The First Book Melakhim, starting at chapter 16
{16:1} The word of the LORD came to Yehu the son of Hanani against
Ba`sha, saying, {16:2} Because I exalted you out of the dust, and made
you prince over my people Yisra'el, and you have walked in the way of
Yarov`am, and have made my people Yisra'el to sin, to provoke me to
anger with their sins; {16:3} behold, I will utterly sweep away Ba`sha
and his house; and I will make your house like the house of Yarov`am
the son of Nevat. {16:4} Him who dies of Ba`sha in the city shall the
dogs eat; and him who dies of his in the field shall the birds of the
sky eat. {16:5} Now the rest of the acts of Ba`sha, and what he did,
and his might, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of
the kings of Yisra'el? {16:6} Ba`sha slept with his fathers, and was
buried in Tirtzah; and Elah his son reigned in his place. {16:7}
Moreover by the prophet Yehu the son of Hanani came the word of the
LORD against Ba`sha, 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 Yarov`am, and
because he struck him. {16:8} In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of
Yehudah began Elah the son of Ba`sha to reign over Yisra'el in
Tirtzah, [and reigned] two years. {16:9} His servant Zimri, captain of
half his chariots, conspired against him. Now he was in Tirtzah,
drinking himself drunk in the house of Artza, who was over the
household in Tirtzah: {16:10} and Zimri went in and struck him, and
killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Yehudah, 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 Ba`sha:
he didn't leave him a single man-child, neither of his relatives, nor
of his friends. {16:12} Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of
Ba`sha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke against
Ba`sha by Yehu the prophet, {16:13} for all the sins of Ba`sha, and
the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned, and with which they made
Yisra'el to sin, to provoke the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, 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 Yisra'el? {16:15} In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of
Yehudah did Zimri reign seven days in Tirtzah. Now the people were
encamped against Gibbeton, which belonged to the Pelishtim. {16:16}
The people who were encamped heard say, Zimri has conspired, and has
also struck the king: therefore all Yisra'el made `Omri, the captain
of the host, king over Yisra'el that day in the camp. {16:17} `Omri
went up from Gibbeton, and all Yisra'el with him, and they besieged
Tirtzah. {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 Yarov`am, and in his sin which he did, to make
Yisra'el to sin. {16:20} Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his
treason that he did, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles
of the kings of Yisra'el? {16:21} Then were the people of Yisra'el
divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tivni the son of
Ginat, to make him king; and half followed `Omri. {16:22} But the
people who followed `Omri prevailed against the people who followed
Tivni the son of Ginat: so Tivni died, and `Omri reigned. {16:23} In
the thirty-first year of Asa king of Yehudah began `Omri to reign over
Yisra'el, [and reigned] twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirtzah.
{16:24} He bought the hill Shomron 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,
Shomron. {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 Yarov`am the son of Nevat, and in his sins
with which he made Yisra'el to sin, to provoke the LORD, the God of
Yisra'el, to anger with their vanities. {16:27} Now the rest of the
acts of `Omri which he did, and his might that he shown, aren't they
written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Yisra'el?
{16:28} So `Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Shomron;
and Ach'av his son reigned in his place. {16:29} In the thirty-eighth
year of Asa king of Yehudah began Ach'av the son of `Omri to reign
over Yisra'el: and Ach'av the son of `Omri reigned over Yisra'el in
Shomron twenty-two years. {16:30} Ach'av 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 Yarov`am the son of Nevat, that he took as wife
Izevel the daughter of Etba`al king of the Tzidonim, and went and
served Ba`al, and worshiped him. {16:32} He reared up an altar for
Ba`al in the house of Ba`al, which he had built in Shomron. {16:33}
Ach'av made the Asherah; and Ach'av did yet more to provoke the LORD,
the God of Yisra'el, to anger than all the kings of Yisra'el who were
before him. {16:34} In his days did Hi'el the Beit-Eli build Yericho:
he laid the foundation of it with the loss of Aviram his firstborn,
and set up the gates of it with the loss of his youngest son Seguv,
according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Yehoshua the son
of Nun.
{17:1} Eliyah the Tishbi, who was of the foreigners of Gil`ad, said
to Ach'av, As the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, 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} Get
you hence, and turn you eastward, and hide yourself by the brook
Kerit, that is before the Yarden. {17:4} It shall be, that you shall
drink of the brook; and 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 Kerit, that is before the Yarden. {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, get you to Tzarfat, which belongs to Tzidon, and dwell there:
behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you. {17:10} So he
arose and went to Tzarfat; 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: and, 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} Eliyah 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 forth
to me, and afterward make for you and for your son. {17:14} For thus
says the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, The jar of meal shall not empty,
neither shall the jar of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sends
rain on the [1>]eretz[<1]. {17:15} She went and did according to the
saying of Eliyah: 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 Eliyah. {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 sore, that
there was no breath left in him. {17:18} She said to Eliyah, 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
chamber, where he abode, 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 sojourn, 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 Eliyah; and the soul of the child
came into him again, and he revived. {17:23} Eliyah took the child,
and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered
him to his mother; and Eliyah said, Behold, your son lives. {17:24}
The woman said to Eliyah, 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 Eliyah, in the third year, saying, Go, show yourself to Ach'av; and
I will send rain on the [1>]eretz[<1]. {18:2} Eliyah went to show
himself to Ach'av. The famine was sore in Shomron. {18:3} Ach'av
called `Ovadyah, who was over the household. (Now `Ovadyah feared the
LORD greatly: {18:4} for it was so, when Izevel cut off the prophets
of the LORD, that `Ovadyah took one hundred prophets, and hid them by
fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) {18:5} Ach'av
said to `Ovadyah, Go through the land, to all the springs of water,
and to all the brooks: peradventure 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: Ach'av went
one way by himself, and `Ovadyah went another way by himself. {18:7}
As `Ovadyah was in the way, behold, Eliyah met him: and he knew him,
and fell on his face, and said, Is it you, my lord Eliyah? {18:8} He
answered him, It is I: go, tell your lord, Behold, Eliyah [is here].
{18:9} He said, Wherein have I sinned, that you would deliver your
servant into the hand of Ach'av, 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: and 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, Eliyah [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 Ach'av,
and he can't find you, he will kill me: but I your servant fear the
LORD from my youth. {18:13} Wasn't it told my lord what I did when
Izevel killed the prophets of the LORD, how I hid one hundred men of
the LORD's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and
water? {18:14} Now you say, Go, tell your lord, Behold, Eliyah [is
here]; and he will kill me. {18:15} Eliyah said, As the LORD of Hosts
lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.
{18:16} So `Ovadyah went to meet Ach'av, and told him; and Ach'av went
to meet Eliyah. {18:17} It happened, when Ach'av saw Eliyah, that
Ach'av said to him, Is it you, you troubler of Yisra'el? {18:18} He
answered, I have not troubled Yisra'el; but you, and your father's
house, in that you have forsaken the [2>]mitzvot[<2] of the LORD, and
you have followed the Ba`alim. {18:19} Now therefore send, and gather
to me all Yisra'el to Mount Karmel, and the prophets of Ba`al four
hundred fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, who eat
at Izevel's table. {18:20} So Ach'av sent to all the children of
Yisra'el, and gathered the prophets together to Mount Karmel. {18:21}
Eliyah 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 Ba`al,
then follow him." The people answered him not a word. {18:22} Then
Eliyah said to the people, "I, even I only, am left a prophet of the
LORD; but Ba`al'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. {18:24} 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,
let him be God."
All the people answered, "It is well said." {18:25} Eliyah said to
the prophets of Ba`al, "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 Ba`al from morning even until noon,
saying, Ba`al, 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 Eliyah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud; for he is a god:
either he is musing, or he is gone aside, or he is on a journey, or
peradventure he sleeps and must be awakened. {18:28} They cried aloud,
and cut themselves after their manner 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 [evening]
offering; but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any who
regarded. {18:30} Eliyah 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} Eliyah took twelve stones, according to
the number of the tribes of the sons of Ya`akov, to whom the word of
the LORD came, saying, Yisra'el shall be your name. {18:32} With the
stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench
about the altar, as great as would 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 the second
time; and they did it the second time. He said, Do it the third time;
and they did it the third time. {18:35} The water ran round about the
altar; and he filled the trench also with water. {18:36} It happened
at the time of the offering of the [evening] offering, that Eliyah the
prophet came near, and said, LORD, the God of Avraham, of Yitzchak,
and of Yisra'el, let it be known this day that you are God in
Yisra'el, 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: and they said, the LORD, he
is God; the LORD, he is God. {18:40} and Eliyah said to them, Take the
prophets of Ba`al; don't let one of them escape. They took them; and
Eliyah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.
{18:41} Eliyah said to Ach'av, Get you up, eat and drink; for there is
the sound of abundance of rain. {18:42} So Ach'av went up to eat and
to drink. Eliyah went up to the top of Karmel; and he bowed himself
down on the [3>]eretz[<3], 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, there
arises a cloud out of the sea, as small as a man's hand. He said, Go
up, tell Ach'av, Make ready [your chariot], and get you down, that the
rain not 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. Ach'av
rode, and went to Yizre`el: {18:46} and the hand of the LORD was on
Eliyah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ach'av to the
entrance of Yizre`el.
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Footnotes:
[1] {17:14} earth
[1] {18:1} earth
[2] {18:18} commandments
[3] {18:42} earth
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