Defeat of Benhadaa. CHAP. XX. The Syrians overthrown. vilions, that he said unto his servants, | away, every man out of his place, and Set yourselves in array : and they set put captains in their rooms : themselves in array against the city. 25 And number thee an army, like 13 T And, behold, there came a the army that thou hast lost, horse for prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, say-horse, and chariot for chariot; and we ing, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou will fight against them in the plain, seen all this great multitude? behold, and surely we shall be stronger than I will deliver it into thy hand this day; they. And be hearkened unto their and thou shalt know that I am the voice and did so. LORD. 26 And it came to pass, at the return 14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he of the year, that Ben-hadad numbered said, Thus saith the Lond, Even by the the Syrians, and went up to Aphick, to young men of the princes of the prov-fight against Israel. inces. Then he said, Who shall order 27 And the children of Israel were the battle? And he answered, Thou. numbered, and were all present, and 15 Then he numbered the young went against them: and the children men of the princes of the provinces, of Israel pitched before them like two and they were two hundred and thirty little flocks of kids; but the Syrians two; and after them he numbered all|filled the country, the people, even all the children of 28 ¶ And there came a man of God, Israel, being seven thousand. 16 And they went out at noon. But Ben-badad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him. 17 And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first and Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria. : 18 And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive. 19 So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them. 20 And they slew every one his man; and the Syrians fled, and Israel pursu ed them; and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the horsemen. 21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots,and slew the Syrians with a great slaugh ter. 32 T 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. 23 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 24. And do this thing, Take the kings and spake unto the king of Israel, and 30 But the rest fled to Apbek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Ben-badad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber. 31 ¶ And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon qui heads, and go out to the king of Israel; peradventure he will save thy life. 32 So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother. 33 Now the men did diligently ob serve whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it : and they said, Tby brother Ben-badad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him; and be caused him to come up into the chariot Ahab's folly reproved. 1. KINGS. Conduct of Jezebel. 34 And Ben-hadad said unto him, | 2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, say The cities which my father took from fing, Give me thy vineyard, that I may thy father I will restore; and thou have it for a garden of herbs, because shalt make streets for thee in Damas-it is near unto my house: and I will cus, as my father made in Samaria give thee for it a better vineyard than Then said Ahab, I will send thee away it; or, if it seem good to thee, I wil with this covenant. So he made a cov-give thee the worth of it in money enant with him, and seut him away. 3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The 35 ¶ And a certain man of the sons of LORD forbid it me, that I should give the prophets said unto his neighbour the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. in the word of the Lord, Smitë me, I 4 And Ahab came into his house pray thee. And the inau refused to heavy and displeased, because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite bad smite him. 36 Then said he unto him, Because spoken to him; for he had said, I will thou hast not obeyed the voice of the not give thee the inheritance of my LORD, behold, as soon as thou art de-fathers: and he laid him down upon parted from me, a lion shall slay thee. his bed, and turned away his face, and And as soon as he was departed from would eat no bread. him, a lion found him, and slew him. 5 T But Jezebel his wife came to 37 Then he found another man, and him, and said unto him, Why is thy said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the spirit so sad,that thou eatest no bread? man smote him, so that in smiting he 6 And he said unto her, Because I wounded him. spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and 38 So the prophet departed, and wait-said unto him, Give me thy vineyard od for the king by the way, and dis guised himself with ashes upon his face. for money; or else, if it please thee, 1 will give thee another vineyard for it. and he answered, 1 will not give thee my vineyard. 39 And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy 7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, servant went out into the midst of the Dost thou now govern the kingdom of battle; and, behold, a man turned Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let aside, and brought a man unto me, and thy heart be merry: I will give thee said, Keep this man: if by any means the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite he be missing, then shall thy life be 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver. 40 And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thỷ| judgment be; thyself hast decided it. 41 And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets. 42 And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life 'shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. 43 And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria. CHAP. XXI. ND it came to pass, after these name, and scaled them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders. and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. 9 And she wrote in the letters,saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people : 10. And set two men, sons of Belial before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king: and then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. 11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them; 12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 Aud there came in two men, chil A Jezreelite dren of had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, the men of Belial witnessed against hard by the palace of Ahab king of him, even against Naboth, in the pres Samaria. lence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones that he died. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. Ahab humbleth himself. as did the Amorites, whom the LORD east out before the children of Israel. 27 ¶ And it came to pass,when Abab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackclot», and went softly. 15 ¶ And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned,and 28 Aud the word of the LORD came was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, take possession of the vineyard 29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he himself before me? because he huntrefused to give thee for money; for bleth himself before me, I will not Naboth is not alive, but dead. bring the evil in his days; but in his 16. And it came to pass, when Ahab son's days will I bring the evi upou heard that Naboth was dead,that Ahab his house. rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it. 17 T And the word of the Lono came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, A CHAP. XXII. without war between Syria and Israel. 18 Arise, go down to nieet Äbab king 2 And it came to pass in the third of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, year, that Jehosaphat the king of Juhe is in the vineyard of Naboth, whith-dah came down to the king of Israel. er he is gone down to possess it. 3 And the king of Israel said unto his 19 And thou shalt speak unto him, servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilsaying, Thus saith the LORD,Hast, thou ead is ours,and we be still, and take it killed,and also taken possession ? And not out of the band of the king of Syria? thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. 20 And Abab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he auswered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD. 21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth gilead? Aud Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people,my horses as thy horses. 5 AndJehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to-day. 6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said,Go up; for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king. 22 And will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son 7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not of Abijab, for the provocation where-here a prophet of the LORD besides, with thou hast provoked me to anger, that we might inquire of him? and made Israel to sin. 8 And the king of Israel said untoJe23 And of Jezebel also spake die hoshaphat, There is yet one man,MicaLoan, saying, The dogs shall eat Jez-iah the son of Imlah, by whom we may ebel by the wall of Jezreel. inquire of the LORD; but I hate hini, for he doth not prophesy good concerning me,but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. 24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat. 25 But there was none like unto Ahab, 9 Then the king of Israel called an which did sell himself to work wick-officer, and said, Hasten hither Mica edness in the sight of the LORD,whom iah the son of Imlah. Jezebel his wife stirred up. 10 And the king of Israel,and Jehosh 26 And he did very abominably in aphat the king of Judah, sat each on following idols, according to all things[his throne, having put on their robes, Micaiah's prophecy. in a void place in the entrance of the he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prevail also; go forth, aud do so. prophesied before them. 23 Now therefore, behold, the Lond 11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaa-hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of nah made him horns of iron; and he all these thy prophets, and the LORD said, Thus saith the LORD,With these hath spoken evil concerning thee. shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou 24 But Zenekiah the son of Chehave consumed them. naanah went near, and smote Micaiali on the check, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak uito thee? 12 Aud all the prophets prophesied 80, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper for the LORD shall deliver it into the king's band. 25 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou 13 And the messenger that was gone shalt see in that day, when thou shalt to call Micaiah spake unto him, say-go into an inner chamber to hide thying, Behold now, the words of the self. prophets declare good unto the king 26 And the king of Israel said, Take with one mouth: let thy word, I pray Micaiah, and carry him back upto thee, be like the word of one of them, Amon the governor of the city, and to and speak that which is good. Joash the king's son ; 14 And Micaiah said, As the LORD iveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak. 15 So he came to the king. And the king sald unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the band of the king. 27 And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction,and with water of affliction, until I come in peace. 28 And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD bath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you, 29 So the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat the king of Judali, went op to Ramoth-gilead. 16 And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that 30 And the king of Israel said unto thou tell me nothing but that which is Jehoshaphat, I will disguise mysell, true in the name of the Lonu? and enter into the battle; but put thou 17 And he said, I saw all Israel scat-on thy robes. And the king of Israr! tered upon the bills, as sheep that have disguised himself, and went into the not a shepherd: and the Lond said, battle. These have no master; let them re- 31 But the king of Syria commandturn every man to his house in peace. ed his thirty and two captains that had 18 And the king of Israel said unto rule over his chariots, saying, Fight Jehoshaphat, Did 1 not tell thee that neither with small or great, save on he would prophesy no good concern-ly with the king of Israel. ing me, but evil? 19 And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by bim on his right hand and on his left. 20 And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead: And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. 21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD,and said, I will persuade him. 32. And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him; and Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. 34 ¶ And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Is. rael between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of 22 And the LORD said unto him, his chariot, Turn thy hand, and carry Wherewith? And he said, I will gone out of the host; for I am wounded. forth, and I will be a lying spirit in 35 And the battle increased that day; the mouth of all his prophets. And and the king was stayed up in his CHAP. I. Ahab's death. Ariot against the Syrians,and died at ven: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot. 36 And there went a proclamation throughout the host, about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country. 37T So the king died,and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. 33 And one washed the chariots in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs lick ed up his blood, (and they washed his armour,) according unto the word of the Loup which he spake. Ahaziah's wicked reign. 44 And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. 45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshi|apbat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah ? 46 And the remnant of the Sodomites, which remained in the days of his fa ther Asa, he took out of the land. 47 There was then no king in Edom a deputy was king. 43 Jehoshaphat made ships of Thai shish to go to Ophir for gold : but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber. 39¶ Now the rest of the acts of 49 Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab Ahab, and all that he did, and the unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go ivory house which he made, and all with thy servants in the ships: but the cities that he built, are they not Jehoshaphat would not. written in the book of the Chronicles 50 T And Jehoshaphat slept with bis of the kings of Israel? fathers, and was buried with his fa40 So Ahab slept with his fathers;thers in the city of David his father; and Ahazıah his son reigned in his and Jeboram his son reigued in his stead. stead. 51 ¶ Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah,and reigned two years over Israel. 52 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin: 63 For he served Baal, and worship. [ped him, and provoked to anger the Lonn God of Israel, according to all that his father had done. T The Second Book of the KINGS, commonly called, The Fourth Book of the KINGS. CHAP. I. THEN 3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not be cause there is not a God in Ismel,that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron ? 4 Now therefore thus saith the LonD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed. 61 And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back ? 6 And they said unto bim, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus |