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The First Book of Kings, starting at chapter 16
{16:1} The word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against
Baasha, saying, {16:2} "Because I exalted you out of the dust, and
made you prince over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way
of Jeroboam, and have made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to
anger with their sins; {16:3} behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha
and his house; and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam
the son of Nebat. {16:4} The dogs will eat Baasha's descendants who
die in the city; and he who dies of his in the field the birds of the
sky will eat."
{16:5} Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his
might, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings
of Israel? {16:6} Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in
Tirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his place. {16:7} Moreover by the
prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the LORD against
Baasha, and against his house, both because of all the evil that he
did in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger with the work of
his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he struck
him.
{16:8} In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son
of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah for two years. {16:9}
His servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against
him. Now he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of
Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah: {16:10} and Zimri went in
and struck him, and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king
of Judah, and reigned in his place. {16:11} It happened, when he began
to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he struck all the
house of Baasha: he didn't leave him a single one [1>]who urinates on
a wall,[<1] neither of his relatives, nor of his friends. {16:12} Thus
Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the
LORD, which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, {16:13} for
all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, which they
sinned, and with which they made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD,
the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities. {16:14} Now the rest
of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, aren't they written in the
book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? {16:15} In the
twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in
Tirzah. Now the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged
to the Philistines. {16:16} The people who were encamped heard say,
Zimri has conspired, and has also struck the king: therefore all
Israel made Omri, the captain of the army, king over Israel that day
in the camp. {16:17} Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with
him, and they besieged Tirzah. {16:18} It happened, when Zimri saw
that the city was taken, that he went into the castle of the king's
house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died,
{16:19} for his sins which he sinned in doing that which was evil in
the sight of the LORD, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his
sin which he did, to make Israel to sin. {16:20} Now the rest of the
acts of Zimri, and his treason that he committed, aren't they written
in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? {16:21} Then
were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people
followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed
Omri. {16:22} But the people who followed Omri prevailed against the
people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri
reigned. {16:23} In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri
began to reign over Israel for twelve years. He reigned six years in
Tirzah. {16:24} He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents
of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city
which he built, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill,
Samaria. {16:25} Omri did that which was evil in the sight of the
LORD, and dealt wickedly above all who were before him. {16:26} For he
walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins
with which he made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD, the God of
Israel, to anger with their vanities. {16:27} Now the rest of the acts
of Omri which he did, and his might that he showed, aren't they
written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? {16:28}
So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab
his son reigned in his place. {16:29} In the thirty-eighth year of Asa
king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and
Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.
{16:30} Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in the sight of
the LORD above all that were before him. {16:31} It happened, as if it
had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son
of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of
the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him. {16:32} He
reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built
in Samaria. {16:33} Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did yet more to
provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of
Israel who were before him. {16:34} In his days Hiel the Bethelite
built Jericho: he laid its foundation with the loss of Abiram his
firstborn, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son
Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the
son of Nun.
{17:1} Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the foreigners of Gilead,
said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I
stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to
my word." {17:2} The word of the LORD came to him, saying, {17:3} "Go
away from here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith,
that is before the Jordan. {17:4} It shall be, that you shall drink of
the brook. I have commanded the ravens to feed you there." {17:5} So
he went and did according to the word of the LORD; for he went and
lived by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan. {17:6} The
ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh
in the evening; and he drank of the brook. {17:7} It happened after a
while, that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
{17:8} The word of the LORD came to him, saying, {17:9} "Arise, go to
Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have
commanded a widow there to sustain you."
{17:10} So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the
gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks: and he
called to her, and said, "Please get me a little water in a vessel,
that I may drink."
{17:11} As she was going to get it, he called to her, and said,
"Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand."
{17:12} She said, "As the LORD your God lives, I don't have a cake,
but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the jar. Behold,
I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my
son, that we may eat it, and die."
{17:13} Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go and do as you have
said; but make me of it a little cake first, and bring it out to me,
and afterward make some for you and for your son. {17:14} For thus
says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'The jar of meal shall not empty,
neither shall the jar of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sends
rain on the earth.'"
{17:15} She went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she,
and he, and her house, ate many days. {17:16} The jar of meal didn't
empty, neither did the jar of oil fail, according to the word of the
LORD, which he spoke by Elijah. {17:17} It happened after these
things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell
sick; and his sickness was so severe, that there was no breath left in
him. {17:18} She said to Elijah, "What have I to do with you, you man
of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to memory, and to kill my
son!"
{17:19} He said to her, "Give me your son." He took him out of her
bosom, and carried him up into the room where he stayed, and laid him
on his own bed. {17:20} He cried to the LORD, and said, "LORD my God,
have you also brought evil on the widow with whom I stay, by killing
her son?"
{17:21} He stretched himself on the child three times, and cried to
the LORD, and said, "LORD my God, please let this child's soul come
into him again."
{17:22} The LORD listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of
the child came into him again, and he revived. {17:23} Elijah took the
child, and brought him down out of the room into the house, and
delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, "Behold, your son lives."
{17:24} The woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of
God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth."
{18:1} 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 earth."
{18:2} Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in
Samaria. {18:3} Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now
Obadiah feared the LORD greatly: {18:4} for it was so, when Jezebel
cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took one hundred
prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and
water.) {18:5} Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land, to all the
springs of water, and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass and
save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals."
{18:6} So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it:
Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
{18:7} As Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he
recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, "Is it you, my lord
Elijah?"
{18:8} He answered him, "It is I. Go, tell your lord, 'Behold,
Elijah is here!'"
{18:9} He said, "Wherein have I sinned, that you would deliver your
servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me? {18:10} As the LORD your
God lives, there is no nation or kingdom, where my lord has not sent
to seek you. When they said, 'He is not here,' he took an oath of the
kingdom and nation, that they didn't find you. {18:11} Now you say,
'Go, tell your lord, "Behold, Elijah is here."' {18:12} It will
happen, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the LORD
will carry you I don't know where; and so when I come and tell Ahab,
and he can't find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have
feared the LORD from my youth. {18:13} Wasn't it told my lord what I
did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, how I hid one
hundred men of the LORD's prophets with fifty to a cave, and fed them
with bread and water? {18:14} Now you say, 'Go, tell your lord,
"Behold, Elijah is here";' and he will kill me."
{18:15} Elijah said, "As the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I
stand, I will surely show myself to him today." {18:16} So Obadiah
went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah. {18:17}
It happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, "Is that
you, you troubler of Israel?"
{18:18} He answered, "I have not troubled Israel; but you, and your
father's house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the
LORD, and you have followed the Baals. {18:19} Now therefore send, and
gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and four hundred fifty of the
prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the prophets of the Asherah, who
eat at Jezebel's table."
{18:20} So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered the
prophets together to Mount Carmel. {18:21} Elijah came near to all the
people, and said, "How long will you waver between the two sides? If
the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him."
The people answered him not a word.
{18:22} Then Elijah said to the people, "I, even I only, am left a
prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred fifty men.
{18:23} Let them therefore give us two bulls; and let them choose one
bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and
put no fire under; and I will dress the other bull, and lay it on the
wood, and put no fire under it. {18:24} You call on the name of your
god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers by
fire, let him be God."
All the people answered, "It is well said."
{18:25} Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for
yourselves, and dress it first; for you are many; and call on the name
of your god, but put no fire under it."
{18:26} They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed
it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon,
saying, Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any who answered.
They leaped about the altar which was made. {18:27} It happened at
noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, "Cry aloud; for he is a god.
Either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or
perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened."
{18:28} They cried aloud, and cut themselves in their way with
knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. {18:29} It was
so, when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of the
offering of the offering; but there was neither voice, nor any to
answer, nor any who regarded.
{18:30} Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me"; and all
the people came near to him. He repaired the altar of the LORD that
was thrown down. {18:31} Elijah took twelve stones, according to the
number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the
LORD came, saying, "Israel shall be your name." {18:32} With the
stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD. He made a trench
around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed.
{18:33} He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces, and laid
it on the wood. He said, "Fill four jars with water, and pour it on
the burnt offering, and on the wood." {18:34} He said, "Do it a second
time"; and they did it the second time. He said, "Do it a third time";
and they did it the third time. {18:35} The water ran around the
altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
{18:36} It happened at the time of the offering of the offering,
that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, "LORD, the God of
Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that you
are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done
all these things at your word. {18:37} Hear me, LORD, hear me, that
this people may know that you, LORD, are God, and that you have turned
their heart back again."
{18:38} Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt
offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up
the water that was in the trench. {18:39} When all the people saw it,
they fell on their faces. They said, "The LORD, he is God! the LORD,
he is God!"
{18:40} Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Don't let
one of them escape!"
They seized them. Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and
killed them there. {18:41} Elijah said to Ahab, "Get up, eat and
drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain."
{18:42} So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the
top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his
face between his knees. {18:43} He said to his servant, "Go up now,
look toward the sea."
He went up, and looked, and said, "There is nothing."
He said, "Go again" seven times.
{18:44} It happened at the seventh time, that he said, "Behold, a
small cloud, like a man's hand, is rising out of the sea."
He said, "Go up, tell Ahab, 'Get ready and go down, so that the rain
doesn't stop you.'"
{18:45} It happened in a little while, that the sky grew black with
clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to
Jezreel. {18:46} The hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he tucked his
cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
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Footnotes:
[1] {16:11} or, male
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