92 Bible Verses about Kings

Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin. And you shall anoint him to be leader over My people Israel, so that he may save My people out of the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked on My people because their cry has come to Me.

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

And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel there. And blow with the ram's horn, and say, Let King Solomon live.

And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, and said to them, As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity, when one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good news, I took hold of him and killed him in Ziklag. I gave that to him as a reward. Indeed when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed, shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth? read more.
And David commanded his young men, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.

And the king said to him, Do as he has said, and fall on him, and bury him, so that you may take away the innocent blood which Joab shed, from me and from the house of my father.

And King Solomon swore by Jehovah, saying, May God do so to me, and more He shall do, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his life.

And King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And he fell on him so that he died.

And the king said to the guard that stood around him, Turn and kill the priests of Jehovah, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not reveal it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall on the priests of Jehovah. And the king said to Doeg, You turn and fall on the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned and fell on the priests. And on that day he killed eighty-five persons who wore a linen ephod.

They also brought barley and straw for the horses and mules, to the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.

And the king sat on his seat as at other times, on a seat by the wall. And Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty. And Saul did not speak anything that day. For he thought, Something has happened to him; he is not clean. Surely he is not clean. And it happened on the next day, the second of the month, David's place was empty. And Saul said to his son Jonathan, Why does the son of Jesse not come to the meal, neither yesterday nor today?

And David said to him, Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore you all the land of Saul your father. And you shall eat bread at my table forever. And he bowed himself and said, What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I? Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, I have given to your master's son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. read more.
And you shall till the land for him, you and your sons and your servants. And you shall bring in the fruits so that your master's son may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master's son, shall eat bread always at my table. And Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. And Ziba said to the king, According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so shall your servant do. And Mephibosheth was eating at my table like one of the king's sons. And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micah. And all that lived in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem. For he always sat at the king's table. And he was lame in both his feet.

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

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

And every man brought his presents, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and clothing and armor, and spices, horses and mules, so much year by year.

And coming into the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother. And they fell down and worshiped Him. And opening their treasures, they presented gifts to Him, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

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

And the king of Syria said, Go, go in and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he departed and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand of gold, and ten changes of clothing.

And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, a very great store of spices, and precious stones. No spice like that came any more for abundance, that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

then Saul chose for himself three thousand from Israel. Two thousand of these were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And of the rest of the people he sent each man to his tent.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And David's sons were priests.

In place of these King Rehoboam made shields of bronze, and gave them into the hands of the chief of the guard who kept the entrance of the king's house.

Behold, he was honorable among the thirty, but did not attain the first three. And David set him over his court.

And from the Philistines they brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver for tribute. Also the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred he-goats.

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

of their sons who were left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel did not destroy, Solomon made them subject to forced labor until this day.

For he had the rule over all on this side of the River, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the River. And he had peace on all sides all around him. And Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon.

And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Jehovah chose out of all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. And his mother's name was Naamah, an Ammonitess. And Judah did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. For they also built high places for themselves, and images, and Asherahs, on every high hill and under every green tree. read more.
And also the sodomite was in the land. They did according to all the hateful things of the nations which Jehovah cast out before the sons of Israel. And it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt, he came up against Jerusalem. And he took away the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the king's house. He took all away. And he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. And King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house. And it happened when the king went into the house of Jehovah, the guard carried them and brought them back into the guard chamber. And the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days. And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother's name was Naamah, an Ammonitess. And his son Abijam reigned in his place.

And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, and he gathered all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. But the Word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, read more.
So says Jehovah, You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers the sons of Israel. Each man return to his house. For this thing is from Me. And they listened to the Word of Jehovah and turned to go back, according to the Word of Jehovah.

As for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. And King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor. And the sons of Israel stoned him with stones so that he died. But King Rehoboam was warned to get up into his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. And Israel rebelled against the house of David until this day. read more.
And Rehoboam came to Jerusalem and gathered a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors from the house of Judah, to fight against Israel, so that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam. But the Word of Jehovah came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, So says Jehovah, You shall not go up nor fight against your brothers. Let every man return to his house. For this thing is done by Me. And they obeyed the words of Jehovah, and returned from going against Jeroboam. And Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Judah. And he built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, and Beth-zur, and Shoco, and Adullam, and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities. And he fortified the strongholds and put commanders in them, and stores of food, and of oil and wine. And he put in each separate city shields and spears, and made them very strong, and Judah and Benjamin were his. And the priests and the Levites in all Israel presented themselves to him out of all their borders. For the Levites left their open lands and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem. For Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priests' office to Jehovah. And he ordained priests for himself for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made. And after them, those who gave their hearts to seek Jehovah, the God of Israel, out of all the tribes of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Jehovah, the God of their fathers. And they made the kingdom of Judah stronger, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years. For three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon. And Rehoboam took Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David as a wife for himself, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse, who bore him sons, Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham. And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom, who bore Abijah to him, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines (for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and had twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters). And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brothers, in order to make him king. And he dealt wisely and dispersed all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to all the fortified cities. And he gave them food in abundance. And he demanded many wives. And it happened when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had made himself strong, he departed from the Law of Jehovah, and all Israel with him. And it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had sinned against Jehovah with twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. And the people who came with him out of Egypt were without number: Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians. And he took the fortified cities in Judah, and came to Jerusalem. And Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam, and to the rulers of Judah who were gathered to Jerusalem because of Shishak. And he said to them, So says Jehovah, You have forsaken Me, and therefore I also have left you in the hand of Shishak. And the rulers of Israel and the king humbled themselves. And they said, Jehovah is righteous. And when Jehovah saw that they humbled themselves, the Word of Jehovah came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will give them some deliverance. And My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. But they shall be his servants, so that they may know My service, and the service of the kings of the countries. And Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the king's house. He took all. And he carried away the shields of gold which Solomon had made. In place of these King Rehoboam made shields of bronze, and gave them into the hands of the chief of the guard who kept the entrance of the king's house. And when the king entered into the house of Jehovah, the guard came and carried them and brought them again into the guardroom. And when he humbled himself, the wrath of Jehovah turned from him so that He would not destroy him altogether. And also things went well in Judah. And King Rehoboam strengthened himself at Jerusalem, and reigned. For Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Jehovah had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. And his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. And he did the evil because he did not prepare his heart to seek Jehovah. And the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And the wars of Rehoboam and Jeroboam lasted all their days. And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. And his son Abijah reigned in his place.

And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel there. And blow with the ram's horn, and say, Let King Solomon live.

But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as you hear the sound of the ram's horn, then you shall say, Absalom reigns in Hebron!

And she looked, and behold, the king stood by a pillar as usually was done, and the rulers and the trumpeters were by the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets. And Athaliah tore her clothes, and cried, Treason! Treason!

And they hurried and each man took his garment and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king.

And he bowed himself and said, What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?

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

And David arose afterward and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king! And Saul looked behind him. And David bowed his face to the earth and prostrated himself.

And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king. And Joab said, Today your servant knows that I have found grace in your sight, my lord, O, king, in that the king has done what your servant has asked.

And Jesse took an ass loaded with bread and a skin of wine and a kid, and sent them by David his son to Saul.

But the sons of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no present. But he was silent.

And they were with David three days, eating and drinking. For their brothers had prepared food for them. And also those who were near them, even to Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen. And they brought food, meal, cakes of figs and bunches of raisins, and wine and oil, and oxen and sheep abundantly. For there was joy in Israel.

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

And Jehu rode in the chariot and went to Jezreel. For Jehoram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Jehoram. And a watchman stood on the tower in Jezreel. And he saw the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Jehoram said, Take a horseman and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace? And the rider on horseback went to meet him and said, So says the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What do you have to do with peace? Turn behind me! And the watchman reported, saying, The messenger came to them, but he does not come again. read more.
And he sent a second rider on horseback, who came to them and said, So says the king, Is it peace? And he answered, What do you have to do with peace? Turn behind me! And the watchman reported, saying, He came up to them, but does not come again. And the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously. And Jehoram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Jehoram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his own chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth of Jezreel. And it happened when Jehoram saw Jehu, he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? And Jehoram turned his hands and fled and said to Ahaziah, Treachery, Ahaziah! And Jehu drew a bow and struck Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sank down in his chariot. And he said to Bidkar his commander, Take him up and throw him in the portion of the field of Naboth of Jezreel. For, remember, you and I rode together after Ahab his father, and Jehovah laid this burden on him. Surely, yesterday I have seen the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, says Jehovah, and I will repay you in this portion, says Jehovah. And now, take him and throw him into the portion, according to the Word of Jehovah. And when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw, he fled by the way of the garden-house. And Jehu followed after him and said, Strike him also in the chariot, at the going up to Gur, that is near Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there. And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in the city of David. And in the eleventh year of Jehoram the son of Ahab, Ahaziah began to reign over Judah.

And the people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his place. For the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had killed all the older ones. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned. Ahaziah's age was forty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab. For his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. read more.
And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah like the house of Ahab. For they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his ruin. He also walked after their advice and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead. And the Syrians struck Jehoram. And he returned to be healed in Jezreel, because of the wounds which were given him at Ramah, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab at Jezreel, because he was sick. And by coming to Jehoram, the destruction of Ahaziah was of God. He went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom Jehovah had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. And it happened when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, and found the rulers of Judah and the sons of the brothers of Ahaziah, the servants of Ahaziah, he killed them. And he looked for Ahaziah. And they caught him (for he was hidden in Samaria), and brought him to Jehu. And when they had killed him, they buried him because they said, He is the son of Jehoshaphat who looked to Jehovah with all his heart. And the house of Ahaziah had no power still to keep the kingdom.

And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Jehovah your God, which He commanded you. For now Jehovah would have established your kingdom on Israel forever.

so that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he does not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he may make his days longer in his kingdom, he and his sons, in the midst of Israel.

And Samuel said to him, Jehovah has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you. And also the Glory of Israel will not lie nor repent, for He is not a man that He should repent.

Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin. And you shall anoint him to be leader over My people Israel, so that he may save My people out of the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked on My people because their cry has come to Me.

And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and good form. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him. For this is he.

When you come to the land which Jehovah your God gives you, and shall possess it and shall live in it and shall say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations around me, you shall surely set a king over you, whom Jehovah your God shall choose. You shall set a king over you from among your brothers. You may not set a stranger over you, who is not your brother.

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

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

And the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel?

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

And it happened when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, he killed all the house of Baasha. He did not leave him one who urinated against a wall, nor of his kinsmen, nor of his friends. And Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the Word of Jehovah which He spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,

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

In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did the right in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. read more.
Only, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. And Jehovah struck the king, so that he was a leper until the day of his death, and lived in a separate house. And the king's son, Jotham, was over the house, judging the people of the land. And the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Judah? And Azariah slept with his fathers. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David. And his son Jotham reigned in his place.

And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown and the testimony on him. And they made him king and anointed him, and clapped their hands and said, Let the king live!

And Samuel said to all the people, Do you see him whom Jehovah has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, Let the king live!

And it happened, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, had come to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, Let the king live, let the king live!

And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown and the testimony on him. And they made him king and anointed him, and clapped their hands and said, Let the king live!

And they brought out the king's son and put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, Let the king live!

For You go before him with the blessings of goodness; You set a crown of pure gold on his head.

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

And he said to his men, Far be it from me, by Jehovah, if I will do this thing to my lord, Jehovah's anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, since he is the anointed of Jehovah.

And it happened as they came in, he saw Eliab and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before Jehovah.

And Samuel took a vial of oil and poured on his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because Jehovah has anointed you for a leader over His inheritance?

And Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the spirit of Jehovah came on David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

I have found David, My servant; with My holy oil I have anointed him.

And you shall come up after him, and let him come and sit upon my throne. For he shall reign in my place. And I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.

And also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.

And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the commanders, and the guard, and all the people of the land. And they brought the king down from the house of Jehovah and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king's house. And he sat on the throne of the kings.

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did the evil in the sight of Jehovah his God. He was not humbled before Jeremiah the prophet, from the mouth of Jehovah. And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. But he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart from turning to Jehovah, the God of Israel. read more.
Also all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of Jehovah which He had made holy in Jerusalem. And Jehovah, the God of their fathers sent to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending, for He had pity on His people and on His dwelling-place. But they mocked the messengers of God and despised His words, and ill-treated His prophets until the wrath of Jehovah arose against His people, until there was no healing. And He caused the king of the Chaldeans to go up against them. And he killed their choice ones by the sword in the house of their holy place, and had no pity on the young man and the virgin, the old man and the very aged; He gave all into his hand. And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the king, and of his rulers, he brought all these to Babylon. And they burned the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all the palaces of it with fire, and destroyed all its beautiful vessels. And the ones who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the Word of Jehovah in the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of the desolation it kept the sabbath, to the full measure of seventy years.

And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, his father's brother, king in his place. And he changed his name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did the evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. read more.
For it was through the anger of Jehovah that Zedekiah happened to rebel against the king of Babylon in Jerusalem and in Judah, until God had put them out of His presence. And it happened in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came. He and all his army came against Jerusalem and pitched against it, and built a siege-mound all around it. And the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah, on the ninth of the fourth month, when famine was severe in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. And the city was broken up, and by night all the men of war went by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden. And the Chaldeans were against the city all round. And the king went the way toward the plain. And the army of the Chaldees pursued the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. And all his army were scattered from him. And they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon, to Riblah. And they gave judgment on him. And they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with bronze chains and carried him to Babylon.

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

And David arose afterward and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king! And Saul looked behind him. And David bowed his face to the earth and prostrated himself.

And it will be, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, my son Solomon and I shall be offenders.

And Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign. And he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing right in the eyes of Jehovah. But the high places were not taken away, for the people offered and burned incense yet in the high places. read more.
And Jehoshaphat made peace with the kings of Israel. And the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might which he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Judah? And the rest of the sodomites which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land. There was then no king in Edom, a deputy was king. Jehoshaphat had ten ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold. But they did not go, for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber. And Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with your servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not. And Jehoshaphat lay with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place.

And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place. And he made himself strong against Israel. And he placed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set troops in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had taken. And Jehovah was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the first ways of his father David and did not seek to Baals. read more.
But he looked to the God of his father, and walked in His commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. And Jehovah made the kingdom sure in his hand. And all Judah brought presents to Jehoshaphat. And he had great riches and honor. And his heart was lifted up in the ways of Jehovah. And he took away the high places and Asherahs out of Judah. And in the third year of his reign he sent to his rulers, to Benhail, and to Obadiah, and to Zechariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah. And with them he sent Levites, Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah, Levites. And with them he sent Elishama and Jehoram the priests. And they taught in Judah and had the book of the Law of Jehovah with them, and went around throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people. And the fear of Jehovah fell on all the kingdoms of the lands around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. And from the Philistines they brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver for tribute. Also the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred he-goats. And Jehoshaphat became exceedingly great. And he built fortresses in Judah, and store cities. And he had much business in the cities of Judah. And the men of war, mighty men of valor, were in Jerusalem. And these were their numbers, for the house of their fathers from Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the chief, and with him were three hundred thousand mighty men of valor. And on his hand, Jehohanan the chief, and with him were two hundred and eighty thousand. And on his hand, Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to Jehovah, and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor. And from Benjamin was Eliada, a mighty man of valor, and with him two hundred thousand men armed with bow and shield. And on his hand, Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and eighty thousand ready and prepared for war. These waited on the king, besides those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah. And Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he contracted a marriage with Ahab. And after some years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him, and for the people that were with him. And he persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead. And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he answered him, I am as you, and my people are as your people, and we with you in the war. And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Please inquire at the Word of Jehovah today. And the king of Israel gathered four hundred men of the prophets and said to them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I wait? And they said, Go up, for God will deliver it into the king's hand. But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not a prophet of Jehovah here besides, so that we might ask of Him? And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Jehovah. But I hate him, for he never prophesied good to me, but always evil. The same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. And the king of Israel called to a certain eunuch and said, Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imla. And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat each of them on his throne, clothed in robes. And they sat in a grain floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets prophesied before them. And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made horns of iron for himself. And he said, So says Jehovah, With these you shall push Syria until they are crushed. And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead and be blessed. For Jehovah shall deliver it into the king's hand. And the messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth, and please let your word be like one of theirs, and speak good. And Micaiah said, As the Lord lives, even what my God says, that I will speak. And he came to the king. And the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I wait? And he said, Go up and be blessed. And they shall be delivered into your hand. And the king said to him, How many times shall I warn you that you say nothing but the truth to me in the name of Jehovah? And he said, I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd. And Jehovah said, These have no master; let them return, each man to his own house in peace. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil? Again he said, And hear the Word of Jehovah. I saw Jehovah sitting on His throne, and all the host of Heaven were standing on His right hand and on His left. And Jehovah said, Who shall tempt Ahab king of Israel so that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spoke saying in one way, and another saying in another way. And a spirit came out and stood before Jehovah and said, I will tempt him. And Jehovah said, With what? And he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And Jehovah said, You shall tempt him, and you are able. Go out and do so. And now behold, Jehovah has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, and Jehovah has spoken evil against you. And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek. And he said, Which way did the Spirit of Jehovah go from me to speak to you? And Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see on that day when you shall go into an inner room to hide yourself. 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 you shall say, So says the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction until I return in peace. And Micaiah said, If you certainly return in peace, then Jehovah has not spoken by me. And he said, Listen, all you people. And 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 will go to the battle. But you put on your robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself. And they went to the battle. And the king of Syria had commanded the commanders of the chariots with him, saying, Do not fight with small or great, but only with the king of Israel. And it happened when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, It is the king of Israel. And they surrounded him to fight. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and Jehovah helped him. And God moved them to leave him. For it happened when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him. And a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joinings and the breastplate. And he said to the charioteer, Turn your hand, and you shall bring me out of the army, for I am wounded. And the battle increased that day; and the king of Israel was made to stand up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening. And about the time of the sunset he died. And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him. And he said to King Jehoshaphat, Should you help the ungodly and love those who hate Jehovah? And by this bring wrath on you from before Jehovah. But there are good things found in you, in that you have taken away the Asherahs out of the land and have prepared your heart to seek God. And Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem. And he went out again among the people from Beer-sheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back to Jehovah, the God of their fathers. And he set judges in the land, in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city. And he said to the judges, Take heed what you do. For you do not judge for man, but for Jehovah, who is with you in the judgment. And now let the fear of Jehovah be on you. Be careful and act wisely, for there is no iniquity with Jehovah our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. And Jehoshaphat set some of the Levites and of the priests and of the chief of the fathers of Israel in Jerusalem for the judgment of Jehovah, and for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem. And he charged them, saying, And you shall act in the fear of Jehovah, faithfully, and with a perfect heart. And whatever cause shall come to you from your brothers that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, you shall even warn them so that they do not sin against Jehovah, and wrath come on you and your brothers. Do this and you shall not sin. And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of Jehovah. And Zebadiah the son of Ishmael is the ruler of the house of Judah for all the king's matters. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. Take courage and act, and Jehovah shall be with the good. And it happened after this the sons of Moab, and the sons of Ammon came in, and with them others besides the Ammonites, to battle against Jehoshaphat. And they came in and spoke to Jehoshaphat, saying, A great multitude has come against you from beyond the sea on this side of Syria. And behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi. And Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek Jehovah, and called for a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves to ask of Jehovah. Even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek Jehovah. And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Jehovah, before the new court, and said, O Jehovah, the God of our Fathers, are You not God in Heaven? And do You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? And is there power and might in Your hand, so that none is able to withstand You? Are You not our God? Did You not drive out the people of this land before Israel, and give it to the seed of Your friend Abraham forever? And they lived in it. And they have built You a temple in it for Your name, saying, If evil comes on us, whether the sword, judgment, or plague, or famine, and we stand before this house and in Your presence (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our affliction, then You will hear and help. And now, behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them, behold, they reward us by coming to cast us out of Your possession, which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no might against this great company which comes against us. Nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You. And all Judah stood before Jehovah with their little ones, their wives, and their sons. And the Spirit of Jehovah came on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the congregation. And he said, Listen, all Judah, and you people of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! So says Jehovah to you, Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz. And you shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. You shall not fight in this battle. Set yourselves and stand, and see the salvation of Jehovah with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for Jehovah will be with you. And Jehoshaphat bowed his face to the ground. And all Judah and the people of Jerusalem fell before Jehovah, worshiping Jehovah. And the Levites, of the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise Jehovah, the God of Israel with a loud voice on high. And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and you people of Jerusalem. Believe in Jehovah your God, and so you shall be established. Believe His prophets, and so you shall be blessed. And he consulted with the people, and he appointed singers to Jehovah and praisers to praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise Jehovah, for His mercy endures forever. And when they began to sing and to praise, Jehovah set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, who had come against Judah. And they were beaten. For the sons of Ammon and Moab stood up against the people of mount Seir to completely kill and destroy. And when they had made an end of the people of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another. And when Judah came to the watchtower in the wilderness, they looked at the multitude. And behold! They were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. And Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their plunder, they found among them in abundance both riches and precious jewels in great number with the dead bodies, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away. And they were three days in gathering of the plunder, it was so much. And on the fourth day they gathered themselves in the Valley of Blessing. For there they blessed Jehovah. And the name of the same place was called the Valley of Blessing until this day. And they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy. For Jehovah had made them to rejoice over their enemies. And they came into Jerusalem with harps and with lyres, and with trumpets to the house of Jehovah. And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that Jehovah fought against the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet. For his God gave him rest round about. And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah, thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and did not depart from it, doing the right in the sight of Jehovah. But, the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts to the God of their fathers. And the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, which were taken up in the Book of the Kings of Israel. And after this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel; he did wickedly to do so. And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish. And they made the ships in Ezion-geber. And Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziah, Jehovah has broken your works. And the ships were broken so that they were not able to go to Tarshish. And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

And Pharaoh-necho made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in place of Josiah his father. And he changed his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away. And he came to Egypt and died there. And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh. But he taxed the land to give the silver according to Pharaoh's command. He exacted the silver and the gold from the people of the land, from each one according to his worth, to give it to Pharaoh-necho. Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign. And he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. read more.
And he did the evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that his fathers had done. In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. And Jehovah sent against him troops of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and troops of the Moabites, and troops of the Ammonites. And He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the Word of Jehovah which He spoke by His servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of Jehovah this came on Judah, to remove them out of His sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which Jehovah would not pardon. And the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Judah? And Jehoiakim slept with his fathers. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.

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

Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And he did evil in the eyes of Jehovah, as his father Manasseh did; and to all the graven images that his father Manasseh had made, Amon sacrificed, and served them. And he did not bow before Jehovah, like the humbling of his father Manasseh. For Amon himself multiplied guilt. read more.
And his servants conspired against him and killed him in his own house. And the people of the land killed all those who conspired against King Amon. And the people of the land made his son Josiah to reign in his place.

Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. And he did the evil in the sight of Jehovah, as his father Manasseh did. And he walked in all the way that his father walked, and served the idols which his father served, and worshiped them. read more.
And he left Jehovah, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of Jehovah. And the servants of Amon plotted against him and killed the king in his own house. And the people of the land killed all those who had plotted against King Amon. And the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place. And the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the Books of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Judah? And he was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza. And his son Josiah reigned in his place.

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

All these were men of war, keeping rank, they came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over Israel. And also all the rest of Israel was of one heart to make David king.

The king also said to them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel there. And blow with the ram's horn, and say, Let King Solomon live.

And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brothers, in order to make him king. And he dealt wisely and dispersed all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to all the fortified cities. And he gave them food in abundance. And he demanded many wives.

And in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the rulers over hundreds, with the commanders and the guards, and brought them to him into the house of Jehovah. And he made a covenant with them and took an oath from them in the house of Jehovah, and revealed to them the king's son. And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that you shall do. A third part of you who enter in on the sabbath shall be keepers of the watch of the king's house. And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur. And a third part at the gate behind the guard. And you shall keep the watch of the house, alternately. read more.
And two parts of you, all who go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of Jehovah around the king. And you shall surround the king, every man with his weapons in his hand. And he who comes inside the ranks, let him be killed. And they shall be with the king as he goes out and as he comes in. And the rulers of the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each man took his men, going in on the sabbath, with those going out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. And the priest gave King David's spears and shields, which were in the temple of Jehovah, to the rulers of the hundreds. And the guard stood, each man with his weapons in his hand, around the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, by the altar and the temple. And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown and the testimony on him. And they made him king and anointed him, and clapped their hands and said, Let the king live! And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of Jehovah. And she looked, and behold, the king stood by a pillar as usually was done, and the rulers and the trumpeters were by the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets. And Athaliah tore her clothes, and cried, Treason! Treason! And Jehoiada the priest commanded the rulers of the hundreds, those set over the army, and said to them, Take her out between the ranks, and let the one who follows her kill her with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of Jehovah. And they laid hands on her, and she went by the way which the horses came into the king's house. And she was killed there. And Jehoiada made a covenant between Jehovah and the king and the people, that they should be the people of Jehovah; also between the king and the people. And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal and broke it down. They broke his altars and his images completely in pieces. And they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of Jehovah. And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the commanders, and the guard, and all the people of the land. And they brought the king down from the house of Jehovah and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king's house. And he sat on the throne of the kings. And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. And they killed Athaliah with the sword beside the king's house. Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. And in the seventh year of Jehu, Joash began to reign. And he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. And his mother's name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba. And Joash did the right in the sight of Jehovah all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. But the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. And Joash said to the priests, All the silver from things dedicated to God, which is brought into the house of Jehovah, the silver from each man the silver of his valuation, all the silver that comes into any man's heart to bring to the house of Jehovah, let the priests take it to themselves, each man from those he knows. And let them repair the breaks in the house, in all places where any break shall be found. And it happened in the twenty-third year of King Joash, the priests had not repaired the breaks of the house. Then King Joash called for Jehoiada the priest, and the priests, and said to them, Why are you not repairing the breaks of the house? And now take no silver from those you know, but deliver it for the breaks of the house. And the priests agreed to take no silver from the people, nor to repair the breaks of the house. But Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid. And he set it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the house of Jehovah. And the priests who kept the door put in it all the silver brought into the house of Jehovah. And it happened when they saw that much silver was in the chest, the king's scribe and the high priest came up. And they bound and counted the silver that was found in the house of Jehovah. And they gave the silver which was counted into the hands of those who did the work, those overseeing the house of Jehovah. And they laid it out to the carpenters and builders who worked on the house of Jehovah, and to masons and cutters of stone, and to buy timber and cut stone to repair the breaks of the house of Jehovah, and for all that went forth for the house, to repair it. Only, there were no bowls of silver, snuffers, basins, trumpets, or any vessels of gold or vessels of silver, made for the house of Jehovah from the silver which was brought into the house of Jehovah. For they gave it to the workmen, and repaired the house of Jehovah with it. And they did not make an accounting with the men into whose hands they gave the silver to be given to the workmen. For they dealt faithfully. The trespass silver and sin silver was not brought into the house of Jehovah. It was the priests'. Then Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath, and took it. And Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. And Joash king of Judah took all the holy things which Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own holy things, and all the gold found in the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and in the king's house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria. And he went away from Jerusalem. And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Judah? And his servants arose and made a plot. And they killed Joash in the house of Millo, which goes down to Silla. For Jozachar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, struck him, and he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place.

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign. And he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. And he did the right in the sight of Jehovah, and walked in all the way of David his father, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. And it happened in the eighteenth year of Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam the scribe, to the house of Jehovah, saying, read more.
Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, so that he may count the silver which is brought into the house of Jehovah, which the doorkeepers have gathered from the people. And let them deliver it into the hand of the workers who have the oversight of the house of Jehovah. And let them give it to the workers who are in the house of Jehovah, in order to repair the breaks of the house, to carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and cut stone to repair the house. Only, the silver that is given into their hand shall not be reckoned with them, for they are dealing in faithfulness. And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the Book of the Law in the house of Jehovah. And Hilkiah gave the Book to Shaphan, and he read it. And Shaphan the scribe came to the king and brought the king word again, and said, Your servants have gathered the silver that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workers, who have the oversight of the house of Jehovah. And Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest has delivered me a Book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it happened when the king had heard the Words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king, saying, Go inquire of Jehovah for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the Words of this Book which is found. For great is the wrath of Jehovah which is kindled against us, because our fathers have not listened to the Words of this Book, to do according to all which is written concerning us. And Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. And she lived in Jerusalem in the second part. And they talked with her. And she said to them, So says Jehovah, the God of Israel, Tell the man who sent you to me, So says Jehovah, Behold, I will bring evil on this place and on the people of it, all the Words of the Book which the king of Judah has read; because they have forsaken Me, and have burned incense to other gods, so that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore My wrath shall be kindled against this place, and it shall not be quenched. But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of Jehovah, so you shall say to him, So says Jehovah, the God of Israel, The Words which you have heard, because your heart was tender and you have humbled yourself before Jehovah, when you heard what I spoke against this place, and against its people (that they should become a waste and a curse, and have torn your clothes and wept before Me), I have heard you, says Jehovah. Behold, even so I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace. And your eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring on this place. And they brought the king this word again. And the king sent. And they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. And the king went up into the house of Jehovah. And all the men of Judah and all the people of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets, and all the people, from the small even to the great. And he read all the Words of the Book of the covenant which was found in the house of Jehovah in their ears. And the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the Words of this covenant which was written in this Book. And all the people stood to the covenant. And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers, to bring forth out of the temple of Jehovah all the vessels which were made for Baal, and for the Asherah, and for all the host of heaven. And he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them to Bethel. And he put down the idol-worshiping priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places around Jerusalem. He also put down those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of the heavens. And he brought out the Asherah from the house of Jehovah outside Jerusalem, to the torrent Kidron, and burned it at the torrent Kidron, and stamped it to powder, and threw the powder of it on the graves of the sons of the people. And he broke down the houses of the sodomites, which were by the house of Jehovah, where the women wove coverings for the Asherah. And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beer-sheba. And he broke down the high places of the gates which were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man's left hand at the gate of the city. But the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of Jehovah in Jerusalem, but they ate of the unleavened bread among their brothers. And he defiled Topheth, in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, so that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech. And he took away the horses which the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of Jehovah, by the room of Nathan-melech the eunuch, which was in the suburbs. And he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. And the altars which were on the top of the upper room of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made, and the two courts of the house of Jehovah, the king beat them down, and broke them down from there. And he threw the dust of them into the torrent Kidron. And the high places which were before Jerusalem on the right hand of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon, the king defiled. And he broke the images in pieces, and cut down the Asherahs, and filled their places with the bones of men. And also the altar which was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he broke down, and burned the high place; he stamped it to powder, and burned the Asherah. And as Josiah turned, he spied the tombs which were there in the mountain. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs, and burned them on the altar and defiled it, according to the Word of Jehovah which the man of God had proclaimed, who spoke these words. And he said, What monument is that which I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the grave of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel. And he said, Let him alone; let no one move his bones. And they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria. And also all the houses of the high places in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke Jehovah to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts which he had done in Bethel. And he killed all the priests of the high places which were there on the altars, and burned men's bones on them, and returned to Jerusalem. And the king commanded all the people saying, Prepare the Passover to Jehovah your God, as it is written in the Book of the Covenant. Surely there was not held such a Passover from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah, but in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was held to Jehovah in Jerusalem. And also Josiah put away the mediums, and the soothsayers, and the family gods, and the idols, and all the abominations which were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, so that he might perform the Words of the Law which were written in the Book which Hilkiah the priest found in the house of Jehovah. And there was no king like him before him, who turned to Jehovah with all his heart and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses. And after him none rose up like him. But Jehovah did not turn from the heat of His great wrath, with which His anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. And Jehovah said, I will also remove Judah out of My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there. And the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Judah? In his days Pharaoh-necho king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates. And King Josiah went against him. And he killed him at Megiddo, when he saw him. And his servants made him ride dead in a chariot from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father's place.

Let every soul be subject to the higher authorities. For there is no authority but of God; the authorities that exist are ordained by God.

Therefore you must be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake.

Then be in obedience to every ordinance of men, because of the Lord, whether to a king as supreme,

you shall surely set a king over you, whom Jehovah your God shall choose. You shall set a king over you from among your brothers. You may not set a stranger over you, who is not your brother.

But Jehovah, the God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For He has chosen Judah to be the ruler, and of the house of Judah the house of my father. And in my father's house He was pleased to make me king over all Israel. And of all my sons (for Jehovah has given me many sons), He has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. And He said to me, Solomon your son shall build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father.

And Rehoboam went to Shechem. For all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. And it happened when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, heard, he being still in Egypt; for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt; they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, read more.
Your father made our yoke hard. And now lighten the hard service of your father, and the heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you. And he said to them, Go; yet in three days come back to me. And the people went away. And King Rehoboam talked with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he still lived, and said, How do you advise to return a word to this people? And they spoke to him, saying, If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever. But he left the counsel of the old men which they had advised him, and talked with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. And he said to them, What advice do you give that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, Lighten the yoke which your father put on us? And the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, So shall you speak to this people who spoke to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us, so you shall say to them: My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. And now my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, and I will add to your yoke. My father has whipped you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. And they came, Jeroboam and all the people, to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. And the king answered the people roughly, and left the old men's advice which they advised him, and spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke. My father whipped you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. And the king did not listen to the people, for the cause was from Jehovah, that He might perform His saying which Jehovah spoke by Ahijah of Shiloh to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. And all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, and the people answered the king, saying, What part do we have in David? Yea, there is no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now see to your house, O David! And Israel went to its tents. As for the sons of Israel, those living in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. And King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute. And all Israel stoned him with stones so that he died. And King Rehoboam made haste to go up to get into a chariot to flee to Jerusalem. And Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day. And it happened when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come again, they sent and called him to the company, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

And Rehoboam went to Shechem. For all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. And it happened when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. And they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, read more.
Your father made our yoke heavy. And now lighten the heavy service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you. And he said to them, Come again to me after three days. And the people departed. And King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What advice do you give me to return answer to this people? And they spoke to him saying, If you are kind to this people and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever. But he departed from the advice which the old men gave him and listened to the young men who were brought up with him, who stood before him. And he said to them, What advice do you give that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Lighten the yoke which your father put on us? And the young men who were brought up with him spoke to him saying, In this way shall you answer the people who spoke to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten our yoke, this you shall say to them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. And now my father put a heavy yoke on you, and I will surely add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. And Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king commanded, saying, Come again to me on the third day. And the king answered them roughly. And King Rehoboam departed from the advice of the old men, and answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. And the king did not listen to the people, for the revolution was from God so that Jehovah might perform His Word which He spoke by the hand of Ahijah of Shiloh to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. And all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, and the people answered the king saying, What part do we have in David? And we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse! Every man to your tents, O Israel! Now, David, see to your own house. And all Israel went to their tents.

And all the people went to Gilgal, and made Saul king before Jehovah in Gilgal, and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before Jehovah. And there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. And Samuel said to all Israel, Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you. And now, behold, the king walks before you. And I am old and gray-headed, and, behold, my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my childhood to this day. read more.
Behold, here I am. Witness against me before Jehovah and before His anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose ass have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I received a bribe, to blind my eyes with it? And I will restore it to you. And they said, You have not defrauded us nor oppressed us, neither have you taken from any man's hand. And he said to them, Jehovah is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand. And they answered, He is witness. And Samuel said to the people, It is Jehovah who made Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. And now stand still, so that I may reason with you before Jehovah of all the righteous acts of Jehovah which He did to you and to your fathers. When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to Jehovah, then Jehovah sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them live in this place. And they forgot Jehovah their God. And He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. And they cried to Jehovah, and said, We have sinned because we have forsaken Jehovah, and have served the Baals and Ashtoreths. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You. And Jehovah sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived safely. And when you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us, even though Jehovah your God was your King. And now, behold the king whom you have chosen, whom you have desired! And behold, Jehovah has set a king over you! If you will fear Jehovah, and serve Him, and listen to His voice, and not rebel against the command of Jehovah, then both you and also the king who reigns over you shall continue following Jehovah your God. But if you will not listen to the voice of Jehovah, but rebel against the command of Jehovah, then the hand of Jehovah shall be against you as it was against your fathers. Also, now stand and see this great thing which Jehovah shall do before your eyes. Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to Jehovah, and He shall send thunder and rain, so that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, that which you have done in the sight of Jehovah, in asking a king for you. And Samuel called to Jehovah, And Jehovah sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared Jehovah and Samuel. And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for your servants to Jehovah your God, so that we will not die. For we have added evil to all our sins, to ask a king for us. And Samuel said to the people, Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness. Yet do not turn aside from following Jehovah, but serve Jehovah with all your heart. And do not turn aside to go after vanities, which cannot profit nor deliver. For they are vain. For Jehovah will not forsake His people for His great name's sake, because it has pleased Jehovah to make you His people. Also, I, far be it from me that I should sin against Jehovah from ceasing to pray for you. But I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear Jehovah, and serve Him in truth with all your heart. For consider what great things He has done for you. But if you shall still do wickedly, both you and your king, will be swept away. Saul reigned one year, and when he had reigned two more years over Israel, then Saul chose for himself three thousand from Israel. Two thousand of these were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And of the rest of the people he sent each man to his tent. And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines in Geba, and the Philistines heard. And Saul blew the ram's horn throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. And all Israel heard, saying, Saul has struck a garrison of the Philistines, and also Israel has made himself stink to the Philistines. And the people were called to Gilgal after Saul. And the Philistines gathered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people like the sand on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven. And the men of Israel saw that they were in a tight place (for the people were distressed). And the people hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. And the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. And Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling. And he waited seven days, according to the set time with Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal. And the people were scattered from him. And Saul said, Bring a burnt offering here to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. And it happened as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and to kneel to him. And Samuel said, What have you done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and you did not come in the days appointed, and the Philistines gathered themselves at Michmash, and I said, The Philistines will come down now on me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to Jehovah. And I forced myself and offered a burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Jehovah your God, which He commanded you. For now Jehovah would have established your kingdom on Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not stand. Jehovah has sought Him a man after His own heart, and Jehovah has appointed him to be leader over His people, because you have not kept what Jehovah commanded you. And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people present with him, about six hundred men. And Saul, and his son Jonathan, and the people present with them, stayed in Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines camped in Michmash. And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned to the way to Ophrah, to the land of Shual. And another company turned the way to Beth-horon. And one company turned the way of the border that looks toward the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. And there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel. For the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears. But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, each man to sharpen his plowshare, and his mattock, and his axe, and his coulter. And there was the charge of a pim for the plowshares, and for the mattocks, and for the three-pronged forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the plowshares. And it happened in the day of battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan. But with Saul and with his son Jonathan there was found sword and spear. And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash. And the day came that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, Come and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison which is on the other side. But he did not tell his father. And Saul stayed in the edge of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree in Migron. And the people who were with him were about six hundred men. And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, Jehovah's priest in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone. And between the passages by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. And the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. The one crag was a pillar on the north in front of Michmash, and the other southward in front of Gibeah. And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised ones. It may be that Jehovah will work for us. For there is no restraint to Jehovah, to save by many or by few. And his armor-bearer said to him, Do all that is in your heart. Turn, for behold, I am with you according to your heart. And Jonathan said, Behold, we will go over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. If they say this to us, Stand still until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them. But if they say this, Come up to us, then we will go up, for Jehovah has delivered them up into our hand. And this shall be a sign to us. And both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come out of the holes where they have hidden themselves. And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, Come up to us, and we will teach you a thing. And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, Come up after me, for Jehovah has delivered them into the hand of Israel. And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed after him. And this was the first blow, when Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck about twenty men in about half of a furrow of an acre of a field. And there was trembling in the army, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the spoilers also trembled, and the earth quaked, and it was a very great trembling. And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude had melted away and went on here and there. And Saul said to the people with him, Number now and see who is gone from us. And when they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. And Saul said to Ahiah, Bring the ark of God here. For the ark of God was at that time with the sons of Israel. And it happened, while Saul talked to the priest, the noise in the army of the Philistines went on and grew greater. And Saul said to the priest, Withdraw your hand. And Saul and all the people with him gathered, and they went to the battle. And, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, a very great panic. And the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before, who had gone up with them into the camp all around, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. And all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in mount Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, even they also followed them in the battle. And Jehovah saved Israel that day, and the battle passed over to Beth-aven. And the men of Israel were distressed on that day. For Saul had commanded the people, saying, Cursed is the man that eats food until evening, so that I may be avenged on my enemies. So none of the people tasted any food. And all the men of the land came into a forest, and there was honey on the ground. And when the people had come into the woods, behold, a flow of honey! But no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. But Jonathan did not hear when his father made the people swear. And he put forth the end of the rod in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth. And his eyes were lightened. And one from the people answered and said, Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed is the man who eats food this day. And the people were weary. Then Jonathan said, My father has troubled the land. Please see how my eyes have been lightened because I tasted a little of this honey. How much more if the people had happened to eat freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? For would not there have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines? And they struck the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon, and the people were very faint. And the people flew on the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves, and killed them on the ground. And the people ate with the blood. And they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against Jehovah in that they eat with the blood. And he said, You have transgressed. Roll a great stone to me today. And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, Let each one bring his ox here, and each man his sheep, and kill them here, and eat. And do not sin against Jehovah in eating with the blood. And each man of all the people brought his ox in his hand that night, and killed them there. And Saul built an altar to Jehovah. The same was the first altar that he built to Jehovah. And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do all that seems good to you. Then the priest said, Let us draw near here to God. And Saul asked counsel of God: Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel? But He answered him not that day. And Saul said, Draw near here, all the chief of the people, and know and see what this sin has been today. For, as Jehovah lives, He who saves Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people who answered. Then he said to all Israel, You be on one side, and Jonathan my son and I will be on the other side. And the people said to Saul, Do what seems good to you. And Saul said to Jehovah, the God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped. And Saul said, Cast lots between me and my son Jonathan. And Jonathan was taken. Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what you have done. And Jonathan told him and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod in my hand. Behold me, I must die. And Saul answered, God do so and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan. And the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has worked out this great salvation in Israel? Far be it! As Jehovah lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, so that he did not die. Then Saul went up from following the Philistines. And the Philistines went to their own place. And Saul took the kingdom over Israel and fought against all his enemies on every side, with Moab, and with the sons of Ammon, and with Edom, and with the kings of Zobah, and with the Philistines. And wherever he turned himself, he troubled them. And he gathered an army and struck the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who spoiled them. And the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchishua. And the names of his two daughters: the first-born's name was Merab, and the name of the younger, Michal. And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. And Kish was the father of Saul. And Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. And the war was heavy against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man, or any brave man, he took him to himself. And Samuel said to Saul, Jehovah sent me to anoint you to be king over His people, over Israel. And now listen to the voice of the words of Jehovah. So says Jehovah of Hosts, I will visit Amalek with what he did to Israel, how he set against him in the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek, and completely destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. And Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to a city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. And Saul said to the Kenites, Go! Depart! Get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. And Saul struck the Amalekites from Havilah, as you come to Shur, which is over across from Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive. And he completely destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fatlings and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not completely destroy them. But everything that was vile and feeble they completely destroyed. And the Word of Jehovah came to Samuel saying, It repents Me that I have set up Saul to be king. For he has turned back from following Me and has not done My commands. And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to Jehovah all night. And when Samuel rose up early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told to Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a place for himself, and has gone around and passed on and gone down to Gilgal. And Samuel came to Saul. And Saul said to him, You are blessed of Jehovah. I have done the command of Jehovah. And Samuel said, What then is this bleating of the flock in my ears? And what is the sound of the herd which I hear? And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites. For the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to Jehovah your God. And the rest we have completely destroyed. And Samuel said to Saul, Stop! And I will tell you what Jehovah has said to me tonight. And he said to him, Speak. And Samuel said, When you were little in your own sight, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? And Jehovah anointed you king over Israel. And Jehovah sent you on the way and said, Go and completely destroy the sinners, Amalek, and fight against them until you destroy them. Why then did you not obey the voice of Jehovah? Why did you fly on the spoil and do evil in the sight of Jehovah? And Saul said to Samuel, Yes, I have obeyed the voice of Jehovah, and have gone the way which Jehovah sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have completely destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took from the spoil, of the flocks and herd, the best of the things devoted to sacrifice to Jehovah your God in Gilgal. And Samuel said, Does Jehovah delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice! To listen is better than the fat of rams! For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idol-worship. Because you have rejected the Word of Jehovah, He has also rejected you from being king! And Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned. For I have disobeyed the command of Jehovah, and your word, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. And now please pardon my sin and turn again with me so that I may worship Jehovah. And Samuel said to Saul, I will not return with you, for you have rejected the Word of Jehovah, and Jehovah has rejected you from being king over Israel. And Samuel turned around to go, and he laid hold on the skirt of his robe, and it tore. And Samuel said to him, Jehovah has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you. And also the Glory of Israel will not lie nor repent, for He is not a man that He should repent. Then he said, I have sinned. Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and turn again with me. And I shall worship Jehovah your God. And Samuel turned again after Saul, and Saul worshiped Jehovah. And Samuel said, Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came to him daintily. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. And Samuel said, As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. And Samuel cut Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal. And Samuel went to Ramah. And Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel never again saw Saul until the day of his death, for Samuel mourned for Saul. And Jehovah repented that He had made Saul king over Israel. And Jehovah said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse of Bethlehem. For I have seen a king for Me among his sons. And Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hears, he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer of the herd in your hand with you and say, I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for Me whomever I name to you. And Samuel did what Jehovah said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming and said, Do you come peaceably? And he said, Peaceably. I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah. Sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. And it happened as they came in, he saw Eliab and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before Jehovah. But Jehovah said to Samuel, Do not look on his face, nor on his height, because I have refused him. For He does not see as man sees. For man looks on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looks on the heart. And Jesse called Abinadab, and he passed him before Samuel, but he said, Also Jehovah has not chosen this one. And Jesse passed Shammah by, but he said, Also Jehovah has not chosen this one. And Jesse passed seven of his sons before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, Jehovah has not chosen these. And Samuel said to Jesse, Are all the young men here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he keeps the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and bring him, for we will not sit down until he comes here. And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and good form. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him. For this is he. And Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the spirit of Jehovah came on David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah. But the spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah terrified him. And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God terrifies you. Let our lord now command his servants before you to seek out a man who knows to play on a harp. And it shall be, when the evil spirit from God is on you, then he shall play with his hand, and it shall be well with you. And Saul said to his servants, Now look for me a man who can play well, and bring him to me. And one of the servants answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing, and a mighty warrior and a man of battle, and prudent in speech. And he is a person of good form, and Jehovah is with him. And Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me your son David, who is with the sheep. And Jesse took an ass loaded with bread and a skin of wine and a kid, and sent them by David his son to Saul. And David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. And Saul sent to Jesse saying, Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight. And it happened when the spirit from God was on Saul, that David took a harp and played with his hand. And there was relief for Saul, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him. And the Philistines gathered their armies for battle, and gathered at Socoh of Judah, and pitched between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel had gathered and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in order against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side. And there was a valley between them. And a champion named Goliath came out of the Philistines camp; he was from Gath. His height was six cubits and a span. And a bronze helmet was on his head, and he was armed with scaled armor. And the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And greaves of bronze were on his legs, and a bronze javelin was between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam. And his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And the shield bearer went in front of him. And he stood and cried to the armies of Israel, and said to them, Why have you come out to set your battle in order? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants to Saul? Choose a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your slaves. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our slaves and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day. Give me a man, and we will fight together. And Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, and they were dismayed and greatly afraid. And David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah named Jesse. And to him were eight sons. And the man was old among men in the days of Saul. And the three oldest sons of Jesse went out, and followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the first-born; and his second, Abinadab; and the third Shammah. And David was the youngest. And the three oldest followed Saul. And David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. And Jesse said to his son David, Please take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to your brothers. And carry these ten cuttings of cheeses to the commander of their thousand, and see how your brothers are faring, and take their pledge. And Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines. And David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and got up and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the barricade, and to the army which was going out to fight, and shouted for the battle. For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in order, rank to rank. And David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage and ran into the army, and came and greeted his brothers. And he was speaking with them. And, behold, the champion man, named Goliath, the Philistine of Gath, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to these words. And David heard. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, they ran from him and were very much afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man that has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And it shall be, the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel. And David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine and takes away this shame from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? And the people answered him in this way, saying, So shall it be done to the man who kills him. And his oldest brother Eliab heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David. And he said, Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the naughtiness of your heart. For you have come down to see the battle. And David said, What have I done now? Was it not only a word? And he turned from him toward another, and spoke according to this word. And the people answered him again in the same way. And the words which David spoke were heard. And they were told before Saul. And he sent for him. And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him. For you are but a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth. And David said to Saul, Your servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. And I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb out of its mouth. And when it rose against me, I caught it by the beard, and struck it and killed it. Your servant killed both the lion and the bear. And this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God. And David said, Jehovah who has delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and may Jehovah be with you. And Saul armed David with his armor, and he put a helmet of bronze on his head. He also armed him with scaled armor. And David girded his sword on his armor, and he tried to go. But he had not tested it. And David said to Saul, I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them. And David put them off him. And he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones out of the brook for himself, and put them in a shepherd's vessel which he had, even in a bag. And his sling was in his hand. And he drew near the Philistine. And the Philistine came on and drew near David. And the man who bore the shield was before him. And the Philistine looked and saw David, and disdained him. For he was only a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance. And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field. And David said to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of Jehovah of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Jehovah will deliver you into my hand today, and I will strike you and take your head from you and give the bodies of the army of the Philistines to the birds of the air today, and to the wild beasts of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this multitude shall know that Jehovah does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is Jehovah's, and He will give you into our hands. And it happened when the Philistine rose and went and drew near to meet David, David hurried and ran toward the ranks to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand into his bag and took a stone from there, and slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead. And he fell on his face to the earth. And David was stronger than the Philistine with a sling and with a stone. And he struck the Philistine, and killed him. But no sword was in the hand of David. And David ran and stood on the Philistine, and took out his sword and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, and fled. And the men of Israel rose up and shouted, and Judah pursued the Philistines until you come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and to Ekron. And the sons of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents. And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem. But he put his armor in his tent. And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the army, Abner, whose son is this young man? And Abner said, As your soul lives, O king, I cannot tell. And the king said, You go ask whose son the young man is. And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said to him, Whose son are you, young man? And David answered, I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem. And it happened when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was joined with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as he did his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not let him go home to his father's house any more. And Jonathan and David cut a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped off the robe was on him and gave it to David, and his apparel, even to his sword and to his bow and to his girdle. And David went out wherever Saul sent him, behaving himself wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. And it happened as they came in, as David returned from striking the Philistine, the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music. And the women answered as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very angry, and this thing was evil in his eyes. And he said, They have given David ten thousands, and to me they have given only thousands. And what more can he have but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. And it happened on the next day the evil spirit from God came on Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. And David played with his hand, as at other times. And a spear was in Saul's hand. And Saul threw the spear. For he said, I will strike David even to the wall. And David drew back out of his presence twice. And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him and had departed from Saul. And Saul moved him away from himself, and made him his commander over a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways. And Jehovah was with him. And when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. And Saul said to David, Behold I will give you my older daughter Merab for a wife. Only you be a brave son for me and fight Jehovah's battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him. And David said to Saul, Who am I, and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king? And it happened at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite to be his wife. And Saul's daughter Michal loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. And Saul said, I will give her to him, so that she may be a trap to him, and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. And Saul said to David a second time, Today you shall be my son-in-law. And Saul commanded his servants, Talk with David secretly and say, Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you. And now be the king's son-in-law. And Saul's servants spoke these words in the ears of David. And David said, Is it a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, since I am a poor man and of little worth? And the servants of Saul told him saying, This is the way David spoke. And Saul said, You shall say this to David, The king does not desire any dowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. And when his servants told David these words, it was right in the eyes of David to be the king's son-in-law. And the days were not fulfilled. And David arose and went forth, he and his men. And they killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king so that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife. And Saul saw and knew that Jehovah was with David, and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him. And Saul was still more afraid of David. And Saul became David's enemy continually. And the rulers of the Philistines came out. And it happened as often as they came out, David acted more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was very precious. And Saul said to his son Jonathan, and to all his servants, to kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, loved David very much. And Jonathan told David, saying, My father Saul seeks to kill you. And now please be careful until morning, and stay in a secret place, and hide yourself. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will talk about you with my father. And I will tell you what I see. And Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, Do not let the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works are very good toward you. For he took his life in his hand and killed the Philistine, and Jehovah worked out a great salvation for all Israel. You saw and rejoiced! Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause? And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. And Saul swore, As Jehovah lives, he shall not die. And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past. And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines, and killed them with a great slaughter. And they fled from him. And the evil spirit from Jehovah was on Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David played with his hand. And Saul thought to strike David even to the wall with the spear. But he burst forth from Saul's presence, and he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night. Saul also sent messengers to David's house to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And David's wife Michal told him saying, If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you shall be killed. And Michal let David down through a window. And he left and hurried away, and escaped. And Michal took an image and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair at its head, and covered it with a cloth. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed so that I may kill him. And the messengers came in, and behold, the image was in the bed with a pillow of goats' hair at its head. And Saul said to Michal, Why have you deceived me so, and sent away my enemy so that he has escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said to me, Let me go; why should I kill you? And David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel, to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived in Naioth. And it was told to Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah. And Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God came on the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. And they told Saul, and he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers the third time, and they prophesied also. And he also went to Ramah, and came to a great well in Sechu. And he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, at Naioth in Ramah. And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God was on him also, and going on he went and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel, even he. And he lay down disrobed all that day and all that night. Because of this they say, Is Saul also among the prophets? And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what my sin before your father, that he seeks my life? And he said to him, Far be it. You shall not die! Behold, my father will do nothing either great or small that he will not show to me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so. And David swore again and said, Your father certainly knows that I have found grace in your eyes. And he said, Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be full of sorrow. But truly as Jehovah lives, and as your soul lives, only a step is between me and death. And Jonathan said to David, Whatever your soul desires, I will even do for you. And David said to Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit at table with the king. But let me go so that I may hide myself in the field until the third day at evening. If your father misses me at all, then say, David earnestly asked me that he might run to his city Bethlehem. For there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family. If he says so, It is well, peace will be to your servant, but if he is very angry, be sure that evil is determined by him. And you shall deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Jehovah with you. But if there is any iniquity in me, kill me yourself. For why should you bring me to your father? And Jonathan said, Far be it from you. For if I knew certainly that evil was determined by my father to come on you, then would I not tell you? Then David said to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? Or what if your father answers you roughly? And Jonathan said to David, Come, and let us go into the field. And both of them went out into the field. And Jonathan said to David, By Jehovah, the God of Israel, when I search my father about this time tomorrow or the third day, behold, if there is good toward David, then shall I not send to you and reveal it in your ear? So may Jehovah do to Jonathan and more if it seem good to my father to do you evil, then I will reveal it in your ear and send you away, and you may go in peace. And may Jehovah be with you, as He was with my father. And you shall not only show me the kindness of Jehovah while I still live, so that I do not die, but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when Jehovah has cut off the enemies of David, every one, from the face of the earth. So Jonathan covenanted with the house of David, saying, Let Jehovah even require it at the hand of David's enemies. And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him. For he loved him as he loved his own soul. And Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new moon. And you shall be missed, because your seat will be empty. And on the third day you shall quickly come down and shall come there to the place where you were hidden in the day of the deed. And you shall remain near the stone Ezel. And I will shoot three arrows on the side, as though I shot at a mark. And behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go find the arrows. If I carefully say to the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of you, take them, then you may come, for there is peace to you, and no hurt, as Jehovah lives. But if I say this to the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond you, go your way, for Jehovah has sent you away. And as to the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, may Jehovah be between you and me forever. And David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon had come, the king sat down by the food to eat. And the king sat on his seat as at other times, on a seat by the wall. And Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty. And Saul did not speak anything that day. For he thought, Something has happened to him; he is not clean. Surely he is not clean. And it happened on the next day, the second of the month, David's place was empty. And Saul said to his son Jonathan, Why does the son of Jesse not come to the meal, neither yesterday nor today? And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked of me to go to Bethlehem, and he said, Please send me away, for we have a family sacrifice in the city. And my brother commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, I pray you let me get away and see my brothers. And he does not come to the king's table. And Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own confusion, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. And now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die. And Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, Why shall he be killed? What has he done? And Saul threw a spear at him to strike him, and by this Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David. And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger, and did not eat food on the second day of the new moon. For he was grieved for David, because his father had put him to shame. And it happened, in the morning Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David. And a little lad was with him. And he said to this lad, Run now, find the arrows which I shoot. As the lad ran, he shot an arrow, causing it to pass over him. And when the lad had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad and said, Is not the arrow beyond you? And Jonathan cried after the lad, Hurry, make haste, do not stand. And Jonathan's lad gathered the arrow and came to his master. But the lad did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter. And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad and said to him, Go, bring to the city. As soon as the lad had gone, David rose from the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. And they kissed one another, and wept with one another, until David exceeded. And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace because we have both sworn in the name of Jehovah, saying, The Lord shall be between me and you, and between my seed and your seed, forever. And he rose and went away. And Jonathan went into the city. And David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said to him, Why are you alone, and no man with you? And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has commanded me a business and has said to me, Let no man know anything of the business about which I send you, and what I have sent you. And I have sent servants to such and such a place. And therefore, what is under your hand? Give five loaves of bread in my hand, or what there is to be found. And the priest answered David and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. And David answered the priest and said to him, Truly women have been kept from us for about three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and in a way the holy bread is common. Also surely today it is sanctified in the vessels. And the priest gave him holy bread. For there was no bread there but the Bread of the Presence that was taken from before Jehovah, in order to put hot bread in on the day when it was taken away. And a man from the servants of Saul was there that day, held before Jehovah. And his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of Saul's herdsmen. And David said to Ahimelech, And is there not here under your hand spear or sword? For I have not brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business needed haste. And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth under the ephod, if you will take, take it for yourself, for there is no other here except that one. And David said, There is none like that. Give it to me. And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? And David laid up these words in his heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. And he changed his behavior before them, and pretended himself to be mad in their hands, and marked on the doors of the gate and let his spittle fall down on his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, Lo, you see the man is mad. Why have you brought him to me? Do I have need of mad men, that you have brought this one to show madness in my presence? Shall this one come into my house? And David left there and escaped to the cave Adullam. And his brothers and all his father's house heard, and went down to him there. And every man in distress, and every man who had a creditor, and every man bitter of soul, gathered themselves to him. And he became commander over them. And about four hundred men were with him. And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, Please let my father and my mother come forth and be with you until I know what God will do for me. And he brought them before the king of Moab. And they lived with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. And the prophet Gad said to David, Do not stay in the stronghold. Leave and go into the land of Judah. And David left and came into the forest of Hareth. And Saul heard that David and the men with him had been discovered. And Saul was staying in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand. And all his servants were standing about him. And Saul said to his servants standing by him, Now hear, Benjamites, will the son of Jesse give to any of you fields and vineyards, and make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? But all of you have conspired against me, and none of you was revealing in my ear when my son cut a covenant with the son of Jesse? And not one of you is sorry for me, even to reveal in my ear that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as today. And answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. And he asked of Jehovah for him and gave him food and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. And the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests in Nob. And they came, all of them, to the king. And Saul said, Hear now, you son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord. And Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword, and have asked of God for him, that he should rise against me to lie in wait, as at this day? And Ahimelech answered the king and said, And who is so faithful among all your servants as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and who goes at your bidding, and who is honorable in your house? Have I today begun to ask of God for him? Be it far from me. Do not let the king charge a thing to his servant, nor to all the house of my father. For your servant knew nothing of all this, more or less. And the king said, Ahimelech, you shall surely die, you and all your father's house. And the king said to the guard that stood around him, Turn and kill the priests of Jehovah, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not reveal it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall on the priests of Jehovah. And the king said to Doeg, You turn and fall on the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned and fell on the priests. And on that day he killed eighty-five persons who wore a linen ephod. And he struck Nob, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and babes, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword. And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain Jehovah's priests. And David said to Abiathar, I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the persons of your father's house. Stay with me, and do not fear. For he who seeks my life seeks your life. But you shall be in safekeeping with me. And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors. And David asked of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go? And shall I strike these Philistines? And Jehovah said to David, Go and strike the Philistines, and save Keilah. And David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? And David inquired of Jehovah once again. And Jehovah answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand. And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines. And they led away their cattle and struck them with a great slaughter. And David saved the people of Keilah. And it happened when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand. And it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, God has delivered him into my hands, for he is shut in by entering into a town that has gates and bars. And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. And David knew that Saul secretly planned evil against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here. And David said, O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down as Your servant has heard? O Jehovah, the God of Israel, I beg of You, tell Your servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down. And David said, Will the men of Keilah shut up me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will shut you up. And David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah and went wherever they could go. And it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah. And he did not go forth. And David stayed in the wilderness in strongholds, and remained in the stronghold in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul looked for him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a woods. And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David into the woods, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said to him, Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. And you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. And my father Saul knows that also. And the two of them cut a covenant before Jehovah. And David stayed in the forest, and Jonathan went to his house. And the men of Ziph came up to Saul, to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the forest, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the wilderness? And now, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul. Come down, and it is for us to shut him up into the king's hand. And Saul said, Blessed are you from Jehovah, for you have pity on me. Please go, make more sure, and know and see the place where his foot is. Who has seen him there? For I am told that he is very subtle. And see and know of all the hiding places where he hides himself there, and return to me prepared. And I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah. And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain, on the south of the desert. Saul and his men also went to look for him. And they told David. And he came down from the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard, he followed after David in the wilderness of Maon. And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain. And David hurried to get away before Saul. For Saul and his men were encircling David and his men, to take them. And a messenger came to Saul, saying, Hurry and come! For the Philistines have invaded the land. And Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place, The Rock of the Division. And David went up from there and stayed in strongholds at En-gedi. And it happened when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, they told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi. And Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the front of the rocks of the wild goats. And he came to the folds of the flock on the way, where there was a cave. And Saul went in to cover his feet. And David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. And the men of David said to him, Behold, this is the day of which Jehovah said to you, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand so that you may do to him as it shall seem good to you. And David arose and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe secretly. And it happened afterward David's heart struck him because he had cut off Saul's skirt. And he said to his men, Far be it from me, by Jehovah, if I will do this thing to my lord, Jehovah's anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, since he is the anointed of Jehovah. And David held back his men with words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave and went on his way. And David arose afterward and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king! And Saul looked behind him. And David bowed his face to the earth and prostrated himself. And David said to Saul, Why do you hear man's words, saying, Behold, David seeks to do you evil? Behold, your eyes have seen today how Jehovah had delivered you today into my hand in the cave. And one said to kill you. But I had pity on you. And I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord, for he is Jehovah's anointed. And, my father, behold! Yes, see the skirt of your robe in my hand. For in that I cut off the skirt of your robe and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my soul to take it. May Jehovah judge between me and you, and may Jehovah avenge me of you. But my hand shall not be on you. As the ancient proverb says, Wickedness proceeds from the wicked. But my hand shall not be on you. After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog? After a flea? May Jehovah therefore be judge, and judge between you and me, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hand. And it happened when David had made an end of speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. And he said to David, You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, but I have rewarded you evil. And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me, because when Jehovah shut me up into your hand, you did not kill me. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go completely away? And may Jehovah reward good for what you have done to me this day. And now, behold, I know well that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. And swear therefore to me before Jehovah that you will not cut off my seed after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house. And David swore to Saul. And Saul went home, but David and his men went up into the hold. And Samuel died. And all the Israelites were gathered, and lamented him and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran. And a certain man was in Maon, and his work was in Carmel. And the man was very great, and had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. And the man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful form. But the man was cruel and evil in his dealings. And he was of Caleb. And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. And David sent out ten young men. And David said to the young men, Go up to Carmel and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. And you shall say this, Long life and peace be to you, and peace to your house, and peace to all that you have. And now I have heard that you have shearers. And we did not hurt your shepherds who were with us; neither was there anything missing to them all the while they were in Carmel. Ask your young men, and they will tell you. And let the young men find favor in your eyes, for we come in a good day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David. And David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and stopped. And Nabal answered David's servants and said, Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? The servants who have broken away, each man from his master, have multiplied. Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men about whom I know not where they come from? And David's young men turned their way and went again, and came and told him all those things. And David said to his men, Let each man gird on his sword. And they each one girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went up after David, and two hundred stayed by the stuff. And one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold! David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master, and he screamed at them. But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, neither did we miss anything as long as we were going to and fro among them, when we were in the fields. They were a wall to us both by night and day all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. And now know and consider what you will do, for evil is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is a son of worthlessness, so that none can speak to him. And Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves, and two skins of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of roasted grain, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and laid them on asses. And she said to her servants, Go on before me. Behold, I am coming after you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal. And it happened, she was riding on the ass and coming down under cover of the mountain. And behold, David and his men came down across from her. And she met them. And David had said, Surely in vain I have kept all that belongs to this fellow in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that was his. And he has requited me evil for good. So and more also may God do to the enemies of David, if I leave to the light of the morning any that is his of one who urinates against the wall. And Abigail saw David and hurried and dismounted from the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground. And she fell at his feet and said, On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be. And please let your handmaid speak in your ears, and hear the words of your handmaid. Please do not let my lord regard this man of worthlessness, Nabal. For as his name is, so he is. Nabal is his name, and foolishness is with him. And I, your handmaid, did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent. And now, my lord, as Jehovah lives and as your soul lives, since Jehovah has withheld you from coming to shed blood, and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now let your enemies, and those that seek to do evil to my lord, be as Nabal. And now this blessing which your handmaid has brought to my lord, let it even be given to the young men who follow my lord. Please forgive the trespass of your handmaid. For Jehovah will certainly make a sure house for my lord, because my lord fights the battles of Jehovah, and evil has not been found in you all your days. Yet a man has risen to pursue you and to seek your soul. But the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with Jehovah your God. And the souls of your enemies, He shall sling them from the hollow of a sling. And it shall be, when Jehovah has done to my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and commanded you to be ruler over Israel, this shall be no stumbling to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood for nothing, or that my lord has delivered himself. And may Jehovah deal well with my lord, and you remember your handmaid. And David said to Abigail, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me. And blessed is your advice, and blessed are you who have kept me from coming to shed blood today, and from delivering myself with my own hand. And truly, as Jehovah, the God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from doing evil to you, for unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely there would not have been left to Nabal by the morning light one who urinates against the wall. And David received from her hand that which she had brought him, and said to her, Go up in peace to your house. See, I have listened to your voice and have accepted your person. And Abigail came to Nabal. And behold, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. And she did not tell him anything, more or less, until the morning light. And it happened in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal and his wife had told him these things, his heart died within him and he became like a stone. And it happened about ten days afterward Jehovah struck Nabal so that he died. And David heard that Nabal had died, and he said, Blessed is Jehovah who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept His servant from evil. For Jehovah has returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head. And David sent and spoke with Abigail, to take her to him for a wife. And David's servants came to Abigail at Carmel, and spoke to her, saying, David sent us to you to take you to him for a wife. And she arose and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let your handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. And Abigail hurried and arose, and rode on an ass, with five of her maidens who went after her. And she followed the messengers of David and became his wife. David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel. And they became, both of them, his wives. And Saul gave his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim. And the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, Is not David hiding himself in the hill of Hachilah, on the edge of the desert? And Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him. And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the edge of the desert, by the highway. And David was staying in the wilderness. And he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. And David sent out spies and knew that Saul had come indeed. And David arose and came to the place where Saul had pitched. And David saw the place where Saul lay. And Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his army, and Saul were lying within the barricade. And the people pitched all around him. And David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to the camp to Saul? And Abishai said, I will go down with you. So David and Abishai came to the people by night. And behold, Saul lay sleeping in the tent, and his spear stuck in the ground at his head. But Abner and the people lay around him. And Abishai said to David, God has shut up your enemy into your hand this day. And please let me strike him with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not repeat it to him. And David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him. For who can stretch forth his hand against Jehovah's anointed and be guiltless? And David said, As Jehovah lives, except Jehovah strike him, or his day shall come, and he dies, or he goes down to battle and is consumed, far be it from me by Jehovah, from putting forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed. And now, please take the spear at his head and the cruse of water, and we will go. And David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head. And they went away, and no one saw, and no one knew; and no one was awake; for all of them were sleeping, because a deep sleep from Jehovah had fallen on them. And David went over to the other side and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great space between them. And David cried to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Do you not answer, Abner? And Abner answered and said, Who are you that cries to the king? And David said to Abner, Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? But why have you not watched over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king. This thing that you have done is not good. As Jehovah lives, because you have not watched over your master, Jehovah's anointed, you also are worthy to die. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head. And Saul knew David's voice and said, Is this your voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. And he said, Why does my lord pursue after his servant this way? For what have I done? Or what evil is in my hand? And now, please let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If Jehovah has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the sons of men, they are cursed before Jehovah. For they have driven me out today from joining myself with the inheritance of Jehovah, saying, Go, serve other gods. And now, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of Jehovah. For the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains. And Saul said, I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will never do you harm any more, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly, and have greatly erred. And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! And let one of the young men come over and get it. May Jehovah give to each his righteousness and his faithfulness. For Jehovah delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed. And behold, as your life was precious in my eyes this day, so let my life be precious in the eyes of Jehovah, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation. And Saul said to David, Blessed are you, my son David. You shall both do great things and also shall still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. Nothing is better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines. And Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any border of Israel, and so I shall escape out of his hand. And David arose and passed over, he and the six hundred men with him to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David lived with Achish of Gath, he and his men, each one with his household; David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's former wife. And Saul was told that David had fled to Gath. And he never again looked for him. And David said to Achish, If I have now found grace in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country so that I may live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you? And Achish gave him Ziklag that day. And Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day. And the number of days that David lived in the field of the Philistines was a year of days and four months. And David and his men went up and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites. For they were the inhabitants of the land from the past days, as you come into Shur, even into the land of Egypt. And David struck the land, and did not keep alive man nor woman, and took away the sheep and the oxen and the asses and the camels and the clothing, and returned and came to Achish. And Achish said, Where have you made a raid today? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites. And David did not keep alive man or woman to bring news to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So David did, and so has been his custom all the days he lived in the fields of the Philistines. And Achish believed David, saying, He has made himself to be hated among his people Israel, and has become my servant forever. And in those days it happened that the Philistines gathered their armies for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, You surely know that you shall go with me to battle, you and your men. And David said to Achish, Surely you shall know what your servant can do. And Achish said to David, And I will make you keeper of my head forever. And Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned him and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away the mediums and the spirit-knowers out of the land. And the Philistines gathered themselves and came and pitched in Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel and they pitched in Gilboa. And Saul saw the army of the Philistines, and he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. And when Saul inquired of Jehovah, Jehovah did not answer him, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. And Saul said to his servants, Seek me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her. And his servant said to him, Behold, there is a woman who is a medium, at Endor. And Saul disguised himself and put on other clothing. And he went. And two men went with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, Please divine for me calling up the dead, and bring me up the man whom I shall name to you. And the woman said to him, Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off mediums, and the spirit-knowers, out of the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And Saul swore to her by Jehovah, saying, As Jehovah lives, there shall no punishment happen to you for this thing. And the woman said, Whom shall I bring up to you? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And the woman saw Samuel, and cried with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul! And the king said to her, Do not be afraid. For what did you see? And the woman said to Saul, I saw gods coming up out of the earth. And he said to her, What is his form? And she said, An old man comes up, and he is covered with a cloak. And Saul saw that it was Samuel, and he bowed his face to the ground, and prostrated himself. And Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disturbed me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am grievously distressed, for the Philistines are warring against me. And God has left me and does not answer me any more, neither by prophets nor by dreams. And I have called you so that you may make known to me what I should do. And Samuel said, Why then do you ask me, since Jehovah has left you and has become your enemy? And Jehovah has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For Jehovah has torn the kingdom out of your hand and is giving it to your neighbor, to David. Because you did not obey the voice of Jehovah, nor execute his fierce wrath on Amalek, therefore Jehovah has done this thing to you now. And, Jehovah will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. Jehovah also shall deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. And Saul immediately fell headlong on the earth, and was sorely afraid because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no bread all day nor all night. And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was sorely troubled, and said to him, Behold, your handmaid has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have listened to your words which you spoke to me. And now please listen also to the voice of your handmaid, and let me set a bit of bread before you and eat, so that you may have strength when you go on your way. But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, forced him, and the woman also. And he listened to their voices and arose from the earth and sat on the bed. And the woman had a fat calf in the house. And she hurried and killed it, and took flour and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread with it. And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants. And they ate, and rose up and went away that night. And the Philistines gathered all their armies to Aphek. And the Israelites pitched by a fountain in Jezreel. And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands. But David and his men passed on in the rear with Achish. And the rulers of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews doing? And Achish said to the rulers of the Philistines, Is this not David the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years. And I have not found anything evil in him from the day he fell away until today? And the rulers of the Philistines were angry with him. And the Philistine rulers said to him, Send the man back, and he shall return to his place where you have appointed him. And he shall not go down with us to battle, and shall not become an enemy to us in battle. For with what should he reconcile himself to his master? Should it not be with the heads of these men? Is not this David, of whom they sang to one another in dances, saying, Saul killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands? And Achish called David and said to him, Surely, as Jehovah lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me until today. But you are not good in the eyes of the lords. And return now, and go in peace so that you do not displease the lords of the Philistines. And David said to Achish, But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant so long as I have been with you to this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king? And Achish answered and said to David, I know that you are good in my sight, like an angel of God. But the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle. And now, rise up early in the morning with your master's servants who have come with you. And as soon as you have light, depart. And David and his men rose up early to leave in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel. And it happened when David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had invaded the south and Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire. And they had seized the women in it. They did not kill any, either small or great, but carried them away and went on their way. And David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captives. And David and the people with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David's two wives had been seized, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail, the former wife of Nabal of Carmel. And it greatly distressed David, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, each one for his sons and for his daughters. But David encouraged himself in Jehovah his God. And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, Please bring the ephod here to me. And Abiathar brought the ephod there to David. And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And He answered him, Go! For you shall surely overtake and will without fail recover all. So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. But David pursued, he and four hundred men. For two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to go over the brook Besor. And they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David and gave him bread, and he ate. And they made him drink water. And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him. For he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights. And David said to him, Whose are you? And where do you come from? And he said, I am an Egyptian youth, servant to an Amalekite. And my master left me because three days ago I fell sick. We raided the south of the Cherethites, and on that belonging to Judah, and on the south of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag with fire. And David said to him, Can you bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this company. And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad on all the earth, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines and out of the land of Judah. And David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. And not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away. And David rescued his two wives. And nothing was lacking to them, from the small to the great, even to sons and daughters, and from the spoil, even to all that they had taken to themselves. David recovered all. And David took all the flock, and the herd. They drove on before those cattle. And they said, This is David's spoil. And David came to the two hundred who were too exhausted to follow David, whom they had made also to stay at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David, and to meet the people with him. And David came up to the people, and greeted them. And every evil and worthless man of the men who went with David answered and said, Because they did not go with us, we will not give them from a thing the spoil that we have seized, except to every man his wife and his sons. Let them take them, and go. And David said, My brothers, you shall not do so with that which Jehovah has given us. For He has protected us, and has delivered into our hand the company that came against us. For who will listen to you in this matter? But as his part is that goes down to the battle, so shall be his part that stays by the stuff. They shall divide alike. And it was so, from that day forward he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day. And David came to Ziklag, and sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, Behold, a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of Jehovah; to the ones in Bethel, and to the ones in Ramoth of the south, and to the ones in Jattir, and to the ones in Aroer, and to the ones in Siphmoth, and to the ones in Eshtemoa, and to the ones in Rachal, and to the ones in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to the ones in the cities of the Kenites, and to the ones in Hormah, and to the ones in Chorashan, and to the ones in Athach, and to the ones in Hebron, and to all the places where David had gone up and down, he and his men. And the Philistines fought against Israel. And the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down wounded in Mount Gilboa. And the Philistines followed Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, Saul's sons. And the battle went hard against Saul. And the archers hit him, and he was sorely wounded by the archers. And Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised ones come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armor-bearer would not, for he was very much afraid. So Saul took a sword and fell on it. And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. And Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, that same day together. And the men of Israel beyond the valley, and who were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled and that Saul and his sons had died. And they abandoned the cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them. And it happened on the next day, the Philistines came to strip the slain, and they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa. And they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines all around, to publish it in the house of their idols and among the people. And they put his armor in the house of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. And when they heard about it, the people of Jabesh-gilead, what the Philistines had done to Saul, then all the brave men arose, and they traveled all night. And they took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burned them there. And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh. And they fasted seven days.

And Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, and she arose and spoke to destroy all the royal seed of the house of Judah. But Jehoshabeath the daughter of the king took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons who were killed. And she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. And Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah) hid him from Athaliah so that she did not kill him. And he was with them six years, hidden in the house of God. And Athaliah reigned over the land.

And Athaliah was the mother of Ahaziah. And when she saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed of the kingdom. But Jehosheba the daughter of King Jehoram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him from among the king's sons which were killed. And they hid him from Athaliah in the bedroom, him and his nurse, so that he was not killed. And he was hidden with her in the house of Jehovah six years. And Athaliah reigned over the land.

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

Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. And he did the evil in the sight of Jehovah. And when the year had ended, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the valuable vessels of the house of Jehovah. And he made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. But he did the evil in the sight of Jehovah, like the abominations of the heathen whom Jehovah had cast out before the sons of Israel. For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for the Baals, and made Asherahs, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served them. read more.
And he built altars in the house of Jehovah, of which Jehovah had said, In Jerusalem shall My name be forever. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of Jehovah. And he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom. He also practiced secret arts, and used fortune-telling, and used witchcraft, and dealt with mediums, and with soothsayers. He did much evil in the sight of Jehovah in order to provoke Him to anger. And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever. Nor will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have set apart for your fathers; only if they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses. And Manasseh made Judah and the people of Jerusalem to err, to do worse than the nations whom Jehovah had destroyed before the sons of Israel. And Jehovah spoke to Manasseh and to His people, but they would not listen. And Jehovah brought on them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh among the thorns and bound him with chains and carried him to Babylon. And when he was in affliction, he sought Jehovah his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And he prayed to Him, and He was entreated of him, and heard his prayer, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. And Manasseh knew that Jehovah is God. And after this he built a wall outside the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance of the Fish Gate, and went around Ophel, and raised it to a very great height. And he put army commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah. And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of Jehovah, and all the altars that he had built in the mountain of the house of Jehovah, and in Jerusalem, and threw them out of the city. And he repaired the altar of Jehovah and sacrificed on it peace offerings and thank-offerings. And he commanded Judah to serve Jehovah, the God of Israel. But the people still sacrificed in the high places, but only to Jehovah their God. And the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel; and his prayer, and his entreaty, and all his sin and his trespass, and the places in which he built high places and set up Asherahs and graven images, before he was humbled, behold, they are written among the Matters of the Seers. And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. And his son Amon reigned in his place.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign. And he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah. And he did the evil in the sight of Jehovah, after the abominations of the heathen whom Jehovah cast out before the sons of Israel. For he built up again the high places which his father Hezekiah had destroyed. And he reared up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel did. And he worshiped all the host of heaven, and served them. read more.
And he built altars in the house of Jehovah, of which Jehovah said, In Jerusalem I will put My name. And he built altars for all the host of the heavens in the two courts of the house of Jehovah. And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times and used fortune-tellers. And he dealt with familiar spirits and wizards. He worked much wickedness in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke Him to anger. And he set a graven image of the Asherah which he had made in the house, of which Jehovah had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever. And I will not again make the feet of Israel wander any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the Law that My servant Moses commanded them. But they did not listen. And Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than the nations ever did, whom Jehovah destroyed before the sons of Israel. And Jehovah spoke by His servants the prophets, saying, Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations, doing more wickedly than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols, therefore, so says Jehovah, the God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing evil on Jerusalem and Judah, so that whoever hears of it, both his ears shall tingle. And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the measuring line of the house of Ahab. And I will wipe Jerusalem as a dish is wiped, wiping and turning it upside down. And I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies. And they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies, because they have done the evil in My sight, and have provoked Me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt even until this day. And also Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin with which he made Judah to sin, in doing the evil in the sight of Jehovah. Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin which he sinned, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Judah? And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza. And his son Amon reigned in his place.

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

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

And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of Jehovah. And Zebadiah the son of Ishmael is the ruler of the house of Judah for all the king's matters. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. Take courage and act, and Jehovah shall be with the good.

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

A Psalm of David. Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I place Your enemies as Your footstool.

And Bathsheba came in to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself to her, and sat on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king's mother. And she sat on his right hand.

Kings' daughters are among Your precious ones; on Your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.

And Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the Tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the ram's horn, and all the people said, Let King Solomon live! And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth was torn with their sound. And Adonijah heard, and all the invited guests with him. And they stopped eating. And Joab heard the sound of the ram's horn, and said, What is this noise roaring from the city? read more.
And he was still speaking, and behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said to him, Come in, for you are a mighty man and you bring good news. And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Truly our lord King David has made Solomon king. And the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule. And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon. And they have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city is roaring. This is the noise that you heard. And also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom. And also the king's servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, May God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed. And also the king said, Blessed is Jehovah, the God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne today, my eyes even seeing it. And all those who were invited by Adonijah trembled and arose and left, each to his way. And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose and went and caught hold on the horns of the altar. And it was told to Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon. For, lo, he has caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword. And Solomon said, If he becomes a son of virtue, not a hair of his head shall fall to the earth. But if wickedness shall be found in him, then he shall die. And King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to King Solomon. And Solomon said to him, Go to your house. And the days of David drew near for him to die. And he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth. And you be strong and show yourself a man. And keep the charge of Jehovah your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn yourself, that Jehovah may continue His Word which He spoke concerning me, saying, If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul saying, there shall not be a man of yours cut off from the throne of Israel. And also you know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, that he murdered them, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle on his loins, and in his shoes on his feet. And you shall do according to your wisdom and shall not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace. But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at your table. For so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom your brother. And, behold, with you is Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I swore to him by Jehovah, saying, I will not put you to death with the sword. And now, do not hold him guiltless. For you are a wise man, and you know what you ought to do to him. But bring his gray head down to the grave with blood. And David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem. And Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father. And his kingdom was firmly established. And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Do you come peacefully? And he said, Peace. And he said, I have a word to say to you. And she said, Speak. And he said, You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me that I should reign. However, the kingdom is turned around, and has become my brother's. For it was his from Jehovah. And now I ask one favor of you; do not turn away your face. And she said to him, Speak. And he said, Please speak to Solomon the king, for he will not turn away your face, that he give me Abishag the Shunammite for my wife. And Bathsheba said, Very well; I will speak for you to the king. And Bathsheba came in to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself to her, and sat on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king's mother. And she sat on his right hand. And she said, I desire one small favor of you. Do not turn away my face. And the king said to her, Ask on, my mother, for I will not turn away your face. And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah for a wife. And King Solomon answered and said to his mother, And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask the kingdom also for him. For he is my older brother! Even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah! And King Solomon swore by Jehovah, saying, May God do so to me, and more He shall do, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his life. And now, as Jehovah lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, as He spoke, Adonijah shall be put to death today. And King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And he fell on him so that he died. And the king said to Abiathar the priest, Go to Anathoth, to your fields, for you are worthy of death. But I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because you have been afflicted in all that in which my father was afflicted. And Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest to Jehovah, so that he might fulfil the Word of Jehovah which He spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. And the report came to Joab. For Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he did not turn after Absalom. And Joab fled to the tabernacle of Jehovah, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. And it was told King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tabernacle of Jehovah, and, behold, he is by the altar. And Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go fall on him. And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of Jehovah, and said to him, So says the king, come forth! And he said, No, but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and so he answered me. And the king said to him, Do as he has said, and fall on him, and bury him, so that you may take away the innocent blood which Joab shed, from me and from the house of my father. And Jehovah shall return his blood on his own head, who fell on two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, and my father David not knowing of it, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. Yea, He shall turn back their blood on the head of Joab, and on the head of his seed forever. But on David, and on his seed, and on his house, and on his throne, there shall be peace forever from Jehovah. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell on him and killed him. And he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in his place. And the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar. And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, Build a house at Jerusalem and live there, and do not go forth from there anywhere. For it shall be, on the day you go out and pass over the torrent Kidron, you shall know for certain that you shall surely die. Your blood shall be on your own head. And Shimei said to the king, Your saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so will your servant do. And Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days. And it happened at the end of three years, two of the servants of Shimei ran away to Achish son of Maachah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, your servants are in Gath. And Shimei arose and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants. And Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had come again. And the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, Did I not make you swear by Jehovah, and warn you, saying, In the day you go out, and you have gone anywhere, you certainly shall know that you shall surely die? And you said to me, The word I have heard is good. Why then have you not kept the oath of Jehovah and the command that I have charged you with? And the king said to Shimei, You know all the wickedness that your heart knows, what you did to David my father. And Jehovah shall return your wickedness on your own head. And King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before Jehovah forever. And the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and fell on him so that he died. And the kingdom was made sure in the hand of Solomon. And Solomon made an alliance by marriage with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of David until he finished building his own house, and the house of Jehovah, and the wall around Jerusalem. Only the people sacrificed in high places because there was no house built to the name of Jehovah until those days. And Solomon loved Jehovah, walking in the statutes of David his father. Only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there. For that was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night. And God said, Ask what I shall give you! And Solomon said, You have shown to Your servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before You in truth and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with You. And You have kept this great kindness for him, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today. And now, O Jehovah my God, You have made Your servant king instead of David my father. And I am a little child; I do not know to go out or come in! And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a numerous people who cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. And give to Your servant an understanding heart, to judge Your people, to discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge this, Your great people? And the word was good in the eyes of Jehovah, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said to him, Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, and have not asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to judge justly, behold, I have done according to your words. Lo, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart, so that there was none like you before you, and after you none shall arise like you. And I also have given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like you all your days. And if you will walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days. And Solomon awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants. Then there came two women, harlots, to the king, and stood before him. And the one woman said, O my lord, this woman and I live in one house. And I bore a child with her in the house. And it happened the third day after I gave birth, this woman bore a child also. And we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, except the two of us in the house. And this woman's child died in the night, because she laid on it. And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant was sleeping, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. When I arose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead. And when I had looked at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son whom I bore. And the other woman said, No, but the living is my son, and the dead is your son. And this one said, No, but the dead is your son, and the living is my son. So they spoke before the king. And the king said, The one says, This is my son who lives, and your son is the dead. And the other says, No, but your son is the dead, and my son is the living. And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other. And the woman whose son was the living child said to the king, for her womb yearned over her son. And she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no way kill it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor yours; divide it! And the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no way kill it. She is the mother of it. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged. And they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment. And King Solomon was king over all Israel. And these were the rulers which he had: Azariah the son of Zadok the priest, Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha were the scribes. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud the recorder, And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army. And Zadok and Abiathar were priests. And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers, and Zabud the son of Nathan was the minister and the king's friend. And Ahishar was over the household. And Adoniram the son of Abda was over the forced labor. And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household. Each man had his month in a year to provide food. These are their names: the son of Hur in Mount Ephraim; the son of Dekar in Makaz and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan; the son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him was Sochoh and all the land of Hepher; the son of Abinadab in all the height of Dor, Taphath the daughter of Solomon was a wife to him; Baana the son of Ahilud to whom was Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is by Zartanah below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah to the place that is beyond Jokneam; the son of Geber in Ramoth-gilead; to him were the towns of Jair, Manasseh's son, which are in Gilead; to him was the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars; Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim; Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon for a wife; Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth; Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah was in Issachar; Shimei the son of Elah was in Benjamin; Geber the son of Uri was in the land of Gilead, the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer in the land; Judah and Israel were many, as the sand by the sea in multitude; eating and drinking and making merry. And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. They brought presents and served Solomon all the days of his life. And Solomon's food for one day was thirty measures of fine flour and sixty measures of meal, ten fat oxen and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and a hundred sheep, besides harts and roebucks, and fallow deer, and fattened fowl. For he had the rule over all on this side of the River, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the River. And he had peace on all sides all around him. And Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. And those officers provided food for King Solomon and for all who came to King Solomon's table, every man in his month. They did not lack anything. They also brought barley and straw for the horses and mules, to the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge. And God gave Solomon exceeding great wisdom and understanding, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the seashore. And Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the sons of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame was in all nations all around. And he spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts and of birds, and of creeping things, and of fish. And there came from all the people, to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom. And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, for he had heard that they had anointed him king instead of his father. For Hiram was always a lover of David. And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, You know how David my father could not build a house to the name of Jehovah his God because of the wars which were around him on every side, until Jehovah put them under the soles of his feet. But now Jehovah my God has given me rest all around. There is no foe nor evil happening. And behold, I purpose to build a house to the name of Jehovah my God, as Jehovah spoke to David my father, saying, Your son whom I will set on your throne in your place; he shall build a house to My name. And now command that they cut me cedar trees out of Lebanon, and my servants shall be with your servants. And I will give you hire for your servants according to all that you shall say. For you know that not a man among us can cut timber like the Sidonians. And it happened when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, Blessed be Jehovah this day, who has given David a wise son over this great people. And Hiram sent to Solomon saying, I have heard that for which you sent to me. I will do all your desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir. My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea. And I will bring them by sea in floats to the place that you shall name. And I will cause them to be left there, and you shall receive them. And you shall fulfill my desire in giving food for my household. And Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees, all his desire. And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food for his household, and twenty measures of pure oil. So Solomon gave to Hiram year by year. And Jehovah gave Solomon wisdom, as He promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon. And the two of them made a treaty together. And King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel. And the labor force was thirty thousand men. And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month, by courses. They were a month in Lebanon, and two months at home. And Adoniram was over the labor force. And Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand woodcutters in the mountains, besides the chief of Solomon's overseers who were over the work, thirty-three hundred, who ruled over the people who labored in the work. And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, cut stones, to lay the foundation of the house. And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Giblites cut out and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house. And it happened in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, he began to build the house of Jehovah. And the house which King Solomon built for Jehovah, its length was sixty cubits and its breadth twenty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. And the porch before the temple of the house was twenty cubits in length, according to the breadth of the house. Ten cubits was its breadth on the front of the house. And for the house he made windows of narrow frames. And against the wall of the house he built floors all around, against the walls of the house all around, of the temple and of the sanctuary. And he made rooms all around. The lowest story was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad. For around the outside of the house he made narrowed ledges for the house all around, so as not to lay hold of the walls of the house. And when it was being built, the house was built of stone made ready beforehand. And there was not heard in the house a hammer or an axe, or any iron tool, while it was being built. The door for the middle story was in the right side of the house. And they went up with winding stairs into the middle story, and out of the middle into the third. And he built the house and finished it. And he covered the house with beams and rows of cedar. And he built the side-stories on all the house, five cubits high. And they rested on the house with timbers of cedar. And the Word of Jehovah came to Solomon saying, As to this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and do My judgments and keep all My commandments, to walk in them, then I will perform My work with you which I spoke to David your father. And I will live among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel. And Solomon built the house and finished it. And he built the walls of the house inside with boards of cedar, from the floor of the house and the walls of the ceiling. He covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir. And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar. He even built them for it inside, for the sanctuary, for the Holy of Holies. And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits. And the cedar of the house inside was carved with gourds and open flowers. All was cedar; there was no stone seen. And he prepared the Holy of Holies in the house inside, to set there the ark of the covenant of Jehovah. And the Holy of Holies in the front part was twenty cubits in length and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in height. And he overlaid it with pure gold, and covered the altar of cedar. And Solomon overlaid the house inside with pure gold. And he drew chains of gold across before the Holy of Holies. And he overlaid it with gold. And he overlaid the whole house with gold, until he had finished all the house. Also all of the altar that belonged to the Holy of Holies, he overlaid with gold: And inside the Holy of Holies he made two cherubs of olive wood, ten cubits high. And one wing of the cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the cherub was five cubits; ten cubits from the ends of its wings even to the ends of its wings. And the other cherub was ten cubits. Both the cherubs were of one measure and one size. The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was the other cherub. And he set the cherubs inside the inner house. And they stretched forth the wings of the cherubs so that the wing of the one touched the one wall and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall. And their wings touched one another in the midst of the house. And he overlaid the cherubs with gold. And he carved all the walls of the house all around with carved figures of cherubs and palm trees and open flowers, inside and out. And the floor of the house was overlaid with gold inside and out. As to the entrance of the holy place he made doors of olive wood. The lintel and side posts were a fifth part, and the two doors were of olive wood. And he carved on them carvings of cherubs and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold and spread gold on the cherubs and on the palm trees. So also he made side posts for the entrance of the temple from the olive tree, a fourth part. And the two doors were of fir tree. The two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. And he carved on them cherubs and palm trees and open bowers. And he covered them with gold fitted on the carved work. And he built the inner court with three rows of cut stone, and a row of cedar beams. In the fourth year, in the month Zif, the foundation of the house of Jehovah was laid. And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished as to all its parts, and as to all its plans. So he was seven years in building it. And Solomon was thirteen years building his own house. And he finished all his house. And he built the house of the forest of Lebanon. Its length was a hundred cubits, and its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars. And it was covered with cedar above on the beams that lay on forty-five pillars, fifteen in a row. And windows were in three rows, and light was against light in three rows. And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows. And the front of a window was against a window in three rows. And he made a porch of pillars. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth thirty cubits. And the porch was before them, and the pillars and the roof were over them. And he made a porch of the throne where he judged, the porch of judgment. And it was covered with cedar from floor to floor. As to his house where he lived, the other court was within the porch, as this work was. Solomon also made a house for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken, like this porch. All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewn stones, sawed with saws, inside and out, even from the foundation to the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court. And the foundation was of costly stones, huge stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits. And above were costly stones, according to the measures of hewn stone and cedar. And the great court all around was with three rows of hewn stone, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of Jehovah, and for the porch of the house. And King Solomon sent and brought Hiram out of Tyre. He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. And he was filled with wisdom and understanding, and cunning to work all works in bronze. And he came to King Solomon and did all his work. For he cast two pillars of bronze, eighteen cubits was the height of the one pillar. And a line of twelve cubits went around the second pillar. And he made two capitals of melted bronze to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital five cubits. He made gratings, grating work with twisted threads of chain-work, for the capitals on the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital. And he made the pillars. And two rows were all around on the one grating, to cover the capitals on the top with the pomegranates. And so he did for the other capital. And the capitals on the top of the pillars in the porch were lily-work, four cubits. And the capitals on the two pillars had pomegranates on the upper part, over against the belly which was by the grating; and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows all around on the other capital. And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple. And he set up the right pillar and called its name, Jachin. And he set up the left pillar, and called its name, Boaz. And on the top of the pillars was lily-work. So the work of the pillars was finished. And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from brim to brim, all around it. And its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits went around it. And under its brim were gourds, going around it, ten by the cubit, going all around the sea. The gourds were cast in two rows when it was cast. It stood on twelve oxen, three facing the north, and three facing the west, and three facing the south, and three facing the east. The sea was set on top of them, and all their hinder parts were inward. And it was a handbreadth thick, and its brim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, with a bud of a lily. It contained two thousand baths. And he made ten bases of bronze, four cubits the length of the one base, and four cubits its breadth, and three cubits its height. And the work of the bases was this way: they had borders, and the borders were between the stays. And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubs. And a pedestal was on the stays above. And beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging-work. And the one base had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze. And its four feet were supports to them; under the basin were casted supports with wreaths at each side. And its mouth within and above the capital was a cubit. And its mouth was round like the work of a pedestal, a cubit and half of the cubit. And also on its mouth were carvings; and their borders were square, not round. And under the borders were four wheels. And the axletrees of the wheels were in the base. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel, their axletrees, and their rims, and their hub, and their spokes, were all cast. And there were four supports to the four corners of one base, and the supports were of the very base itself. And in the top of the base was a round compass of a half a cubit high. And on the top of the base its sides and its borders were from it. And he engraved cherubs, lions, and palm trees on the plates of its sides, and on its borders, as the place of each, with wreaths all around. So he made the ten bases, one casting, one measure, one form was to them all. And he made ten basins of bronze. One basin contained forty baths. The one basin was four cubits, one basin on the one base, to the ten bases. And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house. And he set the sea on the right side of the house, eastward, across from the south. And Hiram made the basins and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram finished doing all the work that he did for King Solomon for the house of Jehovah. Two pillars, and the bowls of the capitals on the top of the two pillars, and the two gratings to cover the two bowls of the capitals on the top of the pillars, and the four hundred pomegranates for the two gratings; two rows of pomegranates for each grating, to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the face of the pillars, and the ten bases, and ten basins on the bases, and one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea, and the pots, and the shovels, and the basins. All these vessels which Hiram made for King Solomon for the house of Jehovah were of burnished bronze. The king cast them in the plain of Jordan, in the thick soil of the ground between Succoth and Zarethan. And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed because they were exceeding many; the weight of the bronze was not searched out. And Solomon made all the vessels in the house of Jehovah: the altar of gold, and the table of gold on which was the Bread of the Presence; and the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right and five on the left, in front of the Holy of Holies, with the flowers and the lamps and the tongs of gold, and the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the fire-pans of pure gold, and the hinges of gold for the doors of the inner house, the Holy of Holies, and for the doors of the house, the temple. So all the work that King Solomon made for the house of Jehovah was finished. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated: the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, he had put into the treasuries of the house of Jehovah. And Solomon gathered the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, so that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the city of David, which is Zion. And all the men of Israel were gathered to King Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. And all the elders of Israel came in, and the priests took up the ark. And they brought up the ark of Jehovah, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels which were in the tabernacle; even those the priests and the Levites brought up. And King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who had assembled to him, were with him before the ark sacrificing sheep and oxen which could not be counted nor numbered for multitude. And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Jehovah into its place, into the holy place of the house, into the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cherubs. For the cherubs spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark. And the cherubs covered the ark and the staves of it above. And they drew out the staves, so that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place, in front of the Holy of Holies. And they were not seen outside. And there they are until today. There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when Jehovah made a covenant with the sons of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt. And it happened when the priests had come out of the Holy of Holies, the cloud filled the house of Jehovah. And the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of Jehovah had filled the house of Jehovah. And Solomon said, Jehovah said that He would dwell in the thick darkness. I have surely built a house of loftiness for You, a settled place for You to abide in forever. And the king turned his face around and blessed all the congregation of Israel. And all the congregation of Israel stood. And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to David my father, and has fulfilled it by His hand, saying, From the day that I brought forth My people Israel out of Egypt, I did not choose any city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house, so that My name might be in it. But I chose David to be over My people Israel. And it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel. And Jehovah said to my father David, Because it was in your heart to build a house to My name, you did well that it was in your heart. Only, you shall not build the house, but your son who shall come out of your loins, he shall build the house to My name. And Jehovah has performed His Word which He spoke, and I have risen up instead of my father David. And I sit on the throne of Israel, as Jehovah promised. And I have built a house for the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel. And I have set there a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of Jehovah which He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. And Solomon stood before the altar of Jehovah in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward the heavens. And he said, Jehovah, the God of Israel, there is no God like You, in Heaven above or on earth beneath, who keeps covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, who have kept with Your servant David my father what You promised him. You also spoke with Your mouth, and have fulfilled with Your hand, as it is today. And now, Jehovah, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David, my father, what You promised him, saying, There shall not be cut off from you a man in My sight to sit on the throne of Israel-- if your sons take heed to their way so that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me. And now, O God of Israel, I pray You, let Your Word be proved to be true, the Word which You spoke to Your servant David my father. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this house which I have built? Yet, O, Jehovah my God, You have turned toward the prayer of Your servant and to his request, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today; for Your eyes to be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, My name shall be there; to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place. And You shall listen to the cry of Your servant, and of Your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place, and hear in Heaven Your dwelling-place, and when You hear, forgive! If any man sins against his neighbor, and if an oath is laid on him to cause him to swear, and if the oath comes before Your altar in this house, then hear in Heaven, and do, and judge Your servants, to declare the wicked to be wicked, to bring his way on his head, and to declare the righteous to be righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. When Your people Israel are crushed before the enemy because they have sinned against You, and shall turn again to You and confess Your name, and pray, and cry to You in this house, then hear in Heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them again into the land which You gave to their fathers. When the heavens are restrained, and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, if they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them, then hear in Heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, and of Your people Israel, for You shall teach them the good way in which they should walk, and give rain on Your land which You have given to Your people for an inheritance. If there is famine in the land, if there is plague, blasting, mildew, locusts; if there are stripping locusts; if their enemy encircles them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness, any prayer, any supplication from any man of all Your people Israel, who shall each know the plague of his own heart, and shall spread forth his hands toward this house, then hear in Heaven Your dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to all his ways, whose heart You know. For You, You only, know the hearts of all the sons of Adam. Do this so that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You have given to our fathers. And concerning a stranger who is not of Your people Israel, but who comes out of a far country for Your name's sake; for they shall hear of Your great name and of Your strong hand and of Your stretched-out arm; and if he shall come and pray toward this house, hear in Heaven Your dwelling-place, and do according to all that the stranger calls to You for, so that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as Your people Israel do, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name. If Your people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever You shall send them, and shall pray to Jehovah toward the city which You have chosen, and the house that I have built for Your name, then hear in Heaven their prayer and their cry, and maintain their cause. If they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin), and if You are angry with them, and have delivered them up before the enemy, and they have been led away captive to the land of the enemy, far or near, yet if they shall think within themselves in the land where they are carried captives, and repent, and pray to You in the land of their captors saying, We have sinned and have done perversely, we have done wickedly, and so return to You with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and if they pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, to the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name, then hear their prayer and their cry in Heaven Your dwelling-place, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, even all their sins which they have done against You, and give them pity before their captors, so that they may have pity on them. For they are Your people, and Your inheritance, which You brought out of Egypt, from the middle of the furnace of iron, for Your eyes shall be open to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your people Israel, to listen to them in all that they call for to You. For You have separated them from among all the people of the earth to be Your inheritance, as You spoke by the hand of Moses Your servant, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord Jehovah. And it happened as Solomon finished praying all this prayer and petition to Jehovah, he rose from before the altar of Jehovah, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. And he stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be Jehovah, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise which He promised by the hand of Moses His servant. May Jehovah our God be with us as He was with our fathers. Let Him not leave us nor forsake us, to incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments which He commanded our fathers. And let these my words, with which I have prayed before Jehovah, be near Jehovah our God day and night, so that He may maintain the cause of His servant, and the cause of His people Israel of each day in its day, for all the people of the earth know that Jehovah is God; there is no other. And let your heart be perfect with Jehovah our God, to walk in His statutes, and to keep His commandments, as at this day. And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before Jehovah. And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to Jehovah, twenty-two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of Jehovah. On that day the king sanctified the middle of the court before the house of Jehovah. For there he had offered the burnt offering, and the food offering, and the fat of the peace offerings; because the bronze altar before Jehovah was too small to contain the burnt offering, and the food offering, and the fat of the peace offerings. And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath to the river of Egypt, before Jehovah our God, seven days and seven days, fourteen days. On the eighth day he sent the people away. And they blessed the king and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the good that Jehovah had done for David His servant, and for Israel His people. And it happened as Solomon finished the building of the house of Jehovah, and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do, Jehovah appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. And Jehovah said to him, I have heard your prayer and your cry which you have made before Me. I have made this house which you have built holy, to put My name there forever. And My eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually. And if you will walk before Me as David your father walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you; and if you will keep My statutes and My judgments, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom on Israel forever, as I promised to David your father, saying, There shall not be cut off to you a man on the throne of Israel. If you shall at all turn from following Me, you or your sons, and will not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the face of the land which I have given them. And this house which I have made holy for My name I will cast out of My sight. And Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people. As to this house which is exalted, everyone who passes by it shall be amazed and shall hiss. And they shall say, Why has Jehovah done this to this land and to this house? And they shall answer, Because they left Jehovah their God who brought out their fathers from the land of Egypt, and have taken hold on other gods and have worshiped them and served them. On account of this Jehovah has brought on them all this evil. And it happened at the end of twenty years, Solomon had built the two houses, the house of Jehovah and the king's house. Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desires. Then King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him. And they did not please him. And he said, What cities are these which you have given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul to this day. And Hiram sent to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold. And this is the reason of the labor force which King Solomon raised to build the house of Jehovah and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer. For Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had gone up and had taken Gezer and had burned it with fire, and had slain the Canaanites who lived in the city. And he had given it for a present to his daughter, Solomon's wife. And Solomon built Gezer, and Beth-horon the lower, and Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land. And he built all the store-cities which Solomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. And all the people who were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not of the sons of Israel, their sons who were left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel also were not able to destroy completely, on those Solomon laid a tribute of bond-service to this day. But Solomon did not make any slave out of the sons of Israel. But they were men of war, and his servants, and his rulers, and his commanders, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen. These were the chief of the officers who were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty who ruled over the people who labored in the work. But Pharaoh's daughter came up from the city of David to her house which had been built for her. And he built Millo. And three times in a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he had built to Jehovah, and he burned incense on the altar which was before Jehovah. And he finished the house. And King Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen who had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon. And they came to Ophir, and brought gold from there, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to King Solomon. And the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame concerning the name of Jehovah, and she came to test him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones. And she came to Solomon, and she told him all that was in her heart. And Solomon answered all her questions for her. There was not a thing hidden from the king, which he did not tell her. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house which he had built, and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their clothing, and his cupbearers, and his burnt offering that he offered up to the house of Jehovah, there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom. And I did not believe the words until I came and my eyes had seen. And behold! The half was not told me. Your wisdom and blessings are more than the fame which I heard. Happy are your men, happy are these who are your servants, who stand always before you, and who hear your wisdom. Blessed is Jehovah your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel. Because Jehovah loved Israel forever; therefore, He made you king to do judgment and justice. And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, a very great store of spices, and precious stones. No spice like that came any more for abundance, that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. And also the navy of Hiram which brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great abundance of almug trees and precious stones. And the king made of the almug trees a support for the house of Jehovah, and for the king's house, also lyres and harps for singers. No such almug wood has come or been seen to this day. And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides what Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants. And the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold, apart from the merchant men, and and from the traffic of the traders, and from all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the lands. And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into one target. And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went into one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. And the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold. The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round in the back part. And there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays; and two lions were standing on the six steps, on this and on that side. There was not the like made in any kingdom. And all King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; it was counted nothing in the days of Solomon. For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram. Once in three years the navy of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. And King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. And all the earth sought Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. And every man brought his presents, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and clothing and armor, and spices, horses and mules, so much year by year. And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. And he had fourteen hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem. And the king made silver like stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars like the sycamore trees in the valley for abundance. And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and out of Kue. The king's merchants received them from Kue at a price. And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. And so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, they brought them out by their means. And King Solomon loved many foreign women, even the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, Hittites; of the nations which Jehovah had said to the sons of Israel, You shall not go in to them, and they shall not go in to you; surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. For it happened when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods. And his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites; and Solomon did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and did not go fully after Jehovah like his father David. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill which is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the sons of Ammon. And likewise he did for all his foreign wives, and burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. And Jehovah was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from Jehovah, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; and he did not keep that which Jehovah commanded. And Jehovah said to Solomon, Since this is done by you, and since you have not kept My covenant and My statutes which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. But I will not do it in your days, for David your father's sake, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Only, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for David My servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen. And it happened Jehovah stirred up a foe to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. He was of the king's seed in Edom. For it happened when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain, after he had stricken every male in Edom-- for Joab remained there six months with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom-- it happened that Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go to Egypt, Hadad being still a little child. And they arose out of Midian and came to Paran. And they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house and appointed food for him, and gave him land. And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him the sister of his own wife for a wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen. And the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house. And Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh. And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, even Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart so that I may go to my own land. And Pharaoh said to him, But what have you lacked with me that, behold, you seek to go to your land? And he answered, Nothing; however, you shall certainly send me away. And God stirred up another foe, to him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah. And he gathered men to him, and became head over a band when David killed them. And they went to Damascus and lived in it, and reigned in Damascus. And he was a foe to Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the mischief which Hadad did. And he hated Israel and reigned over Syria. And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow, he too lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king. Solomon built Millo and repaired the breaks of the city of David his father. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of war. And Solomon, seeing that the young man was doing work, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph. And it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh found him in the way. And he had clothed himself with a new garment. And the two of them were alone in the field. And Ahijah caught hold of the new robe on him, and tore it in twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, Take ten pieces for yourself. For so says Jehovah, the God of Israel, Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you, but he shall have one tribe for My servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, because they have forsaken Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the goddess of the sons of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways, to do what is right in My eyes, and to keep My statutes and My judgments, as David his father did. But I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David My servant, whom I chose, because he kept My commandments and My statutes. But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it to you, ten tribes. And to his son I will give one tribe, so that David My servant may have a light always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Me, to put My name there. And I will take you, and you shall reign according to all that your soul desires, and shall be king over Israel. And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as David My servant did, it shall happen that I will be with you and build you a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. And for this I will afflict the seed of David, but not forever. And Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the Book of the Acts of Solomon? And the days that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel were forty years. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam reigned in his place.

And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa reigned over Judah. And he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. And his grandmother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. And Asa did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah, as David his father did. read more.
And he took away the sodomites out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. And also he even removed his mother Maachah from being queen because she had made an idol in a grove. And Asa destroyed her idol and burned it by the torrent Kidron. But the high places were not removed. But Asa's heart was perfect with Jehovah all his days. And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which he himself had dedicated, into the house of Jehovah, silver and gold and vessels. And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, so that he might not allow any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. And Asa took all the silver and the gold left in the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying, There is a treaty between you and me, between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent to you a present of silver and gold. Come and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he may depart from me. And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa, and sent the commanders of the armies which he had against the cities of Israel, and struck Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. And it happened when Baasha heard, he left off building Ramah and lived in Tirzah. And King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah. None was free from it. And they took away the stones of Ramah, and its timber with which Baasha had built. And King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah with them. The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Judah? But in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet. And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father. And his son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place.

And Nathan said to David, You are the man! So says Jehovah, the God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if that was too little, I would have given to you such and such things besides. Why have you despised the Word of Jehovah, to do evil in His sight? You have stricken Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. read more.
And therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. So says Jehovah, Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor. And he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.

Arise, go down to meet Ahab the king of Israel in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to possess it. And you shall speak to him, saying, So says Jehovah, Have you killed and also taken possession? And you shall speak to him saying, So says Jehovah, In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours. And Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found you because you have sold yourself to work evil in the sight of Jehovah. read more.
Behold, I will bring evil on you and will take away those after you, and will cut off from Ahab him who urinates against the wall, both bond and free in Israel. And I will make your 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 you have provoked Me to anger, and made Israel to sin. And Jehovah also spoke of Jezebel saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. He who dies of Ahab in the city, the dogs shall eat. And he who dies in the field, the birds of the air shall eat.

And it happened when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come again, they sent and called him to the company, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

And Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim and lived in it, and went out from there and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now the kingdom shall return to the house of David! If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. read more.
And the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold and said to them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Behold your gods, O, Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt! And he set the one in Bethel, and he put the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one, even to Dan. And he made a house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, who were not the sons of Levi. And Jeroboam ordered a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah. And he offered on the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. And he offered on the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised out of his own heart. And he ordered a feast for the sons of Israel. And he offered on the altar, and burned incense. And behold, a man of God came out of Judah, by the Word of Jehovah, to Bethel. And Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar in the Word of Jehovah and said, O, altar, altar, so says Jehovah. Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and on you he shall offer the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall be burned on you. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which Jehovah has spoken. Behold, the altar shall be torn apart, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out. And it happened when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God who had cried against the altar in Bethel, he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him! And his hand, which he put forth against him withered up so that he could not pull it in again to himself. The altar also was torn apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar according to the sign which the man of God had given by the Word of Jehovah. And the king answered and said to the man of God, Seek now the face of Jehovah your God, and pray for me, and my hand may be given back to me again. And the man of God prayed to Jehovah, and the king's hand was given back to him again, and became as at the beginning. And the king said to the man of God, Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward. And the man of God said to the king, If you will give me half your house, I will not go in with you, nor will I eat bread nor drink water in this place. For so was it commanded me by the Word of Jehovah, saying, Eat no bread nor drink water, nor return again by the same way that you came. And he went another way, and did not return by the way he came to Bethel. And a certain old prophet was living in Bethel, and his son came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. The words which he had spoken to the king they also told to their father. And their father said to them, Where is this man? What way did he go? For his sons had seen what way the man of God, who came from Judah, had gone. And he said to his sons, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled the ass for him, and he rode on it, and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. And he said to him, Are you the man of God who came from Judah? And he said, I am. And he said to him, Come home with me and eat bread. And he said, I may not return with you nor go in with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. For a word was to me by the Word of Jehovah, You shall eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that you came. And he said to him, I am a prophet also as you are. And an angel spoke to me by the Word of Jehovah, saying, Bring him back with you into your house, so that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied to him. So he went back with him and ate bread in his house, and drank water. And it happened as they sat at the table, the Word of Jehovah came to the prophet who brought him back. And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, So says Jehovah, Because you have not obeyed the mouth of Jehovah and have not kept the command which Jehovah your God commanded you, but came back and have eaten bread and have drunk water in the place which He said to you, You shall not eat bread nor drink water, your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers. And after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, it happened that he saddled the ass for him, for the prophet whom he had brought back. And he left, and a lion met him by the way and killed him. And his dead body was thrown in the highway, and the ass stood by it, and the lion also stood by the body. And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown in the way, and the lion standing by the body. And they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived. And when the prophet who brought him back from the way heard, he said, It is the man of God who did not obey the Word of Jehovah. And Jehovah has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the Word of Jehovah which He spoke to him. And he spoke to his sons, saying, Saddle the ass for me. And they saddled it. And he went and found his body thrown in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the body. The lion had not eaten the body nor torn the ass. And the prophet took up the dead body of the man of God, and laid it on the ass and brought it back. And the prophet came to the city to mourn and to bury him. And he laid his body in his own grave. And they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother! And it happened after he had buried him, he spoke to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the tomb in which the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones, for the saying which he cried by the Word of Jehovah against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass. After this thing Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but turned and made priests of the high places from the lowest of the people. He who desired, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. And this thing is the sin of the house of Jeroboam, even to blot it from off the face of the earth. At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, please, and disguise yourself so that you will not be known to be the wife of Jeroboam. And go to Shiloh. Behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, who told me about being king over this people. And take ten loaves, and cakes, and a jar of honey with you, and go to him. And he will tell you what shall become of the boy. And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose and went to Shiloh. And she came to the house of Ahijah. And Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were set because of his age. And Jehovah said to Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam comes to ask a thing of you for her son, for he is sick. This and this you shall say to her, for when she comes in, she shall act as a stranger. And it happened when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came in at the door, he said, Come in, wife of Jeroboam! Why are you acting as a stranger? For I am sent to you with a hard thing. Go tell Jeroboam, So says Jehovah, the God of Israel, I lifted you up from among the people, and made you ruler over My people Israel, and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you. And you have not been as My servant David who kept My commandments, and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes. But you have done evil above all who were before you, for you have gone and made yourself other gods, and molded images, to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back; therefore, behold, I will bring evil on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam everyone who urinates against the wall, bound and free in Israel, and will sweep away the rest of the house of Jeroboam, as a man sweeps away the dung, until it is all gone. Those of Jeroboam who die in the city, the dogs shall eat. And those who die in the field, the fowls of the air shall eat. For Jehovah has spoken. And arise, get down to your own house. When your feet enter into the city, the boy shall die. And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him. For he only of Jeroboam shall come down to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward Jehovah, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. And Jehovah shall raise up a king over Israel for Himself, a king who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day. And what? Even now! For Jehovah shall strike Israel as the reed waves in the water, and He shall root up Israel out of this good land which He gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their Asherahs, provoking Jehovah to anger. And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who sinned, and that he made Israel to sin. And Jeroboam's wife arose, and left, and came to Tirzah. When she came to the doorsill the boy died. And they buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, according to the Word of Jehovah which He spoke by the hand of His servant Ahijah the prophet. And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel. And the days which Jeroboam reigned were twenty-two years. And he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his place.

And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown and the testimony on him. And they made him king and anointed him, and clapped their hands and said, Let the king live!

And they brought out the king's son and put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, Let the king live!

And Samuel took a vial of oil and poured on his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because Jehovah has anointed you for a leader over His inheritance?

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

In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria, sixteen years. And he did the evil in the sight of Jehovah. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, but he walked in them. And the rest of the acts of Jehoash, and all that he did, and his might which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel? read more.
And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. And Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Elisha had fallen sick with his illness in which he died. And Jehoash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over his face. And he said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen of it! And Elisha said to him, Take bow and arrows. And he took bow and arrows to himself. And he said to the king of Israel, Put your hand on the bow. And he placed his hand. And Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened. And Elisha said, Shoot! And he shot. And he said, The arrow of Jehovah's deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria. For you shall strike the Syrians in Aphek until it is finished. And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, Strike on the ground. And he struck three times and stopped. And the man of God was angry with him, and said, You should have stricken five or six times, then you would have stricken Syria until it was finished. But now you shall strike Syria three times. And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at first of the year. And it happened as they were burying a man, behold, they spied a band. And they threw the man into the grave of Elisha. And the man went down and touched the bones of Elisha, and revived and stood up on his feet. But Hazael, the king of Syria, oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. And Jehovah was gracious to them, and had pity on them, and had respect to them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And He would not destroy them, nor cast them from His presence as yet. And Hazael king of Syria died. And his son Ben-hadad reigned in his place. And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz returned and took out of the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Jehoash struck him three times and recovered the cities of Israel.

Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face. And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle which was in Lebanon sent to the cedar in Lebanon, saying, Give your daughter to my son for a wife. And a beast of the field in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. You have indeed stricken Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Rejoice and stay at home, for why should you meddle to your harm, so that you should fall, you and Judah with you? read more.
But Amaziah would not hear. And Jehoash king of Israel went up. And he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-shemesh, of Judah. And Judah was beaten before Israel. And every man fled to his tent. And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and he came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits. And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels which were found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king's house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria. And the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel? And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.

In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. And he did right in the sight of Jehovah. He did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. read more.
Only, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. He built the Upper Gate of the house of Jehovah. And the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Judah? In those days Jehovah began to send Rezin the king of Syria against Judah, and also Pekah the son of Remaliah. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father. And his son Ahaz reigned in his place.

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

And a man from the servants of Saul was there that day, held before Jehovah. And his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of Saul's herdsmen.

And Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. And she lived in Jerusalem in the second part. And they talked with her.

And Hilkiah, and those of the king, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the robes. (And she lived in Jerusalem in the second part.) And they spoke to her about this.

And in the fifth year of Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign. And he was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab did; for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah. read more.
Yet Jehovah would not destroy Judah for David His servant's sake, as He promised him to give him a light to his sons forever. In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. And Jehoram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him. And he rose by night and struck the Edomites who were all around him, and the commanders of the chariots. And the people fled into their tents. Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. And the rest of the acts of Jehoram, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Matter of the Days of the Kings of Judah? And Jehoram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

In the second year of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah reigned. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did the right in the sight of Jehovah, yet not like David his father. He did according to all things that Joash his father did. read more.
Only, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. And it happened when the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, he killed his servants who had slain his father the king; But he did not kill the sons of the servants, according to that which is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, in which Jehovah commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the sons, nor shall the sons be put to death for the fathers, but each shall be put to death for his own sin. He killed ten thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel until this day. Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face. And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle which was in Lebanon sent to the cedar in Lebanon, saying, Give your daughter to my son for a wife. And a beast of the field in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. You have indeed stricken Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Rejoice and stay at home, for why should you meddle to your harm, so that you should fall, you and Judah with you? But Amaziah would not hear. And Jehoash king of Israel went up. And he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-shemesh, of Judah. And Judah was beaten before Israel. And every man fled to his tent. And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and he came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits. And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels which were found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king's house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria. And the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel? And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son reigned in his place. And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years. And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Judah? And they made a plot against him at Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. And they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. And they brought him on horses, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.

And when your days are fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who shall come out of your bowels. And I will make his kingdom sure. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the sons of men. read more.
But My mercy shall not leave him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.

Once I have sworn by My holiness that I will not lie to David. His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me. It shall be established forever like the moon, and like a faithful witness in the heavens. Selah.

You shall not revile God, nor curse the ruler of your people.

Do not curse a king, no, not in your thought; and do not curse the rich in your bedroom; for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which has wings shall tell the matter.

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

And the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel?

And in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam reigned over Judah. He reigned three years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. And he walked in all the sins of his father which he had done before him. And his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as the heart of David his father. read more.
But for David's sake Jehovah his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem, because David did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah, and did not turn aside from all that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. And the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. And Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And his son Asa reigned in his place.

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

And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers, and Zabud the son of Nathan was the minister and the king's friend.

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers plot together, against Jehovah and against His anointed, saying,

Then He shall speak to them in His anger, and trouble them in His wrath.

You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

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

In the fifty-second year of Uzziah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, twenty years. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he deported them to Assyria. read more.
And Hoshea the son of Elah made a plot against Pekah the son of Remaliah. And he struck him and killed him and reigned in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel.

Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. And he reigned two years over Israel. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. For he served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked Jehovah, the God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done.

And the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel?

And Ahishar was over the household. And Adoniram the son of Abda was over the forced labor.

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

and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their clothing, and his cupbearers, and his burnt offering that he offered up to the house of Jehovah, there was no more spirit in her.

And she said to the king, The word that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom is true.

In being slow to anger a ruler is won over, and a soft tongue breaks the bone.

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

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

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

A king who truly judges the weak, his throne shall be established forever.

It is a hateful thing for kings to commit wickedness; for the throne is established by righteousness.

And the king made terraces to the house of Jehovah with the algum trees, and terraces to the king's palace, and lyres and harps for singers. And there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.

They shall be led with joy and gladness; they shall enter into the King's palace.

And Joab was over all the army of Israel. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And David's sons were priests.

The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion; but his favor is like dew on the grass.

The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion; whoever stirs him up to anger sins against his own soul.

And Nathan said to David, You are the man! So says Jehovah, the God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.

And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and good form. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him. For this is he.

And they came, Jeroboam and all the people, to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.

And all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, and the people answered the king, saying, What part do we have in David? Yea, there is no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now see to your house, O David! And Israel went to its tents.

And David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him. For who can stretch forth his hand against Jehovah's anointed and be guiltless?

And David said, Why were you not afraid to stretch forth your hand to destroy Jehovah's anointed?

And Jehovah said to Samuel, Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.

And you have this day rejected your God who Himself saved you out of all your calamities and your tribulations. And you have said to Him, But set a king over us. And now present yourselves before Jehovah by your tribes and by your thousands.

And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, his father's brother, king in his place. And he changed his name to Zedekiah.

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

They said to Him, Caesar's. Then He said to them, Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things which are God's.

For because of this you also pay taxes. For they are God's servants, always giving attention to this very thing. Therefore give to all their dues; to the one due tax, the tax; tribute to whom tribute is due, fear to whom fear is due, and honor to whom honor is due.

And he took out of the city a certain eunuch who was appointed over the men of war, and five men of those who were in the king's presence, who were found in the city, and the chief scribe of the army (who called up the people of the land together), and sixty men of the people of the land found in the city.

Happy are your men, happy are these who are your servants, who stand always before you, and who hear your wisdom.

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

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and enter into the battle. But you put on your robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle.

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

And now, behold the king whom you have chosen, whom you have desired! And behold, Jehovah has set a king over you!

And Ahishar was over the household. And Adoniram the son of Abda was over the forced labor.

And King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute. And all Israel stoned him with stones so that he died. And King Rehoboam made haste to go up to get into a chariot to flee to Jerusalem.

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

Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha were the scribes. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud the recorder,

Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha were the scribes. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud the recorder,

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

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

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

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

And Jehovah said to Solomon, Since this is done by you, and since you have not kept My covenant and My statutes which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.

Honor all. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Therefore give to all their dues; to the one due tax, the tax; tribute to whom tribute is due, fear to whom fear is due, and honor to whom honor is due.

But the Lord said to him, Go! For this one is a chosen vessel to Me, to bear My name before nations and kings and the sons of Israel.

King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you believe. And Agrippa said to Paul, Do you persuade me to be a Christian in but a little?

So says Cyrus king of Persia, Jehovah, the God of Heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? Let his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah, the God of Israel (He is God) which is in Jerusalem. And whoever remains in any place where he resides, let the men of his place help him with silver and with gold and with goods and with animals, besides the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.

Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the scrolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that was in the province of the Medes, a scroll. And in it was a record written thus: In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem. Let the house be built, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations of it be strongly laid. The height of it shall be sixty cubits, and the breadth of it shall be sixty cubits, read more.
with three rows of great stones and a row of new timber. And let the expenses be given out of the king's house. And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple at Jerusalem, and brought to Babylon, be given back and brought again to the temple which is at Jerusalem, to their place, and place them in the house of God. And Tatnai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-boznai, and your companions, the officials Beyond the River, keep away from there. Let the work of this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in its place. Also I make a decree as to what you shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God, that at once expense be given to these men from the king's goods, from the tax Beyond the River, so that they may not have to stop. And that which they have need of, both young bulls and rams and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of Heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the choice of the priests at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail, so that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savors to the God of Heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons. Also I have made a decree that whoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house and be set up, and let him be hanged on it. And let his house be made a dunghill for this. And may the God who has caused His name to dwell there destroy all kings and people who shall put their hand to alter or to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I, Darius, have made a decree. Let it be done with speed.

and especially those who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise dominion. They are darers, self-pleasing; not trembling at glories, speaking evil.

Who says to a king, O worthless one; and to nobles, O evil one?

and especially those who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise dominion. They are darers, self-pleasing; not trembling at glories, speaking evil.

Likewise, indeed, also these dreaming ones even defile flesh, and despise rulership, and speak evil of glories.

And it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write a copy of this Law in a book from before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of this Law, and these statutes, to do them, so that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he does not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he may make his days longer in his kingdom, he and his sons, in the midst of Israel.

And in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel. And Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of Jehovah above all who were before him. And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he also took Jezebel, the daughter of Eth-baal king of the Sidonians, for a wife. And he went and served Baal, and worshiped 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 an Asherah. And Ahab did more to provoke Jehovah, the God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. In his days Hiel the man of Bethel built Jericho. He laid the foundation of it in Abiram his first-born, and set up the gates of it in his youngest son Segub, according to the Word of Jehovah which He spoke by Joshua the son of Nun. And Elijah the Tishbite, of the sojourners of Gilead, said to Ahab, As Jehovah, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except according to my word. And the Word of Jehovah came to him, saying, Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, before Jordan. And it shall be, you shall drink of the brook. And I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. So he went and did according to the Word of Jehovah. For he went and lived by the torrent Cherith, before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the torrent. And it happened after a while, the torrent dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. And the Word of Jehovah came to him, saying, Arise, go to Zarephath which belongs to Sidon, and live there. Behold, I have commanded a widow to keep you there. And he arose and went to Zarephath, and came in to the entrance of the city, and, behold, the widow was gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, Please, bring me a little water in a vessel so that I may drink. And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, Please, bring me a piece of bread in your hand. And she said, As Jehovah your God lives, I do not have a cake, but only a handful of meal in a pitcher and a little oil in a jar. And behold, I am gathering two sticks, so that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, so that we may eat it and die. And Elijah said to her, Do not fear, go. Do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it, and bring it to me. And then make for you and for your son. For so says Jehovah, the God of Israel, The pitcher of meal shall not be emptied, nor shall the jar of oil fail, until the day that Jehovah sends rain on the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah. And she and he and her house ate many days; the pitcher of meal was not consumed, and the jar of oil did not fail, according to the Word of Jehovah which He spoke by Elijah. And it happened after these things 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 do I have to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to call my sin to remembrance and to kill my son? And he said to her, Give me your son. And he took him out of her bosom and carried him up into a loft, where he stayed, and laid him on his own bed. And he cried to Jehovah, and said, O Jehovah my God, have You also brought evil on the widow with whom I am staying, by slaying her son? And he stretched himself on the child three times, and cried to Jehovah, and said, O Jehovah my God, please let this child's soul come to him again. And Jehovah heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he lived. And Elijah took the child and brought him down out of the room into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, See! Your son lives! And the woman said to Elijah, Now I know this, that you are a man of God, and that the Word of Jehovah in your mouth is truth. And it happened after many days the Word of Jehovah came to Elijah in the third year saying, Go, show yourself to Ahab. And I will send rain on the earth. And Elijah went to be seen himself to Ahab. And there was a great famine in Samaria. And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the house. (And Obadiah feared Jehovah greatly, for it happened when Jezebel cut off the prophets of Jehovah, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go into the land, to all fountains of water, and to all the torrents. Perhaps we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, so that we do not lose all the animals. And 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, and behold! Elijah met him. And he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Are you my lord Elijah? and he answered him, I am. Go, tell your lord, behold, Elijah is here. And he said, What have I sinned that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab to kill me? As Jehovah your God lives, there is no nation nor kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. And when they said, He is not there, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation that they did not find you. And now you say, Go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here! And it will be as soon as I have gone from you, the Spirit of Jehovah shall carry you where I know not. And when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared Jehovah from my youth. Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of Jehovah, how I hid a hundred men of Jehovah's prophets by fifty in a cave and fed them with bread and water? And now you say, Go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah! And he will kill me! And Elijah said, As Jehovah of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely be seen by him today. And Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him. And Ahab went to meet Elijah. And it happened when Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, Are you he that troubles Israel? And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of Jehovah, and you have followed the Baals. And now send and gather to me all Israel to mount Carmel, and four hundred and fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table. And Ahab sent to all the sons of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to mount Carmel. And Elijah came to all the people and said, How long are you limping over two opinions? If Jehovah is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word. And Elijah said to the people, I, I alone, remain a prophet of Jehovah. But Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. And let them give us two bulls, and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces and lay it on wood. But place no fire. And I will dress the other bull and lay it on wood, and place no fire. And you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of Jehovah. And it shall be, the god that answers by fire, He is God. And all the people answered and said, The word is good. And Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose one bull for yourselves, and prepare first, for you are many. And call on the name of your god, but place no fire. And they took the bull which was given them, and they dressed, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any who answered. And they leaped on the altar which was made. And it happened at noon Elijah mocked them and said, Cry with a great voice, for he is a god. Either he is meditating, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey; perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened! And they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves with knives and spears until the blood gushed out on them, as is their way. And it happened when midday was past, and when they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor anyone who paid attention. And Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near him. And he repaired the broken down altar of Jehovah. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the Word of Jehovah came, saying, Israel shall be your name. And with stones he built an altar in the name of Jehovah. And he made a trench around the altar big enough to contain two measures of seed. And he arranged the wood, and cut the bull in pieces, and placed it on the wood, and said, Fill four water jars with water and pour on the burnt sacrifice 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 all around the altar. And he filled the trench also with water. And it happened at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your Word. Hear me, O Jehovah, hear me, that this people may know that You are Jehovah God, and that You have turned their heart back again. And the fire of Jehovah fell and burned up the burnt sacrifice 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, they fell on their faces. And they said, Jehovah, He is the God! Jehovah, He is the God! And Elijah said to them, Take the prophets of Baal. Do not let one of them escape. And they took them. And Elijah brought them down to the torrent Kishon and killed them there. And Elijah said to Ahab, Go up, eat and drink, because of the sound of plenty of rain. So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel. And he threw himself down on 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, Nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. And it happened at the seventh time, he said, Behold, there arises a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up and say to Ahab, Bind up and go down, so that the rain does not stop you. And it happened in the meantime the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rose and went to Jezreel. And the hand of Jehovah 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 all that he killed, all the prophets with the sword. And Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. And he saw, he rose and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba of Judah, and left his servant there. And he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he begged for his life, that he might die. And he said, It is enough. O Jehovah, take away my life. For I am no better than my fathers. And as he lay and slept under a broom tree, behold, then an angel touched him and said to him, Arise, eat. And he looked, and, behold, a cake was baked on the coals, and a jug of water at his head. And he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of Jehovah came to him the second time and touched him, and said, Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you. 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 there to a cave and stayed there. And behold, the Word of Jehovah came to him, and He said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very zealous for Jehovah the God of Hosts. For the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars, and have slain Your prophets with the sword. And I, I alone, am left. And they seek to take my life away. And He said, Go forth and stand on the mountain before Jehovah. And, behold, Jehovah passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains, and broke the rocks in pieces before Jehovah. But Jehovah was not in the wind. And after the wind was an earthquake, but Jehovah was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake was a fire, but Jehovah was not in the fire. And after the fire was a still, small voice. And it happened when Elijah heard, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out, and stood at the cave entrance. And behold, a voice came to him and said, What are you doing here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very zealous for Jehovah, the God of Hosts, because the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, have thrown down Your altars, and have slain Your prophets with the sword. And I, I alone, am left. And they seek to take my life away. And Jehovah said to him, Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you come, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And it will be, whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill. And whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. Yet I have left seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him. And he left there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, and he was plowing; twelve pairs of oxen were before him, and he was with the twelfth. And Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, Please, let me kiss my father and my mother, and I will follow you. And he said to him, Go back again, for what have I done to you? And he turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and killed them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave it to the people, and they ate. And he arose and went after Elijah, and ministered to him. And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together. And thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and laid siege to Samaria, and warred against it. And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, and to the city, and said to him, Ben-hadad says this: Your silver and your gold are mine, your wives also and your sons, the best are mine. And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O King, according to your saying I am yours and all that I have. And the messengers came again and said, Ben-hadad speaks in this way, saying, Although I have sent to you saying, You shall deliver me your silver and your gold and your wives and your sons, yet I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants. And it shall be, whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will put it in their hand and take it away. And the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, Please mark and see how this one 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 keep them back from him. And all the elders and all the people said to him, Do not listen nor consent! And he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that you sent for to your servant at the first I will do, but this thing I may not do. And the messengers left and brought him word again. And Ben-hadad sent to him and said, May the gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall be enough for handfuls for all the people who follow me. And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Do not let him who girds on boast himself like the one who loosens his armor. And it happened he heard this word, and he was drinking, he and the kings in the booths, he said to his servants, Set in order, and they set in order against the city. And they placed the engines against the city. And behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel, saying, So says Jehovah, Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am Jehovah. And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, So says Jehovah, By the young men of the rulers of the provinces. And he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, You. And he numbered the young men of the rulers of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two. And after them he numbered all the people, all the sons of Israel, seven thousand. And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, 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 coming out of Samaria. And he said, If they have come out for peace, take them alive; or if they have come out for war, take them alive. So these young men of the rulers of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them. And they each one killed his man. And the Syrians fled. And Israel pursued them. And Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the horsemen. And the king of Israel went out and struck the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter. And the prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, Go, strengthen yourself, and watch and see what you do. For at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against you. And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, Their gods are gods of the hills. On account of this they were stronger than we were. 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, each man out of his place, and put commanders in their places, and number an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. And we will fight against them in the plain. Are we not stronger than they? And he listened to their voice and did so. And it happened at the return of the year Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians that went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. And the sons of Israel were numbered, and were fed, and went to meet them. And the sons of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of goats. And the Syrians filled the country. And a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, So says Jehovah, Because the Syrians have said, Jehovah is God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys, therefore I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am Jehovah. And they pitched over against one another seven days. And it happened in the seventh day, and the battle came up. And the sons of Israel struck Syria, a hundred thousand footmen in one day. But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city. And there a wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of those remaining. And Ben-hadad fled and came into the city, into an inner room. And his servants said to him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please let us put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will save your life. And they bound sackcloth on their loins and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, Your servant Ben-hadad says, Please let me live. And he said, Is he still alive? He is my brother. And the men carefully observed, and quickly caught it from him, and said, Your brother Ben-hadad. And he said, Go and bring him. And Ben-hadad came out to him, and he caused him to come up into the chariot. And Ben-hadad said to him, The cities which my father took from your father, I will restore. And you shall make streets for you in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. And Ahab said, I will send you away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him and sent him away. And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor, By the Word of Jehovah, please strike me! And the man refused to strike him. And he said to him, Because you have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah, behold, as soon as you have departed from me, a lion shall kill you. And as soon as he had departed from him, a lion found him and killed him. And he found another man and said, Please strike me. And the man struck him, so that he wounded him in striking him. And the prophet went and waited for the king by the wayside, and disguised himself with ashes on his face. And as the king passed by, it happened he cried to the king. And he said, Your servant went out into the middle of the battle, and, behold, a man turned aside and brought a man to me and said, Keep this man. If he is missing by any means, then your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver. And it happened as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone! And the king of Israel said to him, So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it. And he hurried and took the ashes away from his face. And the king of Israel saw that he was one of the prophets. And he said to him, So says Jehovah, Because you have let go out of your hand a man whom I devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall be for his life, and your people for his people. And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria. And it happened after these things, Naboth of Jezreel had a vineyard in Jezreel, near the place of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, Give me your vineyard so that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near my house. And I will give you a better vineyard than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you the worth of it in silver. And Naboth said to Ahab, Far be it from me, by Jehovah, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you. And Ahab came to 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 you the inheritance of my fathers. And he lay on his bed and turned away his face, and would not eat food. And his wife Jezebel came to him and said to him, Why is your spirit so sad that you are not eating food? And he said to her, Because I spoke to Naboth of Jezreel and said to him, Give me your vineyard for silver. Or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it. And he answered, I will not give you my vineyard. And his wife Jezebel said to him, Do you now rule over Israel? Rise up, eat food, and let your heart be good. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel. And she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles in his city, dwelling with Naboth. And she wrote in the letter, saying, Proclaim a fast and set Naboth on high among the people. And set two men, sons of Belial, before him to bear witness against him, saying, You blasphemed God and the king. And carry him out and stone him so that he may die. And the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city did as Jezebel had sent to them, 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 there came in two men, sons of Belial, and sat before him. And the men of Belial witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth blasphemed God and the king. And they carried him out of the city and stoned him with stones so that he died. And they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned and is dead. And it happened when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel, which he refused to give you for silver. For Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it happened when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel, to take possession of it. And the Word of Jehovah came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab the king of Israel in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to possess it. And you shall speak to him, saying, So says Jehovah, Have you killed and also taken possession? And you shall speak to him saying, So says Jehovah, In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours. And Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found you because you have sold yourself to work evil in the sight of Jehovah. Behold, I will bring evil on you and will take away those after you, and will cut off from Ahab him who urinates against the wall, both bond and free in Israel. And I will make your 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 you have provoked Me to anger, and made Israel to sin. And Jehovah also spoke of Jezebel saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. He who dies of Ahab in the city, the dogs shall eat. And he who dies in the field, the birds of the air shall eat. But there was none like Ahab, who sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of Jehovah, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites did, whom Jehovah cast out before the sons of Israel. And it happened when Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth and walked softly. And the Word of Jehovah came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Do you see 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 I will bring the evil on his house. And they continued three years; there was no war between Syria and Israel. And it happened in the third year, Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to see the king of Israel. And the king of Israel said to his servants, Do you not know that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we are quiet and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria? And he said to Jehoshaphat, Will you go with me to battle to Ramoth in Gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as you; my people as your people, my horses as your horses. And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Please inquire at the Word of Jehovah today. And the king of Israel gathered the prophets, about four hundred men, and said to them, Shall I go against Ramoth in Gilead to battle, or shall I hold back? And they said, Go up! For Jehovah shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah besides, that we might inquire of Him? And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of Jehovah. But I hate him, for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. And the king of Israel called an officer and said, Hurry and bring Micaiah the son of Imlah. And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah each sat on his throne, having put on their robes, in a floor in the entrance of the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets prophesied before them. And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself. And he said, So says Jehovah, With these you shall push the Syrians until you have crushed them. And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth in Gilead and prosper, for Jehovah shall deliver it into the king's hands. And the messenger that had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets are good to the king with one mouth. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak good. And Micaiah said, As Jehovah lives, what Jehovah says to me, that I will speak. So he came to the king. And the king said to him, Micaiah, Shall we go against Ramoth in Gilead to battle, or shall we hold off? And he answered him, Go and prosper. For Jehovah shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure you that you tell me nothing but what is true, in the name of Jehovah? And he said, I saw all Israel scattered on the hills, like sheep that have no shepherd. And Jehovah said, These have no master. Let each man return to his house in peace. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil? And he said, Hear therefore the Word of Jehovah: I saw Jehovah sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left. And Jehovah said, Who shall entice Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth in Gilead? And one said this way, and another said that way. And there came forth a spirit and stood before Jehovah and said, I will entice him. And Jehovah 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, You shall entice him and succeed also. Go forth and do so. And now, behold, Jehovah has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets, and Jehovah has spoken evil concerning you. But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way did the Spirit of Jehovah go from me to speak to you? And Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see in that day when you shall go into an inner room to hide yourself. 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, So says the king, Put this one in the prison and feed him with bread of affliction and the water of affliction, until I come in peace. And Micaiah said, If you return at all in peace, Jehovah has not spoken by me. And he said, Listen, O people, all of them! And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth in Gilead. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and enter into the battle. But you put on your robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle. But the king of Syria commanded his thirty-two commanders of the chariots, saying, Do not fight with small nor great, but with the king of Israel. And it happened when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. And it happened when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. And a man drew a bow in his simplicity and struck the king of Israel between the joints and the breastplate. And he said to the driver of his chariot, Turn your hand and carry me out of the army, for I am wounded. And the battle increased that day. And the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at evening. And the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot. And there went a cry throughout the army when the sun went, saying, Each to his city, and each to his land. And the king died and came to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and they washed his armor, according to the Word of Jehovah which He spoke. And 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 Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel? And Ahab lay with his fathers. And his son Ahaziah reigned in his place.

He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab. For his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah like the house of Ahab. For they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his ruin.

And he built towers in the desert, and dug many wells. For he had many cattle, both in the low country and in the plains. He also had husbandmen and vinedressers in the mountains, and in Carmel. For he loved the earth.

And he provided himself cities, and possessions of flocks and herds, in abundance. For God had given him very many things.

And in the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha killed him and reigned in his place. And it happened when he reigned, he struck all the house of Jeroboam. He did not leave Jeroboam any who breathed, until he had destroyed him, according to the saying of Jehovah which He spoke by His servant Ahijah the man of Shiloh, because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation with which he provoked Jehovah, the God of Israel to anger. read more.
And the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel? And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty-four years. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin. And the Word of Jehovah came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, Since I exalted you out of the dust, and made you ruler over My people Israel, and since you have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and have made My people Israel to sin, to provoke Me to anger with their sins, behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house. And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Those of Baasha who die in the city shall the dogs eat. And those of his who die in the fields, the birds of the air shall eat. And the rest of the acts of Baasha and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel? And Baasha lay with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah. And Elah his son reigned in his place. And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the Word of Jehovah against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of Jehovah, in provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he killed him.

And over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the low plains was Baal-hanan of Geder. And over the cellars of oil was Joash.

And over the vineyards was Shimei of Ramah. Over the increase of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite.

Over the camels also was Obil the Ishmaelite. And over the asses was Jehdeiah the Meronothite.

And over the flocks was Jaziz the son of Hagar. All these were the rulers of the substance which was King David's.

Ezri the son of Chelub was over the work of the field for farming the ground.

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

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

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

He did not allow any man to do them wrong. Yea, He reproved kings for their sakes,

And take the box of oil and pour it on his head, and say, So says Jehovah, I have anointed you king over Israel. And you shall open the door, and flee, and shall not wait. And the young man went, the servant of the prophet, to Ramoth in Gilead. And he came in, and, behold, the commanders of the army were sitting. And he said, I have an errand to you, commander. And Jehu said, To which of all of us? And he said, To you, commander. read more.
And he arose and went into the house. And he poured the oil on his head and said to him, So says Jehovah, the God of Israel, I have anointed you king over the people of Jehovah, over Israel. And you shall strike the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Jehovah at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish. And I will cut off from Ahab everyone that urinates against the wall, both bound and free. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in a part of Jezreel, and none shall be there to bury her. And he opened the door and fled. And Jehu went out to the servants of his lord. And one said to him, Well? Why did this mad man come to you? And he said to them, You know the man and what he had to say. And they said, It is false. Tell us now! And he said, This and this he spoke to me, saying, So says Jehovah, I have anointed you king over Israel. And they hurried and each man took his garment and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king. And Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi plotted against Jehoram. And Jehoram was keeping watch at Ramoth in Gilead, he and all Israel before Hazael king, of Syria. And King Jehoram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him when he fought with Hazael the king of Syria. And Jehu said, If it is your minds, then let no escapee leave to go to tell it in Jezreel. And Jehu rode in the chariot and went to Jezreel. For Jehoram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Jehoram. And a watchman stood on the tower in Jezreel. And he saw the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Jehoram said, Take a horseman and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace? And the rider on horseback went to meet him and said, So says the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What do you have to do with peace? Turn behind me! And the watchman reported, saying, The messenger came to them, but he does not come again. And he sent a second rider on horseback, who came to them and said, So says the king, Is it peace? And he answered, What do you have to do with peace? Turn behind me! And the watchman reported, saying, He came up to them, but does not come again. And the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously. And Jehoram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Jehoram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his own chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth of Jezreel. And it happened when Jehoram saw Jehu, he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? And Jehoram turned his hands and fled and said to Ahaziah, Treachery, Ahaziah! And Jehu drew a bow and struck Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sank down in his chariot. And he said to Bidkar his commander, Take him up and throw him in the portion of the field of Naboth of Jezreel. For, remember, you and I rode together after Ahab his father, and Jehovah laid this burden on him. Surely, yesterday I have seen the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, says Jehovah, and I will repay you in this portion, says Jehovah. And now, take him and throw him into the portion, according to the Word of Jehovah. And when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw, he fled by the way of the garden-house. And Jehu followed after him and said, Strike him also in the chariot, at the going up to Gur, that is near Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there. And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in the city of David. And in the eleventh year of Jehoram the son of Ahab, Ahaziah began to reign over Judah. And Jehu had come to Jezreel. And Jezebel heard, and had painted her face and adorned her head, and looked out at a window. And Jehu came to the gate. And she said, Was it peace to Zimri the slayer of his lord? And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is with me? Who? And two or three eunuchs looked out at him. And he said, Throw her down! And they threw her down. And some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses. And he trampled her. And when he had come in, he ate and drank, and said, Go, now see this cursed woman and bury her. For she is a king's daughter. And they went to bury her, but they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. And they came again and told him. And he said, This is the Word of Jehovah which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel. And the dead body of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel. And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent to Samaria to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the supporters of Ahab, saying, And now as soon as this letter comes to you, since your master's sons are with you, and chariots and horses are with you, also a fortified city and armor, even look for the best and fittest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house. And they were exceedingly afraid and said, Behold, two kings did not stand before him; how then shall we stand? And he who was over the house, and he over the city, the elders also, and the guardians, sent to Jehu saying, We are your servants and will do all that you shall say to us; we will not make any king. Do what is good in your eyes. And he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If you are mine, and will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men, your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by this time tomorrow. And the king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city who brought them up. And it happened when the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and killed them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent to him in Jezreel. And a messenger came and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning. And it happened in the morning, he went out and stood, and said to all the people, You are righteous. Behold, I plotted against my master and killed him. But who killed all these? Now know that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the Word of Jehovah, which Jehovah spoke concerning the house of Ahab. For Jehovah has done that which He spoke by His servant Elijah. And Jehu killed all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him none remaining. And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. He was at the shepherds' shearing-house in the way, And Jehu met with the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are you? And they answered, The brothers of Ahaziah. And we are going down to greet the king's sons and the queen's sons. And he said, Take them alive! And they took them alive and killed them at the pit of the shearing-house, forty-two men. And he left not a man of them. And he left there and found Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. And he greeted him and said to him, Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it is, give your hand. And he gave his hand. And he took him up to him into the chariot. And he said, Come with me and see my zeal for Jehovah. And they made him ride in his chariot. And he came to Samaria, and killed all that remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed him, according to the saying of Jehovah which He spoke to Elijah. And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu shall serve him much. And now call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. Let no one be lacking. For I have a great sacrifice to Baal. Whoever shall be lacking, he shall not live. But Jehu was acting with cunning, to the end that he might destroy the worshipers of Baal. And Jehu said, Call a solemn feast for Baal. And they called it. And Jehu sent through all Israel. And all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And they came into the house of Baal. And the house of Baal was full from one end to another. And he said to him who was over the robe-room, Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal. And he brought them out for them. And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal. And he said to the servants of Baal, Search and look, that there may not be here with you any of the servants of Jehovah, but only the servants of Baal. And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. And Jehu had appointed eighty men outside, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escapes, his life shall be for the life of him. And it happened when he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the commanders, Go in. Kill them! Do not let any come out! And they struck them with the edge of the sword. And the guard and the commanders threw them out. And they went to the city, to the house of Baal. And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal and burned them. And they broke down the image of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal and made it a sewer-house until this day. And Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. Only, Jehu did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, going after them, the golden calves in Bethel and in Dan. And Jehovah said to him, Jehu, because you have done well in doing the right in My eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in My heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel. But Jehu did not care to walk in the Law of Jehovah, the God of Israel with all his heart, for he did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin. In those days Jehovah began to cut Israel short. And Hazael struck them in all the border of Israel, from Jordan toward the rising of the sun, all the land of Gilead, the men of Gad and of Reuben and of Manasseh, from Aroer, by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan. And the rest of the acts of Jehu and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the Book of the Matter of the Days of the Kings of Israel? And Jehu slept with his fathers. And they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place. And the days that Jehu reigned over Israel and Samaria were twenty-eight years.

Nor shall he multiply wives to himself, so that his heart does not turn away. Nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold to himself.

Nor shall he multiply wives to himself, so that his heart does not turn away. Nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold to himself.

But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, so as to multiply horses, because Jehovah has said to you, You shall return no more that way from now on.

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

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

you shall surely set a king over you, whom Jehovah your God shall choose. You shall set a king over you from among your brothers. You may not set a stranger over you, who is not your brother.

Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to Jehovah, and He shall send thunder and rain, so that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, that which you have done in the sight of Jehovah, in asking a king for you. And Samuel called to Jehovah, And Jehovah sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared Jehovah and Samuel. And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for your servants to Jehovah your God, so that we will not die. For we have added evil to all our sins, to ask a king for us. read more.
And Samuel said to the people, Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness. Yet do not turn aside from following Jehovah, but serve Jehovah with all your heart.

In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Jehoash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, forty-one years. And he did the evil in the sight of Jehovah. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin. He restored the border of Israel from the entering of Hamath to the sea of the plain, according to the Word of Jehovah, the God of Israel which He spoke by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. read more.
For Jehovah had seen the affliction of Israel to be very bitter. And one was bound, and none was free, and there was no helper for Israel. And Jehovah did not say that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, but He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Jehoash. And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus and Hamath, of Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel? And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, with the kings of Israel. And his son Zachariah reigned in his place.

In the fiftieth year of Uzziah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, two years. And he did the evil in the sight of Jehovah. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a commander of his, conspired against him and struck him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and fifty men of the Gileadites with him. And he killed him and reigned in his place. read more.
And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel.

Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah. And he reigned in Samaria a full month. For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria and struck Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria. And he killed him and reigned in his place. And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and the conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel.

Then Menahem struck Tiphsah, and all in it, and its borders, from Tirzah. Because they did not open, he struck it. He ripped up all its pregnant women. In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel, ten years in Samaria. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, all his days. read more.
Pul, the king of Assyria came against the land. And Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver so that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand. And Menahem took the silver from Israel, from all the mighty men of wealth (fifty shekels of silver from each man) to give to the king of Assyria. And the king of Assyria turned back and did not stay there in the land. And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel? And Menahem slept with his fathers. And Pekahiah his son reigned in his place.

In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel. He reigned twelve years, six years in Tirzah. And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Samaria. And Omri did evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and did worse than all who were before him. read more.
For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin, to provoke Jehovah, the God of Israel to anger with their vanities. And the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel? And Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son reigned in his place.

And Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, but not like his father and his mother; for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made. But he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. He did not depart from them. read more.
And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and paid to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thousand rams with the wool. And it happened when Ahab was dead, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. And King Jehoram went out of Samaria at the same time and numbered all Israel. And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses. And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom. And the king of Israel and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom went. And they went around behind for seven days' journey. And there was no water for the army, and for the cattle that followed them. And the king of Israel said, Alas! that Jehovah has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab! And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah, that we may ask of Jehovah by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah. And Jehoshaphat said, The Word of Jehovah is with him. And the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went down to him. And Elisha said to the king of Israel, What do I have to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother. And the king of Israel said to him, No, for Jehovah has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab. And Elisha said, As Jehovah of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely if it were not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward you nor see you. And now bring me a minstrel. And it happened when the minstrel played, the hand of Jehovah came on him. And he said, So says Jehovah, Make this valley full of ditches. For so says Jehovah, You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain. Still that valley shall be filled with water, so that you may drink, both you and your cattle, and your animals. And this is a light thing in the sight of Jehovah. He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. And you shall strike every fortified city, and every choice city. And you shall cut down every good tree and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones. And it happened in the morning when the food offering was offered, behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. And all Moab had heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armor, and upward, and stood in the border. And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side red like blood. And they said, This is blood. The kings are surely slain, and they have stricken one another. And now, Moab, to the spoil! And they came to the camp of Israel, and the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them. But they entered it and struck Moab. And they beat down the cities, and each man cast his stone on every good piece of land, and filled it. And they stopped all the wells of water, and cut down all the good trees. Only in Kir-haraseth did they leave the stones of it. But the slingers surrounded it and struck it. And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too strong for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, in order to break through to the king of Edom. And they could not. And he took his oldest son, who would have reigned in his place, and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. And there was great anger against Israel. And they left him, and returned to the land. And a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, saying, Your servant my husband is dead. And you know that your servant feared Jehovah. And the lender has come to take my two children to himself for slaves. And Elisha said to her, What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house? And she said, Your handmaid has not a thing in the house except a pot of oil. And he said, Go, borrow vessels for yourself from outside, from your neighbors, empty vessels. Do not let them be few. And you shall go in and shut the door on you and your sons. And you shall pour out into all those vessels. And you shall set aside the full ones. And she went from him and shut the door on her and on her sons. They brought to her, and she poured out. And it happened when the vessels were full, she said to her son, Bring me another vessel. And he said to her, There is not a vessel left. And the oil stopped. And she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons shall live from the rest. And the day came when Elisha passed over to Shunem. And a great woman was there. And she laid hold on him to eat bread. And it happened, as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread. And she said to her husband, Behold now, I see that this is a holy man of God who passes by us continually. Please, let us make a little room on the wall. And let us set a bed for him there, and a table, and a stool, and a lampstand. And when he comes to us, he shall turn in there. And the day came when he came in there, and he turned into the room and lay there. And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And he called her, and she stood before him. And he said to him, Say now to her, Behold, you have been thoughtful for us with all this care. What is to be done for you? Would you be spoken for to the king or to the commander of the army? And she answered, I dwell among my own people. And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Truly, she has no child, and her husband is old. And he said, Call her! And he called her, and she stood in the door. And he said, At this time, according to the time of life, you shall embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your handmaid. And the woman conceived and bore a son at that time that Elisha had said to her, according to the time of life. And the boy grew, and the day came that he went out to his father to the reapers. And he said to his father, My head, my head! And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. And he carried him and brought him to his mother. And he sat on her knees until noon and died. And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door on him and went out. And she called to her husband and said, Please send me one of the young men and one of the asses so that I may run to the man of God and come again. And he said, Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath. And she said, It is well. And she saddled an ass and said to her servant, Drive and go forward! Do not hold back your riding for me unless I tell you. And she went and came to the man of God, to Mount Carmel. And it happened when the man of God saw her afar off, he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, the Shunammite. Please run now to meet her, and say to her, Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the boy? And she answered, Well! And she came to the man of God to the hill, and she caught him by the feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone, for her soul is troubled within her. And Jehovah has hidden it from me and has not told me. And she said, Did I desire a son from my lord? Did I not say, Do not deceive me? Then he said to Gehazi, Bind up your loins and take my staff in your hand, and go. If you meet any man, do not greet him. And if any greet you, do not answer him again. And lay my staff on the face of the child. And the mother of the child said, As Jehovah lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. And he arose and followed her. And Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the face of the child. But there was no voice nor hearing. And he turned back to meet him and told him, saying, The boy has not awakened. And Elisha had come to the house. And behold, the boy was dead, and laid out on his bed. And he went in and shut the door on the two of them, and prayed to Jehovah. And he went up and lay on the boy, and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And he stretched himself on the boy. And the flesh of the boy became warm. And he returned and walked in the house to and fro. And he went up and stretched himself on him. And the boy sneezed seven times, and the boy opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi and said, Call this Shunammite. And he called her, and she came in to him. And he said, Take up your son! And she went in and fell at his feet and bowed to the ground, and took up her son, and went out. And Elisha came again to Gilgal. And there was a famine in the land. And the sons of the prophets were sitting before him. And he said to his servant, Set on the great pot and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field to gather herbs. And he found a vine of the field, and gathered gourds from it in the field. And with the lap of his garment full, he came in and shredded them into the pot of pottage. For they did not know them. And they poured out for the men to eat. And it happened as they were eating of the pottage, they cried out and said, O man of God, death is in the pot! And they could not eat. And he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot. And he said, Pour out for the people, and they may eat. And there was no evil thing in the pot. And a man came from Baal-shalisha and brought the man of God bread from the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and full ears of grain in his sack. And he said, Give to the people that they may eat. And his servant said, What? Should I set this before a hundred men? He said again, Give to the people so that they may eat, for so says Jehovah, They shall eat and shall leave some. And he set before them, and they ate, and left some of it, according to the Word of Jehovah. And Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and exalted man with his master, because Jehovah had given deliverance to Syria by him. He was also a mighty man, but a leper. And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and captured a little girl out of the land of Israel. And she waited on Naaman's wife. And she said to her mistress, I wish my lord were with the prophet in Samaria! For he would recover him from his leprosy. And one went in and told his lord, saying, This and this said the girl from the land of Israel. And the king of Syria said, Go, go in and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he departed and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand of gold, and ten changes of clothing. And he came in with the letter to the king of Israel, saying, And now when this letter has come to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you. And you shall recover him of his leprosy. And it happened when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to recover a man from his leprosy? For consider now, and see, for he is coiling himself toward me. And it happened when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, Why have you torn your clothes? Let him now come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. And Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall come to you, and you shall be clean. But Naaman was angry, and went away. And he said, Behold, I said within myself, He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of Jehovah his God, and strike his hand over the place and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean? And he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near and spoke to him and said, My father, if the prophet had told you to do a great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather then, when he says to you, Wash and be clean? And he went down and dipped seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God. And his flesh came again like the flesh of a little boy, and he was clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company. And he came and stood before him. And he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. And now please take a blessing from your servant. But he said, As Jehovah lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it, but he refused. And Naaman said, Please shall there not then be given to your servant two mules' burden of earth? For your servant will from now on offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but to Jehovah. In this thing may Jehovah pardon your servant, that when my master goes to the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he is supported by my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon; when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, may Jehovah pardon your servant in this thing. And he said to him, Go in peace. And he went away from him a little way. And Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master has spared Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hand that which he brought. But, as Jehovah lives, I will run after him and take something from him. And Gehazi followed after Naaman. And Naaman saw him running after him, and descended down from the chariot to meet him. And he said, Is all well? And he said, All is well. My master has sent me, saying, Behold, this now, two young men from Mount Ephraim of the sons of the prophets have come to me. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing. And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing. And he laid them on two of his servants. And they carried them before him. And he came to the hill, and he took from their hand and stowed them in the house. And he let the men go, and they departed. And he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, Where from, Gehazi? And he said, Your servant did not go here or there. And he said to him, Did not my heart go with you when the man turned again from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive silver and to receive clothing and olive-yards and vineyards and sheep and oxen and menservants and maidservants? And the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your seed forever. And he went out from his presence as leprous as snow. And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, Behold now, the place where we live with you is too small for us. Please let us go to Jordan. And let each man take a beam from there. And let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go. And one said, Be content, please, and go with your servants. And he answered them, I will go. And he went with them. And they came to Jordan, and they cut down trees. And it happened as one was felling a log, the axe-head fell into the water. And he cried and said, Alas, master! For it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where did it fall? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick and threw it in there. And the iron swam. And he said, take it up to you. And he put out his hand and took it. And the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, Beware that you do not pass such a place, for the Syrians have come down there. And the king of Israel sent to the place of which the man of God told him and warned him, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. And the heart of the king of Syria was enraged for this thing. And he called his servants and said to them, Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king, but Elisha the prophet, who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom. And he said, Go and spy where he is, so that I may send and bring him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. And he sent there horses and chariots and a great army. And they came by night and surrounded the city. And the servant of the man of God arose early and went out. And, behold, an army surrounded the city, and horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, Alas, my master! What shall we do? And he answered, Do not fear, for those with us are more than those with them. And Elisha prayed and said, I pray You, Jehovah, open his eyes so that he may see. And Jehovah opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. And they came down to it, and Elisha prayed to Jehovah and said, I pray You, strike this people with blindness. And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. And Elisha said to them, This is not the way, nor is this the city. Follow me and I will bring you to the man whom you seek. But he led them to Samaria. And it happened when they came into Samaria, Elisha said, Jehovah, open the eyes of these men so that they may see. And Jehovah opened their eyes, and they saw. And behold, they were in the middle of Samaria. And when he saw them, the king of Israel said to Elisha, My father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them? And he answered, You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them so that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. And he prepared a great feast for them. And when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel. And it happened after this Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his army and went up and lay siege to Samaria. And there was a great famine in Samaria. And, behold, they besieged it until an ass's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five silver pieces. And as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, Help, my lord, O king! And he said, if Jehovah does not help you, from where shall I help you? Out of the barn-floor, or out of the winepress? And the king said to her, What ails you? And she said, This woman said to me, Give your son so that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow. And we boiled my son and ate him. And I said to her on the other day, Give your son so that we may eat him. And she has hidden her son. And it happened when the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. And he passed by on the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth inside on his flesh. And he said, May God do so, and more also, to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day. But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him. And he sent a man from before him. But before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold him fast at the door. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him? While he still talked with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. And he said, Behold, this evil is from Jehovah. Why should I wait for Jehovah any longer? And Elisha said, Hear the Word of Jehovah! So says Jehovah, Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold at a shekel, and two measures of barley at a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. And the third officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if Jehovah would make windows in heaven, then this thing might be. And he said, Behold, you shall see with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it. And four men, lepers, were at the gate entrance. And they said to one another, Why do we sit here until we die? If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we still sit here, we also shall die. And now come and let us fall to the army of the Syrians. If they save us alive, we shall live. And if they kill us, we shall only die. And they rose up in the twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. And when they had come to the outermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, no man was there! For Jehovah had made the army of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots and a noise of horses, the noise of a great army. And they said to one another, Lo, the king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians against us, to come on us. And they arose and fled in the twilight and left their tents and their horses and their asses, the camp, as it was, and fled for their life. And when these lepers came to the outermost part of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried silver and gold and clothing from there, and went and hid it. And they came again and entered into another tent and carried from there, and went and hid it. And they said to one another, We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we hold our peace. If we stay until the morning light, some punishment will come on us. And now come, so that we may go and tell the king's household. And they came and called to the porter of the city. And they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, no man was there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were . And he called the porters. And they told it to the king's house inside. And the king arose in the night and said to his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry, and they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive and get into the city. And one of his servants answered and said, Please let some take five of the horses which remain, which are left in the city; behold, they are like all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; behold, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed. And we will send and see. And they took two chariots with horses. And the king sent after the army of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. And they went after them to Jordan. And, lo, all the way was full of clothing and vessels which the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. And the messengers returned and told the king. And the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians. And it happened, a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the Word of Jehovah. And the king appointed the third officer over the gate, the one on whose hand he had leaned. And the people trampled on him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. And it happened according to the saying of the man of God to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel: This shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria. And the third officer answered the man of God and said, Behold, if Jehovah should make windows in heaven, then such a thing might be. And he said, Behold, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it. And it happened to him, for the people trampled on him in the gate, and he died. And Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise and go, you and your household, and live wherever you can live. For Jehovah has called for a famine. And it shall also come on the land seven years. And the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. And she went with her household, and lived in the land of the Philistines seven years. And it happened at the end of seven years, the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines. And she went forth to cry to the king for her house and for her land. And the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, Please tell me all the great things which Elisha has done. And it happened as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life cried to the king for the house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O, king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life. And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed to her a certain eunuch saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day when she left the land, even until now. And Elisha came to Damascus. And Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick. And they told him, saying, The man of God has come here. And the king said to Hazael, Take a present in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and ask of Jehovah by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? And Hazael went to meet him and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Your servant Ben-hadad, king of Syria, has sent me to you, saying, Shall I recover from this disease? And Elisha said to him, Go and say to him, You shall certainly recover. But Jehovah has shown me that he shall surely die. And he settled his face steadfastly until he was ashamed. And the man of God wept. And Hazael said, Why does my lord weep? And he answered, Because I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel. You will set their strongholds on fire, and you will kill their young men with the sword, and will dash their children, and rip up their women with child. And Hazael said, What! Is your servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, Jehovah has shown me that you shall be king over Syria. And he departed from Elisha and came to his master, who said to him, What did Elisha say to you? And he answered, He told me you would surely recover. And it happened on the next day he took a thick cloth and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face so that he died. And Hazael reigned in his place. And in the fifth year of Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign. And he was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab did; for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah. Yet Jehovah would not destroy Judah for David His servant's sake, as He promised him to give him a light to his sons forever. In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. And Jehoram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him. And he rose by night and struck the Edomites who were all around him, and the commanders of the chariots. And the people fled into their tents. Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. And the rest of the acts of Jehoram, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Matter of the Days of the Kings of Judah? And Jehoram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Ahaziah his son reigned in his place. In the twelfth year of Jehoram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, began to reign. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel. And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of Jehovah, as the house of Ahab, for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab. And he went with Jehoram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramoth of Gilead. And the Syrians wounded Jehoram. And King Jehoram went back to be healed in Jezreel from the wounds which the Syrians had given him in Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick. And Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and said to him, Bind up your loins and take this box of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth in Gilead. And you shall go there, and you shall see there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. And you shall go in and make him rise up from among his brothers, and take him to an inner room. And take the box of oil and pour it on his head, and say, So says Jehovah, I have anointed you king over Israel. And you shall open the door, and flee, and shall not wait. And the young man went, the servant of the prophet, to Ramoth in Gilead. And he came in, and, behold, the commanders of the army were sitting. And he said, I have an errand to you, commander. And Jehu said, To which of all of us? And he said, To you, commander. And he arose and went into the house. And he poured the oil on his head and said to him, So says Jehovah, the God of Israel, I have anointed you king over the people of Jehovah, over Israel. And you shall strike the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Jehovah at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish. And I will cut off from Ahab everyone that urinates against the wall, both bound and free. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in a part of Jezreel, and none shall be there to bury her. And he opened the door and fled. And Jehu went out to the servants of his lord. And one said to him, Well? Why did this mad man come to you? And he said to them, You know the man and what he had to say. And they said, It is false. Tell us now! And he said, This and this he spoke to me, saying, So says Jehovah, I have anointed you king over Israel. And they hurried and each man took his garment and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king. And Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi plotted against Jehoram. And Jehoram was keeping watch at Ramoth in Gilead, he and all Israel before Hazael king, of Syria. And King Jehoram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him when he fought with Hazael the king of Syria. And Jehu said, If it is your minds, then let no escapee leave to go to tell it in Jezreel. And Jehu rode in the chariot and went to Jezreel. For Jehoram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Jehoram. And a watchman stood on the tower in Jezreel. And he saw the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Jehoram said, Take a horseman and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace? And the rider on horseback went to meet him and said, So says the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What do you have to do with peace? Turn behind me! And the watchman reported, saying, The messenger came to them, but he does not come again. And he sent a second rider on horseback, who came to them and said, So says the king, Is it peace? And he answered, What do you have to do with peace? Turn behind me! And the watchman reported, saying, He came up to them, but does not come again. And the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously. And Jehoram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Jehoram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his own chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth of Jezreel. And it happened when Jehoram saw Jehu, he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? And Jehoram turned his hands and fled and said to Ahaziah, Treachery, Ahaziah! And Jehu drew a bow and struck Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sank down in his chariot. And he said to Bidkar his commander, Take him up and throw him in the portion of the field of Naboth of Jezreel. For, remember, you and I rode together after Ahab his father, and Jehovah laid this burden on him. Surely, yesterday I have seen the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, says Jehovah, and I will repay you in this portion, says Jehovah. And now, take him and throw him into the portion, according to the Word of Jehovah.

Because the word of a king is that which has power; and who may say to him, What are you doing?

And the advantage of a land, it is for all; even a king has a field being tilled.

These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them. For He is Lord of lords and King of kings. And those with Him are the called and elect and faithful ones.

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes to lust for strong drink; lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria, six months. And he did the evil in the sight of Jehovah, as his fathers had done. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him. And he struck him before the people, and killed him, and reigned in his place. read more.
And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they are written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel. This was the Word of Jehovah which He spoke to Jehu, saying, Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel until the fourth generation. And it was so.

In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned two years. And his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, plotted against him; and he was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza the steward of his house in Tirzah. And Zimri went in and struck him, and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place. read more.
And it happened when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, he killed all the house of Baasha. He did not leave him one who urinated against a wall, nor of his kinsmen, nor of his friends. And Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the Word of Jehovah which He spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, for all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, by which they sinned and that they made Israel to sin, in provoking Jehovah, the God of Israel to anger with their vanities. And the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel?

And his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, plotted against him; and he was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza the steward of his house in Tirzah. And Zimri went in and struck him, and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place.

First of all, then, I exhort that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

Open your mouth for the dumb, for the cause of all the sons of those passing away. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field. And Saul said, What is wrong with the people that they weep? And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. And the Spirit of God came powerfully on Saul when he heard those words, and his anger was kindled greatly. And he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen. And the fear of Jehovah fell on the people, and they came out as one man.

And now listen to their voice. Only, you shall surely protest solemnly to them, and show them the kind of king who shall reign over them. And Samuel told all the Words of Jehovah to the people who asked a king of him. And he said, This will be the privilege of the king who shall reign over you. He shall take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and his horsemen. And they shall run before his chariots. read more.
And he will appoint commanders over thousands, and commanders over fifties, and some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and weapons for his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. And he will take your fields and your vineyards and your olive-yards, the best, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give it to his eunuchs and to his servants. And he will take your male slaves and your slave girls, and your finest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep, and you shall be his servants. And you shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and Jehovah will not answer you in that day.

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

And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household. Each man had his month in a year to provide food. These are their names: the son of Hur in Mount Ephraim; the son of Dekar in Makaz and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan; read more.
the son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him was Sochoh and all the land of Hepher; the son of Abinadab in all the height of Dor, Taphath the daughter of Solomon was a wife to him; Baana the son of Ahilud to whom was Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is by Zartanah below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah to the place that is beyond Jokneam; the son of Geber in Ramoth-gilead; to him were the towns of Jair, Manasseh's son, which are in Gilead; to him was the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars; Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim; Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon for a wife; Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth; Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah was in Issachar; Shimei the son of Elah was in Benjamin; Geber the son of Uri was in the land of Gilead, the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer in the land;

If a ruler listens to lies, all his servants are wicked.

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, nine years. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, but not like the kings of Israel who were before him. Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him. And Hoshea became his servant and gave him taxes. read more.
And the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and had brought no taxes to the king of Assyria, as before, year by year. And the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison. And the king of Assyria went up into all the land. And he went up to Samaria and besieged it three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria. And he placed them in Halah, and in Habor by the river Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, seventeen years. And he did the evil in the sight of Jehovah, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. And he did not depart from them. And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael, all their days. read more.
And Jehoahaz sought Jehovah, and Jehovah listened to him. For He saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them. And Jehovah gave Israel a deliverer, so that they went out from under the Syrians. And the sons of Israel lived in their tents, as before. But they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin, but walked in them. And also the Asherah in Samaria stood. For He had not left a people remaining to Jehoahaz, but only fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them and had made them like the dust at threshing-time. And the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel? And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers. And they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoash his son reigned in his place.

But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as you hear the sound of the ram's horn, then you shall say, Absalom reigns in Hebron!

And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household. Each man had his month in a year to provide food. These are their names: the son of Hur in Mount Ephraim; the son of Dekar in Makaz and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan; read more.
the son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him was Sochoh and all the land of Hepher; the son of Abinadab in all the height of Dor, Taphath the daughter of Solomon was a wife to him; Baana the son of Ahilud to whom was Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is by Zartanah below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah to the place that is beyond Jokneam; the son of Geber in Ramoth-gilead; to him were the towns of Jair, Manasseh's son, which are in Gilead; to him was the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars; Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim; Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon for a wife; Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth; Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah was in Issachar; Shimei the son of Elah was in Benjamin; Geber the son of Uri was in the land of Gilead, the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer in the land;

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

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

Do you see a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before unknown men.

A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; his mouth does not transgress in judgment.

A wise king scatters the wicked and brings the wheel over them.

The mouth of strange women is a deep pit; those despised by Jehovah shall fall there.

It is a hateful thing for kings to commit wickedness; for the throne is established by righteousness.

The king's favor is toward a wise servant, but his wrath is against him who causes shame.

My son, fear Jehovah and the king; and do not fellowship with those who are given to change;

Then Samuel told the people the duties of the kingdom, and wrote in a book and laid it up before Jehovah. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his house.

A ruler lacking understanding even adds oppressions; he who hates unjust gain shall prolong his days.

A ruler lacking understanding even adds oppressions; he who hates unjust gain shall prolong his days.

In the multitude of people is the king's honor, but in the lack of people is the ruin of the prince.

even from Jesus Christ the faithful Witness, the First-born from the dead and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,

apart from the merchant men, and and from the traffic of the traders, and from all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the lands.

Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

An excellent lip is not fitting for a fool; much less are lying lips fitting for a prince.

And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him. And he struck him before the people, and killed him, and reigned in his place.

And Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king. And he prepared himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. And his father had not displeased him at any time, saying, Why have you done so? And he also was very good of form, and his mother bore him after Absalom. And he talked with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest. And they helped Adonijah, following him.

For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria and struck Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria. And he killed him and reigned in his place.

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

And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha struck him at Gibbethon, which was to the Philistines. For Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.

And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they laid siege to Tirzah.

And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing right in the eyes of Jehovah. But the high places were not taken away, for the people offered and burned incense yet in the high places.

And he did right in the sight of Jehovah. He did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

And David reigned over all Israel. And David did judgment and justice to all his people.

And Asa did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah, as David his father did.

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

The glory of God is to hide a thing; but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.

lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

And now be wise, O kings; be instructed, O judges of the earth. Serve Jehovah with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled in but a little time. Blessed are all who put their trust in Him.

The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: he who rules over men justly, ruling in the fear of God,

By me kings reign and princes decree justice.

Do not put yourself forth in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the place of the great;

And all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. And King David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah. And they anointed David king over Israel.

And Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi plotted against Jehoram. And Jehoram was keeping watch at Ramoth in Gilead, he and all Israel before Hazael king, of Syria.

And he did the right in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that David his father did.

And he did the right in the sight of Jehovah, and walked in all the way of David his father, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

And kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their queens your nurses. They shall bow to you, faces to the earth, and lick up the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am Jehovah; by whom they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.

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

And keep the charge of Jehovah your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn yourself,

So that the one resisting the authority resists the ordinance of God; and the ones who resist will receive judgment to themselves.

So that the one resisting the authority resists the ordinance of God; and the ones who resist will receive judgment to themselves.

I gave you a king in My anger, and took him away in My wrath.

The king is not saved by a great army; a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.

Let every soul be subject to the higher authorities. For there is no authority but of God; the authorities that exist are ordained by God.

Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O mighty one, with Your glory and Your majesty.

The king's strength also loved judgment; You established uprightness; You worked judgment and righteousness in Jacob.

If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, do not leave your place; for yielding quiets great sinners.

Then Nebuchadnezzar in anger and wrath commanded them to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion; but his favor is like dew on the grass.

The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion; whoever stirs him up to anger sins against his own soul.

For this cause the king was enraged and angered, and commanded all the wise men of Babylon to be destroyed.

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord has made ruler over His household, to give them food in due season?

The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion; but his favor is like dew on the grass.

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

Many seek the ruler's favor; but each man's judgment comes from Jehovah.

for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

And it happened in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

The runners, riders on stallions, royal steeds, went out, being hurried and pressed on by the king's command. And the order was given at Shushan the palace.

And it happened when the king's command and his order was heard, and when many young women had been gathered to Shushan the palace, into the hand of Hegai, Esther was also brought to the king's house, into the hand of Hegai, keeper of the women.

I make a decree that in all the domain of my kingdom, there shall be trembling and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, and endures forever, and His kingdom is that which shall not be destroyed, and His rule shall be to the end.

And a decree is given by me, that every people, nation, and language, who speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be made into mere members, and his house shall be made an outhouse. Because there is no other God who can deliver in this way.

And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown and the testimony on him. And they made him king and anointed him, and clapped their hands and said, Let the king live!

And all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. And King David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah. And they anointed David king over Israel.

And they brought out the king's son and put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, Let the king live!

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

And it happened when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come again, they sent and called him to the company, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

For word came to the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne. And he laid his robe from him, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

And on a certain day, Herod sat on his throne, dressed in royal clothing, and made a speech to them.

And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah each sat on his throne, having put on their robes, in a floor in the entrance of the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets prophesied before them.

And the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold.

And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the commanders, and the guard, and all the people of the land. And they brought the king down from the house of Jehovah and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king's house. And he sat on the throne of the kings.

If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, do not leave your place; for yielding quiets great sinners.

Then Nebuchadnezzar in anger and wrath commanded them to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion; but his favor is like dew on the grass.

The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion; whoever stirs him up to anger sins against his own soul.

For this cause the king was enraged and angered, and commanded all the wise men of Babylon to be destroyed.

But to the Son He says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

I shall see him, but not now. I shall behold him, but not near. There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall strike the corners of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult.

And the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that whoever, whether man or woman, shall come to the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his, execution, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter so that he may live. But I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come. And the obedience of the peoples to him.

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

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord has made ruler over His household, to give them food in due season?

The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion; but his favor is like dew on the grass.

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

Many seek the ruler's favor; but each man's judgment comes from Jehovah.

And when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced and pleased Herod, and those who reclined with him, the king said to the girl, Ask me whatever you desire from me, and I will give it to you.

And the king said to Esther at the banquet of wine, What is your petition that it shall be granted to you? And what is your request? It shall be performed even to half of the kingdom.

And the king said again to Esther on the second day of the banquet of wine, What is your petition, Queen Esther, that it may be granted you? And what is your request? And it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.

surely as I swore to you by Jehovah, the God of Israel, saying, Surely Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place, even so I will do today.

And the king said to Esther the queen, The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? And what is your petition, that it may be granted you? Or what further request do you have? And it shall be done.

And he built Baalath, and all the store cities which Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

And they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built treasure cities for Pharaoh, Pithon and Raamses.

And he built all the store-cities which Solomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities which he built in Hamath.

If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, do not leave your place; for yielding quiets great sinners.

Then Nebuchadnezzar in anger and wrath commanded them to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion; but his favor is like dew on the grass.

The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion; whoever stirs him up to anger sins against his own soul.

For this cause the king was enraged and angered, and commanded all the wise men of Babylon to be destroyed.