The Daily Audio Bible

19 And Achab told Jezabel all that Elias had done, and how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

² And Jezabel sent a messenger to Elias, saying: Such and such things may the gods do to me, and add still more, if by this hour to morrow I make not thy life as the life of one of them.

³ Then Elias was afraid, and rising up he went whithersoever he had a mind: and he came to Bersabee of Juda, and left his servant there,

⁴ And he went forward, one day's journey into the desert. And when he was there, and sat under a juniper tree, he requested for his soul that he might die, and said: It is enough for me, Lord, take away my soul: for I am no better than my fathers.

⁵ And he cast himself down, and slept in the shadow of the juniper tree: and behold an angel of the Lord touched him, and said to him: Arise and eat.

⁶ He looked, and behold there was at his head a hearth cake, and a vessel of water: and he ate and drank, and he fell asleep again.

⁷ And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said to him: Arise, eat: for thou hast yet a great way to go.

⁸ And he arose, and ate, and drank, and walked in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights, unto the mount of God, Horeb.

⁹ And when he was come thither, he abode in a cave: and behold the word of the Lord came unto him, and he said to him: What dost thou here, Elias?

¹⁰ And he answered: With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant: they have thrown down thy altars, they have slain thy prophets with the sword, and I alone am left, and they seek my life to take it away.

¹¹ And he said to him: Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord: and behold the Lord passeth, and a great and strong wind before the Lord over throwing the mountains, and breaking the rocks in pieces: the Lord is not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake: the Lord is not in the earthquake.

¹² And after the earthquake a fire: the Lord is not in the fire, and after the fire a whistling of a gentle air.

¹³ And when Elias heard it, he covered his face with his mantle, and coming forth stood in the entering in of the cave, and behold a voice unto him, saying: What dost thou here, Elias? And he answered:

¹⁴ With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant: they have destroyed thy altars, they have slain thy prophets with the sword, and I alone am left, and they seek my life to take it away.

¹⁵ And the Lord said to him: Go, and return on thy way through the desert to Damascus: and when thou art come thither, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.

¹⁶ And thou shalt anoint Jehu the son of Namsi to be king over Israel: and Eliseus the son of Saphat, of Abelmeula, thou shalt anoint to be prophet in thy room.

¹⁷ And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall escape the sword of Hazael, shall be slain by Jehu: and whosoever shall escape the sword of Jehu, shall be slain by Eliseus.

¹⁸ And I will leave me seven thousand men in Israel, whose knees have not been bowed before Baal, and every mouth that hath not worshipped him kissing the hands.

¹⁹ And Elias departing from thence, found Eliseus the son of Saphat, ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen: and he was one of them that were ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen: and when Elias came up to him, he cast his mantle upon him.

²⁰ And he forthwith left the oxen and ran after Elias, and said: Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said to him: Go, and return back: for that which was my part, I have done to thee.

²¹ And returning back from him, he took a yoke of oxen, and killed them, and boiled the flesh with the plough of the oxen, and gave to the people, and they ate: and rising up he went away, and followed Elias, and ministered to him.

12 And at the same time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands, to afflict some of the church.

² And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.

³ And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to take up Peter also. Now it was in the days of the Azymes.

⁴ And when he had apprehended him, he cast him into prison, delivering him to four files of soldiers to be kept, intending, after the pasch, to bring him forth to the people.

⁵ Peter therefore was kept in prison. But prayer was made without ceasing by the church unto God for him.

⁶ And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

⁷ And behold an angel of the Lord stood by him: and a light shined in the room: and he striking Peter on the side, raised him up, saying: Arise quickly. And the chains fell off from his hands.

⁸ And the angel said to him: Gird thyself, and put on thy sandals. And he did so. And he said to him: Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

⁹ And going out, he followed him, and he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel: but thought he saw a vision.

¹⁰ And passing through the first and the second ward, they came to the iron gate that leadeth to the city, which of itself opened to them. And going out, they passed on through one street: and immediately the angel departed from him.

¹¹ And Peter coming to himself, said: Now I know in very deed, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

¹² And considering, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark, where many were gathered together and praying.

¹³ And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, whose name was Rhode.

¹⁴ And as soon as she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for joy, but running in she told that Peter stood before the gate.

¹⁵ But they said to her: Thou art mad. But she affirmed that it was so. Then said they: It is his angel.

¹⁶ But Peter continued knocking. And when they had opened, they saw him, and were astonished.

¹⁷ But he beckoning to them with his hand to hold their peace, told how the Lord had brought him out of prison, and he said: Tell these things to James, and to the brethren. And going out, he went into another place.

¹⁸ Now when day was come, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.

¹⁹ And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not; having examined the keepers, he commanded they should be put to death; and going down from Judea to Caesarea, he abode there.

²⁰ And he was angry with the Tyrians and the Sidonians. But they with one accord came to him, and having gained Blastus, who was the king's chamberlain, they desired peace, because their countries were nourished by him.

²¹ And upon a day appointed, Herod being arrayed in kingly apparel, sat in the judgment seat, and made an oration to them.

²² And the people made acclamation, saying: It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

²³ And forthwith an angel of the Lord struck him, because he had not given the honour to God: and being eaten up by worms, he gave up the ghost.

136 Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept: when we remembered Sion:

² On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments.

³ For there they that led us into captivity required of us the words of songs. And they that carried us away, said: Sing ye to us a hymn of the songs of Sion.

⁴ How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land?

⁵ If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten.

⁶ Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember thee: If I make not Jerusalem the beginning of my joy.

⁷ Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem: Who say: Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.

⁸ O daughter of Babylon, miserable: blessed shall he be who shall repay thee thy payment which thou hast paid us.

⁹ Blessed be he that shall take and dash thy little ones against the rock.

¹⁴ The beginning of quarrels is as when one letteth out water: before he suffereth reproach he forsaketh judgment.

¹⁵ He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, both are abominable before God.