Elijah fed by ravens. king of the Zidonians, h and i went and served Baal, and worshipped him. 32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made a grove; k and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. 1 KINGS, XVII. 31 In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his! first-born, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake m by Joshua the son of Nun. CHAPTER XVII. 1 Elijah is fed by ravens: 17 He raiseth the widow's son. AND 1 Elijah the Tishite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As a the LORD God of Israel liveth, before b whom I stand, there c shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. 2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens d to feed thee there. B. C. 929. h Ju. 18.7. i ch.21.25,26. 2Ki. 10.18, &c. 17.16. k 2Ki. 13.6. I ver.30. m Jos.6.26. e 2.3.14. Jam.5.17. d Is.43.20. e Ps.37.3.19. Is.33.16. Mat.6.31 33. Lu.22.35. He. 13.5,6. 2 at the end of days. fob.20. Luke 4.26, called Sarepta. g Ge.21.16. Jer. 14. 18. He raiseth the widow's son. 12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.g 13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go, and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, h and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. 14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD 3 sendeth rain upon the earth. 15 And she went, and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house did ext 4 many days. 16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake 5 by Elijah. 17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was s sore that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said unto Elijah. What i have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call k my sin to remenbrance, and to slay my son? 19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up to a loft where he abode, and lad him upon his own bed. 20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by h Pr.3.9, 10. slaying her son? 3 Mark 9.41. giveth. 4 or, a full year. 5 by the 9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, f hand of. which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded i Luke 5.8. a widow woman there to sustain k Job 13.23, thee. 26. Eze.21.23, 24. 12Ki.4.34,35. 10 So he arose and went to Zare-1 phath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. 11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring n Jno.3.2. me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. 21 And he 6 stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into 7 him again. 22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chaurber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: m and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth! 6 measured. 21 And the woman said to Elihis inward jah, Now n by this I know that parts, thou art a man of God, and tha the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth. m He. 11.35. 16.30. CHAPTER XVIII. Elijah, by prayer obtaining rain, followeth Ahab to Jezreel. Elijah sent to Ahab. 1 KINGS, XVIII. b De.28.12. AND it came to pass after many a B. C. 906. days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third vear, a ch.17.1. saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. 2 And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria. 3 And Ahab called 1 Obadiah, which was 2 the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared c the LORD greatly: 4 For it was so, when 3 Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took d an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread e and water.) 5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we 4 lose not all the beasts. 6 So they divided the land between them, to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. 7 And as Obadiah was in the way,behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him: and he fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah? 8 And he answered him, I am go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. Ps. 147.8. 1 Obadiahu. e Ps.34.9, 10. Is.33.16. cut not off ourselves from the beasts. 2K1.2.16. Eze.3. 12, 14. Mat.4.1. Acts 8.39. g Pr.8.13. Ec.7.18. Is.50.10. h Mat. 10.41, 42. Mat.25.35. k Mat.10.28. 7 Is.51.7,8. Convinceth Baal's prophets. 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth m Israel? 18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou and thy father's house, n in that ye have forsaken o the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim. 19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, p and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves a four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. 20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered r the prophets together unto mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How s long halt ye between two 5 opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but ift Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. 22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, u remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23 Let them therefore give us two 9 And he said, what have I sinned, m Ac.16.20. bullocks; and let them choose one that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? 17.6. n ch.21.20. 0 ch.15.2. 2Ki.2.25. 10 As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom P 1Sa. 15.12. whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He 9 ch.16.33. is not there; he took an oath of the r ch.22.6. kingdom and nation, that they s 2Ki.17.41. found thee not. Mat.6.24. or,thoughts. t Jos.24.15. u ch.19.10, 11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. 12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that f the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fearg the LORD from my youth. 5 14. v 1Ch.21.26., 2Ch.7.1,3. The word or, answer. is good. w Ps. 115.5-8. Jer. 10.5. 1Cor. 12.2. or, heard, bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: 24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, v let him be God. And all the people answered and said, 6 It is well spoken. 25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. 26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, 7 hear us. 13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an or, up and But there w was no voice, nor any hundred men of the LORD's prophets h by fifty in a cave, and fed i them with bread and water? 14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay k me. 15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him to-day. down at the altar. 10 with a great voice. x Is.41.23. 11 or, medi tateth. 12 hath a pursuit. y Le. 19.28. that 8 answered. And they leaped 9 upon the altar which was made. 27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry 10 aloud: for he is a god; either he 11 is talking, or he 12 is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. 28 And they cried aloud, and cut y Baal's prophets slain. themselves, after their manner, with knives and lancets, till 13 the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the 14 offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any 15 that regarded. 1 KINGS, XIX. 13 they poured out blood upon them. 14 ascending 15 attention. Ge.32.28. 16 went. 30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. a Lev. 1.6-8. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom z the word of the LORD d ch.8.43. came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: b ver.32,38. c Ex.3.6. 2Ki. 19.19. Ps.83.18. Eze.36.23. 39.7. 32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench round about e Nu. 16.28. the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. f Lev.9.24. Ju.6.21. 1Ch.21.26. 2Ch.7.1. 33 And he put the wood in order, and cut a the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour g ver.24. it on the burnt-sacrifice, and on the wood. 34 And he said, Do it the second 17 or, Appre hend. time. And they did it the second h Deut. 13.50. said, Do the third time. And they did it the third time. 35 And the water 16 ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench b also with water. 36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, c LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel,d let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and e that I have done all these things at thy word. 37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that 2Ki. 10.25. 18 or, a noise. i Ja.5. 17, 18. 19 tie,or,bind. k 2Ki.4.29. 9.1. Job 33.3. Jer. 1. 17. Ep.6.14. 1Pet. 1.13. 20 till thou come to. Elijah obtains rain. Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is 18 a sound of abundance of rain. 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; andi he cast himhis face between his knees, self down upon the earth and put 43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. 44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, 19 Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. 45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. 46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded k up his loins, and ran before Ahab 20 to the entrance of Jezreel. CHAPTER XIX. Elisha, taking leave of his friends, followeth Elijah. AND Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain a all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, Sob let the gods do to me, and more also, if c I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time. 3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 T But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree and he requested for 1 himself that he might die; and said,d thou hast turned their heart back (CHAP. 19.) It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; fore I am not better than my fathers. 5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angelf touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his 2 head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. 8 And he arose, and did eat and An angel comforteth Elijah. drink, and went in the strength of that meat fortyg days and forty nights, unto Horeb the h mount of God. 1 KINGS, XX. B. C. 901. g Ex.34.28. De.9.9.18. Mat.4.2. 9 And he came thither unto a cave and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, h Ex.3.1. and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? Mal.4.4,5. 13. 10 And i he said, I have been very i Ro. 11.2-4. kjealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have for-k Nu.25.11, saken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. Ps.69.9. 7 ch.18.4.20. Mi.7.2. m Ex.24.12. 11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount m before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD pass-n Eze.1.4. ed by, and a great and strong wind n rent the mountains, and brake in o Zec.4.6. pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the o LORD was not in the pEx.3.6. wind and after the wind an earthIs.6.2. quake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: q ver.9,10. r Jer. 22.9. 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still smalls 2K1.8.12,13. Voice. 14 And he said, I q have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken r thy covenant, thrown w Ho.6.5. down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword: and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. Rom. 11.4. 3 or, will leave. 15 And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when y Ho.13.2. thou comest, anoint Hazael s to be king over Syria: 16 And Jehut the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha u the son of Shaphat, of Abel-meholah, shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. 17 And vit shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.w 18 Yet 13 have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed y him. 19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the sonof Shaphat,who was ploughing with twelve yoke of z Mat.8.21, 22. Lu.9.61,62. 4 Go, return. a 25a.24.22. (CHAP. 20.) a Is. 10.13,14. 1 desirable. b 2Ki.5.7. 2 kept not back from him. Elisha followeth him. oren before him, and he with the twelfth and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then z I will follow thee. And he said unto him, 4 Go back again for what have I done to thee? 21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments a of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah and ministered unto him. CHAPTER XX. By the direction of the prophet the Syrians are slain. ND Ben-hadad the king of Syria A gathered all his host togeth er: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. 2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus a saith Ben-hadad, 3 Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. 4 And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have. 5 And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben-hadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee saying, thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children; 6 Yet I will send my servants unto thee to-morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away. 7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, b and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and 12 denied him not. 8 And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unio him, nor consent. 9 Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again. The Syrians slain. 10 And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said. The gods c do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that 3 follow me. 11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Letd not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off. 12 And it came to pass, when Benhadad heard this 4 message, (as he was drinking, he and the kings in the 5pavilions,) that he said unto his servants, 6 Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city. 1 KINGS, XX. c ch.19.2. 3 are at my d Pr.27.1. 4 word. or, tents. 6 or, Place 13 And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? 'e ver.28. behold, I will deliver it into thine 8 or,servants. hand this day; e and thou shalt 9 bind, or,tie. know that I am the LORD. 14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the 8 young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shail order the battle? And he answered, Thou. f Ju.7.7. g ver. 12. 32. 15 Then he numbered ƒ the young h Is.54.15. men of the princes of the provinces, i Ju.7.21,22. and they were two hundred and Ec.9.11. thirty-two: and after them he num-k 2Ki.6.12. bered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand. 12Sa.11.1. 16 And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking g him-m Ps. 115.2,3. self drunk in the pavilions, he and Is.42.8. the kings, the thirty and two kingsh 10was fallen. that helped him. n Ps. 10.3. 29.1. 17 And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out o 1Sam.4.1. first; and Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria. 18 And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war take them alive. 2Ki. 13. 17. 11 the war p Is.37.29-36. 19 So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out 9 ver. 13. of the city, and the army which followed them. 20 And i they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them; and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen. 21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots. and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter. Job 12.16- Ps. 10.16. s Ps. 18.45. 13 a chamber They are smitten again. 23 And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods m are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. 24 And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their 26 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek o to 11 fight against Israel. 27 And the children of Israe! were numbered, and were 12 all present and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country. 28 And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because p the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore q will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 29 And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was that in the seventh day the battle was joined: r and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day. 30 But the rest fleds to Aphek, into the city; and there t a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Benhadad fled, and came into the city, into 13 an inner chamber. 31 And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful u kings: let us, I pray thee, put v sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life. chamber to 32 So they girded sackcloth on chamber, their loins, and put ropes on their ch.22.25. heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother. u Is. 16.5. 22 And the prophet k came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king v Ge.37.34. of Syria will come up against thee. |