Category: 1 Kings

Solomon Turns from God

1 Now king Solomon [defiantly] lovedmany foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women,

2 from the very nations of whom the Lordsaid to the Israelites, “You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for the result will be that they will turn away your hearts to follow their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these in love.

3 He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundredconcubines, and his wives turned his heart away [from God].

4 For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not completely devoted to the Lordhis God, as was the heart of his father David.

5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the [fertility] goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the horror (detestable idol) of the Ammonites.

6 Solomon did evil [things] in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lordfully, as his father Davidhad done.

7 Then Solomon built ahigh place for [worshiping] Chemosh the horror (detestable idol) of Moab, on the hill which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the horror (detestable idol) of the sons of Ammon.

8 And he did the same for all of his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

9 So the Lordbecame angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,

10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not follow other gods; but he did not observe (remember, obey) what the Lordhad commanded.

11 Therefore the Lordsaid to Solomon, “Because you have done this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.

12 However, I will not do it in yourlifetime, for the sake of your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son (Rehoboam).

13 However, I will not tear away all the kingdom; I will give one tribe (Judah) to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”

God Raises Adversaries

14 Then the Lordstirred up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was of royal descent in Edom.

15 For it came about, when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury those killed [in battle] and had struck down every male in Edom

16 (for Joab and all [the army of] Israel stayed there six months, until he had killed every male in Edom),

17 that Hadad escaped to Egypt, he and some Edomites from his father’s servants with him, while Hadad was [still] a little boy.

18 They set out from Midian [south of Edom] and came to Paran, and took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave [young] Hadad a house and ordered foodandprovisions for him and gave him land.

19 Hadad found great favor with Pharaoh, so that he gave Hadad in marriage the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.

20 The sister of Tahpenes gave birth to Genubath, Hadad’s son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh’s household among the sons of Pharaoh.

21 But when Hadad heard in Egypt that Davidhad died and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me leave, so that I may go to my own country.”

22 Then Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you lacked with me that now you ask to go to your own country?” He replied, “Nothing; nevertheless you must let me go.”

23 God also stirred upanotheradversary for Solomon, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah.

24 Rezon gathered men to himself and became leader of a marauding band, after David killed thosein Zobah. They went to Damascus and stayed there and they reigned in Damascus.

25 So Rezon was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, along with the evil that Hadadinflicted. Rezon hated Israel and reigned over Aram (Syria).

26 Jeroboam, Solomon’s servant, the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zeredah whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king.

27 Now this is the reason why he rebelled against the king: Solomon built the Millo (fortification) and he repairedandclosed the breach of the city of his father David.

28 The man Jeroboam was a brave warrior and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious, he put him in charge of all the forced labor of the house of Joseph.

29 It came about at that time, when Jeroboam left Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road. Now Ahijah had covered himself with a new cloak; and the two of them were alone in the field.

30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak which he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces.

31 He said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am going to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes—

32 but he [and his descendants] shall haveone tribe (Benjamin was annexed to Judah), for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel—

33 becausethey have abandoned Me and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My waysandfollowed My commandments, doing what is right in My sight andkeepingMy statutes and My ordinances as did his father David.

34 However, I will not take the entire kingdom out of his hand; but I will make him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of My servant David, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes.

35 But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and give it to you: ten tribes.

36 Yet to his son I will giveone tribe, so that My servant David may have alamp always before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put My NameandPresence.

37 I will take you [Jeroboam], and you shall reign over whatever your soul desires; and you shall be king over Israel (the ten northern tribes).

38 Then it shall be, that if you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, keepingandobserving My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build you an enduring house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.

39 And in this way I will afflict the descendants of David for this (their sin), but not forever.’ ”

40 So Solomon attempted to kill Jeroboam; but Jeroboam set out and escaped to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and stayed in Egypt until Solomon died.

The Death of Solomon

41 The rest of the acts of Solomon—and all that he did, and his wisdom—are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?

42 The time Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.

43 And Solomon slept [in death] with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

King Rehoboam Acts Foolishly

1 Rehoboam went toShechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

2 Now when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard about it, he was living in Egypt (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon).

3 So they sentwordand called for him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

4 “Your father made our yoke (burden) heavy; so now lighten the hard labor and the heavy yoke your father imposed on us, and we will serve you.”

5 Rehoboam replied to them, “Leave for three days, then come back to me [for my decision].” So the people left.

6 King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had servedandadvised his father Solomon while he was still alive and said, “How do you advise me to answer this people?”

7 They spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and grant their request, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

8 But heignored the advice which the elders gave him and consulted the young men who grew up with him and served him.

9 He said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke (burden) which your father put on us’?”

10 The young men who had grown up with him answered, “This is what you should say to this people who told you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but as for you, make our yoke lighter’—say this to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins [and my reign will be even more severe].

11 And now, whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you withscorpions.’ ”

12 Jeroboam and all the people came back to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had instructed, saying, “Return to me on the third day.”

13 The king answered the people harshly andignored the advice which the elders had given him,

14 and spoke to them in accordance with the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but as for me, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

15 So the king did not listen to the people; for the situation was from the Lord, so that He might fulfill His word which He spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

The Kingdom Divided; Jeroboam Rules Israel

16 So when all [the ten northern tribes of] Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people replied to the king, saying,

“What portion do we have in David?

We haveno inheritance in the son of Jesse;

To your tents, O Israel!

Look now afteryour own house, David!”

Then Israel went back to their tents.

17 But as for the sons (descendants) of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah [including Benjamin], Rehoboam reigned over them.

18 Then King Rehoboam sentAdoram, who was in charge of the forced labor [to represent him], and all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam quickly mounted his chariot to escape to Jerusalem.

19 So Israel (the ten northern tribes) has rebelled against the house (royal line) of David to this day (the date of this writing).

20 It came about when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sentwordand called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. None followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah [including Benjamin].

21 Now when Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he assembled all the [fighting men from the] house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel to bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

23 “Tell Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and all the house (fighting men) of Judah and Benjamin and the rest of the people,

24 ‘Thus says the Lord, “You shall not go up and fight against your brothers, the sons of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing has come about from Me.” ’ ” So they listened to the word of the Lordand returned to go home, in accordance with the word of the Lord.

Jeroboam’s Idolatry

25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem [as his royal city] in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. He went out from there and rebuilt Penuel [as a stronghold].

26 Jeroboam [doubted God’s promise to him and] said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.

27 If these people go up to the house of the Lordin Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, then their heart will turn to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”

28 So the king took counsel [and followed bad advice] and made twocalves of gold. And he said to the people, “It is too much for you to go [all the way] up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”

29 He set the one [golden calf] in Bethel, and the other he put inDan.

30 Now this thing became a sin [for Israel]; because the people wentto worshipbefore the one [or the other of them] as far as Dan.

31 And Jeroboam also made houses on high places, and he made priests fromall people who were not of the sons (descendants) of Levi.

32 Jeroboam held a feast on the fifteenth day of theeighth month, like the feast which iskeptin Judah, and he went up to the altar; he did this in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made. And he stationed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.

33 So he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart [in defiance of God’s commandments]; and he held a feast for the Israelites and he went up to the altar to burnincense [in defiance of God’s law.]

Jeroboam Warned, Stricken

1 Now behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word (command) of the Lord, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar [which he had built] to burn incense.

2 The man cried out against the [idolatrous] altar by the word of the Lord, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David,Josiah by name; and on you shall he sacrifice [the bodies of] the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’ ”

3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the Lordhas spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be split apart and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’ ”

4 When the king heard the words which the man of God cried out against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam put out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him!” And his hand which he had put out against him withered, so that he was unable to pull it back to himself.

5 The altar also was split apart and the ashes were poured out from the altar in accordance with the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.

6 The king answered and said to the man of God, “Please entreat [the favor of] the Lordyour God and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it was before.

7 And the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.”

8 But the man of God said to the king, “Evenif you were to give me half your house (wealth), I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place.

9 For I was commanded by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall not eat bread or drink water, nor shall you return by the way you came.’ ”

10 So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel.

The Disobedient Prophet

11 Now there was an old prophet living in Bethel; and his sons came and told him everything that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king.

12 Their father asked them, “Which way did he go?” For his sons had seen which way the man of God who came from Judah had gone.

13 He said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him and he rode away on it,

14 and he went after the man of God. And he found him sitting under an oak (terebinth) tree, and he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.”

15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.”

16 He said, “I cannot return with you nor go in with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place.

17 For I was told by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor shall you return by going the way that you came.’ ”

18 He answered him, “I too am a prophet, as you are; and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, so that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ”Buthe lied to him.

19 So the man of God went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water.

20 Now it happened as they were sitting at the table, that the word of the Lordcame to the prophet who had brought him back.

21 And he cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lordand have not kept the commandment which the Lordyour God commanded you,

22 but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which the Lordsaid to you, “You shall not eat bread nor drink water”; your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers (ancestors).’ ”

23 After the prophet of the house had eaten bread and after he had drunk, he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back.

24 Now when he had gone, a lion met him by the road and killed him, and his body was thrown in the road, with the donkey standing beside it; the lion was also standing beside the body.

25 And there were men passing by, and they saw the body thrown in the road, and the lion standing beside the body. So they came and told about it in the city [of Bethel] where the old prophet lived.

26 When the prophet who had brought him back from the road heard about it, he said, “It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the Lord; therefore the Lordhas given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, in accordance with the word of the Lordwhich He spoke to him.”

27 And he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it.

28 And he went and found the body thrown on the road, and the donkey and the lion standing beside the body; the lion [miraculously] had not eaten the body or attacked the donkey.

29 Then the prophet picked up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back, and he came into the city (Bethel) of the old prophet to mourn and to bury him.

30 And he laid the body in his own grave, and they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!”

31 Then after he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I am dead, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones.

32 For the words which he cried out by the word of the Lordagainst the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria shall certainly come to pass.”

33 After this event, Jeroboam [still] did not turn from his evil way, but again made priests for the high places from among all the people. He ordained anyone who was willing, so that there would be priests for the high places.

34 And this thing (idol worship) became the sin of the house of Jeroboam to blot it out and eliminate it from the face of the earth.

Ahijah Prophesies against the King

1 At that time Abijah the son [and crown prince, heir] of Jeroboam became sick.

2 Jeroboam said to his wife, “Please get up and disguise yourself, so that people will not know that you are Jeroboam’s wife, and go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there, the one who told me thatI would beking over this people.

3 Take with you ten loaves of bread,somecakes, and a bottle of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.”

4 Jeroboam’s wife did so. She got up and went [twenty miles] to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, because his eyes were dim from old age.

5 And the Lordsaid to Ahijah, “Behold, thewife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you about her son, because he is sick. You shall say such and such to her, for when she arrives, she will pretend to be another woman.”

6 So when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came in the doorway, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another woman? For I have been sent to you [by God] with a harshmessage.

7 Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over My people Israel,

8 and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you—but you have not been like My servant David, who kept My commandments and followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes,

9 but have done more evil than all [thekings] who were before you; for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back—

10 therefore behold, I am bringing evil on the house (royal line) of Jeroboam, and I will cut off (destroy) from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free, in Israel, and willutterlysweep away the house of Jeroboam as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone.

11 The dogs will eat [the carcass of] anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat [the carcass of] anyone who dies in the field, for the Lordhas spoken it.” ’

12 Now as for you (Jeroboam’s wife), arise, go to your own house. When your feet enter the city, the child [Abijah] will die.

13 All Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he alone of Jeroboam’sfamilywill come to [be placed in] the grave, because in him there was found something goodandpleasing toward the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam.

14 Moreover, the Lordwill raise up for Himself a king over Israel who will cut off the house (royal line) of Jeroboam this day and from now on.

15 “The Lordwill strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and He will scatter them beyond the [Euphrates] River, because they have made theirAsherim, provoking the Lordto anger.

16 He will give up Israel because of the sins of Jeroboam which he has committed, and with which he has made Israel sin [by leading them into idolatry].”

17 So Jeroboam’s wife arose and left and came to Tirzah [the king’s residence]. As she was entering the threshold of the house, the child [Abijah] died.

18 And all Israel buried him and mourned for him, in accordance with the word of the Lordwhich He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet.

19 Now as for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he made war and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

20 The time that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years, and he slept with his fathers [in death]; and Nadab his son reigned in his place.

Rehoboam Misleads Judah

21 Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lordhad chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name (Presence). His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess.

22 And [the people of] Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord. They provoked Him tojealousy more than all that their fathers had done, with their sins which they had committed.

23 For they also built for themselves high places [to worship idols] andsacredpillars and Asherim [for the goddess Asherah].These wereon every high hill and under every luxuriant tree.

24 There were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They committed all the repulsive acts of the nations which the Lorddispossessed before the Israelites.

25 Now in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt [Jeroboam’s brother-in-law] came up against Jerusalem.

26 He took away the treasures of the house (temple) of the Lordand the treasures of the king’s house; he took away everything, he even took all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

27 So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and handed them over to the captains of the palace guard who guarded the doorway of the king’s house.

28 And as often as the king went into the house of the Lord, the guards would carry them and bring them back into the guardroom.

29 Now as for the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

30 There was also war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

31 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers [in death] and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. Abijam (Abijah) his son became king in his place.

Abijam Reigns over Judah

1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah.

2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Maacah [grand]daughter of Abishalom (Absalom).

3 He walked in all the sins [of idol worship] that his father [Rehoboam] committed before him; and his heart was not entirely devoted to the Lordhis God, like the heart of his father (forefather) David.

4 Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lordhis God gave him a lamp (descendant on the throne) in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him and establishing Jerusalem,

5 because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of [the betrayal of] Uriah the Hittite.

6 There was war between Rehoboam [Abijam’s father] and Jeroboam all the days of Rehoboam’s life.

7 Now as for the rest of the acts of Abijam and everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

Asa Succeeds Abijam

8 Abijam slept with his fathers [in death] and they buried him in the City of David. Asa his son became king in his place.

9 So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king over Judah.

10 He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His [great-grand]mother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom (Absalom).

11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did his father (forefather) David.

12 He expelled the male cult prostitutes (sodomites) from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers [Solomon, Rehoboam, and Abijam] had made.

13 He also deposed his [great-grand]mother Maacah frombeingqueen mother, because she had made a horrid (obscene, vulgar) image for [the goddess] Asherah. Asa cut down her horrid image, and burned it by the Brook Kidron.

14 But the high places [of idol worship] were not removed. Nevertheless, Asa’s heart was entirely devoted to the Lordall his days.

15 He brought the things which his father had dedicated and the things which he had dedicated into the house of the Lord—silver, gold, and utensilsandaccessories.

16 Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah [north of Jerusalem], in order to preventanyonefrom going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

18 Then Asa took all the silver and gold left in the treasuries of the house of the Lordand the treasuries of the palace of the king and handed them over to his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram (Syria), who lived in Damascus, saying,

19 “Let there bea treaty between me and you,as there wasbetween my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he willwithdraw from me.”

20 So Ben-hadad listened to king Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth [the region of the Sea of Galilee], along with all the land of Naphtali.

21 When Baasha heard about it, he stoppedfortifying Ramah and stayed in Tirzah.

22 Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah—none was exempt—and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had built [the fortifications]. And King Asa built with them [border fortresses at] Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

Jehoshaphat Succeeds Asa

23 Now as for the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, everything that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But during the time of his old age he had a foot disease.

24 Asa slept with his fathers [in death] and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David. Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.

Nadab, then Baasha, Rules over Israel

25 Now Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for two years.

26 He did evil in the sight of the Lordand walked in the way of his father [Jeroboam] and in his sin [of idolatry], with which he made Israel sin.

27 Baasha the son of Ahijah of the house (tribe) of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

28 So Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place.

29 As soon as he was king, Baasha struck down all the household of Jeroboam. He did not leave for Jeroboam anyone alive, but he destroyed them in accordance with the word of the Lordwhich He had spoken through His servant Ahijah the Shilonite—

30 because of the sins committed by Jeroboam and which he made Israel commit, and because he provoked the LordGod of Israel to anger.

31 Now as for the rest of Nadab’s acts and everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

War with Judah

32 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah became king over all Israel in Tirzah [the capital city],and reignedtwenty-four years.

34 He did evil in the sight of the Lordand walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin [of idolatry] with which he made Israel sin.

Prophecy against Baasha

1 Now the word of the Lordcame to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,

2 “Because I exalted you [Baasha] from the dust and made you leader over My people Israel, and you walked in the way of Jeroboam and made My people Israel sin, provoking Me to anger with their sins [of idol worship],

3 behold, I am going to sweep away Baasha and his household (family), and I will make your house (royal line) like that of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

4 The dogs will eat anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat anyone belonging to him who dies in the field.”

5 Now as for the rest of the acts of Baasha, what he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

The Israelite Kings

6 Baasha slept with his fathers [in death] and was buried in Tirzah. Elah his son became king in his place.

7 Moreover, the word of the Lordcame against Baasha and his household through the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani, both for all the evil that Baasha did in the sight of the Lordin provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands (idolatry), in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he [willingly] destroyed it (the family of Jeroboam).

8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha became king over Israel in Tirzah,and reignedtwo years.

9 His servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against Elah. Now Elah was in Tirzah, getting drunk in the house of Arza, who was in charge of the [king’s] household in Tirzah.

10 Then Zimri came in and struck and killed Elah in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and became king in his place.

11 When he became king, as soon as he sat on his throne, he killed the entire household of Baasha; he did not leave a single male [alive], either of hisrelatives or his friends.

12 Thus Zimri destroyed the entire household of Baasha, in accordance with the word of the Lordwhich He spoke against Baasha through Jehu the prophet,

13 for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they committed, and made Israel commit, provoking the LordGod of Israel to anger with their idols.

14 Now as for the rest of the acts of Elah and everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned [over Israel] for seven days at Tirzah. Now the troops were camped against Gibbethon, [a city] which belonged to the Philistines,

16 and the people who were camped heard it said, “Zimri has conspired and has also struck down the king.” So all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp.

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

18 When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the fortress of the king’s palace; andwhile inside,he set fire to the king’s palace and died,

19 because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the sight of the Lord, by walking in the way of Jeroboam, and because of his sin he caused Israel to sin.

20 Now as for the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his [treasonous] conspiracy which he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

21 Then the people of Israel were divided in half. Half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and theotherhalf followed Omri.

22 But the people who followed Omri prevailed over the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king.

23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israeland reignedfor twelve years. He reigned six years at Tirzah.

24 Omri bought the hill Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, and he builta cityon the hill [and fortified it], and named the city which he builtSamaria, after the owner of the hill, Shemer.

25 But Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, and acted more wickedly than all whocamebefore him.

26 He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and in his sin, which he made Israel commit, provoking the LordGod of Israel, [to anger] with their idols.

27 Now as for the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might which he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

28 So Omri slept with his fathers [in death] and was buried in Samaria. Ahab his son became king in his place.

29 Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria for twenty-two years.

30 Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lordmore than all [the kings] who were before him.

31 It came about, as if it had been a trivial thing for Ahab to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he marriedJezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him.

32 So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria.

33 Ahab also made the Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the LordGod of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

34 In his days, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations with theloss ofAbiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with theloss ofhis youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord, which He spoke through Joshua the son of Nun.

Elijah Predicts Drought

1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”

2 And the word of the Lordcame to him, saying,

3 “Go from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan [River].

4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to sustain you there [with food].”

5 So he went and did in accordance with the word of the Lord; he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.

6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he would drink from the brook.

7 It happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

8 Then the word of the Lordcame to him, saying,

9 “Arise, go toZarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”

10 So he set out and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks [for firewood]. He called out to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a jar, so that I may drink.”

11 As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”

12 But she said, “As the Lordyour God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar. See, I am gathering a few sticks so that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it [as our last meal] and die.”

13 Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. Just make me a little bread from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son.

14 For this is what the LordGod of Israel says: ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted nor shall the jar of oil be empty until the day that the Lordsends rain [again] on the face of the earth.’ ”

15 She went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate formanydays.

16 The bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, in accordance with the word of the Lordwhich He spoke through Elijah.

Elijah Raises the Widow’s Son

17 It happened after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him.

18 So she said to Elijah, “What [problem] is there between you and me, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to mind and to put my son to death?”

19 He said to her, “Give me your son.” Then he took him from her arms and carried him up to the upper room where he was living, and laid him on his own bed.

20 He called to the Lordand said, “O Lordmy God, have You brought further tragedy to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?”

21 Then he stretched himself out upon the child three times, and called to the Lordand said, “O Lordmy God, please let this child’s life return to him.”

22 The Lordheard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived.

23 Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the [lower part of the] house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, “See, your son is alive.”

24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lordin your mouth is truth.”

Obadiah Meets Elijah

1 Now it happened after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.”

2 So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.

3 Ahab called Obadiah who was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lordgreatly;

4 for when Jezebel destroyed the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water.)

5 Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go into the land to all the sources of water and to all the streams; perhaps we may find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle.”

6 So they divided the land between them tosurvey it. Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way by himself.

7 As Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. He recognized him and fell face downward [out of respect] and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”

8 He answered him, “It is I. Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’ ”

9 But he said, “What sin have I committed, that you would hand over your servant to Ahab to put me to death?

10 As the Lordyour God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sentmessengersto seek you; and when they said, ‘He is not here,’ Ahab made the kingdom or nation swear that they had not found you.

11 And now you are saying, ‘Go, tell your master, “Behold, Elijah [is here].” ’

12 And as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the Lordwill carry youto a place I do not know; so when I come to tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. Yet your servant has [reverently] feared the Lordfrom my youth.

13 Has it not been told to my lord [Elijah] what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred of the Lord’sprophets by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water?

14 And now you are saying, ‘Go, tell your master, “Elijah is here” ’; and he will kill me.”

15 Elijah said, “As the Lordof hosts (armies) lives, before whom I stand, I will certainly show myself to Ahab today.”

16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Are you the one who is bringing disaster on Israel?”

18 Elijah said, “I have not brought disaster on Israel, but you and your father’s householdhave,by abandoning (rejecting) the commandments of the Lordand by following the Baals.

19 Now then, sendwordand gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of [the goddess] Asherah, who eat at [Queen] Jezebel’s table.”

God or Baal on Mount Carmel

20 So Ahab sentwordto all the Israelites and assembled the [pagan] prophets together at Mount Carmel.

21 Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will youhesitate between two opinions? If the Lordis God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people [of Israel] did not answer him [so much as] a word.

22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone remain a prophet of the Lord, while Baal’s prophets are 450 men.

23 Now let them give us two oxen, and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fireunder it. I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fireunder it.

24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the god who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.”

25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, since there are many of you; and call on the name of your god, but put no fireunder it.”

26 So they took the bull that was given to them and prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, hearandanswer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they had made.

27 At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied, or he is out [at the moment], or he is on a journey. Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened!”

28 So they cried out with a loud voice [to get Baal’s attention] and cut themselves with swords and lances in accordance with their custom, until the blood flowed out on them.

29 As midday passed, they played the part of prophetsandraved dramatically until the time for offering theeveningsacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people approached him. And he repairedandrebuilt the [old] altar of the Lordthat had been torn down [by Jezebel].

31 Then Elijah took twelve stones in accordance with the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lordhad come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”

32 So with the stones Elijah built an altar in the name of the Lord. He made a trench around the altar large enough to holdtwo measures of seed.

33 Then he laid out the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood.

34 And he said, “Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and the wood.” And he said, “Do it the second time.” And they did it the second time. And he said, “Do it the third time.” And they did it a third time.

35 The water flowed around the altar, and he also filled the trench with water.

Elijah’s Prayer

36 At the time of the offering of theeveningsacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached [the altar] and said, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob), let it be known today that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and that I have done all these things at Your word.

37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back [to You].”

38 Then the fire of the Lordfell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood, andeventhe stones and the dust; it also licked up the water in the trench.

39 When all the people saw it, they fell face downward; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”

40 Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” They seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and [as God’s law required] killed them there.

41 Now Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of the roarof an abundanceof rain.”

42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down to the earth and put his face between his knees,

43 and he said to his servant, “Go up, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” Elijah said, “Go back” seven times.

44 And at the seventhtimethe servant said, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And Elijah said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepareyour chariotand go down, so that the rain shower does not stop you.’ ”

45 In a little while the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there were heavy showers. And Ahab mountedandrode [his chariot] and went [inland] toJezreel.

46 Then the hand of the Lordcame upon Elijah [giving him supernatural strength]. Hegirded up his loins and outran Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel [nearly twenty miles].

Elijah Flees from Jezebel

1 Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets [of Baal] with the sword.

2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me, and even more, if by this time tomorrow I do not make yourlife like the life of one of them.”

3 And Elijah was afraid and arose and ran for his life, and he came toBeersheba which belongs to Judah, and he left his servant there.

4 But he himself traveled a day’s journey into the wilderness, and he came and sat down under a juniper tree and asked [God] that he might die. He said, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

5 He lay down and slept under the juniper tree, and behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.”

6 He looked, and by his head there was a bread cake baked on hot coal, and a pitcher of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.

7 Then the angel of the Lordcame again a second time and touched him and said, “Get up, and eat, for the journey is too long for you [without adequate sustenance].”

8 So he got up and ate and drank, and with the strength of that food he traveled forty days and nights to Horeb (Sinai), the mountain of God.

Elijah at Horeb

9 There he came to a cave and spent the night in it; and behold, the word of the Lordcameto him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 He said, “I have been veryzealous (impassioned) for the LordGod of hosts (armies) [proclaiming what is rightfully and uniquely His]; for the sons of Israel have abandoned (broken) Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I, only I, am left; and they seek to take away my life.”

11 So He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lordwas passing by, and a great and powerful wind was tearing out the mountains and breaking the rocks in pieces before the Lord; but the Lordwas not in the wind. And after the wind, [there was] an earthquake, but the Lordwas not in the earthquake.

12 After the earthquake, [there was] a fire, but the Lordwas not in the fire; and after the fire, [there was] the sound of a gentle blowing.

13 When Elijah heardthe sound, he wrapped his face in his mantle (cloak) and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 He said, “I have been very zealous for the LordGod of hosts (armies), because the sons of Israel have abandoned (broken) Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I, only I, am left; and they seek to take away my life.”

15 The Lordsaid to him, “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram (Syria);

16 and you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat ofAbel-meholah as prophet in your place.

17 It shall come about that Jehu shall put to death whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, and Elisha shall put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.

18 Yet I will leave 7,000 [survivors] in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed down to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

19 So Elijah departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairsof oxenbefore him, and he with the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his mantle (coat) on him.

20 He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother [goodbye], then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go on back; for what have I done to [stop] you?”

21 So Elisha left him and went back. Then he took a pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their meat with the implements of the oxen [as fuel], and gavethe meatto the people, and they ate. Then he stood and followed Elijah, and served him.

War with Aram

1 Ben-hadad king of Aram (Syria) gathered all his army together; thirty-two kings were [allied] with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria [Israel’s capital], and fought against it.

2 Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab king of Israel; and he said to him, “Thus says Ben-hadad:

3 ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your wives and your children, even the fairest, also are mine [as conditions of peace].’ ”

4 The king of Israel [conceded his defeat and] answered, “By your word, my lord, O king, I am yours, and all that I have.”

5 The messengers returned and said, “Thus says Ben-hadad: ‘I indeed sentwordto you, saying, “You shall give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children,”

6 but about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants; and they will take with their hands (confiscate) whatever is desirable in your eyes and carry it away.’ ”

7 Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please observe and see how this man is seeking our destruction. For he sentmessengersto me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I did not refuse him.”

8 All the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent [to this additional demand].”

9 So he said to Ben-hadad’s messengers, “Tell my lord the king, ‘Everydemandyou first sent to your servant I will do, but I cannot do this [additional] thing [as a condition of peace].’ ” And the messengers left; then they brought him word again.

10 Ben-hadad sentwordto him and said, “May the gods do so to me, and more also, if there is enough dust left of Samaria for handfuls for all the [armed] people who follow me.”

11 The king of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘A man who puts on [his armor to go to battle] should not boast like the man who takes it off [after the battle has been won].’ ”

12 When Ben-hadad heard this message, as he and the kings were drinking in the temporary shelters, he said to his servants, “Stationyourselves.” So they stationedthemselvesagainst the city [of Samaria].

Ahab Victorious

13 Then a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Have you seen all this great army? Behold, I will hand them over to you, and you shall know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord.’ ”

14 Ahab said, “By whom?” And he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘By the young men [the attendants or bodyguards] of the governors of the districts.’ ” Then Ahab said, “Who shall begin the battle?” And he answered, “You.”

15 Then Ahab assembledandcounted the young men of the governors of the districts, and there were 232. After them he assembledandcounted all the people, all the sons of Israel, 7,000.

16 They went out at noon, while Ben-hadad was getting drunk in the temporary shelters, he and the thirty-two kings who were helping him.

17 The young men of the governors of the districts went out first; and Ben-hadad sentmenout and they told him, saying, “Men have come out of Samaria.”

18 And he said, “Whether they have come out for peace or for war, take them alive.”

19 So these young men of the governors of the districts went out of the city, and the army followed them.

20 And each one killed his man; and the Arameans (Syrians) fled and Israel pursued them. Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.

21 The king of Israel went out and struck [the riders of] the horses and chariots, and killed the Arameans in a great slaughter.

22 Then the prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself and observe and see what you have to do; for at the first of next year the king of Aram (Syria) will come up against you.”

23 Now the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Israel’sgod is agod of the hills; that is why they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they.

24 Do this: remove the [thirty-two allied] kings, each from his place, and put captains in their place,

25 and assemble an army like the army that you have lostin battle, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.” And he listened to their words and did so.

Another Aramean War

26 At the first of the year [in spring], Ben-hadad assembledandcounted the Arameans (Syrians) and went up to Aphek [east of the Sea of Galilee] to fight against Israel.

27 The sons of Israel were counted and given provisions, and they went to meet them. The Israelites camped before the enemy like twolittle flocks of goats [with everything against them, except God], and the Arameans filled the country.

28 A man of God approached and said to the king of Israel, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because the Arameans have said, “The Lordis a god of the hills, but He is not a god of the valleys,” I will give this great army into your hand, and you shall know [by experience] that I am the Lord.’ ”

29 So they camped opposite each other for seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle began, and the sons of Israel killed 100,000 of the Aramean foot soldiers in a single day.

30 But the rest ran to the city of Aphek, and the [city] wall fell on 27,000 of the men who were left. Ben-hadad escaped and came into the city, going into an inner chamber [to hide].

31 But his servants said to him, “We have heard that the kings of the house (royal line) of Israel are merciful kings. Please let us put sackcloth around ourloins and ropes on our necks [as symbols of submission], and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life.”

32 So they put sackcloth around their loins and ropes on their necks, and came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’ ” And Ahab asked, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

33 Now the men took it as agoodomen, and quickly understanding his meaning said, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadadlives.” Then the king said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben-hadad came out to him, and Ahab had him come up into the chariot.

34 Ben-hadad [tempting him] said to him, “I will restore the cities which my father took from your father; and you may set up bazaars (shops) of your own in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Then,Ahab replied,“I will let you go with this covenant (treaty).” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.

35 Now a certain man ofthe sons of the prophets said to another by the word of the Lord, “Please strike me.” But the man refused to strike him.

36 Then the prophet said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as you leave me, a lion will kill you.” And as soon as he left him, a lion found him and killed him.

37 Then the prophet found another man and said, “Please strike me.” So the man struck him hard, wounding him.

38 So the prophet left and waited for King Ahab by the road, and disguised himself [as a wounded soldier] with a bandage over his eyes.

39 As the king passed by, the prophet called out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the middle of the battle, and behold, a man turned aside and brought a man to me and said, ‘Guard this man; if for any reason he is missing, then your life shall berequiredfor his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’

40 But while your servant was busy here and there, he [escaped and] was gone.” And the king of Israel said to him, “Such is your own judgment (verdict); you have determined it.”

41 Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and [Ahab] the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.

42 He said to the king, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have released from your hand the man [Ben-hadad] whom I had devoted to destruction, your life shall berequiredfor his life, and your people for his people.’ ”

43 So the king of Israel went to his house resentful and sullen, and came to Samaria.