19   And the throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind, and there were ^note stayes on either side on the place of the throne, and two lions standing by the stayes.

20   And there stoode twelue lions on the sixe steps on either side: there was not the like made in any kingdome.

21   And all King Salomons drinking vessels were of golde, and all the vessels of the house of the woode of Lebanon were of pure golde, none were of siluer: for it was nothing esteemed in the dayes of Salomon.

22   For the King had on the sea the nauie of Tharshish with the nauie of Hiram: once in three yere came the nauie of ^note Tharshish, and brought golde & siluer, yuorie, and apes and peacockes.

23   So King Salomon exceeded all the kings of the earth both in riches and in wisedome.

24   And al the world sought to see Salomon, to heare his wisedome, which God had put in his heart,

25   And they brought euery man his present, His wiues, and idolatries. vessels of siluer, and vessels of golde, and raiment, and armour, and sweete odours, horses & mules, from yeere to yeere.

26   Then Salomon gathered together ^note charrets and horsemen: and he had a thousand and foure hundreth charets, and twelue thousande horsemen, whome hee placed in the charet cities, and with the King at Ierusalem.

27   And the King ^note gaue siluer in Ierusalem as stones, and gaue cedars as the wilde figtrees that growe abundantly in the plaine.

28   Also Salomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and fine linen: ^note the Kings marchants receiued the linen for a price.

29   There came vp & went out of Egypt some charet, worth sixe hundreth shekels of siluer: that is, one horse, an hundreth and fiftie and thus they brought horses to all the Kings of the Hittites and to the Kings of Aram by their ^note meanes. CHAP. XI. 1 Salomon hath a thousand wiues and concubines, which bring him to idolatrie. 14 His God raiseth vp aduersaries against him. 43 He dieth.

1   Bvt King Salomon loued ^note many ^note outlandish women: both the daughter of Pharaoh, and the women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, Zidon and Heth,

2   Of the nations, whereof the Lord had sayd vnto the children of Israel, ^note Goe not ye in to them, nor let them come in to you: for surely they will turne your hearts after their gods, to them, I say, did Salomon ioyne in loue.

3   And he had seuen hundreth wiues, that were ^note princesses, and three hundreth ^note concubines, and his wiues turned away his heart.

4   For when Salomon was olde, his wiues turned his heart after other gods, so that his heart was not ^note perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of Dauid his father.

5   For Salomon followed ^note Ashtaroth the god of the Zidonians, and ^note Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

6   So Salomon wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lord, but continued not to followe the Lord, as did Dauid his father.

7   Then did Salomon build an hie place for Chemosh the ^note abomination of Moab, in the mountaine that is ouer against Ierusalem, and vnto Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon.

8   And so did he for all his outlandish wiues, which burnt incense and offered vnto their gods.

9   Therefore the Lord was angry with Salomon, because hee had turned his heart from the Lorde God of Israel, ^note which had appeared vnto him twise,

10   And had giuen him a ^note charge concerning this thing, that he should not follow other gods: but he kept not that, which the Lorde had commaunded him.

11   Wherefore the Lord sayd vnto Salomon, Forasmuch as ^note this is done of thee, & thou hast not kept my couenant, and my statutes (which I commanded thee) ^note I will surely rent the kingdome from thee, and will giue it to thy seruant.

12   Notwithstanding in thy dayes I will not doe it, because of Dauid thy father, but I will rent it out of the hand of thy sonne:

13   Howbeit I wil not rent all the Kingdome, but will giue one ^note tribe to thy sonne, because of

Salomons aduersaries: Dauid my seruant, & because of Ierusalem which I haue chosen.

14   ¶2; Then the Lord stirred vp an aduersarie vnto Salomon, euen Hadad the Edomite, of the Kings ^note seede, which was in Edom.

15    ^noteFor when Dauid was in Edom, and Ioab the captaine of the hoste had smitten all the males in Edom, & was gone vp to bury þe; ^note slaine,

16   (For six moneths did Ioab remaine there, and all Israel, till he had destroyed all the males in Edom)

17   Then this Hadad ^note fled and certaine other Edomites of his fathers seruants with him, to goe into Egypt, Hadad being yet a litle childe.

18   And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran, and tooke men with them out of Paran, and came to Egypt vnto Pharaoh King of Egypt, which gaue him an house, and appointed him vitailes, and gaue him lande.

19   So Hadad ^note found great fauour in the sight of Pharaoh, and he gaue him to wife the sister of his owne wife, euen the sister of Tahpenes the Queene.

20   And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his sonne, whome Tahpenes wayned in Pharaohs house: and Genubath was in Pharaohs house among the sonnes of Pharaoh.

21   And when Hadad heard in Egypt, that Dauid slept with his fathers, and that Ioab the captaine of the hoste was dead, Hadad sayde to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may goe to mine owne countrey.

22   But Pharaoh saide vnto him, What hast thou lacked with me, that thou wouldest thus go to thine owne countrey? And he answered, Nothing, but in any wise let me goe.

23   ¶2; ^note And God stirred him vp another aduersarie, Rezon the sonne of Eliada, which ^note fled from his lorde Hadadezer King of Zobah.

24   And he gathered men vnto him, and had bene captaine ouer the company, when Dauid slew them. And they went to Damascus, & dwelt there, ^note and they made him King in Damascus.

25   Therefore was he an aduersarie to Israel all the daies of Salomon: besides the euil that Hadad did, he also abhorred Israel, & reigned ouer Aram

26   ¶2; ^note And Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat an Ephrathite of Zereda Salomons seruant (whose mother was called Zeruah a widowe) lift vp his hand against the King.

27   And this was the cause that he lift vp his hande against the King, When Salomon built Millo, he repared the broken places of the citie of Dauid his father.

28   And this man Ieroboam was a man of strength and courage, and Salomon seeing that the yong man was meete for the worke, he made him ^note ouerseer of all the labour of the house of Ioseph.

29   And at that time, when Ieroboam went out of Ierusalem, the Prophet Ahiiah the Shilonite founde him in the way, hauing a newe garment on him, and they two were alone in þe; field.

30   Then Ahiiah caught the newe garment that was on him, and ^note rent it in twelue pieces,

31   And said to Ieroboam, Take vnto thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lorde God of Israel, Beholde, I wil rent the kingdome out of þe; hands of Salomon, and will giue ten tribes to thee.

32   But he shall haue one tribe for my seruant He dyeth. Rehoboam succeedeth. Dauids sake, and for Ierusalem the citie, which I haue chosen out of all the tribes of Israel,

33   Because they haue forsaken me, and haue worshipped Ashtaroth the god of the Zidonians, and Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and haue not walked in my wayes (to ^note do right in mine eyes, & my statutes, & my lawes) as did Dauid his father.

34   But I will not take the whole kingdome out of his hande: for I will make him prince all his life long for Dauid my seruants sake, whome I haue chosen, and who kept my commandements and my statutes.

35    ^noteBut I will take the kingdome out of his sonnes hand, and will giue it vnto thee, euen the ten tribes.

36   And vnto his sonne will I giue one tribe, that Dauid my seruant may haue a ^note light alway before me in Ierusalem the citie, which I haue chosen me, to put my Name there.

37   And I wil take thee, and thou shalt reigne, ^note euen as thine heart desireth, and shalt be King ouer Israel.

38   And if thou hearken vnto all that I commande thee, and wilt walke in my wayes, and doe right in my sight, to keepe my statutes and my commandements, as Dauid my seruant did, then will I be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built vnto Dauid, and wil giue Israel vnto thee.

39   And I will for ^note this afflict the seede of Dauid, ^note but not for euer.

40   ¶2; Salomon sought therefore to kill Ieroboam, and Ieroboam arose, and fled into Egypt vnto Shishak King of Egypt, and was in Egypt vntil the death of Salomon.

41   And the rest of the wordes of Salomon, and all that he did, and his wisedom, are they not written in the ^note booke of the actes of Salomon?

42   The time that Salomon reigned in Ierusalem ouer all Israel, was ^note fourtie yeere.

43   And Salomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the citie of Dauid his father: and Rehoboam his sonne reigned in his steade. CHAP. XII. 1 Rehoboam succeedeth Salomon. 8 He refuseth the counsell of the Ancient. 20 Ieroboam reigneth ouer Israel. 21 God commandeth Rehoboam not to fight. 28 Ieroboam maketh golden calues.

1   And ^note Rehoboam went to Shechem: for al Israel were come to Shech&ebar;, to make him king

2   And wh&ebar; Ieroboam þe; sonne of Nebat heard of it (who was yet in Egypt, ^note whither Ieroboam had fled from king Salomon, & ^note dwelt in Egypt)

3   Then they sent and called him: and Ieroboam and all the Congregation of Israel came, and spake vnto Rehoboam, saying,

4   Thy father made our ^note yoke grieuous: now therefore make thou the grieuous seruitude of thy father, and his sore yoke which he put vpon vs, ^note lighter, and we will serue thee.

5   And he said vnto them, Depart yet for three dayes, then come againe to me. And the people departed.

6   And King Rehoboam tooke counsell with the olde men that ^note had stande before Salomon his father, while he yet liued, and sayde, What counsell giue ye, that I may make an answere to this people?

7   And they spake vnto him, saying, If thou be a ^note seruant vnto this people this day, and serue

Rehoboam. Israel rebelleth. them, and answere them, & speake kinde wordes to them, they will be thy seruants for euer.

8   But he forsooke the counsell that the olde men had giuen him, and asked counsell of the yong men that had bene brought vp with him, and waited on him.

9   And he said vnto them, ^note What counsell giue ye, that we may answere this people, which haue spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke, which thy father did put vpon vs, lighter?

10   Then the yong men that were brought vp with him, spake vnto him, saying, Thus shalt thou say vnto this people, that haue spoken vnto thee, and said, Thy father hath made our yoke heauie, but make thou it lighter vnto vs: euen thus shalt thou say vnto them, My ^note least part shalbe ^note bigger then my fathers loynes.

11   Now where as my father did burden you with a grieuous yoke, I will yet make your yoke heauier: my father hath chastised you with rods, but I will correct you with ^note scourges.

12   ¶2; Then Ieroboam & all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had ^note appointed, saying, Come to me againe þe; thirde day.

13   And the king answered the people sharpely, and left the old mens counsell that they gaue him,

14   And spake to them after the counsell of the yong men, saying, My father made your yoke grieuous, and I will make your yoke more grieuous: my father hath chastised you with rods, but I will correct you with scourges.

15   And the King hearkened not vnto the people: for ^note it was the ordinance of the Lorde, that he might perfourme his saying, which the Lorde had spoken by ^note Ahiiah the Shilonite vnto Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat.

16   So when all Israel sawe that the King regarded them not, the people answered the King thus, saying, What portion haue we in ^note Dauid? we haue none inheritance in the sonne of Ishai. To your tents, O Israel: nowe see to thine owne house, Dauid. So Israel departed vnto their tents.

17   Howbeit ouer the children of Israel, which dwelt in the cities of Iudah, did Rehoboam reigne still.

18   ¶2; Nowe the King Rehoboam sent Adoram the receiuer of the tribute, and all Israel stoned him to death: then King Rehoboam ^note made speede to get him vp to his charet, to flee to Ierusalem.

19   And Israel rebelled against the house ^note of Dauid vnto this day.

20   ¶2; And when all Israel had heard that Ieroboam was come againe, they sent and called him vnto the assemblie, and made him King ouer all Israel: none followed the house of Dauid, but the tribe of Iudah ^note onely.

21   And when Rehoboam was come to Ierusalem, he ^note gathered all the house of Iudah with the tribe of Beniamin an hundreth and foure score thousand of chosen men (which were good warriours) to fight against the house of Israel, and to bring the kingdome againe to Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon.

22    ^noteBut the worde of God came vnto Shemaiah the ^note man of God, saying,

23   Speake vnto Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon King of Iudah, and vnto all the house of Iudah and Beniamin, and the remnant of the Ieroboams calues. people, saying,

24   Thus saith the ^note Lord, Ye shall not go vp, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: returne euery man to his house: for this thing is done by me. They obeyed therefore the worde of the Lorde and returned, and departed, according to the worde of the Lorde.

25   ¶2; Then Ieroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein, and went fr&obar; thence, and built Penuel.

26   And Ieroboam thought in his heart, Nowe shall the kingdome returne to the house of Dauid.

27   If this people goe vp and doe sacrifice in the house of the Lorde ^note at Ierusalem, then shall the heart of this people turne againe vnto their lorde, euen to Rehoboam King of Iudah: so shall they kill me and goe againe to Rehoboam King of Iudah.

28   Whereupon the King tooke counsell, and made two calues of golde, and saide vnto them, ^note It is too much for you to goe vp to Ierusalem: beholde, O Israel, thy gods, which brought thee vp out of the lande of Egypt.

29   And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other set he in Dan.

30   And this thing turned to sinne: for the people went (because of the one) euen to Dan.

31   Also he made an ^note house of hie places, and made Priestes of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sonnes of Leui.

32   And Ieroboam made a feast the ^note fifteenth day of the eight moneth, like vnto the feast that is in Iudah, and offred on the altar. So did he in Beth-el and offered vnto the calues that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the Priestes of the hie places, which he had made.

33   And he offered vpon the altar, which he had made in Beth-el, the fifteenth day of the eight moneth, (euen in the moneth which he had forged of his owne heart) and made a solemne feast vnto the children of Israel: and he went vp to the altar, to burne incense. CHAP. XIII. 1 Ieroboam is reprehended of the Prophet. 4 His hande dryeth vp. 15 The Prophet is seduced, 24 And is killed of a lyon. 33 The obstinacie of Ieroboam.

1   And beholde, there came ^note a man of God out of Iudah (by the commaundement of the Lorde) vnto ^note Beth-el, and Ieroboam stoode by the altar to offer incense.

2   And he cryed against the altar by the c&obar;mandement of the Lorde, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord, Beholde, a child shalbe borne vnto the house of Dauid, ^note Iosiah by name, and vpon thee shall he sacrifice the Priestes of the hie places that burne incense vpon thee, and they shall burne mens bones vpon thee.

3   And he gaue a signe the same time, saying, This is the ^note signe, that the Lorde hath spoken, Behold, the altar shall rent, and the ashes that are vpon it, shall ^note fall out.

4   And when the King had heard the saying of the man of God, which he had cryed against the altar in Beth-el, Ieroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, ^note Lay holde on him: but his hande which he put foorth against him, dryed vp, and he could not pull it in againe to him.

5   The altar also claue asunder, and the ashes

The Prophet seduced: fell out from the altar, according to the signe, which the man of God had giuen by the ^note commandement of the Lord.

6   Then the King answered, and saide vnto the man of God, ^note I beseeche thee, pray vnto þe; Lorde thy God, and make intercession for me, that mine hand may bee restored vnto me. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the Kings hand was restored, and became as it was afore.

7   Then the King sayde vnto the man of God, Come home with mee, that thou mayest ^note dyne, and I will giue thee a reward.

8   But the man of God saide vnto the King, If thou wouldest giue me halfe thine house, I would not goe in with thee, neither woulde I eate bread nor drinke water in this place.

9   For so ^note was it charged mee by the worde of the Lorde, saying, ^note Eate no bread nor drinke water, nor turne againe by the same way that thou camest.

10   So he went another way and returned not by the way that he came to Beth-el.

11   ¶2; And an olde Prophet dwelt in Beth-el, and his sonnes came and tolde him all þe; woorkes, that the man of God had done that day in Beth-el, and the wordes which he had spoken vnto the King, tolde they their father.

12   And their father sayde vnto them, What way went he? and his sonnes ^note shewed him what waye the man of God went, which came from Iudah.

13   And hee saide vnto his sonnes, Saddle mee the asse. Who sadled him the asse, and hee rode thereon,

14   And went after the man of God, & found him sitting vnder an oke: and he saide vnto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Iudah? And he sayd, ^note Yea.

15   Then he said vnto him, ^note Come home with me, and eate bread.

16   But he answered, I may not returne with thee, nor go in with thee, neither wil I eate bread nor drinke water with thee in this place.

17   For it was charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Thou shalt eate no bread, nor drinke water there, nor turne againe to goe by the way that thou wentest.

18   And he said vnto him, I am a Prophet also as thou art, and an ^note Angel spake vnto me by the worde of the Lord, saying, Bring him againe with thee into thine house, that hee may eate bread & drinke water: but he lyed vnto him.

19   So he went againe with him, and did eate bread in his house, and dranke water.

20   And as they sate at the table, the worde of the Lorde came vnto the Prophet, that brought him againe.

21   And hee cried vnto the man of God that came from Iudah, saying, Thus sayeth the Lorde, ^note Because thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lorde, and hast not kept the commaundement which the Lord thy God commanded thee,

22   But camest backe againe, and hast eaten bread and drunke water in the place (whereof he did say vnto thee, Thou shalt eate no bread nor drinke any water) thy carkeis shall not come vnto the sepulchre of thy fathers.

23   ¶2; And when he had eaten bread & drunke, he sadled him the asse, to wit, to the Prophet whome he had brought againe. He is slaine of a lyon.

24   And when hee was gone, ^note a lion met him by the way, and slewe him, and his body was cast in the way, and the asse stoode thereby: the lion stood by the corps also.

25   And beholde, men that passed by, sawe the carkeis cast in the way, and the lion standing by the corps: and they came and tolde it in þe; towne where the olde Prophet dwelt.

26   And when the Prophet that brought him backe againe from the waye, hearde thereof, hee sayde, It is the man of God, who hath bene disobedient vnto the commandement of the Lorde: therefore the Lorde hath deliuered him vnto the lion, which hath rent him and slayne him, according to the worde of the Lorde, which hee spake vnto him.

27   ¶2; And he spake to his sonnes, saying, Saddle me the asse. And they sadled him.

28   And he went and founde his body cast in the way, and the asse and the lion stoode by the corps: and the lion had ^note not eaten the bodie, nor torne the asse.

29   And the Prophet tooke vp the body of the man of God, & layed it vpon the asse, & brought it againe, and the olde Prophet came to the citie, to lament and burie him.

30   And hee layed his bodie in his ^note owne graue, and they lamented ouer him, saying, Alas, my brother.

31   And when he had buried him, hee spake to his sonnes, saying, When I am dead, burie ye mee also in the sepulchre, wherein the man of God is buried: lay my bones beside his bones.

32   For that thing which he cried by the word of the Lorde against the altar that is in Beth-el, and against all the houses of the hie places, which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to passe.

33   Howbeit after this, Ieroboam ^note conuerted not from his wicked way, but turned againe, and made of the lowest of the people Priests of the hie places. Who would, might ^note consecrate him selfe, and be of the Priestes of the hie places.

34   And this thing turned to sinne vnto the house of Ieroboam, euen to roote it out, and destroy it from the face of the earth. CHAP. XIIII. 1 Ieroboam sendeth his wife disguised to Ahiiah the Prophet, who declareth vnto him the destruction of his house. 20 Iudah is punished by Shishak.

1   At that time Abiiah the sonne of Ieroboam fell sicke.

2   And Ieroboam saide vnto his wife, Vp, I pray thee, ^note and disguise thy selfe, that they know not that thou art the wife of Ieroboam, and goe to Shiloh: for there is Ahiiah the Prophet, which tolde mee ^note that I shoulde bee King ouer this people,

3   And take ^note with ^note thee tenne loaues and ^note craknels, and a bottell of honie, and go to him: hee shall tell thee what shall become of the yong man.

4   And Ieroboams wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahiiah: but Ahiiah could not see, for his ^note sight was decayed for his age.

5   Then the Lord saide vnto Ahiiah, Beholde, the wife of Ieroboam commeth to aske a thing of thee for her sonne, for he is sicke: thus & thus shalt thou say vnto her: for when shee commeth

Ieroboams destruction foreshewed. in, shee shall feine her selfe to be ^note another.

6   Therefore when Ahiiah heard the sounde of her feete as shee came in at the doore, hee saide, Come in, thou ^note wife of Ieroboam: why feinest thou thus thy selfe to bee an other? I am sent to thee with heauie tidings.

7   Goe, tel Ieroboam, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Forasmuch as I haue exalted ^note thee from among the people, and haue made thee prince ouer my people Israel,

8   And haue rent the kingdome away from the house of Dauid, and haue giuen it thee, and thou hast not bene as my seruant Dauid, which kept my commaundements, and followed mee with all his heart, and did onely that which was right in mine eyes,

9   But hast done euil aboue al that were before thee (for thou hast gone & made thee other gods, and ^note molten images, to prouoke me, & hast cast me behinde thy backe)

10   Therefore beholde, I will bring euill vpon the house of Ieroboam, and will cut off from Ieroboam him that ^{note note} pisseth against the wall, aswell him that ^note is shut vp, as him that is left in Israel, and will sweepe away the remnant of the house of Ieroboam, as a man sweepeth away doung, till it be all gone.

11   The dogges shall eate him of Ieroboams stocke that dyeth in the citie, and the foules of the aire shall eate him that dyeth in the fielde: ^note for the Lord hath said it.

12   Vp therefore and get thee to thine house: for when thy feete enter into the citie, the childe shall die.

13   And al Israel shall mourne for him, and burie him: for he onely of Ieroboam shall come to the graue, because in him there is found ^note some goodnes towarde the Lorde God of Israel in the house of Ieroboam.

14   Moreouer, the Lorde shall stirre him vp a King ouer Israel, which shall destroy the house of Ieroboam in that day: ^note what? yea, euen nowe.

15   For the Lorde shall smite Israel, as when a reede is shaken in the water, and hee shall weede Israel out of his good l&abar;d, which he gaue to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the ^note Riuer, because they haue made them groues, prouoking the Lord to anger.

16   And he shall giue Israel vp, because of the sinnes of Ieroboam, who did sinne, and ^note made Israel to sinne.

17   ¶2; And Ieroboams wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah, and when shee came to the threshold of the house, the yong man dyed,

18   And they buried him, and all Israel lamented him; according to the word of the Lord, which hee spake by the hand of his seruant Ahiiah the Prophet.

19   And the rest of Ieroboams actes, how hee warred, and howe hee reigned, beholde, they are written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

20   And the dayes which Ieroboam reigned, were two and twentie yeere: and he ^note slept with his fathers, and Nadab his sonne reigned in his steade.

21   ¶2; Also Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon reigned in Iudah. Rehoboam was one and fourtie yere olde, when he began to reigne, & reigned seuenteene ^note yere in Ierusalem, the citie which the Rehoboam dyeth. Abiiam. Lord did chuse out of al the tribes of Israel, to put his Name there: and his mothers name was Naamah an Ammonite.

22   And Iudah wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lorde: and they prouoked him more with their sinnes, which they had committed, ^note then all that which their fathers had done.

23   For they also made them hie places, and images, and groues on euery hie hill, and vnder euery greene tree.

24   There were also Sodomites ^note in the lande, they did according to all the abominations of the nations, which the Lorde had cast out before the children of Israel.

25   ¶2; And in the fift yere of King Rehoboam, Shishak King of Egypt came vp against Ierusal&ebar;,

26   And tooke the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the Kings house, and tooke away all: also he caried away all the shields of golde ^note which Salomon had made.

27   And King Rehoboam made for them brasen shieldes, and committed them vnto þe; hands of the chiefe of the garde, which wayted at the doore of the Kings house.

28   And when the King went into the house of the Lorde, the garde bare them, and brought them againe into the gard chamber.

29   And the rest of the actes of Rehoboam, and all that hee did, are they not written in ^note the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah?

30   And there was warre betweene Rehoboam and Ieroboam ^note continually.

31   And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the citie of Dauid: his mothers name was Naamah an ^note Ammonite. And Abiiam his sonne reigned in his stead. CHAP. XV. 1 Abiiam reigneth ouer Iudah. 9 Asa succeedeth in his roume. 16 The battell betweene Asa and Baasha. 24 Iehoshaphat succeedeth Asa. 25 Nadab succeedeth Ieroboam. 28 Baasha killeth Nadab.

1   And in the eighteene yere of King ^note Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, reigned Abiiam ouer Iudah.

2   Three yeere reigned hee in Ierusalem, and his mothers name was Maachah the daughter of ^note Abishalom.

3   And hee walked in all the sinnes of his father, which hee had done before him: and his heart was not perfit with the Lord his God as the heart of Dauid his father.

4   But for Dauids sake did the Lorde his God giue him a ^note light in Ierusalem, and set vp his sonne after him, and established Ierusalem,

5   Because Dauid did that which was right in the sight of the Lorde, and turned from nothing that he commanded him, all the dayes of his life, ^note saue onely in the matter of Vriah the Hittite.

6   And there was warre betweene Rehoboam and Ieroboam as long as he liued.

7   The rest also of the actes of Abiiam, and all that he did, are they not written in the ^note booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah? there was also warre betweene Abiiam, and Ieroboam.

8   And Abiiam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the citie of Dauid: and Asa his sonne reigned in his steade.

9   ¶2; ^note And in the twentie yeere of Ieroboam King of Israel reigned Asa ouer Iudah.

10   He reigned in Ierusalem one and fourtie

Asa. Warre betweene Asa & Baasha. yeere, and his ^note mothers name was Maachah the daughter of Abishalom.

11   And Asa did right in the eyes of the Lord, as did Dauid his father.

12   And he tooke away the Sodomites out of the lande, and put away all the idoles that his fathers had made.

13   And he ^note put downe ^note Maachah his mother also from her estate, because shee had made an idole in a groue: and Asa destroyed her idoles, and burnt them by the brooke Kidron.

14   But they put not downe the hie places. Neuertheles Asas heart was ^note vpright with the Lord all his dayes.

15   Also he brought in the holy vessels of his father, & the things that he had dedicated vnto þe; house of the Lord, siluer, and golde, and vessels.

16   ¶2; And there was warre betweene Asa and Baasha King of Israel all their dayes.

17   Then Baasha king of Israel went vp against Iudah, and buylt ^note Ramah, so that he woulde let none go out or in to Asa King of Iudah.

18   Then Asa tooke all the siluer and the gold that was left in the treasures of the house of the Lord, & the treasures of the kings house, and deliuered them into the handes of his seruantes, and King Asa sent them to ^note Ben-hadad the sonne of Tabrimon, the sonne of Hezion king of ^note Aram that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

19   There is a couenant betweene me & thee, and betweene my father and thy father: behold, I haue sent vnto thee a present of siluer & golde: come, breake thy couenant with Baasha King of Israel, that he may ^note depart from me.

20   So Ben-hadad hearkened vnto King Asa, and sent the captaines of the hosts, which he had, against the cities of Israel, and smote lion, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, & all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.

21   And when Baasha heard thereof, hee left buylding of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.

22   Then king Asa ^note assembled al Iudah, ^note none excepted. and they tooke the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had buylt, & King Asa built with them Geba of Beniamin and Mizpah.

23   And the rest of all the actes of Asa, and all his might, & all that he did, and the cities which he buylt, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah? but in his olde age he was diseased in his ^note feete.

24   And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the citie of Dauid his ^note father. And Iehoshaphat his sonne reigned in his steade.

25   And Nadab the sonne of Ieroboam began to reigne ouer Israel the second yere of Asa King of Iudah, and reigned ouer Israel two yeere.

26   And he did euill in the sight of the Lorde, walking in the way of his father, and in his sinne wherewith he made Israel to sinne.

27   And Baasha the sonne of Ahijah of þe; house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha slue him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistims: for Nadab and all Israel layde siege to Gibbethon.

28   Euen in the third yeere of Asa King of Iudah did Baasha slay him, & reigned in his steade.

29   And when he was King, he ^note smote all the house of Ieroboam, he left none aliue to Ierobo&abar;, Baasha. Elah. Zimri. vntill hee had destroyed him, according to the ^note word of the Lord which he spake by his seruant Ahijah the Shilonite,

30   Because of the sinnes of Ieroboam which he committed, and wherewith he made Israel to sinne, by his ^note prouocation, wherewith he prouoked the Lord God of Israel.

31   And the residue of the actes of Nadab, & all that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

32   And there was warre betweene Asa & Baasha King of Israel, all their dayes.

33   In the thirde yeere of Asa King of Iudah, began Baasha the sonne of Ahijah to reigne ouer all Israel in ^note Tirzah, and reigned foure & twentie yeeres.

34   And he did euill in the sight of the Lorde, walking in the way of Ieroboam, & in his sinne, wherewith he made Israel to sinne. CHAP. XVI. 1 Of Baasha, 6 Elah, 9 Zimri, 16 Omri. 31 Ahab marrieth Iezebel. 34 Iericho is built againe.

1   Then the word of the Lord came to Iehu the sonne of Hanani against Baasha, saying,

2    ^noteForasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, & made thee captaine ouer my people Israel, and thou hast walked in the way of Ieroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sinne, to prouoke me with their sinnes,

3   Beholde, I will take away the posteritie of Baasha, and the posteritie of his house, and will make ^note thine house like the ^note house of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat.

4    ^noteHe that dyeth of Baashas stocke in the citie, him shal the dogs eate: and that man of him which dyeth in the fieldes, shall the foules of the ayre eate.

5   And the rest of the actes of Baasha & what he did, & his ^note power, are they not written in the booke of the ^note Chronicles of the kings of Israel?

6   So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buryed in Tirzah, and Elah his sonne reigned in his steade.

7   And ^note also by the hande of Iehu the sonne of Hanani the Prophet, came the worde of the Lord to Baasha, and to his house, that he shoulde be like the house of Ieroboam, euen for all the wickednes that he did in the sight of the Lord, in prouoking him with the worke of his hands, and because he killed ^note him.

8   ¶2; In the sixe and twentie yeere of Asa king of Iudah began Elah þe; sonne of Baasha to reigne ouer Israel in Tirzah, and reigned two yeere.

9   And his seruant Zimri, captaine of halfe his charets, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah ^note drinking, til he was drunken in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah.

10   And Zimri came and smote him & killed him, in the seuen and twentie yeere of Asa king of Iudah, and reigned in his stead.

11   ¶2; And when he was King, and sate on his throne, he slew al the house of Baasha, not leauing thereof one to pisse against a wall, neither of his kinsfolkes nor of his friendes.

12   So did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord which he spake against Baasha by the hande of Iehu the ^note Prophet,

13   For all the sinnes of Baasha, and sinnes of Elah his sonne, which they sinned & made Israel

Omri. Ahab. to sinne, and prouoked the Lorde God of Israel with their vanities.

14   And the rest of the actes of Elah, & all that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

15   ¶2; In the seuen and twentie yeere of Asa King of Iudah did Zimri reigne seuen dayes in Tirzah, & the people was then in campe ^note against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistims.

16   And the people of the hoste heard saye, Zimri hath conspired, and hath also slayne the King. Wherefore all Israel made Omri the captaine of the hoste, king ouer Israel that same day, euen in the hoste.

17   Then Omri went vp from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged ^note Tirzah.

18   And when Zimri saw, that the citie was taken, he went into the palace of the Kings house, and ^note burnt himselfe, and the Kings house with fire, and so dyed,

19   For his sinnes which hee sinned, in doing that which is euil in the sight of the Lord, in walking in the way of Ieroboam, and in his sinnes which he did, causing Israel to sinne.

20   And the rest of the actes of Zimri, and his treason that hee wrought, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kinges of Israel?

21   Then were the people of Israel deuided into two partes: for ^note halfe the people followed Tibni the sonne of Ginath to make him King, & the other halfe followed Omri.

22   But the people that folowed Omri, preuayled against the people that followed Tibni the sonne of Ginath: so Tibni dyed, & Omri reigned.

23   In the one and thirtie yeere of Asa King of Iudah beg&abar; Omri to reigne ouer Israel, & reigned twelue yeere. Sixe yeere reigned he in Tirzah.

24   And he bought the mountaine ^note Samaria of one Shemer for two talents of siluer, & buylt in the mountaine, & called the name of the citie, which he buylt, after the name of Shemer lord of the mountaine, Samaria.

25   But Omri did euil in the eyes of the Lord, and did ^note worse then all that were before him.

26   For he walked in all the way of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, & in his sinnes wherewith he made Israel to sinne in prouoking the Lord God of Israel with their vanities.

27   And the rest of the actes of Omri, that hee did, and his strength that he shewed, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

28   And Omri slept with his fathers, and was buryed in ^note Samaria: and Ahab his sonne reigned in his stead.

29   Nowe Ahab the sonne of Omri began to reigne ouer Israel, in the eyght & thirtie yeere of Asa king of Iudah: and Ahab the sonne of Omri reigned ouer Israel in Samaria two & tw&ebar;ty yere.

30   And Ahab the sonne of Omri did worse in þe; sight of the Lord then al that were before him.

31   For was it a light thing for him to walke in the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, except hee tooke Iezebel also the daughter of Ethbaal King of the Zidonians to ^note wife, and went and serued Baal, and worshipped him?

32   Also he reared vp an altar to Baal in the house of Baal, which he had buylt in Samaria.

33   And Ahab made a groue, & Ahab proceeded, Eliiah fed of Rauens. & did prouoke the Lord God of Israel more then all the kings of Israel that were before him.

34   In his dayes did Hiel the Bethelite buylde ^note Iericho: he layed the foundation thereof in Abiram his eldest sonne, and set vp the gates thereof in his yongest sonne Segub, according to the worde of the Lorde which he spake ^note by Ioshua the sonne of Nun. CHAP. XVII. 1 Eliiah forewarneth of the famine to come. 4 He is fed of rauens. 9 He is sent to Zarephath, where he restoreth his hostesse sonne to life.

1   And Eliiah the Tishbite one of the inhabit&abar;ts of Gilead sayde vnto Ahab, ^note As the Lorde God of Israel liueth, before whom I ^note stand, there shall be neither dewe nor rayne these yeeres, but ^note according to my worde.

2   ¶2; And the worde of the Lorde came vnto him, saying,

3   Go hence, and turne thee Eastwarde, and hide thy selfe in the ^note riuer Cherith, that is ouer against Iorden,

4   And thou shalt drinke of the riuer: and I haue c&obar;manded the ^note rauens to feede thee there.

5   So he went & did according vnto the word of the Lord: for he went, and remained by the riuer Cherith that is ouer against Iorden.

6   And the rauens brought him bread & flesh in the morning, and bread & flesh in the euening, and he dranke of the riuer.

7   And after a while the riuer dryed vp, because there fell no rayne vpon the earth.

8   ¶2; And the ^note worde of the Lord came vnto him, saying,

9    ^noteVp, & get thee to Zarephath, which is in Zidon, and remaine there: beholde, I haue commanded a widow there to sustaine thee.

10   So he arose, & went to Zarephath: & when he came to the gate of the citie, beholde, the widowe was there ^note gathering stickes: and he called her, and sayde, Bring me, I pray thee, a litle water in a vessel, that I may drinke.

11   And as she was going to fet it, he called to her, and sayde, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsell of bread in thine hand.

12   And shee sayde, As the Lorde thy God liueth, I haue not a cake, but euen an handfull of meale in a barrel, and a litle oyle in a cruse: and behold, I am gathering ^note a fewe stickes for to go in, and dresse it for me and my sonne, that we may eate it, and ^note dye.

13   And Eliiah said vnto her, Feare not, come, do as thou hast sayd, but make me thereof a litle cake first of all, and bring it vnto mee, and afterward make for thee, and thy sonne.

14   For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, ^note The meale in the barrel shall not be wasted, neither shal the oyle in the cruse be diminished, vnto the time that the Lord send rayne vpon the earth.

15   So she went, and did as Eliiah sayd, and she did eate: so did he and her house ^note for a certaine time.

16   The barrell of the meale wasted not, nor the oyle was spent out of the cruse, according to the worde of the Lorde, which he spake by the hand of Eliiah.

17   ¶2; And after these things, the sonne of the wife of the house fell sicke, and his sicknesse was so sore, ^note that there was no ^note breath left in him.

18   And she said vnto Eliiah, What haue I to do

The widowes sonne raysed to life. with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come vnto me to call my sinne to remembrance, and to slay my sonne?

19   And he said vnto her, Giue me thy sonne. and he tooke him out of her bosome, and caryed him vp into a chamber, where he abode, and laid him vpon his owne bed.

20   Then he called vnto the Lord, and sayde, O Lorde my God, hast thou ^note punished also this widowe, with whome I soiourne, by killing her sonne?

21   And he stretched himselfe vpon the childe three times, and called vnto the Lord, and saide, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this childes soule come into him againe.

22   Then the Lord heard the voyce of Eliiah, and the soule of the child came into him againe, and he reuiued.

23   And Eliiah tooke the childe, and brought him downe out of the chamber into the house, and deliuered him vnto his mother, and Eliiah sayd, Behold, thy sonne liueth.

24   And the woman saide vnto Eliiah, Now ^note I knowe that thou art a man of God, and that the worde of the Lord in thy mouth is true. CHAP. XVIII. 1 Eliiah is sent to Ahab. 13 Obadiah hideth an hundreth Prophets. 40 Eliiah killeth all Baals prophets. 45 He obtayneth rayne.

1   After many dayes, the worde of the Lorde came to Eliiah, in the ^note third yeere, saying, Goe, shewe thy selfe vnto Ahab, and I will sende rayne vpon the earth.

2   And Eliiah went to shew himselfe vnto Ahab, and there was a great famine in Samaria.

3   And Ahab called Obadiah the gouernour of his house: (and Obadiah ^note feared God greatly:

4   For when Iezebel destroyed the Prophets of the Lorde, Obadiah tooke an hundreth Prophets, and hid them, by fiftie in a caue, and he fed them with bread and water.)

5   And Ahab saide vnto Obadiah, Goe into the land, vnto all the fountaines of water, and vnto all the riuers, if so be that we may finde grasse to saue the horses and the mules aliue, lest we depriue the lande of the beastes.

6   And so they deuided the lande betweene them to walke thorowe it. Ahab went one way by him selfe, and Obadiah went another way by him selfe.

7   ¶2; And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Eliiah ^note met him: & he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art not thou my lord Eliiah?

8   And he answered him, Yea, goe tell thy lord, Behold, Eliiah is here.

9   And he said, What haue I sinned, that thou wouldest deliuer thy seruant into the hande of Ahab, to slay me?

10   As the Lorde thy God liueth, there is no nation or kingdome, whither my lorde hath not sent to seeke thee: and when they sayd, He is not here, he tooke an othe of the kingdome and nation, if they had not found thee.

11   And now thou sayest, Goe, tell thy lorde, Beholde, Eliiah is here.

12   And when I am gone from thee, the Spirit of the Lorde shall cary thee into some place that I doe not know: so when I come and tell Ahab, if he cannot finde thee, then wil he kil me: But I Eliiah, Obadiah, and Ahab. thy seruant ^note feare the Lord from my youth.

13   Was it not tolde my lord, what I did when Iezebel slew the Prophets of the Lord, how I hid an hundreth men of the Lordes Prophets by fifties in a caue, and fed them with bread & water?

14   And now thou sayest, Go, tel thy lord, Behold, Eliiah is here, that he may slay me.

15   And Eliiah said, As the Lorde of hostes liueth, before whome I stand, I will surely shewe ^note my selfe vnto him this day.

16   ¶2; So Obadiah went to meete Ahab, and tolde him: And Ahab went to meete Eliiah.

17   And when Ahab saw Eliiah, Ahab said vnto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?

18   And he answered, I haue not troubled Israel, but ^note thou, and thy fathers house, in that ye haue forsaken the commandements of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.

19   Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel vnto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal foure hundreth and fiftie, and the prophets of the groues foure hundreth, which eate at Iezebels table.

20   ¶2; So Ahab sent vnto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together vnto mount Carmel.

21   And Eliiah came vnto all the people, and said, How long ^note halt ye betweene two opinions? If the Lord be God, followe him: but if Baal be he, then goe after him. And the people answered him not a worde.

22   Then said Eliiah vnto the people, I onely remayne a Prophet of the Lorde: but Baals prophets are foure hundreth and fiftie men.

23   Let them therefore giue vs two bullockes, and let them chuse the one, & cut him in pieces, and lay him on the wood, but put no fire vnder, and I will prepare the other bullocke, and lay him on the wood, and will put no fire vnder.

24   Then call ye on the name of your god, & I will call on the name of the Lorde: and then the God that answereth ^note by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered, and sayde, It is well spoken.

25   And Eliiah said vnto the prophets of Baal, Chuse you a bullocke, and prepare him first, (for ye are many) and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire vnder.

26   So they tooke the one bullocke, that was giuen them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal, from morning to noone, saying, O Baal, heare vs: but there was no voyce, nor any to answere: and they ^note leapt vpon the altar that was made.

27   And at noone Eliiah mocked them, & said, Crye loude: for he is a ^note god: either he talketh or pursueth his enemies, or is in his iourney, or it may be that he sleepeth, and must be ^note awaked.

28   And they cryed loude, and cut them selues as their maner was, with kniues and launcers, till the blood gushed out vpon them.

29   And when midday was passed, & they had prophecied vntil the offring of the euening sacrifice, there was neither voyce, nor one to answere, nor any that regarded.

30   And Eliiah said vnto all the people, Come to me. And all the people came to him. And he repayred the altar of the Lorde that was broken downe.

31   And Eliiah tooke twelue stones, according

Elijah killeth Baals prophets: to the nomber of the tribes of the sonnes of Iaakob, (vnto whome the worde of the Lord came, saying, ^note Israel shalbe thy name)

32   And with the stones he buylt an altar in the Name of the Lorde: and he made a ditch round about the altar, as great as woulde conteine two ^note measures of seede.

33   And he put the wood in order, and hewed the bullocke in pieces, & layd him on the wood,

34   And said, Fill foure barrels with water, and powre it on the burnt offring and on the wood. Againe he said, Doe so againe. And they did so the second time. And he sayde, Doe it the third time. And they did it the third time.

35   And the water ran round about the altar: and he ^note filled the ditch with water also.

36   And when they should offer the euening sacrifice, Eliiah the Prophet came, and sayd, Lord God of Abraham, Izhak and of Israel, let it be knowen this day, that thou art the God of Israel, and that I am thy seruant, and that I haue done all these things at thy commandement.

37   Heare me, O Lorde, heare me, and let this people know that thou art the Lorde God, and that thou hast turned their heart againe ^note at the last.

38   Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offring, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked vp the water that was in the ditche.

39   And when all the people sawe it, they fell on their faces, and saide, The Lord is God, the Lord is God.

40   And Elijah said vnto them, Take the prophets of Baal, let not ^note a man of them escape. and they tooke them, and Eliiah brought them to the brooke Kishon, and slewe them there.

41   ¶2; And Eliiah sayde vnto Ahab, Get thee vp, eate and drinke, for there is a sound of much rayne.

42   So Ahab went vp to eate and to drinke, and Eliiah went vp to the top of Carmel: and he crouched vnto the earth, & put his face betweene his knees,

43   And sayde to his seruant, Goe vp now and looke towarde the way of the Sea. And he went vp, and looked, and sayde, There is nothing. Againe he sayd, Goe againe ^note seuen times.

44   And at the seuenth time he sayd, Behold, there ariseth a litle cloude out of the sea like a mans hand. Then he sayd, Vp, and say vnto Ahab, Make readie thy charet, and get thee downe, that the raine stay thee not.

45   And ^note in the meane while the heauen was blacke with cloudes and winde, and there was a great rayne. Then Ahab went vp and came to Izreel.

46   And the hand of the Lord was on Eliiah, and he girded vp his Ioynes, and ran ^note before Ahab till he came to Izreel. CHAP. XIX. 5 Eliiah fleeing from Iezebel, is nourished by the Angell of God. 15 He is commaunded to anoynt Hazael, Iehu, and Elisha.

1   Now Ahab tolde Iezebel all that Eliiah had done, and how he had slaine all the ^note prophets with the sword.

2   Then Iezebel sent a messenger vnto Eliiah, saying, ^note The gods doe so to me and more also, if I make not thy life like one of their liues by to morowe He is fed by an Angel. this time.

3   ¶2; When he sawe that, he arose, and went ^note for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which is in Iudah, and left his seruant there.

4   But he went a dayes iourney into the wildernesse, and came and sate downe vnder a iuniper tree, and desired that he might die, and sayde, It is now ynough: O Lord, ^note take my soule, for I am no better then my fathers.

5   And as he lay and slept vnder the iuniper tree, behold now, an Angel touched him, and said vnto him, Vp, and eate.

6   And when he looked about, behold, there was a cake baken on the coles, and a pot of water at his head: so he did eate and drinke, and returned and slept.

7   And the Angel of the Lorde came againe the second time, and touched him, and sayd, Vp, and eate: for ^note thou hast a great iourney.

8   ¶2; Then he arose, and did eate and drinke, and walked in the strength of that meate fourtie dayes and fourtie nights, vnto Horeb the mount of God.

9   And there he entred into a caue, & lodged there: and beholde, the Lorde spake to him, and said vnto him, What doest thou here, Eliiah?

10   And he answered, I haue ^note bene very ielous for the Lord God of hostes: for the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenant, broken downe thine altars, and slayne thy Prophets with the sword, ^note and I onely am left, and they seeke my life to take it away.

11   And he saide, Come out, and stand vpon the mount before the Lorde. And beholde, the Lorde went by, and a mightie strong winde rent the mountaines, and brake the rockes before the Lord: but the Lord was ^note not in the winde: and after the wind came an earthquake: but the Lord was not in the earthquake:

12   And after the earthquake came fire: but the Lorde was not in the fire: and after the fire came a still and soft voyce.

13   And when Eliiah heard it, he couered his face with his mantel, and went out, and stoode in the entring in of þe; caue: and behold, there came a voyce vnto him, and sayd, What doest thou here, Eliiah?

14   And he answered, I haue bene very ielous for the Lord God of hostes, ^note because the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenant, cast downe thine altars, and slayne thy Prophets with the sworde, and I onely am left, and they seeke my life to take it away.

15   And the Lord said vnto him, Goe, returne by the wildernes vnto Damascus, and when thou commest there, anoint Hazael King ouer ^note Aram.

16   And Iehu the sonne of Nimshi shalt thou anoynt King ouer Israel: and Elisha the sonne of Shaphat of Abel Meholah shalt thou anoynt to be Prophet in thy roume.

17   And ^note him that escapeth from the sworde of Hazael, shall Iehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Iehu, shall Elisha slay.

18   Yet wil ^note I leaue seuen thousand in Israel, euen ^note all the knees that haue not bowed vnto Baal, and euery mouth that hath not kissed him.

19   ¶2; So he departed thence, and found Elisha the sonne of Shaphat who was plowing &wt; twelue yoke of oxen before him, and was with the twelft: & Eliiah went towards him, and cast his

Samaria besieged. Ahabs victories ouer Ben-hadad. mantel vpon him.

20   And he left the oxen, and ran after Eliiah, and sayde, ^note Let mee, I pray thee, kisse my father and my mother, and then I wil follow thee. Who answered him, Go, returne: for what haue I done to thee?

21   And wh&ebar; he went backe againe from him, he tooke a couple of oxen, and slewe them, and sod their flesh with the ^note instruments of the oxen, and gaue vnto the people, and they did eate: then he arose and went after Eliiah, and ministred vnto him. CHAP. XX. 1 Samaria is besieged. 13 The Lord promiseth the victorie to Ahab by a Prophet. 31 The King of Israel made peace with Ben-hadad, and is reproued therefore by the Prophet.

1   Then Ben-hadad the King of ^note Aram assembled all his armie, and two & thirtie ^note Kings with him, with horses, and charets, & went vp and besieged ^note Samaria, and fought against it.

2   And he sent messengers to Ahab King of Israel, into the citie,

3   And sayd vnto him, Thus sayth Ben-hadad, Thy siluer & thy golde is mine: also thy women, and thy fayre children are mine.

4   And the King of Israel answered, and sayd, My lord King, according to thy saying, ^note I am thine, and all that I haue.

5   And when the messengers came againe, they said, Thus commandeth Ben-hadad, & saith, When I shal send vnto thee, and command, thou shalt deliuer me thy siluer and thy golde, and thy women, and thy children,

6    ^noteOr els I will sende my seruants vnto thee by to morow this time: and they shal search thine house, & the houses of thy seruants: and whatsoeuer is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall take it in their handes, and bring it away.

7   Then the King of Israel sent for all the Elders of the land, & sayd, Take heede, I pray you, and see how he seeketh mischiefe: for he sent vnto me for my wiues, and for my children, and for my siluer, and for my golde, and I denyed him not.

8   And all the Elders, and all the people sayd to him, Hearken ^note not vnto him, nor consent.

9   Wherefore hee sayde vnto the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lorde the King, All that thou didddest sende for to thy seruant at the first time, that I will doe, but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him an answere.

10   And Ben-hadad sent vnto him, and sayde, The gods do so to me and more also, if the ^note dust of Samaria be ynough to all the people that follow me, for euery man an handfull.

11   And the King of Israel answered, and sayd, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth his harneis, boast himselfe, as he that ^note putteth it off.

12   And when he heard that tidings, as he was with the Kings drinking in the pauilions, he sayd vnto his seruants, ^note Bring forth your engines, and they set them against the citie.

13   ¶2; And beholde, there came a Prophet vnto Ahab King of Israel, saying, Thus sayeth the Lorde, Hast thou seene all this great multitude? beholde, I will deliuer it into thine hande this day, that thou mayest knowe, ^note that I am the Lorde.

14   And Ahab sayd, By whome? And he sayde, Ahabs victories ouer Ben-hadad. Thus sayth the Lord, By the seruants of the princes of the prouinces. He sayde againe, Who shall order the battel? And he answered, Thou.

15   ¶2; Then he nombred the seruantes of the princes of the prouinces, and they were two hundreth, two and thirtie: and after them he nombred the whole people of all the children of Israel, euen seuen thousand.

16   And they went out at noone: but Ben-hadad did drinke till he was drunken in the tentes, both he and the Kings: for two and thirtie Kings helped him.

17   So the ^note seruants of the princes of the prouinces went out first: and Ben-hadad sent out, & they shewed him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria.

18   And he sayde, Whether they be come out for peace, take them aliue: or whether they bee come out to fight, take them yet aliue.

19   So they came out of the citie, to wit, the seruants of the princes of the prouinces, and the hoste which followed them.

20   And they slew euery one his ^note enemie: and the ^note Aramites fled, and Israel pursued them: but Ben-hadad þe; King of Aram escaped on an horse with his ^note horsemen.

21   And the King of Israel went out, & smote the horses and charets, and with a great slaughter slew he the Aramites.

22   (For there had come a Prophet to the King of Israel, and had sayd vnto him, Goe, be of good courage, and consider, and take heede what thou doest: for when the yeere is gone about, the King of Aram wil come vp against thee)

23   ¶2; Then the seruants of the King of Aram said vnto him, Their ^note gods are gods of the mo&ubar;taines, and therefore they ouercame vs: but let vs fight against them in the playne, and doubtlesse we shal ouercome them.

24   And this doe, Take the Kings away, euery one out of his place, & place captaines for them.

25   And nomber thy selfe an armie, like the armie that thou hast lost, with such horses, & such charets, & we wil fight against them in the plaine, and doubtlesse we shall ouercome them: and he hearkened vnto their voyce, and did so.

26   And after the yeere was gone about, Ben-hadad nombred the Aramites, and went vp to Aphek to fight against Israel.

27   And the children of Israel were nombred, and were all ^note assembled and went against them, and the children of Israel pitched before them, like two litle flockes of kiddes: but the Aramites filled the countrey.

28   And there came a man of God, and spake vnto the King of Israel, saying, Thus sayeth the Lord, Because the Aramites haue sayd, The Lord is the God of the mountaines, and not God of the valleis, therefore will I deliuer all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shal know that ^note I am the Lord.

29   And they pitched one ouer against the other seuen dayes, & in the seuenth day the battel was ioyned: and the children of Israel slew of the Aramites an hundreth thousand footemen in one day.

30   But the rest fled to Aphek into the citie: & there fel a wall vpon seuen and twentie thousand men that were left: and Ben-hadad fled into the citie, and came into ^note a secret chamber.

Ahabs foolish pitie reproued.

31   ¶2; And his seruants sayd vnto him, Beholde nowe, we haue heard say that the Kings of the house of Israel are mercifull Kings: we pray thee, let vs put sacke cloth about our ^note loynes, & ropes about our heads, & goe out to the King of Israel: it may be that he will saue thy life.

32   Then they gyrded sackecloth about their loynes, & put ropes about their heads, and came to the King of Israel, and sayd, Thy seruant Ben-hadad sayth, I pray thee, let me liue: and he sayd, Is he yet aliue? he is my brother.

33   Now the men tooke dilig&ebar;t heede, ^note if they could catch any thing of him, and made haste, & sayd, Thy brother ^note Ben-hadad. And he sayd, Go, bring him. So Ben-hadad came out vnto him, and he caused him to come vp vnto the chariot.

34   And Ben-hadad sayd vnto him, The cities, which my father tooke from thy father, I wil restore, & thou shalt make streetes for thee in ^note Damascus, as my father did in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will let thee goe with this couenant. So he made a couenant with him, and let him goe.

35   ¶2; Then a certaine man of the ^note children of the Prophets sayd vnto his neighbour by the c&obar;mandement of the Lord, ^note Smite me, I pray thee. But the man refused to smite him.

36   Then sayd he vnto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voyce of the Lorde, beholde, as soone as thou art departed from me, a lyon shall ^note slay thee. So when he was departed from him, a lyon found him and slew him.

37   Then he founde another man, and sayde, Smite mee, I pray thee. And the man smote him, and in smiting wounded him.

38   So the Prophet departed, & wayted for the King by the way, & disguised himselfe with ashes vpon his face.

39   And when the King came by, he cried vnto the King, and said, ^note Thy seruant went into the middes of the battel: and beholde, there went away a man, whom another man brought vnto me, and sayd, Keepe this man: if he be lost, and want, thy life shall go for his life, or els thou shalt pay a talent of siluer.

40   And as thy seruant had here and there to do, he was gone: And the King of Israel said vnto him, So shall thy iudgement be: thou hast giuen sentence.

41   And hee hasted, and tooke the ashes away from his face: and the King of Israel knewe him that he was of the Prophets:

42   And he said vnto him, Thus saith the Lord, ^note Because thou hast let goe out of thine handes a man whom I appoynted to dye, thy life shall goe for his life, and thy people for his people.

43   And the King of Israel went to his house heauie and in displeasure, & came to ^note Samaria. CHAP. XXI. 8 Iezebel commandeth to kill Naboth, for the vineyarde that he refused to sell to Ahab. 19 Eliiah reproueth Ahab, and he repenteth.

1    ^noteAfter these things Naboth the Izreelite had a vineyarde in Izreel, hard by the palace of Ahab King of Samaria.

2   And Ahab spake vnto Naboth, saying, ^note Giue me thy vineyarde, that I may make mee a garden of herbes thereof, because it is neere by mine house: and I will giue thee for it a better vineyarde then it is: or if it please thee, I will giue thee the worth of it in money. Naboth is slayne.

3   And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord keepe me from giuing the inheritance of my father vnto thee.

4   Then Ahab came into his house heauie & in displeasure, because of the word which Naboth the Izreelite had spoken vnto him. for hee had sayde, I will not giue thee the inheritance of my fathers, and he lay ^note vpon his bed, and turned his face and would eate no bread.

5   Then Iezebel his wife came to him & said vnto him, Why is thy spirit so sad that thou eatest no bread?

6   And he said vnto her, Because I spake vnto Naboth the Izreelite, & sayd vnto him, Giue me thy vineyard for money, or if it please thee, I will giue thee another vineyard for it: but he answered, I wil not giue thee my vineyarde.

7   Then Iezebel his wife sayde vnto him, ^note Doest thou nowe gouerne the kingdome of Israel? vp, eate bread, & ^note be of good cheere, I will giue thee the vineyard of Naboth the Izreelite.

8   ¶2; So she wrote letters in Ahabs name, and sealed them with his seale, and sent the letters vnto the Elders, and to the nobles that were in his citie dwelling with Naboth.

9   And shee wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaime a ^note fast, and set Naboth among the chiefe of the people,

10   And set two wicked men before him, & let them witnesse against him, saying, Thou diddest blaspheme God and the King: then cary him out, and stone him that he may dye.

11   And the ^note men of his citie, euen the Elders & gouernours, which dwelt in his citie, did as Iezebel had sent vnto them: as it was written in the letters, which she had sent vnto them.

12   They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth among the chiefe of the people,

13   And there came two wicked men, & sate before him: & the wicked men witnessed against Naboth in the presence of the people saying, Naboth did ^note blaspheme God and the King. Then they caried him away out of the citie, and stoned him with stones, that he dyed.

14   Then they sent to Iezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned and is dead.

15   ¶2; And when Iezebel heard that Naboth was stoned and was dead, Iezebel sayd to Ahab, ^note Vp, & take possession of the vineyarde of Naboth the Izreelite, which he refused to giue thee for money: for Naboth is not aliue, but is dead.

16   And when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he rose to go downe to the vineyard of Naboth the Izreelite, to take possession of it.

17   ¶2; And the word of the Lord came vnto Eliiah the Tishbite, saying,

18   Arise, goe downe to meete Ahab King of Israel, which is in Samaria. loe, he is in the vineyarde of Naboth, whither he is gone downe to take possession of it.

19   Therefore shalt thou say vnto him, Thus sayth the Lord, ^note Hast thou killed, and also gotten possession? And thou shalt speake vnto him, saying, Thus sayth the Lorde, ^note In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shal dogs licke euen thy blood also.

20   And Ahab sayd to Eliiah, Hast thou found mee, O mine enemie? And he answered, I haue found thee: for thou hast solde thy selfe to worke wickednes in the sight of the Lord.

Ahab reproued, repenteth.

21    ^noteBeholde, I will bring euill vpon thee, and wil take away thy posteritie, and wil cut off from Ahab him that ^note pisseth against the wall, as well him that is ^note shut vp, as him that is left in Israel,

22   And I wil make thine house like the house of ^note Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, and like the house of ^note Baasha the sonne of Ahiiah, for the prouocation wherewith thou hast prouoked, and made Israel to sinne.

23   And also of Iezebel spake the Lorde, saying, ^note The dogs shall eate Iezebel, ^note by the wall of Izreel.

24   The dogs shall eate him of Ahabs stocke, that dyeth in the citie: and him that dyeth in the fieldes, shall the foules of the ayre eate.

25   (But there was none like Ahab, who did ^note fell him selfe, to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord: whom Iezebel his wife prouoked.

26   For he did exceeding abominably in following idoles, according to all that the Amorites did, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.)

27   Nowe when Ahab heard those wordes, he rent his clothes, & put sackcloth vpon ^note him and fasted, and lay in sackecloth and went ^note softely.

28   And the worde of the Lord came to Eliiah the Tishbite, saying,

29   Seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me? because he submitteth himselfe before me, I will not bring that euill in his dayes, but in his ^note sonnes dayes wil I bring euill vpon his house. CHAP. XXII. 2 Iehoshaphat and Ahab fight against the King of Syria. 15 Michaiah sheweth the King what shall be the successe of their enterprise. 24 Zidkiiah the false prophet smiteth him. 34 Ahab is slaine. 40 Ahaziah his sonne succeedeth. 41 The reigne of Iehoshaphat, 50 and Ioram his sonne.

1   And ^note they continued ^note three yeere without warre betweene Aram and Israel.

2   And in the third yeere did Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah ^note come downe to þe; King of Israel.

3   (Then the King of Israel saide vnto his seruants, Knowe yee not that ^note Ramoth Gilead was ours? and wee stay, and take it not out of þe; hand of the King of Aram?)

4   And he sayde vnto Iehoshaphat, Wilt thou goe with mee to battel against Ramoth Gilead? And Iehoshaphat saide vnto the King of Israel, ^note I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and mine horses as thine horses.

5   Then Iehoshaphat saide vnto the King of Israel, ^note Aske counsaile, I pray thee, of the Lord to day.

6   Then the King of Israel gathered the ^note prophets vpon a foure hundreth men, and said vnto them, Shal I go against Ramoth Gilead to battel, or shal I let it alone? And they said, Go vp: for þe; Lord shall deliuer it into the hands of the King.

7   And Iehoshaphat said, Is there here neuer a Prophet of the ^note Lorde more, that we might inquire of him?

8   And the King of Israel said vnto Iehoshaphat, There is yet one man (Michaiah the sonne of Imlah) by whom we may aske counsel of the Lord, but ^note I hate him: for he doeth not prophecie good vnto me, but euill. And Iehoshaphat sayd, Let not the King say so. Zidkijah & others prophecie.

9   Then the King of Israel called an ^note Eunuche, and sayde, Call quickely Michaiah the sonne of Imlah.

10   And the King of Israel & Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah sate either of them on his throne in their ^note apparell in the voyde place at the entring in of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophecied before them.

11   And Zidkiiah the sonne of Chenaanah made him ^note hornes of yron, and sayd, Thus sayth the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Aramites, vntill thou hast consumed them.

12   And all the prophets prophecied so, saying, Goe vp to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliuer it into the Kings hand.

13   ¶2; And the messenger that was gone to call Michaiah spake vnto him, saying, Beholde now, the wordes of the prophets declare good vnto the King with ^{note note} one accorde: let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like the worde of one of them, and speake thou good.

14   And Michaiah saide, As the Lord liueth, whatsoeuer the Lord sayth vnto me, that will I speake.

15   ¶2; So he came to the King, & the King said vnto him, Michaiah, shall we go against Ramoth Gilead to battel, or shall we leaue off? And he answered him, ^note Goe vp, and prosper: and the Lord shall deliuer it into the hand of the King.

16   And the King said vnto him, How oft shall I charge thee, that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the Name of the Lord?

17   Then he said, I sawe all Israel scattered vpon the mountaines, as sheepe that had no shepheard. And the Lorde sayde, ^note These haue no master, let euery man returne vnto his house in peace.

18   (And the King of Israel saide vnto Iehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee, that he would prophecie no good vnto me, but euill?)

19   Againe he said, Heare thou therefore the worde of the Lorde. I sawe the Lorde sit on his throne, and all the ^note hoste of heauen stood about him on his right hand and on his left hand.

20   And the Lord sayd, Who shall ^note entise Ahab that he may go and fall at Ramoth Gilead? And one said on this maner, and another sayd on that maner.

21   Then there came forth a spirit, & ^note stoode before the Lord, and sayd, I wil entise him. And the Lord sayd vnto him, Wherewith?

22   And he sayd, I will goe out, and be a ^note false spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. Then he sayd, Thou shalt entise him, and shalt also preuayle: goe forth, and doe so.

23   Now therefore behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirite in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath appoynted euill against thee.

24   Then Zidkiiah the sonne of Chenaanah came neere, and smote Michaiah on the cheeke and sayd, ^{note note} When went the Spirite of the Lord from me, to speake vnto thee?

25   And Michaiah saide, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt goe from chamber to chamber to hide thee.

26   And the King of Israel sayd, Take Michaiah, and cary him vnto Amon the gouernour of the citie, and vnto Ioash the Kings sonne,

27   And say, Thus saith the King, Put this man

Ahab is slayne. in the prison house, and feede him with ^note bread of affliction, and with water of affliction, vntill I returne in peace.

28   And Michaiah sayde, If thou returne in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he sayd, ^note Hearken all ye people.

29   So the King of Israel and Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah went vp to Ramoth Gilead.

30   And the King of Israel sayde to Iehoshaphat, I will change mine apparell, and will enter into the battell, but put thou on thine apparell. And the King of Israel changed himselfe, and went into the battel.

31   And the King of Aram commaunded his two and thirtie captaines ouer his charets, saying, Fight neither with small, nor great, saue onely against the King of Israel.

32   And when the captaines of the charets saw Iehoshaphat, they sayd, Surely it is the King of Israel, and they turned to fight against him: and Iehoshaphat ^note cryed.

33   And when the captaines of the charets saw that he was not the King of Israel, they turned backe from him.

34   Then a certaine man drewe a bow ^note mightily and smote the King of Israel betweene the ioyntes ^note of his brigandine. Wherefore he sayde vnto his charet man, Turne thine hand and cary me out of the hoste: for I am ^note hurt.

35   And the battel encreased that day, and the ^note King stoode still in his charet against the Aramites, and dyed at euen: & the blood ran out of the wound into the middes of the charet.

36   And there went a proclamation thorowout the ^note hoste about the going downe of the sunne, saying, Euery man to his citie, and euery man to his owne countrey.

37   So the King died, and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the King in Samaria.

38   And one washed the charet in the poole of Samaria, and the dogs licked vp his blood (and ^note they washed his armour) according ^note vnto the word of the Lord which he spake.

39   Concerning the rest of the actes of Ahab and all that he did, and the yuorie house which he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

40   So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah Iehoshaphat. Ahaziah. Iehoram. his sonne reigned in his stead.

41   ¶2; ^note And Iehoshaphat the sonne of Asa began to reigne vpon Iudah in the fourth yeere of Ahab King of Israel.

42   Iehoshaphat was fiue and thirty yere olde, when he began to reigne, and reigned fiue and twentie yeere in Ierusalem. And his mothers name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

43   And he walked in all the wayes of Asa his father, and declined not therefrom, but did that which was right in the eyes of the Lorde. Neuerthelesse ^note the hie places were not taken away: for the people offred still and burnt incense in the hie places.

44   And Iehoshaphat made peace with the King of Israel.

45   Concerning the rest of the actes of Iehoshaphat, and his worthy deedes that he did, and his battels which he fought, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah?

46   And the Sodomites, which remayned in the dayes of his father Asa, he put cleane out of the land.

47   There was then no King in Edom: the ^note deputie was King.

48   Iehoshaphat made shippes of ^note Tharshish to sayle to ^note Ophir for golde, but they went not, for the shippes were broken at Ezion Gaber.

49   Then sayde Ahaziah the sonne of Ahab vnto Iehoshaphat, Let my seruants goe with thy seruants in the ships, But Iehoshaphat would not.

50   And Iehoshaphat did sleepe with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the citie of Dauid his father, and Iehoram his sonne reigned in his stead.

51   ¶2; Ahaziah the sonne of Ahab began to reigne ouer Israel in Samaria, the seuenteenth yeere of Iehoshaphat King of Iudah, and reigned two yeeres ouer Israel.

52   But he did euill in the sight of the Lorde, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, which made Israel to sinne.

53   For he serued Baal and worshipped him, and prouoked the Lorde God of Israel vnto wrath, ^note according vnto all that his father had done.

Previous section

Next section