clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, 'So let 'the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life

as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time.' And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper-tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, 'It is

enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not 'better than my fathers.' And as he lay and slept under a juniper-tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, 'Arise and eat.' And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, 'Arise and 'eat; because the journey is too great for thee.' And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said unto him

'What doest thou here, Elijah ?'

And he said, 'I have been very jealous for the LORD GOD

' of hosts for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy pro'phets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.' And He said

'Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD.'

:

And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake and after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, 'What doest thou here, Elijah?' And he said, 'I have been very jealous for the LORD GOD ' of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy 'prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; ' and they seek my life, to take it away.' And the LORD said unto him—

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'Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus : ' and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: ⚫ and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah 'shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. And it shall 'come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael 'shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of 'Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left me seven thousand 'in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, ' and every mouth which hath not kissed him.'

So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of

Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, 'Let me, I pray

thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will 'follow thee.' And he said unto him, 'Go back again : 'for what have I done to thee?' And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, 'Thus saith Ben-hadad, "Thy silver and thy gold is mine; 'thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are 'mine."' And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.'

And the messengers came again, and said, 'Thus speaketh 'Ben-hadad, saying, "Although I have sent unto thee say'ing, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy ' wives, and thy children; yet I will send my servants unto 'thee to-morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, 'that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put 'it in their hand, and take it away." """ Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, ‘Mark, I 'pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he 'sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for

'my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not.' And all the elders and all the people said unto him, 'Hearken not unto him, nor consent.' Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben-hadad, 'Tell my lord the king, "All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I 'will do; but this thing I may not do." And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.

And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said, 'The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall 'suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.' And the king of Israel answered and said, "Tell him, “Let 'not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he 'that putteth it off." And it came to pass when Benhadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, 'Set 'yourselves in array.' And they set themselves in array against the city.

And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, 'Thus saith the LORD

'Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will ' deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.'

And Ahab said, 'By whom?' And he said, 'Thus saith 'the LORD

'Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces.' Then he said, 'Who shall order the battle?' And he answered, 'Thou.'

Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand. And they went

out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him. And the young men of the princes of provinces went out first; and Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, 'There are men come out of Samaria.' And he said, 'Whether they be come out for peace, take 'them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take 'them alive.' So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them. And they slew every one his man and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the horsemen. And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter. And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, 'Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the 'king of Syria will come up against thee.'

And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, 'Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And 'do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his

place, and put captains in their rooms: and number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, ' and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.' And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so.

And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: