1And King David was an old man, advanced in days; and they covered him with blankets, but he could not keep warm. 2 And his servants said, “Let a search be made for the king for a young virgin, so she might stand beside the king, and she will be giving warmth to him. She will sleep beside him, and my lord the king will be warmed.” 3 And they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout every border of Israel, and they found Abishag the Shunammite, and they brought her to the king. 4 The young woman was very beautiful, and she was keeping the king warm and ministering to him. However, the king did not know her. 5 Adonijah, the son of Haggith, exalted himself by saying, “I will be king.” He made chariots for himself, chariots and drivers. Fifty men ran before him. 6 His father did not restrain him, never saying, “On what account did you do this?” He was very beautiful in appearance. She borea him after Absalom. 7 His words were with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. They supported Adonijah. 8 However, Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty sons of David were not behind Adonijah. 9 Adonijah butchered sheep, calves, and lambs beside the Stone of Zoheleth that is close to En-rogel. He invited his brothers and the men of Judah, the servants of the king. 10 However, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty ones, and Solomon his brother he did not invite. 11 Nathan said to Bathsheba, mother of Solomon, saying, “Did you not hear that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king? But David our lord does not know? 12 Now come, I will give you advice and so deliver your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Now enter before King David and say to him, ‘My lord, O king, did you not swear to your servant, saying that your son Solomon “will reign after me and he will sit on my throne”? Why is it that Adonijah has become king?’ 14 Look! While you are speaking there with the king, I will enter behind and complete your word.” 15 Bathsheba entered before the king in the inner room. The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king. 16 Bathsheba stooped and bowed before the king, and the king said, “What is your concern?” 17 She said, “Lord, you swore by your God to your servant saying that your son Solomon ‘will be king after me. And he will sit on my throne.’ 18 Now look, Adonijah has become king and yet you, my lord, O king, do not know. 19 He has butchered calves, lambs, and sheep for the crowd and has invited all the sons of the king along with Abiathar the priest and Joab the ruler of the army. However, Solomon your servant he did not invite. 20 As for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are toward you to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 It will be when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be sinners.” 22 And look, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came. 23 It was reported to the king, “Look! Nathan the prophet.” He entered before the face of the king, and he bowed down to the king before his face upon the earth. 24 Nathan said, “O lord, my king, did you say, ‘Adonijah will be king after me, and he will sit on my throne’? 25 Because today he has gone down and butchered calves, lambs, and sheep for a crowd. He has invited all the sons of the king, the powerful rulers, and Abiathar the priest. Look! They are eating and drinking before him, saying, ‘Let King Adonijah live!’ 26 As for me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Solomon your servant, he did not invite. 27 Has this matter come through my lord the king, and you have not declared to your servant who will sit upon the throne of my lord king after him?” 28 David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba for me.” She entered before the king and stood before him. 29 The king swore and said, “As the Lord lives, who redeemed my soul from all distress, 30 that just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel saying that Solomon your son will reign after me and he will sit on my throne in place of me, thus I will do this day.” 31 Bathsheba stooped with her face toward the earth and bowed before the king. She said, “May my lord, King David live for eternity.” 32 King David said, “Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada to me.” They entered into the presence of the king. 33 The king said to them, “Take the servants of your lord with you, and make my son Solomon ride upon my mule, and bring him down to the land of Gihon. 34 And anoint him there, Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet, as king over Israel. Sound the horn and you will say, ‘Let King Solomon live!’ 35 He will sit on my throne and will be king in place of me. I command him to be leader over Israel and Judah.” 36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “May it be so. May the God of my lord and king confirm it. 37 Just as the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon, and may he enlarge his throne above the throne of my lord King David.” 38 Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Phelethites went down and sat Solomon upon King David’s mule, and they led him to the land of Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest took the horn of olive oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. He sounded with the horn, and all the people said, “May King Solomon live!” 40 All the people went up after him. They performed dances, rejoicing with great joy. And the earth split at their sound. 41 Adonijah and all those he had invited heard. They finished eating. Joab heard the sound of the horn and said, “Why is the sound of the city in an uproar?” 42 While he was speaking, look, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest went in, and Adonijah said, “Enter because you are a strong man and proclaim good news.” 43 Jonathan answered and said, “Most certainly, our lord King David has appointed Solomon as king. 44 The king sent after him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Phelethites, and they set him on the mule of the king. 45 Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him in the land of Gihon and went up from there rejoicing. The city roared. This is the sound that you heard. 46 Solomon sat on the throne of the king. 47 The servants of the king came in to praise our lord, King David, saying, ‘May God magnify the name of Solomon above your name and may he enlarge his throne above your throne.’ And the king bowed down upon his bed. 48 So the king said, ‘Blessed is the Lord the God of Israel who today has given from my seed one who sits on my throne and whom my eyes see.’ 49 All those who were invited by Adonijah arose, and each went on his way. 50 Adonijah was terrified from the face of Solomon. He arose, departed, and took hold of the horns of the altar. 51 It was reported to Solomon, saying, “Look, Adonijah is terrified of King Solomon. He holds onto the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let Solomon swear to me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’ ” 52 Solomon said, “If he becomes a son of strength, cursed if one of his hairs falls on the earth. However, if evil is found in him, he will be killed.”
2King Solomon sent and brought him down from the altar. He entered and bowed before Solomon. Solomon said to him, “Go into your house.” 2 The days of David drew near for him to die. And he responded to Solomon his son, saying: 2 “I am going on the way of all the earth. You will be strong and become a man. 3 Guard the guard of your God to go in his roads to guard his commands, duties, and judgments that are written in the law of Moses, so that you will understand what you are doing according to everything that I command you, 4 so the Lord may set his word that he spoke saying, ‘If your sons guard their way so as to walk before me in truth with their whole heart saying that there will not be destroyed for you a man to be on the throne of Israel.’ 5 Further, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me, inasmuch as he did to the two rulers of the armies of Israel, to Abner son of Ner and to Amasa son of Jether. He killed them. He set the blood of battle in his belt, in his loins, and in his sandal on his foot. 6 Do according to your wisdom. And you, bring down his grey hairs in peace to Hades. 7 Show compassion on the sons of Barzillai of the Gileadites. They will be with those who eat at your table because they approached me when I was running away from the face of Absalom your brother. 8 Look, Shimei the son of Gera the son of a Benjamite from Bahurim is with you. He cursed me with a painful curse on the day when I went to the fort. He went down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord saying, ‘Certainly I will not kill you with the sword.’ 9 You shall not acquit him because you are a wise man, and you know what you will do to him. You will bring down his grey hairs with blood to Hades.” 10 And David slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David. 11 The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years. At Hebron he was king for seven years and in Jerusalem for thirty-three years. Solomon’s Rule Established 12 Solomon sat on the throne of David his father. His kingdom was very much prepared. 13 And Adonijah entered before Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, and he bowed down before her. She said, “Your entrance, is it in peace?” He said, “It is in peace. 14 I have a word for you.” She said to him, “Speak!” 15 He said to her, “You see that the kingdom was mine. All Israel set its face on me to be king. The kingdom changed and became my brother’s because it was his from the Lord. 16 Now I ask one request from you. Do not turn your face back.” Bathsheba said to him, “Speak!” 17 He said to her, “Speak now to Solomon the king because he will not turn his face back from you, and he will give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.” 18 Bathsheba said, “Good, I will speak for you to the king.” 19 Bathsheba entered to King Solomon to speak with him concerning Adonijah. The king arose to meet her. He kissed her and sat on the throne. And a throne was set up for the mother of the king, and she sat at his right. 20 She said to him, “One small request I ask from you: Do not turn your face.” The king said to her, “Ask, my mother, and I will not turn you back.” 21 She said, “Now, let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother for a wife.” 22 Solomon the king answered and said to his mother, Why is it you request Abishag for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also because this my brother is greater than me and Abiathar the priest is for him. Also, Joab the son of Zeruiah the chiefcommander is to him as a friend.” 23 King Solomon swore by the Lord saying, “May God do this to me and more than this because Adonijah has spoken this word against his life. 24 Now as the Lord lives who prepared me, set me on the throne of David my father, and he made for me a house, just as the Lord said, surely today Adonijah will be put to death.” 25 Solomon the king sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. He killed him, and Adonijah died on that day. 26 And the king said to Abiathar the priest, “You, run away to Anathoth to your field, because you are a man of death on this day, but I will not put you to death because you carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord before my father and because you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted.” 27 Solomon cast out Abiathar so that he would not be a priest of the Lord so that the things of the Lord that he spoke to the house of Eli at Shiloh would be fulfilled. 28 And the report came to Joab the son of Zeruiah, (because Joab was leaning toward Adonijah. But he had not leaned toward Absalom) and Joab fled to the tent of the Lord and held the horns of the altar. 29 It was reported to Solomon saying that “Joab fled to the tent of the Lord and look he has taken hold of the horns of the altar.” Solomon sent to Joab saying, “What happened to you that you have fled to the altar?” Joab said, “Because I was terrified of your face, I fled to the Lord.” And Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, kill him and bury him.” 30 Benaiah son of Jehoiada went into the tent of the Lord and said to him, “This is what the king says: ‘Come out!’ ” Joab said, “I will not come out because then I will die.” Benaiah son of Jehoiada returned and said to the king, saying, “Joab said this, and he answered to me this.” 31 The king said to him, “Go and do to him just as he has said. Kill him and bury him. Today you will remove the blood that he sheds freely from me and from the house of my father. 32 The Lord turned back the blood of his injustice on his head. And he went to meet two people who were more righteous and good than he, and he killed them with a sword. My father David did not know about their blood, that of Abner son of Ner chief-commander of Israel and Amasa the son of Jether chief-commander of Judah. 33 His blood has returned to his head and to the head of his seed for eternity.a But to David, to his seed, to his house, and to his throne may there be peace for eternity from the Lord.” 34 So Jehoiada encountered Joab and killed him, and he buried him in his house in the wilderness. 35 The king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada instead of him over the command, and the kingdom was ordered successfully in Jerusalem, and the king appointed Zadok the priest as high priestb in place of Abiathar. Solomon’s Construction Efforts 35a And the Lord gave prudence to Solomon and very great wisdom and breadth of heart like the sand that is by the sea, 35b and the prudence of Solomon increased beyond all the ancient sons and beyond all the wise men of Egypt. 35c And he took the daughter of Pharaoh, and he brought her into the city of David until he finished the house of the Lord in the beginning and the wall of Jerusalem from all around; in seven years he did it and completed it. 35d And there were seventy thousand belonging to Solomon raising loads and eighty thousand quarrying in the mountain. 35e And Solomon made the sea and the undergirding support and the great basins and the pillars and the fountain of the court and the sea made of brass. And he built the citadel as a defense above it. It cut through the city of David; 35f so the daughter of Pharaoh went up from the city of David into her house, which he built for her; then he built the citadel. 35g And Solomon offered up in the year, three burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar that he built for the Lord, and he burned incense before the Lord. And he finished the house. 35h And these were the commanders who were appointed over the work of Solomon: three thousand and six hundred overseers over the people who were doing the work. 35i And he built Assyria, Magao, Gezer, the upper Beth-horon, and Ballath, 35k except after he built up the house of the Lord and the wall of Jerusalem around, after these things he built these cities. Shimei Executed 35l And while David was still alive, he commanded Solomon, saying, “Look, Shimei son of Gera son of the seed of the Benjamite from Hebron is with you. 35m This one called down a painful curse upon me on which day I was going into the encampment. 35n And he was coming down to meet with me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘Cursed if he is put to death by the sword!’ 35o and now you shall not acquit him, because you are a prudent man, and you will know what you should do to him, and you will bring down his greyness of hair in blood into Hades.” 36 The king called Shimei and said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and stay there. Do not depart from there. 37 It will be on the day of your departure when you pass over the flowing Kidron, knowing with knowledge that you will surely die. Your blood will be on your head.” The king made him swear on that day. 38 Shimei said to the king, “The matter is good that you have spoken, my lord, O king. So your servant will do.” And Shimei remained at Jerusalem for three years. 39 It came to pass after three years that two slaves of Shimei ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. It was reported to Shimei saying, “Look, your slaves are in Gath.” 40 Shimei rose and piled on his donkey, and he went to Gath to Achish to seek his slaves. Shimei went and brought his slaves out of Gath. 41 It was reported to Solomon saying that Shimei went out of Jerusalem to Gath and returned his slaves. 42 The king sent and called Shimei. He said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and bear witness to you saying, ‘On whatever day you go out from Jerusalem and go either to the right or to the left, you will know, knowing, that you will surely die?’ 43 Why is it that you did not guard the oath of the Lord and the command that I commanded to you?” 44 The king said to Shimei, “You see all your evil that your heart has known that you did to David my father. The Lord repaid your evil on your head. 45 King Solomon will be blessed and the throne of David will be established before the Lord for eternity.” 46 King Solomon commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and killed him. Solomon’s Greatness 46a And King Solomon was very prudent and wise, and Judah and Israel were very many, like the sand that is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing. 46b And Solomon was ruler over all the kingdoms, and they were bringing gifts and serving Solomon all the days of his life. 46c And Solomon began to opena the natural resources of the frankincense tree, 46d and he built Thermai in the desert. 46e And this was the meal for Solomon: thirty kors of the finest wheat flour and sixty kors of ground wheat flour, ten choice calves and twenty grazing bulls and a hundred sheep apart from deer and gazelles and choice grazing birds. 46f He was not ruler over all the region beyond the River, from Raphi until Gaza, over all the kings beyond the River. 46g And there was peace for him from all his parts, from all around, and Judah and Israel dwelt in confidence, each under his vine and under his fig tree, eating and drinking from Dan until Beersheba all the days of Solomon. 46h And these were the commanders under Solomon: Azariah son of Zadok the priest, Azariah son of Nathan was leader over the attendants running over his house, Zobah was the scribe, Basa son of Achithalam was the recorder, Abi son of Joab was the chief-commander, Ahira son of Edrei was over the forced labor, Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the chief of the court and over the brickworks, and Zabud son of Nathan was the adviser. 46i And there were to Solomon forty thousand breeding mares for chariots and twelve thousand horses. 46k And he was ruler over all the kings from the River until the land of the foreigners and until the boundaries of Egypt. 46l Solomon son of David reigned over Israel and Judah in Jerusalem.
3The people were burning incense on the high places because the house had not been built to the Lord until now. 3 Solomon loved the Lord by walking in the commands of David his father. However, at the high places he sacrificed and burned offerings. 4 He arose and went to Gibeon to sacrifice there because it was a great high place. Solomon offered up a thousand burnt offerings at the altar at Gibeon. 5 The Lord appeared to Solomon in sleep at night. The Lord said to Solomon, “Ask any request for yourself.” 6 Solomon said, “You showed great mercy toward your servant David my father, as he went before you in truth and with righteousness and with uprightness of heart after you. You watched over him with this great mercy to establish his son upon his throne as it is this day. 7 Now, O Lord my God, you have given your servant in the place of David my father. I am a small child, and I do not know my going out and my going in. 8 Your servant is in the midst of your people whom you chose as a numerous people who cannot be counted. 9 May you give your servant a heart to hear and to judge your people with righteousness and to understand between good and evil; because who is able to judge this great people of yours?” 10 It pleased the face of the Lord that Solomon asked this thing. 11 The Lord said to him, “Because you asked from me this thing and you did not ask for yourself many days nor did you ask for wealth nor did you ask for the lives of your enemies; but you asked for understanding for yourself while hearing a judgment. 12 Look, I have done your word. Look, I have given you a wise and clever heart. None have been like you before you, and after you there will not rise one similar to you. 13 What you did not ask for I have given to you, both wealth and glory as no man has had like you among kings. 14 If you walk in my way to guard my commands and my ordinances as David your father walked, I will multiply your days.” 15 Solomon woke up and look, it was a dream. He arose and went to Jerusalem. He stood at the face of the altar that faced the ark of the covenant of the Lord at Zion. He offered up burnt offerings and made peace offerings. He made a great banquet for himself and for all his servants. Solomon’s Wisdom on Display 16 Then two women who were prostitutes appeared before the king and stood before him. 17 The one woman said, “Please,a lord, I and this woman live in a single house, and we bore children in the house. 18 It came about on the third day when I gave birth and this woman also gave birth. We were together, and no one was with us other than the two of us in the house. 19 The son of this woman died in the night as she fell asleep on him. 20 She arose in the middle of the night and took my son from my arms and rested him in her arms, and her son who had died she rested in my arms. 21 I arose early to suckle my son, but that one had died. And look, I observed him early, and look, he was not my son to whom I had given birth.” 22 The other woman said, “No, my son was alive, but your son had died.” So they spoke before the king. 23 The king said to them, “You say, ‘This is my son who lives and the son of this one has died.’ And you say, ‘No, my son lives, and your son has died.’ ” 24 And the king said, “Take a sword.” They brought the sword before the king. 25 And the king said, “Divide the infant who suckles and who lives into two. Give half of him to this woman and half of him to this other woman.” 26 The woman whose son was living answered and said to the king because her womb was troubled for her son, and she said, “Please, lord, give her the infant but do not kill him.” The other said, “Let it be neither mine nor hers. Divide the child!” 27 The king answered and said, “Give the infant to the one who said, ‘Give this one to her.’ And do not kill him.’ This one is his mother.” 28 All Israel heard this judgment that the king made, and they were fearful from the face of the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was with him to administer duty.
4King Solomon was ruling over Israel. 2 These are the leaders who were his: Azariah son of Zadok, 3 Elihoreph, and Ahijah son of Shisha were scribes. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder. 4 Zadok and Abiathar were the priests. 5 Azariah son of Nathan was over those who were standing. Zabud son of Nathan was the friend of the king. 6 Ahishar was steward, and Eliak was the chief steward. Eliab son of Saph was over the nation. Adoniram son of Abda was over the tribute. 7 For Solomon, twelve were appointed over all Israel to supply the king and his house a month out of the year. He was to provide for one month. 8 These are their names: BenHur in Mount Ephraim was one. 9 The son of Rechas in Makaz, Bethalamin, Beth-shemesh, and Elon up to Beth-hanan was one. 10 The son of Hesed, Bernemalousamencha and Resphara, 11 between Dan and Phathei, the man of Taphath (the daughter of Solomon was to him for wife), was one. 12 Baana son of Ahilud, Taanach, and Megiddo, and all the house of Dan beside Zarethan beneath Jezreel and from Bethshean Abel-meholah up to Maebera Jokmeam, was one. 13 The son of Geber, Ramoth-gilead—this was part of Eretabam in the Bashan, sixty large, fortified, and bronze barred cities—was one. 14 Ahinadab son of Halak in Mahanaim 15 Ahimaaz in Naphtali, and this one took Basemath daughter of Solomon, was one. 16 Baanah son of Hushai in Bealoth was one. 17 b The son of Ela was in Benjamin. 18 The son of Uri in the land of Gad in the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan was the one official in the land of Judah. 19 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah was in Issachar. 20 c Those who were so appointed provided for King Solomon and everything called for to the table of the king each according to his month. They did not omit anything. 21 They brought the barley and the chaff for the horses and for the chariotry to the place where the king was, each according to its order. 22 d These were set aside for Solomon in a single day: thirty kors of the finest wheat flour, sixty kors of ground wheat flour, 23 ten choice calves, twenty grazing cows, a hundred sheep, in addition to deer, gazelles, and select and fattened poultry. 24 Because he was ruler beyond the River and there was peace to him from all parts round about, 25 e the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, very great understanding, and an overflow of the heart as the sand along the sea. 26 Solomon increased very much above the wisdom of all ancient people and over all the wise of Egypt. 27 He was wiser than all people, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda son of Mahol. 28 Solomon spoke three thousand parables, and his songs were five thousand. 29 He spoke about the trees from the cedar that was in the Lebanon up to the hyssop that emerges from the wall. He spoke concerning the livestock, the birds, the reptiles, and the fish. 30 It came to pass that all the people heard of the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth as many as heard of his wisdom. Solomon and Egypt 31 f And Solomon took the daughter of Pharaoh for himself for a wife, and he brought her into the city of David until he finished the house of the Lord and his own house and the wall of Jerusalem. 32 g When Pharaoh king of Egypt went up and captured Gezer and set it and the Canaanites who were dwelling in Mergab on fire, Pharaoh gave them as gifts to his daughter the wife of Solomon, 33 and Solomon built up Gezer.
5hHiram king of Tyre sent his servants to anoint Solomon in place of David his father because Hiram was loving David all the days. 2 Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, 3 “You know David my father, that he was not able to build a house to the name of the Lord my God from the face of the battles round about him until he gave them under the soles of his feet. 4 Now the Lord my God has given rest to me round about. There is no treachery and there is no evil offense.i 5 Look, I say, ‘Build a house to the name of the Lord my God,’ just as the Lord God spoke to David my father saying, ‘Your son whom I will set in place of you on your throne, this one will build the house in my name.’ 6 Now command and let them cut for me wood from Lebanon. Look, my servants together with your servants, for your labor I will give you according to anything you say because you know that there is no one among us who himself cuts wood like the Sidonians.” 7 It came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon he rejoiced very much and said, “Blessed be God who today has given to David a wise son over this great people.” 8 He sent to Solomon saying, “I have heard about all that you have sent to me. I will do all of your desire, cedar, wood, and pine. 9 My slaves will lead these down from Lebanon to the sea. I will put them on rafts to the place wherever you send to me. I will dump them there. You will raise up and do my will by giving bread to my house.” 10 Hiram was giving to Solomon cedar and all his desire. 11 Solomon gave to Hiram twenty thousand kors of wheat and machira for his house and twenty thousand baths of beaten olive oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram according to a year. 12 The Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as he said to him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon. They made a treaty between themselves. 13 The king raised tribute from all Israel. There was a levy of thirty thousand men. 14 He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand in a month. They were changed a month in Lebanon and two months at their home. Adoniram was over the levy. 15 There were to Solomon seventy thousand who took up the levy and eighty thousand quarrying at the mountain. 16 Apart from the rulers who were appointed over the works of Solomon, three thousand six hundred were overseeing the ones who did the work. 17 They prepared the stones and the wood for three years.
6It happened in the four hundred and fortieth year of the exodus of the sons of Israel from Egypt, in the fourth year at the second month of the rule of King Solomon over Israel, 2 b they lifted large valuable stones onto the foundation of the house, rough stones 3 The sons of Solomon and the sons of Hiram cut and placed them. 4 c In the fourth year he laid the foundation of the house of the Lord in the month of Ziv and in the second month. 5 In the eleventh year in the month of Baal (this is the eighth month) the house was completed according to his every word and according to all its plan. 6 d The house that the king built to the Lord, its length was forty and its width was twenty cubits, and its height was twenty-five cubits. 7 And the porch at the face of the shrine, its length was twenty cubits along the width of the house according to the face of the house. 8 e He built the house and completed it. 9 f He secretly made inclining windows in the house. 10 He set upon the same wall of the house a structure all around the shrine and the inner sanctuary. 11 The lower side its width in cubits was five cubits, around the middle was six, and the third part, in cubits its width was seven; for he gave space to the house all around outside the house, so that they could not hold on to the sides of the house. 12 As for the house, when it was built, it was built with unworked quarried stones. Hammer, ax, and all steel objects were not heard at the house when it was built. 13 The entrance to the lower side was under the right side of the house. It had a winding staircase to the middle floor and from the middle to the third floor. 14 He built the house and completed it. He made the ceiling of the house out of cedar. 15 He built the bonds through the whole of the house; five cubits was its height. He attached the joints with cedar wood. 16 a He built the walls of the house with cedar wood from the floors of the house to the beams and to the walls. He paneled the ceiling, confining it with timber inside. He covered the inside of the house with pine sides. 17 He built twenty cubits from the edge of the wall on the one side from the floor up to the beams, and he made this from the inner sanctuary to the holy of holies. 18 Forty cubits long was the main hall facing the inner sanctuary in the middle of the house inside. There he put the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 19 Twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits was its height. 20 He covered it with gold plate, and he made an altar according to the face of the inner sanctuary and he covered it with gold. 21 He covered the whole house with gold until the completion of all the house. 22 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim measuring ten cubits in height 23 and five cubits its wing, and the second in cubits ten from the end of its wing. 24 So was the second cherub, one completion in one measurement; one measurement for both; 25 and the height of the cherubim was in cubits, and so was the second cherubim. 26 Both of the cherubim in the middle of the house’s innermost part spread out their wings and attached one wing to the wall. The wing of the second cherub attached to the wall. Its wings in the middle of the house touched wing to wing. 27 He covered the cherubim with gold. 28 On all the walls of the house all around, he engraved carvings with a stylus, cherubim and date palms inside and outside. 29 The floor of the house he covered with gold inside and outside. 30 On the room with doors of the inner sanctuary, he made doors of juniper wood, 31 a fourfold portico. 32 On both of the pine wood doors two leaves and on one door and their sockets and two leaves on the second door that were turning, 33 being carved with cherubim, date palms, and open leaves and covered with gold that was going down onto the work. 34 He built the inner court with three selected rows and a row of prepared cedar all around. He constructed a curtain for the court of the porch of the house according to the face of the main hall.
7bKing Solomon sent and took Hiram from Tyre. 2 He was the son of a widow woman from the tribe of Naphtali. His father was a citizen of Tyre and a bronze smith. He was filled with the skill, understanding, and knowledge of how to do all work in bronze. And he was brought to King Solomon and did all kinds of work. 3 He cast the porch of the house: eighteen cubits was the height of the pillar. The circumference was fourteen cubits around. The thickness of the pillar was four fingers across the hollow. The second pillar was the same. 4 He made two capitals to put on the tops of the pillars formed of cast bronze. Five cubits was the height of the one capital. 5 He made two lattice works to cover the capital of the pillars; a lattice work for the one capital and a lattice work for the second capital. 6 The work was suspended with two rows of bronze pomegranates. The lattice work was suspended row on row. In the same way he made the second capital. 7 c He set the pillars of the Elam of the main hall. He set the one pillar and called its name Jachin. He set the second pillar and called its name Boaz. 8 d And upon the heads of the pillars was the work of a lily according to the Elam, four cubits. 9 And the ceiling was on both sides of the pillars and above the sides; the capital was a ceiling in cubits. 10 a He made the sea ten cubits from its wall to its rim. It was circular in shape, its height five cubits, taking thirty-three cubits to go around. 11 Supports under its rim encircled all around it, ten cubits all around, 12 b its rim as the work of a rim of a cup like a lily shoot. Its thickness was a palm’s breadth. 13 c Twelve bulls were below the sea; three looking to the north, three looking to the sea, three looking to the south, and three looking to the east. All the rear parts faced toward the house, and the sea was on top of them. 14 d He made ten bronze stands. Five cubits was the height of one of the stands, four cubits was its width, and six cubits was its height. 15 This was the work of the bases connected to them and connected to the middle of the uprights. 16 On their borders at the middle uprights were lions, bulls, and cherubim. And they were on the uprights as well. Above and beneath the lions and the bulls were places of beveled work. 17 To each stand there were four bronze wheels, bronze holders, and their four legs had shoulders under the basin. 18 The hands in the wheels were in stands, and the height of one wheel was a cubit and a half. 19 The work of the wheels was the work of chariot wheels. Their hands, their backs, and their work were all formed of cast metal. 20 As for the four shoulders on the four corners in each of the stands, its shoulders were from the stands. 21 At the top of the stands, half of a cubit in height, there was a round band at the top of the stand, the beginning of its handles and its rims and it opened at four ends its handles. 22 Its rims were set with cherubim, lions, and date palms. He had each stand carved on face, inside, and all around. 23 In this way he made all the ten stands, all of them to a single class and to a single rule. 24 He made ten bronze basins, the measurement for each basin holding forty bath measures, each basin for each stand of the ten stands. 25 He placed five stands on the shoulder of the northe of the house. The sea was on the shoulder of the southf of the house, to the south east away from the sides. 26 Hiram made the kettles, the tongs, and the bowls. Hiram completed all the work that he did for King Solomon in the house of the Lord. 27 He made two pillars, two capitals for the pillars on the tops of the pillars, and two lattices to cover both carved capitals that were on the pillars. 28 There were four hundred pomegranates for each of the lattices, with two rows of pomegranates for each lattice to cover each being the capitals of the stands on both of the pillars. 29 There were ten stands and ten basins on the stands. 30 There was one sea and twelve bulls under the sea. 31 There were the kettles, the tongs, the shallow bowls, and every vessel that Hiram made for King Solomon for the house of the Lord. There were forty-eight pillars of the house of the king and of the house of the Lord. All the works the king Hiram did were of pure bronze. 32 All these works of bronze that he made were not weighed; they were of a very great number; there was no limit to the weight of the bronze. 33 In the region of the Jordan he cast them in the clay of the earth, between Succoth and Zarethan. 34 King Solomon took the vessels that he made for the house, the golden altar, the golden table on which were the bread of the offering, 35 the lampstand (five on the left and five on the right at the face of the inner sanctuary) completed with gold, the lamp bowls, the lamps, the golden funnel, 36 and the doorways with the nails, the shallow bowls, the cups, the enclosed gold censers, the panels of the doors of the house of the inner holy of holies, and the golden doors of the temple. 37 So the work for the house of the Lord that Solomon did was completed. And Solomon brought in the sacred vessels of David his father and all the sacred vessels of Solomon. The silver and the gold he placed in the treasure of the house of the Lord. Solomon’s Palace 38 a Solomon built his house in thirteen years. 39 He built the house of the forest of Lebanon; one hundred cubits was its length, fifty cubits was its width, and there were three rows of cedar pillars and cedar supports for the pillars. 40 He roofed the house from above, over the sides of the pillars. The number of the pillars was forty-five for each row. 41 The structures were three, and they were threefold place upon place. 42 All the doorways and the squared places had been connected from the doorway to the door in sets of three. 43 The porch of the pillars was fifty long and fifty in width. They were joined to the porch on their face. Thick pillars were on its face at the porch. 44 And the porch of the throne where he would judge there, porch of the judgment seat; 45 and their house, he will sit there in the house, was one court around these according to this work; and the house for the daughter of Pharaoh whom Solomon took, matched this porch. 46 All these were carved from precious stones, from the space within and from the foundation up to the projecting part of the roof and outside into the great court. 47 The foundation was laid with costly and large stones, stones ten cubits long and stones eight cubits long, 48 and on top costly stones and cedars were selected according to measure. 49 There were three courses encircling the great court. Each course was of chosen joined cedar. 50 Solomon completed his whole house.
8It happened as Solomon finished building the house of the Lord and his own house after twenty years, then King Solomon convened all the elders of Israel in Zion to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David (that is Zion) 2 in the month of Ethanim. 3 The priests took up the ark 4 and the tent of the testimony and the holy vessels that are in the tent of the testimony. 5 The king and all Israel were in front of the ark, slaughtering sheep, bulls, without number. 6 The priests brought the ark into its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the holy of holies beneath the wings of the cherubim, 7 because the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered over the ark and over its holy things above. 8 The dedicated things reached out and the heads of the dedicated things peered out from the holy things to the face of the inner sanctuary, but they did not appear outside. 9 Nothing was in the ark except two stone tablets, tablets of the covenant that Moses put at Horeb and that the Lord arranged with the sons of Israel when they came out from the land of Egypt. 10 It happened when the priests withdrew from the holy place that the cloud filled the house. 11 The priests were not able to stand to minister from the face of the cloud, because the glory of the Lord filled the house.b Solomon’s Speech 14 The king turned his face back, and the king blessed all Israel. All the assembly of Israel stood. 15 He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who today spoke with his mouth concerning David my father and with his hand has fulfilled it, saying, 16 ‘From the day when I led my people Israel out from Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to build a house for my name to be there. I chose my name to remain there in Jerusalem, and I chose David to be over my people Israel.’ 17 It came upon the heart of my father to build a house to the name of the Lord God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to David my father, ‘Because it came upon your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was upon your heart. 19 You will not build the house, but your son who comes from your sides, this one will build the house for my name.’ 20 The Lord confirmed his word that he spoke. I arose in place of David my father, and I sat on the throne of Israel, just as he spoke. I built the house for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 21 I put there a place for the ark in which there is the covenant of the Lord that the Lord made with our fathers when he led them out of the land of Egypt.” Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication 22 Solomon stood up at the face of the altar of the Lord before all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands to heaven, 23 and he said, “Lord God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above and on the earth below keeping covenant and mercy to your servant who walks before you with his whole heart, 24 which you have kept for your servant David, my father; for you spoke with your mouth. With your hand you fulfilled as this day. 25 Now, Lord God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father the promises that you spoke with him saying, ‘There shall not be removed from you a man from the face of me who will sit on the throne of Israel except if your children watch to walk in their ways before me, just as you walked before me.’ 26 And now, Lord God of Israel, let indeed your word to David my father be made trustworthy: 27 that if God will truly live with humans on earth, if the sky and the sky of skies will not be sufficient for you, surely also this house that I built for your name. 28 Look upon my prayer, O Lord God of Israel. Hear the joy that your servant prays before you and to you today. 29 May your eyes be open to this house day and night to the place concerning which you said, ‘My name will be there to hear the prayer that your servant prays to this place day and night.’ 30 May you listen to the prayer of your servant and of your people Israel whenever they pray to this place. May you listen in the place of your dwelling in heaven and may you act and be gracious. 31 Whenever anyone sins against his neighbor and then takes an oath on himself, so that he swears it and he comes and confesses at the face of your altar at this house, 32 then may you listen from heaven, act, and judge your people Israel to those found wicked to appoint on his way to his head, and to declare righteous the righteous one by giving to him according to his righteousness. 33 When your people Israel are defeated before enemies because they have sinned against you and they turn and confess your name and pray and are bound at this house, 34 then may you listen from heaven and be merciful toward the sins of your servant Israel and may you return them to the land that you gave to their fathers. 35 When the heavens are restrained and there is no rain because they are sinning against you, and they pray to this place and they confess your name and they turn away from their sins when you have humbled them, 36 then may you listen from heaven and be merciful for the sins of your servant and of your people Israel so that you may show them the good way to walk in it, and may you give rain on the land that you gave to your servant for an inheritance. 37 If famine comes—if death comes because there is burning, locust, or blight, if it comes or if his enemy afflicts him in one of his cities, any adversity or any affliction — 38 when any prayer or any entreaty comes by any person so each one is aware of the infection of his heart and if he should spread out his hands to this house, 39 then may you hear from the sky from your prepared abode and may you be merciful, and you will act and give to a man according to his ways just as you know his heart, because you alone know the hearts of all the sons of humans, 40 so that they will be afraid of you all the days as much as they live on the land that you gave to our fathers. 41 For the foreigner who is not from this your people, 42 and they will come and pray to this place, 43 then may you hear from heaven from your prepared abode and may you do according to everything for which the foreigner invokes you, that all the peoples may know of your name and may fear you, just as your people Israel, and may know that your name is invoked over this house that I have built. 44 For when your people go out to battle against its enemies on any road that you turn them, and they pray in the name of the Lord on the way to the city that you have chosen, and concerning the house that I have built for your name, 45 then you will hear from heaven their entreaty and their prayer and do duty for them. 46 For when they sin against you (because there is no human who does not sin), and you bring them and you hand them over to enemies, and the ones who take captives take a land captive whether far away or near, 47 but their heart turns in the land where they are carried there, and they turn in the land of their exile and entreat you saying, ‘We have sinned. We have done wrong. We have acted lawlessly’; 48 and if they turn toward you with their whole heart and with their whole soul in the land of their enemies where you deported them, and they pray toward you, the way of their land that you gave to their fathers, to the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, 49 then may you listen from heaven from your prepared abode 50 and be merciful toward their sins that they have sinned against you and according to all their transgressions that they have broken faith with you, and you shall give them mercy before those who have taken them captive, and they will have pity for them, 51 because they are your people and your inheritance whom you led out from the land of Egypt from the midst of the iron smelting furnace. 52 Let your eyes and your ears be open to the entreaty of your servant and to the entreaty of your people Israel, to listen to them in every case whenever they invoke you; 53 for you separated to yourself for an inheritance from all the people of the earth, just as you spoke by the hand of your servant Moses when you brought our fathers out from the land of Egypt, O Lord, O Lord.” 53 a Then Solomon spoke over the house when he finished building it, “The Lord made known the sun in the sky, he said while dwelling out of darkness, ‘Build my house as a preeminent house for yourself to dwell in newness.’ Look, is this not written in the document of Psalms?” 54 And it happened as Solomon completed praying all this prayer and entreaty to the Lord, he rose from the face of the altar of the Lord, having knelt on his knees and having spread out his hands to heaven. 55 And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 56 “Blessed be the Lord today who gave rest to his people Israel according to all that he spoke. Not one word has disagreed with all his good words that he spoke by the hand of his servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us, just as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us nor turn back from us. 58 May he incline our hearts upon him in order to walk in all his ways and to guard all his commands and his ordinances that he commanded our fathers. 59 Let these words come about as I have bound before the Lord our God, bringing near to the Lord our God day and night so that he may make the duty of your servant Israel a word day by day of the year 60 in such a manner as all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord God, he is God, and there is no other. 61 But let our hearts be perfect toward the Lord our God and let us walk with devotion by his decrees and guard his commands in this manner on this day. The Dedication of the Temple 62 The king and all the sons of Israel sacrificed a sacrifice before the Lord. 63 King Solomon sacrificed peace sacrifices that he sacrificed to the Lord, twenty-two thousand bulls, and the king and all the sons of Israel consecrated the house of the Lord. 64 On that day the king dedicated the middle of the courtyard toward the face of the house of the Lord, for he made there the burnt offering, the sacrifices, and the fat of the peace offerings because the bronze altar before the Lord was small so that it was not able to hold the burnt offering, the sacrifices, and the peace offerings. 65 So Solomon made the festival on that day and all Israel with him. It was a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath until the river of Egypt before the Lord our God at the house that he built, eating and drinking and rejoicing before the Lord our God for seven days. 66 On the eighth day he sent away the people. They blessed him and departed each to his tent with rejoicing and a glad heart for the good things that the Lord had done for David his servant and Israel his people.
9It came to pass when Solomon finished building the house of the Lord and the house of the king and all the work, as much as Solomon wanted to do, 2 the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time just as he appeared at Gibeon. 3 The Lord said to him, “I have heard the voice of your prayer and your entreaty that you bound before me. I have done for you according to all your prayer. I have dedicated this house that you built to set my name there for eternity. My eyes are there for eternity and my heart all the days. 4 As for you, if you walk before me just as David your father walked in holiness of heart and in uprightness; and if you are careful to do according to all that I commanded him, both my ordinances and my commands, 5 I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel for eternity, just as I spoke to David your father saying, ‘There shall not be taken away for you someone who is a leader in Israel.’ 6 However, if by turning you and your children turn back from me and you do not keep my commands and my ordinances that Moses gave before you and you walk and serve other gods and worship them, 7 I will cut off Israel from the land that I gave to them, and I will throw away from my face this house that I dedicated to my name. Israel will become a destruction and prattle for all the peoples. 8 And this house will be the high one, all who pass through it will be amazed and whistle and say, ‘For what reason has the Lord acted this way for this land and this house?’ 9 They will say, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord their God who led their fathers out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and they have devoted themselves to other gods, and they have bowed before them and served them. Because of this he brought this evil upon them.’ ” Then Solomon led the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David into his house that he built for himself in those days. Solomon and Hiram 10 For twenty years during which Solomon built these two houses, the house of the Lord and the house of the king, 11 Hiram king of Tyre helped Solomon with cedar wood, with pine wood, with gold, and with all his desire. Then the king gave Hiram twenty towns in the land of Galilee. 12 But Hiram went out from Tyre and went on into the Galilee to see the towns that Solomon gave to him; and it did not please him. 13 He said, “What are these towns that you have given me, O brother?” He called them “Border” until this day. 14 Hiram transported to Solomon a hundred and twenty talents of gold. 26 King Solomon made ships concerning which, at Eziongeber, which is close to Elath at the coast of the edge of the sea at the land of Edom, 27 Hiram sent his servants, naval men who knew how to row the sea, in ships with the servants of Solomon. 28 They went to Ophir and took from there one hundred and twenty talents of gold. They transported it to King Solomon.
10And the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and the name of the Lord, and she came to test him with riddles. 2 She came into Jerusalem with a very great show of force and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. She came in to Solomon and spoke with him all things, as much as was in her heart. 3 Solomon explained to her all her words. There was no word that was overlooked from the king that he did not explain to her. 4 The queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he built, 5 the food of Solomon, the sitting of his servants and the standing of his ministers, his clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered up at the house of the Lord; she was beside herself. 6 She said to King Solomon, “The matter that I heard in my land is true 7 about your word and about your wisdom; and I did not believe those who told me until I came and my eyes saw, and look, not half of it is just as they reported to me. You have exceeded good things toward these above every report that I heard in my land. 8 How happy are your women! How happy are your servants, those who stand before you continually hearing all your wisdom. 9 Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you to place you on the throne of Israel, because the Lord loved Israel to establish it for eternity and he has set you as king over them in order to make judgment with righteousness and with their judgments.” 10 And she gave Solomon one hundred and twenty talents of gold and very many spices and a precious stone. Nothing again came close to those spices in the abundance that the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon. 11 The navy of Hiram was bringing gold from Ophir and carried very much hewn wood and precious stones. 12 And the king made the hewn wood into supports for house of the Lord and for the house of the king, and harps and lyres for the singers. Nothing came close to so much hewn wood in the land, nor has it appeared to this day. 13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all that she wanted as much as she requested besides all that he had given to her through the hand of king Solomon. She returned and went to her land, she and all her servants. Solomon’s Wealth 14 The weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 15 apart from the tribute of the subjects of the merchants and of all the kings of the other side of the Jordan river and of the rulers of the land. 16 Solomon made three hundred spears of beaten gold; three hundred measures of gold were on one spear. 17 And three hundred shields of beaten gold and three minasa of gold were put into each shield. He put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. 18 The king made a large ivory throne. He set it in high quality gold. 19 There were six steps to the throne. The upper parts were of calvesb for the throne from its back on each side, on the place of the seat. Two lions were standing beside the hands. 20 Twelve lions stood on six steps, on each side.c There was nothing like this in any kingdom. 21 All the vessels made by Solomon were gold, and the basins were gold. All the vessels of the forest of the house of Lebanon were overlaid with gold. Nothing was silver because it was not reckoned in the days of Solomon. 22 For a ship of Tarshish belonged to the king in the sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years a ship came to the king from Tarshish with gold, silver, and stone that was worked in relief and hewn. 23 d This was the work of the plunder that King Solomon brought up to build the house of the Lord and the house of the king and the wall of Jerusalem and the citadel to fence around the fence of the city of David, and Assyria, Megiddo, Gezer, the upper Beth-horon, Iethermath, all the cities of the chariots, and all the cities of the horsemen; 24 e and it was the work of Solomon, which he engaged himself to build in Jerusalem and in all the land he did not rule. All the people who were shown forth by the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, the Jebusites, and the Gergashites who were not from the sons of Israel, their children who are left remaining with them in the land, those whom the sons of Israel were not able to utterly destroy, Solomon led them up for tribute until this day. 25 f And Solomon did not deliver this matter from the sons of Israel, because they were the warrior men and his servants and the rulers of his chariots and his horsemen. 26 g Solomon became greater than all the kings in wealth and wisdom. 27 All the kings of the earth sought the face of Solomon to hear his wisdom that the Lord gave to his heart. 28 They each brought their gifts, gold vessels, clothing, oil of myrrh, spices, horses, and mules, the annual amount for a year. 29 There were to Solomon four thousand female horses in chariots and twelve thousand horseman. He put them in cities of chariots and with the king himself in Jerusalem. 30 a He was at the head of all the kings from the river unto the land of the foreigners and the boundary of Egypt. 31 b The king made gold and silver in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as mulberry-trees, which are in the plain in great number. 32 And the export of Solomon’s horsemen, both out of Egypt and out of Kue, was merchants of the king, and he received them from Kue in exchange. 33 The export went up from Egypt with a chariot in exchange for a hundred pieces of silver and a horse in exchange for fifty pieces of silver. Accordingly, they exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram down to the sea.
11cKing Solomon was a lover of women. He had seven hundred queens and three hundred concubines. He took foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Syrian and Edomite,d Hittite, and Amorite women. 2 They were from the nations about which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, “Do not enter into them, and they shall not enter into you. They must not turn your hearts after their idols.”e Solomon was joined to them to love them. 3 f In time Solomon became old, and his heart was not perfect after the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. 4 The foreign women turned his heart after their gods. 5 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the idol of Moab, and for their king the idol of the sons of Ammon, 6 and for Astoreth the abomination of the Sidonians. 7 So he did for all his foreign wives, burning incense and sacrificing to their idols. 8 Solomon did evil before the Lord. He did not walk after the Lord as David his father. 9 The Lord became angry at Solomon because he turned his heart from the Lord God of Israel, although he had appeared to him twice. 10 And having commanded him concerning this word, to absolutely not go after other gods and to be careful to do what the Lord God commanded him, neither was his heart perfect with the Lord according to the heart of David his father. 11 The Lord said to Solomon, “Because of what has happened in these matters with you, and you have not kept my commands and my ordinances that I commanded you, then tearing away I will tear away your kingdom from your hand, and I will give it to your servant. 12 Nevertheless, during your days I will not do these things on account of David your father. From the hand of your son I will remove it. 13 Even so I will not remove the whole kingdom. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city that I chose.” Solomon’s Adversaries 14 g The Lord raised up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite and Rezon son of Eliada who was in Raemmaaer, Hadadezer king of Zobah his lord. Men were gathered to him, and he was ruler of a band. He seized Damascus, and they were an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon. Hadad the Edomite was of the seed of the kingdom in Edom.h 15 It happened when David destroyed Edom, when Joab chief of the army had gone to bury the corpses, they struck down every male in Edom. 16 For six months Joab and all Israel stayed there in Edom until he destroyed every male in Edom. 17 And Hadad fled, he and all the Edomites, the servants of his father went with him. They came to Egypt. Hadad was a small child. 18 And men from the town of Midian rose up, also the rulers in Paran. They took men with them and went to Pharaoh king of Egypt. Hadad entered to Pharaoh, and he gave him a house and bread. He made arrangements for him. 19 Hadad found exceeding favor before Pharaoh. He gave him as a wife, a sister of his wife, the older sister of Tahpenes. 20 The sister of Tahpenes bore to him, to Hadad, Genubath her son. Tahpenes reared him in the midst of the sons of Pharaoh. Genubath was in the middle of the sons of Pharaoh. 21 In Egypt Hadad heard that David slept with his fathers and that Joab the ruler of the army had died. Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Send me away, and I will return to my land.” 22 Pharaoh said to Hadad, “What have you lacked with me, and, look, you seek to depart to your land?” Hadad said to him, “When sending, you shall send me,” and Hadad returned to his land. This is the wickedness that Hadad did; he weighed Israel down, and he reigned in the land of Edom.a Jeroboam’s Rebellion 26 Jeroboam son of Nebat an Ephrathite from Zeredah was the son of a widow woman, the slave of Solomon. 27 This is the record as he raised his hands at King Solomon. He built the top. He completed the fence of the city of David his father. 28 The man Jeroboam was mighty in strength. Solomon saw the boy, that he was a man of deeds, and he appointed him over the levies of the house of Joseph. 29 It came to pass at that time Jeroboam went out from Jerusalem, Ahijah the Shilonite prophet found him on the road and he turned him aside from the road. Ahijah was clothed with new garments. Both of them were on the plain. 30 Ahijah seized his new garments that were on him and ripped it in twelve pieces. 31 He said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces because this is what the Lord the God of Israel says, ‘Look, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give you ten tribes. 32 And two tribes will belong to him on account of David my servant and on account of Jerusalem, the city that I chose it, out of all the tribes of Israel; 33 because he forsook me and acted for Astoreth, the Sidonians’ abomination, and for Chemosh, and in the images of Moab, and for their king, an object of the sons of Ammon, and he did not go on in my ways to do the right thing before me like David his father. 34 I will not take all the kingdom out of his hand (since opposing I will oppose him all the days of his life) because of David my servant that I chose him. 35 I will remove the kingdom from the hand of his son, and I will give to you the ten tribes. 36 But to his son I will give two tribes so that there may be a setting for my servant David all the days before me in Jerusalem, the city that I chose for myself to put my name there. 37 I will take you, and you will rule whatever your soul desires. You will be king over Israel. 38 It will be that if you watch everything, whatever I command you, and you walk in my ways and you do the right thing before me by keeping my commands and my ordinances just as David my servant did, then I will be with you. I will build for you a faithful house just as I built for David.’ ” 40 Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam, but he arose and departed and ran to Egypt to Shishak king of Egypt. And he was in Egypt until Solomon died. 41 The rest of the events of Solomon and everything that he did and all his wisdom, look, are these not written in the document of the things of Solomon? 42 The days that Solomon ruled in Jerusalem were forty years. 43 b Solomon slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David his father. It happened that, when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard, he was still in Egypt as he had fled from the face of Solomon and straightaway lived in Egypt. And he came to his city in the land of Zeredah in Mount Ephraim. King Solomon slept with his fathers, and Rehoboam his son ruled in place of him.
12King Rehoboam went to Shechem because all Israel were going to Shechem to appoint him king. 3 The people spoke to King Rehoboam saying, 4 “Your father made our yoke heavy, but you now lighten from the servitude of the severity of your father and from his yoke of difficulty that he placed on us. Then we will serve you.” 5 He said to them, “Depart for three days and return to me.” So, they departed. 6 The king commanded the elders, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was still alive saying, “How do you plan and I should answer this people with a word?” 7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If on this day you will be a servant to this people, if you will serve them, and speak to them good words, then they will be your servants all the days.” 8 But he deserted the counsel of the elders who advised him, and he consulted with the youths who grew up with him who were standing before his face. 9 He said to them, “What do you counsel? How should I answer this people who are speaking to me, saying, “Lighten from the yoke that your father gave to us?” 10 The youths who had been brought up with him who stood before his face said to him, saying, “This you will speak to this people who said to you saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy. You now lighten from us.’ You shall speak this to them, ‘My smallness is thicker than my father’s loins. 11 Now my father placed on you a heavy yoke. I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips. But I will discipline you with scorpions.’ ” 12 All Israel came to King Rehoboam on the third day just as the king had said to them, saying, “Return to me on the third day.” 13 The king answered the people severely. Rehoboam forsook the plan of the elders who had planned for him. 14 He spoke to them according to the plan of the youths, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15 The king did not listen to the people because his change was from the Lord. So he established his word that he had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat. 16 All Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, and the people answered the king, saying, “What part is ours with David? There is no inheritance for us with the son of Jesse. Depart, Israel, to your tents. Now tend your house, O David!” So Israel departed to its tents. 18 The king sent Adoram who was over the tribute, but they stoned him with stones, and he died. But King Rehoboam went first to mount to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has revolted against the house of David until this day. 20 It came to pass when all Israel heard that Rehoboam had returned, he sent and called him to the assembly, and they appointed him king over Israel. No one was behind David other than the tribe of Judah and that of Benjamin alone. 21 Rehoboam entered into Jerusalem and assembled the congregation of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and twenty thousand youths who make battle to fight against the house of Israel to return the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon. 22 The word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 23 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to those who remain of the people, saying, 24 ‘Thus says the Lord, “Do not go up nor fight against your brothers, the sons of Israel. Turn away each to his own house because this word has come from me.” ’ ” So they heard the word of the Lord and they stopped going to war according to the word of the Lord. Rehoboam and Jeroboam 24a And King Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Rehoboam his son reigned in place of him in Jerusalem, being sixteen years old when he began to reign, and twelve years he reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother was Naanan the daughter of Hanan the son of Nahash king ofAmmon. And he did what was evil before the Lord, and he did not go in the way of David his father. 24b And there was a man from the mountain of Ephraim, a servant of Solomon, and his name was Jeroboam, and the name of his mother was Sarisa, a prostitute. And Solomon made him into commander of staff over the forced labor of the house to Joseph, and he built for Solomon Sarira,a which is in the mountain of Ephraim, and there were to him three hundred horse-drawn chariots. This one built the citadel with the forced labor of the house of Ephraim, this one closed off the city of David, and he was exalted over the kingdom. 24c And Solomon was trying to put him to death, and he was afraid, and he fled to Shishak king of Egypt, and he was with him until Solomon died. 24d And Jeroboam heard in Egypt that Solomon was dead. And he spoke into the ears of Shishak king of Egypt, saying, “Send me away, and I will depart to my land.” And Shishak said to him, “Ask any request, and I will give it to you.” 24e And Shishak gave Jeroboam Ano, the elder sister of Tahpenes his own wife, to him for a wife. This one is great in the midst of the daughters of the king. And she bore for Jeroboam Abijah his son. 24f And Jeroboam said to Shishak, “Send me out truly, and I will depart.” And Jeroboam came out from Egypt, and he came to the land of Sarira, which was in the mountain of Ephraim, and all the staffs of Ephraim were gathered together there, and Jeroboam built bulwarks there. 24g And his child became sick with a very strong sickness, and Jeroboam went to inquire concerning the child, and he said to Ano his wife, “Arise, go inquire of God concerning the child if he will live from his sickness.” 24h And there was a man in Shiloh, and the name to him was Ahijah, and this one was sixty years old, and the word of the Lord was with him. And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Arise, and take into your hand for the man of God bread and cake for his children and grapes and a pot of honey.” 24i And the woman arose and took into her hand bread and two cakes and grapes and a pot of honey to Ahijah. And the man was old, and his eyes became dimsighted for seeing. 24k And she arose from Sarira and she went, and it happened as she was coming into the city to Ahijah the Selonite, Ahijah said to his servant, “Go out indeed for a meeting with Ano the wife of Jeroboam, and you shall say to her, ‘Enter and do not stand in position because the Lord says this, “I send harsh things upon you.” ’ ” 24l And Ano entered to the man of God with cakes and a pot of honey. The Lord says this, “Look, you will depart from me, and it will be when you entered the gate into Sarira and your maidservants will come out to you for a meeting, and they will say to you, ‘The child is dead.’ 24m Because thus says the Lord: ‘Look, I will utterly destroy from Jeroboam he who urinates toward a wall, and those having died in the city who belong to Jeroboam, the dogs will devour them, and the birds of the sky will devour the one who died in the field. And he will strike the child.’ Alas, Lord, for a good word was found in him concerning the Lord.” 24n And the woman went out when she heard, and it happened when she entered into Sarira, the child died, and the cry went out to meet her. And Jeroboam went to Shechem, which was in the mountain of Ephraim, and he gathered together there the tribes of Israel, and Rehoboam son of Solomon went up from there. 24o And the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the Elamite, saying, “Take for yourself a new garment that has not entered into water and tear it into twelve pieces, and you will give them to Jeroboam, and you shall say to him, ‘The Lord says this, “Take for yourself twelve pieces to throw round you.” ’ ” And Jeroboam took them, and Shemaiah said, “The Lord says this concerning the ten tribes of Israel.” 24p And the people said to Rehoboam son of Solomon, “Your father made heavy his yoke upon us, and he made heavy the food of his table. And now you will make it easier on us, we will serve you.” And Rehoboam said to the people, “There are still three days and I will reply a word to you.” 24q And Rehoboam said, “Bring me the elders and I will take counsel with them, what word I answer the people on the third day.” And Rehoboam spoke into their ears just as the people sent to him, and the elders of the people said, “Thus the people spoke to you.” 24r And Rehoboam rejected their plan, and it was not pleasing before him, and he sent and brought in his comrades, and he spoke the same things to them, “And these things the people sent to me, saying.” And his comrades said, “Thus you will speak to the people, saying, ‘My smallness is thicker than the loins of my father; my father whipped you with whips, but I would rule you with scorpions.’ ” 24s And the word was pleasing before Rehoboam, and he replied to the people just as his comrades the young men advised him. 24t And all the people spoke as one man each to his neighbor, and all were crying out, saying, “A portion is not for us in David, nor an inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel, because this man will not be a ruler nor a leader.” 24u And all the people scattered from Shechem and went out each into his tent. And Rehoboam strengthened himself and went out and went up upon his chariot, and he entered into Jerusalem, and the whole tribe of Judah and the whole tribe of Benjamin went after him. 24x And it happened when the year began, Rehoboam gathered together every man of Judah and of Benjamin, and he went up to fight against Jeroboam in Shechem. 24y And the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, “Say to Rehoboam king of Judah and to all the house of Judah and of Benjamin and to the remnant of the people, saying, ‘The Lord says this, “You shall not go up nor fight against your brothers the sons of Israel. Turn aside each of you to his house because this word came from me.” ’ ” 24z And they heard the word of the Lord, and they ceased from going according to the word of the Lord. Jeroboam’s Idolatry 25 Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountain of Ephraim, and he settled in it. He went out from there and built Penuel. 26 Jeroboam said in his heart, “Look, now the kingdom will return with the house of David. 27 If this people go up to offer up a sacrifice at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, the heart of the people will turn to the Lord and to their master Rehoboam king of Judah. Then they will kill me.” 28 The king planned, and went and made two golden heifers, and said to the people, “It should be sufficient for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look, your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 29 He set up one in Bethel, and the other one he put in Dan. 30 And this matter became a sin; and the people went as far as Dan before the face of the one. 31 He made houses on high places and set up priests, part of whom were from the people who were not from the sons of Levi. 32 Jeroboam made a feast on the eighth month at the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast in the land of Judah. He went up on the altar that he had made at Bethel in order to slaughter the heifers that he had obtained. He set up at Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made. 33 He went up on the altar that he made on the fifteenth day in the eighth month at the feast that he had formed from his heart. He made a feast for the sons of Israel. He went up on the altar to sacrifice.
13Look, a man of God from Judah came to Bethel by the word of the Lord. Jeroboam stood at the altar to sacrifice. 2 He called upon the altar by the word of the Lord, “O altar, O altar, thus says the Lord, ‘Look, a son is born to the house of David, Josiah is his name, and on you he will sacrifice the priests of the high ones who are sacrificing on you, and he will burn human bones on you. 3 He will give on the same day a sign saying, “This is the word that the Lord spoke saying, ‘Look, the altar will break apart, and the ashes on it will be poured out.’ ” ’ ” 4 And it happened, when king Jeroboam heard the words of the man of God who called upon the altar at Bethel, the king stretched out his hand from the altar saying, “Arrest him.” Look, his hand that he had stretched out toward him withered. He was not able to return it toward himself. 5 The altar was split apart, and the ashes from the altar were poured out according to the sign that the man of God gave by the word of the Lord. 6 King Jeroboam said to the man of God, “Ask your God that he may return my hand to me.” The man of God asked of the face the Lord, and he returned the hand of the king to him. It was just as before. 7 The king said to the man of God, “Go in after me to the house and have lunch. I will give you a gift.” 8 The man of God said to the king, “If you were to give to me half of your house, I would not enter with you nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place; 9 because so it was commanded to me by the word of the Lord saying, ‘Do not eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you went on it.’ ” 10 He departed by another way and did not return by the way that he came on it to Bethel. 11 One old prophet lived in Bethel. His sons came and described to him all the works that the man of God did on the day at Bethel, the words that he spoke to the king. They turned from the face of their father. 12 Their father spoke to them saying, “By which way did he go?” His sons showed him the way by which the man of God who came from Judah went up. 13 He said to his sons, “Saddle for me the donkey.” They saddled for him the donkey, and he mounted it. 14 He went after the man of God. He found him sitting under a tree. He said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” He answered, “I am he.” 15 He said to him, “Come after me and eat some food!” 16 He said, “No, I am not able to turn back after you, nor can I eat bread nor drink water in this place; 17 because thus the Lord commanded me by a word saying, ‘Do not eat bread there nor should you drink water nor should you return there, by the way that you went to this place.’ ” 18 He said to him, “I also am a prophet just as you are. An angel spoke to me with the word of the Lord saying, ‘Bring him back to yourself to your house, and let him eat bread and drink water.’ ” He lied to him. 19 He returned with him and ate bread in his house. And he drank water. 20 It happened that while they were seated, the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back. 21 He said to the man of God who had come from Judah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have provoked the word of the Lord, and you did not guard the command that the Lord your God gave to you, 22 and you returned, and ate bread and drank water in this place that he spoke to you saying, “You shall not eat bread and you should not drink water,” your body shall not come into the grave of your fathers.’ ” 23 It happened after eating bread and drinking water, he saddled for him the donkey, and he turned and departed. 24 And a lion found him on the way and killed him. His body was thrown on the road. The donkey stood beside him, and the lion stood beside the body. 25 Look, people who passed by saw the corpse thrown on the road. The lion stood beside the corpse. They entered and spoke in the city where the old prophet lived in it. 26 The one who brought him back from the journey heard, and he said, “This one is the man of God who provoked the word of the Lord.” 28 He went and found his body thrown in the road. The donkey and the lion stood beside the body. The lion did not eat the body of the man of God nor did it tear the donkey. 29 The prophet took up the body of the man of God. He placed it on the donkey and brought it back to the city 30 The prophet buried him in his own tomb. They mourned him, “Woe to you, brother!” 31 It happened that after they mourned him, he spoke to his sons saying, “When I die, bury me in this grave where the man of God is buried in it. Beside his bones put me so that my bones may be preserved with his bones, 32 because the word that he spoke by the word of the Lord will be happening against the altar in Bethel and against the high houses that are at Samaria.” 33 After this matter, Jeroboam did not turn from his evil, but he returned and appointed priests of the high places from among the people. Whomever wanted, he filled his hand, and he became a priest at the high places. 34 This matter became a sin to the house of Jeroboam and led to destruction and to the elimination from the face of the earth. Rehoboam Reigns in Judah
14a Rehoboam son of Solomon ruled over Judah. Rehoboam was the son of forty and one years when he became king, and he ruled seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord chose to set his name there from among all the tribes of Israel. The name of his mother was Naamah the Ammonite. 22 Rehoboam did evil before the Lord. He provoked him to jealousy in all that their fathers did in their sins by which they sinned. 23 They built for themselves high places, standing stones, and groves on every high hill and under every shady wood. 24 Shrine prostitutes were in the land. They did all the abominations of the nations that the Lord lifted up from the face of the sons of Israel. 25 It happened in the fifth year of the rule of Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt went up to Jerusalem. 26 He removed all the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the house of the king, and the gold spears that David took away from the hand of the servants of Hadadezer king of Zobah. He brought them into Jerusalem, all things that he removed, including the gold shields. 27 Rehoboam the king made bronze shields in place of them, and he placed on it the commanders of the bodyguard who guard the gate of the house of the king. 28 It happened that whenever the king entered into the house of the Lord, the bodyguard bore them and placed them in the room of the bodyguard. 29 The rest of the events of Rehoboam and all that he did, look, are these not written in the document of the events of the days belonging to the kings of Judah? 30 There was battle between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days. 31 Rehoboam slept with his fathers. He was buried with his fathers in the city of David. Abijam his son ruled in place of him. Abijam Reigns in Judah
15In the eighteenth year of the rule of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam son of Jeroboam became king over Judah. 2 For six years he reigned, and the name of his mother was Maacah, daughter of Absalom. 3 He walked in the sins of his father that he had done before him. His heart was not perfectly after the Lord his God as the heart his father. 4 But because of David, the Lord gave him a remnant so that he appointed his children after him and he established Jerusalem. 5 As David did what was right before the Lord and did not avoid all that was commanded him all the days of his life. 7 The rest of the events of Abijam and all that he did, look, are these not written on the document of the events of the days belonging to the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8 Abijam slept with his fathers in the twenty-fourth year of Jeroboam. He was buried with his fathers in the city of David. Asa his son reigned in place of him. Asa Reigns in Judah 9 In the twenty-fourth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king over Judah. 10 For forty-one years he reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother was Maacah, daughter of Absalom. 11 Asa did what was right before the Lord like David his father. 12 He put away the shrines from the land and sent away all those practices that his fathers did. 13 He removed Maacah his mother so that she was no longer leader as she made an assembly with her grove. Asa cut down her cultic places and burned them with fire in the brook of Kidron. 14 He did not take away the high places, but the heart of Asa was completely after the Lord all his days. 15 He brought in the pillars of his father and his pillars. He brought into the house of the Lord silver and gold vessels. 16 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all the days. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah so that no one should go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 18 Asa took the silver and the gold that was found in the treasury of the house of the king. He gave them to the hands of his servants, and King Asa sent them to the son of Hadad the son of Tabrimmon the son of Hezion king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, 19 “Make a treaty between me and my father and your father. Look, I have sent you gifts, silver and gold. Come! Break treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will depart from me.” 20 The son of Hadad heard King Asa and sent the rulers of his forces to the towns of Israel. He struck down Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all the Chinneroth up to all the land of Naphtali. 21 It happened that when Baasha heard, he ceased building Ramah and returned to Tirzah. 22 King Asa ordered all Judah to Ainakim.a They would take up the stones of Ramah and its timber that Baasha built. And King Asa built with them all the mound of Benjamin and the hilltop. 23 As for the rest of the events of Asa and all his power that he exercised, look, are these things not written in the document of the events of the annals of the kings of Judah? However, in the season of his old age his feet were afflicted. 24 Asa slept and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. Jehoshaphat his son ruled in place of him. Nadab Reigns in Israel 25 Nadab the son of Jeroboam ruled over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah. He ruled in Israel for two years. 26 He did evil before the Lord and walked in the way of his father and in his sins that caused Israel to sin. 27 Baasha son of Ahijah who was over the house of Belan camped against him. The son of Ahijah also provoked him at Gibbethon of the foreigners. Nadab and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon. 28 Baasha killed him in the third year of King Asa son of Abijam, and he became king. 29 It happened when he began to reign, he struck down the house of Jeroboam. He did not leave anything that breathes remaining of Jeroboam until he had destroyed him according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by the hand of the servant Ahijah the Shilonite 30 concerning the sins of Jeroboam that he caused Israel to commit and by his provocation by which he provoked the Lord God of Israel. 31 The rest of the events of Nadab and all that he did, look, are these not written in the document of the events of the annals of the kings of Israel? Baasha Reigns in Israel 33 In the third year of the king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah ruled over Israel at Tirzah for twenty-four years. 34 He did evil before the Lord and walked in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sins so caused Israel to sin.
16The word of the Lord came by the hand of Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha, 2 “Because I raised you from the land and gave you leadership over my people, Israel, and you went in the way of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin by provoking me to anger with their pointless things. 3 Look, I am about to raise up after Baasha and after his house, and I will set his house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat. 4 As for the one who dies belonging to Baasha in the city, the dogs will devour him. As for he who dies in the field, the birds of the heaven will devour him.” 5 As for the rest of the events of Baasha and all that he did and his mighty deeds, look, are these things not written in the document of the events of the annals of the kings of Israel? 6 Baasha slept with his fathers, and he was buried in Tirzah. Elah his son reigned in place of him in the twentieth year of King Asa. 7 The Lord spoke through the hand of Jehu of Hanani against Baasha and against his house concerning all the evil that he did before the Lord to provoke him to anger by the deeds of his hands that were according to the house of Jeroboam and because he struck it down. Elah Reigns in Israel 8 Elah son of Baasha ruled over Israel two years at Tirzah. 9 Zimri the ruler of half of the cavalry turned against him. He was in Tirzah drinking and becoming drunk in the house of Arza who administered at Tirzah 10 Zimri entered and struck him down. He killed him and reigned in place of him. 11 It came to pass when he became king and when he sat on his throne, he struck down all the house of Baasha, 12 according to the word that the Lord spoke against the house of Baasha and by Jehu the prophet, 13 concerning all sins of Baasha and Elah his son so that he caused Israel to sin to provoke to anger the Lord God of Israel with their pointless things. 14 As for the rest of the events of Elah that he did, look, are these not written in the document of the events of the annals of the kings Israel? Zimri Reigns in Israel 15 Zimri ruled seven yearsa in Tirzah. The camp of Israel was against Gibbethon of the foreigners. 16 The people in the camp heard those who were saying, “Zimri conspired against and struck down the king.” They proclaimed Zimri the commander of the army king over Israel in Israel on that day in the camp. 17 Zimri and all Israel with him departed for Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. 18 It came to pass when Zimri saw that his city had been captured, he went into the fortification of the house of the king, and the king burned over him the house of the king, and he died 19 because of his sins which he did by doing evil before the Lord, walking in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sins so as to cause Israel to sin. 20 As for the rest of the events, Zimri and his alliances that he made, look, are these not written in the document of the events of the annals of the kings of Israel? Omri Reigns in Israel 21 Then the people of Israel divided: Half of the people were behind Tibni son of Ginath so that he would rule, and half of the people were behind Zimri. 22 And the people who were behind Tibni son of Ginath were overtaken, and Tibni and Joram his brother died at that time. Zimri reigned after Tibni. 23 In the thirty-first year of King Asa, Zimri became king over Israel for twelve years. At Tirzah he ruled for six years. 24 Zimri purchased the hill of Samaria from Shemer, the owner of the hill, for two talents of silver, and he built on the hill. He called the name of the hill upon which they built by the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill of Samaria. 25 Zimri did evil before the Lord. He did more evil than all those who were before him. 26 He walked in every way of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sins that he caused Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord God of Israel with their pointless things. 27 As for the rest of the events of Zimri and all that he did and his power, look, are these things not written in the document of the events of the annals of the kings of Israel? 28 Zimri slept with his fathers. He was buried at Samaria, and Ahab his son ruled in place of him. Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah 28a And in the year, the eleventh year of Zimri, Jehoshaphat son of Asa reigned. He reigned thirty-five years in his kingdom, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. 28b And he went in the way of Asa his father, and he did not turn away from it to do what is righteous before the Lord, except he did not take away the high places; they sacrificed in the high places and burned incense. 28c And the things that Jehoshaphat put together and all power that he exercised and the wars that he fought, look, are these things not written in the document of the accounts of the days of the kings of Judah? 28d And the rest of the mingling in sexual intercourse that they undertook in the days of Asa his father, he removed from the land. 28e And there was no king in Syria, but only a deputy. The king 28f made a ship at Tarshish to go to Ophir, to go for gold, and it did not go because the ship was wrecked in Ezion-geber. 28g Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “You shall send out your servants and my servants in the ship.” And Jehoshaphat was not willing. 28h And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers in the city of David, and Joram his son reigned in place of him. Ahab Reigns in Israel 29 In the second year of Jehoshaphat, Ahab son of Zimri became king. He ruled over Israel at Samaria for twenty-two years. 30 Ahab did evil before the Lord. He did more evil than all those before him. 31 For him it was not sufficient to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat. He took as wife Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians. He went and served Baal, and he worshiped him. 32 He erected an altar to Baal in the house of his idols that he had built in Samaria 33 And Ahab made a grove, and Ahab went on to create provocations by provoking his soul, so as to be utterly destroyed. He did evil more than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34 Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho; he laid its foundation in Abiram his firstborn; he set up its doors for Segub his younger son, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by the hand of Joshua son of Nun.
17Elijah the Tishbite prophet from Tishbe of Gilead said to Ahab, “As the Lord the God of powers, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, cursed if there will be dew and rain during these years except through the word of my mouth.” 2 The word of the Lord came to Elijah, 3 “Go from here toward the east and hide in the brook Cherith that faces the Jordan. 4 It will be that you are to drink water from the brook, and I will command the ravens to sustain you there.” 5 Elijah did according to the word of the Lord. He settled in the brook Cherith at the face of the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread in the morning and meat in the evening. He drank water from the brook. 7 It happened that after some days, the brook dried up because there was no rain on the land. Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath 8 The word of the Lord came to Elijah, 9 “Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon. Look, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain you.” 10 He arose and went to Zarephath to the gate of the town. Look, a widow woman there gathered wood. Elijah cried aloud after her and said to her, “Bring a little water in a vessel, and I will drink.” 11 She was going to get it when Elijah shouted after her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread that is in your hand.” 12 The woman said, “As the Lord your God lives, cursed if I have a loaf, other than a bundle of flour in the jar and a little olive oil in the flask. Look, I am gathering two sticks, and I will go in and prepare it for myself and for my children that we may eat and die.” 13 Elijah said to her, “Take courage, go inside and do according to your word. But first make for me from there a small loaf and bring it to me. Then make for yourself and for your children at the end, 14 because thus says the Lord: ‘The jar of flour will not come to an end, and the flask of olive oil will not diminish until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.’ ” 15 The woman went and did it. She, he, and her children ate. 16 And the jar of flour did not come to an end, and the flask of olive oil did not diminish according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by the hand of Elijah. 17 It came about after these things that the son of the woman who was the mistress of the house became ill. His illness was very strong until the point when no breath remained in him. 18 She said to Elijah, “What do I have to do with you, the man of God? Did you come to me in order to remind me of my sins and to kill my son?” 19 Elijah said to the woman, “Give me your son.” He took him from her arms and brought him into the upper room in which he lived there. He laid him on the bed. 20 Elijah cried out and said, “Woe to me, O Lord the witness of the widow with whom I am staying, you have done wrong to kill her son.” 21 And he breathed on the child three times, and he invoked the Lord and said, “O Lord, my God, now let the soul of this child return to him.” 22 So it was, and the boy cried out. 23 He brought him down from the upper room into the house and gave him to his mother. Elijah said, “Look, your son is alive!” 24 The woman said to Elijah, “Look, I know that you are a man of God, and the word of the Lord in your mouth is true.”
18It happened after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year saying, “Go and appear to Ahab, and I will give rain on the face of the land.” 2 Elijah went to appear to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria. 3 Ahab called Obadiah the steward. Obadiah was very afraid of the Lord. 4 It happened when Jezebel was beating down the prophets of the Lord that Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifty in a cave and fed them with bread and water. 5 Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go and pass through the land to the springs of waters and to the brooks. If somehow, we can find vegetation, we can preserve the horses and mules so that they do not need to be destroyed from the tents.” 6 They divided between themselves the way to go over it. Ahab went on one road, and Obadiah went on another road by himself. 7 And Obadiah was on the way alone and came to Elijah to meet him alone. And Obadiah hastened, and he fell on his face and said, “If you, my lord, are he, Elijah.” 8 Elijah said to him, “I am. Go! Say to your lord, ‘Look, Elijah!’ ” 9 Obadiah said, “What did I do wrong that you gave your servant into the hand of Ahab that I should be killed? 10 As the Lord your God lives, cursed if there is any nation or a kingdom where my lord has not sent to search for you, and if they said, ‘He is not here,’ he set the kingdom and its territories on fire because he did find not you. 11 Now you say, ‘Go! Announce to your lord.’ 12 It will be if I depart from you, the spirit of the Lord will carry you into the land that I do not know; and I will go in to report to Ahab, and he will kill me; and your servant has been fearing the Lord from his youth. 13 And has it not been reported to you, my lord, what I did when Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred men from the prophets of the Lord by fifties in each cave, and I fed them with bread and water. 14 Now you say to me, ‘Go! Say to your lord, “Look, Elijah?” ’ He will kill me.” 15 Elijah said, “As the Lord of power whom I stand before him lives, surely today I will appear to him.” 16 Obadiah went to meet Ahab and reported to him. Ahab hurried and went to meet Elijah. Elijah and the Prophets of Baal 17 It happened that when Ahab saw Elijah that Ahab said to Elijah, “Is it you, the one who troubles Israel?” 18 Elijah said, “I do not trouble Israel but rather you and the house of your father, in that you abandoned the Lord your God and went after the Baals. 19 Now send and gather to me all Israel on Mount Carmel as well as the four hundred and fifty prophets of shame and the four hundred prophets of the groves who eat at the table of Jezebel.” [1] 20 So Ahab sent to all Israel, and he gathered all the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before all, and Elijah said to them, “How long will you vacillate over each of the two knees? If the Lord is God, go after him. If, however, Baal, go after him.” The people did not answer a word. 22 And Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left as a prophet of the Lord, and the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men, and the prophets of the grove are four hundred. 23 Let them give us two bulls. Let them pick out for themselves one and cut it in pieces and let them lay it upon the wood but let them not set it on fire; and I will do the same with the other bull and not set it on fire. 24 Call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord my God. It will be that the God who responds with fire, this one is God.” All the people answered and said, “The word that you have spoken is good.” 25 Elijah said to the prophets of shame, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, because you are many. Call on the name of your god but do not start the fire.” 26 They took the bull and prepared it, and they called on the name of Baal from morning until noon. They said, “Answer us, O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and there was nothing heard. They ran about the altar that they had made. 27 And noon came, and Elijah the Tishbite mocked them and said, “Call upon him in a louder voice, because he is a god, because he is having a chat; or also in case he is busy himself, or in case he is sleeping and he will rise up.” 28 And they called upon him with a louder voice, and they gashed themselves with the sword and with lances until there was a flow of blood on them. 29 And they were acting as prophets until when it came to the evening and there passed the time for the sacrifice to be offered. Then Elijah spoke to the prophets of the idols saying, “Depart now so I can make my burnt offering.” They departed and left. 30 Elijah said to the people, “Come to me.” All the people came to him. 31 Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of tribes of Israel, as the Lord had spoken to him saying, “Your name will be Israel.” 32 He built the stones in the name of the Lord and restored the altar that had been destroyed. He made a poolc that held two measures of seed from all around the altar. 33 And he piled up the wood on the altar that he had made, and he dismembered the burnt offering and put on the wood, and he heaped it on the altar. 34 And he said, “Bring me four pitchers of water and pour the water on the burnt offering and on the wood.” They did so, and he said, “Do it again!” They repeated it, and he said, “Do it for a third time!” And they did it for the third time. 35 The water ran around the altar, and the pool was filled with water. 36 Elijah cried out to the heaven and said, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, answer me, O Lord, answer me today with fire. Let all this people know that you are the Lord, God of Israel, and I am your servant, and I have done this work on your account. 37 Answer me, O Lord! Answer me, and may this people know that you are Lord God and you have turned the heart of this people back.” 38 Fire fell from the Lord from the heaven. It consumed the burnt offerings, the wood, the water that was in the pools, and the stones; and the fire licked up the dust. 39 All the people fell on their face and said, “Truly, the Lord is God. He is God.” 40 Elijah said to the people, “Arrest the prophets of Baal. Let no one be preserved from them.” They arrested them, and Elijah led them down to the brook Kishon and killed them there. The Drought Ends 41 Elijah said to Ahab, “Go away, eat and drink because there is the sound of the pattering of rain.” 42 Ahab departed to eat and drink, and Elijah ascended to Carmel, bent down to the earth, and placed his own face to the midst of his knees. 43 He said to his servant, “Go and look to the way of the sea.” The servant looked and said, “No, there is nothing.” Elijah said, “You shall return seven times and turn away seven times.” 44 The servant returned seven times. It happened on the seventh time that look, a small cloud like the footprint of a man was rising from the water. He said, “Go up and say to Ahab, ‘Harness your chariot and go down before the rain overtakes you.’ ” 45 It happened from here and there the heaven darkened with clouds and with wind. There came a great rain, and Ahab wept and went to Israel. 46 The hand of the Lord came upon Elijah, and he girded up his loins. He ran before Ahab into Israel.
19Ahab told Jezebel his wife all that Elijah had done and how he killed the prophets with the sword. 2 Jezebel sent to Elijah and said, “If you are Elijah and I am Jezebel, may God do this to me, and may he do more than this if at this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the life of one of these.” 3 Elijah was afraid. He arose and departed after his life. He came to Beer-sheba in the land of Judah and left his servant there. 4 This one went into the desert on the road for a day, and he came and sat under a juniper tree. Then he asked for his life to die and said, “It is enough. Now take my life from me, O Lord, because I am not better than my fathers.” 5 And he fell asleep and slept there under the tree; and look, someone touched him and said to him, “Rise and eat!” 6 And Elijah looked and look, by his head was a loaf of barley and a flask of water. He arose and ate and drank and returned to sleep. 7 The angel of the Lord returned for a second time and touched him and said to him, “Arise, eat, because the way is difficult for you.” 8 He arose and ate and drank. He went in the strength of that food for forty days and forty nights until he arrived at Mount Horeb. Elijah at Horeb 9 He entered there into the cave and lodged there. Look, the word of the Lord came to him and said, “Why are you here, Elijah?” 10 Elijah said, “Being zealous, I am zealous for the Lord Almighty because the sons of Israel have rejected you; they have broken down your altars; they have killed your prophets with a sword; and I alone remain. And they seek my life to take it.” 11 He said, “Go out tomorrow and stand before the Lord on the mountain. Look, the Lord will pass by.” A very mighty wind broke up the mountains and crushed rocks before the Lord with the wind of the Lord. After the wind was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire was a sound of a small breeze. 13 It happened when Elijah heard, he covered his face with his own goatskin, and he went out and stood at the cave. Look, a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 Elijah said, “Being zealous, I am zealous for the Lord Almighty because the sons of Israel have rejected you; your covenant and your altar they have broken down, and they have killed your prophets with a sword. I alone remain, and they seek my life to take it.” 15 The Lord said to him, “Go! Return on your way. You will come on the way of the desert of Damascus, and you shall come, and you shall anoint Hazael as king of Aram. 16 You shall anoint the son, Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel, and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abelmeholah as prophet in place of you. 17 It will be that the one who is saved from the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and the one who is saved from the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 You will leave in Israel seven thousand men, all the knees who have not kneeled a knee to Baal and every mouth that has not worshiped him.” The Call of Elisha 19 He departed from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat, and he was plowing with oxen, twelve yokes before him. He was with the twelve. He came upon him and cast his goatskin on him. 20 Elisha left the oxen and went down after Elijah. He said, “Let me kiss my father, and I will follow after you.” Elijah said, “Return, for what have I done to you?” 21 He turned behind him and took the yokes of the oxen and he slaughtered them. He boiled them with the equipment of the oxen and gave them to the people. They ate, and he arose and went after Elijah and ministered to him.
20aThere was a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Israelite beside the threshing-floor of Ahab, king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, and it will be mine for a garden of vegetables because it is close to my house. I will give you another vineyard better than it or if it pleases before you, I will give you silver for the price this vineyard of yours. It will be my garden of vegetables.” 3 Naboth said to Ahab, “May it not be for me to my God to give the inheritance of my father to you.” 4 The spirit of Ahab was stirred, and he lay on his bed. He covered his face and did not eat food. 5 Jezebel his wife went in to him and spoke to him, “Why is your spirit stirred? Why are you not eating food?” 6 He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Israelite, saying, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you wish, I will give you another vineyard in place of it.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.’ ” 7 Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now so act as king over Israel? Arise! Eat bread! Be yourself! I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Israelite.” 8 She wrote a document in the name of Ahab, sealed it with his seal, and sent the document to the elders and the free citizens who lived with Naboth. 9 She wrote in the documents, saying, “Prepare a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people. 10 And seat two men, sons of lawlessness.”b 13 And they sat opposite him and bore witness against him saying, “You blessedc God and the king.” And they led him out of the city and stoned him with stones, and he died. 14 They sent to Jezebel saying, “Naboth has been stoned and has died.” 15 It happened when Jezebel heard, that she said to Ahab, “Arise! Take as an inheritance the vineyard of Naboth the Israelite who would not give it to you for silver. For Naboth is not alive because he has died.” 16 It happened when Ahab heard that Naboth the Israelite had died, that he rent his garments and covered himself in sackcloth. It happened after these things that Ahab arose and went down to the vineyard of Naboth the Israelite to take possession of it. Ahab’s Condemnation 17 The Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 “Arise and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel who is in Samaria. For this one is in the vineyard of Naboth, for he has descended there to take possession of it. 19 And speak to him, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says, “So you have murdered and seized property for the sake of this. This is what the Lord says, ‘In every place where the pigs and the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, there the dogs will lick your blood, and the prostitutes will wash themselves in your blood.’ ” ’ ” 20 Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy.” He said, “I have found you because you have sold yourself pointlessly to do evil before the Lord to provoke him to anger. 21 Look, I am bringing evil on you, and I will burn after you, and I will destroy from Ahab those who urinate against the wall, both the oppressed and the forsaken in Israel. 22 And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah because of the provocations that you have provoked and of what you have done wrong to Israel.” 23 And to Jezebel the Lord spoke, saying, “The dogs will eat her at the wall of Israel.” 24 As for the one who has died in the city, Ahab, the dogs will eat him. And as for the one who has died belonging to him in the plain, the birds of the heaven will eat that one. 25 However, Ahab was vain so as to sell himself to do evil before the Lord as Jezebel his wife induced him. 26 He was very abominable by going after the idols like all the practices that the Amorites did whom the Lord destroyed from the face of the sons of Israel. 27 Concerning the matter, Ahab was so stupefied from the face of the Lord, that he went lamenting and tore his garment. He wore sackcloth on his body; he fasted and clothed himself with sackcloth on the day that he struck Naboth the Israelite and went on. 28 The word of the Lord came by the hand of his servant Elijah concerning Ahab. The Lord said, 29 “Have you seen how Ahab was sorely pricked from my face? I will not bring on the evil on his days, and on the days of his son I will bring on the evil.”
21aAnd the son of Hadad gathered together all his might and went up and besieged Samaria and thirty-two kings with him and all their horses and chariots. And they went up and besieged Samaria and made war against it. 2 He sent to Ahab king of Israel in the city, and he said to him, “The son of Hadad declares these things, 3 ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; and your wives and your children are mine.’ ” 4 The king of Israel answered and said, “Just as you say, O lord, O king, I am yours and all that is mine.” 5 The messengers returned and said, “This is what the son of Hadad says, ‘I turned away saying, “Give me your silver, your gold, and your wives.” 6 For at this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you to search your house and the houses of your servants. It will be that the objects of desire to their eyes, concerning whatever is put in their hands, they will remove.’ ” 7 The king of Israel called all the elders and said, “Know now and see that this one seeks evil because when he sent to me concerning my wives and concerning my sons and concerning my daughters, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him.” 8 And the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen and do not want.” 9 He said to the messengers of the son of Hadad, “Say to your lord, ‘I will do all that you send to your servant on the first occasion, but I will not be able to do this matter.’ ” The men left and returned the word to him. 10 The son of Hadad sent to him saying, “This may God do to me and this may he add, if the dirt of Samaria is sufficient for the foxes for all the people, for my infantry.” 11 And the king of Israel answered and said, “Let it be enough! The humpbacked is not qualified to boast as the upright one.” 12 And it happened when he answered this word to him, he was drinking and all kings were with him in the tents. He said to his servants, “Build a defense and put the defense at the city.” 13 Look, a prophet came to the king of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Do you see this great crowd? Look, I give it today into your hands so that you may know that I am the Lord.’ ” 14 Ahab said, “By whom?” He said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘By the young officers of the rulers of the troops.’ ” Ahab said, “Who will join the battle?” He said, “You will.” 15 Ahab examined the commanders, the young officers of the troops; there were two hundred and thirty. After these things, he examined the people, every son of power, sixty.a 16 b He set out at noon, and the son of Hadad was drinking wine in Succoth,c he and the kings; there were thirty-two kings allied with him. 17 Those commanding the young boys of the troops went out at first. They sent and reported to the king of Syria, saying, “Men have gone out from Samaria.” 18 He said to them, “For the sake of peace, they are not coming out to collect them alive; but for battle, to collect them alive. 19 Do not let the young officers, commanders of the young boys, commanders of the troops, go out of the city.” And the army was behind them. 20 Each one struck down the one beside him, and each repeated the action to the one beside him. Arameans fled, and Israel pursued them. The son of Hadad king of Aram escaped on the horse of a horseman. 21 The king of Israel went out and removed all the horses and chariots. He struck a heavy blow on the Arameans. 22 The prophet came to the king of Israel and said, “Strengthen yourself. Recognize and see what should be done because at the turn of the year the son of Hadad the king of Aram will rise up against you.” Victory over the Arameans 23 The young officers of the king of Aram also said, “The God of Israel is a god of the mountains, but not a god of the deep valley. For this reason, he is too strong for us. But if we will fight against them on level ground, unless we will be stronger than them. 24 Do this matter: Remove the kings each in their place and put governors in place of them. 25 We will exchange for you an army in place of the army that fell away and a horse according to horse and chariot for chariot. And we will fight them on the plain, and we will be stronger than they.” He listened to his voice, and he did thus. 26 It happened at the turn of the year that the son of Hadad numbered the Arameans and went up to Aphek for a battle against Israel. 27 The sons of Israel were numbered, and they came to meet with him. Israel mustered opposite them like two flocks of goats while Arameans filled the land. 28 The man of God came and said to the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Because of what the Arameans said, “The Lord the God of Israel is a god of the mountains, and he is not a god of the valleys,” I will give this great army into your hand and you will know that I am the Lord.’ ” 29 These shall encamp opposite those for seven days. It happened on the seventh day that the battle drew near. Israel struck down a hundred thousand Aramean foot soldiers in one day. 30 Those who remained fled to Aphek into the city where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who remained. The son of Hadad fled and entered into the house of the bedroom into the inner room. 31 He said to his servants, “I know that the kings of Israel are merciful kings. Let us put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our heads. Let us go still to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will somehow spare our lives.” 32 They put sackcloth on around their loins and put ropes on their heads, and they said to the king of Israel, “Your servant the son of Hadad says, ‘Please let our soul live.’ ” He said, “Does he still live? He is my brother.” 33 The men divined it and made peacea and seized upon the word from his mouth. They said, “Your brother, the son of Hadad.” He said, “Go in and take him.” The son of Hadad went out to him. They mounted him on the chariot with him. 34 He said to him, “I will return to you the cities that my father took from your father. You may set up a street in Damascus for yourself just as my father set one up in Samaria. I will send you away with a treaty.” He made a treaty for him, and he sent him away. A Prophet Condemns Ahab 35 A man, one of the sons of the prophets, said to his neighbor, “By the word of the Lord, strike me.” But the man did not want to strike him. 36 So he said to him, “Because you did not listen to the voice of the Lord, and look, you will depart from me, and a lion will strike you.” He departed from him, and a lion discovered him and struck him. 37 He found another man and said, “Strike me.” Then the man striking struck him and wounded him. 38 The prophet went and stood for the king of Israel by the road. He bound a bandage on his eyes. 39 It happened as the king passed, and this one cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out to the army of the battle and look, a man led a man out to me and said to me, ‘Guard this man. If escaping he escapes, it will be your life in place of his life, or you will pay a talent of silver.’ 40 It happened your servant looked around here and there and this man was no longer around.” The king of Israel said to him, “Look, the ambush you destroyed before me.” 41 He quickly removed the bandage from his eyes. The king of Israel recognized him that he was one of the prophets. 42 He said to him, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Because you have carried off a man destined for destruction from your hand, it will be your life in place of his life and your people in place of his people.’ ” 43 The king of Israel departed, troubled and having failed. He went to Samaria.
22He rested for three years. There was no battle between Aram and between Israel. 2 It happened in the third year that Jehoshaphat king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. 3 The king of Israel said to his servants, “If you know that Ramoth-gilead is to us are we silent to take it back from the hand of the king of Aram?” 4 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go up with me to Ramoth-gilead for a battle?” Jehoshaphat said, “Just as I am, so are you. Just as my people are, so are your people. Just as my horses are, so are your horses.” 5 Jehoshaphat king of Judah said to the king of Israel, “Consult the Lord today.” 6 The king of Israel assembled all the prophets, about four hundred men. The king said to them, “Shall I go to Ramoth-gilead for war or shall I hold back?” They said, “Go, and the Lord will surely give it into the hands of the king.” 7 Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Is there not here a prophet of the Lord that we may consult the Lord through him?” 8 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is one man through which to consult the Lord. I hate him because he does not speak good things concerning me but only bad: Micaiah son of Imlah.” Jehoshaphat king of Judah said, “May the king not speak in this manner.” 9 The king of Israel called one eunuch and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah.” 10 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat each on his throne armed at the gates Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them. 11 Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made for himself iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘With these horns you will finish the Arameans.’ ” 12 All the prophets prophesied in the same manner saying, “Go to Ramoth-gilead, and it will prosper. The Lord will give into your hands the king of Aram.” 13 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, saying, “Look, all the prophets are speaking with one mouth on good matters concerning the king. Pray, you also be with your words as one according to the words of one of these and speak good matters.” 14 Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, whatever the Lord says to me, I will speak these things.” 15 He came to the king, and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall I go up against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I hold back?” He said, “Go up and the Lord shall give success into the hand of the king.” 16 The king said to him, “Do I make you swear five timesa that you speak to me the truth in the name of the Lord?” 17 And he said, “Not so. I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like a flock that does not have a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘Is not God the Lord of these? Let each one return to his house in peace.’ ” 18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Did I not tell you this one does not prophesy good things for me but bad?” 19 Micaiah said, “Not so, not I. Hear the word of the Lord, ‘Not so, I saw the God of Israel sitting on his throne and all the host of heaven stood around him on his right and on his left.’ 20 The Lord said, ‘Who will trick Ahab king of Israel so that he will go up and fall upon Ramoth-gilead?’ This one said this and this one said that. 21 A spirit went out and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will deceive him.’ 22 He said to him, ‘Lord, in what way?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and I will be a false spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ He said, ‘You will deceive, and you also will prevail. Go out and do this!’ 23 Now, look, the Lord has put a false spirit in the mouth of all of these your prophets. The Lord has decreed against you evil things.” 24 Zedekiah son of Chenaanah drew near and struck Micaiah on the jaw and said, “Which spirit of the Lord was the one who spoke to you?” 25 Micaiah said, “Look, you will see that day whenever you enter the chamber of the secret inner room.” 26 The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the king of the city and to Joash the son of the king. 27 Say, ‘Put this one in prison, and he is to eat the bread of oppression and the water of oppression until I return in peace.’ ” 28 Micaiah said, “Certainly if you returnb in peace, the Lord has not spoken to me.” Ahab Killed in Battle 29 The king of Israel went up, and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah along with him, to Ramoth-gilead. 30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “I will be disguised, and I will enter into the battle. You put on my clothing.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and entered into the battle. 31 The king of Aram commanded the rulers of his thirty-two chariot teams, saying, “Do not fight the small or the great, except the king of Israel alone.” 32 And it happened when the rulers of the chariot teams saw Jehoshaphat king of Judah, they said, “This king of Israel has appeared.” They surrounded him to make war, but Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 It happened that when the rulers of the chariot teams saw that this one was not the king of Israel, they turned away from him. 34 And someone stretched a well-aimed bow and struck the king of Israel between the lungs and between the breastplates. He said to his driver, “Turn your hands and take me out of the battle because I am wounded.” 35 The battle reached a turning point on that day. The king was propped up in the chariot opposite the Arameans from morning until evening. He was shedding blood from the wound in the bottom of the chariot. He died in the evening. The blood came out through the day into the bottom of the chariot. 36 The herald stood at the setting of the sun saying, “Everyone to his own town, and to his own land, 37 for the king has died.” They came to Samaria and they buried the king in Samaria. 38 They washed off the blood at the spring of Samaria. The pigs and the dogs licked the blood. The prostitutes washed in the blood according to the word of the Lord that he spoke. 39 The rest of the deeds of Ahab and all that he did, the house of ivory that he built and all the towns that he built—look, these things are written in the document of the deeds of the annals of the kings of Israel. 40 Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son ruled in place of him. Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah 41 Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king over Judah in the fourth year Ahab became king. 42 Jehoshaphat was the son of thirty-five years when he became king, and he ruled twentyfive years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. 43 He walked in every way of Asa his father. He did not turn away from it to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 44 Only the high places he did not take away. Still the people sacrificed and burnt on the high places. 45 Jehoshaphat was at peace with the king of Israel. 46 The rest of the deeds of Jehoshaphat and his exploits as many as he did, look, are these not written down in the document of the deeds of Jehoshaphat? 51 And he slept with his fathers. He was buried in the city of David his father. Joram his son ruled in place of him. Ahaziah Reigns in Israel 52 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he ruled in Israel for two years. 53 He did evil before the Lord. He walked in the way of his father Ahab and in the way of Jezebel his mother and in the sins of the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat who caused Israel to sin. 54 He served the Baals and worshiped them. He provoked the Lord God of Israel just as all those who were before him. And Moab revolted in Israel after Ahab died.