the king said to her, Be not afraid, for what do thou see? And the woman said to Saul, I see gods coming up out of the earth. And he said to her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man comes up, and he is covered with a robe. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance. And Samuel said to Saul, Why have thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am greatly distressed, for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answers me no more, neither by prophets, no And Samuel said, Why then do thou ask of me, since LORD departed from thee, and has become thine adversary? And LORD has done to thee, as he spoke by me. And LORD has rent the kingdom out of thy hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David. Because thou obeyed not the voice of LORD, and did not execute his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore LORD has done this thing to thee this day. Moreover LORD will deliver Israel also with thee into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow thou and thy sons shall be with me. LORD will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. Then Saul fell straightway his full length upon the earth, and was greatly afraid because of the words of Samuel, and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night. And the woman came to Saul, and saw that he was greatly troubled, and said to him, Behold, thy handmaid has hearkened to thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened to thy words which thou spoke to me. Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also to the voice of thy handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee, and eat, that thou may have strength when thou go on thy way. But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, constrained him, and he hearkened to their voice. So he arose from the ground, and sat upon the bed. And the woman had a fatted calf in the house. And she hastened, and killed it, and she took flour, and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread of it. And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants, and they ate. Then they rose up, and went away that night. Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by the fountain which is in Jezreel. And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands, and David and his men passed on in the rearward with Achish. Then the rulers of the Philistines said, What [are] these Hebrews? And Achish said to the rulers of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or [rather] these year But the rulers of the Philistines were angry with him. And the rulers of the Philistines said to him, Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where thou have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, l Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands? Then Achish called David, and said to him, As LORD lives, thou have been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the army is good in my sight, for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming to me to t Therefore now return, and go in peace, that thou not displease the lords of the Philistines. And David said to Achish, But what have I done? And what have thou found in thy servant so long as I have been before thee to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king? And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou are good in my sight, as an agent of God, notwithstanding the rulers of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle. Therefore now rise up early in the morning with the servants of thy lord who have come with thee, and as soon as ye are up early in the morning, and have light, depart. So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel. And it came to pass, when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid upon the South, and upon Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire, and had taken captive the women [and all] that were in it, both small and great. They did not kill any, but carried them off, and went their way. And when David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire. And their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David's two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters. But David strengthened himself in LORD his God. And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, I pray thee, bring me here the ephod. And Abiathar brought there the ephod to David. And David inquired of LORD, saying, If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue, for thou shall surely overtake [them], and shall without fail recover [all]. So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor. And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread. And he ate, and they gave him water to drink. And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him, for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. And David said to him, To whom do thou belong? And from where are thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite. And my master left me because three days ago I fell sick. We made a raid upon the South of the Cherethites, and upon that which belongs to Judah, and upon the South of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire. And David said to him, Will thou bring me down to this troop? And he said, Swear to me by God, that thou will neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this troop. And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the ground, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of And David smote them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. And there escaped not a man of them, except four hundred young men who rode upon camels and fled. And David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor anything that they had taken to them; David brought back all. And David took all the flocks and the herds, [which] they drove before those [other] cattle, and said, This is David's spoil. And David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to abide at the brook Besor. And they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. And when D Then answered all the wicked men and base fellows of those who went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them anything of the spoil that we have recovered except to every man his wife and his childr Then David said, Ye shall not do so, my brothers, with that which LORD has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand. And who will hearken to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle so shall his share be who remains by the baggage; they shall share alike. And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day. And when David came to Ziklag, he sent from the spoil to the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold, a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of LORD: to those who were in Bethel, and to those who were in Ramoth of the South, and to those who were in Jattir, and to those who were in Aroer, and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa, and to those who were in Racal, and to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those who were in the cities of the Kenites, and to those who were in Hormah, and to those who were in Borashan, and to those who were in Athach, and to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to frequent. Now the Philistines fought against Israel. And the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons, and the Philistines killed Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. And the battle went severely against Saul, and the archers overtook him, and he was greatly distressed because of the archers. Then Saul said to his armor bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armor bearer would not, for he was very afraid. Therefore Saul took his s And when his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword, and died with him. So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor bearer, and all his men, that same day together. And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled. And the Philistine And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa. And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about to carry the news to the house of their idols, and to the people. And they put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard concerning him, that which the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. And they took their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal seed of the house of Judah. But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons who were slain, and put him and his nurse in the bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, th And he was with them hid in the house of God six years, and Athaliah reigned over the land.

Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal seed. But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons who were slain, even him and his nurse, [and put them] in the bedchamber. And they hid him f And he was with her hidden in the house of LORD six years. And Athaliah reigned over the land.

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, according to all that his father had done. At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. read more.
And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it. And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers. And the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. And he carried out from there all the treasures of the house of LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold, which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of LORD, as LORD had said. And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the rulers, and all the mighty men of valor, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the blacksmiths. None remained except the poorest sort of the people of the land. And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. And the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the chief men of the land, he carried into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the blacksmiths a thousand, all of them strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.

Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD. And at the return of the year king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the good vessels of the house of LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD after the abominations of the nations whom LORD cast out before the sons of Israel. For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down. And he reared up altars for the Baalim, and made Asheroth, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. read more.
And he built altars in the house of LORD, of which LORD said, In Jerusalem shall my name be forever. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of LORD. He also made his sons to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom. And he practiced augury, and used enchantments, and practiced sorcery, and dealt with psychics, and with wizards. He wrought much evil in the sight And he set the graven image of the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from off the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them, even all the law and the statutes and the ordinances [give And Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did evil more than the nations did whom LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel. And LORD spoke to Manasseh, and to his people, but they gave no heed. Therefore LORD brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. And when he was in distress, he besought LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And he prayed to him. And he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that LORD he was God. Now after this he built an outer wall to the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance at the fish gate. And he encompassed Ophel around [with it], and raised it up to a very great height. And he And he took away the foreign gods, and the idol out of the house of LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. And he built up the altar of LORD, and offered on it sacrifices of peace-offerings and of thanksgiving, and commanded Judah to serve LORD, the God of Israel. Nevertheless the people still sacrificed in the high places, but only to LORD their God. Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of LORD, the God of Israel, behold, they are written among the acts of the kings of Israel. Also his prayer, and how [God] was entreated by him, and all his sin and his trespass, and the places in which he built high places, and set up the Asherim and the graven images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. And Amon his son reigned in his stead.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom LORD cast out before the sons of Israel. For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed. And he reared up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as did Ahab king of Israel, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. read more.
And he built altars in the house of LORD, of which LORD said, In Jerusalem I will put my name. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of LORD. And he made his son to pass through the fire, and practiced augury, and used enchantments, and dealt with psychics, and with sorcery. He wrought much evil in the sight of LORD to provoke him to anger. And he set the graven image of Asherah, that he had made, in the house of which LORD said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name for Neither will I cause the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses But they did not hearken. And Manasseh seduced them to do that which is evil more than did the nations whom LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel. And LORD spoke by his servants the prophets, saying, Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations, and has done wickedly above all that the Amorites did who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols, therefore thus says LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I bring such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears shall tingle. And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab. And I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. And I will cast off the remnant of my inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies. And they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies, because they have done that which is evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt even to this day. Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin with which he made Judah to sin in doing that which was evil in the sight of LORD. Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza, and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, according to all that his fathers had done. And Pharaoh-necoh put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem. And he put the land to a tribute of a hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.

Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem. Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem, and fined the land a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. read more.
And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Neco took Joahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.

And, behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of LORD, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all the king's matters. The Levites shall also be officers before you. Deal courageously

And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the ruler of the house, and Elkanah who was next to the king.

LORD says to my lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

Bathsheba therefore went to king Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself to her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king's mother. And she sat on his

Kings' daughters are among thy honorable women. At thy right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.

And Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the tent, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, Live, king Solomon. And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them. And Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Why is this noise of the city being in an uproar? read more.
While he yet spoke, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, Come in, for thou are a worthy man, and bring good news. And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Truly our lord king David has made Solomon king. And the king has 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. And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon. And they have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard. And also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom. And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, Thy God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed. And also thus said the king, Blessed be LORD, the God of Israel, who has given one of my seed to sit on my throne this day, my eyes even seeing it. And all the guests of Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and every man went his way. And Adonijah feared because of Solomon. And he arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah fears king Solomon, for, lo, he has laid hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear to me first that he will not kill his servant with the sword. And Solomon said, If he shall show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth, but if wickedness be found in him, he shall die. So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and did obeisance to king Solomon. And Solomon said to him, Go to thy house. Now the days of David drew near that he should die. And he charged Solomon his son, saying, I am going the way of all the earth. Be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man, and keep the charge of LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, [and] his commandments, and his ordinances, and his testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses, that thou may prosper in all t That LORD may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, If thy sons take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee a man on the throne of Is Moreover thou also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, even what he did to the two captains of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, and shed the blood of war in pea Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and do not let his hoar head go down to Sheol in peace. But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those who eat at thy table, for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom thy brother. And, behold, there is with thee Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by LORD, sayin Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for thou are a wise man, and thou will know what thou ought to do to him, and thou shall bring his hoar head down to Sheol with blood. And David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem. And Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was established greatly. Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Do thou come peaceably? And he said, Peaceably. He said moreover, I have something to say to thee. And she said, Say on. And he said, Thou know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign. However the kingdom is turned about, and has become my brother's, for it was his from LORD. And now I ask one petition of thee; do not deny me. And she said to him, Say on. And he said, Speak, I pray thee, to Solomon the king (for he will not say no thee), that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife. And Bathsheba said, Well, I will speak for thee to the king. Bathsheba therefore went to king Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself to her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king's mother. And she sat on his Then she said, I ask one small petition of thee; do not deny me. And the king said to her, Ask on, my mother, for I will not deny thee. And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife. And king Solomon answered and said to his mother, And why do thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my elder brother, even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Then king Solomon swore by LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life. Now therefore as LORD lives, who has established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house as he promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death this day. And king Solomon sent by Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he fell upon him so that he died. And the king said to Abiathar the priest, Get thee to Anathoth, to thine own fields, for thou are worthy of death. But I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou bore the ark of lord LORD before David my father, and be So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest to LORD, that he might fulfill the word of LORD, which he spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. And the news came to Joab, for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he did not turn after Absalom. And Joab fled to the tent of LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. And it was told king Solomon, Joab has fled to the tent of LORD, and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him. And Benaiah came to the tent of LORD, and said to him, Thus says the king, Come forth. And he said, No, but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me. And the king said to him, Do as he has said, and fall upon him, and bury him, that thou may take away the blood, which Joab shed without cause, from me and from my father's house. And LORD will return his blood upon his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, and my father David did not know it, [namely], Abner the son of Ner, captain of the a So shall their blood return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed forever. But to David, and to his seed, and to his house, and to his throne, there shall be peace forever from LORD. Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and killed him. And he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the army. And the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar. And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, Build for thee a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth from there anywhere. For on the day thou go out, and pass over the brook Kidron, know thou for certain that thou shall surely die; thy blood shall be upon thine own head. And Shimei said to the king, The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants are in Gath. And Shimei arose, and saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants. And Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath. And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again. And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, Did I not adjure thee by LORD, and protest to thee, saying, Know for certain, that on the day thou go out, and walk abroad anywhere, thou shall surely die? And thou said to Why then have thou not kept the oath of LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou know all the iniquity which thy heart is privy to, what thou did to David my father. Therefore LORD shall return thy iniquity upon thine own head. But king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before LORD forever. So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And he went out, and fell upon him so that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon. And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round ab Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of LORD until those days. And Solomon loved LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father. Only he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt-offerings upon that altar. In Gibeon LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou have shown to thy servant David my father great loving kindness, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee. And thou have kept for him this great And now, O LORD my God, thou have made thy servant king instead of David my father. And I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou have chosen, a great people that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to judge this thy great people? And the speech pleased LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said to him, Because thou have asked this thing, and have not asked for thyself long life, neither have asked riches for thyself, nor have asked the life of thine enemies, but have asked for thyself understanding to discern behold, I have done according to thy word. Lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, so that there has been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like thee. And I have also given thee that which thou have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like thee all thy days. And if thou will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David walked, then I will lengthen thy days. And Solomon awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of LORD, and offered up burnt-offerings, and offered peace-offerings, and made a feast to all his servants. Then two women who were harlots came to the king, and stood before him. 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. And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also. And we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, except we two in the house. And this woman's child died in the night, because she lay upon it. And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me while thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead. But when I had looked at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son whom I bore. And the other woman said, No, but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And the other woman said, No, but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king. Then the king said, The one says, This is my son that lives, and thy son is the dead. And the other says, No, but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. And the king said, Fetch me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. Then the woman whose the living child was spoke to the king, for her heart yearned over her son, and she said, Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill it. But the other said, It shall be neither mine nor thine. Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and by no means kill it; she is the mother of it. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged. And they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do justice. And king Solomon was king over all Israel. And these were the rulers whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; and Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; and Zabud the son of Nathan was chief minister, [and] the king's friend; and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to task work. And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel who provided provisions for the king and his household. Each man had to make provision for a month in the year. And these are their names: Ben-hur, in the hill-country of Ephraim; Ben-deker, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan; Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him [pertained] Socoh, and all the land of Hepher); Ben-abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife); Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam; Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (to him [pertained] the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; [even] to him [pertained] the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and brazen bars); Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon to wife); Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan, and [he was] the only officer who was in the land. Judah and Israel were as many as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry. And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute, and served Solomon all the days of his life. And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of meal, ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and a hundred sheep, besides harts, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fatted fowl. For he had dominion over all [the region] on this side the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side of the River. And he had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. And those officers provided provisions for king Solomon, and for all who came to king Solomon's table, every man in his month; they let nothing be lacking. Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where [the officers] were, every man according to his charge. And God gave Solomon exceedingly much wisdom and understanding, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the sons of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men: than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame was in all the nations round about. And he spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of creeping things, and of fishes. And there came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom. And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father, for Hiram was ever a devotee of David. And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, Thou know how that David my father could not build a house for the name of LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until LORD put them under the soles of his feet. But now LORD my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary, nor evil occurrence. And, behold, I purpose to build a house for the name of LORD my God, as LORD spoke to David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy place, he shall build the house for my name. Now therefore command thou that they cut for me cedar trees out of Lebanon. And my servants shall be with thy servants. And I will give thee wages for thy servants according to all that thou shall say, for thou know that there is n And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be LORD this day, who has given to David a wise son over this great people. And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have heard [that] which thou have sent to me. I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir. My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea. And I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that thou shall appoint me, and will cause them to be broken up there, and thou shall receive them. And thou shall So Hiram gave Solomon timber of cedar and timber of fir according to all his desire. And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil; thus Solomon gave to Hiram year by year. And LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two made a league together. And king Solomon raised a conscription out of all Israel, and the conscription was thirty thousand men. And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses. They were in Lebanon a month, and at home two months. And Adoniram was over the men subject to task work. And Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand who were hewers in the mountains, besides Solomon's chief officers who were over the work: three thousand and three hundred who bore rule over the people that labored in the work. And the king commanded, and they hewed out great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with shaped stone. And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Gebalites fashioned them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house. And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to bui And the house which king Solomon built for LORD, the length of it was sixty cubits, and the breadth of it twenty [cubits], and the height of it thirty cubits, and the porch in front of the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length of it, according to the breadth of the house, [and] ten cubits was the breadth of it in front of the house. And he made windows of fixed lattice-work for the house. And against the wall of the house he built stories round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle. And he made side-chambers round about. The lowest story was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad, for on the outside he made offsets [in the wall] of the house round about, that [the beams] should not be fastened i And the house, when it was being built, was built of stone made ready at the quarry. And there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was being built. The door for the middle side-chambers was in the right side of the house. And they went up by winding stairs into the middle [story], and out of the middle into the third. So he built the house, and finished it. And he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar. And he built the stories against all the house, each five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar. And the word of LORD came to Solomon, saying, Concerning this house that thou are building, if thou will walk in my statutes, and execute my ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them, then I will establish my word with thee, which I spoke to David thy father. And I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel. So Solomon built the house, and finished it. And he built the walls of the house inside with boards of cedar. From the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood. And he covered the floor of the house with boards of fir. And he built twenty cubits on the hinder part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the walls [of the ceiling]. He built [them] for it inside, for an oracle, even for the most holy place. And the house, that is, the temple in front of [the oracle], was forty cubits [long]. And there was cedar on the house inside, carved with knops and open flowers. All was cedar; there was no stone seen. And he prepared an oracle in the midst of the house inside, to set there the ark of the covenant of LORD. And inside the oracle was [a space of] twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height of it. And he overlaid it with pure gold. And he covered the altar with cedar. So Solomon overlaid the house inside with pure gold. And he drew chains of gold across before the oracle, and he overlaid it with gold. And the whole house he overlaid with gold until all the house was finished. Also the whole altar that belonged to the oracle he overlaid with gold. And in the oracle he made two cherubim of olive-wood, each ten cubits high. And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub. From the outermost part of the one wing to the outermost part of the other were ten cubits. And the other cherub was ten cubits; both of the cherubim were of one measure and one form. The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so it was of the other cherub. And he set the cherubim inside the inner house. And the wings of the cherubim were stretched forth, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall. And their wings touched And he overlaid the cherubim with gold. And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, inside and outside. And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, inside and outside. And for the entrance of the oracle he made doors of olive-wood. The lintel [and] door-posts were a fifth part [of the wall]. So [he made] two doors of olive-wood. And he carved upon them carvings of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold. And he spread the gold upon the cherubim, and upon the palm trees. So he also made for the entrance of the temple door-posts of olive-wood out of a fourth part [of the wall], and two doors of fir-wood. The two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. And he carved [thereon] cherubim and palm trees and open flowers. And he overlaid them with gold fitted upon the graven work. And he built the inner court with three courses of hewn stone, and a course of cedar beams. In the fourth year the foundation of the house of LORD was laid, in the month Ziv. And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished throughout all the parts of it, and according to all the fashion of it. So he was seven years in building it. And Solomon was thirteen years building his own house, and he finished all his house. For he built the house of the forest of Lebanon. The length of it was a hundred cubits, and the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars. And it was covered with cedar above over the forty-five beams that were upon the pillars, fifteen in a row. And there were beams in three rows, and window was opposite window in three ranks. And all the doors and posts were made square with beams, and window was opposite window in three ranks. And he made the porch of pillars. The length of it was fifty cubits, and the breadth of it thirty cubits, and a porch in front of them, and pillars and a threshold in front of them. And he made the porch of the throne where he was to judge, even the porch of judgment. And it was covered with cedar from floor to floor. And his house where he was to dwell, the other court within the porch was of the like work. He also made a house for Pharaoh's daughter (whom Solomon had taken to wife), like this porch. All these were of costly stones, even of hewn stone, according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside, even from the foundation to the coping, and so on the outside to the great court. And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits. And above were costly stones, even hewn stone, according to measure, and cedar-wood. And the great court round about had three courses of hewn stone, and a course of cedar beams, like the inner court of the house of LORD, and the porch of the house. And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a workman in brass. And he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill, to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wroug For he fashioned the two pillars of brass, eighteen cubits high apiece. And a line of twelve cubits encompassed each of them around. And he made two capitals of molten brass to set upon the tops of the pillars. The height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. There were nets of checker-work, and wreaths of chain-work, for the capitals which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital. So he made the pillars. And there were two rows round about upon the one network to cover the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars. And so he did for the other capital. And the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily-work, four cubits. And there were capitals also above upon the two pillars, close by the protuberance which was beside the network. And the pomegranates were two hundred, in rows round about upon the other capital. And he set up the pillars at the porch of the temple. And he set up the right pillar, and called the name of it Jachin, and he set up the left pillar, and called the name of it Boaz. And upon the top of the pillars was lily-work: so was the work of the pillars finished. And he made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and the height of it was five cubits. And a line of thirty cubits encompassed it round about. And under the brim of it round about there were knops which encompassed it, for ten cubits, encompassing the sea round about. The knops were in two rows, cast when it was cast. It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east. And the sea was set upon them above, and all their hinder parts we And it was a handbreadth thick. And the brim of it was wrought like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths. And he made the ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth of it, and three cubits the height of it. And the work of the bases was on this manner: They had panels, and there were panels between the ledges. And on the panels that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim. And upon the ledges there was a pedestal above. And beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. And every base had four brazen wheels, and axles of brass. And the four corners of it had supports. Beneath the laver were the molten supports with wreaths at the side of each. And the mouth of it within the capital and above was a cubit. And the mouth of it was round after the work of a pedestal, a cubit and a half. And also upon the mouth of it were engravings. And their panels were foursquare, not roun And the four wheels were underneath the panels. And the axletrees of the wheels were in the base. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit. And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel. Their axletrees, and their felloes, and their spokes, and their naves, were all molten. And there were four supports at the four corners of each base. The supports of it were of the base itself. And in the top of the base there was a round band half a cubit high. And on the top of the base the ledges of it and the panels of it were of the same. And on the plates of the ledges of it, and on the panels of it, he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to the space of each, with wreaths round about. After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one form. And he made ten basins of brass. One basin contained forty baths. And every basin was four cubits. And upon every one of the ten bases one basin. 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. And Hiram made the basins, and the shovels, and the bowls. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he wrought for king Solomon in the house of LORD: the two pillars, and the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars, and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were upon the pillars, and the ten bases, and the ten basins on the bases, and the one sea, and the twelve oxen under the sea, and the pots, and the shovels, and the bowls. And all these vessels, which Hiram made for king Solomon in the house of LORD were of burnished brass. The king cast them in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. And Solomon left all the vessels [unweighed] because they were very many; the weight of the brass could not be found out. And Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of LORD: the golden altar, and the table whereupon the showbread was, of gold, and the candlesticks, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, of pure gold, and the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, of gold, and the cups, and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the firepans, of pure gold, and the hinges, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, [namely], of the temple, of Thus all the work that king Solomon wrought in the house of LORD was finished. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated--the silver, and the gold, and the vessels--and put them in the treasuries of the Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers of the sons of Israel, to king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of LORD out of the city of David, whi And all the men of Israel assembled themselves to king Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. And they brought up the ark of LORD, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; even these the priests and the Levites brought up. And king Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude. And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of LORD to its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves of it above. And the staves were so long that the ends of the staves were seen from the holy place before the oracle. But they were not seen outside. And there they are to this day. There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb when LORD made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud, for the glory of LORD filled the house of LORD. Then Solomon spoke, LORD has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. I have surely built thee a house of habitation, a place for thee to dwell in forever. And the king turned his face around, and blessed all the assembly of Israel. And all the assembly of Israel stood. And he said, Blessed be LORD, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David my father, and has with his hand fulfilled it, saying, Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that my name might be there, but I chose David to be over my people Israel. Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of LORD, the God of Israel. But LORD said to David my father, Whereas it was in thy heart to build a house for my name, thou did well that it was in thy heart. Nevertheless thou shall not build the house, but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for my name. And LORD has established his word that he spoke, for I have risen up in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of LORD, the God of Israel. And there I have set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of LORD, which he made with our fathers when he brought them out of the land of Egypt. And Solomon stood before the altar of LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven. And he said, O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with thy servants, who walk before thee with all their heart, who have kept with thy servant David my father that which thou did promise him. Yea, thou spoke with thy mouth, and have fulfilled it with thy hand, as it is this day. Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou have promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy sons take heed to th Now therefore, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spoke to thy servant David my father. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. How much less this house that I have built! Yet have thou respect to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prays before thee this day, that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof thou have said, My name shall be there, to hearken to the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yea, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and when thou hear, forgive. If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he comes [and] swears before thine altar in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. When thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy because they have sinned against thee, if they turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication to thee in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again to the land which thou gave to their fathers. When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin when thou afflict them, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and send rain upon thy land, which thou have given to thy people for an inheritanc If there be famine in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight, mildew, locust [or] caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there be, whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, [or] by all thy people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house, then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou know (for thou, even thou only, know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gave to our fathers. Moreover concerning the foreigner who is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for thy name's sake (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thine outstretched arm), when he shall come and pray toward this house, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to thee for, that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as does thy people Israel, and that they may know that this ho If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way thou shall send them, and they pray to LORD toward the city which thou have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name, then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. If they sin against thee (for there is no man that sins not), and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, afar off or near, yet if they shall rethink themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to thee in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have if they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carried them captive, and pray to thee toward their land, which thou gave to their fathers, the city which thou have chosen, and t then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling-place, and maintain their case, and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions by which they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them (for they are thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou brought forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron); that thine eyes may be open to the supplication of thy servant, and to the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken to them whenever they cry to thee. For thou separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spoke by Moses thy servant when thou brought our fathers out of Egypt, O lord LORD. And it was so, that, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to LORD, he arose from before the altar of LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised. There has not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by Moses his servant. LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us, nor forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers. And let these my words, with which I have made supplication before LORD, be near to LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that LORD, he is God; there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day. And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before LORD. And Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, which he offered to LORD, twenty-two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of LORD. The same day the king hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of LORD, for there he offered the burnt-offering, and the meal-offering, and the fat of the peace-offerings, because the brazen altar that was before So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt, before LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days. On the eighth day he sent the people away. And they blessed the king, and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that LORD had shown to David his servant, and to Israel his people. And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of LORD, and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do, that LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. And LORD said to him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, which thou have made before me. I have hallowed this house, which thou have built, to put my name there forever. And my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetuall And as for thee, if thou will walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances, then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom over Israel forever, according as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. But if ye shall turn away from following me, ye or your sons, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship them, then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them. And this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight. And Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all peoples. And though this house is so high, yet shall every man who passes by it be astonished, and shall hiss. And they shall say, Why has LORD done thus to this land, and to this house? and they shall answer, Because they forsook LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them; therefore has LORD brought all this evil upon And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of LORD and the king's house (now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire), that king Solomon then gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him. And they did not please him. And he said, What cities are these which thou have given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul to this day. And Hiram sent to the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold. And this is the reason for the conscription which king Solomon raised to build the house of LORD, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer. Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites who dwelt in the city, and given it for a portion to his daughter, Solomon's wife. And Solomon built Gezer, and Beth-horon the nether, and Baalath, and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land, and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion As for all the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the sons of Israel, their sons who were left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel were not able utterly to destroy, of them Solomon raised a conscription of bondservants to this day. But of the sons of Israel Solomon made no bondservants, but they were the men of war, and his servants, and his rulers, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen. These were the chief officers who were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, who bore rule over the people that labored in the work. But Pharaoh's daughter came up out of the city of David to her house which [Solomon] had built for her. Then he built Millo. And three times a year Solomon offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings upon the altar which he built to LORD, burning incense therewith, [upon the altar] that was before LORD. So he finished the house. And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen who had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon. And they came to Ophir, and fetched gold from there, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon. And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she conversed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon answered to her all her questions; there was not anything hid from the king which he did not answer. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, and the food of his table, and the seating of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of LORD, there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a TRUE report that I heard in my own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom. However I did not believe the words until I came, and my eyes had seen it. And, behold, the half was not told me; thy wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, who stand continually before thee, who hear thy wisdom. Blessed be LORD thy God, who delighted in thee to set thee on the throne of Israel. Because LORD loved Israel forever, therefore he made thee king, to do justice and righteousness. And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices a very great store, and precious stones. There came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees and precious stones. And the king made pillars of the almug trees for the house of LORD, and for the king's house, also harps and psalteries for the singers. There have come no such almug trees, nor were seen, to this day. And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty and six talents of gold, besides [that which] the traders [brought], and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country. And king Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred [shekels] of gold went to one buckler. And [he made] three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pounds of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold. There were six steps to the throne, and the top of the throne was round behind. And there were supports on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the supports. And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom. And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; it was accounted of nothing in the days of Solomon. For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram. Once every three years the navy of Tarshish came, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. And all the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. And every man brought his tribute, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year. And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. And he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars he made to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland, for abundance. And the horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt. And the king's merchants received them in herds, each herd at a price. And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred [shekels] of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. And so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, they brought them out by their means. Now king Solomon loved many foreign women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites, of the nations concerning which LORD said to the sons of Israel, Ye shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clave to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods. And his heart was not perfect with LORD his God as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, and went not fully after LORD as did David his father. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab on the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the sons of Ammon. And so he did for all his foreign wives, who burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods. And LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep that which LORD commanded. Therefore LORD said to Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done by thee, and thou have not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding I will not do it in thy days, for David thy father's sake, but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. However I will not rend away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to thy son, for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen. And LORD raised up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. He was of the king's seed in Edom. For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the army was gone up to bury the slain, and had smitten every male in Edom (for Joab and all Israel remained there six months until he had cut off every male in Edom), that Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt, Hadad being yet a little child. And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran. And they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, and appointed him provisions, and gave him land. And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen. And the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house. And Genubath was in Pharaoh's house among the sons of Pharaoh. And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart that I may go to my own country. Then Pharaoh said to him, But what have thou lacked with me, that, behold, thou seek to go to thine own country? And he answered, Nothing, however only let me depart. And God raised up [another] adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah. And he gathered men to him, and became captain over a troop when David killed them [of Zobah]. And they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus. And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the mischief that Hadad [did]. And he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria. And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow, he also lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breach of the city of David his father. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. And Solomon saw the young man that he was industrious, and he gave him charge over all the labor of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way. Now [Ahijah] had clad himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field. And Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it in twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces, for thus says LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee (but he shall have one tribe, for my servant David's sake and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon. And they have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in my However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him prince all the days of his life, for David my servant's sake whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes. But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it to thee, even ten tribes. And I will give one tribe to his son, that David my servant may have a lamp always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for me to put my name there. And I will take thee, and thou shall reign according to all that thy soul desires, and shall be king over Israel. And it shall be, if thou will hearken to all that I command thee, and will walk in my ways, and do that which is right in my eyes, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did. That I will be with thee, and will And for this I will afflict the seed of David, but not forever. Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah. And he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. And his grandmother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom [Absalom]. And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of LORD as David his father did. read more.
And he put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. And also he removed Maacah his grandmother from being queen because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah. And Asa cut down her image, and burnt it at the brook Kidron. But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with LORD all his days. And he brought into the house of LORD the things that his father had dedicated, and the things that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels. And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants. And king Asa sent them to Ben-hadad, the son o [There is] a league between me and thee, between my father and thy father. Behold, I have sent to thee a present of silver and gold. Go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. And Ben-hadad hearkened to king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. And it came to pass, when Baasha heard of it, that he left off building Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah. Then king Asa made a proclamation to all Judah; none was exempted. And they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber of it, with which Baasha had built. And king Asa built with it Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah. Now 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 the time of his old age he was diseased in 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.

And Nathan said to David, Thou are the man. Thus says LORD, the God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul. And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah. And if that had been too little, I would have added to thee such and such things. Why have thou despised the word of LORD, to do that which is evil in his sight? Thou have smitten Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be thy wife, and have slain him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. read more.
Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house, because thou have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus says LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house. And I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them to thy neighbor, and he shall lay with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who dwells in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone down to take possession of it. And thou shall speak to him, saying, Thus says LORD, Have thou killed and also taken possession? And thou shall speak to him, saying, Thus says LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, eve And Ahab said to Elijah, Have thou found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found thee because thou have sold thyself to do that which is evil in the sight of LORD. read more.
Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will utterly sweep thee away and will cut off from Ahab every man-child, and he who is shut up and he who is left at large in Israel. And I will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah for the provocation with which thou have provoked me to anger, and have made Israel to sin. And LORD spoke also of Jezebel, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel. He who dies of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat, and he who dies in the field shall the birds of the heavens eat.

And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was returned, that they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David, but only the tribe of Jud

Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and dwelt therein. And he went out from there, and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now the kingdom will return to the house of David. If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah. And they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah. read more.
Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold. And he said to them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. And this thing became a sin, for the people went [to worship] before the one, even to Dan. And he made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi. And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And he placed in B And he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the sons of Israel, and went up to the altar to And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of LORD to Bethel. And Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar by the word of LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus says LORD: Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name. And upon thee shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places that b And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which LORD has spoken: Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And it came to pass, when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, that Jeroboam put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against h The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of LORD. And the king answered and said to the man of God, Entreat now the favor of LORD thy God, and pray for me that my hand may be restored to me again. And the man of God entreated LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him again, an And the king said to the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. And the man of God said to the king, If thou will give me half thy house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place; for so it was charged me by the word of LORD, saying, Thou shall eat no bread, nor drink water, neither return by the way that thou came. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel. Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel. And one of his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. The words which he had spoken to the king, they also told them to their father. And their father said to them, What way did he go? Now his sons had seen what way the man of God went, who came from Judah. And he said to his sons, Saddle the donkey for me. So they saddled him the donkey, and he rode on it. And he went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. And he said to him, Are thou the man of God who came from Judah? And he said, I am. Then he said to him, Come home with me, and eat bread. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee. Neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place; for it was said to me by the word of LORD, Thou shall eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou came. And he said to him, I also am a prophet as thou are. And a [heavenly] agent spoke to me by the word of LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thy house that he may eat bread and drink water. [But] he lied to him. So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water. And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of LORD came to the prophet who brought him back. And he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, Thus says LORD, Forasmuch as thou have been disobedient to the mouth of LORD, and have not kept the commandment which LORD thy God commanded thee, but came back, and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water, thy body shall not come to the sepulcher of thy fathers. And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, [namely], for the prophet whom he had brought back. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and killed him. And his body was cast in the way, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the body. And, behold, men passed by, and saw the body cast in the way, and the lion standing by the body. And they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. And when the prophet who brought him back from the way heard of it, he said, It is the man of God who was disobedient to the mouth of LORD. Therefore LORD has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him, and slain him, according And he spoke to his sons, saying, Saddle the donkey for me. And they saddled it. And he went and found his body cast in the way, and the donkey and the lion standing by the body. The lion had not eaten the body, nor torn the donkey. And the prophet took up the body of the man of God, and laid it upon the donkey, and brought it back. And he came to the city of the old prophet, to mourn, and to bury him. And he laid his body in his own grave. And they mourned over him, [saying], Alas, my brother! And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulcher in which the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones. For the saying which he cried by the word of LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass. After this thing Jeroboam did not return from his evil way, but again made from among all the people priests of the high places. Whoever would, he consecrated him, that there might be priests of the high places. And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth. At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself that thou not be known to be the wife of Jeroboam, and get thee to Shiloh. Behold, there is Ahijah the prophet who spoke concerning me that I should be king ov And take with thee ten loaves, and cakes, and a cruse of honey, and go to him. He will tell thee what shall become of the child. And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were set because of his age. And LORD said to Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam comes to inquire of thee concerning her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus thou shall say to her, for it will be, when she comes in, that she will feign herself to be another wo And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam. Why feign thou thyself to be another? For I am sent to thee with heavy news. Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus says LORD, the God of Israel: Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel, and rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee, and yet thou have not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart to do only that which was right in my eyes, but have done evil above all who were before thee, and have gone and made thee other gods, and molten images to provoke me to anger, and have cast me behind thy back, therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every man-child, he who is shut up and he who is left at large in Israel, and will utterly sweep away the house of Jeroboam as a man sw He who dies of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat, and he who dies in the field shall the birds of the heavens eat, for LORD has spoken it. Arise thou therefore, get thee to thy house. When thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward LORD, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. Moreover LORD will raise up a king for him over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day. But what? Even now. For LORD will smite Israel as a reed is shaken in the water. And he will root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River because they have made their Asherim, provoking LO And he will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he has sinned, and with which he has made Israel to sin. And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah. As she came to the threshold of the house, the child died. And all Israel buried him, and mourned for him, according to the word of LORD, which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the prophet. And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred, and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. And the days which Jeroboam reigned were twenty-two years, and he slept with his fathers. And Nadab his son reigned in his stead.

Then he brought out the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and [gave him] the testimony. And they made him king, and anointed him. And they clapped their hands, and said, Live, O king.

Then they brought out the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and [gave him] the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him. And they said, Live, O king.

Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not that LORD has anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance?

And all the rulers, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, submitted themselves to Solomon the king.

In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] sixteen years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin, but he walked therein. Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? read more.
And Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat upon his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness of which he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him, and said, My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen of it! And Elisha said to him, Take bow and arrows. And he took to him bow and arrows. And he said to the king of Israel, Put thy hand upon the bow. And he put his hand [upon it]. And Elisha laid his hands upon the king's hands. And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, LORD's arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Syria, for thou shall smite the Syrians in Aphek till thou have con And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stopped. And the man of God was angry with him, and said, Thou should have smitten five or six times. Then thou would have smitten Syria till thou had consumed it, whereas now thou shall smite Syria but thrice. And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band, and they cast the man into the sepulcher of Elisha. And as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet. And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. But LORD was gracious to them, and had compassion on them, and had respect to them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither did he cast them from his presence as yet. And Hazael king of Syria died, and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead. And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz again took out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times Joash smote him, and recovered the cities of Israel.

Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look each other in the face. And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife. And a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed b Thou have indeed smitten Edom, and thy heart has lifted thee up. Glory by it, and abide at home, for why should thou meddle to [thy] hurt, that thou should fall, even thou, and Judah with thee? read more.
But Amaziah would not hear. So Jehoash king of Israel went up. And he and Amaziah king of Judah looked each other in the face at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent. And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cu And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.

In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. And he did that which was right in the eyes of LORD. He did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. read more.
However the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of LORD. Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? In those days LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father. And Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

And over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite. And over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai.

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before LORD. And his name was Doeg the Edomite, the foremost of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second quart

So Hilkiah, and those whom the king [had commanded], went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second quarter), and they spok

And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign. He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab, for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD. read more.
However LORD would not destroy Judah, for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give to him a lamp for his sons always. In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. Then Joram passed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him. And he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites that encompassed him about, and the captains of the chariots. And the people fled to their tents. So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the eyes of LORD, yet not like David his father. He did according to all that Joash his father had done. read more.
However the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places. And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, that he killed his servants who had slain the king his father, but he did not put to death the sons of the murderers, according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, as LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the sons, nor the sons be put to death He killed ten thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt, and took Sela by war, and called the name of it Joktheel, to this day. Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look each other in the face. And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife. And a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed b Thou have indeed smitten Edom, and thy heart has lifted thee up. Glory by it, and abide at home, for why should thou meddle to [thy] hurt, that thou should fall, even thou, and Judah with thee? But Amaziah would not hear. So Jehoash king of Israel went up. And he and Amaziah king of Judah looked each other in the face at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent. And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cu And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead. And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem. And he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish, and killed him there. And they brought him upon horses, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.

When thy days are fulfilled, and thou shall sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, who shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the sons of men, read more.
but my loving kindness shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul whom I put away before thee. And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure forever before thee; thy throne shall be established forever.

I have sworn once by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established forever as the moon, and [as] the faithful witness in the sky. Selah.

Thou shall not revile the gods, nor {speak maliciously (LXX/NT)} of a ruler of thy people.

Revile not the king, no, not in thy thought, and revile not the rich in thy bedchamber. For a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice, and that which has wings shall tell the matter.

And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah. And he reigned over Israel two years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin. And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

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

Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijah began to reign over Judah. He reigned three years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom [Absalom]. And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him. And his heart was not perfect with LORD his God as the heart of David his father. read more.
Nevertheless for David's sake LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem, because David did that which was right in the eyes of LORD, and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. And Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his stead.

And Ahithophel was the king's counselor. And Hushai the Archite was the king's friend.

and Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; and Zabud the son of Nathan was chief minister, [and] the king's friend;

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against LORD, and against his anointed, [saying],

Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and vex them in his great displeasure.

Thou shall break them with a rod of iron, thou shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war, and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.

In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] twenty years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came, and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maacah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali. And he carried them captive to As read more.
And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and killed him, and reigned in his stead in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. Now the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. And he did that which was evil in the sight of 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, how he made Israel to sin. And he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger LORD, the God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.

Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to task work.

And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the ruler of the house, and Elkanah who was next to the king.

and the food of his table, and the seating of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of LORD, there was no more spirit in her.

And she said to the king, It was a TRUE report that I heard in my own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom.

By long-suffering a ruler is persuaded, and a soft tongue breaks the bone.

The wrath of a king is messengers of death, but a wise man will pacify it.

But the people refused to hearken to the voice of Samuel. And they said, No, but we will have a king over us that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.

And they said to him, Behold, thou are old, and thy sons do not walk in thy ways. Now make for us a king to judge us like all the nations.

The king who faithfully judges the poor, his throne shall be established forever.

It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness, for the throne is established by righteousness.

And the king made of the algum trees terraces for the house of LORD, and for the king's house, and harps and psalteries for the singers. And there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.

With gladness and rejoicing they shall be led. They shall enter into the king's palace.

Now Joab was over all the army of Israel, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites,

and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was over] the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David's sons were chief ministers.

The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion, but his favor is as dew upon the grass.

The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion. He who provokes him to anger sins [against] his own life.

And Nathan said to David, Thou are the man. Thus says LORD, the God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul.

And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and of a beautiful countenance, and fine to look upon. And LORD said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he.

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come to me again the third day.

And when all Israel saw that the king did not hearken to them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel. Now see to thine own hous

And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not, for who can put forth his hand against LORD's anointed, and be guiltless?

And David said to him, Why were thou not afraid to put forth thy hand to destroy LORD's anointed?

And LORD said to Samuel, Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to thee, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them.

but ye have this day rejected your God who himself saves you out of all your calamities and your distresses, and ye have said to him, No, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before LORD by your tribes, and by y

And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, [Jehoiachin's] father's brother, king is his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

And Pharaoh-necoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt, and died there.

They say to him, Caesar's. Then he says to them, Therefore, render the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God.

For because of this ye also fulfill taxes, for they are servants of God being devoted to this same thing. Render therefore to all, the things due: tax to the man of tax, tribute to the man of tribute, fear to the man of fear, esteem to the man of esteem.

And he took an officer out of the city who was set over the men of war; and five men of those who saw the king's face, who were found in the city; and the scribe, the captain of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and si

Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, who stand continually before thee, who hear thy wisdom.

yet I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these.

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and go into the battle, but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.

And he changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings, and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding.

Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have asked for. And, behold, LORD has set a king over you.

and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to task work.

Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram who was over the men subject to task work. And all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And king Rehoboam made speed to get up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

and Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests, and Seraiah was scribe,

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

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

And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder,

and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder,

And he changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings, and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding.

Therefore LORD said to Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done by thee, and thou have not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

Respect all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Respect the king.

Render therefore to all, the things due: tax to the man of tax, tribute to the man of tribute, fear to the man of fear, esteem to the man of esteem.

But the Lord said to him, Go, because this man is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my name before Gentiles and kings, and sons of Israel.

King Agrippa, do thou believe the prophets? I know that thou believe. And Agrippa said to Paul, By a little thou persuade me to become a Christian.

Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth has LORD, the God of heaven, given me, and he has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of LORD, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left, in any place where he sojourns, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the freewill-offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.

Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the archives where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, a roll, and in it was thus written for a record: In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be built--the place where they offer sacrifices--and let the foundations of it be strongly laid, the height read more.
with three courses of great stones, and a course of new timber. And let the expenses be given out of the king's house. And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought to Babylon, be restored, and brought again to the temple which is at Jerusalem, ever Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the River, be ye far from there: Let the work of this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in its place. Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to these elders of the Jews for the building of this house of God: That of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the River, expenses be given with all diligence to these men, that th And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for burnt-offerings to the God of heaven, [also] wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests who are at Jerusalem, let it be given the that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savor to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons. Also I have made a decree, that whoever shall alter this word, let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened thereon, and let his house be made a dunghill for this. And the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples who shall put forth their hand to alter [the same], to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree, let it be done

And especially those going rear of flesh in a degenerate lust, and who despise lordship. Reckless, self-willed men, they do not tremble when speaking evil of dignities.

[him] who says to a king, [Thou are] vile, to ranking men, [Ye are] wicked,

And especially those going rear of flesh in a degenerate lust, and who despise lordship. Reckless, self-willed men, they do not tremble when speaking evil of dignities.

Nevertheless in the same way also these men who dream, indeed defile flesh, and reject lordship, and speak evil of dignities.

And it shall be, when he sits upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for him a copy of this law in a book, out of [it] before the priests the Levites, and it shall be with him. And he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them, that his heart not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left, to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his sons, in the midst of Israel

And in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel. And Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. And Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in the sight of LORD above all who were before him. And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him read more.
And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made the Asherah. And Ahab did yet more to provoke LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho. He laid the foundation of it with the loss of Abiram his first-born, and set up the gates of it with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of LORD, which he spok And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the sojourners of Gilead, said to Ahab, As LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. And the word of LORD came to him, saying, Get thee from here, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith that is before the Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. So he went and did according to the word of LORD, for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith that is before the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the brook. And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up because there was no rain in the land. And the word of LORD came to him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thy hand. And she said, As LORD thy God lives, I do not have a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the cruse. And, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son that we may eat it, And Elijah said to her, Fear not, go and do as thou have said. But make me of it a little cake first, and bring it forth to me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son. For thus says LORD, the God of Israel, The jar of meal shall not be used up, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that LORD sends rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah. And she, and he, and her house, ate [many] days. The jar of meal was not used up, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of LORD, which he spoke by Elijah. And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick, and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. And she said to Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? Thou have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son! And he said to her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into the chamber where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried to LORD, and said, O LORD my God, have thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn by slaying her son? And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried to LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And LORD hearkened to the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, See, thy son lives. And the woman said to Elijah, Now I know that thou are a man of God, and that the word of LORD in thy mouth is truth. And it came to pass after many days, that the word of LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth. And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. And the famine was severe in Samaria. And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared LORD greatly; for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of LORD, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifties in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go through the land, to all the fountains of water, and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the beasts. So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him. And he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Is it thou, my lord Elijah? And he answered him, It is I. Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah [is here]. And he said, How have I sinned that thou would deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab to kill me? As LORD thy God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek thee. And when they said, He is not here, he took an oath from the kingdom and nation that they did not find thee. And now thou say, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah [is here]. And it will come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of LORD will carry thee where I know not. And so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he will kill me. But I thy servant fear LORD from my you Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of LORD, how I hid a hundred men of LORD's prophets by fifties in a cave, and fed them with bread and water? And now thou say, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah [is here], and he will kill me. And Elijah said, As LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today. So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, Is it thou, thou troubler of Israel? And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of LORD, and thou have followed the Baalim. Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, who eat at Jezebel's table. So Ahab sent to all the sons of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to mount Carmel. And Elijah came near to all the people, and said, How long do ye go limping between the two sides? If LORD be God, follow him, but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Then Elijah said to the people, I, even I only, am left a prophet of LORD, but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks, and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under. And I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on the wood, and put no fi And call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of LORD. And the God that answers by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. And Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first, for ye are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under. And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped about the alt And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is meditating, or he is gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it was so, when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the [evening] oblation, but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. And Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of LORD that was thrown down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob to whom the word of LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name. And with the stones he built an altar in the name of LORD. And he made a trench around the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it on the wood. And he said, Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt-offering, and on the wood. And he said, Do it the second time, and they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time, and they did it the third time. And the water ran round about the altar, and he also filled the trench with water. And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the [evening] oblation, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, O LORD, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou are God in Israel, and Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou, LORD, are God, and [that] thou have turned their heart back again. Then the fire of 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 trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. And they said, LORD, he is God, LORD, he is God. and Elijah said to them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them, and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there. And Elijah said to Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain. So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he bowed himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees. And he said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, a cloud rises out of the sea, as small as a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say to Ahab, Make ready [thy chariot], and get thee down, that the rain not stop thee. And it came to pass in a little while, that the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of LORD was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and also how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel send a messenger to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life. And he came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree. And he requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough, now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my And he lay down and slept under a juniper tree, and, behold, a [heavenly] agent touched him, and said to him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was at his head a cake baked on the coals, and a cruse of water. And he ate and drank, and laid him down again. And the agent of LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. And he came to a cave there, and lodged there. And, behold, the word of LORD came to him, and he said to him, What are thou doing here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for LORD, the God of hosts. For the sons of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword. And I, even I only, am left, and they seek my lif And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before LORD. And, behold, LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before LORD, but LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind a And after the earthquake a fire, but LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice to him, and said, What are thou doing here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for LORD, the God of hosts. For the sons of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword. And I, even I only, am left, and they seek my lif And LORD said to him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when thou come, thou shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And thou shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Israel. And thou shall anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah to be prophet in thy place. And it shall come to pass, that he who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill. And he who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. Yet I have reserved [for me] seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him. So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat who was plowing with twelve yoke [of oxen] before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him, and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said to him, Go back again, for what have I done to thee? And he returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and killed them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave to the people, and they ate. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered to And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together. And there were thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it. And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, Thus says Ben-hadad, Thy silver and thy gold is mine, thy wives also and thy sons, even the best, are mine. And the king of Israel answered and said, It is according to thy saying, my lord, O king, I am thine, and all that I have. And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaks Ben-hadad, saying, I indeed sent to thee, saying, Thou shall deliver to me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy sons. But I will send my servants to thee tomorrow about this time, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants. And it shall be, that whatever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it a Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeks mischief, for he sent to me for my wives, and for my sons, and for my silver, and for my gold, and I did not deny him And all the elders and all the people said to him, Do thou not hearken, nor consent. Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou sent for to thy servant at the first I will do, but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again. And Ben-hadad sent to him, and said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him who girds on [his armor] boast himself as he who puts it off. And it came to pass, when [Ben-hadad] heard this message as he was drinking, he and the kings, in the pavilions, that he said to his servants, Set [yourselves in array]. And they set [themselves in array] against the city. And, behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel, and said, Thus says LORD, Have thou seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into thy hand this day, and thou shall know that I am LORD. And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus says LORD, By the young men of the rulers of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall begin the battle? And he answered, Thou. Then he mustered the young men of the rulers of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two. And after them he mustered all the people, even all the sons of Israel, being seven thousand. And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings who helped him. And the young men of the rulers of the provinces went out first. And Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out from Samaria. And he said, Whether they come out for peace, take them alive, or whether they come out for war, taken them alive. So these went out of the city, the young men of the rulers of the provinces, and the army which followed them. And they killed everyone his man. And the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. And Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen. And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter. And the prophet came near to the king of Israel, and said to him, Go, strengthen thyself. And mark, and see what thou do, for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee. And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, Their god is a god of the hills, therefore they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And do this thing: Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their place. And number thee an army, like the army that thou have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot. And we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened to their voice, and did And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. And the sons of Israel were mustered, and were supported, and went against them. And the sons of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of kids, but the Syrians filled the country. And a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, Thus says LORD, Because the Syrians have said, LORD is a god of the hills, but he is not a god of the valleys, therefore I will deliver all this great multitude And they encamped one opposite the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined. And the sons of Israel killed of the Syrians a hundred thousand footmen in one day. But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city, and the wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand men who were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber. And his servants said to him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Let us, we pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and [put] ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad says, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? He is my brother. Now the men observed diligently whether anything would come from him. And they quickly caught it, and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him, and he caused him to come up And [Ben-hadad] said to him, The cities which my father took from thy father I will restore, and thou shall make streets for thee in Damascus as my father made in Samaria. And I, [said Ahab], will let thee go with this covenant. So And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said by the word of LORD to his fellow, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. Then said he to him, Because thou have not obeyed the voice of LORD, behold, as soon as thou are departed from me, a lion shall kill thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and killed him. Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, smiting and wounding him. So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with his headband over his eyes. And as the king passed by, he cried out to the king, and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle, and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man to me, and said, Keep this man. If by any means he is missing, And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said to him, So shall thy judgment be, thyself have decided it. And he hastened, and took the headband away from his eyes, and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets. And he said to him, Thus says LORD, Because thou have let go out of thy hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria. And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, near by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard that I may have it for a garden of herbs because it is near to my house. And I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it, or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee th And Naboth said to Ahab, LORD forbid it of me that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to thee. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him, for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid himself down upon his bed, and tu But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, Why is thy spirit so sad that thou eat no bread? And he said to her, Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, Give me thy vineyard for money, or else, if it please thee, I will give thee [another] vineyard for it. And he answered, I will not give thee my vineyar And Jezebel his wife said to him, Do thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let thy heart be merry. I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles who were in his city, [and] who dwelt with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. And set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them bear witness against him, saying, Thou cursed God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him to death. And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who dwelt in his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, according as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them. They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. And the two men, the base fellows, came in and sat before him. And the base fellows bore witness against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth cursed God and the king. Then they carried him forth o Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money, for Naboth is not al And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it. And the word of LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who dwells in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone down to take possession of it. And thou shall speak to him, saying, Thus says LORD, Have thou killed and also taken possession? And thou shall speak to him, saying, Thus says LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, eve And Ahab said to Elijah, Have thou found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found thee because thou have sold thyself to do that which is evil in the sight of LORD. Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will utterly sweep thee away and will cut off from Ahab every man-child, and he who is shut up and he who is left at large in Israel. And I will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah for the provocation with which thou have provoked me to anger, and have made Israel to sin. And LORD spoke also of Jezebel, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel. He who dies of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat, and he who dies in the field shall the birds of the heavens eat. (But there was none like Ahab, who sold himself to do that which was evil in the sight of LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites did whom LORD cast out before the sons of Israel.) And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. And the word of LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, See thou how Ahab humbles himself before me? Because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house. And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel. And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. And the king of Israel said to his servants, Know ye that Ramoth-gilead is ours, and we are still, and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria? And he said to Jehoshaphat, Will thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou are, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses. And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire first, I pray thee, for the word of LORD. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up, for LORD will deliver it into the hand of the k But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of LORD besides, that we may inquire of him? And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, there is yet one man by whom we may inquire of LORD, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the kin Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah. Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets were prophesying before them. And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for him horns of iron, and said, Thus says LORD, With these thou shall push the Syrians until they be consumed. And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper, for LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king. And the messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets [declare] good to the king with one mouth. Let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak thou good. And Micaiah said, As LORD lives, what LORD says to me, that I will speak. And when he came to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go up and prosper, and LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king. And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of LORD? And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And LORD said, These have no master, let them return every man to his house in peace. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil? And [Micaiah] said, Therefore hear thou the word of LORD. I saw LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before LORD, and said, I will entice him. And LORD said to him, With what? And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shall entice him, and shall also prevail. Go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and LORD has spoken evil concerning thee. Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way did the Spirit of LORD go from me to speak to thee? And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shall see on that day when thou shall go into an inner chamber to hide thyself. And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son, and say, Thus says the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction until I come in peace. And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, LORD has not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, ye peoples, all of you. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and go into the battle, but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle. Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel. And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel, and they turned aside to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. And a certain man drew his bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the army, for I am severely wounded. And the battle increased that day. And the king was propped up in his chariot against the Syrians. And he died at evening, and the blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot. And there went a cry throughout the army about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his country. So the king died, and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlots washed themselves [there]), according to the word of LORD which he spoke. Now 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? So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab. For his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, as did the house of Ahab. For they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.

And he built towers in the wilderness, and hewed out many cisterns, for he had much cattle, also in the lowland and in the plain. [And he had] husbandmen and vinedressers in the mountains and in the fruitful fields, for he loved hu

Moreover he provided for him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance. For God had given him very much substance.

Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead. And it came to pass that, as soon as he was king, he smote all the house of Jeroboam. He left to Jeroboam not any who breathed, until he had destroyed him according to the saying of LORD, which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Sh for the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and with which he made Israel to sin, because of his provocation with which he provoked LORD, the God of Israel, to anger. read more.
Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, [and reigned] twenty-four years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin. And the word of LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel, and thou have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and have made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins, , behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. He of Baasha who dies in the city shall the dogs eat, and he of his who dies in the field shall the birds of the heavens eat. Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah, and Elah his son reigned in his stead. And moreover the word of LORD came against Baasha by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani, and against his house, both because of all the evil that he did in the sight of LORD, to provoke him to anger with the work of his hands in be

And over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the lowland was Baal-hanan the Gederite. And over the cellars of oil was Joash.

And over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite. And over the increase of the vineyards for the wine-cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite.

And over the camels was Obil the Ishmaelite. And over the donkeys was Jehdeiah the Meronothite. And over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagrite.

All these were the rulers of the substance which was king David's.

And over those who did the work of the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri the son of Chelub.

And Ahithophel was the king's counselor. And Hushai the Archite was the king's friend.

And over the king's treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel. And over the treasures in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the castles, was Jonathan the son of Uzziah.

And over the king's treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel. And over the treasures in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the castles, was Jonathan the son of Uzziah.

He allowed no man to do them wrong. Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,

Then take the vial of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus says LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and delay not. So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. And when he came, behold, the captains of the army were sitting. And he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, To which of us all? And he said, To thee, O captain. read more.
And he arose, and went into the house. And he poured the oil on his head, and said to him, Thus says LORD, the God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of LORD, even over Israel. And thou shall smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish. And I will cut off from Ahab every man-child, and him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled. Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord, and one said to him, Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to thee? And he said to them, Ye know the man and what his talk was. And they said, It is not true; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus he spoke to me, saying, Thus says LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then they hastened, and every man took his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew the trumpet, saying, Jehu is king. So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria. But king Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If this be your mind, then let none escape and go forth out of the city to So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah came down to see Joram. Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace? So one went on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus says the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What have thou to do with peace? Turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he does not come b Then he sent out a second on horseback who came to them, and said, Thus says the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What have thou to do with peace? Turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, He came to them, and does not come back. And the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously. And Joram said, Make ready. And they made his chariot ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu, and found him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite. And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and smote Joram between his arms. And the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot. Then [Jehu] said to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, LORD laid this burden upon him: Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, says LORD, and I will requite thee in this plot, says LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plot [of ground], according to the word of LORD. But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden-house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. [And they smote him] at the ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled t And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulcher with his fathers in the city of David. (And [it was] in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab Ahaziah began to reign over Judah.) And when Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. And she painted her eyes, and attired her head, and looked out at the window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Is it peace, thou Zimri, thy master's murderer? And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? Who? And two or three eunuchs looked out to him. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down. And some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses. And he trampled her under foot. And when he came in, he ate and drank, and he said, Now see to this cursed woman, and bury her, for she is a king's daughter. And they went to bury her, but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands. Therefore they came back, and told him. And he said, This is the word of LORD, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel, and the body of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel. Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and to those who brought up [the sons of] Ahab, saying, And now as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, also a fortified city, and armor, look ye out for the best and fittest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house. But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, the two kings did not stand before him. How then shall we stand? And he who was over the household, and he who was over the city, the elders also, and those who brought up [the sons], sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shall bid us. We will not make any man king Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be on my side, and if ye will hearken to my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time. Now the king's sons, And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and killed them, even seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Jezreel. And a messenger came, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning. And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye are righteous. Behold, I conspired against my master, and killed him. But who smote all these? Know now that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of LORD, which LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for LORD has done that which he spoke by his servant Elijah. So Jehu smote all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left to him none remaining. And he arose and departed, and went to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing-house of the shepherds in the way, Jehu met with the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brothers of Ahaziah, and we go down to salute the sons of the king and the sons of the queen. And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing-house, even forty-two men; neither did he leave any of them. And when he was departed from there, he came upon on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. And he saluted him, and said to him, Is thy heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, g And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot. And when he came to Samaria, he smote all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the word of LORD, which he spoke to Elijah. And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshippers, and all his priests. Let none be lacking, for I have a great sacrifice [to do] to Baal. Whoever shall be lacking, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtlet And Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it. And Jehu sent through all Israel. And all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another. And he said to him who was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought forth for them vestments. And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal. And he said to the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only. And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings. Now Jehu had appointed for him eighty men outside, and said, If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape, [he who lets him go], his life shall be for the life of h And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and kill them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword. And the And they brought forth the pillars that were in the house of Baal, and burned them. And they broke down the pillar of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it an out-house to this day. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. However from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin, Jehu did not depart from after them, [namely], the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan. And LORD said to Jehu, Because thou have done well in executing that which is right in my eyes, [and] have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, thy sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne o But Jehu did not take heed to walk in the law of LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel to sin. In those days LORD began to cut off from Israel. And Hazael smote them in all the borders of Israel, from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan. Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead. And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away. Neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away. Neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses, inasmuch as LORD has said to you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.

and it shall be with him. And he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them,

and it shall be with him. And he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them,

thou shall surely set him king over thee whom LORD thy God shall choose. Thou shall set a king over thee from among thy brothers. Thou may not put a foreigner over thee who is not thy brother.

Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to LORD that he may send thunder and rain, and ye shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of LORD in asking a king for you. So Samuel called to LORD, and LORD sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared LORD and Samuel. And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for thy servants to LORD thy God that we not die, for we have added to all our sins [this] evil, to ask a king for us. read more.
And Samuel said to the people, Fear not. Ye have indeed done all this evil, yet turn not aside from following LORD, but serve LORD with all your heart.

In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, [and reigned] forty-one years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the Arabah, according to the word of LORD, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-hepher. read more.
For LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter, for there was none shut up nor left at large, neither was there any helper for Israel. And LORD did not say that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, [which had belonged] to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of th And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son reigned in his stead.

In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] two years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. And Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the castle of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh. And fifty men of the Gileadites with him were there. And he killed him, and reign read more.
Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned the space of a month in Samaria. And Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and killed him, and reigned in his stead. Now the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the borders of it, from Tirzah, because they did not open to him, therefore he smote it. And all the women in it who were with child he ripped up. In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel, [and reigned] ten years in Samaria. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD. He did not depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. read more.
The king of Assyria came against the land Pul. And Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand. And Menahem exacted the money from Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and did not stay there in the land. Now the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Menahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.

In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel, [and reigned] twelve years. He reigned six years in Tirzah. And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver. And he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Samaria. And Omri did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, and dealt wickedly above all who were before him. read more.
For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins with which he made Israel to sin, to provoke LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities. Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he showed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria, and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.

Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, but not like his father and like his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart therefrom. read more.
Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master. And he rendered to the king of Israel the wool of a hundred thousand lambs, and of a hundred thousand rams. But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. And king Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered all Israel. And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up. I am as thou are, my people as thy people, my horses a And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom. So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom. And they made a circuit of seven days' journey, and there was no water for the army, nor for the beasts that followed them. And the king of Israel said, Alas! For LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab. But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of LORD, that we may inquire of LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah. And Jehoshaphat said, The word of LORD is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. And Elisha said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? Get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said to him, No, for LORD has called these three kings together t And Elisha said, As LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of LORD came upon him. And he said, Thus says LORD, Make this valley full of trenches. For thus says LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain, yet that valley shall be filled with water, and ye shall drink, both ye and your cattle and your beasts. And this is but a light thing in the sight of LORD. He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. And ye shall smite every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all fountains of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones. And it came to pass in the morning, about the time of offering the oblation, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings came up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all that were able to put on armor, and upward, and stood on the border. And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. And they said, This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have smitten each man his fellow. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil. And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them, and they went forward into the land smiting the Moabites. And they beat down the cities. And on every good piece of land they cast every man his stone, and filled it. And they stopped all the fountains of water, and felled all the good trees, until in Kir-hareseth [only] they left the sto And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too hard for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew sword to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. Then he took his eldest son who should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt-offering upon the wall. And there was great wrath against Israel, and they departed from him, and returned to their own land. Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead, and thou know that thy servant feared LORD, and the creditor has come to take my two children to him to be bo And Elisha said to her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what have thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid has not anything in the house except a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow for thee vessels abroad from all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And thou shall go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels, and thou shall set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons. They brought [the vessels] to her, and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said to her, There is no more a vessel. And the oil halted. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy sons from the rest. And it fell on a day that Elisha passed to Shunem where there was a prominent woman. And she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as often as he passed by he turned in there to eat bread. And she said to her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God who passes by us continually. Let us make, I pray thee, a little chamber on the wall. And let us set a bed for him there, and a table, and a seat, and a candlestick. And it shall be, when he comes to us, that he shall turn in there. And it fell on a day that he came there, and he turned into the chamber and lay there. And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. And he said to him, Say now to her, Behold, thou have been caring for us with all this care. What is to be done for thee? Would thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the army? And she answered, I dwell among my own p And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Truly she has no son, and her husband is old. And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. And he said, At this season, when the time comes round, thou shall embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie to thy handmaid. And the woman conceived, and bore a son at that season, when the time came round, as Elisha had said to her. And when the child was grown, it fell on a day that he went out to his father to the reapers. And he said to his father, My head, my head. And he said to his servant, Carry him to his mother. And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut [the door] upon him, and went out. And she called to her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the servants, and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God, and come again. And he said, Why will thou go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath. And she said, It shall be well. Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward. Do not restrain my riding unless I bid thee. So she went, and came to the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is the Shunammite. Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say to her, Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well. And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to thrust her away, but the man of God said, Let her alone, for her soul is vexed within her, and LORD has hid it from me, and has n Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? Did I not say, do not deceive me? Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go thy way. If thou meet any man, do not salute him, and if any salute thee, do not answer him again. And lay my staff upon the face of the child. And the mother of the child said, As LORD lives, and as thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child, but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Therefore he returned to meet him, and told him, saying, The child has not awakened. And when Elisha came into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon the two of them, and prayed to LORD. And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands. And he stretched himself upon him, and the flesh of the child grew warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house once to and fro, and went up, and stretched himself upon him. And the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, Take up thy son. Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground. And she took up her son, and went out. And Elisha came again to Gilgal. And there was a dearth in the land, and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him. And he said to his servant, Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered wild gourds from it, his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage, for they did not know them. So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat of it. But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot, and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot. And a man came from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And he said, Give to the people that they may eat. And his servant said, What, should I set this before a hundred men? But he said, Give to the people that they may eat, for thus says LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave of it. So he set it before them, and they ate, and left of it according to the word of LORD. Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him LORD had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, [but he was] a leper. And the Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maiden, and she waited on Naaman's wife. And she said to her mistress, Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would heal him of his leprosy. And a man went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maiden who is of the land of Israel. And the king of Syria said, Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of raiment. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, And now when this letter has come to thee, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to thee that thou may heal him of his leprosy. And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he tore his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy? But consider, I pray you, and see ho And it was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Why have thou torn thy clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Is So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shall be clean. But Naaman was angry, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper. Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spoke to him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, would thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he says to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped [himself] seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God. And his flesh came again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him. And he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, take a present from thy se But he said, As LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it, but he refused. And Naaman said, If not, yet, I pray thee, let there be given to thy servant two mules' burden of dirt, for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt-offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but to LORD. In this thing LORD pardon thy servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, LORD pardon thy serva And he said to him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way. But Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought. As LORD lives, I will run after him, and take something from him. So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he alighted from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? And he said, All is well. My master has sent me, saying, Behold, even now there come to me from the hill-country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of r And Naaman said, Be pleased to take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of raiment, and laid them upon two of his servants, and they bore them before him. And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house, and he let the men go, and they departed. But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, From where did thou come, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went nowhere. And he said to him, Did not my heart go [with thee] when the man turned from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and men-servants and m The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cling to thee, and to thy seed forever. And he went out from his presence a leper [as white] as snow. And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee is too confined for us. Let us go, we pray thee, to the Jordan, and every man take a beam from there, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. And one said, Be pleased, I pray thee, to go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water. And he cried, and said, Alas, my master! For it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where did it fall? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in there, and made the iron to float. And he said, Take it up to thee. So he put out his hand, and took it. Now the king of Syria was warring against Israel, and he took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou not pass such a place, for the Syrians are coming down there. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of. And he saved himself there, not once nor twice. And the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled for this thing, and he called his servants, and said to them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, No, my lord, O king, but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel tells the king of Israel the words that thou speak in thy bedchamber. And he said, Go and see where he is that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. Therefore he sent there horses, and chariots, and a great army. And they came by night, and encompassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an army with horses and chariots was round about the city. And his servant said to him, Alas, my master! What shall we do? And he answered, Fear not, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. And Elisha said to them, This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. And he led them to Samaria. And it came to pass, when they came into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see. And LORD opened their eyes, and they saw. And, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. And the king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? Shall I smite them? And he answered, Thou shall not smite them. Would thou smite those whom thou have taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. And he prepared great provision for them. And when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel. And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up, and besieged Samaria. And there was a great famine in Samaria. And, behold, they besieged it until a donkey's head was sold for eighty [pieces] of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five [pieces] of silver. And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. And he said, If LORD does not help thee, from where shall I help thee? Out of the threshing-floor, or out of the winepress? And the king said to her, What troubles thee? And she answered, This woman said to me, Give thy son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow. So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day, Give thy son that we may eat him. And she has hid her son. And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes (now he was passing by upon the wall). And the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth inside upon his flesh. Then he said, God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day. But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And [the king] sent a man from before him, but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, Do ye see how this son of a murderer has sent to tak And while he was yet talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him, and he said, Behold, this evil is of LORD. Why should I wait for LORD any longer? And Elisha said, Hear ye the word of LORD. Thus says LORD, Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour shall be [sold] for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if LORD should make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shall see it with thine eyes, but shall not eat of it. Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate, and they said one to another, Why do we sit here until we die? If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall to the army of the Syrians. If they save us alive, we shall And they rose up in the twilight, to go to the camp of the Syrians. And when they came to the outermost part of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was no man there. For LORD had made the army of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great army. And they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their donkeys, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. And when these lepers came to the outermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate and drank, and carried from there silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it. And they came back, and entered into another tent, Then they said one to another, We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we keep silent. If we delay till the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king's household So they came and called to the porter of the city. And they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but the horses tied, and the donkeys tied, and the tents And he called the porters, and they told it to the king's household within. And the king arose in the night, and said to his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry. Therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When t And one of his servants answered and said, Let, I pray thee, some men take five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; behold, they are as all the Therefore they took two chariots with horses. And the king sent after the army of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. And they went after them to the Jordan. And, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king. And the people went out, and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was [sold] for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of LORD. And the king appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate. And the people trampled upon him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. And it came to pass, as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria. And that captain answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shall see it with thine eyes, but shall not eat of it. It came to pass even so to him, for the people trampled upon him in the gate, and he died. Now Elisha had spoken to the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thy household, and sojourn wherever thou can sojourn, for LORD has called for a famine, and it shall also come upon the land seve And the woman arose, and did according to the word of the man of God. And she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. And it came to pass at the end of seven years, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines, and she went forth to cry to the king for her house and for her land. Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha has done. And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored to life him who was dead, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed to her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now. And Elisha came to Damascus, and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick. And it was told him, saying, The man of God has come here. And the king said to Hazael, Take a present in thy hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this sickness? So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria has sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recov And Elisha said to him, Go, say to him, Thou shall surely recover. However LORD has shown me that he shall surely die. And he settled his countenance steadfastly [upon him], until he was ashamed. And the man of God wept. And Hazael said, Why do thou weep my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou will do to the sons of Israel: their strongholds thou will set on fire, and their young men thou will kill with the sword, and will dash And Hazael said, But what is thy servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, LORD has shown me that thou shall be king over Syria. Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his master, who said to him, What did Elisha say to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou would surely recover. And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took the coverlet, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died. And Hazael reigned in his stead. And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign. He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab, for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD. However LORD would not destroy Judah, for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give to him a lamp for his sons always. In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. Then Joram passed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him. And he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites that encompassed him about, and the captains of the chariots. And the people fled to their tents. So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead. In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri king of Israel. And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, as did the house of Ahab, for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab. And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead, and the Syrians wounded Joram. And king Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab And Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and said to him, Gird up thy loins, and take this vial of oil in thy hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead. And when thou come there, look out there for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brothers, and carry him to an inner chamber. Then take the vial of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus says LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and delay not. So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. And when he came, behold, the captains of the army were sitting. And he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, To which of us all? And he said, To thee, O captain. And he arose, and went into the house. And he poured the oil on his head, and said to him, Thus says LORD, the God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of LORD, even over Israel. And thou shall smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish. And I will cut off from Ahab every man-child, and him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled. Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord, and one said to him, Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to thee? And he said to them, Ye know the man and what his talk was. And they said, It is not true; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus he spoke to me, saying, Thus says LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then they hastened, and every man took his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew the trumpet, saying, Jehu is king. So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria. But king Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If this be your mind, then let none escape and go forth out of the city to So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah came down to see Joram. Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace? So one went on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus says the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What have thou to do with peace? Turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he does not come b Then he sent out a second on horseback who came to them, and said, Thus says the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What have thou to do with peace? Turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, He came to them, and does not come back. And the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously. And Joram said, Make ready. And they made his chariot ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu, and found him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite. And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and smote Joram between his arms. And the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot. Then [Jehu] said to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, LORD laid this burden upon him: Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, says LORD, and I will requite thee in this plot, says LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plot [of ground], according to the word of LORD.

For the king's word [has] power, and who may say to him, What are thou doing?

Moreover the abundance of the land is for all. The king [himself] is served by the field.

These will war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. And those with him are the called and chosen and faithful.

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for rulers [to say], Where is strong drink? Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the justice [due] to any who is afflicted.

In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, as his fathers had done. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and killed him, and reigned in his stead. read more.
Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. This was the word of LORD which he spoke to Jehu, saying, Thy sons to the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel. And so it came to pass.

In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah, [and reigned] two years. And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him. Now he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah. And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead. read more.
And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he smote all the house of Baasha. He left him not a single man-child, neither of his kinfolks, nor of his friends. Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha according to the word of LORD, which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, for all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned, and with which they made Israel to sin, to provoke LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities. Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him. Now he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah. And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.

I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings, be made for all men, for kings and all those who are in prominence, so that we may live a quiet and peaceful life in all piety and propriety.

Open thy mouth for the mute, in the cause of all such as are left desolate. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and minister justice to the poor and needy.

And, behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field, and Saul said, What troubles the people that they weep? And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. And the Spirit of God came mightily upon Saul when he heard those words, and his anger was greatly kindled. And he took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, Whoever does not come forth behind Saul and behind Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen. A

Now therefore hearken to their voice. However thou shall protest solemnly to them, and shall show them the manner of the king who shall reign over them. And Samuel told all the words of LORD to the people who asked of him a king. And he said, This will be the manner of the king who shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them to him for his chariots, and to be his horsemen, and they shall run before his chariots. read more.
And he will appoint them to him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties. And [he will set some] to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks. And ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king whom ye shall have chosen you, and LORD will not answer you in that day.

And all the people went to Gilgal. And there they made Saul king before LORD in Gilgal, and there they offered sacrifices of peace-offerings before LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel who provided provisions for the king and his household. Each man had to make provision for a month in the year. And these are their names: Ben-hur, in the hill-country of Ephraim; Ben-deker, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan; read more.
Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him [pertained] Socoh, and all the land of Hepher); Ben-abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife); Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam; Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (to him [pertained] the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; [even] to him [pertained] the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and brazen bars); Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon to wife); Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan, and [he was] the only officer who was in the land.

If a ruler hearkens to falsehood, all his servants are wicked.

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel, [and reigned] nine years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him. Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him. And Hoshea became his servant, and brought him tribute. read more.
And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound hi Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] seventeen years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. He did not depart from it. And the anger of LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, continually. read more.
And Jehoahaz besought LORD, and LORD hearkened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how that the king of Syria oppressed them. (And LORD gave Israel a savior, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians, and the sons of Israel dwelt in their tents as beforetime. Nevertheless they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel to sin, but walked therein. And the Asherah also remained in Samaria.) For he did not leave to Jehoahaz of the people except fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Syria destroyed them, and made them like the dust in threshing. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Joash his son reigned in his stead.

But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom is king in Hebron.

And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel who provided provisions for the king and his household. Each man had to make provision for a month in the year. And these are their names: Ben-hur, in the hill-country of Ephraim; Ben-deker, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan; read more.
Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him [pertained] Socoh, and all the land of Hepher); Ben-abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife); Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam; Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (to him [pertained] the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; [even] to him [pertained] the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and brazen bars); Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon to wife); Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan, and [he was] the only officer who was in the land.

And David came to Saul, and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer.

Righteous lips are the delight of kings, and they love him who speaks right.

See thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before obscure men.

A divine sentence is in the lips of the king. His mouth shall not transgress in judgment.

A wise king winnows the wicked, and brings the wheel over them.

The mouth of interloping women is a deep pit. He who is abhorred of LORD shall fall in it.

It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness, for the throne is established by righteousness.

The king's favor is toward a servant who deals wisely, but his wrath will be [to] him who causes shame.

My son, fear thou LORD and the king, [and] do not associate with those who are given to change.

Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.

The ruler who lacks understanding is also a great oppressor, [but] he who hates covetousness shall prolong his days.

The ruler who lacks understanding is also a great oppressor, [but] he who hates covetousness shall prolong his days.

In the multitude of people is the king's glory, but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.

and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and washed us from our sins by his blood

besides [that which] the traders [brought], and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.

Give not thy strength to women, nor thy ways to that which destroys kings.

Excellent speech is not appropriate to a fool, much less lying lips to a prince.

And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and killed him, and reigned in his stead.

Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king. And he prepared chariots for him, and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why have thou done so? And he was also a very handsome man. And he was born after Absalom. And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest. And, following Adonijah, they helped him.

And Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and killed him, and reigned in his stead.

And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah. And he reigned over Israel two years.

And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

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

And he walked in all the way of Asa his father. He turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of LORD. However the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high pla

And he did that which was right in the eyes of LORD. He did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

And David reigned over all Israel. And David executed justice and righteousness to all his people.

And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of LORD as David his father did.

A king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the justice [due] to any who is afflicted.

Now therefore be wise, O ye kings. Be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, for his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all those who take refuge in him.

The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me. He who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God,

By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice.

Put not thyself forward in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men.

So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron. And king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel.

So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria.

And he did that which was right in the eyes of LORD, according to all that David his father had done.

And he did that which was right in the eyes of LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers. They shall bow down to thee with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of thy feet. And thou shall know that I am LORD, and those who wait for me s

And they said to him, Behold, thou are old, and thy sons do not walk in thy ways. Now make for us a king to judge us like all the nations.

and keep the charge of LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, [and] his commandments, and his ordinances, and his testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses, that thou may prosper in all t

So that he who resists the office of authority has opposed the ordinance of God, and those who have opposed will receive condemnation to themselves.

So that he who resists the office of authority has opposed the ordinance of God, and those who have opposed will receive condemnation to themselves.

I have given thee a king in my anger, and have taken him away in my wrath.

There is no king saved by the multitude of an army. A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.

Let every soul be subject to offices of authority that rank higher, for there is no office of authority if not by God, and the offices of authority that are by God, are those that have been instituted.

Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O mighty one, thy glory and thy majesty.

The king's strength also loves justice. Thou establish equity. Thou execute justice and righteousness in Jacob.

If the spirit of the ruler rises up against thee, leave not thy place, for deference allays great offences.

Then Nebuchadnezzar in [his] rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion, but his favor is as dew upon the grass.

The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion. He who provokes him to anger sins [against] his own life.

For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

Who then is the faithful and wise bondman, whom his lord appointed over his service, to give them the provision on time?

The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion, but his favor is as dew upon the grass.

In the light of the king's countenance is life, and his favor is as a cloud of the latter rain.

Many seek the ruler's favor, but a man's justice [is] from LORD.

for kings and all those who are in prominence, so that we may live a quiet and peaceful life in all piety and propriety.

Now it came to pass in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to enroll all the world.

So the posts that rode upon swift steeds that were used in the king's service went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment, and the decree was given out in Shushan the palace.

So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to Shushan the palace to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into the king's house to the custody of Heg

I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, and steadfast forever. And his kingdom [is] that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall

Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill, because there is

Then he brought out the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and [gave him] the testimony. And they made him king, and anointed him. And they clapped their hands, and said, Live, O king.

So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron. And king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel.

Then they brought out the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and [gave him] the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him. And they said, Live, O king.

And all the people went to Gilgal. And there they made Saul king before LORD in Gilgal, and there they offered sacrifices of peace-offerings before LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was returned, that they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David, but only the tribe of Jud

And the news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and laid his robe from him, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

And at a set day Herod, having arrayed himself in royal apparel, and having sat on the tribunal, he made an oration to them.

Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets were prophesying before them.

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold.

And he took the captains over hundreds, and the Carites, and the guard, and all the people of the land, and they brought down the king from the house of LORD, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king's house. And he

If the spirit of the ruler rises up against thee, leave not thy place, for deference allays great offences.

Then Nebuchadnezzar in [his] rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion, but his favor is as dew upon the grass.

The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion. He who provokes him to anger sins [against] his own life.

For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

But toward the Son, Thy throne, O God, is into the age of the age. The scepter of thy kingdom is a scepter of straightness.

I see him, but not now. I behold him, but not near. There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of tumult.

All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, know, that whoever, whether man or woman, shall come to the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except th

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and to him shall the obedience of the peoples be.

LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers,

Who then is the faithful and wise bondman, whom his lord appointed over his service, to give them the provision on time?

The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion, but his favor is as dew upon the grass.