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“This one also brings good news,” said the king. 27 The watchman said, “The first man appears to me to be running like Ahimaaz son of Za-dok. ” “This is a good man,” said the king. “He comes with good news. ” 28 Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” And he bowed facedown before the king. He continued, “Blessed be the LORD your God! He has delivered up the men who raised their hands against my lord the king. ” 29 The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab sent the king's servant and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was. ” 30 “Move aside,” said the king, “and stand here. ” So he stepped aside. 31 Just then the Cushite came and said, “May my lord the king hear the good news: Today the LORD has avenged you of all who rose up against you!” 32 The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And the Cushite replied, “May what has be-come of the young man happen to the enemies of my lord the king and to all who rise up against you to harm you. ” 33 The k ing was shaken and went up to the gate chamber and wept. And as he walked, he cried out, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” Joab Reproves David Then it was reported to Joab, “The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom. ” 2 And that day's victory was turned into mourning for all the people, because on that day they were told, “The king is grieving over his son. ” 3 So they returned to the city qu ietly that day, as people steal away in humiliation after flee-ing a battle. 4 But the king covered his face and cried out at the top of his voice, “O my son Ab-salom! O Absalom, my son, my son!” 5 Then Joab went into the house and said to the king, “Today you have disgraced all your ser- vants who have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, of your wives, and of your concubines. 6 You love those who hate you and hate those who love you! For you have made it clear today that the commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. I know today that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would have pleased you! 7 Now therefore get up! Go out and speak com-fort to your servants, for I swear by the LORD that if you do not go out, not a man will remain with you tonight. This will be worse for you than all the adversity that has befallen you from your youth until now!” David Restored as King 8 So the king got up and sat in the gate, and all the people were told: “Behold, the king is sit-ting in the gate. ” So they all came before the king. Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled, each man to his home. 9 And all the people throughout the tribes of Isra el were arguing, “The king rescued us from the hand of our enemies and delivered us from the hand of the Philistines, 19 2 Samue l 19: 9 | 393

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but now he has fled the land because of Absa-lom. 10 But Absalom, the man we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about restoring the king?” 11 Then King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Say to the elders of Judah, 'Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace, since the talk of all Israel has reached the king at his quarters? 12 You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to restore the king?' 13 And say to Amasa, 'Aren't you my flesh and blood? May God pun ish me, and ever so severely, if from this time you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!'  ” 14 So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man, and they sent word to the king: “Return, you and all your servants. ” 15 So the king returned, and when he arrived at the Jordan, the men of Judah came to Gilgal to meet him and escort him across the Jordan. Shimei Pardoned 16 Then Shimei son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet Ki ng David, 17 along with a thousand men of Benjamin, as well as Ziba the steward of the house of Saul and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan before the king 18 and crossed at the ford to carry over the king's household and to do what was good in his sight. When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell down before the king 19 and said, “My lord, do not hold me guilty, and do not remem-ber your servant's wrongdoing on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king not take it to heart. 20 For your servant knows that I have sinned, so here I am today as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king. ” 21 But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shouldn't Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD's anointed?” 22 And David replied, “Sons of Zeruiah, what have I to do with you, that you should be my adversaries today? Should any man be put to death in Israel today? Am I not indeed aware that today I am king over Israel?” 23 So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die. ” And the king swore an oath to him. Mephibosheth Excused 24 Then Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, went down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king had left until the day he returned safely. 25 And he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, who asked him, “Mephibosheth, why did you not go with me?” 26 “My lord the king,” he replied, “because I am lame, I said, 'I will have my donkey saddled a   so that I may ride on it and go with the king. ' But my servant Ziba deceived me, 27 and he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. Yet my lord the king is like the angel  b   of God, so do what is good in your eyes. 28 For all the house of my grandfather deserves death from my lord the king, yet you have set your servant among those who eat at your table. What fur-ther right, then, do I have to keep appealing to the king?” 29 The king replied, “Why say any more? I hereby declare that you and Ziba are to divide the land. ” a 26 LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate Saddle a donkey for me  ; Hebrew I will saddle a donkey for myself   b 27 Or Angel 394 | 2 Samue l 19:10

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30 And Mephibosheth said to the king, “In-stead, since my lord the king has safely come to his own house, let Ziba take it all!” David's Kindness to Barzillai 31 Now Barzilla i the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and send him on his way from there. 32 Barzil-lai was quite old, eighty years of age, and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the king while he stayed in Mahanaim. 33 The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will provide for you at my side in Jerusalem. ” 34 But Barzillai replied, “How many years of my life remain, that I should go up to Jerusa-lem with the king? 35 I am now eighty years old. Can I discern what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or drinks? Can I still hear the voice of singing men and women? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? 36 Your servant could go with the king only a short distance past the Jordan; why should the king repay me with such a reward? 37 Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight. ” 38 The king replied, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will do fo r him what seems good in your sight, and I will do for you what-ever you desire of me. ” 39 So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and Barzillai re-turned home. 40 Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chim-ham crossed over with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel escorted the king. Contention over the King 41 Soon all the men of Israel came to the king and asked, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, take you away secretly and bring the king and his household across the Jordan, to-gether with all of David's men?” 42 And all the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, “We did this because the king is our relative. Why does this anger you? Have we ever eaten at the king's expense or received anything for ourselves?” 43 “We have ten shares in the king,” answered the men of Israel, “so we have more claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of restoring our king?” But the men of Judah pressed even harder than the men of Israel. Sheba's Rebellion Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram's horn and shouted: “We have no share in David, no inheritance in Jesse's son. Every man to his tent, O Israel!” 2 So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bichri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem. 3 When David returned to his palace in Jerusa-lem, he took the ten concubines he had left to care for the palace, and he placed them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but he no longer slept with them. They were 20 2 Samue l 20: 3 | 395

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confined until the day of their death, living as widows. 4 Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself. ” 5 So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him. 6 And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absa-lom. Take your lord's servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us. a  ” 7 So Joab's men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, marched out of Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba son of Bi-chri. 8 And while they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa joined them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire, with a dagger strapped to his belt. And as he stepped forward, he slipped the dagger from its sheath. b   9 “Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joab's hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach and spilled out his intestines on the groun d. And Joab did not need to strike him again, for Amasa was dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri. 11 One of Joab's young men stood near Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!” 12 But Amasa wallowed in his blood in the middle of the road, and when the man saw that all the troops were stopping there, he dragged the body off the road into a field and threw a garment over it. 13 As soon as Amasa's body was removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri. 14 Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel-beth-maacah c   and through the entire region of the Berites,d   who gathered together and followed him. 15 And Joab's troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to topple it, 16 a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him. ” 17 When he had come near to her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he replied. “Listen to the words of your servant,” she said. “I am listening,” he answered. 18 Then the woman said, “Long ago they used to say, 'Seek counsel at Abel,' and that i s how disputes were settled. 19 I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel, but you are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the LORD's inheritance?” 20 “Far be it!” Joab declared. “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy! 21 That is not the case. But a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him alone, and I will depart from the city. ” “Look,” the woman replied, “his head will be thrown to you over the wall. ” 396 | 2 Samue l 20:4 a 6 Or and snatc h away our eyes or and do us serious harm   b 8 Literally Now Joab was dresse d in military attire, and over it was a belt aroun d his waist with a dagger in its sheath. And as he steppe d forward, it fell out. c 14 Hebrew to Abel and Beth-maacah  ; see verse 15. d 14 Hebrew; LXX and Vulgate Bicrites  

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22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise counsel, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he blew the ram's horn and his men dispersed from the city, each to his own home. And Joab returned to the king in Jerusa lem. 23 Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; 24 Adoram a   was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder; 25 Sheva b   was the scribe; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 26 and Ira the Jairite c   was David's priest. David Avenges the Gibeonites During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites. ” 2 At this, David summoned the G ibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them. ) 3 So David asked the Gibeonites, “W hat shall I do for you? How can I make amends so that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?” 4 The Gibeonites said to him, “We need no sil-ver or gold from Saul or his house, nor should you put to death anyone in Israel for us. ” “Whatever you ask, I will do for you,” he replied. 5 And they answered the king, “As for the man who consumed us and plotted against us to ex-terminate us from existing within any border of Israel, 6 let seven of his male descendants be delivered to us so that we may hang them d   before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD. ” “I will give them to you,” said the king. 7 Now the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul. 8 But the kin g took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons whom Rizpah daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul, as well as the five sons whom Merab  e   daughter of Saul had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Me-holathite. 9 And he delivered them into th e hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD. So all seven of them fell together; they were put to death in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest. 10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sack-cloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the rain from heaven poured down on the bodies, she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night. 11 When David was to ld what Saul's concubine Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, had done, 12 he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jona-than from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bod-ies after they had struck down Saul at Gilboa. 21 2 Samue l 21:1 2 | 397 a 24 Adoram is a v ariant of Adoniram and Hadoram  ; see 1 Kings 4:6 and 2 Chronicles 10:18. b 25 Sheva is also called Seraiah  , Shisha  , and Shavsha  ; see 2 Samuel 8:17, 1 Kings 4:3, and 1 Chronicles 18:16. c 26 Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts and Syriac Ithrite  ; see 2 Samuel 23:38. d 6 Or expose them or execute them  ; similarly in verse 9 e 8 Two Hebrew manuscripts, some LXX manuscripts, and Syriac (see also 1 Samuel 18:19); most Hebrew and LXX manuscripts Michal  

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13 So David had the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan brought from there, along with the bones of those who had been hanged. 14 And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jon-athan in Zela in the land of Benjamin, in the tomb of Saul's fath er Kish. After they had done everything the king had commanded, God answered their prayers for the land. Four Battles against the Philistines (1 Chronicles 20: 4-8) 15 Once again the Philistines waged war against Israel, and David and his servants went do wn and fought against the Philistines; but David became exhausted. 16 Then Ishbi-benob, a descendant of Rapha,a   whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels b   and who was bearing a new sword, resolved to kill David. 17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished. ” 18 Some time later at Gob, there was another battle with the Philistines. At that time Sibbe-cai the Hushathite killed Saph,c   one of the de-scendants of Rapha. 19 Once again there was a battle with the Phil-istin es at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jair d   the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath e the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 20 And there was still another battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was de-scended from Rapha, 21 and when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of David's broth er Shimei f  killed him. 22 So these four descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants. David's Song of Deliverance (Psalm 18:1-50) And David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. 3 My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. My stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence. 4 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. 5 For the waves of death engulfed me; the torrents of c haos overwhelmed me. 6 The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. 7 In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried out to my God. And from His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help reached His ears. 8 Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the heavens g trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger. 22 398 | 2 Samue l 21:13 a 16 Or the giant  ; also in verses 18, 20, and 22 b 16 300 shekels is approximately 7. 5 pounds or 3. 4 kilograms. c 18 Saph is a variant of Sippai  ; see 1 Chronicles 20:4. d 19 See 1 Chronicles 20:5; Hebrew Jaare-oregim e 19 See 1 Chronicles 20:5; Hebrew does not include the brother of  . f 21 Shimei is a variant of Shammah  , Shimeah  , and Shimea  ; see 1 Samuel 16:9, 2 Samuel 13:3, and 1 Chronicles 2:13. g 8 Most Hebrew sources; Vulgate, Syriac, and two Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:7) mountains  

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9 Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth. 10 He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet. 11 He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared a   on the wings of the wind. 12 He made darkness a canopy around Him, a gathering of water and thick clouds. 13 From the brightness of His presence coals of fire b   blazed forth. 14 The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. 15 He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them. 16 The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed at the rebuke of the LORD, at th e blast of the breath of His nostrils. 17 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. 18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes too mighty for me. 19 They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the LORD was my support. 20 He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me. 21 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands. 22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God. 23 For all His ordinances are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes. 24 And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity. 25 So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His sight. c   26 To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless; 27 to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd. 28 You save an afflicted people, but Your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down. 29 For You, O LORD, are my lamp; the LORD lights up my darkness. 30 For in You I can charge an army; with my God I can scale a wall. 31 As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all wh o take refuge in Him. 32 For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? 33 God is my strong fortress and He makes my way clear. 34 He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights. 35 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 36 You have given me Your shield of salvation, and Your gentleness exalts me. d   37 You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way. 2 Samue l 22:3 7 | 399 a 11 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:10); most Hebrew manuscripts He was seen   b 13 Or bolts of lightning   c 25 Hebrew; LXX and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:24) according to the cleanness of my hands   d 36 Or and Your help exalts me or and You stoop down to make me great

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38 I pursued my enemies and destroyed them; I did not turn back until they were consumed. 39 I devoured and crushed them so they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet. 40 You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me. 41 You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me. 42 They looked, but there was no one to save them — to the LORD, but He did not answer. 43 I ground them as the dust of the earth; I crushed and trampled them like mud in the streets. 44 You have delivered me from the strife of my people; You have preserved me as the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me. 45 Foreigners cower before me; when they hear me, they obey me. 46 Foreigners lose heart and come trembling a   from their strongholds. 47 The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted— 48 the God who avenges me and brings down nations beneath me, 49  who frees me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men. 50 Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name. b 51 Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever. ” David's Las t Song Th ese are the last words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man raised on high, the one anointed by the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel: c   2 The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue. 3 The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, 'He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God, 4 is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth. ' 5 Is not my house right with God? For He has established with me an everlasting covenant, ordered and secured in every part. Will He not bring about my full salvation and my every desire? 6 But the worthless are all like thorns raked aside, for they can never be gathered by hand. 7 The man who touches them must be armed with iron or with the shaft of a spear. The fire burns them to ashes in the place where they lie. ” 23 400 | 2 Samue l 22:38 a 46 Some LXX manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:45); MT and arm themselves b 50 Cited in Romans 15:9 c 1 Or the hero of the songs of Israel or the favorite of the Strong One of Israel

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David's Mighty Men (1 Chronicles 11:10-47) 8 These are the names of David's mighty men: Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonite a   was chief of the Three. b   He wielded his spear against c   eight hundred men, whom he killed at one time. 9 Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo d   the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he went with David to taunt the Philistines who had gathered for bat-tle at Pas-dammim. The men of Israel retreated, 10 but Eleazar stood his ground and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and stuck to his sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops returned to him, but only to plunder the dead. 11 And after him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines had banded together near a field full of lentils, Israel's troops fled from them. 12 But Shammah took his stand in the mid-dle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory. 13 At harvest time, three of the thirty chief men went down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem. 15 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” 16 So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; in-stead, he poured it out to the LORD, 17 saying, “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do th is! Is this not the blood of the men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men. 18 Now Abishai, the brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three,e   and he lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three. 19 Was he not more honored than the Three? f And he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three. 20 And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor g   from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions h   of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion. 21 He also killed an Egyptian, a huge man. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear. 22 These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who won a name alongside the three mighty men. 23 He was most honored among the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. And David appointed him over his guard. 24 Now the se were members of the Thirty: i  Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26 Helez the Paltite, 2 Samue l 23:2 6 | 401 a 8 Tahchemonite is probably a variant of Hachmonite  ; see 1 Chronicles 11:11. b 8 Or chief among the captains   c 8 Some LXX manuscripts (see also 1 Chronicles 11:11); Hebrew He was called Adino the Eznite because of d 9 Dodo is a variant of Dodai  ; see 1 Chronicles 27:4. e 18 Most Hebrew manuscripts (see also 1 Chronicles 11:20); two Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac the Thirty   f 19 Hebrew; Syriac the Thirty   g 20 Or Benaiah son of Jehoiada was the son of Ishhai   h 20 Or two sons of Ariel   i 24 Literally In the Thirty (were):  

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Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai a   the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29 Heled b   son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai c   son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites, 30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai d   from the brooks e   of Gaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azm aveth the Barhumite, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen,f Jonathan 33 son of Shammah g   the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar h   the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all. David's Military Census (Exodus 30:1 1-16 ; 1 Chronicles 21:1-6) Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He stirred up Da-vid against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah. ” 2 So the king said to Joab the commander of his army, who was with him,i  “Go now throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and register the troops, so that I may know their number. ” 3 But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?” 4 Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army departed from the presence of the king to count the troops of Israel. 5 They crossed the Jordan and camped near Aroer, south of the town in the middle of the valley, and proceeded toward Gad and Jazer. 6 Then they went to Gilead and the land of Tahtim-hodshi,j  and on to Dan-jaan and arou nd to Sidon. 7 They went toward the for-tress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to the Negev of Judah, k   to Beersheba. 8 At the end of nine months and twenty days, having gone through the whole land, they returned to Jerusalem. 9 And Joab reported to the king the total number of the troops. In Israel there were 800,000 men of valor who 24 a 27 Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts Sibbecai  ; see 2 Samuel 21:18 and 1 Chronicles 11:29. b 29 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate (see also 1 Chronicles 11:30); most MT manuscripts Heleb   c 29 Ittai is a variant of Ithai  ; see 1 Chronicles 11:31. d 30 Hiddai is a variant of Hurai  ; see 1 Chronicles 11:32. e 30 Or from the ravines   f 32 Jashen is a variant of Hashem  ; see 1 Chronicles 11:34. g 33 Some LXX manuscripts (see also 1 Chronicles 11:34); Hebrew Jonathan, 33 Shammah   h 33 Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts Sachar  ; see 1 Chronicles 11:35. i 2 LXX t o Joa b and the army commanders with him   j 6 Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts to Gilead and to the land of the Hittites   k 7 Or to the south of Judah 402 | 2 Samue l 23:27

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drew the sword, and in Judah there were 500,000. Judgment for David's Sin (1 Chronicles 21:7-13) 10 After David had numbered the troops, his conscience was stricken and he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg Yo u to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly. ” 11 When David got up in the morning, a reve-lation from the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David's seer: 12 “Go and tell David that this is what the LORD says: 'I am offering you three options. Choose one of them, and I will carry it out against you. '  ” 13 So Gad went and said to David, “Do you choose to endure three a   years of famine in your land, three months of fleeing the pursuit of your enemies, or three days of plague upon your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should reply to Him who sent me. ” 14 David answered Gad, “I am deeply dis-tressed. Please, let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men. ” A Plague on Israel (1 Chronicles 21:14-17) 15 So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and seventy th ousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. b 16 But when the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was de-stroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Arau nah  c   the Jebusite. 17 When David saw the angel striking down the people, he said to the LORD, “Surely I, the shepherd, d   have sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let Your hand fall upon me and my father's house. ” David Builds an Altar (1 Chronicles 21:18-30) 18 And that day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. ” 19 So David went up at the word of Gad, just as the LORD had commanded. 20 When Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, he went out and bowed facedown before the king. 21 “Why has my lord the king come to his ser- vant?” Araunah said. “To buy your threshing floor,” David replied, “that I may build an altar to the LORD, so that the plague upon the people may be halted. ” 22 Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever seems good and offer it up. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23 O king, Araunah gives all these to the king. ” He also said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you. ” 24 “No,” replied the king, “I insist on paying a price, for I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing. ” So Davi d bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. e   25 And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then the LORD answered the prayers on be-half of the land, and the pl ague upon Israel was halted. a 13 LXX (see also 1 Chronicles 21:12); Hebrew seven   b 15 Literally and of the peopl e from Dan to Beersheba, seventy thousand men died   c 16 Araunah is a variant of Ornan  ; see 1 Chronicles 21:15 and 2 Chronicles 3:1. d 17 DSS and LXX; MT does not include the shepherd  . e 24 50 shekels is approximately 1. 26 pounds or 569. 8 grams of silver. 2 Samue l 24:2 5 | 403

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Abisha g Cares for David Now King David was old and well along in years, and though they covered him with blankets, he could not keep warm. 2 So his servants said to him, “Let us search for a young virgin for our lord the king, to attend to him and care for him and lie by his side to keep him warm. ” 3 Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl, and they found Abishag the Shunammite and brought her to the king. 4 The girl was unsurpassed in beauty; she cared for the king and served him, but he had no relations with her. Adonija h Usurps the Kingdom 5 At that time Adonijah, David's son by Hag-gith, began to exalt himself, saying, “I will be king!” And he acquired chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run ahead of him. 6 (His father had never once reprimanded him by saying, “Why do you act this way?” Ad oni-jah was also very handsome, born next after Absalom. ) 7 So Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeru-iah and with Abiathar the priest, who sup-ported him. 8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's mighty men would not join Adonijah. 9 And Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened calves near the stone of Zoheleth,a   which is next to En-rogel. He invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah who were servants of the king. 10 But he did not in-vite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, or his brother Solomon. Nathan and Bathsheb a before David 11 Then N athan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that Adoni-jah son of Haggith has become king, and our lord David does not know it? 12 Now please, come and let me advise you. Save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go at once to King David and say, 'My lord the king, did you not swear to your maidservant, “Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?' 14 Then, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words. ” 15 So Bathsheba went to see the king in his bedroom. Since the king was very old, Abishag the Shunammite was serving him. 16 And Bathsheba bowed down in homage to the king, who asked, “What is your desire ?” 17 “My lord,” she replied, “you yourself swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God: 'Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne. ' 18 But now, be-hold, Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, did not know it. 19 And he has sacrificed an abundance of oxen, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the other sons of the king, as well as Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army. But he 1 a 9 Or the Serpent's Stone   1 Kings

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did not invite your servant Solomon. 20 And as for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Other-wise, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, I and my son S olomon will be counted as criminals. ” 22 And just then, while Bathsheba was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23 So the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here. ” And Nathan went in and bowed facedown before the king. 24 “My lo rd the king,” said Nathan, “did you say, 'Adonijah will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne'? 25 For today he has gone down and sacrificed an abundance of oxen, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the sons of the king, the commanders  a   of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, say-ing, 'Long live King Adonijah!' 26 But me your servant he did not invite, nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon. 27 Has my lord the king let this happen without informing your servant who should sit on the throne after my lord the king?” David Renews His Oath to Bathsheba 28 Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba for me. ” So she came into the king's presence and stood before him. 29 And the king swore an oath, saying, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, 30 I will carry out this very day exactly what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel: Surely your son Solo-mon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place. ” 31 Bathsheba bowed facedown in homage to the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever!” Solomon Anointed King (1 Chronicles 29:21-25) 32 Then King David said, “Call in for me Zadok the priest, Nathan the pro phet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada. ” So they came before the king. 33 “Take my servants with you,” said the king. “Set my son Solomon on my own mule and take him down to Gihon. 34 There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. You are to blow the ram's horn and declare, 'Long live King Solomon!' 35 Then you shall go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. For I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah. ” 36 “Amen,” replied Benaiah son of Jehoiada. “May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, so declar e it. 37 Just as the LORD was with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon and make his throne even greater than that of my lord King David. ” 38 Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, along with the Cherethites and Pel ethites, went down and set Solomon on King David's mule, and they es-corted him to Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram's horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomo n!” 40 All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such a great joy that the earth was split by the sound. 1 Kings 1:40 | 405 a 25 Hebrew; LXX Joab the commander

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Adonijah Learns of Solomon's Kingship 41 Now Adonijah and all his guests were finish-ing their feast when they heard the sound of the ram's horn. “Why is the city in such a loud uproar?” asked Joab. 42 As he was speaking, suddenly Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest arrived. “Come in,” said A donijah, “for you are a man of valor. You must be bringing good news. ” 43 “Not at all,” Jonathan replied. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44 And with Solomon, the king has sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoi-ada, along with the Cherethites and Pelethites, and they have set him on the king's mule. 45 Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon, and they have gone up from there with rejoicing that rings out in the city. That is the noise you hear. 46 Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne. 47 The king's servants have also gone to con-gratulate our lord King David, saying, 'May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than your own name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne. ' And the king has bowed in worship on his bed, 48 saying, 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Is-rael! Today He has provided one a   to sit on my throne, and my eyes have seen it. '  ” 49 At this, all the guests of Adonijah arose in terror and scattered. 50 But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, got up and went to take hold of the horns of the altar. 51 It was reported to Solomon: “Behold, Adon-ijah fears King Solomon, and he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let King Sol-omon first swear to me not to put his servant to the sword. '  ” 52 And Solomon replied, “If he is a man of char-acter, not a single hair of his will fall to t he ground. But if evil is found in him, he will die. ” 53 So King Solomon summoned Adonijah down from the altar, and he came and bowed down before King Solomon, who said to him, “Go to your home. ” David Instructs Solomon (Psalm 37: 1-40) As the time drew near for David to die, he charged his son Solomon, 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth. So be strong and prove yourself a man. 3 And keep the charge of the LORD your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes, commandments, ordi-nances, and decrees, as is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you turn, 4 and so that the LORD may fulfill His promise to me: 'If your descen- dants take heed to walk fait hfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel. ' 5 Moreover, you know what Joab son of Zeru-iah did to me —what he did to Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether,b   the two co m-manders of the armies of Israel. He killed them in peacetime to avenge the blood of war. He stained with the blood of war the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. c   6 So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace. 7 But show loving devotion d   to the sons of Bar-zillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, because they 2 a 48 LXX one of my offspring   b 5 Jether is a variant of Ithra  ; also in verse 32; see 2 Samuel 17:25. c 5 Hebrew; LXX He stained with innocent blood the belt around my waist and the sandals on my feet. d 7 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion  ; the range of meaning includes love  , goodness  , kindness  , faithfulness  , and mercy  , as well as loyalty to a covenant  . 406 | 1 Kings 1:41

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stood by me when I fled from your brother Ab-salom. 8 Keep an eye on Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim who is with you. He called down bitter curses against me on the day I went to Mahanaim, but when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD: 'I will never put you to the sword. ' 9 Now therefore, do not hold him guilt-less, for you are a wise man. You know what you ought to do to him to bring his gray head down to Sheol in blood. ” David's Reign and Death (1 Chronicle s 29:2 6-30) 10 Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. 11 The length of David's reign over Israel was forty years — seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was firmly estab-lished. The Execution of Adonijah 13 Now Adonijah son of Haggith went to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, and she asked, “Do you come in peace?” “Yes, in peace,” he replied. 14 Then he said, “I have something to tell you. ” “Say it,” she answered. 15 “You know that the kingship was mine,” he said. “All Israel expected that I should reign, but the kingship has turned to my brother, for it has come to him from the LORD. 16 So now I have just one request of you; do not deny me. ” “State your request,” she told him. 17 Adonijah replied, “Please speak to King Sol-omon, since he will not turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife. ” 18 “Very well,” Bathsheba replied. “I will speak to the king for you. ” 19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her, bowed to her, and sat down on his throne. Then the king had a throne brought for his mother, who sat down at hi s right hand. 20 “I have just one small request of you,” she said. “Do not deny me. ” “Make your request, my mother,” the king re-plied, “for I will not deny you. ” 21 So Bathsheba said, “Let Abishag the Shu-nammite be given to your brother Adonijah as his wife. ” 22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my older brother, you might as well request the kingdom for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab son of Zeruiah !” 23 Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if Adonijah has not made this request at the expense of his life. 24 And now, as surely as the LORD lives —the One who established me, who set me on the throne of my father David, and who founded for me a dynasty as He promised —surely Adonijah shall be put to death today!” 25 So King Solomon sent the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who struck down Adonijah, and he died. 26 Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. Even though you deserve to die, I will not put you to death at this time, since you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David, and you suffered through all that my father suffered. ” 27 So Solomon banished Abiathar from the priesthood of the L ORD and thus fulfilled the 1 Kings 2:27 | 407

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word that the LORD had spoken at Shiloh against the house of Eli. The Execution of Joab 28 When the news reached Joab, who had con-spired with Adonijah but not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar. 29 It was reported to King Solomon: “Joab has fled to the tent of the LORD and is now beside the alt ar. ” So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, say-ing, “Go, strike him down!” 30 And Benaiah entered the tent of the LORD and said to Joab, “The king says, 'Come out!'  ” But Joab replied, “No, I will die here. ” So Benaiah relayed the message to the king, saying, “This is how Joab answered me. ” 31 And the king replied, “Do just as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so remove from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood that Joab shed. 32 The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head, for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he put to the sword Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel's army, and Amasa son of Jether, com-mander of Judah's army. 33 Their blood will come back upon the heads of Joab and his descendants forever; but for David, his de-scendants, his house, and his throne, there shall be peace from the LORD forever. ” 34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, struck down Joab, and killed him. He was buried at his own home in the wilderness. 35 And the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab's place over the army, and he appointed Zadok the priest in Abiathar's place. The Execution of Shimei 36 Then the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else. 37 On the day you go out and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will die; your blood will be on your own head. ” 38 “The sentence is fair,” Shimei replied. “Your servant will do as my lord the king has spo-ken. ” And Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time. 39 After three years, however, two of Shimei's slaves ran away to Achish son of Maacah,a   king of Gath. And Shimei was told, “Look, your slaves are in Gath. ” 40 So Shimei saddled his donkey and set out to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves, and he brought them back from Gath. 41 When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had re-turned, 42 the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD and warn you, 'On the day you leave and go elsewhere, know for sure that you will die'? And you told me, 'The sentence is fair; I will comply. ' 43 So why have you not kept your oath to the LORD and the command that I gave you?” 44 The king also said, “You know in your heart all the evil that you did to my father David. Therefore the LORD will bring your evil back upon your head. 45 But King Solom on will be blessed and David's throne will remain secure before the LORD forever. ” 46 Then the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down, and he died. Thus the kingdom was firmly established in the hand of Solomon. a 39 Maacah is a variant of Maoch  ; see 1 Samuel 27:2. 408 | 1 Kings 2:28

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Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom (2 Chronicles 1:1-13 ; Psal m 45: 1-17 ; Ps alm 72:1-20) Later, Solomon formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. Solomon brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his palace and the house of the LORD, as well as the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built. 3 And Sol-omon loved the LORD and walked in the statutes of his father David, except that he sac-rificed and burned incense on the high places. 4 Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar there. 5 One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!” 6 Solomon replied, “You have shown much lov-ing devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day. 7 And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David's place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in. 8 Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number. 9 Therefore give Your servant an understand-ing heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to gov-ern this great people of Yours?” 10 Now it pleased the Lord a   that Solomon had made this request. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies —but you have asked for discernment to administer justice — 12 behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has never been nor will ever be another like you. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you did not request —both riches and honor —so that dur-ing all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal. 14 So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days. ” 15 Then Solomon awoke, and indeed it had been a dream. So he returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he held a feast for all his servants. Solomon Judges Wisely 16 At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth while she was in the house. 18 On the third day after I gave birth, this woman also had a baby. We were alone, with no one in the house but the two of us. 19 During the night this woman's son died because she rolled over on him. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I was asleep. She laid him in her bosom and put her dead son at my bosom. 21 The next morn-ing, when I got up to nurse my son, I discov-ered he was dead. But when I examined him, I realized that he was not the son I had borne. ” 3 1 Kings 3:21 | 409 a 10 Hebrew Adonai  ; also in verse 15

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22 “No,” said the other woman, “the living one is my son and the dead one is your son. ” But the first woman insisted, “No, the dead one is yours and the living one is mine. ” So they argued before the king. 23 Then the king replied, “This woman says, 'My son is alive and yours is dead,' but that woman says, 'No, your son is dead and mine is alive. '  ” 24 The king continued, “Bring me a sword. ” So they brought him a sword, 25 and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other. ” 26 Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compas-sion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!” 27 Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the liv-ing baby to the first woman. By no means should you kill him; she is his mother. ” 28 When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice. Solomon's Princes So King Solomon ruled over Israel, 2 and these were his chief officials: Azariah son of Zadok was the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha,a   were secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder; 4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in charge of the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 5 Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the governors; Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and adviser to the king; 6 Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram b   son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor. Solomon's Twelve Officers 7 Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel to provide food for the king and his household. Each one would arrange provisions for one month of the year, 8 and these were their names: Ben-hur in the hill country of Ephraim; 9 Ben-deker in Makaz, in Shaal bim, in Beth-shemesh, and in Elon-beth-hanan; 10 Ben-hesed in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher belonged to him); 11 Ben-abinadab in Naphath-dor c   (Taph-ath, a daughter of Solomon, was his wife); 12 Baana son of Ahilud in Taanach, in Megiddo, and in all of Beth-shean next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah and on past Jokmeam; 13 Ben-geber in Ramoth-gilead (the vil-lages of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead belonged to him, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan with its sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars); 14 Ahinadab son of Iddo in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz in Naphtali (he had married Basemath, a daughter of Solomon); 4 410 | 1 Kings 3:22 a 3 Shisha is also called Seraiah  , Sheva  , and Shavsha  ; see 2 Samuel 8:17, 2 Samuel 20:25, and 1 Chronicles 18:16. b 6 Adoniram is a variant of Adoram and Hadoram  ; see 2 Samuel 20:24 and 2 Chronicles 10:18. c 11 Or in all the heights of Dor  ; Naphath-dor is a variant of Naphoth-dor  ; see Joshua 11:2.

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16 Baana son of Hushai in Asher and in Aloth; 17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah in Issachar; 18 Shimei son of Ela in Benjamin; 19 Geber son of Uri in the land of Gilead, including the territories of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan. There was also one governor in the land of Judah. a   Solomon's Prosperity 20 The people of Judah and Israel were as nu-merous as the sand on the seashore, and they were eating and drinking and rejoicing. 21 And Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates b   to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. 22 Solomon's provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour,c   sixty cors of meal,d   23 ten fat oxen, twenty range oxen, and a hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roe-bucks, and fattened poultry. 24 For Solomon had dominion over everything west of the Euphrates e—over all the kingdoms from Tiphsah to Gaza —and he had peace on all sides. 25 Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt securely from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree. 26 Solomon had 4,000 f  stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. g   27 Each month the governors in turn provided food for King Sol-omon and all who came to his table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. 28 Each one also brought to the required place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and other horses. Solomon's Wisdom 29 And God gave Solomon wisdom, exceed-ingly deep insight, and understanding beyond measure, like the sand on the seashore. 30 Sol-omon's w isdom was greater than that of all the men of the East, greater than all the wis-dom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than all men — wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and wiser than Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread throughout the surro unding nations. 32 Solomon composed three thousand prov-erbs, and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing in the wall, and he taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish. 34 So men of all nations came to listen to Solo-mon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom. Preparations for the Temple (2 Chronicles 2:1-10) Now when Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king in his father's place, he sent envoys to Solomon; for Hiram had always been a friend of David. 2 And Solomon relayed this message to Hiram: 3 “As you are well aware, due to the wars waged on all sides against my father David, he could not build a house for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD had put his enemies under his feet. 4 But 5 1 Kings 5:4 | 411 a 19 Some LXX manuscripts; Hebrew And he was the one governor in the land.   b 21 Hebrew the River  ; also in verse 24 c 22 30 cors is approximately 187 bushels or 6,600 liters (probably about 5. 5 tons or 5 metric tons of flour). d 22 60 cors is approximately 375 bushels or 13,200 liters (probably about 11 tons or 10 metric tons of meal). e 24 Or beyond the River   f 26 Some LXX manuscripts (see also 2 Chronicles 9:25); Hebrew 40,000 g 26 Or horsemen or charioteers  

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now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or crisis. 5 So behold, I plan to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God, according to what the LORD said to my father David: 'I will put your son on your throne in your place, and he will build the house for My Name. ' 6 Now therefore, order that cedars of Leb-anon be cut down for me. My servants will be with your servants, and I will pay your servants whatever wages you set, for you know that there are none among us as skilled in logging as the Sidonians. ” Hiram's Reply to Solomon (2 Chronicles 2:1 1-18) 7 When Hiram received Solomon's message, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the LORD this day! He has given David a wise son over this great people!” 8 Then Hiram sent a reply to Solomon, saying: “I have received your message; I will do all you desire regarding the cedar and cy-press a   timber. 9 My servants will haul the logs from Lebanon to the Sea,b   and I will float them as rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate the logs, and you can take them away. And in exchange, you can meet my needs by providing my household with food. ” 10 So Hiram provided Solomon with all the ce-dar and cypress timber he wanted, 11 and year after year Solomon would provide Hiram with 20,000 cors of wheat c   as food for his house-hold, as well as 20,000 baths of pure olive oil. d   12 And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as He had promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty. e Solomon's Labor Force 13 Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel. 14 He sent them to Lebanon in monthly shifts of 10,000 men, so that they would spend one month in Lebanon and two months at home. An d Adoni-ram was in charge of the forced labor. 15 Solomon had 70,000 porters and 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, 16 not includ-ing his 3,300 f  foremen who supervised the workers. 17 And the king commanded them to quarry large, costly stones to lay the foundation of the temple with dressed stones. 18 So Solomon's and Hiram's builders, along with the Gebalites, quarried the stone and prepared the timber and stone for the construction of the temple. Temple Construction Begins (2 C hronicles 3: 1-2) In the four hundred and eightieth  g   year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, in the month of Ziv,h   the second month of the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, he began to build the house of the LORD. 2 The house that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits 6 412 | 1 Kings 5:5 a 8 Or pine or juniper or fir  ; also in verse 10 b 9 That is, the Mediterranean Sea, also called the Great Sea c 11 20,000 cors is approximately 124,800 bushels or 4. 4 million liters (probably about 3,800 tons or 3,400 metric tons of wheat). d 11 LXX (see also 2 Chronicles 2:10); 20,000 baths is approximately 116,000 gallons or 440,000 liters of olive oil; Hebrew twenty cors of pure oil or twenty cors of pressed oil   e 12 Forms of the Hebrew berit are translated in most passages as covenant  . f 16 Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts 3,600  ; see 2 Chronicles 2:18. g 1 Hebrew; LXX four hundred and fortieth   h 1 Ziv was the second month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of April and May; also in verse 37.

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wide, and thirty cubits high. a   3 The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple was twenty cubits b   long, extending across the width of the temple and projecting out ten cubits  c   in front of the temple. 4 He also had narrow windows framed high in the temple. The Chambers 5 Against the walls of the temple and the inner sanctuary, Solomon built a chambered struc-ture around the temple, in which he con-structed the side rooms. 6 The bottom floor was five cubits wide,d   the middle floor six cubits,e   and the third floor seven cubits. f  He also placed offset ledges around the outside of the temple, so that nothing would be inserted into its walls. 7 The temple was constructed using finished stones cut at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any other iron tool was heard in the tem ple while it was being built. 8 The entrance to the bottom g   floor was on the south side of the temple. A stairway led up to the middle level, and from there to the third floor. 9 So Solomon built the temple and finished it, roofing it with beams and planks of cedar. 10 He built chambers all along the temple, each five cubits high and attached to the temple with beams of cedar. God's Promise to Solomon 11 Then the word of the LORD came to Solo-mon, saying: 12 “As for this temple you are building, if you walk in My statutes, carry out My ordinances, and keep all My command-ments by walking in them, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David. 13 And I will dwell among the Israelites and will not abandon My people Israel. ” The Temple's Interior (2 Chronicles 3: 5-9) 14 So Solomon built the temple and finished it. 15 He lined the interior walls with cedar pan-eling from the floor of the temple to the ceil-ing, and he covered the floor with cypre ss  h boards. 16 He partitioned off the twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. i  17 And the main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long. j 18 The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with gourds and open flowers. Every-thing was cedar; not a stone could be seen. 19 Solomon also prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the cove-nant of the LORD there. 20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar. k   21 So Solomon overlaid the inside of the tem-ple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains l  across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. 22 So he over-laid with gold the whole interior of the temple, 1 Kings 6:22 | 413 a 2 The house was approximately 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high (27. 4 meters long, 9. 1 meters wide, and 13. 7 meters high). b 3 20 cubits is approximately 30 feet or 9. 1 meters; also in verses 16 and 20. c 3 10 cubits is approximately 15 feet or 4. 6 meters; also in verses 2 3-26. d 6 5 cubits is approximately 7. 5 feet or 2. 3 meters; also in verses 10 and 24. e 6 6 cubits is approximately 9 feet or 2. 7 meters. f 6 7 cubits is approxi-mately 10. 5 feet or 3. 2 meters. g 8 LXX and Targum; Hebrew middle   h 15 Or pine or juniper or fir  ; also in verse 34 i 16 Or the Holy of Holies   j 17 40 cubits is approximately 60 feet or 18. 3 meters. k 20 Or with cedar l 21 Or made gold chains to draw (the curtains)  

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until everything was completely finished. He also overlaid with gold the entire altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary. The Cherubim (2 Chronicles 3:10-13) 23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cheru-bim, each ten cubits high, out of olive wood. 24 One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing was five cubits long as well. So the full wingspan was ten cubits. 25 The second cherub also measured ten cu-bits; both cherubim had the same size and shape, 26 and the height of each cherub was ten cubits. 27 And he placed the cherubim inside the innermost room of the temple. Since their wings were spread out, the wing of the first cherub touched one wall, while the wing of the second cherub touched the other wall, and in the middle of the room their wingtips touched. 28 He also overlaid the cherub im with gold. 29 Then he carved the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer sanctuar-ies, with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. 30 And he overlaid the temple floor with gold in both the inner and outer sanctuari es. The Doors 31 For the entrance to the inner sanctuary, Sol-omon constructed doors of olive wood with five-sided doorposts. 32 The double doors were made of olive wood, and he carved into them cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers and overlaid the cheru bim and palm trees with hammered gold. 33 In the same way he made four-sided doorposts of olive wood for the sanctuary entrance. 34 The two doors were made of cy-press wood, and each had two folding panels. 35 He carved into them cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold, hammered evenly over the carving s. The Courtyard 36 Solomon built the inner courtyard with three rows of dressed stone and one row of trimmed cedar beams. 37 The foundation of the house of the LORD was laid in the fourth year of Solomon's reign, in the month of Ziv. 38 In his eleventh year and eighth month, the month of Bul,a   the temple was finished in every detail and according to every specification. So he built the temple in seven years. Solomon's Palace Complex Solomon, however, took thirteen years to complete the construction of his entire palace. 2 He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high,b   with four rows of cedar pil-lars supporting the cedar beams. 3 The house was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the pillars— forty-five beams, fifteen per row. 4 There were three rows of high windows facing one another in three tiers. 5 All the doorways c   had rectangu-lar frames, with the openings facing one another in three tiers. 6 Solomon made his colonnade fifty cubits long and thirty cu bits wide,d   with a portico in front of it and a canopy with pillars in front of the portico. 7 414 | 1 Kings 6:23 a 38 Bul was the eighth month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of October and November. b 2 The house was approximately 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high (45. 7 meters long, 22. 9 meters wide, and 13. 7 meters high). c 5 Literally doorways and doorposts   d 6 The colonnade was approxi-mately 75 feet long and 45 feet wide (22. 9 meters long and 13. 7 meters wide).

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7 In addition, he built a hall for the throne, the Hall of Justice, where he was to judge. It was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling. a   8 And the palace where Solomon would live, set further back, was of similar construction. He also made a palace like this hall for Pha- raoh's daughter, whom he had married. 9 All these buildings were constructed with costly stones, cut to size and trimmed with saws inside and out from the foundation to the eaves, and from the outside to the great court-yard. 10 The foundations were laid with large, costly stones, some ten cubits long b   and some eight cubits long. c   11 Above these were high-grade stones, cut to size, and cedar beams. 12 The great courtyard was surrounded by three rows of dressed stone and a row of trimmed cedar beams, as were the inner courtyard and portico of the house of the LORD. The Pillars and Capitals (2 Chronicles 3:1 4-17) 13 Now King Solomon sent to bring Huram d   from Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a craftsman in bronze. Huram had great skill, understanding, and knowledge for every kind of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and carried out all his work. 15 He cast two pillars of bronze, each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumfer-ence. e   16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on top of the pillars, each capital five cubits high. f  17 For the capitals on top of the pillars he made a network of lattice, with wreaths of chainwork, seven for each capital. g 18 Likewise, he made the pillars with two rows of pomegranates around each grating to cover each capital atop the pillars. 19 And the capi-tals atop the pillars in the portico were shaped like lilies, four cubits high. h   20 On the capitals of both pillars, just above the rounded projec-tion next to the network, were the two hun-dred pomegranates in rows encircling each capital. 21 Thus he set up the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jachin,i  and the pillar to the north he named Boaz. j  22 And the tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies. So the work of the pillars was completed. The Molten Sea (2 Chronicles 4:1-5) 23 He also made the Sea of cast metal. It was circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim, five cubits in height, and thirty cubits in circumference. k   24 Below the rim, ornamental buds encircled it, ten per cubit all the way around the Sea, cast in two rows as a part of the Sea. 25 The Sea stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The Sea rested on them, with all their hindquarters toward the center. 1 Kings 7:25 | 415 a 7 Syriac and Vulgate; Hebrew from floor to floor   b 10 10 cubits is approximately 15 feet or 4. 6 meters. c 10 8 cubits is approximately 12 feet or 3. 7 meters. d 13 Hebrew Hiram  , a variant of Huram  ; also in verses 40 and 45; see 2 Chronicles 4:11. Note that this is not Hiram king of Tyre mentioned in 1 Kings 5:1. e 15 Each pillar was approximately 27 feet high and 18 feet in circumference (8. 2 meters high and 5. 5 meters in circumference). f 16 5 cubits is approximately 7. 5 feet or 2. 3 meters. g 17 Hebrew; LXX one for each capital   h 19 4 cubits is approx-imately 6 feet or 1. 8 meters; also in verse 38. i 21 Jachin probably means He establishes  . j 21 Boaz probably means in Him is strength  . k 23 The Sea was approximately 15 feet from rim to rim, 7. 5 feet in height, and 45 feet in circumference (4. 6 meters from rim to rim, 2. 3 meters in height, and 13. 7 meters in circumference).

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26 It was a handbreadth thick,a   and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, like a lily blos-som. It could hold two thousand baths. b The Ten Bronze Stands 27 In addition, he made ten movable stands of bronze, each four cubits long, four cubits wide, and three cubits high. c   28 This was the design of the stands: They had side panels attached to uprights, 29 and on the panels between the uprights were lions, oxen, and cherubim. On the uprights was a pedestal above, and below the lions and oxen were wreaths of beveled work. 30 Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles and a basin resting on four supports, with wreaths at each side. 31 The opening to each stand inside the crown at the top was one cubit deep,d   with a round opening like the design of a pedestal, a cubit and a half wide. e   And around its opening were engrav-ings, but the panels of the stands were square, not round. 32 There were four wheels under the panels, and the axles of the wheels were attached to the stand; each wheel was a cubit and a half in diameter. 33 The wheels were made like char-iot wheel s; their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all of cast metal. 34 Each stand had four handles, one for each corner, projecting from the stand. 35 At the top of each stand was a circular band half a cubit high. f  The supports and panels were cast as a unit with the top of the stand. 36 He engrave d cherubim, lions, and palm trees on the surfaces of the supports and pan-els, wherever each had space, with wreaths all around. 37 In this way he made the ten stands, each with the same casting, dimensions, and shape. The Ten Bronze Basins (2 Chronicles 4:6-8) 38 He also made ten bronze basins, each hold-ing forty baths g   and measuring four cubits across, one basin for each of the ten stands. 39 He set five stands on the south side of the temple and five on the north, and he put the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner of the temple. Completion of the Bronze Works (2 Chronicles 4:1 1-18) 40 Additionally, Huram made the pots,h   shov-els, and sprinkling bowls. So Huram finished all the work that he had undertaken for King Solomon in the house of the LORD: 41 the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals atop the pil-lars; the two sets of network covering both bowls of the capitals atop the pillars; 42 the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pome-granates for each network covering both the bowl-shaped capitals atop the pillars); 416 | 1 Kings 7:26 a 26 A handbreadth is approximately 2. 9 inches or 7. 4 centimeters. b 26 2,000 baths is approximately 11,600 gal-lons or 44,000 liters; LXX does not include this sentence. c 27 The stands were approximately 6 feet in length and width, and 4. 5 feet high (1. 8 meters in length and width, and 1. 4 meters high). d 31 One cubit is approxi mately 18 inches or 45. 7 centimeters. e 31 A cubit and a half is approximately 2. 25 feet or 68. 6 centimeters wide; similarly in verse 32. f 35 Half a cubit is approximately 9 inches or 22. 9 centimeters high. g 38 40 baths is approximately 232 gallons or 880 liters. h 40 Many Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate (see also verse 45 and 2 Chronicles 4:11); many other Hebrew manuscripts basins  

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43 the ten stands; the ten basins on the stands; 44 the Sea; the twelve oxen underneath the Sea; 45 and the pots, shovels, and sprinkling bowls. All the articles that Huram made for King Sol-omon in the house of the LORD were made of burnished bronze. 46 The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan be-tween Succoth and Zarethan. a   47 Solomon left all these articles unweighed, because there were so many. The weight of the bronze could not be determined. Completion of the Gold Furnishings (2 Chronicles 4:1 9-22) 48 Solomon also made all the furnishings for the house of the LORD: the golden altar; the golden table on which was placed the Bread of the Presence; 49 the lampstands of pure gold in front of the inner sanctuary, five on the right side and five on the left; the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs; 50 the pure gold basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, ladles, and censers; and the gold hinges for the doors of the in-ner temple (that is, the Most Holy Place b  ) as well as for the doors of the main hall of the temple. 51 So all the work that King Solomon had per-formed for the house of the LORD was com-pleted. Then Solomon brought in the items his father David had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the furnishings —and he placed them in the treasuries of the house of the LO RD. The Ark Enters the Temple (2 Chronicles 5: 1-14) At that time Solomon assembled before him in Jerusalem the elders of Israel — all the tribal heads and family leaders of the Israelites —to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Zion, the City of David. 2 And all the men of Israel came together to King Sol-omon at the feast in the seventh month,c   the month of Ethanim. d   3 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark, 4 and they brought up the ark of the LORD and the Tent of Meeting with all its sacred furnishings. So the priests and Levites carried them up. 5 There, before the ark, King Solomon and the whole congregation of Israel who had assem-bled with him sacrificed so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or num-bered. 6 Then the priests brought the ark of the cove-nant of the LORD to its place i n the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place,e beneath the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its poles. 8 The poles extended far enough t hat their ends were visible from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place;  f  and they are there to this day. 8 1 Kings 8:8 | 417 a 46 Zarethan is a variant of Zeredah  ; see 2 Chronicles 4:17. b 50 Or the Holy of Holies   c 2 That is, the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths or Shelters); similarly in verse 65; see Leviticus 23:3 3-36. d 2 Ethanim was the seventh month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of September and October. e 6 Or the Holy of Holies   f 8 Literally not from outside  

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9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb,a   where the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites after they had come out of the land of Egypt. 10 And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD 11 so that the priests could not stand there to minister becau se of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. Solomon Blesses the LORD (2 Chronicles 6: 1-11) 12 Then Solomon declared: “The LORD b   has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud. 13 I have indeed built You an exalted house, a place for You to dwell forever. ” 14 And as the whole assembly of Israel stood there, the king turned around and blessed them all 15 and said: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His own hand what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, saying, 16 'Since the day I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house so that My Name would be there. But I have chosen Dav id to be over My people Israel. ' 17 Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 18 But the LORD said to my father David, 'Since it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you have done well to have this in your heart. 19 Nevertheless, you are not the one to build it; but your son, your own off-spring, will build the house for My Name. ' 20 Now the LORD has fulfilled the word that He spoke. I have succeeded my father David, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promi sed. I have built the house for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 21 And there I have provided a place for the ark, which contains the cov-enant of the LORD that He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. ” Solomon's Pra yer of Dedication (2 Chronicles 6:1 2-42) 22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven, 23 and said: “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on e arth below, keeping Your covenant of loving devotion with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. 24 You have kept Your promise to Your servant, my father David. What You spoke with Your mouth You have fulfilled with Your hand this day. 25 Therefore now, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for Your servant, my father David, what You promised when You said: 'You will never fail to have a man to sit before Me on the throne of Israel, if only your de-scendants guard their way to walk before Me as you have done. ' 26 And now, O God of Israel, please confirm what You prom-ised to Your servant, my father David. 27 But will God indeed dwell upon the earth? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built. 28 Yet regard the prayer and plea of Your servant, O LORD my God, so that You may hear the cry and the prayer 418 | 1 Kings 8:9 a 9 That is, Mount Sinai, or possibly a mountain in the range containing Mount Sinai b 12 Some LXX manuscripts The Lord has se t the sun in the heaven s, but

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that Your servant is praying before You to-day. 29 May Your eyes be open toward this tem-ple night and day, toward the place of which You said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place. 30 Hear the plea of Your servant and of Your peo-ple Israel when they pray toward this place. May You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place. May You hear and forgive. 31 When a man sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath, and he comes to take an oath before Your altar in this temple, 32 then may You hear from heaven and act. May You judge Your servants, condemning the wicked man by bringing down on his own head what he has done, and justifying the righteous man by rewarding him according to his righteousness. 33 When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and confess Your name, praying and pleading with You in this temple, 34 then may You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel. May You restore them to the land You gave to their fathers. 35 When the skies are shut and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and they turn from their sins because You have afflicted them, 36 then may You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, so that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk. May You send rain on the land that You gave Your people as an inheritance. 37 When famine or plague comes upon the land, or blight or mildew or locusts or grasshoppers, or when their enemy be-sieges them in their cities, whatever plague or sickness may come, 38 then may whatever prayer or petition Your people Israel make —each knowing his own afflictions and spreadi ng out his hands toward this temple — 39 be heard by You from heaven, Your dwelling place. And may You forgive and act, and repay each man according to all his ways, since You know his heart —for You alone know the hearts of all men — 40 so that they may fear You all the days they live in the land that You gave to our fathers. 41 And as for the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of Your name — 42 for they will hear of Your great name and mighty hand and outstretched arm — when he comes and prays toward this temple, 43 then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and do ac-cording to all for which the foreigner calls to You. Then all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and they will know that this house I have built is called by Your Name. 44 When Your people go to war against their enemies, wherever You send them, and when they pray to the LORD in the direction of the city You have chosen and the house I have built for Your Name, 45 then may You hear from heaven their prayer and the ir plea, and may You up-hold their cause. 46 When they sin against You —for there is no one who does not sin —and You be-come angry with them and deliver them 1 Kings 8:46 | 419

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to an enemy who takes them as captives to his own land, whether far or n ear, 47 and when they come to their senses in the land to which they were taken, and they repent and plead with You in the land of their captors, saying, 'We have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly,' 48 and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the ene-mies who took them captive, and when they pray to You in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name, 49 then may You hear from heaven, Y our dwelling place, their prayer and petition, and may You uphold their cause. 50 May You forgive Your peo-ple who have sinned against You and all the transgressions they have committed against You, and may You grant them compassion in the eyes of their cap tors to show them mercy. 51 For they are Your people and Your inheritance; You brought them out of Egypt, out of the furnace for iron. 52 May Your eyes be open to the pleas of Your servant and of Your people Israel, and may You listen to them whenever th ey call to You. 53 For You, O Lord GOD, as Your inheritance, have set them apart from all the peoples of the earth, as You spoke through Your servant Moses when You brought our fathers out of Egypt. ” Solomon's Benediction 54 Now when Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and petition to the L ORD, he got up before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. 55 And he stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying: 56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel according to all that He promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises He made through His servant Moses. 57 May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He never leave us nor forsake us. 58 May He incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep the commandments and stat-utes and ordinances He commanded our fathers. 59 And may these words with which I have made my petition before the LORD be near to the LORD our God day and night, so that He may upho ld the cause of His servant and of His people Israel as each day requires, 60 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God. There is no other! 61 So let your heart be fully devoted to the LORD our God, as it is this day, to walk in His statutes and to keep His command-ments. ” Sacrifices of Dedication (2 Chronicles 7: 4-10) 62 Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the LORD. 63 And Solomon of-fered as peace offerings to the LORD 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the house of the LORD. 64 On that same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard in front of the house of the LORD, a nd there he offered the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, since the bronze altar before the LORD was too small to contain all these offerings. 420 | 1 Kings 8:47

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65 So at that time Solomon and all Israel with him —a great assembly of people from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt—kept the feast before the LORD our God for seven days and seven more days —fourteen days in all. 66 On the fifteenth day a   Solomon sent the peo-ple away. So they blessed the king and went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things that the LORD had done for His servant David and for His people Israel. The LORD's Response to Solomon (2 Chronicles 7:11-22) Now when Solomon had finished build-ing the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and had achieved all that he had de-sired to do, 2 the LORD appeared to him a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 And the LORD said to him: “I have heard y our prayer and petition be-fore Me. I have consecrated this temple you have built by putting My Name there forever; My eyes and My heart will be there for all time. 4 And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My stat-utes and ordinances, 5 then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised your father David when I said, 'You will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel. ' 6 But if indeed you or your sons turn away from following Me and do not keep the commandments and statutes I have set before you, and if you go off to serve and worship other gods, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. Then Israel will become an object of scorn and ridicule among all peoples. 8 And when this temple has become a heap of rubble,b   all who pass by it will be appalled and will hiss and say, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' 9 And others will an-swer, 'Because they have forsaken the LORD their God who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and h ave embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them —because of this, the LORD has brought all this disaster upon them. '  ” Solomon's Additional Achievements (2 Chronicles 8: 1-18) 10 Now at the end of the twenty years during which Solomon built these two houses, the house of the LORD and the royal palace, 11 King Solomon gave twenty towns in the land of Galilee to Hiram king of Tyre, who had supplied him with cedar and cypress c   logs and gold for his every desire. 12 So Hiram went out from Tyre to inspect the towns that Solomon had given him, but he was not pleased with them. 13 “What are these towns you have given me, my brother?” asked Hiram, and he called them the Land of Cabul,d   as they are called to this day. 14 And Hiram had sent the king 120 talents of gold. e 15 This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon imposed to build the house of the LORD, h is own palace, the supporting 9 1 Kings 9:15 | 421 a 66 Hebrew On the eighth day  , probably referring to the day following the seven-day feast; see 2 Chronicles 7: 9-10. b 8 Some LXX manuscripts, Syriac, and Arabic; Hebrew And though this temple is now exalted  ; see also 2 Chronicles 7:21. c 11 Or pine or juniper or fir   d 13 Cabul sounds like the Hebrew for good-for-nothing  . e 14 120 talents is approximately 4. 52 tons or 4. 1 metric tons of gold.

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terraces,a   and the wall of Jerusalem, as well as Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. 16 Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife. 17 So Solomon rebuilt Gezer, Lower Beth- horon, 18 Baalath, and Tamar b   in the Wilder-ness of Judah,c   19 as well as all the store cities that Solomon had for his chariots and horses d  —whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout the land of his dominion. 20 As for all the people who remained of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (the people who were not Israel-ites) — 21 their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites were unable to devote to destruction e  —Solomon conscripted these people to be forced labor-ers, as they are to this day. 22 But Solomon did not consign any of the Israelites to slavery, because they were his men of war, his servants, his officers, his cap-tains, and the commanders of his chariots and cavalry. 23 They were also the chief officers over Solomon's projects: 550 supervisors over the people who did the wor k. 24 As soon as Pharaoh's daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace that Solo-mon had built for her, he built the supporting terraces. 25 Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar he had built for the LORD, burning incense with them before the LORD. So he completed the temple. 26 King Solomon also assembled a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth f  in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea. g   27 And Hi-ram sent his servants, men who knew the sea, to serve in the fleet with Solomon's servants. 28 They sailed to Ophir and importe d gold from there —420 talents h  —and delivered it to Solomon. The Queen of Sheba (2 Chronicles 9:1-12) Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concern-ing the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions. 2 She arrived in Jeru-salem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precio us stones. So she came to Solomon and spoke to him all that was on her mind. 3 And Solomon an-swered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain. 4 When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built, 5 the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants and cup-bearers, and the burnt offerings he presented at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away. 6 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own co untry about your words and wis-dom is true. 7 But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told to me. Your wisdom and prosperity have far exceeded the report I heard. 8 How blessed are your men! i  How blessed are these servants of yours who 10 422 | 1 Kings 9:16 a 15 Hebrew the Millo  ; also in verse 24 b 18 Alternate MT reading; the other alternate reads Tadmor c 18 Hebrew in the wilderness in the land   d 19 Or horsemen or charioteers   e 21 Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the LORD, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering. f 26 Eloth is a variant of Elath  ; see LXX, 2 Kings 14:22, and 2 Kings 16:6. g 26 Or the Sea of Reeds   h 28 420 talents is approximately 15. 8 tons or 14. 4 metric tons of gold. i 8 LXX, Syriac, and Latin Vulgate your wives

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stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! 9 Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD's eternal love for Israel, He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness. ” 10 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold,a   a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was such an abundance of spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. 11 (The fleet of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir also brought from Ophir a great cargo of almug  b   wood and precious stones. 12 The king made the almug wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king's palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had such almug wood been brought in, nor has such been se en to this day. ) 13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired— whatever she asked —besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned to her own coun-try, along with her servants. Solomon's Wealth and Splendor (2 Ch ronicles 1:1 4-17 ; 2 Chronicles 9:13-28) 14 The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,c   15 not including the revenue from the merchants, traders, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land. 16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shek-els of gold  d   went into each shield. 17 He also made three hundred small shields of ham-mered gold; three minas of gold e   went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 18 Additionally, the king made a great t hrone of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. 19 The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest. 20 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom. 21 All King Solomon's drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the d ays of Solomon. 22 For the king had the ships of Tarshish f  at sea with Hiram's fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tar-shish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. g 23 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 24 The whole world sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart. 25 Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. 26 Solomon accumulated h   1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses,i  which he stationed in the char-iot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusa-lem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills. j 1 Kings 10: 27 | 423 a 10 120 talents is approximately 4. 52 tons or 4. 1 metric tons of gold. b 11 Almug is probably a variant of algum  ; also in verse 12; see 2 Chronicles 2:8. c 14 666 talents is approximately 25. 1 tons or 22. 8 metric tons of gold. d 16 600 shekels is approximately 15. 1 pounds or 6. 8 kilograms of gold. e 17 3 minas is approximately 3. 77 pounds or 1. 71 kilograms of gold; possibly a reference to double minas, that is, approximately 7. 54 pounds or 3. 42 kilo-grams. f 22 Or a fleet of trading ships  ; twice in this verse g 22 Or baboons   h 26 Literally Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had   i 26 Or horsemen or charioteers   j 27 Hebrew Shephelah or lowlands  ; that is, the west-ern foothills of Judea

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28 Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; a   the royal merchants pur-chased them from Kue. 29 A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver,b   and a horse for a hundred and fifty. c   Likewise, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram. Solomon's Foreign Wives King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daugh-ter of Pharaoh —women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittit e women. 2 These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods. ” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives o f royal birth and three hundred concubines —and his wives turned his heart away. 4 For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been. 5 Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidoni-ans and Milcom d   the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD; unlike his father David, he did not follow the LORD completely. 7 At that time on a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Molech the abomination of th e Ammonites. 8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. God's Anger against Solomon 9 Now the LORD grew angry with Solomon, be-cause his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although He had warned Solo-mon explicitly not to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD's command. 11 Then the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have com-manded you, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. 12 Never-theless, for the sake of your father David, I wi ll not do it during your lifetime; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom away from him. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen. ” Hadad's Return 14 Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom. 15 Earlier, when David was in Edom, Joab the commander of the army had gone to bury the dead and had struck down every male in Edom. 16 Joab and all Israel had stayed there six months, until he had killed every male in Edom. 17 But Hadad, still just a young boy, had fled to Egypt, along with some Edomites who were servants of his father. 18 Hadad and his men set out from Midian and went to Paran. They took men from Paran with them and went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food. 19 There Hadad found such great favor in the sight of Pharaoh that he gave to him in mar-riage the sister of Queen Tahpenes, his own wife. 20 And the sister of Tahpenes bore Hadad a son named Genubath. Tahpenes herself 11 424 | 1 Kings 10:28 a 28 Probably an area in Cilicia, a province in the southeast of Asia Minor b 29 600 shekels is approximately 15. 1 pounds or 6. 8 kilograms of silver. c 29 150 shekels is approximately 3. 8 pounds or 1. 7 kilograms of silver. d 5 Milcom is a variant of Molec h  ; also in verse 33; see verse 7 and Leviticus 18:21.

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weaned him in Pharaoh's palace, and Genubath lived there among the sons of Pharaoh. 21 When Hadad heard in Egypt that David had rested with his fathers and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead, he said to Pharaoh, “Let me go, that I may retur n to my own country. ” 22 But Pharaoh asked him, “What have you lacked here with me that you suddenly want to go back to your own country?” “Nothing,” Hadad replied, “but please let me go. ” Rezon's Hostility 23 And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah, 24 and had gathered men to himself. When David killed the Zobaites, Rezon captained a band of raiders and went to Damascus, where they settled and gained control. 25 Rezon was Israel's enemy throughout the days of Solomon, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled over Aram with hos-tility toward Israel. Jeroboam's Rebellion 26 Now Jeroboam son of Nebat was an Ephra-imite from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. Jeroboam was a ser- vant of Solomon, but he rebelled against the king, 27 and this is the account of his rebellion against the king. Solomon had built the supporting terraces a   and repaired the gap in the wall of the city of his father David. 28 Now Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. So when Solomon noticed that the young man was industrious, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph. 29 During that time, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met Jeroboam on the road as he was going out of Jerusalem. Now Ahijah had wrapped himself in a new cloak, and the two of them were alone in the open field. 30 And Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing, tore it into twelve pieces, 31 and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for your-self, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give you ten tribes. 32 But one tribe will remain for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. 33 For they have b   forsaken Me to worship Ash-toreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites. They have not walked in My ways, nor done what is right in My eyes, nor kept My statut es and judgments, as Solomon's father David did. 34 Nevertheless, I will not take the whole king-dom out of Solomon's hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David My servant, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and statutes. 35 But I will take ten tribes of the kingdom from the hand of his son and give them to you. 36 I will give one tribe to his son, so that My servant David will always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the cit y where I chose to put My Name. 37 But as for you, I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your heart desires, and you will be king over Israel. 38 If you listen to all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight in 1 Kings 11: 38 | 425 a 27 Hebrew the Millo   b 33 Hebrew; LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate he has  ; twice in this verse

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order to keep My statutes and command-ments as My servant David did, then I will be with you. I will build you a lasting dynasty just as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. 39 Because of this, I will humble David's descendants—but not forever. '  ” 40 Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, where he remained until the death of Solomon. The Death of Solomon (2 Chronicles 9:29-31) 41 As for the rest of the acts of Solomon —all that he did, as well as his wisdom —are they not written in the Book of the Acts of Solo-mon? 42 Thus the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. 43 And Solomon rested with his fathe rs and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place. Rebellion agains t Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 10:1-15) Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he was still a   in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since. 3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel came to Re-hoboam and said, 4 “Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you should lighten the burden of yo ur father's service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you. ” 5 Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then return to me. ” So the people de-parted. 6 Then King Rehoboam consulted with the el-ders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How do you advise me to respond to these people?” he asked. 7 They replied, “If you will be a servant to these people and serve them this day, and if you will respond by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever. ” 8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the el-ders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him. 9 He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to these people who have spoken to me, saying, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?” 10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you should make it lighter. ' This is what you should tell them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist! 11 Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions. '  ” 12 After three days, Jeroboam and all the peo-ple returned to Rehoboam, since the king had said, “Come back to me on the third day. ” 13 And the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the elders 14 and spoke to them as the young men had adv ised, saying, “Whereas my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my fa-ther scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions. ” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word He had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite. 12 426 | 1 Kings 11:39 a 2 Or he remained  

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The Kingdom Divided (2 Chronicles 10:16-19) 16 When all Israel saw that the king had re-fused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So the Israelites went home, 17 but Rehoboam still reigned over the Israelites living in the cit-ies of Judah. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent out Adoram,a   who was in charge of the forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. And King Reho-boam mounted his chariot i n haste and es-caped to Jerusalem. 19 So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David. Shemaiah's Prophecy (2 Chronicles 11:1-4) 20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assem-bly and made him kin g over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David. 21 And when Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the whole house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin —180,000 chosen warriors —to fight against the house of Israel and restore t he kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon. 22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: 23 “Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, all the house of Judah and Ben-jamin, and the rest of the people 24 that this is what the LORD says: 'You are not to go up and fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you must return home, for this w ord is from Me. '  ” So they listened to the word of the LORD and turned back according to the word of the LORD. Jeroboam's Idolatry 25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And from there he went out and built Penuel. b 26 Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the king-dom might revert to the house of David. 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, their hearts will return to their lord, Rehoboam king of Juda h; then they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah. ” 28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people,c   “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. ” 29 One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves. d   31 Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places and appointed from every class of people priests who were not Levites. 32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month,e   like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar; he made this offering in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had set up, and he installed priests in Bethel for the high places he had set up. 1 Kings 12: 32 | 427 a 18 Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts and Syriac Adoniram  ; see 1 Kings 4:6 and 1 Kings 5:14. b 25 Penuel is a vari-ant of Peniel  ; see Genesis 32:30. c 28 Hebrew to them   d 30 Likely reading of the original Hebrew text; MT the people walked to the one as far as Dan  ; LXX the people went to the one at Bethel and to the other as far as Dan e 32 This feast was exactly one month after the annual Feast of Tabernacles in Judah; see Leviticus 23:34.

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33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar he had set up in Bethel. So he ordained a feast for the Israelites, of-fered sacrifices on the altar, and burned in-cense. Jeroboam's Hand Wither s (2 Kings 23: 4-20 ; 2 Chronicles 34:3-7) Suddenly, as Jeroboam was standing beside the altar to burn incense, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD. 2 And he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, “O altar, O altar, this is what the LORD says: 'A son named Josiah will be born to the house of Da-vid, and upon you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and human bones will be burned upon you. '  ” a   3 That day the man of God gave a sign, saying, “The LORD has spoken this sign: 'Surely the altar will be split apart, and the ashes upon it will be poured out. '  ” 4 Now when King Jeroboam, who was at the al-tar in Bethel, heard the word that the man of God had cried out against it, he stretched out his hand and said, “Seize him!” But the hand he stretched out toward him withered, so that he could not pull it back. 5 And the altar was split apart, and the ashes poured out, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. 6 Then the king responded to the man of God, “Intercede with the LORD your God and pray that my hand may be restored. ” So the man of God interceded with the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him as it was before. 7 Then 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 replied, “If you were to give me half your possessions, I still would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place. 9 For this is what I was commanded by the word of the LORD: 'You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came. '  ” 10 So the man of God went another way and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel. The Old Prophet and the Man of God 11 Now a certain old prophet was living in Bethel, and his sons b   came and told him all the deeds that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. They also told their father the words that the man had spoken to the king. 12 “Which way did he go?” their father asked. And his sons showed him c   the way taken by the man of God, who had come from Judah. 13 So the prophet said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me. ” Then they saddled the donkey for him, and he mounted it 14 and went after the man of God. He found him sitting under an oak tree d   and asked, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” “I am,” he replied. 15 So the prophet said to the man of God, “Come home with me and eat some bread. ” 16 But the man replied, “I cannot return with you or eat bread or drink water with you in this place. 17 For I have been told by the word of the LORD: 'You must not eat bread o r drink water there or return by the way you came. '  ” 13 428 | 1 Kings 12:33 a 2 See 2 Kings 23:16. b 11 LXX; Hebrew son   c 12 LXX; Hebrew had seen   d 14 Or a terebinth or a great tree  

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18 Then the prophet replied, “I too am a prophet like you, 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 e at bread and drink water. '  ” The old prophet was lying to him, 19 but the man of God went back with him, ate bread in his house, and drank water. 20 While they were sitting at the table, the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back, 21 and the prophet cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “This is what the LORD says: 'Be-cause you have defied the word of the LORD and have not kept the commandment that the LORD your God gave you, 22 but you went back and ate bread and drank water in the place where He told you not to do so, your body shall never reach the tomb of your fathers. '  ” 23 And after the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the old prophet who had brought him back saddled the donkey for him. 24 As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. 25 And there were men passing by who saw the body lying in the road with the lion stand-ing beside it, and they went and reported this in the city where the old prophet lived. 26 When the prophet who had brought him back from his journey heard this, he said, “I t is the man of God who disobeyed the command of the LORD. Therefore the LORD has deliv-ered him to the lion, and it has mauled him and killed him, according to the word that the LORD had spoken to him. ” 27 Then the old prophet instructed his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me. ” So they saddled it, 28 and he went and found the body lying in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. The lion had not eaten the body or mauled the donkey. 29 So the old prophet lifted up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back to his own city to mourn for him and bury him. 30 Then he laid the body in his own tomb, and they lamented over him, “Oh, my brother!” 31 After he had buried him, the prophet said to his sons, “When I die, you must bury me in the tomb where the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones, 32 for the message that he cried out by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the cities of Samaria will surely come to pass. ” 33 Even after these events, Jeroboam did not repent of his evil ways, but again he appointed priests for the high places from every class of people. He ordained anyone who desired to be a priest of the high places. 34 And this was the sin of the house of Jero boam that led to its extermination and destruction from the face of the earth. Ahijah's Prophecy against Jeroboam At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, 2 and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Now get up, disguise yourself so they will not recogniz e you as my wife, and go to Shiloh. For Ahijah the prophet is there; it was he who spoke about my kingship over this people. 3 Take with you ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will become of the boy. ” 4 Jeroboam's wife did as instructed; she arose and went to Shiloh and arrived at Ahijah's house. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age. 5 But the LORD had said to Ahijah, “Behold, the wife of 14 1 Kings 14: 5 | 429

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Jeroboam is coming to ask you abou t her son, for he is ill. You are to say such and such to her, because when she arrives, she will be dis-guised. ” 6 So when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet entering the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam! Why are you disguised? For I have been sent to you with bad news. 7 Go, tell Jero-boam that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler over My peo-ple Israel. 8 I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you. But you were not like My servant David, who kept My commandments and followed Me with all his heart, doing only what was right in My eyes. 9 You have done more evil than all who came before you. You have proceeded to make for yourself other gods and molten images to pro-voke Me, and you have flung Me behind your back. 10 Because of all this, behold, I am bring-ing disaste r on the house of Jeroboam: I will cut off from Jeroboam every male,a   both slave and free, in Israel ; I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns up dung until it is gone! 11 Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field will be eaten by the birds of the air. ' For the LORD has spoken. 12 As for you, get up and go home. When your feet enter the city, the child will die. 13 All Is-rael will mourn for him and bury him. For this is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will receive a proper burial, b   because only in him has the LORD, the God of Israel, found any good in the house of Jeroboam. 14 Moreover, the LORD will raise up for Him-self a king over Israel who will cut off the house of Jeroboam. This is the day —yes, even today! 15 For the LORD will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that He gave their fathers, and He will scatter them beyond the Euphrates, c   because they have made their Asherah poles, provoking the LORD to anger. 16 So He will give Israel over on account of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit. ” 17 Then Jeroboam's wife got up and departed for Tirzah, and as soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. 18 And they buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servant Ahijah the prophet. Nadab Succeeds Jeroboam 19 As for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he waged war and how he reigned, they are in-deed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 20 And the length of Jeroboam's reign was twenty-two years, and he rested with his fa-thers, and his son Nadab reigned in his place. Rehoboam Reigns in Judah (2 Chronicles 12:13-14) 21 Meanwhile, Rehoboam son of Solomon reigned in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seven-teen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite. 430 | 1 Kings 14:6 a 10 Literally (all) those who urinate against a wall   b 13 Literally who will come to the grave   c 15 Hebrew the River

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22 And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and by the sins they committed they provoked Him to jealous anger more than all their fathers had done. 23 They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. 24 There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land. They imitated all the abominations of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. Shishak Raids Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 12: 1-12) 25 In the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign, Shishak king of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem. 26 He seized the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the royal palace. He took everything, including al l the gold shields that Solomon had made. 27 Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place and committed them to the care of the captains of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. 28 And whenever the king entered the house of the LORD, the guards would bear the shields, and later they would return them to the guardroom. 29 As for the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, along with all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 30 There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their days. 31 And Reho-boam rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David; his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite. And his son Abijam a   reigned in his place. Abija m R eign s in Judah (2 Chronicles 13:1-3) In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam b became king of Judah, 2 and he reigned in Jeru-salem three years. His mother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. c   3 And Abijam walked in all the sins that his fa-ther before him had committed, and his heart was not as fully devoted to the LORD his God as the heart of David his forefather had been. 4 Nevertheless, for the sake of David, the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and to make Jerusalem strong. 5 For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not turned aside from anything the LORD com-manded all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the H ittite. 6 And there was war between the houses of Rehoboam d   and Jeroboam all the days of Abijam's life. e 7 As for the rest of the acts of Abijam, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8 And Abijam rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David, and his son Asa reigned in his place. Asa Reigns in Judah (2 Chronicles 14:1-15 ; 2 Chronicles 15:8-19) 9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam's reign over Israel, Asa became king of Judah, 10 and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His 151 Kings 15: 10 | 431 a 31 Abijam is a variant of Abijah  ; some Hebrew manuscripts and LXX Abijah  ; see 2 Chronicles 12:16. b 1 Abijam is a variant of Abijah  ; some Hebrew manuscripts and LXX Abijah  ; also in verses 3, 6, 7, and 8; see 2 Chronicles 12:16. c 2 Abishalom is a variant of Absalom  ; also in verse 10; see 2 Chronicles 11:20. d 6 Literally war between Rehoboam (most Hebrew manuscripts); some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac war between Abijam (that is, Abijah); most LXX texts do not contain this verse. e 6 Literally of his life  

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grandmother's a   name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. 11 And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done. 12 He banished the male shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 He also removed h is grand-mother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 14 The high places were not removed, but Asa's heart was fully devoted to the LORD all his days. 15 And he brought into the house of the LORD the silver and gold and other articles that he and his father had dedicated. War between Asa and Baasha (2 Chronicles 16:1-6) 16 Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their days. 17 Baasha king of Israel went to war against Ju-dah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. 18 So Asa withdrew all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace. He entrusted it to his servants and sent them with this message to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion king of Aram, who was ru ling in Da-mascus: 19 “Let there be a treaty b   between me and you, between my father and your father. See, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Now go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw fr om me. ” 20 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and the whole land of Naphtali, including the region of Chinnereth. 21 When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa summoned all the men of Ju-dah,c   with no exceptions, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials King Asa b uilt up Geba of Benjamin, as well as Mizpah. Jehoshaphat Succeeds Asa (2 Chronicles 17: 1-19) 23 Now the rest of the acts of Asa, along with all his might, all his accomplishments, and the cities he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? In his old age, however, he became diseased in his feet. 24 And Asa rest ed with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David, and his son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place. Nadab Reigns in Israel 25 In the second year of Asa's reign over Judah, Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel, and he reigne d two years. 26 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit. 27 Then Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philis-tines while Nadab and all Israel were besieg-ing the city. 28 In the third year of Asa's reign over Judah, Baasha killed Nadab and reigned in his place. 432 | 1 Kings 15:11 a 10 Or The queen mother's  ; Hebrew His mother's  ; see verses 2 and 13. b 19 Forms of the Hebrew berit are trans-lated in most passages as covenant  ; twice in this verse. c 22 Or Then King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah

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29 As soon as Baasha became king, he struck down the entire household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, 30 because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he had provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger. 31 As for the rest of the acts of Nadab, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their days. Baasha Reigns in Israel 33 In the third year of Asa's reign over Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel, and he reigned in Tirz ah twenty-four years. 34 And Baasha did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit. Jehu's Prophecy agains t Baasha Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha, saying: 2 “Even though I lifted you out of the dust and made you ruler over My people Is-rael, you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have caused My people Israel to sin and to provoke Me to anger by their sins. 3 So now I will consume Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat: 4 Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field will be eaten by the birds of the air. ” 5 As for the rest of the acts of Baasha, along with his accomplishments and might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 6 And Baasha rested with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah, and his son Elah reigned in his place. 7 Moreover, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands and becoming like the house of Jero-boam, and also because Baasha had struck down the house of Jeroboam. Elah Reigns in Israel 8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa's reign over Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Is-rael, and he reigned in Tirzah two years. 9 However, while Elah was in Tirzah getting drunk in the house of Arza the steward of his household there, Elah's servant Zimri, the commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. 10 So in the twenty-seventh year of Asa's reign over Judah, Zimri went in, struck Elah down, and killed him. And Zimri reigned in his place. 11 As soon as Zimri began to reign and was seated on the throne, he struck down the en-tire household of Baasha. He did not leave a single male, whether a kinsman or friend. 12 So Zimri destroyed the entire household of Baasha, according to the word that the LORD had spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet. 13 This happened because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols. 14 As for the rest of the acts of Elah, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written 16 1 Kings 16: 14 | 433

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in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? Zimri Reigns in Israel 15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa's reign over Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah for seven days. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon of the Philistines, 16 and the people in the camp heard that Zimri had not only con-spired but had also struck down the king. So there in the camp that very day, all Israel pro-claimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel. 17 Then Omri and all the Israelites marched up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. 18 When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he entered the citadel of the royal palace and burned it down upon himself. So he died 19 be-cause of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the sight of the LORD and following the ex-ample of Jeroboam and the sin he had commit-ted and had caused Israel to commit. 20 As for the rest of the acts of Zimri and the treason he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? Omri Reigns in Israel 21 At that time the people of Israel were di-vided: Half of the people supported Tibni son of Ginath as king, and half supported Omri. 22 But the followers of Omri proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king. 23 In the thirty-first year of Asa's reign over Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah. 24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver a   and built a city there, calling it Samaria after the name of Shemer, who had owned the hill. 25 But Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD and acted more wickedly than all who were before him. 26 For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sins, which he caused Israel to commit, provoking the LORD, the Go d of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols. 27 As for the rest of the acts of Omri, along with his accomplishments and the might he exer-cised, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 28 And Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and his son Ahab reigned in his place. Ahab Reigns in Israel, Marries Jezebel 29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa's reign over Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 However, Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. 31 And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal. 32 First, Ahab set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built i n Samaria. 33 Then he set up an Asherah pole. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel be-fore him. 34 In Ahab's days, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. At the cost of Abiram his firstborn he laid its foundation, and at the cost of Segub his youngest he set up its gates, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Joshua son of Nun. b 434 | 1 Kings 16:15 a 24 2 talents is approximately 151 pounds or 68. 4 kilograms of silver. b 34 See Joshua 6:26.

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The Ravens Feed Elijah Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead,a   said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD lives —the God of Israel before whom I stand —there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word!” 2 Then a revelation f rom the LORD came to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan. b   4 And you are to drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. ” 5 So Elijah did what the LORD had told him, and he went and lived by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan. 6 The ravens would bring him bread and meat in the morn ing and eve- ning, and he would drink from the brook. 7 Some time later, however, the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. The Widow of Zarephath 8 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 9 “Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you. ” 10 So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink. ” 11 And as she was go-ing to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread. ” 12 But she replied, “As surely as the LORD your God lives, I have no bread —only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. Look, I am gathering a couple of sticks to take home and prepare a meal for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die. ” 13 “Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her. “Go and do as you have said. But first make me a small cake of bread from what you have, and bring it out to me. Afterward, make some for your-self and your son, 14 for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be exhausted and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain upon the face of the earth. '  ” 15 So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and there was food every day for Eli-jah and the wom an and her household. 16 The jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Elijah. Elijah Raises the Widow's Son 17 Later, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill, and his sickness grew worse and worse, until no breath remained in him. 18 “O man of God,” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come to remind me of my iniquity and cause the death of my son?” 19 But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son. ” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me, by causing h er son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this boy's life re-turn to him!” 22 And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child's life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Then Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper room into the 17 1 Kings 17: 23 | 435 a 1 Or who was from Tishbe in Gilead   b 3 Or the Cherit h Ravine, near the Jordan  ; also in verse 5

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house, and gave him to his mother. “Look, your son is alive,” Elijah declared. 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is truth. ” Elijah's Message to Ahab After a long time, in the third year of the drought,a   the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the face of the earth. ” 2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria, 3 and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD, 4 for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water. ) 5 Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go thr oughout the land to every spring and every valley. Per-haps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to destroy any livestock. ” 6 So they divided the land to explore. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself. 7 Now as Obadiah went on his way, Elijah sud-denly met him. When Obadiah recognized him, he fell facedown and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?” 8 “It is I,” he answered. “Go tell your master, 'Elijah is here!'  ” 9 But Obadiah replied, “How have I sinned, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death? 10 As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, 'He is not here,' he made that kingdom or nation swear that they had not found you. 11 And now you say, 'Go tell your master that Elijah is here!' 12 I do not know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off when I leave you. Then when I go and tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth. 13 Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred prophets of the LORD, fifty men per cave, and I provided them with food and wa-ter. 14 And now you say, 'Go tell your lord that Elijah is here!' He will kill me!” 15 Then Elijah said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will present myself to Ahab today. ” Elijah on Mount Carme l 16 So Obadiah went to inform Ahab, who went to meet Elijah. 17 When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” 18 “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father's house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals. 19 Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Car-mel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred proph-ets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table. ” 20 So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him. ” 18 436 | 1 Kings 17:24 a 1 Literally And the days were many, and in the third year,  

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But the people did not answer a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the LORD, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull for themselves, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. And I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire. 24 Then you may call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers by fi re, He is God. ” And all the people answered, “What you say is good. ” 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for your-selves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire. ” 26 And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made. 27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, “Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awak-ened!” 28 So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was thei r custom, until the blood gushed over them. 29 Midday passed, and they kept on raving un-til the time of the evening sacrifice. But there was no response; no one answered, no one paid attention. 30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me. ” So all the people approached him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down. 31 And Elijah took tw elve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come and said, “Israel shall be your name. ” 32 And with the stones, Elijah built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. a   33 Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, placed it on the wood, 34 and said, “Fill four waterpots and pour the water on the offering and on the wood. ” b “Do it a second time,” he said, and they did it a second time. “Do it a third time,” he said, and they did it a third time. 35 So the water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. Elijah's Prayer 36 At the time of the evening sacrifice, El ijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command. 37 Answer me, O LORD! Answer me, so that this people will know that You, the LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back again. ” 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water in the trench. 39 When all the people saw this, they fell facedown and said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!” 1 Kings 18: 39 | 437 a 32 2 seahs is approximately 13. 2 dry quarts or 14. 6 liters (probably about 25. 4 pounds or 11. 5 kilograms of seed). b 34 Some texts break verse 33 and begin verse 34 at this point.

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40 Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the proph-ets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape. ” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there. The LORD Sends Rain 41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain. ” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the summit of Carmel, bent down on the ground, and put his face between his knees. 43 “Go and look toward the sea,” he said to his servant. So the servant went and looked, and he said, “There is nothing there. ” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back. ” 44 On the seventh time the servant reported, “There is a cloud as small as a man's hand ris-ing from the sea. ” And Elijah replied, “Go and tell Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you. '  ” 45 Meanwhile, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain began to fall. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. 46 And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt a   and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. Elijah Flees from Jezebel Now Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jez-ebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the lives of those you killed!” 3 And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself traveled on a day's journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers. ” 5 Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat. ” 6 And he looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 A second time the angel of the LORD re-turned and touched him, saying, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you. ” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. And strength-ened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, b   the mountain of God. The LORD Speaks to Elijah at Horeb 9 There Elijah entered a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well. ”  c   11 Then the LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Behold, the LORD is about to pass by. ” 19 438 | 1 Kings 18:40 a 46 Hebrew he girde d up his loins   b 8 That is, Mount Sinai, or possibly a mountain in the range containing Mount Sinai c 10 Cited in Romans 11:3; here and in verse 14

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And a great and mighty wind tore into the mountains and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, tor n down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well. ” 15 Then the LORD said to him, “Go back by the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damas-cus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16 You are also to anoint Jehu son a   of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha so n of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Then Jehu will put to death whoever es-capes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu. 18 Nevertheless, I have reserved seven thou-sand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed to Baal  b   and whose mouths have not kissed him. ” The Call of Elisha 19 So Elijah departed and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak around him. 20 So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kis s my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you. ” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?” 21 So Elisha turned back from him, took his pair of oxen, and slaughtered them. With the oxen's equipment, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow and serve Elijah. Ben-hadad Attacks Samaria Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assem-bled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samar ia, and waged war against it. 2 Then he sent mes-sengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, 3 saying, “This is what Ben-hadad says: c   'Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine!'  ” 4 And the king of Israel replied, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have. ” 5 The messengers came back and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: 'I have sent to you to de-mand your silver, your gold, your wives, and your chil dren. 6 But about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to search your palace and the houses of your servants. They will seize and carry away all that is precious to you. '  ” 7 Then the king of Israel summoned all the el-ders of the land and said, “Please take note and see that this man is looking for trouble, for when he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, I did not deny him. ” 8 And the elders and the people all said, “Do not listen to him or consent to his terms. ” 20 1 Kings 20: 8 | 439 a 16 Or grandson  ; see 2 Kings 9:14. b 18 Cited in Romans 11:4 c 3 Some texts break verse 2 and begin verse 3 at this point.

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9 So Ahab answered the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king, 'All that you de-manded of your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do. '  ” So the messengers departed and relayed the message to Ben-hadad. 10 Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful. ” 11 And the king of Israel replied, “Tell him: 'The one putting on his armor should not boast like one taking it off. '  ” 12 Ben-hadad received this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents,a   and he said to his servants, “Take your posi-tions. ” So they stationed themselves against the city. Ahab Defeats Ben-hadad 13 Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and declared, “This is what the LORD says: 'Do you see this entire great army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this very day, and you will know that I am the LORD. '  ” 14 “By whom?” Ahab asked. And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: 'By the young officers of the dis-trict governors. '  ” “Who will start the ba ttle?” asked Ahab. “You will,” answered the prophet. 15 So Ahab assembled the young officers of the district governors, and there were 232 men. And after them, he assembled the rest of the Israelite troops, 7,000 in all. 16 They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. 17 And the young officers of the district governors marched out first. Now Ben-hadad had sent out scouts, who reported to him, “Men are marching out of Samaria. ” 18 “If they have marched out in peace,” he said, “take them alive. Even if they have marched out for war, take them alive. ” 19 Meanwhile, these young officers of the dis-trict governors marched out of the city, with the army behind them, 20 and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry. 21 Then the king of Israel marched out and at-tacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the Arameans. 22 Afterward, the prophet approached the king of Israel and said, “Go and strengthen your position, and take note what you must do, for in the spring b   the king of Aram will come up against you. ” 23 Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they prevailed over us. Instead, we should fight them on the plains; surely then we will prevail. 24 So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers. 25 And you must raise an army like the one you have lost — horse for horse and chariot for chariot —so we can fight the Israelites on the plain, where we will surely prevail. ” And the king approved their plan and acted ac-cordingly. 440 | 1 Kings 20:9 a 12 Or in Succoth  ; also in verse 16 b 22 Literally at the turn of the year  ; similarly in verse 26

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Anothe r War wit h Ben-hadad 26 In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Ara-means and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. 27 The Israelites also mobilized, gath-ered supplies, and marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside. 28 Then the man of God approached the king of Israel and said, “This is what the LORD says: 'Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the h ills and not of the valleys, I will deliver all this great army into your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD. '  ” 29 For seven days the armies camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle ensued, and the Israelites struck down th e Arameans —a hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day. 30 The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room. Ahab Spares Ben-hadad 31 Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life. ” 32 So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please spare my life. '  ” And the king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother. ” 33 Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped at this word and replied, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad. ” “Go and get him!” said the king. Then Ben-hadad came out, and Ahab had him come up into his chariot. 34 Ben-hadad said to him, “I will restore the cities my father took from your father; you may set up your own marketplaces in Damas-cus, as my father did in Samaria. ” “By this treaty a   I release you,” Ahab replied. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away. A Prophet Reproves Ahab 35 Meanwhile, by the word of the LORD, one of the sons of the prophets said to his compan-ion, “Strike me, please!” But the man refused to strike him. 36 Then the prophet said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, as soon as you depart from me a lion will kill you. ” And when he left, a lion found him and killed him. 37 Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please!” So the man struck him and wounded him, 38 and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king, di sguising himself with a bandage over his eyes. 39 As the king passed by, he cried out to the king: “Your servant had marched out into the middle of the battle, when suddenly a man came over with a captive and told me, 'Guard this man! If he goes missing f or any reason, your life will be exchanged for his life, or you 1 Kings 20: 39 | 441 a 34 Forms of the Hebrew berit are translated in most passages as covenant  ; twice in this verse.

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will weigh out a talent of silver. a  ' 40 But while your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared. ” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you have pronounced it on yourself. ” 41 Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. 42 And the prophet said to the king, “This is what the LORD says: 'Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to de-struction,b   your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people. '  ” 43 Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went home to Samaria. Naboth's Vineyard Some time later, Naboth the Jezreel-ite happened to own a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab king of Sa-maria. 2 So Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to use as a vegetable garden, since it is next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place —or if you prefer, I will give you its value in silver. ” 3 But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers. ” 4 So Ahab went to his palace, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had told him, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fa-thers. ” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and refused to eat. 5 Soon his wife Jezebel came in and asked, “Why are you so sullen that you refuse to eat?” 6 Ahab answered, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and told him, 'Give me your vine-yard for silver, or if you wish, I will give you another vineyard in its place. ' And he replied, 'I will not give you my vineyard!'  ” 7 But his wife Jezebel said to him, “Do you not reign over Israel? Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful, for I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. ” Jezebel's Plot 8 Then Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab's name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his c ity. 9 In the letters she wrote: “Proclaim a fast and give Naboth a seat of honor among the people. 10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, 'You have cursed both God and the king!' Then take him out and stone him to death. ” 11 So the elders and nobles who lived in Na-both's city did as Jezebel had instructed in the letters she had wri tten to them. 12 They pro-claimed a fast and gave Naboth a seat of honor among the people. 13 And the two scoundrels came in and sat op-posite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. 14 Then they sent word to Jeze-bel: “Naboth has been stoned to death. ” 15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, who refused to give it to you for sil-ver. For Naboth is no longer alive, but dead. ” 16 And when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take posses-sion of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. 21 442 | 1 Kings 20:40 a 39 A talent is approximately 75. 4 pounds or 34. 2 kilograms of silver. b 42 Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the LORD, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.

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Elijah Denounces Ahab and Jezebel 17 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 “Get up and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. See, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, of which he has gone to take possess ion. 19 Tell him that this is what the LORD says: 'Have you not murdered a man and seized his land?' Then tell him that this is also what the LORD says: 'In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, there also the dogs will lick up your blood —yes, yours!'  a  ” 20 When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy. ” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD. 21 This is what the LORD sa ys: b 'I will bring calamity on you and consume your descendants; I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both slave and free. 22 I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked My anger an d caused Israel to sin. ' 23 And the LORD also speaks concerning Jeze-bel: 'The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. ' c   24 Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field wi ll be eaten by the birds of the air. ” Ahab's Repentance 25 (Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel. 26 He committed the most detestable acts by going after idols, just like the Amorites whom the LORD had driven out before the Israelit es. ) 27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly. 28 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying: 29 “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself be fore Me? Be-cause he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son. ” Ahab and the False Prophets (2 Chronicles 18: 1-11) Then three years passed without war between Aram and Israel. 2 However, in the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel, 3 who said to his servants, “Do you not know that Ramoth-gilead is ours, but we have failed to take it from the hand of the king of Aram?” 4 So he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat answered the king of Israel, “I am like you, my people are your people, and my horses are your horses. ” 5 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD. ” 6 So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, 22 1 Kings 22: 6 | 443 a 19 See 1 Kings 22:38 b 21 See LXX; the source of the quotation is clarified in verses 17 and 23; Hebrew Behold  . c 23 Most Hebrew manuscripts; a few Hebrew manuscripts, Vulgate, and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 9:36) 'The dogs will devour Jezebel at the plot of g round at Jezreel. '  

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“Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and the Lord will de-liver it into the hand of the king. ” 7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can in-quire?” 8 The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man who can ask the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Im-lah. ” “The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied. 9 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once. ” 10 Dressed in royal attire, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the en-trance of the gate of Samaria, with all th e prophets prophesying before them. 11 Now Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made for himself iron horns and declared, “This is what the LORD says: 'With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are finished off. '  ” 12 And all the prophets were prophesyi ng the same, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king. ” Micaiah Prophesies against Ahab (2 Chronicles 18:12-27) 13 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah instructed him, “Behold now, with one accord the words of the prophets are fa-vorable to the king. So please let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably. ” 14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever the LORD tells me. ” 15 When Micaiah arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ra-moth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up and triumph,” Micaiah replied, “for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king. ” 16 But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD?” 17 So Micaiah declared: “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills li ke sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These people have no mas ter; let each one return home in peace. '  ” 18 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only bad?” 19 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. 20 And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one su ggested this, and another that. 21 Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, 'I will entice him. ' a   'By what means?' asked the LORD. 22 And he replied, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets. ' 'You will surely entice him and prevail,' said the LORD. 'Go and do it. ' 23 So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, 444 | 1 Kings 22:7 a 21 Some texts break verse 21 and begin verse 22 at this point.

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and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you. ” 24 Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went up, struck Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go when He departed from me to speak with you?” 25 Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room. ” 26 And the king of Israel declared, “Take Mi-caiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son, 27 and tell them that this is what the king says: 'Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely. '  ” 28 But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me. ” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!” Ahab's Defeat and Death (2 Chronicles 18:28-34) 29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 30 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal robes. ” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. 31 Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel. ” 32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehosh-aphat, they said, “Surely this is the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 And when the char-iot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 34 However, a certain man drew his bow with-out taking special aim, and he struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So the king said to his charioteer, “Turn around a   and take me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded!” 35 The battle raged throughout that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. And the blood from his wound ran out onto the floor of the chariot, an d that evening he died. 36 As the sun was setting, the cry rang out in the army: “Every man to his own city, and every man to his own land!” 37 So the king died and was brought to Sa-maria, where they buried him. 38 And the char-iot was washed at the pool of Samaria where the prostitutes bathed,b   and the dogs licked up Ahab's blood, according to the word that the LORD had spoken. c   39 As for the rest of the acts of Ahab, along with all his accomplishments and the ivory palace and all the cities he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 40 And Ahab rested with his fathers, and his son Ahaziah r eigned in his place. Jehoshaph at Reigns in Judah (2 Chronicles 20:31-34) 41 In the fourth year of Ahab's reign over Is-rael, Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerus alem twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. 43 And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. 1 Kings 22: 43 | 445 a 34 Literally Turn your hand   b 38 Or the pool of Samaria, wher e they cleaned the weapons   c 38 See 1 Kings 21:19.

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The high places, however, were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 44 Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel. 45 As for the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, along with the might he exercised and how he waged war, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 46 He banished from the land the male shrine pros-titutes who remained from the day s of his father Asa. 47 And there was no king in Edom; a deputy served as king. 48 Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish a   to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber. 49 At that time Ah aziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants sail with your servants,” but Jehoshaphat refused. 50 And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place. Ahaziah Reigns in Israel (2 Kings 1:1-16) 51 In the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat's reign over Judah, Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria two years. 52 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father and mother and of Jeroboam son of Ne bat, who had caused Israel to sin. 53 Ahaziah served and worshiped Baal, pro-voking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done. 446 | 1 Kings 22:44 a 48 Or a fleet of trading ships  

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Elijah Denounces Ahaziah (1 Kings 22:5 1-53) After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury. ” 3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are on your way to inquire o f Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?' 4 Therefore this is what the LORD says: 'You will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die. '  ” So Elijah departed. 5 When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned?” 6 They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said, 'Go back to the king who sent you and tell him that this is what the LORD says: Is it be-cause there is no God in Israel t hat you are sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die. '  ” 7 The king asked them, “What sort of man came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?” 8 “He was a hairy man,a  ” they answered, “with a leather belt around his waist. ” “It was Elijah the Tishbite,” said the king. 9 Then King Aha ziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. So the captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king declares, 'Come down!'  ” 10 Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men. ” And fire came down from heaven and con-sumed the captain and his fifty men. 11 So the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fift y men. And the captain said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king declares, 'Come down at once!'  ” 12 Again Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men. ” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men. 13 So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. And the third captain went up, fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, “Man of God, may my life and the lives of these fifty servants please be pr ecious in your sight. 14 Behold, fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty, with all their men. But now may my life be pre-cious in your sight. ” 1 2 Kings a 8 Or He had a garment of hair

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15 Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Do not be afraid of him. ” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king. 16 And Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the LORD says: Is there really no God in Israel for you to inquire of His word? Is that why you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on wh ich you are lying. You will surely die. ” Jehoram Succeeds Ahaziah 17 So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. And since he had no son, Jehoram a   succeeded him in the second year of the reign of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat over Judah. 18 As for the rest of the acts of Ahaziah, along with his accomplishments, are they not writ-ten in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? Elijah Taken Up to Heaven Shortly before the LORD took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal, 2 and Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel. ” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you. ” So they went down to Bethel. 3 Then the sons of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he repl ied. “Do not speak of it. ” 4 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho. ” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you. ” So they went to Jericho. 5 Then the sons of the prophets at Jericho came up to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied. “Do not speak of it. ” 6 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan. ” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you. ” So the two of them went on. 7 Then a company of fifty of the sons of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing Elijah an d Elisha as the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 And Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the waters, which parted to the right and to the left, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken away from you?” “Please, let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. 10 “You have requested a difficult thing,” said Elijah. “Nevertheless, if you see me as I am taken from you, it will be yours. But if not, then it will not be so. ” 11 As they were walking along and talking to-gether, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind. 12 As Elisha watched, he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And he saw Elijah no more. So taking hold of his own clothes, he tore them in two. 2 448 | 2 Kings 1:15 a 17 Jehoram is a variant spelling of Joram  .

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13 Elisha also picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah, and he went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. And when he had struck the waters, they parted to the right and to the left, and Elisha crossed over. Elisha Succeeds Elijah 15 When the sons of the prophets who were facing him from Jericho saw what had hap-pened, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha. ” And they went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him. 16 “Look now,” they said to Elisha, “we your servants have fifty valiant men. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and put him on one of the mountains or in one of the valley s. ” “Do not send them,” Elisha replied. 17 But when they pressed him to the point of embarrassment, he said, “Send them. ” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find Elijah. 18 When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn't I tell you not to go?” Elisha Heals the Waters of Jericho 19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please note, our lord, that the city's location is good, as you can see. But the water is bad and the land is unfruitful. ” 20 “Bring me a new bowl,” he replied, “and put some salt in it. ” So they brought it to him, 21 and Elisha went out to the spring, cast the salt into it, and said, “This is what the LORD says: 'I have healed this water. No longer will it cause death or un-fruitfulness. a  ' ” 22 And the waters there have been healthy to this day, according to the word spoken by Eli-sha. Elisha Mocked 23 From there, Elisha went up to Bethel, and as he was walking up the road, a group of boys b   came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24 Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled f orty-two of the boys. 25 And Elisha went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria. Moab's Rebellion In the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat's reign over Judah, Jehoram c   son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he re igned in Sa-maria twelve years. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as his father and mother had done. He removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made. 3 Nevertheless, he clung to the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them. 4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder,d   and he would render to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. 5 But after the 3 2 Kings 3:5 | 449 a 21 Or barrenness   b 23 Or some small youths or some insignificant young men  ; similarly in verse 24 c 1 Jehoram is a variant spelling of Joram  ; also in verse 6. d 4 Or sheepherder

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death of Ahab, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 So at that time King Jehoram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. 7 And he sent a message to Jehosha-phat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” “I will go,” replied Jehoshaphat. “I am like you, my people are your people, and my horses are your horses. ” 8 Then he asked, “Which way shall we go up?” “By way of the Desert of Edom,” replied Joram. 9 So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom set out, and after they had traveled a roundabout route for seven days, they had no water for their army or for their animals. 10 “Alas,” said the king of Israel, “for the LORD has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab!” 11 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here? Let us inquire of the LORD through him. ” And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah. a  ” 12 Jehoshaphat affi rmed, “The word of the LORD is with him. ” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. 13 Elisha, however, said to the king of Israel, “What have we to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and of your moth er!” “No,” replied the king of Israel, “for it is the LORD who has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab. ” 14 Then Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not for my regard for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or acknowledge you. 15 But now, bring me a harpist. b  ” And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha 16 and he said, “This is what the LORD says: 'Dig this valley full of ditches. ' 17 For the LORD says, 'You will not see wind or rain, but the valley will be filled with water, and you will d rink —you and your cattle and your animals. ' 18 This is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD, and He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. 19 And you shall attack every fortified city and every city of importance. You shall cut down every good tree, stop up every spring, and ruin every good field with stones. ” 20 The next morning, at the time of the morn-ing sacrifice, water suddenly flowed from the direction of Edom and filled the land. 21 Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had com e up to fight against them. So all who could bear arms, young and old, were summoned and stationed at the border. 22 When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water, and it looked as red as blood to the Moabites across the way. 23 “This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have clashed swords and slaughtered one another. Now to the plunder, Moab!” 24 But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and attacked them, and they fled before them. So the Israel-ites invaded their land and struck down the Moabites. 25 They destroyed the cities, and each man threw stones on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up every 450 | 2 Kings 3:6 a 11 Or He was Elijah's personal assistant   b 15 Or a musician  ; twice in this verse

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spring and cut down every good tree. Only Kir-haraseth was left with stones in place, but men with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well. 26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not prevail. 27 So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall. And there was great fury against the Israel-ites, a   so they withdrew and returned to their own land. The Widow's Oil Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your ser- vant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!” 2 “How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil. ” 3 “Go,” said Elisha, “borrow jars, even empty ones, from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few. 4 Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full on es aside. ” 5 So she left him, and after she had shut the door behind her and her sons, they kept bring-ing jars to her, and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another. ” But he replied, “There are no more jars. ” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt. Then you and your sons can live on the remainder. ” The Shunammite Woman (Matthew 10:4 0-42) 8 One day Elisha went to Shunem, and a prom-inent woman who lived there persuaded him to have a meal. So whenever he would pass by, he would stop there to eat. 9 Then the woman said to her husband, “Be-hold, now I know that the one who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Please let us make a small room upstairs and put in it a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp for him. Then when he comes to us, he can stay there. ” 11 One day Elisha came to visit and went to his upper room to lie down. 12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call the Shunammite woman. ” And when he had called her, she stood before him, 13 and Elisha said to Gehazi, “Now tell her, 'Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What can we do for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?'  ” “I have a home among my own people,” she replied. 14 So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?” “Well, she has no son,” Gehazi replied, “and her husband is old. ” 15 “Call her,” said Elisha. So Gehazi called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 And Elisha declared, “At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms. ” “No, my lord,” she said. “Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God. ” 4 2 Kings 4:16 | 451 a 27 Or And Israel 's fury was great

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17 But the woman did conceive, and at that time the next year she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her. Elish a Raises the Shunammite's Son (Acts 20:7-12) 18 And the child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the harvesters. 19 “My head! My head!” he complained to his father. So his father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother. ” 20 After the servant had picked him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God. Then she shut the door and went out. 22 And the woman called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may go quickly to the man of God and return. ” 23 “Why would you go to him today?” he re-plied. “It is not a New Moon or a Sabbath. ” “Everything is all right,” she said. 24 Then she saddled the donkey and told her servant, “Drive onward; do not slow the pace for me unless I tell you. ” 25 So she set out and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, there is the Shunammite woman. 26 Please run out now to meet her and ask, 'Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?'  ” And she answered, “Everything is all right. ” 27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me. ” 28 Then she sa id, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? Didn't I say, 'Do not deceive me?'  ” 29 So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tie up your gar-ment,a   take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my staff on the boy's face. ” 30 And the mother of the boy said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you. ” So he got up and followed her. 31 Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on th e boy's face, but there was no sound or response. So he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened. ” 32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his bed. 33 So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD. 34 Then Elisha got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eye to eye, and hand to hand. As he stretched himself out over him, the boy's body became warm. 35 Elisha turned away and paced back and forth across the room. Then he got on the bed and stretched himself out over the boy again, and the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. 36 Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite woman. ” So he called her and she came. Then Elisha said, “Pick up your son. ” 37 She came in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out. 452 | 2 Kings 4:17 a 29 Literally Gird up your loins  

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Elish a Purifies the Poisonous Stew 38 When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the proph-ets were sitting at his feet, he said to his attendant, “Put on the large pot and boil some stew for the sons of the prophets. ” 39 One of them went out to the field to gather herbs, and he found a wild vine from which he gathered as many wild gourds as his garment could hold. Then he came back and cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were. 40 And they poured it out for the men to eat, but when they tasted the stew they cried out, “There is death in the pot, O man of God!” And they could not eat it. 41 Then Elisha said, “Get some flour. ” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people to eat. ” And there was nothing harmful in the pot. Feeding a Hundred Men (Matthew 15:2 9-39 ; Mark 8:1-10) 42 Now a man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with a sack of twenty loaves of barley bread from the first ripe grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha. 43 But his servant asked, “How am I to set twenty loaves before a hundred men?” “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the LORD says: 'They will eat and have some left over. '  ” 44 So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD. Naaman Cured of Leprosy (Luke 17:1 1-19) Now Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in his master's sight and highly regarde d, for through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. And he was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. a   2 At this time the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken a young girl from the land of Israel, and she was serving Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would go to the prophet who is in Sa-maria, he would cure him of his lepros y. ” 4 And Naaman went and told his master what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 “Go now,” said the king of Aram, “and I will send you with a letter to the king of Israel. ” So Naaman departed, taking with him ten tal-ents of silver, b   six thousand shekels of gold,c   and ten sets of clothing. 6 And the letter that he took to the king of Is-rael stated: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman, so that you may cure him of his leprosy. ” 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving l ife, that this man expects me to cure a leper? Surely you can see that he is seeking a quarrel with me!” 8 Now when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king: “Why have you torn your clothes? P lease let the man come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Is-rael. ” 5 2 Kings 5:8 | 453 a 1 A leper, or one with leprosy, was one afflicted with a skin disease; here and throughout this chapter; see Leviti-cus 13. b 5 10 talents is approximately 754 pounds or 342 kilograms of silver. c 5 6,000 shekels is approximately 150. 8 pounds or 68. 4 kilograms of gold.

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9 So Naaman came with his horses and chari-ots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. 10 Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored, and you will be clean. ” 11 But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out, stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the spot to cure my lep-rosy. 12 Are not the Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not have washed in them and been cleansed?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 Naaman's servants, however, approached him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'?” 14 So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored and became like that of a little child, and he was clean. Geha zi's Greed and Leprosy 15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “Now I know for sure that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant. ” 16 But Elish a replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it. ” And although Naaman urged him to accept it, he refused. 17 “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much soil as a pair of mules can carry. For your servant will never again make a burnt offering or a sacri-fice to any other god but the LORD. 18 Yet may the LORD forgive your servant this one thing: When my master goes into the temple of Rim-mon to worship there, and he leans on my arm, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant in this matte r. ” 19 “Go in peace,” said Elisha. But after Naaman had traveled a short dis-tance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman, while not accepting what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him. ” 21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and asked, “Is everything all right?” 22 “Everything is all right,” Gehazi replied. “My master has sent me to say, 'I have just now dis-covered that two young men from the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver a   and two sets of clothing. '  ” 23 But Naaman insisted, “Please, take two tal-ents. ” And he urged Gehazi to accept them. Then he tied up two talents of silver in two bags along with two sets of clothing and gave them to two of his servants, who carried them ahead of Gehazi. 24 When Gehazi c ame to the hill, he took the gifts from the servants and stored them in the house. Then he dismissed the men, and they departed. 25 When Gehazi went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Gehazi, where have you been?” 454 | 2 Kings 5:9 a 22 A talent is approximately 75. 4 pounds or 34. 2 kilograms of silver.

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“Your servant did not go anywhere,” he replied. 26 But Elisha questioned him, “Did not my spirit go with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to accept money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, menservants and maidservants? 27 Therefore, the lepros y of Naaman will cling to you and your descen- dants forever!” And as Gehazi left his presence, he was leprous —as white as snow. The Ax e Head Floats Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please take note that the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2 Please let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a log so we can build ourselves a place to live there. ” “Go,” said Elisha. 3 Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants. ” “I will come,” he replied. 4 So Elisha went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down some trees. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!” 6 “Where did it fall?” asked the man of God. And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float. 7 “Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it. Elisha Captures the Blinded Arameans 8 Now the king of Aram was at war against Is-rael. After consulting with his servants, he said, “My camp will be in such and such a place. ” 9 Then t he man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Be careful passing by this place, for the Arameans are going down there. ” 10 So the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had pointed out. Time and again  a   Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. 11 For this reason the king of Aram became enraged and called his servants to demand of them, “Tell me, which one of us is on the side of the king of Israel?” 12 But one of his servants replied, “No one, my lord the king. For Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom. ” 13 So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him. ” On receiving the report, “Elish a is in Dothan,” 14 the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city. 15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?” 16 “Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. ” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see. ” 6 2 Kings 6:17 | 455 a 10 Literally Not once and not twice  

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And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness. ” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha. 19 And Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are seeking. ” And he led them to Samaria. 20 When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see. ” Then the LORD opened their eyes, and they looked around and discovered that they were in Samaria. 21 And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?” 22 “Do not kill them,” he replied. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and then return to their master. ” 23 So the king prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drink-ing, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. And the Aramean raiders did not come into the land of Israel again. The Siege and Famine of Samaria 24 Some time later, Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army and marched up to besiege Samaria. 25 So there was a great famine in Samaria. In-deed, they besieged the city so long that a don-key's head sold for eighty shekels of silver,a   and a quarter cab of dove's dung b   sold for five shekels of silver. c   26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!” 27 He answered, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?” 28 Then the king asked her, “What is the matter?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, 'Give up your son, that we may eat him, and tomorrow we will eat my son. ' 29 So we boiled my son and ate him, and the next day I said to her, 'Give up your son, that we may eat him. ' But she had hidden her son. ” 30 When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. And as he passed by on the wall, the people saw the sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin. 31 He an-nounced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!” 32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Eli-sha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Is not the sound of his master's footsteps behind him?” 33 While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This calamity is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” 456 | 2 Kings 6:18 a 25 80 shekels is approximately 2 pounds or 907. 2 grams of silver. b 25 Or a quarter cab of seed pods  ; that is, approximately 0. 28 dry quarts or 0. 31 liters c 25 5 shekels is approximately 2 ounces or 57 grams of silver.

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Elisha's Prophecy of Plenty Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the LORD says: 'About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, a seah of fine flour a   will sell for a shekel,b   and two seahs of barley c   will sell for a shekel. '  ” 2 But the officer on whose arm the king leaned answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” replied Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it. ” The Syrians Flee 3 Now there were four men with leprosy d   at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, “Why just sit here until we die? 4 If we say, 'Let us go into the city,' we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die. ” 5 So they arose at twilight and went to the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the outski rts of the camp, there was not a man to be found. 6 For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyp-tians to attack us. ” 7 Thus the Arameans had arisen and fled at twilight, abandoning their tents and horses and donkeys. The camp was intact, and they had run for their lives. 8 When the lepers reached the edge of the camp, they went into a tent to eat and drink. Then they carried off the silver, gold, and clothing, and went and hid them. On returning, they entered another tent, carried off some items from there, and hid them. 9 Finally, they said to one another, “We are not doing what is right. Today is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until morning light, our sin will overtake us. Now, therefore, let us go and tell the king's household. ” 10 So they went and called out to the gate- keepers of the city, saying, “We went to the Aramean camp and no one was there —not a trace —only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents were intact. ” 11 The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported to the king's household. 12 So the king got up in the night and said to his servants, “Let me tell you what the Arameans hav e done to us. They know we are starving, so they have left the camp to hide in the field, thinking, 'When they come out of the city, we will take them alive and enter the city. '  ” 13 But one of his servants replied, “Please, have scouts take five of the horses that remain in the city. Their plight will be no worse than all the Israelites who are left here. You can see that all the Israelites here are doomed. So let us send them and find out. ” 14 Then the scouts took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army, saying, “Go and see. ” 15 And they tracked them as far as the Jordan, and 7 2 Kings 7:15 | 457 a 1 A seah is approximately 6. 6 dry quarts or 7. 3 liter s (probably about 8. 2 pounds or 3. 7 kilograms of flour); here and in verses 16 and 18. b 1 A shekel is approximately 0. 4 ounces or 11. 4 grams, probably of silver; here and in verses 16 and 18. c 1 2 seahs is approximately 13. 2 dry quarts or 14. 6 li ters (probably about 19. 3 pounds or 8. 8 kilograms of barley); here and in verses 16 and 18. d 3 Leprosy was a term used for various skin diseases; here and in verse 8; see Leviticus 13.

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indeed, the whole way was littered with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown off in haste. So the scouts returned and told the king. Elisha's Prophecy Fulfilled 16 Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. It was then that a seah of fine flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. 17 Now the king had appointed the officer on whose arm he leaned to be in charge of the gate, but the people trampled him in the gate-way, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king had come to him. 18 It happened just as the man of God had told the king: “About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel. ” 19 And the officer had answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” So Elisha had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!” 20 And that is just what happened to him. The people trampled him in the gateway, and he died. The Shunammite's Land Restored Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, you and your household; go and live as a foreigne r wherever you can. For the LORD has decreed a seven-year famine, and it has already come to the land. ” 2 So the woman had proceeded to do as the man of God had instructed. And she and her household lived as foreigners for seven years in the land of the Philistines. 3 At the end of seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to the king to appeal for her house and her land. 4 Now the king had been speaking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please relate to me all the great things Elisha has done. ” 5 And Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had brought the dead back to life. Just then the woman whose son Elisha had revived came to appeal to the king for her house and her land. So Gehazi said, “My lord the king, this is the woman, and this is the son Elisha restored to life. ” 6 When the king asked the woman, she con-firmed it. So the king appointed for her an officer, saying, “Restore all that was hers, along with all the proceeds of the field from the day that she l eft the country until now. ” Hazael Murder s Ben-hadad 7 Then Elisha came to Damascus while Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and the king was told, “The man of God has come here. ” 8 So the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, 'Will I recover from this illness?'  ” 9 So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift of forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus. And he went in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, 'Will I recover from this illness?'  ” 10 Elisha answered, “Go and tell him, 'You will surely recover. ' But the LORD a   has shown me that in fact he will die. ” 8 458 | 2 Kings 7:16 a 10 Or 'You will surely not recover. ' And the LORD  

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11 Elisha fixed his gaze steadily on him until Hazael became uncomfortable. Then the man of God began to weep. 12 “Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil you will do to the Is-raelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fo rtresses, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little ones to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women. ” 13 “But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?” said Hazael. And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram. ” 14 So Hazael left Elisha and went to his master, who asked him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he replied, “He told me that you would surely recover. ” 15 But the next day Hazael took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over the king's face. So Ben-hadad died, and Hazael reigned in his place. Jehoram Reigns in Judah (2 Chronicles 21: 1-7) 16 In the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab over Israel, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat succeeded his father as king of Judah. 17 Je-horam was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 18 And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD. 19 Yet for the sake of His servant David, the LORD was unwilling to destroy Judah, since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever. Edom and Libnah Rebe l (2 Chronicles 21:8-11) 20 In the days of Jehoram,a   Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah and appointed their own king. 21 So Jehoram b   crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. When the Edomites sur-rounded him and his chariot commanders, he rose up and attacked by night. His troops, however, fled to their homes. 22 So to this day Edom has been in rebellion against the hand of Judah. L ikewise, Libnah rebelled at the same time. 23 As for the rest of the acts of Jehoram, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 24 And Jehoram rested with his fathers and was buried wit h them in the City of David. And his son Ahaziah reigned in his place. Ahaziah Reigns in Judah (2 Chronicles 22: 1-7) 25 In the twelfth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab over Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. 26 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother's name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. 27 And Ahaziah walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab. 28 Then Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram. 29 So King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Arameans 2 Kings 8:29 | 459 a 20 Literally In his days   b 21 Hebrew Joram  , a variant of Jehoram (the son of Jehoshaphat), as in verse 16; also in verses 23, and 24

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had inflicted on him at Ramah a   when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded. Jehu Anointed Kin g of Israel Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, b   take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead. 2 When you arrive, look for Jehu son of Jehosh-aphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his companions, and take him to an inner room. 3 Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and declare, 'This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel. ' Then open the door and run. Do not delay!” 4 So the young prophet went to Ramoth-gilead, 5 and when he ar rived, the army commanders were sitting there. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said. “For which of us?” asked Jehu. “For you, commander,” he replied. 6 So Jehu got up and went into the house, where the young prophet poured the oil on his head and declared, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king over the LORD's people Israel. 7 And you are to strike down the house of your maste r Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel. 8 The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male,  c   both slav e and free, in Israel. 9 I will make the house of Ahab like the houses of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah. 10 And on the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour Jezebel, and there will be no one to bury her. '  ” Then the young prophet opened the door and ran. 11 When Jehu went out to the servants of his master, they asked, “Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?” “You know his kind and their babble,” he re-plied. 12 “That is a lie!” they said. “Tell us now!” So Jehu answered, “He talked to me about this and that, and he said, 'This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel. '  ” 13 Quickly, each man took his garment and put it under Jehu on the bare steps. Then they blew the ram's horn and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!” Jehu Kills Joram and Ahaziah (2 Chronicles 22: 8-9) 14 Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, 15 but King Joram d had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had suffered at the hands of the Arameans in the battle agai nst Hazael their king. ) So Jehu said, “If you commanders wish to make me king, then do not let anyone escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel. ” 16 Then Jehu got into his chariot and went to Jezreel, because Joram was laid up there and Ahaziah king of Judah had gone dow n to see him. 17 Now the watchman standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu's troops approaching, and he called out, “I see a company of troops!” “Choose a rider,” Joram commanded. “Send him out to meet them and ask, 'Have you come in peace?'  ” 9 460 | 2 Kings 9:1 a 29 Ramah is a variant of Ramoth  ; see verse 28. b 1 Literally Gird up your loins   c 8 Literally (all) those who uri-nate against a wall   d 15 Or Jehoram  , a variant of Joram  ; also in verses 17, 21, 22, 23, and 24

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18 So a horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king asks: 'Have you come in peace?'  ” “What do you know about peace?” Jehu re-plied. “Fall in behind me. ” And the watchman reported, “The messenger reached them, bu t he is not coming back. ” 19 So the king sent out a second horseman, who went to them and said, “This is what the king asks: 'Have you come in peace?'  ” “What do you know about peace?” Jehu re-plied. “Fall in behind me. ” 20 Again the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. And the char-ioteer is driving like Jehu son of Nimshi a  —he is driving like a madman!” 21 “Harness!” Joram shouted, and they har-nessed his chariot. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his own chariot, and met Jehu on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite. 22 When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry b   and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?” 23 Joram turned around c   and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!” 24 Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot. 25 And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember that when you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab, the LORD lifted up this burden against him: 26 'As surely as I saw the bl ood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the LORD, so will I repay you on this plot of ground, declares the LORD. ' Now then, accord-ing to the word of the LORD, pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground. ” 27 When King Ahaziah of J udah saw this, he fled up the road toward Beth-haggan. And Jehu pursued him, shouting, “Shoot him too!” So they shot Ahaziah in his chariot on the Ascent of Gur, d   near Ibleam, and he fled to Megiddo and died there. 28 Then his se rvants carried him by chariot to Jerusalem and bur-ied him with his fathers in his tomb in the City of David. 29 (In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king over Judah. ) Jezebel's Violent Death 30 Now when Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from a window. 31 And as Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, O Zimri, murderer of your master?” e 32 He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down at him. 33 “Throw her down!” yelled Jehu. So they threw her down, and her blood splat-tered on the wall and on the horses as they trampled her under foot. 2 Kings 9:33 | 461 a 20 Or grands on of Nimshi  ; see verse 14. b 22 Hebrew adultery or prostitution  , here a metaphor for idolatry c 23 Literally turned his hands   d 27 See Syriac, Vulgate, and LXX; Hebrew “Shoot him, too, in his chariot!” (They did this) on the Ascent of Gur,   e 31 Or “Is there peace for Zimri, the murderer of his master?” See 1 Kings 16:10.

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34 Then Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of this cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was the daughter of a king. ” 35 But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing but her skull, her feet, an d the palms of her hands. 36 So they went back and told Jehu, who re-plied, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite: 'On the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour the flesh of Jezebel. 37 And Jezebel's body will lie like dung in th e field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel. ' a  ” Ahab's Seventy Sons Killed Now Ahab had seventy sons in Sa-maria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the officials of Jezreel,b   to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons c   of Ahab, saying: 2 “When this letter arrives, since your master's sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weaponry, 3 select the best and most worthy son of your master, set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house. ” 4 But they were terrified and reasoned, “If two kings could not stand against him, how can we?” 5 So the palace administrator, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do whatever you say. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your sight. ” 6 Then Jehu wrote them a second letter and said: “If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, then bring the heads of your master's sons to me at Jezreel by this time to-morrow. ” Now the sons of the king, seventy in all, were being brought up by the lead ing men of the city. 7 And when the letter arrived, they took the sons of the king and slaughtered all sev-enty of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. 8 When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the he ads of the sons of the king. ” And Jehu ordered, “Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning. ” 9 The next morning, Jehu went out and stood before all the people and said, “You are inno-cent. It was I who conspired against my mas-ter an d killed him. But who killed all these? 10 Know, then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail, for the LORD has done what He promised through His servant Elijah. ” 11 So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who re-mained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his great men and close friends and priests, leav-ing him without a single survivor. 12 Then Jehu set out toward Samaria. At Beth-eked of the Shepherds, 13 Jehu met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are y ou?” “We are relatives of Ahaziah,” they answered, “and we have come down to greet the sons of the king and of the queen mother. ” 14 Then Jehu ordered, “Take them alive. ” So his men took them alive, then slaughtered them at the well of Beth-eked —forty-two men. He spared none of them. 10 462 | 2 Kings 9:34 a 37 See verse 10 and 1 Kings 21:23. b 1 Hebrew; LXX and Vulgate officials of the city c 1 Hebrew does not include of the sons  .

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15 When he left there, he found Jehonadab son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked, “Is your heart as true to mine as my heart is to yours?” “It is!” Jehonadab replied. “If it is,” said Jehu, “give me your hand. ” So he gave him his hand, and Jehu helped him into his chariot, 16 saying, “Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD!” So he had him ride a   in his chariot. 17 When Jehu came to Samaria, he struck down everyone belonging to Ahab who re-mained there, until he had destroyed them, according to the word that the LORD had spoken to Elijah. Jehu Kills the Priests of Baal 18 Then Jehu brought all the people together and said, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot. 19 Now, therefore, sum-mon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. See that no one is missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing will not live. ” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal. 20 And Jehu commanded, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. ” So they announced it. 21 Then Jehu sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; there was not a man who failed to show. They entered the temple of Baal, and it was filled from end to end. 22 And Jehu said to the keeper of the ward-robe, “Bring out garments for all the servants of Baal. ” So he brought out garments for them. 23 Next, Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered the temple of Baal, and Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look around to see that there are no servants of the LORD here among you—only servants of Baal. ” 24 And they went in b   to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and warned them, “If any-one allows one of the men I am delivering into your hands to escape, he will forfeit his life for theirs. ” 25 When he had finished making the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and office rs, “Go in and kill them. Do not let anyone out. ” So the guards and officers put them to the sword, threw the bodies out, and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal. 26 They brought out the sacred pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it. 27 They also de-molished the sacred pillar of Baal. Then they tore down the temple of Baal and made it into a latrine, which it is to this day. Jehu Repeats Jeroboam's Sins 28 Thus Jehu eradicated Baal from Israel, 29 but he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit —the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. 30 Nevertheless, the LORD said to Jehu, “Be-cause you have done well in carrying out what is right in My sight and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, four genera-tions of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel. ” 31 Yet Jehu was not c areful to follow the in-struction of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. 2 Kings 10: 31 | 463 a 16 LXX, Syriac, and Targum Yonaton; Hebrew they had him ride   b 24 LXX he went in  ; see also verse 25.

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32 In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory 33 from the Jordan eastward through all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh), and from Aroer by the Arnon Valley through Gil-ead to Bashan. Jehoahaz Succeeds Jehu in Israel 34 As for the rest of the acts of Jehu, along with all his accomplishments and all his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 35 And Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoahaz reigned in his place. 36 So the duration of Jehu's reign over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years. Athaliah and Joash (2 Chronicles 22:10-12) When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she pro-ceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs. 2 But Jehosheba a   daughter of King Joram,b   the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, and he was not killed. 3 And Joash remained hidden with his nurse in the house of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land. Joash Anointed King of Judah (2 Chronicles 23: 1-11) 4 Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds, the Carites,c   and the guards, and had them brought into the house of the LORD. There he made a covenant with them and put them under oath. He showed them the king's son 5 and com-manded them, “This is what you are to do: A third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath shall guard the royal palace, 6 a third shall be at the gate of Sur, and a third at the gate behind the guards. You are to take turns guarding the temple — 7 the two divisions that would go off duty on the Sabbath are to guard the house of the LORD for the king. 8 You must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who approaches the ranks must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes. ” 9 So the commanders of hundreds did every-thing that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men —those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty —and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 Then the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and shields of King David from the house of the LORD. 11 And the guards stood with weapons in hand surrounding the king by the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple. 12 Then Jehoiada brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, presented him with the Testimony, and proclaimed him king. T hey anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and declared, “Long live the king!” The Death of Athaliah (2 Chronicles 23:12-15) 13 When Athaliah heard the noise from the guards and the people, she went out to the people in the house of the LORD. 14 And she looked out and saw the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. 11 464 | 2 Kings 10:32 a 2 Jehosheba is a variant of Jehoshabeath  ; see 2 Chronicles 22:11. b 2 Joram is a variant spelling of Jehoram  . c 4 Or the mercenaries or the executioners  ; also in verse 19

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Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!” 15 And Jehoiada the priest ordered the com-manders of hundreds in charge of the army, “Bring her out between the ranks,a   and put to the sword anyone who follows her. ” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the house of the LORD. ” 16 So they seized Athaliah as she reached the horses' entrance to the palace grounds, and there she was put to death. Jehoiad a Restores the Worship of the LORD (2 Chronicles 23:16-21) 17 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD's people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. 18 So all the people of the land went to the tem-ple of Baal and tore it down. They sm ashed the altars and idols to pieces, and they killed Mat-tan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. And Jehoiada the priest posted guards for the house of the LORD. 19 He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD and entered the royal palace by way of the Gate of the Guards. Then Joash took his seat on the royal throne, 20 and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been put to the sword at the royal palace. 21 Joash b   was seven years old when he became king. Joash Repairs the Temple (2 Chronicles 24:1-14) In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash c   became king, and he reigned in Jeru-salem forty years. His mother's name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. 2 And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days he was instructed by Jehoiada the priest. 3 Nevertheless, the high places were not re-moved; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there. 4 Then Joash said to the priests, “C ollect all the money brought as sacred gifts into the house of the LORD —the census money, the money from vows, and the money brought voluntar-ily into the house of the LORD. 5 Let every priest receive it from his constituency, and let it be used to repair any damage found in the temple. ” 6 By the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash, however, the priests had not yet repaired the damage to the temple. 7 So King Joash called Jehoiada and the other priests and said, “Why have you not repaired the damage to the tem-ple? Now, therefore, take no more money from your constituency, but hand it over for the repair of the temple. ” 8 So the priests agreed that they would not receive money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves. 9 Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest, bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one enters the house of the LORD. There the priests who guarded the threshold put all the money brought into the house of the LORD. 122 Kings 12: 9 | 465 a 15 Or out from the precincts   b 21 Hebrew Jehoash  , a variant of Joash (son of Ahaziah) as in verse 2 c 1 Hebrew Jehoash  , a variant of Joash (son of Ahaziah); also in verses 2, 4, 6, 7, and 18; see 2 Kings 11:2.

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10 Whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, the royal scribe and the high priest would go up, count the money brought into the house of the LORD, and tie it up in bags. 11 Then they would put the counted money into the hands of those who supervised the work on the house of the LORD, who in turn would pay those doing the work —the carpenters, builders, 12 masons, and stonecutters. They also purchased timber and dressed stone to repair the damage to the house of the LORD, and they paid the other expenses of the temple repairs. 13 However, the money brought into the house of the LORD was not used for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets, or any articles of gold or silver for the house of the LORD. 14 Instead, it was paid to those doing the work, and with it they repaired the house of the LORD. 15 No accounting was required from the men who received the money to pay the workmen, because they acted with integrity. 16 The money from the guilt offerings and sin offer-ings was not brought into the house of the LORD; it belonged to the priests. The Death of Joash (2 Chronicles 24:23-27) 17 At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem. 18 So King Joash of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his fathers—Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah — along with his own consecrated items and all the gold found in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram. So Hazael with-drew from Jerusalem. 19 As for the rest of the acts of Joash, along with al l his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20 And the servants of Joash rose up and formed a conspiracy and killed him at Beth-millo, on the road down to Silla. 21 His servants Jozabad a   son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer b   struck him down, and he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the City of David, and his son Amaziah reigned in his place. Jehoahaz Reigns in Israel In the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash son of Ahaziah over Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria seventeen years. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and followed the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them. 3 So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them continually into the hands of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad. 4 Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the LORD, and th e LORD listened to him because He saw the oppression that the king of Aram had in-flicted on Israel. 5 So the LORD gave Israel a deliverer, and they escaped the power of the Arameans. Then the people of Israel lived in their own homes as they had before. 6 Nevertheless, they did not turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, but they continued to walk in them. c   The Asherah pole even re-mained standing in Samaria. 13 466 | 2 Kings 12:10 a 21 Hebrew; LXX and Syriac Jozacar   b 21 Shomer is a variant of Shimrith  ; see 2 Chronicles 24:26. c 6 LXX, Syriac, Targum Yonaton, and Vulgate; Hebrew he continued to walk in them

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7 Jehoahaz had no army left, except fifty horse-men, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, because the king of Aram had de-stroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing. 8 As for the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, along with all his accomplishments and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chron-icles of the Kings of Israel? 9 And Jehoahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And his son Jehoash a   reigned in his place. Jehoash Reigns in Israel 10 In the thirty-seventh year of the reign of Joash over Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz be-came king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. 11 And he did e vil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit, but he walked in them. 12 As for the rest of the acts of Jehoash, along with all his accomplishments and his might, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 13 And Jehoash rested with his fathers, and Jer-oboam succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Elisha's Fin al Prophecy 14 When Elisha had fallen sick with the illness from which he would die, Jehoash king of Is-rael came down to him and wept over him, saying, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” 15 Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows. ” So Jehoash took a bow and some arrows. 16 Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow. ” So the king put his hand on the bow, and Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. 17 “Open the east window,” said Elisha. So he opened it and Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. And Elisha declared: “This is the LORD's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram, for you shall strike the Arameans in Aphek until you have put an end to them. ” 18 Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!” So he took them, and Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” So he struck the ground three times and stopped. 19 But the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times. Then you would have struck down Aram until you had put an end to it. But now you will strike down Aram only three times. ” 20 And Elisha died and was buried. Now the Moabite raiders used to come into the land every spring. b   21 Once, as the Israelites were bur ying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders, so they threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb. And as soon as his body touched the bones of Elisha, the man was re-vived and stood up on his feet. 22 And Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. 23 But the 2 Kings 13: 23 | 467 a 9 Hebrew Joash  , a variant of Jehoash  ; also in verses 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 25 b 20 Literally into the land at the coming in of the year

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LORD was gracious to Israel and had compas-sion on them, and He turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day, the LORD has been unwilling to destroy them or cast them from His presence. 24 When Hazael king of Aram died, his son Ben-hadad reigned in his place. 25 Then Je-hoash son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the cities that Hazael had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times, and so recovered the cities of Israel. Amaziah Reign s in Judah (2 Chronicles 25:1-4) In the second year of the reign of Jehoash  a   son of Jehoahaz over Israel, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's na me was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done. He did everything as his father Joash had done. 4 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away, and the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. 5 As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah executed the servants who had murdered his father the king. 6 Yet he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, but acted according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD com-manded: “Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin. ”  b 7 Amaziah struck down 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He took Sela in battle and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this very day. Jehoash Defeats Amaziah (2 Chronicles 25:17-24) 8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to the king of Israel Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. “Come, let us meet face to face,” he said. 9 But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage. ' Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and tram-pled the thistle. 10 You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has become proud. Glory in that and stay at home. Why should you stir up trouble so t hat you fall —you and Judah with you?” 11 But Amaziah would not listen, and Jehoash king of Israel advanced. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah. 12 And Judah was routed before Israel, and every man fled to his home. 13 There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Is-rael captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate —a section of four hundred cubi ts. c   14 He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace, as well as some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria. Jeroboam II Succeeds Jehoash in Israel 15 As for the rest of the acts of Jehoash, along with his accomplishments, his might, and how 14 a 1 Hebrew Joash  , a variant of Jehoash  ; also in verses 13, 23, and 27 b 6 Deuteronomy 24:16 c 13 400 cubits is approximately 600 feet or 182. 9 meters. 468 | 2 Kings 13:24

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he waged war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chron-icles of the Kings of Israel? 16 And Jehoash rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And his son Jeroboam reigned in his place. The Death of Amaziah (2 Chronicles 25:25-28) 25 This Jeroboam restored the boundary of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah,c   according to the word that the LORD, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher. 26 For the LORD saw that the affliction of the Israelites, both slave and free, was very bitter. There was no one to help Is-rael, 27 and since the LORD had said that He would not blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash. 28 As for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, along with all his accomplishments and might, a nd how he waged war and recovered both Da-mascus and Hamath for Israel from Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 29 And Jeroboam rested with his fathers,d   the kings of Israel. And his son Zechariah reigned in his place. Azariah Reigns in Judah (2 Chronicles 26:3-23) In the twenty-seventh year of Jero-boam's reign over Israel, Azariah e son of Amaziah became king of Judah. 2 He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother's name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done. 4 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there. 5 And the LORD afflicted the king with leprosy f until the day he died, so that he lived in a 15 2 Kings 15: 5 | 469 a 21 Azariah is also called Uzziah  ; see 2 Chronicles 26:1. b 22 Elath is a variant of Eloth  ; see 1 Kings 9:26. c 25 That is, the Dead Sea d 29 Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts include and he was buried in Samaria with   e 1 Azariah is also called Uzziah  ; also in verses 6, 7, 8, 17, 23, and 27; see 2 Chronicles 26:1. f 5 Leprosy was a term used for various skin diseases; see Leviticus 13. 17 Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 18 As for the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 19 And conspirators plotted against Amaziah in Jerusalem, and he fl ed to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there. 20 They carried him back on horses and buried him in Jeru salem with his fathers in the City of David. Azariah Succeeds Amaziah in Judah (2 Chronicles 26:1-2) 21 Then all the people of Judah took Azariah,a who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 22 Azariah was the one who rebuilt Elath b   and restored it to Judah after King Amaziah rested with his fa-thers. Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel 23 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Amaziah son of Joash over Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria forty-one years. 24 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.

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separate house while his son Jotham had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land. 6 As for the rest of the acts of Azariah, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 7 And Azariah rested with his fathers and was buried near them a   in the City of David. And his son Jotham reigned in his place. Zechariah Reigns in Israel 8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah's reign over Judah, Zechariah son of Jerob oam be-came king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria six months. 9 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. 10 Then Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah, struck him down and killed him in front of the people,b   and reigned in his place. 11 As for the rest of the acts of Zechariah, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chroni-cles of the Kings of Israel. 12 So the word of the LORD spoken to Jehu was fulfilled: “Four gen-erations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel. ” Shallum Reig ns in Israel 13 In the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah's c   reign over Judah, Shallum son of Jabesh became king, and he reigned in Samaria one full month. 14 Then Menahem son of Gadi went up from Tirzah to Samaria, struck down and killed Shallum son of Jabesh, and reigned in his place. 15 As for the rest of the acts of Shallum, along with the conspiracy he led, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chroni cles of the Kings of Israel. 16 At that time Menahem, starting from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in its vicinity, because they would not open their gates. So he attacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women. Menahem Reigns in Israel 17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah's reign over Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years. 18 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and throughout his reign he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. 19 Then Pul d   king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver e   in order to gain his support and strengthen his own grip o n the kingdom. 20 Menahem exacted this money from each of the wealthy men of Israel —fifty shekels of silver f  from each man —to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew and did not remain in the land. 21 As for the rest of the acts of Menahem, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings o f Israel? 22 And Menahem rested with his fathers, and his son Pekahiah reigned in his place. Pekahiah Reigns in Israel 23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah's reign over Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel and reigned in Samaria two years. 24 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and 470 | 2 Kings 15:6 a 7 Literally with his fathers  ; see 2 Chronicles 26:23. b 10 Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts in Ibleam c 13 Uzziah is also called Azariah  ; also in verses 32 and 34; see verse 1. d 19 Pul is another name for Tiglath-pileser  ; see verse 29. e 19 1,000 talents is approximately 37. 7 tons or 34. 2 metric tons of silver. f 20 50 shekels is approxi-mately 1. 26 pounds or 569. 8 grams of silver.

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did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. 25 Then his officer, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him along with Argob, Arieh, and fifty men of Gilead. And at the cita-del of the king's palace in Samaria, Pekah struck down and killed Pekahiah and reigned in his place. 26 As for the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, along with all his accomplishments, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. Pekah Reigns in Israel 27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah's reign over Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Isra el, and he reigned in Samaria twenty years. 28 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. 29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria cam e and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and he took the people as captives to Assyria. 30 Then Hoshea son of Elah led a conspiracy against Pekah son of Remaliah. In the twenti-eth year of Jotham son of Uzziah, Hoshea at-tacked Pekah, killed him, and reigned in his place. 31 As for the rest of the acts of Pekah, along with all his accomplishments, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. Jotham Reigns in Judah (2 Chronicles 27: 1-9) 32 In the second year of the reign of Pekah son of Remaliah over Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah. 33 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother's name was Jerusha a   daughter of Za-dok. 34 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done. 35 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD. 36 As for the rest of the acts of Jotham, along with his accomplishments, are they not writ-ten in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 37 (In those days the LORD began to send Re-zin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah. ) 38 And Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David his fa-ther. And his son Ahaz reigned in his place. Ahaz Reigns in Judah (2 Chronicles 28: 1-4) In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham be-came king of Judah. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. And unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God. 3 Instead, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacri-ficed his son in the fire,b   according to the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 4 And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. 16 2 Kings 16: 4 | 471 a 33 Jerusha is a variant of Jerushah  ; see 2 Chronicles 27:1. b 3 Literally made his son pass through the fire  

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5 Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to wage war against Jerusalem. They besieged Ahaz but could not overcome him. 6 At that time Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath a   for Aram,b   drove out the men of Judah, and sent the Edomites into Elath, where they live to this day. 7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the hands of the kings of Aram and Israel, who are rising up against me. ” 8 Ahaz also took the silver and gold found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's palace, and he sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria. 9 So the king of Assyria responded to him, marched up to Damascus, and captured it. He took its people to Kir as captives and put Rezin to death. The Idolatry of Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:16-27) 10 Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria. On seeing the altar in Damascus, King Ahaz sent Uriah the priest a model of the altar and complete plans for its construction. 11 And Uri ah the priest built the altar according to all the instructions King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, and he completed it by the time King Ahaz had re-turned. 12 When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and pre-sented offerings on it. 13 He offered his burnt offering and his grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. 14 He also took the bronze altar that stood before the LORD from the front of the temple (between the new altar and the house of the LORD) and he put it on the north side of the new altar. 15 Then King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, “Offer on the great altar the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, and the king's burnt offering and grain offering, as well as the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings of all the people of the land. Sprinkle on the altar all the blood of the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar to seek guidance. ” 16 So Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had commanded. 17 King Ahaz also cut off the frames of the mov-able stands and removed the bronze basin from each of them. He took down the Sea from the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone base. 18 And on account of the k ing of Assyria, he removed the Sabbath canopy c   they had built in the temple and closed the royal entryway outside the house of the LORD. 19 As for the rest of the acts of Ahaz, along with his accomplishments, are they not written i n the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Ju-dah? 20 And Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David, and his son Hezekiah reigned in his place. Hoshe a the Last King of Israel In the twelfth year of the reign of Ahaz over Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel, and he reigned in Sa-maria nine years. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him. 3 Shalmaneser king of Assyr ia attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. 4 But the king of Assyria discovered 17 472 | 2 Kings 16:5 a 6 Elath is a variant of Eloth  ; see 1 Kings 9:26. b 6 Or Syria   c 18 Or the bas e of his throne  ; see also LXX.

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that Hoshea had conspired to send envoys to King So a   of Egypt, and that he had not paid tribute to the king of Assyria as in previous years. Therefore the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison. Israel Carried Captive to Assyria 5 Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up t o Samaria, and besieged it for three years. 6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of As-syria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes. 7 All this happened because the people of Is-rael had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods 8 and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel. 9 The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities. 10 They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. 11 They burned incense on all the high places like the nations that the LORD had driven out before them. They did wicked things, provok-ing the LORD to anger. 12 They served idols, although the LORD had told them, “You shall not do this thing. ” b 13 Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prop hets. ” 14 But they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like their fathers, who did not be-lieve the LORD their God. 15 They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and themselves became worthless, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had com-manded them not to imitate. 16 They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal. 17 They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire c   and practiced divi-nation and soothsaying. They devoted them-selves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. 18 So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained, 19 and even Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but lived according to the customs Israel had introduced. 20 So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of plunderers, until He had banished them from His presence. 21 When the LORD had torn Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam led Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin. 22 The Israelites persisted in all the sins that Jeroboam had committed and did not turn away from them. 23 Finally, 2 Kings 17: 23 | 473 a 4 So is likely an abbreviation for Osorkon  . b 12 Exodus 20: 4-6; Deuteronomy 5: 8-10 c 17 Literally mad e their sons and their daughter s pass through the fire  

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32 So the new residents worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed for themselves priests of all sorts to serve in the shrines of the high places. 33 They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had been carried away. 34 To this day they are still practicing their for-mer customs. None of them worship the LORD or observe the st atutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments that the LORD gave the de-scendants of Jacob, whom He named Israel. 35 For the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites and commanded them, “Do not wor-ship other gods or bow down to them; do not serve them or sacrifice to them. 36 Instead, worship the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and an out-stretched arm. You are to bow down to Him and offer sacrifices to Him. 37 And you must always be careful to observe the statutes, or-dinances, laws, and commandm ents He wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. 38 Do not forget the covenant I have made with you. Do not worship other gods, 39 but worship the LORD your God, and He will deliver you from the hands of all your enemies. ” 40 But they would not listen, a nd they per-sisted in their former customs. 41 So these nations worshiped the LORD but also served their idols, and to this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did. Hezekiah Destroys Idolatry in Judah (2 Chronicles 29: 1-2) In the third year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Heze-kiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine 18 474 | 2 Kings 17:24 the LORD removed Israel from His presence, as He had declared through all His servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their homeland into Assyria, where they are to this day. Samaria Resettled 24 Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns. 25 Now when the settlers first lived th ere, they did not worship the LORD, so He sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The peoples that you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the require-ments of the God of t he land. Because of this, He has sent lions among them, which are in-deed killing them off. ” 27 Then the king of Assyria commanded: “Send back one of the priests you carried off from Sa-maria, and have him go back to live there and teach the requirements of the God of the land. ” 28 Thus one of the priests they had carried away came and lived in Bethel, and he began to teach them how they should worship the LORD. 29 Nevertheless, the people of each nation con-tinued to make their own gods in the cities where they had settled, and they set them up in the shrines that the people of Samaria had made on the high places. 30 The men of Baby-lon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tar-tak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of Sepharvaim.

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years. His mother's name was Abi,a   the daugh-ter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Da-vid had done. 4 He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan  b   that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it. 5 Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. No king of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. 6 He remained faithful to the LORD and did not turn from following Him; he kept the commandments that the LORD had given Moses. 7 And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him. 8 He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders, from watchtower to fortified city. 9 In the fourth year of H ezekiah's reign, which was the seventh year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and be-sieged it. 10 And at the end of three years, the Assyrians captured it. So Samaria was captured in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel. 11 The king of Assyria exiled the Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes. 12 This happened because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD their God, but violated His covenant— all that Moses the servant of the LORD had com-manded —and would neither listen nor obey. Sennacherib Invades Judah (2 Chronicles 32: 1-8 ; Psal m 46: 1-11) 13 In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah's reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured all the for tified cities of Judah. 14 So Hezekiah king of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand from me. ” And the king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver  c   and thirty talents of gold. d   15 Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace. 16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold with which he had plated the doors and doorposts of the temple of the LORD, and he gave it to the king of Assyria. Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 32:9-19 ; Isaiah 36:1-22) 17 Nevertheless, the king of Assyria sent the Tartan,e   the Rabsaris,f  and the Rabshakeh,g along with a great army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They advanced up to Jerusalem and stationed themselves by the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer's Field. 18 Then they called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hil kiah the palace administrator, Shebnah the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder, went out to them. 19 The Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah that this is what the great king, the king of As-syria, says: What is the basis of this confidence of yo urs? 20 You claim to have a strategy and 2 Kings 18: 20 | 475 a 2 Abi is a variant of Abijah  ; see 2 Chronicles 29:1. b 4 Nehushtan sounds like the Hebrew for bronze and also for snake  . c 14 300 talents is approximately 11. 3 tons or 10. 3 metric tons of silver. d 14 30 talents is approximately 1. 13 tons or 1. 03 metric tons of gold. e 17 Hebrew Tartan is the title of a field marshal, general, or commander in the Assyrian military. f 17 Hebrew Rabsaris is the title of the chief eunuch in the Assyrian military. g 17 Hebrew Rabshakeh is the title of a high-ranking Assyrian military officer; here and throughout chapters 18 and 19, as well as Isaiah 36 and 37.

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strength for war, but these are empty words. In whom are you now trusting, that you have rebelled against me? 21 Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pha- raoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 22 But if you say to me, 'We trust in the LORD our God,' is He not the One wh ose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Ju-dah and Jerusalem: 'You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem'? 23 Now, therefore, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put ri ders on them! 24 For how can you repel a single officer among the least of my master's servants when you depend on Egypt for chariots and horse-men? 25 So now, was it apart from the LORD that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The LORD Himsel f said to me, 'Go up against this land and destroy it. '  ” 26 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, along with Shebnah and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Do not speak with us in Hebrew  a   in the hearing of the people on the wall. ” 27 But the Rabshakeh replied, “Has my master sent me to speak these words only to you and your master, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are destined with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?” 28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out loudly in Hebrew: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29 This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you; he cannot deliver you from my hand. 30 Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, 'The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. ' 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me b and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and his own fig tree, and drink water from his own ciste rn, 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own —a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey —so that you may live and not die. But do not listen to Hezekiah, for he misleads you when he says, 'T he LORD will deliver us. ' 33 Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of these lands has delivered his land from my hand? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?” 36 But the people remained silent and did not answer a word, for Hezekiah had commanded, “Do not answer him. ” 37 Then Hilkiah's son Eliakim the palace ad-ministrator, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph's son Joah the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they relayed to him the words of the Rabshakeh. Isaiah's Messa ge of Deliverance (Isaiah 37:1-7) On hearing this report, King Hezekiah tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and entered the house of the LORD. 2 And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amo z 19 476 | 2 Kings 18:21 a 26 Or in the dialect of Judah  ; also in verse 28 b 31 Or Make a blessing with me  

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3 to tell him, “This is what Hezekiah says: To-day is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them. 4 Per-haps the LORD your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to defy the living God, and He will rebuke him for the words that the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives. ” 5 So the servants of King Hezekiah went to Isaiah, 6 who replied, “Tell your master that this is what the LORD says: 'Do not be afraid of the words you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blas-phemed Me. 7 Behold, I will put a spir it in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, where I will cause him to fall by the sword. '  ” Sennacherib's Blasphemous Letter (Isaiah 37: 8-13) 8 When the Rabshakeh heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah. 9 Now Sennacherib had been warned about Tirhakah king of Cush: a   “Look, he has set out to fight against you. ” So Sennacherib again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Give this message to Hez-ekiah king of Judah: 'Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11 Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the other countries, devoting them to destruc-tion. b   Will you then be spared? 12 Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations —the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and of the people of Eden in Telassar? 13 Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?'  ” Hezekiah's Prayer (Isaiah 37:1 4-20) 14 So Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, read it, and went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. 15 And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD: “O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned be-tween the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. 16 Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to the words that Sennacherib h as sent to defy the liv-ing God. 17 Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste these nations and their lands. 18 They have cast their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods, but only wood and stone —the work of human hands. 19 And now, O LORD our God, please save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God. ” Sennacherib's Fall Prophesied (Isaiah 37:2 1-35) 20 Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is wha t the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concern-ing Sennacherib king of Assyria. 21 This is the word that the LORD has spoken against him: 2 Kings 19: 21 | 477 a 9 That is, the upper Nile region b 11 Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the LORD, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.

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'The Virgin Daughter of Zion despises you and mocks you; the Daughter of Jerusalem sha kes her head behind you. 22 Whom have you taunted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Ag ainst the Holy One of Israel! 23 Through your ser vants you have taunted the Lord, and you have said: “With my many chariots I h ave ascended to the heights of the mountains, to th e remote peaks of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars, th e finest of its cypresses. a   I have reached its farthest outposts, th e densest of its forests. 24 I have dug wells and drunk foreign waters. With the soles of my feet I h ave dried up all the streams of Egypt. ” 25 Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it; in days of old I planned it. Now I have brought it to pass, that you should crush fortified cities in to piles of rubble. 26 Therefore their inhabitants, devoid of power, are dismayed and ashamed. They are like plants in the field, ten der green shoots, grass on the rooftops, scor ched before it is grown. 27 But I know your sitting down, your going out and coming in, and your raging against Me. 28 Because your rage and arrogance against Me have reached My ears, I will put My hook in your nose an d My bit in your mouth; I will send you back th e way you came. ' 29 And this will be a sign to you, O Hezekiah: This year you will eat wh at grows on its own, and in the second year wh at springs from the same. But in the third year you will sow an d reap; you will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 30 And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root below and bear fruit above. 31 For a remnant will go forth from Jerusalem, and survivors from Mount Zion. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts b will accomplish this. 32 So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: 'He will not enter this city or s hoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or b uild up a siege ramp against it. 33 He will go back the way he came, and he will not enter this city,' declares the LORD. 478 | 2 Kings 19:22 a 23 Or pines or junipers or firs   b 31 LXX, many Hebrew manuscripts, and an alternate MT reading; the other alter-nate reads The zeal of the LORD  .

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34 'I will defend this city and save it for My own sake an d for the sake of My servant David. ' ” Jerusalem Delivered from the Assyrians (2 Chronicles 32:20-23 ; Isaiah 37:3 6-38) 35 And that very night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bod-ies! 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. 37 One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammel-ech and Sharezer a   put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place. Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery (2 Chronicles 32:24-31 ; Isaiah 38:1-8) In those days Hezekiah became mor-tally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: 'Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover. '  ” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, 3 “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devo-tion; I have done what was good in Your sight. ” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 Before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard,b the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people that this is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: 'I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. I will surely heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the house of the LORD. 6 I will add fif-teen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for My sake and for the sake of My servant David. '  ” 7 Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs. ” So they br ought it and applied it to the boil, and Hezekiah recovered. 8 Now Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I will go up to the house of the LORD on the third day?” 9 And Isaiah had replied, “This will be a si gn to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised: Would you like the shadow to go forward ten steps, or back ten steps?” 10 “It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps,” answered Hezekiah, “but not for it to go back ten steps. ” 11 So Isa iah the prophet called out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow back the ten steps it had descended on the stairway of Ahaz. Hezekiah Shows His Treasures (Isaiah 39: 1-8) 12 At that time Merodach-baladan c   son of Baladan king of Babylon sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard about Heze-kiah's illness. 13 And Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his treasure house —the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, as well as his ar-mory—all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. 20 2 Kings 20: 13 | 479 a 37 LXX and an alternate MT reading (see also Isaiah 37:38); MT lacks his sons  . b 4 LXX and an alternate MT read-ing; the other alternate reads the middle of the city   c 12 Some Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, and Syriac (see also Isaiah 39:1); MT Berodach-baladan

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14 Then the prophet Isaiah went to King Heze-kiah and asked, “Where did those men come from, and what did they say to you?” “They came from a distant land,” Hezekiah replied, “from Babylon. ” 15 “What have they seen in your palace?” Isaiah asked. “They hav e seen everything in my palace,” an-swered Hezekiah. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them. ” 16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD: 17 The time will surely come when everything in your palace and all that your fathers have stored up until this day will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. 18 And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, will be taken away to be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. ” 19 But Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good. ” For he thought, “Will there not at least be peace and security in my lifetime?” Manasseh Succeeds Hezekiah 20 As for the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, along with all his might and how h e constructed the pool and the tunnel a   to bring water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 21 And Hezekiah rested with his fathers, and his son Manasseh reigned in his place. Manasseh Reigns in Judah (2 Chronicles 33:1-9) Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Je-rusalem fifty-five years. His mother's name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD by following the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out be-fore th e Israelites. 3 For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he raised up altars for Baal. He made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and he worshiped and served all the host of heaven. 4 Manasseh also built al tars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusa-lem I will put My Name. ” 5 In both courtyards of the house of the LORD, he built altars to all the host of heaven. 6 He sacrificed his own son in the fire,b   practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. 7 Manasseh even took the carved Asherah pole he had made and set it up in the temple, of which the LORD had said t o David and his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will establish My Name forever. 8 I will never again cause the feet of the Israelites to wander from the land that I gave to their fath ers, if only they are careful to do all I have commanded them —the whole Law that My servant Moses commanded them. ” 9 But the people did not listen and Manasseh led them astray, so that they did greater evil than the nations that the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites. Manasseh's Idolatries Rebuked (2 Chronicles 33:10-20) 10 And the LORD spoke through His servants the prophets, saying, 11 “Since Manasseh king of Judah has committed all these abomina-tions, acting more wickedly than the Amorites who pr eceded him, and with his idols has 21 480 | 2 Kings 20:14 a 20 Or watercourse or conduit b 6 Literally made his son pass through the fire  

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caused Judah to sin, 12 this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah that the news will reverberate in the ears of all who hear it. 13 I will stretch out over Jerusalem the meas-uring line used against Samaria and t he plumb line used against the house of Ahab, and I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes out a bowl — wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 So I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hands of their ene-mies. And they will become plunder and spoil to all their enemies, 15 because they have done evil in My sight and have provoked Me to anger from the day their fathers came out of Egypt until this day. '  ” 16 Moreover, Manasseh shed so much inno-cent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end, in addition to the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, doing evil in the sight of the LORD. 17 As for the rest of the acts of Manasseh, along with all his accomplishments and the sin that he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 18 And Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzza. And his son Amon reigned in his place. Amon Reigns in Judah (2 Chronicles 33:21-25) 19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother's name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah. 20 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done. 21 He walked in all the ways of his father, and he served and worshiped the idols his father had served. 22 He abandoned the LORD, the God of his fa-thers, and did not walk in the way of the LORD. 23 Then the servants of Amon conspired against him and killed the king in his palace. 24 But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place. 25 As for the rest of the acts of Amon, along with his accomplishments, are they not writ-ten in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 26 And he was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza, and his son Josiah reigned in his place. Josiah Reign s in Judah (2 Chronicles 34:1-2) Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jeru-salem thirty-one years. His mother's name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and w alked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. Funding the Temple Repairs (2 Chronicles 34:8-13) 3 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the scribe, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Mesh ullam, to the house of the LORD, saying, 4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him count the money that has been brought into the house of the LORD, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. 5 And let them deliver it into the hands of the supervisors of those doing the work on the house of the LORD, who in turn are to give it to the workmen repairing the damages to the house of the LORD — 6 to the carpenters, builders, and masons —to buy timber and dressed stone to repair the temple. 22 2 Kings 22: 6 | 481

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7 But they need not account for the money put into their hands, since they work with integ-rity. ” Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law (2 Chronicles 34:14-21) 8 Then Hilkiah the high priest s aid to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD!” And he gave it to Shaphan, who read it. 9 And Shaphan the scribe went to the king and reported, “Your servants have paid out the money that was found in the temple and have put it into the hands of the workers and super-visors of the house of the LORD. ” 10 Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book. ” And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king. 11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes 12 and com-manded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor a   son of Micaiah,b   Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the servant of the king: 13 “Go and inquire of the LORD for me, for the people, and for all Judah concerning the words in this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book by doi ng all that is written about us. ” Huldah's Prophecy (2 Chronicles 34:22-28) 14 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went and spoke to Hul-dah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, c   the son of Harhas,d   the keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District. e 15 And Huldah said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Tell the man who sent you 16 that this is what the LORD says: I am about to bring calamity on this place and on its people, according to all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read, 17 be-cause they have forsaken Me and burned in-cense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. My wrath will be kindled against this place and will not be quenched. ' 18 But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'As for the words that you heard, 19 because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its people, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and because you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I have heard you,' declares the LORD. 20 'Therefore I will indeed gather you to your fathers, an d you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the calamity that I will bring on this place. '  ” So they brought her answer back to the king. Josiah Renews the Covenant (2 Chronicles 34:29-33) Then the king summoned all the el-ders of Judah and Jerusalem. 2 And he went up to the house of the LORD with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the prophets —all the people small and great —and in their hearing he read all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. 23 482 | 2 Kings 22:7 a 12 Achbor is another name for Abdon  ; see 2 Chronicles 34:20. b 12 Micaiah is a variant of Micah  ; see 2 Chronicles 34:20. c 14 Tikvah is a variant of Tokhath  ; see 2 Chronicles 34:22. d 14 Harhas is a variant of Hasrah  ; see 2 Chronicles 34:22. e 14 Or the Second Quarter  , a newer section of Jerusalem; Hebrew the Mishneh

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3 So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant. Josiah Destroys Idolatry (1 Kings 13:1-10 ; 2 Chronicles 34:3-7) 4 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests second in rank, and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and all the host of heaven. And he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields o f Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. 5 Josiah also did away with the idolatrous priests ordained by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem —those who had burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven. 6 He brought the Asherah pole from the house of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jeru-salem, and there he burned it, ground it to powder, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people. 7 He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the house of the LORD, where the women had woven tapestries for Asherah. 8 Then Josiah brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He tore down the high places of the gates at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the c ity, which was to the left of the city gate. 9 Although the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, they ate un-leavened bread with their fellow priests. 10 He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom a   so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire b   to Molech. 11 And he removed from the entrance to the house of the LORD the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court c   near the chamber of an official named Nathan-melech. And Josiah burned up the chariots of the sun. 12 He pulled down the altars that the kings of Judah had set up on the roof near the upper chamber of Ahaz, and the altars that Manasseh had set up in the two courtyards of the house of the LORD. The king pulverized them there d   and threw their dust into the Kidron Valley. 13 The king also desecrated the high places east of Jerusalem, to the s outh of the Mount of Corruption, which King Solomon of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Si-donians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom e   the abomination of the Ammonites. 14 He smashed the sacred pil-lars to pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and covered the sites with human bones. 15 He even pulled down the altar at Bethel, the high place set up by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. Then he burned  f the high place, ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole. 16 And as Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the hillside, and he sent someone to take the bones out of the tombs, and he burned them on the altar to defile it, according to the word of the LORD proclaimed by the man of God who had fore-told these things. g 2 Kings 23: 16 | 483 a 10 Or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom   b 10 Literally could pass hi s son or daughter through the fire   c 11 Hebrew parbarim   d 12 Or quickly removed them from there   e 13 Milcom is a variant of Molech  ; see Leviticus 18:21 and 1 Kings 11:7. f 15 Hebrew; LXX brok e into pieces   g 16 See 1 Kings 13:2; Hebrew; LXX includes when Jeroboam stood by the altar at the feast. And he turned and lifted his eyes to the tomb of the man of God.

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17 Then the king asked, “What is this monu-ment I see?” And the men of the city replied, “It is the tomb of the man of God wh o came from Judah and pronounced these things that you have done to the altar of Bethel. ” 18 “Let him rest,” said Josiah. “Do not let any-one disturb his bones. ” So they left his bones undisturbed, along with those of the prophet who had come from Sa-maria. 19 Just as Josiah had done at Bethel, so also in the cities of Samaria he removed all the shrines of the high places set up by the kings of Israel who had provoked the LORD to anger. 20 On the altars he slaughtered all the priests of the high places, and he burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusa-lem. Josiah Restores the Passover (2 Chronicles 35: 1-19) 21 The king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover of the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant. ” 22 No such Passover had been observed from the days of the j udges who had governed Is-rael through all the days of the kings of Israel and Judah. 23 But in the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign, this Passover was observed to the LORD in Jerusalem. 24 Furthermore, Josiah removed the mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this to carry out the words of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the house of the LORD. 25 Neither before nor after Josiah was there any king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, according to all the Law of Mo-ses. 26 Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the fury of His burning anger, which was kindled against Judah because of all that Ma-nasseh had done to provoke Him to anger. 27 For the LORD had said, “I will remove Judah from My sight, just as I removed Israel. I will reject this city Jerusalem, which I chose, and the temple of which I said, 'My Name shall be there. '  ” The Death of Josiah (2 Chronicles 35:20-24) 28 As for the rest of the acts of Josiah, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 29 At the end of Josiah's reign, Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt marched up to help the king of Assyria at the Euphrates River. King Josiah went out to confront him, but Neco faced him and killed him at Megiddo. 30 From Megiddo his servants carried his body in a chariot, brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. Then the people of the land took Jeh oahaz son of Josiah, anointed him, and made him king in place of his father. Jehoahaz Succeeds Josiah (2 Chronicles 36:1-4) 31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother's name was Hamu-tal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 32 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his fathers had done. 33 And Pharaoh Neco imprisoned Jehoahaz at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he could 484 | 2 Kings 23:17

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not reign in Jerus alem, and he imposed on Ju-dah a levy of a hundred talents of silver a   and a talent of gold. b   34 Then Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, and he changed Eliakim's name to Je-hoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, where he died. 35 So Jehoiakim paid the silver and gold to Pharaoh Neco, but to meet Pharaoh's demand he taxed the land and exacted the silver and the gold from the people, each according to his wealth. Jehoiakim Reigns in Judah (2 Chronicles 36:5-8) 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother's name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah. 37 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his fathers had done. Babylon Controls Jehoiakim During Jehoiakim's reign, Nebuchad-nezzar king of Babylon invaded. So Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years, until he turned and rebelled against Nebu-chadnezzar. 2 And the LORD sent Chaldean,c   Aramean, Mo-abite, and Ammonite raiders against Jehoia-kim in order to destroy Judah, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servants the prophets. 3 Surely this happened to Judah at the LORD's command, to remove them from His presence b ecause of the sins of Manasseh and all that he had done, 4 and also for the innocent blood he had shed. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD was unwilling to forgive. 5 As for the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? Jehoiachin Reigns in Judah (2 Chronicles 36: 9-10) 6 And Jehoiakim rested with his fathers, and his son Jehoiachin reigned in his place. 7 Now the king of Egypt did not march out of his land again, because the king of Babylon had taken all his territory, from the Brook of Egypt to the Euphrates River. 8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother's name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. 9 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his father had done. The Captivit y of Jerusalem (Lamentations 1:1-22) 10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnez-zar king of Babylon marched up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. 11 And Nebu-chadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it. 12 Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his officials all surrendered to the king of Babylon. So in the eighth year of his reign, the king of Babylon took him captive. 13 As the LORD had declared, Nebuchadnezzar also carried off all the treasures from the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he cut into pieces all the gold articles that Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD. 14 He carried into exile all Jerusalem —all the commanders 24 a 33 100 talents is approximately 3. 77 tons or 3. 42 metric tons of silver. b 33 A talent is approximately 75. 4 pounds or 34. 2 kilograms of gold. c 2 Or Babylonian 2 Kings 24: 14 | 485

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and mighty men of valor, all the craftsmen and metalsmiths —ten thousand captives in all. Only the poorest people of the land remained. 15 Nebuchadnezzar carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, as well as the king's mother, his wives, his officials, and the leading men of the land. He took them into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 The king of Babylon also brought into exile to Babylon all sev en thou-sand men of valor and a thousand craftsmen and metalsmiths —all strong and fit for battle. 17 Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah Reigns in Judah (2 Chronicles 36:11-14 ; Jeremiah 52:1-3) 18 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 19 And Zedekiah did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done. 20 For be-cause of the anger of the LORD, all this hap-pened in Jerusalem and Judah, until He finally banished them from His presence. And Zedekiah also rebelled against the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:15-21 ; Jeremiah 39:1-10) So in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built  a   a siege wall all around it. 2 And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah's eleventh year. 3 By the ninth day of the fourth month,b   the famine in the city was so severe that the peo-ple of the land had no food. 4 Then the ci ty was breached; and though the Chaldeans c   had sur-rounded the city, all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king's garden. They headed toward the Arabah, d   5 but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was separated from him. 6 The Chal-deans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pro-nounced judgment on him. 7 And they slaugh-tered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon. The Temple Destroyed (Jeremiah 52:1 2-23) 8 On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign over Babylon, Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, en-tered Jerusalem. 9 He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem —every significant build-ing. 10 And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the deserters who had de-fected to the king of Babylon and the rest of the population. 12 But the captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest of the land to tend the vineyards and fields. 13 Moreover, the Chaldeans broke up the bronze pillars and stands and the bronze Sea in the house of the LORD, a nd they carried the 25 486 | 2 Kings 24:15 a 1 Literally He encamped outsid e it and they built   b 3 Probable reading (see Jeremiah 52:6); MT does not include fourth  . c 4 That is, the Babylonians; also in verses 5, 6, 10, 13, 24, 25, and 26 d 4 Or the Jordan Valley

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bronze to Babylon. 14 They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes, and all the articles of bronze used in the temple ser-vice. 15 The captain of the guard also took away the censers and sprinkling bowls — anything made of pure gold or fine silver. 16 As for the two pillars, the Sea, and the mov-able stands that Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the weight of the bronze from all these articles was beyond measure. 17 Each pillar was eighteen cubits tall. a   The bronze capital atop one pillar was three cubits high,b   with a network of bronze pomegranates all around. The second pillar, with its network, was similar. Captives Carried to Babylon (Jeremiah 52:2 4-30) 18 The captain of the guard also took away Se-raiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of second rank, and the three doorkeepers. 19 Of those still in the city, he took a court official who had been appointed over the men of war, as well as five royal advisors. He also took the scribe of the captain of the army, who had en-listed the people of the land, and sixty men who were found in the city. 20 Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21 There at Riblah in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death. So Judah was taken into exile, away from its own land. Gedaliah Governs in Judah (Jeremiah 40: 1-16) 22 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, over the people he had left behind in the land of Judah. 23 When all the commanders of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah —Ishmael son of Netha-niah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah  c   son of the Maacathite, as well as their men. 24 And Gedaliah took an oa th before them and their men, assuring them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you. ” The Murder of Gedaliah (Jeremiah 41: 1-10) 25 In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down and killed Gedaliah, along with the Judeans and Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 26 Then all the peo-ple small and great, together with the com-manders of the army, arose and fled to Egypt for fear of the Chaldeans. Jehoiachin Released from Prison (Jeremiah 52:3 1-34) 27 On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Judah's King Jehoiachin, in the year Evil-merodach became king of Babylon, he re-leased d   King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison. 28 And he spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and set his throne above the thrones of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin changed out of his prison clothes, and he dined regularly at the king's table for the rest of his life. 30 And the ki ng pro-vided Jehoiachin a daily portion for the rest of his life. 2 Kings 25: 30 | 487 a 17 18 cubits is approximately 27 feet or 8. 2 meters. b 17 3 cubits is approximately 4. 5 feet or 1. 4 meters. c 23 Jaazaniah is a variant of Jezaniah  ; see Jeremiah 40:8. d 27 Literally lifted up the head of

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From Ad am to Abraham (Genesis 5:1-32 ; Genesis 10:1-32 ; Ge nesis 11:1 0-26) Adam, Seth, Enosh, 2 Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, 3 Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech. 4 The sons of Noah: a   Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 5 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 6 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath,b   and Togarmah. 7 And the sons of Javan: Elishah, Tar-shish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites. 8 The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 9 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta,c   Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 10 Cush was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one d   on the earth. 11 Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, the Anamites, the Lehabites, the Naphtuhites, 12 the Pathrusites, the Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came), and the Caphtorites. e 13 And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn,f  and of the Hittites,g   14 the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 15 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 16 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. 17 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. The sons of Aram: h   Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. i  18 Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber. 19 Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg,j  because in his days the earth was divided, and his brother was named Joktan. 20 And Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 21 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 22 Obal,k   Abimael, Sheba, 23 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. 1 1 Chronicles a 4 Hebrew does not include The sons of  ; LXX Noah: the sons of Noah  ; see Genesis 5:32. b 6 Many Hebrew manu-scripts and Vulgate (see also LXX and Genesis 10:3); most Hebrew manuscripts Diphath   c 9 Sabta is a variant of Sabtah  ; see Genesis 10:7. d 10 Or who established himself as a mighty warrior   e 12 Some translators adjust the Hebrew word order to the Casluhites, and the Caphtorites (from whom the Philistines came)  ; see also Jeremiah 47:4 and Amos 9:7. f 13 Or of the Sidonians, the foremost   g 13 Hebrew and of Heth   h 17 One Hebrew manuscript and some LXX manuscripts (see also Genesis 10:23); most Hebrew manuscripts do not include The sons of Aram  . i 17 Meshech is a variant of Mash  ; see Genesis 10:23. j 19 Peleg means division  . k 22 LXX and Syriac (see also Genesis 10:28); Hebrew Ebal

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24 So from Shem came Arphaxad, Shelah,a   25 Eber, Peleg, Reu, 26 Serug, Nahor, Terah, 27 and Abram (that is, Abraham). The Descendants of Abraham (Genesis 25:12-18) 28 The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael. 29 These are their genealogies: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael. 32 The sons born to Keturah, Abraham's concubine: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan. 33 The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All of these were Keturah's sons. 34 Abraham was the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel. The Descendants of Esau (Genesis 36:1-19) 35 The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. 36 The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho,b   Gatam, and Kenaz; and by Timna, Amalek. 37 The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. The Descendants of Seir (Genesis 36:20-30) 38 The sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. 39 The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam. c   Timna was Lotan's sister. 40 The sons of Shobal: Alvan,d   Manahath, Ebal, Shepho,e   and Onam. The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. 41 The son f  of Anah: Dishon. The sons of Dishon: Hemdan,g   Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 42 The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. h The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. The Kings of Edom (Genesis 36:31-43) 43 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites: i  Bela son of Beor. His city was named Dinhabah. 44 When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in his place. 1 Chronicles 1:44 | 489 a 24 Literally Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah  ; some LXX manuscripts Shem, Arphaxad, Cainan, Shelah  ; see also Genesis 10:24 LXX and Luke 3:3 5-36. b 36 Many Hebrew manuscripts, some LXX manuscripts, and Syriac (see also Gene-sis 36:11); most Hebrew manuscripts Zephi   c 39 Homam is a variant of Hemam  ; see Genesis 36:22. d 40 LXX (see also Genesis 36:23); Hebrew Alian e 40 LXX (see also Genesis 36:23); Hebrew Shephi   f 41 Hebrew sons g 41 LXX (see also Genesis 36:26); Hebrew Hamran   h 42 LXX (see also Genesis 36:27); Hebrew Jaakan   i 43 Or before an Israelite king ruled over them

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45 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 46 When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the coun-try of Moab, reigned in his place. And the name of his city was Avith. 47 When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah reigned in his place. 48 When Samlah died, Shaul from Reho-both on the Euphrates a   reigned in his place. 49 When Shaul died, Baal-hanan son of Achbor reigned in his place. 50 When Baal-hanan died, Hadad reigned in his place. His city was named Pau,b   and his wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daugh ter of Me-zahab. 51 Then Hadad died. Now the chiefs of Edom were Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 52 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 53 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 54 Magdiel, and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom. The Sons of Israel (Genesis 35:21-26 ; Genesis 38:1-30) These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, 2 Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naph-tali, Gad, and Asher. 3 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite. Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, who put him to death. 4 Tamar, Judah's daughter-in-law, bore to him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all. 5 The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. 6 The sons of Zerah: Zimri,c   Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara d  —five in all. 7 The son e   of Carmi: Achar,f  who brought trouble upon Israel by violating the ban on devoted things. 8 The son of Ethan: Azariah. 9 The sons who were born to Hezron: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Caleb. g 10 Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, a leader of the descendants of Judah. 11 Nahshon was the father of Salmon,h   and Salmon was the father of Boaz. 12 Boaz was the father of Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse. 13 Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn; Abinadab was born second, Shimea  i  third, 14 Nethanel fourth, Raddai fifth, 15 Ozem sixth, and David seventh. 16 Their si sters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were 2 490 | 1 Chronicles 1:45 a 48 Hebrew the River   b 50 Many MT manuscripts, some LXX manuscripts, Vulgate, and Syriac (see also Genesis 36:39); most MT manuscripts Pai   c 6 Zimri is a variant of Zabdi  ; see Joshua 7:1. d 6 Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts, some LXX manuscripts, and Syriac (see also 1 Kings 4:31) Darda   e 7 Hebrew sons   f 7 Achar means troubler  ; also called Achan in Joshua 7 and Joshua 22. g 9 Hebrew Chelubai  , a variant of Caleb  ; see verse 18. h 11 LXX (see also Ruth 4:2 0-21); Hebrew Salma  ; twice in this verse i 13 Shimea is a variant of Shammah  , Shimeah  , and Shimei  ; see 1 Samuel 16:9, 2 Samuel 13:3, and 2 Samuel 21:21.

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Abishai, Joab, and Asahel. 17 Abigail was the mother of Amasa, whose father was Jether a   the Ishmaelite. 18 Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah and by Jerioth. These were the sons of Azubah: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. 19 When Azubah died, Caleb mar-ried Ephrath,b   who bore to him Hur. 20 Hur was the father of Uri, and Uri was the father of Bezalel. 21 Later, Hezron slept with the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead. He had mar-ried her when he was sixty years old, and she bore to him Segub. 22 Segub was the father of Jair, who had twen ty-three cities in the land of Gilead. 23 But Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth-jair,c   along with Kenath and its sixty surrounding villages. All these were descendants of Machir the father of Gilead. 24 After Hezron died in Caleb-ephrathah, his wife Abijah bore d   to him Ashhur the father e   of Tekoa. 25 The sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron: Ram his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. 26 Jerahmeel had another wife named Atar ah, who was the mother of Onam. 27 The sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. 28 The sons of Onam: Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur. 29 Abishur's wife was named Abihail, and she bore to him Ahban and Molid. 30 The sons of Nadab: Seled and Appaim. Seled died without children. 31 The son f  of Appaim: Ishi. The son of Ishi: Sheshan. The son of Sheshan: Ahlai. 32 The sons of Jada the brother of Shammai: Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children. 33 The sons of Jonathan: Peleth and Zaza. These were the descendants of Jerahmeel. 34 Sheshan had no sons, but only daugh-ters; but he did have an Egyptian servant named Jarha. 35 Sheshan gave his daugh-ter in marriage to his servant Jarha, and she bore to him Attai. 36 Attai was the father of Nathan, Nathan was the father of Zabad, 37 Zabad was the father of Ephlal, Ephlal was the father of Obed, 38 Obed was the father of Jehu, Jehu was the father of Azariah, 39 Azariah was the father of Helez, Helez was the father of 1 Chronicles 2:39 | 491 a 17 Jether is a variant of Ithra  ; see 2 Samuel 17:25. b 19 Ephrath is a variant of Ephrathah  ; see verse 50. c 23 Or the villages of Jair   d 24 Or After Hezron died, Caleb had relations with Ephrathah, the wife of Hezron his fa-ther, and she bore  ; see also LXX. e 24 Or the founder  ; also in verses 42, 45, 49, and possibly elsewhere f 31 Hebrew sons  ; three times in this verse

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Elasah, 40 Elasah was the father of Sismai, Sismai was the father of Shallum, 41 Shal-lum was the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah was the father of Elishama. 42 The sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel: Mesha a   his firstborn, who was the fa-ther of Ziph, and Mareshah his second son, who was the father of Hebron. 43 The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. 44 Shema was the father of Raham the father of Jorkeam, and Rekem was the father of Shammai. 45 The son of Sham-mai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth-zur. 46 Caleb's concubine Ephah was the mother of Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez. 47 The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph. 48 Caleb's c oncubine Maacah was the mother of Sheber and Tirhanah. 49 She was also the mother of Shaaph father of Madmannah, and of Sheva father of Machbenah and Gibea. Caleb's daughter was Acsah. 50 These were the descendants of Caleb. The sons b   of Hur the firstborn of Ephra-thah: c   Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim, 51 Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth-gader. 52 These were the descendants of Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim: Haroeh, half the Manahathites, 53 and the clans of Kiriath-jearim —the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites, and Mishraites. From these descended the Zorathites and Eshtaolites. 54 The descendants of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab, half the Manahathites, the Zorites, 55 and the clans of the scribes d   who lived at Jabez —the Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab. e The Descendants of David (2 Samuel 3:1-5) These were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam of Jezreel; the second was Daniel by Abigail of Carmel; 2 the third was Absalom the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; the fourth was Adonijah the son of Haggith; 3 the fifth was Shephatiah by Abital; and the sixth was Ithream by his wife Eglah. 4 These six sons were born to David in Hebron, where he reigned seven years and six months. 3 492 | 1 Chronicles 2:40 a 42 Hebrew; LXX Mareshah   b 50 LXX and Vulgate; Hebrew son   c 50 Ephrathah is a variant of Ephrath  ; see verse 19. d 55 Or of the Sopherites e 55 Or the father of Beth-re chab or the founder of the house of Rechab  

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