1Kings:19-21

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* And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done , and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword . * Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah , saying , So let the gods do to me , and more also , if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time . * And when he saw that , he arose , and went for his life , and came to Beersheba , which belongeth to Judah , and left his servant there . * But he himself went a day 's journey into the wilderness , and came and sat down under a juniper tree : and he requested for himself that he might die ; and said , It is enough ; now , O LORD , take away my life ; for I am not better than my fathers . * And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree , behold , then an angel touched him , and said unto him , Arise and eat . * And he looked , and , behold , there was a cake baken on the coals , and a cruse of water at his head . And he did eat and drink , and laid him down again . * And the angel of the LORD came again the second time , and touched him , and said , Arise and eat ; because the journey is too great for thee . * And he arose , and did eat and drink , and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God . * And he came thither unto a cave , and lodged there ; and , behold , the word of the LORD came to him , and he said unto him , What doest thou here , Elijah ? * And he said , I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts : for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant , thrown down thine altars , and slain thy prophets with the sword ; and I , even I only , am left ; and they seek my life , to take it away . * And he said , Go forth , and stand upon the mount before the LORD . And , behold , the LORD passed by , and a great and strong wind rent the mountains , and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD ; but the LORD was not in the wind : and after the wind an earthquake ; but the LORD was not in the earthquake : * And after the earthquake a fire ; but the LORD was not in the fire : and after the fire a still small voice . * And it was so , when Elijah heard it , that he wrapped his face in his mantle , and went out , and stood in the entering in of the cave . And , behold , there came a voice unto him , and said , What doest thou here , Elijah ? * And he said , I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts : because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant , thrown down thine altars , and slain thy prophets with the sword ; and I , even I only , am left ; and they seek my life , to take it away . * And the LORD said unto him , Go , return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus : and when thou comest , anoint Hazael to be king over Syria : * And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel : and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room . * And it shall come to pass , that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay : and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay . * Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel , all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal , and every mouth which hath not kissed him . * So he departed thence , and found Elisha the son of Shaphat , who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him , and he with the twelfth : and Elijah passed by him , and cast his mantle upon him . * And he left the oxen , and ran after Elijah , and said , Let me , I pray thee , kiss my father and my mother , and then I will follow thee . And he said unto him , Go back again : for what have I done to thee ? * And he returned back from him , and took a yoke of oxen , and slew them , and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen , and gave unto the people , and they did eat . Then he arose , and went after Elijah , and ministered unto him . * And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together : and there were thirty and two kings with him , and horses , and chariots : and he went up and besieged Samaria , and warred against it . * And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city , and said unto him , Thus saith Benhadad , * Thy silver and thy gold is mine ; thy wives also and thy children , even the goodliest , are mine . * And the king of Israel answered and said , My lord , O king , according to thy saying , I am thine , and all that I have . * And the messengers came again , and said , Thus speaketh Benhadad , saying , Although I have sent unto thee , saying , Thou shalt deliver me thy silver , and thy gold , and thy wives , and thy children ; * Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time , and they shall search thine house , and the houses of thy servants ; and it shall be , that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes , they shall put it in their hand , and take it away . * Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land , and said , Mark , I pray you , and see how this man seeketh mischief : for he sent unto me for my wives , and for my children , and for my silver , and for my gold ; and I denied him not . * And all the elders and all the people said unto him , Hearken not unto him , nor consent . * Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad , Tell my lord the king , All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do : but this thing I may not do . And the messengers departed , and brought him word again . * And Benhadad sent unto him , and said , The gods do so unto me , and more also , if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me . * And the king of Israel answered and said , Tell him , Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off . * And it came to pass , when Benhadad heard this message , as he was drinking , he and the kings in the pavilions , that he said unto his servants , Set yourselves in array . And they set themselves in array against the city . * And , behold , there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel , saying , Thus saith the LORD , Hast thou seen all this great multitude ? behold , I will deliver it into thine hand this day ; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD . * And Ahab said , By whom ? And he said , Thus saith the LORD , Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces . Then he said , Who shall order the battle ? And he answered , Thou . * Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces , and they were two hundred and thirty two : and after them he numbered all the people , even all the children of Israel , being seven thousand . * And they went out at noon . But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions , he and the kings , the thirty and two kings that helped him . * And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first ; and Benhadad sent out , and they told him , saying , There are men come out of Samaria . * And he said , Whether they be come out for peace , take them alive ; or whether they be come out for war , take them alive . * So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city , and the army which followed them . * And they slew every one his man : and the Syrians fled ; and Israel pursued them : and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen . * And the king of Israel went out , and smote the horses and chariots , and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter . * And the prophet came to the king of Israel , and said unto him , Go , strengthen thyself , and mark , and see what thou doest : for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee . * And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him , Their gods are gods of the hills ; therefore they were stronger than we ; but let us fight against them in the plain , and surely we shall be stronger than they . * And do this thing , Take the kings away , every man out of his place , and put captains in their rooms : * And number thee an army , like the army that thou hast lost , horse for horse , and chariot for chariot : and we will fight against them in the plain , and surely we shall be stronger than they . And he hearkened unto their voice , and did so . * And it came to pass at the return of the year , that Benhadad numbered the Syrians , and went up to Aphek , to fight against Israel . * And the children of Israel were numbered , and were all present , and went against them : and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids ; but the Syrians filled the country . * And there came a man of God , and spake unto the king of Israel , and said , Thus saith the LORD , Because the Syrians have said , The LORD is God of the hills , but he is not God of the valleys , therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand , and ye shall know that I am the LORD . * And they pitched one over against the other seven days . And so it was , that in the seventh day the battle was joined : and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day . * But the rest fled to Aphek , into the city ; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left . And Benhadad fled , and came into the city , into an inner chamber . * And his servants said unto him , Behold now , we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings : let us , I pray thee , put sackcloth on our loins , and ropes upon our heads , and go out to the king of Israel : peradventure he will save thy life . * So they girded sackcloth on their loins , and put ropes on their heads , and came to the king of Israel , and said , Thy servant Benhadad saith , I pray thee , let me live . And he said , Is he yet alive ? he is my brother . * Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him , and did hastily catch it : and they said , Thy brother Benhadad . Then he said , Go ye , bring him . Then Benhadad came forth to him ; and he caused him to come up into the chariot . * And Benhadad said unto him , The cities , which my father took from thy father , I will restore ; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus , as my father made in Samaria . Then said Ahab , I will send thee away with this covenant . So he made a covenant with him , and sent him away . * And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the LORD , Smite me , I pray thee . And the man refused to smite him . * Then said he unto him , Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD , behold , as soon as thou art departed from me , a lion shall slay thee . And as soon as he was departed from him , a lion found him , and slew him . * Then he found another man , and said , Smite me , I pray thee . And the man smote him , so that in smiting he wounded him . * So the prophet departed , and waited for the king by the way , and disguised himself with ashes upon his face . * And as the king passed by , he cried unto the king : and he said , Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle ; and , behold , a man turned aside , and brought a man unto me , and said , Keep this man : if by any means he be missing , then shall thy life be for his life , or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver . * And as thy servant was busy here and there , he was gone . And the king of Israel said unto him , So shall thy judgment be ; thyself hast decided it . * And he hasted , and took the ashes away from his face ; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets . * And he said unto him , Thus saith the LORD , Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction , therefore thy life shall go for his life , and thy people for his people . * And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased , and came to Samaria . * And it came to pass after these things , that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard , which was in Jezreel , hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria . * And Ahab spake unto Naboth , saying , Give me thy vineyard , that I may have it for a garden of herbs , because it is near unto my house : and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it ; or , if it seem good to thee , I will give thee the worth of it in money . * And Naboth said to Ahab , The LORD forbid it me , that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee . * And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him : for he had said , I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers . And he laid him down upon his bed , and turned away his face , and would eat no bread . * But Jezebel his wife came to him , and said unto him , Why is thy spirit so sad , that thou eatest no bread ? * And he said unto her , Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite , and said unto him , Give me thy vineyard for money ; or else , if it please thee , I will give thee another vineyard for it : and he answered , I will not give thee my vineyard . * And Jezebel his wife said unto him , Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel ? arise , and eat bread , and let thine heart be merry : I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite . * So she wrote letters in Ahab 's name , and sealed them with his seal , and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city , dwelling with Naboth . * And she wrote in the letters , saying , Proclaim a fast , and set Naboth on high among the people : * And set two men , sons of Belial , before him , to bear witness against him , saying , Thou didst blaspheme God and the king . And then carry him out , and stone him , that he may die . * And the men of his city , even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city , did as Jezebel had sent unto them , and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them . * They proclaimed a fast , and set Naboth on high among the people . * And there came in two men , children of Belial , and sat before him : and the men of Belial witnessed against him , even against Naboth , in the presence of the people , saying , Naboth did blaspheme God and the king . Then they carried him forth out of the city , and stoned him with stones , that he died . * Then they sent to Jezebel , saying , Naboth is stoned , and is dead . * And it came to pass , when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned , and was dead , that Jezebel said to Ahab , Arise , take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite , which he refused to give thee for money : for Naboth is not alive , but dead . * And it came to pass , when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead , that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite , to take possession of it . * And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite , saying , * Arise , go down to meet Ahab king of Israel , which is in Samaria : behold , he is in the vineyard of Naboth , whither he is gone down to possess it . * And thou shalt speak unto him , saying , Thus saith the LORD , Hast thou killed , and also taken possession ? And thou shalt speak unto him , saying , Thus saith the LORD , In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood , even thine . * And Ahab said to Elijah , Hast thou found me , O mine enemy ? And he answered , I have found thee : because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD . * Behold , I will bring evil upon thee , and will take away thy posterity , and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall , and him that is shut up and left in Israel , * And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat , and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah , for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger , and made Israel to sin . * And of Jezebel also spake the LORD , saying , The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel . * Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat ; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat . * But there was none like unto Ahab , which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD , whom Jezebel his wife stirred up . * And he did very abominably in following idols , according to all things as did the Amorites , whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel . * And it came to pass , when Ahab heard those words , that he rent his clothes , and put sackcloth upon his flesh , and fasted , and lay in sackcloth , and went softly . * And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite , saying , * Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me ? because he humbleth himself before me , I will not bring the evil in his days : but in his son 's days will I bring the evil upon his house . * And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel .

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