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