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18 1 Elijah is sent to Ahab. 13 Obadiah hideth an hundred Prophets. 40 Elijah killeth all Baal’s prophets. 45 He obtaineth rain.
1 After many days, the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the [a]third year, saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.
2 And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab, and there was a great famine in Samaria.
3 And Ahab called Obadiah the governor of his house: (and Obadiah [b]feared God greatly:
4 For when Jezebel destroyed the Prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took an hundred Prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and he fed them with bread and water.)
5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all the fountains of water, and unto all the rivers, if so be that we may find grass to save the horses and the mules alive, lest we deprive the land of the beasts.
6 And so they divided the land between them to walk through it. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
7 ¶ And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah [c]met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art not thou my lord Elijah?
8 And he answered him, Yea, go tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
10 As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not here, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, if they had not found thee.
11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
12 And when I am gone from thee, the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee into some place that I do not know: so when I come and tell Ahab, if he cannot find thee, then will he kill me: But I thy servant [d]fear the Lord from my youth.
13 Was it not told my lord, what I did when Jezebel slew the Prophets of the Lord, how I hid an hundred men of the Lord’s Prophets by fifties in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here, that he may slay me.
15 And Elijah said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show [e]myself unto him this day.
16 ¶ So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him. And Ahab went to meet Elijah.
17 And when Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but [f]thou and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baal.
19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.
20 ¶ So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long [g]halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him, but if Baal be he, then go after him. And the people answered him not a word.
22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I only remain a Prophet of the Lord: but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks, and let them choose the one, and cut him in pieces, and lay him on the wood, but put no fire under, and I will prepare the other bullock, and lay him on the wood, and will put no fire under.
24 Then call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the Name of the Lord: and then the God that answereth [h]by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered, and said, It is well spoken.
25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you a bullock, and prepare him first, (for ye are many) and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
26 So they took the one bullock that was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning to noon, saying, O Baal, hear us: but there was no voice, nor any to answer: and they [i]leapt upon the altar that was made.
27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a [j]god: either he talketh or pursueth his enemies, or is in his journey, or it may be that he sleepeth, and must be [k]awaked.
28 And they cried loud, and cut themselves as their manner was, with knives and lancers, till the blood gushed out upon them.
29 And when midday was passed, and they had prophesied until the offering of the evening sacrifice, there was neither voice, nor one to answer, nor any that regarded.
30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come to me. And all the people came to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, (unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, (A)Israel shall be thy name)
32 And with the stones he built an altar in the Name of the Lord: and he made a ditch round about the altar, as great as would contain two [l]measures of seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, and hewed the bullock in pieces, and laid him in the wood:
34 And said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it upon the burnt offering and on the wood. Again he said, Do so again. And they did so the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
35 And the water ran round about the altar: and he [m]filled the ditch with water also.
36 And when they should offer the evening sacrifice, Elijah the Prophet came and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day, that thou art the God of Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy commandment.
37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, and let this people know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart again [n]at the last.
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the ditch.
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and said, The Lord is God, the Lord is God.
40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal, let not [o]a man of them escape: and they took them, and Elijah brought them to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
41 ¶ And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of much rain.
42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink, and Elijah went up to the top of Carmel: and he crouched unto the earth, and put his face between his knees,
43 And said to his servant, Go up now, and look toward the way of the Sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. Again he said, Go again [p]seven times.
44 And at the seventh time he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the Sea like a man’s hand. Then he said, Up, and say unto Ahab, Make ready the chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stay thee not.
45 And [q]in the meanwhile the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Then Ahab went up, and came to Jezreel,
46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins, and ran [r]before Ahab till he came to Jezreel.
19 5 Elijah fleeing from Jezebel, is nourished by the Angel of God. 15 He is commanded to anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha.
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had slain all the [s]prophets with the sword.
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, [t]The gods do so to me and more also, if I make not thy life like one of their lives by tomorrow this time.
3 ¶ When he saw that, he arose, and went [u]for his life, and came to Beersheba, which is in Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a Juniper tree, and desired that he might die, and said, It is now enough: O Lord, [v]take my soul, for I am no better than my fathers.
5 And as he lay and slept under the Juniper tree, behold now, an Angel touched him, and said unto him, Up, and eat.
6 And when he looked about, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a pot of water at his head: so he did eat and drink, and returned and slept.
7 And the Angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Up, and eat: for [w]thou hast a great journey.
8 ¶ Then he arose, and did eat and drink, and walked in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights, unto Horeb the mount of God.
9 And there he entered into a cave, and lodged there: and behold, the Lord spake to him, and said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
10 And he answered, I have [x]been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, broken down thine altars, and slain thy Prophets with the sword, (B)and I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away.
11 And he said, Come out, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord went by, and a mighty strong wind rent the mountains, and brake the rocks before the Lord: but the Lord was [y]not in the wind: and after the wind came an earthquake: but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake came fire: but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire came a still and soft voice.
13 And when Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering of the cave: and behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
14 And he answered, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, [z]because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, cast down thine altars, and slain thy Prophets with the sword, and I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away.
15 And the Lord said unto him, Go, return by the wilderness unto Damascus, and when thou comest there, anoint Hazael king over [aa]Aram.
16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint King over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah shalt thou anoint to be Prophet in thy room.
17 And (C)him that escapeth from the sword of Hazael, shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu, shall Elisha slay.
18 Yet will (D)I leave seven thousand in Israel: even [ab]all the knees that have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth that hath not kissed him.
19 ¶ So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and was with the twelfth: and Elijah went towards him, and cast his mantel upon him.
20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, [ac]Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. Who answered him, Go, return: for what have I done to thee?
21 And when he went back again from him, he took a couple of oxen, and slew them, and sod their flesh with the [ad]instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat: then he arose and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.
20 1 Samaria is besieged. 13 The Lord promiseth the victory to Ahab by a Prophet. 31 The King of Israel made peace with Ben-Hadad, and is reproved therefore by the Prophet.
1 Then Ben-Hadad the king of [ae]Aram assembled all his army, and two and thirty [af]kings with him, with horses, and chariots, and went up and besieged [ag]Samaria, and fought against it.
2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city,
3 And said unto him, Thus saith Ben-Hadad, Thy silver and thy gold is mine: also thy women, and thy fair children are mine.
4 And the king of Israel answered, and said, My lord king, according to thy saying, [ah]I am thine, and all that I have.
5 And when the messengers came again, they said, Thus commandeth Ben-Hadad, and saith, When I shall send unto thee, and command, thou shalt deliver me thy silver and thy gold, and thy women, and thy children,
6 [ai]Or else I will send my servants unto thee by tomorrow this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants: and whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall take it in their hands, and bring it away.
7 Then the King of Israel sent for all the Elders of the land, and said, Take heed, I pray you, and see how he 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.
8 And all the Elders, and all the people said to him, Hearken [aj]not unto him, nor consent.
9 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 time, that I will do, but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him an answer.
10 And Ben-Hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so to me and more also, if the [ak]dust of Samaria be enough to all the people that follow me, for every man an handful.
11 And the king of Israel answered, and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth his harness, boast himself, as he that [al]putteth it off.
12 And when he heard that tidings, as he was with the kings drinking in the pavilions, he said unto the servants, [am]Bring forth your engines. And they set them against the city.
13 ¶ 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, that thou mayest know, [an]that I am the Lord.
14 And Ahab said, By whom? and he said, Thus saith the Lord, By the servants of the princes of the provinces. He said again, Who shall order the battle? and he answered, Thou.
15 ¶ Then he numbered the servants of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred, two and thirty: and after them he numbered the whole people of all the children of Israel, even seven thousand.
16 And they went out at noon: but Ben-Hadad did drink till he was drunken in the tents, both he and the kings: for two and thirty kings helped him.
17 So the [ao]servants of the princes of the provinces went out first: and Ben-Hadad sent out, and they showed 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 to fight, take them yet alive.
19 So they came out of the city, to wit, the servants of the princes of the provinces, and the host which followed them.
20 And they slew everyone his [ap]enemy: and the [aq]Aramites fled, and Israel pursued them: but Ben-Hadad the king of Aram escaped on an horse with his [ar]horsemen.
21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and with a great slaughter slew the Aramites.
22 (For there had come a Prophet to the king of Israel, and had said unto him, Go, be of good courage, and consider, and take heed what thou doest: for when the year is gone about, the king of Aram will come up against thee.)
23 ¶ Then the servants of the king of Aram said unto him, Their [as]gods are gods of the mountains, and therefore they overcame us: but let us fight against them in the plain, and doubtless we shall overcome them.
24 And this do, Take the kings away, everyone out of his place, and place captains for them.
25 And number thyself an army, like the army that thou hast lost, with such horses, and such chariots, and we will fight against them in the plain, and doubtless we shall overcome them: and he hearkened unto their voice, and did so.
26 And after the year was gone about, Ben-Hadad numbered the Aramites, and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
27 And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all [at]assembled, and went against them, and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids: but the Aramites filled the country.
28 And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Because the Aramites have said, The Lord is the God of the mountains, and not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that [au]I am the Lord.
29 And they pitched one over against the other seven days, and in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Aramites an hundred thousand footmen in one day.
30 But the rest fled to Aphek into the city: and there fell a wall upon seven and twenty thousand men that were left: and Ben-Hadad fled into the city, and came into [av]a secret chamber.
31 ¶ And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard say that the Kings of the house of Israel are merciful Kings: we pray thee, let us put sackcloth about our [aw]loins, and ropes about our heads, and go out to the King of Israel: it may be that he will save thy life.
32 Then they girded sackcloth about their loins, and put ropes about 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 took diligent heed, [ax]if they could catch anything of him, and made haste, and said, Thy brother [ay]Ben-Hadad. And he said, Go, bring him. So Ben-Hadad came out unto him, and he caused him to come up into the chariot.
34 And Ben-Hadad said unto him, The cities which my father took from thy father, I will restore, and thou shalt make streets for thee in [az]Damascus, as my father did in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will let thee go with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and let him go.
35 ¶ Then a certain man of the [ba]children of the Prophets said unto his neighbor by the commandment of the Lord, [bb]Smite me, I pray thee. But the man refused to smite him.
36 Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall [bc]slay thee. So when he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.
37 Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, and in smiting wounded him.
38 So the Prophet departed, and waited for the King by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.
39 And when the King came by, he cried unto the King, and said, [bd]Thy servant went into the midst of the battle, and behold, there went away a man, whom another man brought unto me, and said, Keep this man: if he be lost, and want, thy life shall go for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.
40 And as thy servant had here and there to do, he was gone: And the King of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be: thou hast given sentence.
41 And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face: and the King of Israel knew him that he was of the Prophets:
42 And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, (E)Because thou hast let go out of thine hands a man whom I appointed to die, 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 in displeasure, and came to [be]Samaria.
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