Wherefore his servants said unto him: let there be sought for my lord the king a young maiden to wait upon him and to cherish him. And let her lie in his bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.
And his father rebuked him not at any time nor said so much to him as why dost thou so. And he was thereto a goodly man and his mother bare him next after Absalom.
And Adoniah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings at the stone of Zoheleth which is fast by the well of Rogel, and bade all his brethren the king's sons and all the men of Juda the king's servants.
Whereupon Nathan spake unto Bethsabe the mother of Salomon saying: hast thou not heard how that Adoniah the son of Hagith doth reign unwitting unto our master David?
Hence and get thee unto king David and say unto him: didst thou not my lord king sware unto thy handmaid saying? Salomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my seat, why is then Adoniah made king?
And she answered and said: My lord thou swearest by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid: Salomon thy son shall reign after me and he shall sit upon my seat.
And he hath offered oxen, fatlings and sheep abundantly, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the Host. But Salomon thy servant hath he not bidden.
And they told the king saying: here cometh Nathan the prophet. And when he was come before the king, he made obeisance unto the king upon his face unto the ground,
For he is gone down this day and hath offered oxen, fatlings and sheep abundantly, and hath called all the king's sons and the captains of the Host, and Abiathar the priest. And see, they eat and drink before him and say. God save king Adoniah.
And let Sadock the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there, to be king over Israel. And then blow ye with a trumpet and say: God save king Salomon.
And then come up after him, and let him come and sit upon my seat. For he shall be king in my stead. And him I have commanded to be captain over Israel and Juda.
And as the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so, I pray God he may be, with Salomon and that he make his seat gloriouser than the seat of my lord king David.
And Sadock the priest and Nathan the prophet and Banaiah the son of Jehoiada and the Cerethites and Phelethites went down, and set Salomon upon king David's Mule and led him to Gihon.
And Sadock the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle and anointed Salomon. And they blew a trumpet, and all they said: God save king Salomon.
And Adoniah and all the guests that were with him, heard it even as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said: how happeneth it there is such a noise in the city?
And the king sent with him, Sadock the priest and Nathan the prophet: and Banaiah the son of Jehoiada and the Cerethites and the Phelethites, and they have set him upon the king's Mule.
And Sadock the priest and Nathan the Prophet have anointed him king in Gihon. And as they came up again they rejoiced that the city did sound again. And that is the noise that ye have heard.
And moreover the king's servants went in to bless our lord king David saying: thy God make the name of Salomon more favour than thine, and his seat more glorious than thine. And the king bowed himself upon the bed.
And it was told Salomon, how that Adoniah for fear of king Salomon hath caught handfast by the horns of the altar saying: let king Salomon swear unto me this day, that he will not slay his servant with the sword.
And Salomon said, if he will be a child of virtue, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth. But and if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die for it.
And thereupon king Salomon sent and fetched him down from the altar. And he came and did obeisance unto king Salomon. And Salomon said to him: get thee to thine house.
And see that thou keep the appointment of the LORD thy God, that thou walk in his ways and keep his commandments, ordinances, laws and testimonies, even as it is written in the law of Moses: that thou mayest understand all that thou oughtest to do, and all that thou shouldest meddle with.
That the LORD may make good his promise which he hath promised me saying: if thy children shall take heed to their ways, that they walk before me in truth, with all their hearts and with all their souls, then thou shalt never be without one sitting on the seat of Israel.
Moreover thou wottest how Joab the son of Zaruiah hath served me, and what he hath done to the two captains of the Hosts of Israel: unto Abner the son of Ner and unto Amasa the son of Jether: how he slew them and shed the blood of war in time of peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins and in his shoes that were on his feet.
And shew kindness unto the sons of Berselai the Gileadite, and let them be among them that eat at thine own table, because they so clave to me when I fled from Absalom thy brother.
And see, thou hast with thee, Semei the son of Gera the son of Jemini of Bahurim, which cursed me with a bitter curse what time I went to Mahanahim. But he came against me to Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not slay thee with the sword.
But pardon thou him not. Thou art a man of wisdom and shalt know what to do to him, see therefore that thou bring his hoar head to the grave with blood.
And he said: thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel put their eyes on me, that I should reign, howbeit the kingdom was turned away and given to my brother, for it was appointed him of the LORD: and now I ask a petition of thee, whereof deny me not.
And thereupon Bethsabe went unto king Salomon to speak unto him for Adoniah. And the king rose up against her and bowed himself unto her, and sat him down on his seat. And there was a seat set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right side.
And king Salomon answered and said unto his mother: why dost thou ask Abisag the Sunamite for Adoniah? but rather ask for him the kingdom, seeing he is mine elder brother: Even for him ask it and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zaruiah.
Now therefore as surely as the LORD liveth which hath stablished me and set me on the seat of David my father, and which hath made me an house as he promised me, Adoniah shall die this day.
And unto Abiathar the priest said the king: get thee to Anatoth unto thine own fields, for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time kill thee, because thou barest the Ark of the Lord Jehovah{Lorde Iehouah} before David my father and because thou sufferest with my father in all his afflictions.
Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adoniah but not after Salomon. Whereupon he fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD and caught handfast on the horns of the altar.
And it was told king Salomon how that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD and stood by the altar. Then Salomon sent Banaiah the son of Jehoiada saying: go and smite him.
And when Banaiah was come to the tabernacle of the LORD he said unto him: thus sayeth the king, come out. And he said nay: But I will die even here. And Banaiah brought the king word saying: thus said Joab and thus he answered me.
And the king said: do even as he hath said: smite him and bury him, and take away the blood (which Joab shed causeless), from me and from the house of my father.
And the LORD bring his blood upon his own head, for he smote two men righteouser and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father unwitting: even Abner the son of Ner captain of the Host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether captain of the Host of Juda.
And their blood return upon the head of Joab and on the head of his seed for ever. And prosperity be unto David, and unto his seed, and unto his house, and unto his seat, of the LORD for ever.
Then the king sent and called Semei, and said to him: build thee an house in Jerusalem and dwell there and see that thou go not once thence any whither.
And it chanced at the end of three years that two of the servants of Semei ran away unto Achis son of Maacah king of Geth. And one told Semei saying: see, thy servants be in Geth.
And the king sent and called Semei and said unto him: Did I not adjure thee by the LORD, and testified unto thee saying: be sure whensoever thou goest out and walkest abroad any whither, thou shalt die for it? And thou answeredst me, it is good tidings that I have heard.
And then the king said to Semei: thou rememberest all the wickedness which thine heart knoweth that thou didst to David my father. The LORD therefore render again thy wickedness upon thine own head:
Then Salomon drew affinity with Pharao king of Egypt, and took Pharao's daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had made an end of building his own house and the house of the LORD and the walls of Jerusalem round about.
And the king went to Gabaon, to offer there: for that was a great offering place. And there Salomon offered a thousand burnt offerings upon that altar.
And Salomon said: thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth and in righteousness and plainness of heart with thee. And thou hast kept for him this great mercy, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his seat: as it is come to pass this day.
Give therefore unto thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, and to discern between good, and bad. For who is able to judge this thy so weighty a people?
Wherefore God said unto him: because thou hast asked this thing and hast not asked long life, neither hast asked riches, nor the lives of thine enemies, but hast asked the discretion to understand equity:
See, I have done according to thy petition: and behold, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, so that there was none like thee before, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
When Salomon awoke, this was his dream. And he came to Jerusalem and presented himself before the Ark of the testament of the LORD, and offered burntofferings and peaceofferings, and made a feast to all his servants.
And when I rose up in the morning to give my child suck: see, it was dead. But when I had looked more diligently upon it in the morning: Behold, it was not my son which I did bear.
And the other woman said it is not so: But the living is my son, and the dead thine. And she said again: thou sayest untrue, for the dead is thy son, and the living mine. And thus they pleaded before the king.
Then said the king: the one sayeth, this that is alive is my son, and the dead is thine. And the other sayeth nay: But thy son is the dead and the live child is mine.
Then spake the woman whose the living child was, unto the king (for her bowels yearned upon her son) and said: I beseech thee my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. And the other said: it shall be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the general receivers. And Zabud the son of Nathan was a waiter and the king's companion. And Ahisar the steward of household:
Baanah the son of Ahilud had Thanach Magedo and all Bethsan which is by Zarhanah beneath Jezrahel, and from Bethsan to Abel Mehulah and unto beyond Jecmaam.
The son of Gaber had Ramoth Gilead, and his were the towns of Jair the son of Manasses which lie in Gilead, and his were the coasts of Argob in Basan, three score great cities with wall and Bars of Brass.
And Salomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river thorowout all the land of the Philistines unto the borders of Egypt, and they brought presents and served Salomon all days of his life.
For he ruled in all the regions on the other side Euphrates from Thaphsah to Gaza and also over all the kings on the other side the said Euphrates. And he had peace with all his servants on every side.
And the foresaid general receivers made purveyance for king Salomon and for all that came to king Salomon's table every man his month, so that there lacked nothing.
And he excelled all men in wisdom, both Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol and Dorda the sons of Nahol. And his name spread abroad among all nations on every side.
And he disputed of trees, even from the Cedar tree that groweth in Libanon unto the Hyssop that springeth out of the wall. And he disputed of beasts, fowls, worms, and fishes.
And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Salomon, for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father. And thereto Hiram was ever a lover of David's.
thou knowest of David my father, how he could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for war which he had on every side, until the LORD had put them under his foot.
And therefore I am disposed to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as he promised David my father saying: thy son which I will put upon thy seat for thee, he shall build an house unto my name.
Now then command that they hew me Cedar trees in Libanon. And let my servants be with thine, and I will give the hire of thy servants in all such things as thou shalt appoint, for thou knowest that there are not among us that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidones.
When Hiram heard the words of Salomon, he rejoiced greatly and said: Blessed be the LORD this day which hath set David a wise son over this mighty people.
And Hiram sent again to Salomon saying: I have accepted the request which thou sentest to me for, and will satisfy all thy lust, concerning timber of Cedar trees and fir.
My servants shall bring them from Libanon to the sea. And I will convey them by ship unto the place that thou shalt send me word, and will cause them to be discharged there, that thou mayst receive them. And thou shalt do me this pleasure again, to minister food for mine house.
And Salomon gave Hiram twenty thousand quarters of wheat to feed his household withal, and twenty butts of pure oil. And so much gave Salomon to Hiram year by year.
which he sent to Libanon, ten thousand a month by course, so that they were one month in Libanon and two months at home. And Adoniram was over the tribute.
besides the lords he had, to oversee the work, in number three thousand and three hundredth, which ruled the people that wrought in the work.(Septuagint: besides the rulers that were appointed over the works of Solomon, there were three thousand six hundred masters who wrought in the works. Note: 2 Chronicles 2:18)
And at the commandment of the king, they brought great stones and that free stones, and hewed thereto, to lay in the foundation of the house.(Septuagint Alex: And the king commanded that they bring great stones, precious stones for the foundation of the house, and unhewn stones.)
And it came to pass the four hundredth and fourscore year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, and the fourth year of the reign of Salomon upon Israel, and the second month called Zif that he began to build the temple unto the LORD.(Septuagint: 1 Kings 6:1 ¶ And it came to pass in the four hundred and fortieth year after the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt, in the fourth year and second month (1) of the reign of king Solomon over Israel, (6:17) that the king commanded that they should take great and costly stones for the foundation of the house, and hewn stones. (6:18) And the men of Solomon, and the men of Chiram hewed the stones, and laid them for a foundation. (6:1) In the fourth year he laid the foundation of the house of the Lord, in the month Ziu, even in the second month. (6:38) In the eleventh year, in the month Baal, this is the eighth month, the house was completed according to all its plan, and according to all its arrangement.)
And the porch that was before the body of the temple, was twenty cubits long after the measure of the breadth of the house, and ten broad, even at the very end of the house.
And the nethermost gallery was five cubits broad and the middle gallery six. And the third seven cubits broad. For he made the walls without whereon the beams lay, ever thinner and thinner, so that they were not fastened in the walls of the house.
And the house was built of stone made perfect all ready yer it was brought thither, so that there was neither hammer or axe either any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.
And the door of the middle gallery was in the end of the house on the right side. And men went up with winding stairs into the middle gallery, and out of the middle into the third.
concerning the house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in mine ordinances and execute my laws and keep all my commandments, to walk in them: then will I make good unto thee, my promises which I promised David thy father.
and sealed the walls of the house within, with ribs of Cedar tree: even from the pavement unto the roof did he sile it within, and boarded the floor of the house with planks of fir.
And he put the Cherubs in the middle of the inner house. And the Cherubs stretched their wings, so that the one wing of the one touched the one wall, and the one wing of the other touched the other wall. And the other two wings of them touched one another in the midst of the house.
And all the walls of the house round about, he garnished with work of Cherubs and paulme trees and graven flowers, both within in the quere and without in the temple.
And the two doors of olive tree he graved with graving of Cherubs and Paulme trees and graved flowers, and covered them with gold, and laid gold over the Cherubs and also the Paulme trees.
and in the eleventh year in the month Bul which is the eighth month, it was full finished in all that pertained thereto, and fashioned as it should be in all points. And so was he seven years in building of it.
And he built the house of the wood of Libanon, an hundredth cubits long and fifty broad, and thirty high, four square with rows of Cedar pillars and Cedar beams along upon the pillars.
And the roof was Cedar above on high upon the beams that lay an high{hye} on the pillars, which pillars were forty and five in number, fifteen on a row,
Then he made a porch to sit and judge in, sealed with Cedar thorowout all the pavements. And his own house where he kept residence in another court without that porch was of the same work.
And all these things were of rich stones hewed after a measure and sawed with saws within and without, even from the foundation unto that whereon the beams were laid, and on the outside thereto, toward the great court.
And the foundation was of rich stones and the mighty great stones of ten cubits and of eight. And above were rich stones hewed according to the same size, and also with Cedar.
a widow's son of the tribe of Nephthalim, his father being of Tyre. Which Hiram was a craftsman in brass, and full of wisdom, understanding and cunning to work all manner of work in brass. And he came to king Salomon and wrought all his work.
And the pomegranates above and beneath on the wreathen chains that compassed the middle of the head pieces were in number two hundredth on either head piece.
And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple, and when he had set up the right pillar, he called the name thereon Jachin, and when he had set up the left pillar, he called the name thereof Boaz.
Then he cast a sea of brass, ten cubits wide from brim to brim and round in compass, and five cubits high. And a string of thirty cubits might compass it about,
And it stood on twelve oxen: of which three looked North, three West, three South, and three East, and the sea on high upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.
And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim wrought like the brim of a cup with flowers of lilies. And it contained two thousand baths.(Septuagint: [omitted]. Note: 2 Chronicles 4:5)
And on the flat boards between the ledges were lions, oxen and Cherubs. And upon the ledges that were above and beneath the lions and oxen, was joined pendant work.
And every bottom had four brazen wheels, whose axletrees were also of brass. And in the four corners were undersetters under the lavatory cast each over against his fellow.
And the stalk of the lavatory was in the middle of the bottom one cubit high, and a cubit and a half round, and it had knops thereon in the bare places which were foursquare not round.
And under the stalk of the lavatory in the midst of the bottom was there a round foot of half a cubit high. And thereon plain places and ledges of the self.
And he put five of those bottoms on the right corner of the temple, and other five on the left: And put the sea on the right corner of the temple Eastward and toward the South.
and four hundredth pomegranates upon two wreaths, two rows on either wreath, to cover the two scalps of the heads that were on the tops of the two pillars.
and Bowls, Psalteries, basins, spoons and fire pans of pure gold: and hinges of gold both for the doors of the quere, the place most holy, and for the doors of the temple also.
And so was ended all the work that king Salomon made for the house of the LORD. And then Salomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated in silver, gold and other vessels, and put them to the treasure of the house of the LORD.
Then Salomon gathered the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and ancient lords of the children of Israel, unto him to Jerusalem, to bring up the Ark of the appointment of the LORD out of the city of David which is Sion.
And king Salomon and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled, and were with him before the Ark, did offer sheep and oxen that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.
And so the priests brought the Ark of the appointment of the LORD unto his place: even into the quere of the temple and place most holy, under the wings of the Cherubs.
Howbeit the staves were so long that the ends of them appeared out of the holy place before the quere, but were not seen without. And there they be unto this day.
And there was nothing in the Ark save the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made an appointment with the children of Israel after they were come out of Egypt.
from the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city among any of the tribes of Israel, to build an house, that my name might be there: But I have chosen David to be ruler over my people Israel.
And the LORD hath made good his word that he spake. For I stood up in the room of David my father, and sat on the seat of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.
And I have prepared therein a place for the Ark wherein the covenant of the LORD is, which he made with our fathers, after he had brought them out of the land of Egypt.
and said: LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heaven above or in the earth beneath, that keepest appointment and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their hearts:
which also hast kept with thy servants David my father, that thou promisedest him. Thou spakest with thy mouth and hast fulfilled with thine hand, as it is come to pass this day.
And now LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father, that thou promisedest him saying: thou shalt not be without one or other before me, sitting on the seat of Israel: How be it if thy children shall take heed to their ways that they walk before me, as thou hast walked before me.
But indeed can God dwell on the earth? Behold neither heaven, nor heaven above all heavens are able to contain thee: how much less then this house that I have built?
but look to the prayer of thy servant and his supplication O LORD my God, to give an ear unto the voice and prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee this day,
that thine eyes may be open upon this house night and day, and upon the place, of which thou hast said, my name shall be there: that thou hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall pray in this place.
And hearken unto the supplication of thy servant and of thy people Israel which they shall pray in this place: And hear thou up unto heaven thy dwelling place, and when thou hearest have mercy.
And if any man trespass against his neighbour, and his neighbour take an adjuration to adjure him withal, and the adjuration come before thine altar at this house
then hearken thou up to heaven, and work and judge thy servants, that thou condemn the wicked to bring his way upon his head, and justify the righteous to give him according to his righteousness.
When thy people Israel be put to the worse before their enemies, because they have sinned against thee, and afterward turn again to thee and praise thy name, and pray and make supplication unto thee in this house:
Then hear thou up to heaven and be merciful unto the sin of thy people Israel, and bring thee again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers.
If heaven be shut up, that there be no rain, because they have sinned against thee: yet if they pray in this place and praise thy name and turn from their sins, thorow thy scourging of them:
then hear thou up to heaven, and be merciful unto the sin of thy servants and of thy people Israel, that thou shew them a good way to walk in, and give rain upon thy land that thou hast given unto thy people to inherit.
If there chance dearth in the land, pestilence, blasting or withering of corn, or that the fruits be devoured of Grasshoppers or Caterpillars, or if their enemies besiege them in the land and in their own cities, or whatsoever plague or sickness chance:
then hear thou up to heaven thy dwelling place, all the prayers and supplications that shall be made of all men thorowout all thy people Israel, which shall knowledge every man the plague of his own heart, and stretch forth his hands unto this house,
and be merciful, and work, and give every man according to his ways (even as thou onely knowest every man's heart, for thou knowest the hearts of all the children of Adam)
hear thou up to heaven thy dwelling place and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all nations of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee as do thy people Israel, and that it may be known that this house which I have built is called after thy name.
And when they go out to battle against their enemies whither soever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the LORD toward the city which thou hast chosen and toward the house that I have built for thy name:
And finally when they shall have sinned against thee (for there is no man that sinneth not) and thou art angry with them and hast delivered them to their enemies, that they be carried away prisoners unto the land of their enemies, whether far or near,|nye|
yet if they turn again unto their hearts in the land where they be in captivity, and return and pray unto thee in the land of them that hold them captive, saying: we have sinned and have done wickedly and have trespassed,
and so turn again unto thee with all their hearts and all their souls in the land of their enemies which hold them captive, and pray unto thee, toward the land which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:
and be merciful unto thy people that have sinned against thee, and unto all their trespass that they have trespassed against thee, and get them favour|grant the mercy| in the sight of them that hold them captive that they may have compassion on them.
And let thine eyes be open unto the prayer of thy servant and unto the prayer of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them, in all that they call unto thee for.
For thou didst separate them to be thine inheritance, above all the nations of the earth, as thou saidest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt O Lord Jehovah.{Lorde Iehouah}
And when Salomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD and from kneeling on his knees and stretching of his hands up to heaven
Blessed be the LORD that hath given rest unto his people Israel according to all that he promised: so that there is not one word escaped of all the good promises which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.
And these my words which I have prayed before the LORD, be nye unto the LORD our God day and night, that he defend the cause of his servant and of his people Israel evermore,
And the peaceofferings that Salomon offered unto the LORD, were twenty two thousand oxen and an hundredth and twenty thousand sheep: And so the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD.
And the same day the king hallowed the middle of the court that is before the house of the LORD: for there he offered burntofferings and meatofferings and the fat of the peaceofferings, because the brazen altar that was before the LORD, was too little to receive the burntofferings and meatofferings and the fat of the peace offerings.
And Solomon held that same time an high feast and all Israel with him, a mighty congregation, even from the coasts of Hemath unto the river of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and yet seven days, that is, fourteen days.
And the eighth day he sent the people away. And they blessed the king and went unto their tents joyous and glad in heart for all the goodness that the LORD had shewed unto David his servant and to Israel his people.
And the LORD said unto him: I have heard thy prayer and intercession that thou madest before me, and have hallowed this house which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in pureness of heart and plainness, to do all that I have commanded thee, and shalt keep mine ordinances and customs:
then I will stablish the seat of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father saying: Thou shalt not be without one or other upon the seat of Israel.
But and if ye and your children shall turn away from after me, and shall not keep mine ordinances which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods and bow yourselves unto them:
then I will weed Israel out of the land which I have given them. And this house which I have hallowed for my name, I will put out of my sight. And Israel shall be a proverb and a fable unto all nations.
And this house which is so high, all that pass by it shall be astonied and shall hiss and say: why hath the LORD dealt on this manner with this land and with this house?
And it shall be answered then, because they forsook the LORD their God which brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods and have stooped unto him and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.
because Hiram the king of Tyre had supported him with Cedar, fir and gold, as much as he desired: therefore Salomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
And this is the sum of the tribute, which king Salomon raised to build the house of the LORD and his own house, and Mello and the walls of Jerusalem, and Hezer, and Magedo, and Gazer.
For Pharao king of Egypt went up and took Gazer and burnt it with fire, and slew the Cananites that dwelt in the city, and gave it for a present unto his daughter that was Salomon's wife.
and all the store cities that Salomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen and all that his lust was to build in Jerusalem and Libanon and in all the land of his kingdom.
the children of the said nations that were left in the land, because the children of Israel were not able to destroy them, did Salomon make tributaries unto this day.
And of the children of Israel did Salomon make no bondmen. But they were men of war and his servants and his lords and Captains and rulers of his chariots and of his Horsemen.
And these many lords that oversaw the work had Salomon, five hundredth and fifty, which ruled the people that wrought in the work.(Septuagint: [omitted]. Note: 2 Chronicles 8:10)
And thrice a year did Salomon offer burntofferings and peaceofferings upon the altar which he had built unto the LORD, to burn the fat thereon: which altar is before the LORD. And when king Salomon had made the house perfect,
And she came to Jerusalem with a mighty great multitude of Camels that bare sweet odours and gold exceeding much, and precious stones. And when she was come to Salomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
and the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the standing of his servitors and their apparel, and his butlers and his sacrifice that he offered in the house of the LORD, she was astonied.
How be it I believed it not, till I came and saw it with mine eyes. And see, the one half was not told me: for thy wisdom and goodness exceedeth the fame which I heard.
And blessed be the LORD thy God which had a lust to thee, to set thee on the seat of Israel, because the LORD loved Israel for ever, and therefore made thee king, to do equity and righteousness.
And she gave the king an hundredth and twenty talents of gold, and of sweet odours exceeding much, and precious stones. There came never after such abundance of sweet odors as the Queen of Saba gave to king Salomon.
And king Salomon made of the Almuge trees pillars in the house of the LORD in the king's palace, and made harps and psalteries for singers. There came no more Almuge trees so, nor was any more seen unto this day.
And king Salomon gave unto the Queen of Saba all her desire that she asked of him: besides that he gave her with his own hand. And so she returned unto her own country with her servants.
And the seat had six steps. And the top of the seat was round behind his back with pommels on either side on the place where he sat, and two Lions standing beside the pommels.
And all king Salomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the wood of Libanon were of pure gold. And as for silver it was nothing worth in the days of Salomon.
And Salomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: so that he had a thousand and four hundredth chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.
A chariot came out of Egypt for six hundredth sicles of silver, and an horse for an hundredth and fifty. And even so by the hands of the said merchants, horses were brought out for all the kings of the Hethites and for the kings of Syria.
even of nations of which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, see ye come not at them, nor let them come to you: for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods. Nevertheless to such Salomon clave and fell in love with them.
For when Salomon was old, his wives turned his heart after other gods: so that his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
After that Salomon built an altar for Chamos the abomination of the Moabites in the hill that standeth before Jerusalem, and unto Moloch the abomination of the children of Ammon.
whereupon the LORD said to Salomon: for as much as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept mine appointment and mine ordinances which I have commanded thee, therefore I will rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
And they arose out of Madian and went to Pharan, and took men with them out of Pharan and came to Egypt unto Pharao king thereof, which gave him an house, and appointed him vitailles and gave him lands.
And the sister of Thahaphnes bare him Senubath his son. And Thahaphnes weaned him in Pharao's house. And he was in Pharao's house among the sons of Pharao.
And when Hadad heard say in Egypt that David was laid to sleep with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead also, he said to Pharao let me depart, that I may go to mine own country.
Which Razon gathered men unto him and became captain over the company, when David slew them. And they went to Damasco and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damasco.
And Jeroboam the son of Nabat an Ephrathite of Zaredah (whose mother was called Zeruah and was a widow and Salomon's servant) lifted up his hand against the king. And hereof came it, that he lifted up his hand against the king.
And this fellow Jeroboam was an active man. And when Salomon saw the young man, that he wrought so lustily in the work, he made him ruler over all the charges of the house of Joseph.
And it chanced at that season as Jeroboam was gone out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahiah the Silonite met him by the way, having a new mantle on him, and they two alone in the field.
and said to Jeroboam: take thee ten pieces. For this sayeth the LORD God of Israel: behold, I will rent the kingdom out of the hands of Salomon and will give ten tribes to thee,
because they have forsaken me, and have bowed themselves unto Astaroth the God of the Zidons, and to Camos the God of the Moabites and to Milcom the God of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that pleaseth me, and mine ordinances and customs, as David his father.
How be it I will take none of the kingdom out of his hand: but will make him chief all his life long, for David my servant's sake, which I chose: because he kept my commandments and ordinances.
And if thou shalt hearken unto all that I command thee, and shalt walk in my ways and do that is right in my sight, that thou keep mine ordinances and commandments as David my servant did: then will I be with thee and build thee an house that shall continue, as I built for my servant David, and will give Israel unto thee.
And Salomon sought to kill Jeroboam: wherefore Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt unto Sesak king of Egypt and continued there until the death of Salomon.
thy father made our yoke grievous, but now make thou the grievous service of thy father and his sore yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and so we will serve thee.
And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that stood before Salomon his father, while he yet lived, and said: what counsel give ye to answer this people withal?
And they said unto him: If thou shalt be a servant unto this people this day and serve them and answer them and speak kind words to them: they will be thy servants for ever.
And he said unto them: what counsel give ye, to answer this people withal which have communed with me saying: make the yoke which thy father did put upon us, lighter?
And the young men that were brought up with him, answered him saying, this people that have said unto thee: thy father made our yoke heavy, make thou it us lighter: thus answer them. My little finger shall be weightier than my father's loins.
And now where my father put a grievous yoke upon you, I will make it heavier. For where my father corrected you with scourges, I will chastise you with scorpions.
and spake to them after the counsel of the young men saying: My father made your yoke grievous, but I will make it grievouser. For where my father chastised you with whips, I will chastise you with scorpions.
And so the king hearkened not unto the people: for the turning away was of the LORD, to perform his saying, which the LORD said by Ahiah the Silonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nabat.
And when all Israel saw that the king regarded them not, the people answered the king again saying: we have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Isai. To your tents therefore Israel, and now see to thine own house David. And so Israel departed unto their tents.
Then king Rehoboam sent Aduram the receiver of the tribute. And all Israel stoned him to death with stones. But king Rehoboam made speed and gat him up to his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.
And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, they sent and called him unto the congregation and made him king over Israel: so there followed the house of David, but the tribe of Juda onely.
And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered all the house of Juda and the tribe of Ben Jamin an hundredth and four score thousands of chosen men and good warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, and to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Salomon.
Thus sayeth the LORD: go not nor yet fight against your brethren the children of Israel, but return every man to his house, for this doing is of the LORD. And they obeyed the word of the LORD and returned and departed according to the word of the LORD.
For if this people shall go up and do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall their hearts turn again unto their lord Rehoboam king of Juda. And so shall they kill me and go again to Rehoboam king of Juda.
Whereupon the king took counsel and made two calves of gold and said unto the people: ye shall not need to go any more to Jerusalem. Behold your gods{goddes} Israel which brought you out of the land of Egypt.
And Jeroboam made a feast the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like unto the feast that was in Juda, and offered on the altar. And so did he in Bethel, to offer unto the calves that he had made. And he put in Bethel the priests of the hillaltars, which he had made.
And he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel, the fifteenth day of the eighth month, which he had imagined of his own heart: and made a solempne feast unto the children of Israel, and went up to the altar to burn sacrifice.
and cried against the altar at the commandment of the LORD and said: altar, altar, thus sayeth the LORD. Behold a child shall be born of the house of David, Josiah by name, which upon thee shall offer the priests of the hillaltars that sacrifice upon thee, and shall burn men's bones upon thee.
And he gave them the same time a sign saying: this is the sign of that the LORD hath promised. Behold the altar shall rent and the ashes that are in it shall fall out.
And when the king heard the saying of the man of God which he cried against the altar in Bethel, he stretched out his hand from the altar saying: hold him. And his hand which he put forth toward him dried up, that he could not pull it in again to him
And the king answered and said unto the man of God: Oh pray unto the LORD thy God and make intercession for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and his hand came to him again as well as before.
But the man of God answered the king, if thou wouldest give me half thine house, I would not go with thee neither would I eat meat or drink water in this place.
And there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel, whose sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel, and the words which he spake unto the king they told their father also.
And he gat him up thereon and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an Oak and said unto him: art thou the man of God that camest from Juda? And he said, yea.
And the old prophet said unto him: I am a prophet as well as thou, and an Angel spake unto me with the word of the LORD saying: bring him again with thee to thine house, and let him eat bread and drink water, and yet lied unto him.
And he cried unto the man of God that came from Juda, saying: thus sayeth the LORD: because thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,
but camest back again and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place in which he bade that thou shouldest eat no bread nor drink water: therefore thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.
And as he journeyed a Lion met him by the way and slew him, and his carcass lay along in the way and the Ass stood thereby, and the Lion stood by the corpse also.
And men that passed by, saw the carcass cast along in the way and the lion standing thereby, and went and told it in the town where the old prophet dwelt.
And when the prophet that brought him back again from the way, heard thereof, he said: it is the man of God which disobeyed the mouth of the LORD. And therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the Lion which hath rent him and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he said to him.
And he went and found the body cast along in the way and the Ass and the lion standing thereby. And the Lion had not eaten the carcass nor hurt the Ass.
And he took up the body of the man of God and put it upon the Ass and brought it again, and came to the city of the old prophet to lament him, and to bury him.
And when he had buried him, he spake to his sons saying: when I am dead, see that ye bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried, and lay my bones by his.
For the saying which he cried at the bidding of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of hillaltars which are in the cities of Samaria, shall come to pass.
How be it for all that, Jeroboam turned not from his wicked way: but turned away and made of the lowest of the people priests of the hillaltars. Whosoever would, he filled their hands, and they became priests of the hillaltars.
And Jeroboam said unto his wife: up a fellowship and change thine apparel that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam, and get thee to Siloh. For there is Ahiah the Prophet which told me that I should be king over this people.
And the LORD said unto Ahiah: behold the wife of Jeroboam cometh, to question with thee about her son which is sick. This wise and this wise answer her. And when she came, she feigned herself to be another woman.
But when Ahiah heard the sound of her feet as she came to the door he said: come in thou wife of Jeroboam, why feignest thou thyself to be another? I am sent to thee a cruel messenger.
Go and tell Jeroboam, thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel: for as much as I exalted thee from among the common people and made thee prince over my people Israel,
and did rent the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it thee: and thou hast not been as was my servant David, which kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, to do that onely which seemeth right in mine eyes:
but hast done evil above all that were before thee, and hast gone and made the other gods and images of metal, to provoke me, and hast cast me behind thy back:
therefore behold I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam and will strike from Jeroboam all that pisseth against the wall, and what soever is in prison or forsaken in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as men take away a dung hill, till it be consumed.
And whosoever of Jeroboam's house die in the town, him shall the dogs eat, and him that dieth in the field, shall the fowls of the air eat: for the LORD hath said it,
How be it all Israel shall mourn him and bury him, for this onely of all Jeroboam shall come to the sepulchre, because in him there is found goodness toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.
And the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed that groweth in the water is shaken, and will weed Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond Euphrates, because they have made them groves to anger the LORD.
And Rehoboam the son of Salomon reigned in Juda and was forty one year old when he began to reign, and reigned seventeen year in Jerusalem the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. His mother's name was Naamah an Ammonite.
And thereto there was a stews of male children in the land, and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
and took away the treasure of the house of the LORD, and the treasure of the king's house and all that was to be had. And he took away the shields of gold which Salomon made.
In whose stead king Rehoboam made brazen shields and put them in the keeping of the captains of the guard which waited at the door of the king's house.
And Rehoboam laid him to rest with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonite. And Abiam his son reigned in his room.
And he walked in all the sins of his father which he did before him, and his heart was not whole with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.
Because that David did which pleased the LORD and turned from nothing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Urias the Hethite.
And the rest of the deeds of Abiam and all that he did, are written in the book of the deeds that were done in the days of the kings of Juda. And there was war between Abiam and Jeroboam.
And thereto he put down Maacah his mother from bearing rule, because she had made an Idol in a grove. And Asa destroyed her Idol and burnt it by the brook Cedron.
Then Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasure of the house of the LORD, and all the treasure of the king's house and delivered it unto his servants, and sent them to Benhadad the son of Tabremon the son of Hezion king of Siria that dwelt at Damasco, saying:
there is a bond between thee and me as was between thy father and mine. Therefore I send thee both gold and silver for a gift, that thou go and break the appointment between thee and Baasa king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
And Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ahion, Dan, Abel called Beth Maacah and all Ceneroth with all the land of Nepthali.
Then king Asa made a proclamation thorowout all Juda, that none should be excused. And they took the stones of Ramah and the timber wherewith Baasa had built, and king Asa built there with Gabaah in Benjamin and Mazphah.
And the remnant of all the deeds of Asa and of all his might and of all that he did, and the cities which he built, are written in the chronicles of the acts done in the days of the kings of Juda. Neverthelater in his old age he was diseased in his feet.
And Asa laid him to rest with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father. And Jehosophat his son reigned in his room.
But Baasa the son of Ahiah of the house of Isacar conspired against him, and slew him at Gebethon a city of the Philistines for Nadab and all Israel lay at siege before Gebethon.
And as soon as he was king, he slew all the house of Jeroboam and left him nought that breathed, until he had put him clean out, agreeing unto the saying of the LORD which he spake by his servant Ahiah the Silonite,
forasmuch as I exalted thee out of dust and made thee captain over my people Israel, and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam and hast made my people Israel sin, to anger me with their sin:
And thereto thorow the Prophet Jehu the son of Hanani, the word of the LORD came against Baasa and against his house, because of all the wickedness that he did in the sight of the LORD, in angering him with the works of his hands, that he should be like the house of Jeroboam, because he had killed Nabat.
And his servant Zamri captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Therzah drinking of strong drink, in the house of Arza steward of his house in Therzah.
And as soon as he was king and sat his seat, he slew all the house of Baasa and left not a pisser against a wall. And thereto he slew all his kin and friends,
And when the people that lay in the siege, heard say how Zamri had conspired, and how he had slain the king also: then all Israel made Amri the captain of the men of war king the same day over Israel even in the host.
And when Zamri saw that the city must needs be taken, he went into the palace of the king's house, and set the king's house afire upon himself and there died,
for his sins which he sinned in doing wickedness in the sight of the LORD, and for walking in the way of Jeroboam and in his sins which he did and made Israel sin.
Moreover that same season was Israel divided in twain, for half the people followed Thebni the son of Gineth, to make him king. And the other half followed Amri.
And he bought the hill of Samaria of one Semar for two hundredth talents of silver, and built in the hill, and called the name of the city which he had built Samaria after the name of Semar the lord of the hill.
and walked in all the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel sin, to anger the LORD God of Israel with their vanities.
For it seemed him a light thing to walk in the sin of Jeroboam. But took Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonites to wife, and went and served Baal and bowed unto him.
In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. And it cost him Amran his eldest son when he laid the foundation, and his youngest son when he set up the gates, agreeing unto the word of the LORD which he spake by Josua the son of Nun.
And Eliah the Thesbite which was of the inhabiters of Gilead, said unto Ahab: as truly as the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these year, save as I appoint it.
And he arose and went to Sarephtha. And when he came to the gate of the city, there was a widow there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said: fetch me I pray thee a little water in a dish that I may drink.
And she answered: as surely as the LORD thy God liveth, I have no bread, but even an handful of Meal in a pitcher, and a little Oil in a cruse. And see, I have gathered a few sticks for to go and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it and then die.
And Eliah said unto her: fear not, but go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first of all, and bring it out to me: and afterward make for thee and thy son.
For thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel: the pitcher of Meal shall not be wasted neither shall thy oil cruse be without oil, until the LORD have sent rain upon the earth.
And after these things, it happened that the son of the wife of the house fell sick. And his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
insomuch that when Jezebel destroyed the Prophets of the LORD, he took an hundredth of the Prophets and hid them, fifty in one cave and fifty in another, and provided bread and water for them.
And Ahab said unto Abdiah: walk thorow the land, unto all fountains of water and unto all brooks, to see whether any grass may be found that we may save the horses and the Mules, that we destroy not the beasts.
As surely as the LORD thy God liveth there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent, to seek thee. And when they said thou wast not there, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, because he found thee not.
And as soon as I am gone from thee, the spirit of the LORD shall carry thee away whither I shall not know: and then when I have gone and told Ahab, and then he can not find thee, he shall slay me. And yet I thy servant have feared the LORD from my young age.
Was it not told my lord, what I did, when Jezebel slew the Prophets of the LORD? how I hid an hundredth of the LORD's Prophets, fifty in one cave and as many in another, and provided them of bread and water?
And he said: it is not I that trouble Israel, but thou and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and hast followed Baal.
But now send and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel and the Prophets of Baal four hundredth and fifty, and the Prophets of the groves four hundredth, which eat of Jezebel's table.
And Eliah came unto all the people and said: why halt ye between two opinions? If the LORD be very God, follow him: or if Baal be he follow him. And the people answered him not one word.
Let two oxen be given us, and let them choose the one and cut him in pieces and lay him on wood, and put no fire under. And I will dress the other and put him on wood, and will put no fire under.
And call ye on the name of your God, and I will call on the name of the LORD. And then the God that answereth by fire, he is the very God. And all the people said: it is well spoken.
Then said Eliah unto the Prophets of Baal, choose you an ox and dress him first (for ye are many) and call on the name of your God, but put no fire under.
And they took the ox that was given them and dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning to noon saying: O Baal hear us. But there was no voice nor answer. And they leapt about the altar that they had made.
And at noon Eliah mocked them and said: call loud (for he is a God: but he is talking, or occupied, or in the way, or haply he sleepeth) that he may awake.
And he took twelve stones according to the number of the twelve tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came saying: Israel shall be thy name.
and said: fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the sacrifice and on the wood. And he said: do so again. And they did so again. Then he said: do it the third time. And they did so the third time.
And when offering time was come, Eliah the prophet went to and said: LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and of Israel, let it be known this day, that thou art the God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I do all these things at thy commandment.
Then said Eliah unto them, lay hands on the Prophets of Baal, let not one of them escape. And when they had taken them, Eliah brought them down unto the brook Kison, and slew them there.
And when Ahab went up to eat and to drink, Eliah went up to the top of mount Carmel. And bowed himself to the earth, and put his face between his knees,
And the seventh time he said: behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like the palm of a man's hand. Then he said: go and say to Ahab, put the horses in the chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not.
And he went a day's Journey into the wilderness, and when he was come sat down under a Juniper tree, and desired for his soul, that he might die, and said, it is now enough O LORD, take my soul, for I am not better than my fathers.
And he looked about him: and see, there was a loaf of broiled bread and a cruse of water at his head. And he ate and drank and laid him down again to sleep.
And he answered: I have been thorough angry for the LORD God of Hosts' sake. For the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, and have broken down thine altars and slain the Prophets with the sword, and I onely am left, and they seek my soul to have it too.
And he said come out and stand before the LORD. And behold, the LORD went by and a mighty strong wind that rent the mountains and brake the rocks before him. But the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind came an earthquake. But the LORD was not in the earthquake.
And when Eliah heard it, he covered his face with his mantle, and went out and stood in the mouth of the cave. And see, there came a voice unto him and said: what doest thou here Eliah?
And he answered: I was jealous for the LORD God of Hosts' sake: because the children of Israel have forsaken thine appointment and have cast down thine altars and slain thy prophets with the sword, and I onely am left, and they seek my soul to have it.
And he departed thence and found Eliseus the son of Saphat ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelve. And Eliah went to him and cast his mantle upon him.
And he left the oxen and ran after Eliah and said: let me I pray thee, kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said to him: go back again, for what have I done to thee?
And he went back again from after him, and took a yoke of oxen and slew them, and dressed the flesh with the instruments of the oxen and gave it the people, and they did eat. And then he arose and went after Eliah and ministered unto him.
And Benhadad king of Siria gathered all his host together, and thirty two kings with him, with horse and chariot: and went up and besieged Samaria and warred against it.
And the messengers came again to Ahab and said: thus sayeth Benhadad. I have therefore sent unto thee, saying: deliver me then thy silver and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children.
Or else I will send my servants unto thee by tomorrow this time: and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants, which shall take all that is glorious in thine eyes, and bring it away with them.
Then the king of Israel sent for the elders of the land and said: take heed I pray you and see, how this fellow goeth about mischief. For he sent unto me, for my wives and my children, and my silver and my gold: and I denied him nothing of it.
Whereupon he said unto the messengers of Benhadad: tell my lord the king, all that he sent for the first time, that I will do: but this request I may not do. And the messengers departed and brought him word.
Then Benhadad sent unto him and said: thus do the Gods to me and so thereto, if the dust of Samaria be enough for all the people that follow me, that every man may have an handful.
And when Benhadad heard that tidings, as he and the kings were drinking in the pavilions, he said unto his servants: put ye in array. And they put themselves in array against the city.
And behold there came a Prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, and said to him: thus sayeth the LORD. Seest thou all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver them into thine hand this day, that thou mayest know that I am the LORD.
And Ahab said, by whom? And he said thus sayeth the LORD: even by the men of the governors of the shires. And Ahab said: who shall join battle? And he said, thou.
Then he numbered the men of the governors of the shires: and they were two hundredth and thirty two. And after them he numbered all the people, and all the children of Israel were seven thousand.
And also if they come for war, take them yet alive. And when those men of the sheriffs of the shires were come out of the city and the Host after them,
they slew every one of them his man. And the Sirians fled, and Israel followed after them. And Benhadad the king of Siria escaped on a horse with his horsemen.
Then there came a Prophet to the king of Israel, and said to him: go forth and play the man, be wise and take heed what thou doest: for when the year is about, the king of Siria will come against thee again.
Then said the servants of the kings of Siria to him: the gods of the hills|mountains| are their gods, and therefore they had the better of us. But let us fight with them in the plain, and for what ye will, we shall have the better of them.
And do thou number thee an host, like the host that thou hast lost, and horse for horse and chariot for chariot, and let us fight with them in the plain, and for a wager, we get the better of them. And the king hearkened unto their voice and did even so.
And the children of Israel were numbered and provided of vitailles, and went against them, and pitched before them like two little flocks of kids: but the Sirians filled the country.
Then there came a man of God and said unto the king of Israel: thus sayeth the LORD. Because the Sirians say, that the LORD is but a God of the hills, and not God of the valleys too: therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand that ye may know that I am the LORD.
And they pitched one over against the other seven days, and the seventh day joined battle. And the children of Israel slew of the Sirians an hundredth thousand footmen in one day.
And the rest fled to Aphek into the city. And there fell a wall upon twenty seven thousand of them that were left. And Benhadad fled and went into the city, from chamber to chamber.
Then said his servants unto him: behold, we have heard say, that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Let us put sack cloth about our Loins and ropes about our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: haply he will save thy life.
And they girded sack cloth about their loins and put ropes about their heads, and went out to the king of Israel and said: thy servant Benhadad sayeth, I pray thee let me live. And he said: is he yet alive? what he is my brother. And they took the word for good luck and hastily caught it out of his mouth and said: yea thy brother Benhadad.
And Benhadad said: the cities which my father took from thy father, I will restore again. And thou shalt make streets for thee in Damasco, as my father did in Samaria. And I will make an appointment with thee and send thee away. And so he made an appointment with him and sent him away.
Then a certain man of the children of the Prophets said unto his fellow with the word of the LORD, smite me I pray thee. And the man would not smite him.
And he said, because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD: behold, as soon as thou art departed from me a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a Lion found him and slew him.
And when the king came by, he cried unto him and said, thy servant went out in the midst of the battle. And see, there was one began to flee. And there came a man to me and said: keep this man. And if he be missed thy life shall go for his, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.
And as thy servant had here and there to do, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him: even so shall thy judgement be as thou hast defined it thyself.
And he said unto the king, thus sayeth the LORD: because thou hast let go a man that ought to have died, thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his.
And Ahab spake unto Naboth saying: let me have thy vineyard, to make me a garden of herbs thereof, because it lieth so nye my house: and I will give thee a better vineyard for it: or if it please thee I will give thee, the worth of it in silver.
Then went Ahab unto his house wayward and evil apaid, because of the words which Naboth the Jezrahelite had spoken unto him saying: I will not give to thee, the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed and turned away his face, and would eat no meat.
And he said unto her, I spake unto Naboth the Jazrahelite, and said unto him: give me thy vineyard for silver, or else if thou wilt, I will give thee another vineyard for it. And he said: I will not give thee my vineyard.
Then said Jezabel his wife unto him: what a goodly kingdom were thou able to make in Israel? up and eat meat and set thine heart at rest, for I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezrahelite.
And she wrote a letter in Ahab's name and sealed it with his seal, and sent it unto the elders and chief men of his city that dwelt where Naboth dwelt.
and set two unthriftes before him, and let them testify against him saying: thou didst curse both God and the king. And upon that carry him out and stone him to death.
And the elders and nobles of his city, which dwelt in his city, did as Jezabel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letter which she had sent unto them.
and there came in two unthrifty persons and sat before him. And the two unthrifty persons witnessed against Naboth before the people saying: Naboth did curse God and the king. And upon that they carried him out of the city and stoned him with stones to death.
And when Jezabel heard that Naboth was stoned to death: she said to Ahab: up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth, the Jezrahelite, which he denied to give thee for silver, for Naboth is not alive, but dead.
up and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth: for he is gone down thither, to take possession of it.
And say unto him: thus sayeth the LORD, thou hast killed and thereto gotten possession. And say moreover unto him, thus sayeth the LORD: in the place where dogs lapped the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lap even thy blood also.
And Ahab said to Eliah: hast thou found me thine enemy at any time? And he said yea, because thou art utterly given to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD.
Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will make clean riddance of thee, and will destroy unto Ahab all that pisseth against the wall, and if ought be prisoned or forsaken in Israel:
and will make thine house, like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, and like the house of Baasa the son of Ahiah, for the angering wherewith thou hast angered and made Israel sin.
For there was none at all like Ahab, that was so utterly given to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, and that because Jezabel his wife pricked him forward.
And therefore he did exceeding abominably, in following Idols, in all things like as did the Amorites which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he so submitteth himself before me, I will not bring that evil in his days: but in his son's days, I will bring evil upon his house.
Then said the king of Israel unto his servants, know ye not that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we sit still and take it not out of the hands of the king of Siria?
And he said unto Jehosaphat: wilt thou go with me to battle, to Ramoth in Gilead? And Jehosaphat said unto the king of Israel: I will be as thou art, and my people shall be as thine, and my horses as thine.
And then the king of Israel gathered of the Prophets together, upon a four hundredth men, and said unto them: shall I go to Ramoth in Gilead to battle, or be still? And they said, go: for the Lord{Lorde} shall deliver it into the hands of the king.
And the king of Israel said to Jehosaphat: there is yet one, by whom we may ask counsel of the LORD, one Micheah the son of Jemlah. But I hate him: for he never prophesieth good unto me, but evil. And Jehosaphat said: let not the king say so.
And the king of Israel and Jehosaphat the king of Juda sat either in his seat and their apparel on them, in a void place beside the entering of the gate of Samaria, and all the Prophets prophesying before them.
And Zedekiah the son of Canaanah made horns of iron and said, thus sayeth the LORD: with these horns thou shalt winnow the Sirians until thou have made an end of them.
And the messenger that was gone to call Micheah, said unto him: see, the words of the Prophets speak good unto the king with one voice: let thy words I pray thee be like the words of one of them, and speak that is good.
And when he was come to the king, the king said to him: Micheah, shall we go to Ramoth in Gilead to battle, or shall we be still? And he said unto him: go and prosper, the LORD deliver it unto the hands of the king.
Then he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have no shepherds. And the LORD said: those have no master, let them return, every man to his house in peace.
And Micheah said: hear therefore the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sit on his seat and all his company of heaven standing about him, on his right hand and on his left.
And he said: I will go out and be a false spirit in the mouths of all Prophets. And the LORD said, thou shalt deceive him and also prevail, go forth and do even so.
Now therefore behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy Prophets: when in very deed the LORD hath spoken evil toward thee.
And the king of Israel said to Jehosaphat change thee and get thee to war: but put on thine own apparel. And the king of Israel changed himself, and went to battle also.
But the king of Siria had commanded the captains of his chariots of which he had thirty two saying: fight neither with small nor great, save with the king of Israel onely.
And a certain man drew a bow ignorantly and smote the king of Israel between the ribs of his harness. Wherefore the king said unto the driver of his chariot, turn thy hand and carry me out of the host, for I am hurt.
And the battle increased that day, and the king continued in his chariot before the Sirians, and died at evening. And the blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot.
And while they washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria, the dogs licked up his blood, and harlots washed him according to the word of the LORD which he spake.
The rest of the deeds of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and the cities that he built, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
Jehosaphat the son of Asa began to reign upon Juda, the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel, and was thirty five year old when he began to reign and reigned twenty five year in Jerusalem.
And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father and bowed not therefrom. But did that was right in the eyes of the LORD. Only he did not put the hillaltars out of the way: for the people offered and burnt their sacrifices yet, in the hillaltars.
And the rest of the deeds of Jehosaphat, and the might that he used, and how he warred, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Juda.
And Jehosaphat laid him to sleep with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father. And Jehoram his son reigned in his room.
and did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nabat which made Israel sin.