proclaim a fast, to set Naboth high among the people, and to bring forward two men to testify that he had uttered blasphemies against God and the king, and then upon their accusations to stone him to death. The elders obediently executed the commands of the ruthless queen; two wicked men were easily found to bear false witness against Naboth; he was declared guilty, and stoned to death before the gates of the city. When this foul deed was accomplished, Jezebel went triumphantly to her husband, and bade him arise and take possession of the vineyard which he had desired, and which Naboth would not sell for money. The weak monarch arose from his couch, and went forth into his ill-gotten vineyard. There he was confronted by that well-known form shrouded in a rough hairy mantle, and he heard again the voice of Elijah the Tishbite: Hast thou killed also and taken possession? Thus says the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.' Then Ahab exclaimed in fear, Hast thou found me, O my enemy?' The answer of Elijah conveyed to the terrified monarch the awful doom which awaited his entire house: The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel; him that dies of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat, and him that dies in the field the fowls of the air shall eat.' Ahab, alarmed by these words, was struck with remorse and contrition; he rent his clothes and put sackcloth on his body. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbles himself before Me? because he humbles himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.'

116. DEATH OF AHAB.

[1 KINGS XXII. 1-40; 2 CHRON. XVIII.]

Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, had sought a friendly alliance with Ahab. Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab, was given in marriage to Joram, the heir to the throne of Judah, and Jehoshaphat himself paid friendly visits to the king of Israel in Samaria. During one of these visits it occurred to Ahab, that the city of Ramoth Gilead, which had once belonged to the Hebrews, but had been taken from them by the Syrians, ought to be reconquered.

The two kings agreed at once to prepare for war and commence hostilities together; but Jehoshaphat insisted upon first asking the advice of the prophets, as a good augury would strengthen them in their perilous enterprise. Four hundred prophets who appeared at his call, probably prophets of Baal, predicted victory and the safe return of the kings. But Jehoshaphat was not content with their words, and desired to hear the counsel of a prophet of the Lord. Elijah must at that time have been far away, secluded in one of his solitary haunts; for he is not mentioned; instead of him we hear of Micaiah the son of Imlah, a man who was hated by Ahab for always prophesying evil to him and never good. Yet messengers were sent to bring Micaiah to the city. When the prophet arrived at the gates of Samaria, he beheld, seated side by side on their thrones, the two kings dressed in their robes of state; before them stood the crowd of prophets, and a large number of people attracted by the scene.

Encouragingly the prophets were exclaiming, 'Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the Lord shall deliver it into the king's hand;' and Zedekiah, one of Ahab's

servants, held up two huge horns of iron and said, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou shalt have consumed them.' Then Micaiah was called upon to speak, and he related a vision which had just been revealed to him. I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills,' he said, 'as sheep that have no shepherd, and the Lord said, These have no master, let them return every man to his house.' Did I not tell thee,' exclaimed Ahab, enraged, to Jehoshaphat, that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?' Then Micaiah spoke again, but this time the vision which he described was of a grander and more imaginative character. He saw the whole host of heaven, and the Lord Himself upon His throne. He heard the Lord asking His counsellors, Who shall persuade Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead? And one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. And there came forth a spirit and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him! I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets! And the Lord said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also; go forth and do so. Now therefore,' continued the prophet boldly, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil concerning thee.' At these words, the infuriated Zedekiah smote him on the cheek, accompanying the stroke with insulting words; and Ahab bade Amon, the governor of the city, imprison him with bread and water, until he, the king, should return in safety from the war. As Micaiah was led away,

he cried again ominous words into Ahab's ears: If thou return at all in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me... hearken, O people, every one of you!'

Heedless of Micaiah's warning, the kings set out on their expedition. Yet Ahab took the precaution to wear the dress of a common soldier, in order to deceive the

enemy. The king of Syria cared less for the issue of the war than for the capture of Ahab's person. Fight neither with small nor great,' he enjoined upon his captains, but only with the king of Israel.' The royal robes of Jehoshaphat misled for a time the heathen warriors, who took him for Ahab; but they desisted from attacking him as soon as they became aware of their error. Yet Ahab, in spite of his disguise, did not escape. A Syrian archer, drawing his bow at random, shot an arrow through one of the joints of the king's armour. When Ahab felt the mortal wound, he said to the driver of his chariot, 'Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the host, for I am wounded.' But struck as he was, he showed a truly heroic spirit, and would not leave the chariot as long as the battle raged: he stood upright behind his driver, whilst the blood oozed slowly from his wound and covered the chariot. In the evening, when the battle was over and lost, he died, and was brought to Samaria, where he was buried. But the awful words of Elijah were literally fulfilled; for whilst the men were washing the blood-stained chariot in the pool outside the city, the wild dogs that ran in hordes round the walls, came and licked up the blood of the king. When the sad fate of Ahab was known, the army was dispersed with the proclamation, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country!'

Ahab was succeeded by his son Ahaziah.

117. AHAZIAH (897-895).

[1 KINGS XXII. 52-54; 2 KINGS I.]

During this reign, the Moabites rebelled and refused to pay the tribute that had been imposed upon them, and declared themselves free from all allegiance to Israel.

Once whilst looking out of a lattice window in the

upper chamber of his palace in Samaria, the king fell out and became dangerously ill. Always clinging to habits of idolatry, he sent some of his servants to enquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, whether he would recover. The messengers departed, but returned almost immediately. For outside the city they were met by a stranger, who bade them go back to their king with the tidings that he should certainly die. They described the person who had thus spoken to them as a man in a hairy garment, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins.' Ahaziah knew him well. It is Elijah the Tishbite!' he exclaimed. He was anxious to get that stern and unflinching prophet into his power. So he sent after him a captain with a band of fifty men. They descried Elijah upon the top of a mountain, possibly upon one of the crags of Carmel, and they bade him come down and go with them to the king. For all answer fire descended from heaven, and consumed the captain and his fifty men. Again Ahaziah sent out another captain and fifty men, and again fire from heaven destroyed them. For the third time a captain and fifty men came to the foot of the mountain; but the captain went up, threw himself on his knees, and implored Elijah to spare them. Then the prophet came down, and accompanied them to the king. He fearlessly foretold Ahaziah's death, which occurred almost directly after the interview. Ahaziah had no sons, and he was succeeded by his brother Jehoram.

118. ELIJAH'S DISAPPEARANCE AND THE FIRST MIRACLES OF ELISHA.

[2 KINGS II.]

Elijah was dwelling at Gilgal with Elisha, when the call came which was to end his earthly labours. Foreboding the Divine will, he said to his devoted follower,