ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they Ahaziah went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber, succeeds Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Ahab Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not.

And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead

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Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat 10 king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.

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: for he served Baal, 15 and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.

The Second Book of the Kings,

COMMONLY CALLED,

The Fourth Book of the Kings.

TH

Elijah's THEN Moab rebelled against Israel after the Prophecy

death of Ahab.

against And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his Ahaziah upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick : and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go,

5 inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I

shall recover of this disease.

But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the To king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely 15 die. And Elijah departed.

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And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back? And they said unto him, 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 saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of

Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from Elijah that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely invokes die. And he said unto them, What manner of man God's was he which came up to meet you, and told you Vengeance these words? And they answered him, He was an 5 hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

ΤΟ

Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly. And Elijah answered and said unto 20 them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with 25 his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy

Elijah's servants, be precious in thy sight. Behold, there Prophecy came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two fulfilled captains of the former fifties with their fifties:

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therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.

And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him': be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.

And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to inquire of 10 Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.

So he died according to the word of the LORD 15 which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of 20 the kings of Israel?

* And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD 25 hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el.

And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el

came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest Elisha's thou that the LORD will take away thy master from Fidelity to thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; Elijah

hold ye your peace.

And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I s pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho 10 came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, 15 here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

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And it came to pass, when they were gone over, 25 that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a