1 Kings 17 - 2 Kings 2

Wycliffe Bible

17 And Elijah (the) Tishbite, of the dwellers of Gilead, said to Ahab, (As) The Lord God of Israel liveth, in whose sight I stand, dew and rain shall not be in these years, no but by the words of my mouth.

² And the word of the Lord was made to him, and said,

³ Go thou away from hence, and go against the east, and be thou hid in the strand of Cherith, that is against Jordan, (Go thou away from here, and go toward the east, and be thou hid by the Cherith Stream/by the Cherith Gorge, that is east of the Jordan River,)

⁴ and there thou shalt drink of the strand (and there thou shalt drink out of the stream); and I have commanded to [the] crows, that they feed thee there.

⁵ Therefore he went, and did by the word of the Lord; and when he had gone, he sat in the strand of Cherith, that is against Jordan. (And so he went, and did by the word of the Lord; and when he had gone forth, he sat by the Cherith Stream/he sat by the Cherith Gorge, that is east of the Jordan River.)

⁶ And [the] crows bare to him bread and flesh early; and in like manner in the eventide; and he drank of the strand. (And each morning the crows brought him bread and meat; and likewise in the evening; and he drank from the stream.)

⁷ And after some days the strand was dried (And after some days the stream dried up); for it had not rained on the earth.

⁸ Therefore the word of the Lord was made to him, and said,

⁹ Rise thou (up), and go into Zarephath of (the) Sidonians, and thou shalt dwell there; for I have commanded to a woman widow there, that she feed thee (for I have commanded to a widow woman there, that she should feed thee).

¹⁰ He rose, and went into Zarephath of Sidonians; and when he had come to the gate of the city, a woman widow gathering sticks appeared to him; and he called her, and said to her, Give thou to me a little of water in a vessel, that I drink. (He rose up, and went to Zarephath of the Sidonians; and when he had come to the city gate, a widow woman gathering sticks appeared before him; and he called to her, and said to her, Give thou to me a little water in a vessel, so that I can have a drink.)

¹¹ And when she went to bring it, he cried behind her back, and said, I beseech, bring thou to me also a morsel of bread in thine hand.

¹² And she answered, (As) Thy Lord God liveth, for I have no bread, no but as much of meal in a pot, as a fist[ful] may take, and a little of oil in a vessel; lo! I gather two sticks, that I enter, and make it to me, and to my son, that we eat, and die (lo! I am gathering only two sticks, so that I can go in, and make it up for me, and my son, so that we can eat, and then die).

¹³ And Elijah said to her, Do not thou dread, but go, and make as thou saidest; nevertheless make thou first to me of that little meal a little loaf, baken under ashes, and bring thou it to me; soothly thou shalt make afterward to thee and to thy son. (And Elijah said to her, Do not thou fear, but go, and make as thou saidest; but first make thou for me a small loaf from that little amount of meal, baked under ashes, and bring thou it to me; then afterward thou shalt make some for thee and thy son.)

¹⁴ Forsooth the Lord God of Israel saith these things (to you), The pot of meal shall not fail, and the vessel of oil shall not be abated, till to the day in which the Lord shall give rain on the face of the earth.

¹⁵ And she went, and did by the word of Elijah; and he ate, and she, and her house (and he, and she, and all of her household, or her family, ate for many days).

¹⁶ And from that day the pot of meal failed not, and the vessel of oil was not abated, by the word of the Lord, which he had spoken in the hand of Elijah (which he had spoken by Elijah).

¹⁷ Forsooth it was done after these words, (that) the son of a woman housewife, was sick, and the sickness was full strong, so that breath dwelled not in him. (And it was done after these things, that the son of that woman housewife, was sick, and the sickness grew very strong, so that finally no breath remained in him.)

¹⁸ Therefore she said to Elijah, What to me and to thee, thou man of God? Enteredest thou to me, that my wickedness should be remembered, and that thou shouldest slay my son?

¹⁹ And Elijah said to her, Give thy son to me. And he took that son from her bosom, and bare into the solar, where he dwelled; and he put him on his bed. (And he took her son from her bosom, and carried him up to the solarium, where he stayed; and he put him on his bed.)

²⁰ And he cried to the Lord, and said, My Lord God, whether thou hast tormented also the widow (hast thou tormented this widow), with whom I am sustained in all manner, (so) that thou killedest her son?

²¹ He spread abroad himself, and was meted upon the child by three times; and he cried to the Lord, and said, My Lord God, I beseech, the soul of this child turn again into the entrails of him. (Then he stretched himself over, or above, the child three times; and he cried to the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I beseech thee, let the soul of this child return to his entrails.)

²² The Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child turned again within him, and he lived again.

²³ And Elijah took the child, and put him down of the solar into the lower house (and took him down from the solarium to the lower part of the house), and betook him to his mother; and he said to her, Lo! thy son liveth.

²⁴ And the woman said to Elijah, Now in this I have known, that thou art a man of God, and the word of the Lord is sooth in thy mouth. (And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know, that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord from thy mouth is truth.)

18 After many days the word of the Lord was made to Elijah, in the third year, and said, Go, and show thee to Ahab, that I give rain upon the face of the earth (Go, and show thyself to Ahab, and I shall send rain upon the face of the earth).

² Therefore Elijah went to show himself to Ahab; forsooth a great hunger was made in Samaria (and there was then a great famine in Samaria).

³ And Ahab called Obadiah, the dispenser, either steward, of his house; forsooth Obadiah dreaded greatly the Lord God of Israel (and Obadiah greatly feared/greatly revered the Lord God of Israel).

⁴ For when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, he took an hundred prophets, and hid them, by fifties and fifties, in dens (and hid them in caves, fifty by fifty), and fed them with bread and water.

⁵ Then Ahab said to Obadiah, Go thou into the land, to all the wells of waters, and into all (the) valleys, if in hap we may find grass, and save (the) horses and mules; and [the] work beasts perish not utterly (and so the work beasts shall not utterly perish).

⁶ And they parted the countries to themselves, that they should compass those; Ahab went by one way, and Obadiah went by another way, by himself.

⁷ And when Obadiah was in the way, Elijah met him (And when Obadiah was on the way, Elijah met him); and when he had known Elijah, he felled on his face, and said, Whether thou art my lord Elijah?

⁸ To whom he answered, I am. And Elijah said, Go thou, and say to thy lord, Elijah is present (Elijah is here).

⁹ And Obadiah said, What have I sinned, for thou betakest me in(to) the hand of Ahab, that he slay me?

¹⁰ Thy Lord God liveth, for no folk either realm is, whither my lord, seeking thee, sent not; and when all men answered, He is not here, he charged greatly all realms and folks, for thou were not found; (As the Lord thy God liveth, for there is no nation, or kingdom, where my lord hath not sent, seeking thee; and when all people answered, He is not here, he greatly charged each kingdom, and nation, to swear, that thou were not found there;)

¹¹ and now thou sayest to me, Go, and say to thy lord, Elijah is present (Elijah is here).

¹² And when I shall depart from thee, the Spirit of the Lord shall bear thee away into a place which I know not; and I shall enter, and tell to Ahab, and he shall not find thee, and he shall slay thee; forsooth thy servant dreadeth the Lord from his young childhood. (And when I shall leave thee, the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee away to a place which I know not; and I shall go, and tell Ahab, but he shall not find thee, and then he shall kill me; and know ye that thy servant feareth the Lord/revereth the Lord, from his young childhood.)

¹³ Whether it is not showed to thee, my lord, what I did, when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, that I hid of the prophets of the Lord an hundred men, by fifty and fifty, in dens, and I fed them with bread and water? (Was it not told to thee, my lord, what I did, when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, that I hid a hundred of the prophets of the Lord in caves, fifty by fifty, and that I fed them with bread and water?)

¹⁴ And now thou sayest, Go, and say to thy lord, Elijah is present/Elijah is nigh, that he slay me. (And now thou sayest, Go, and say to thy lord, Elijah is here. No! he shall kill me!)

¹⁵ And Elijah said, The Lord of hosts liveth, before whose sight I stand, for today I shall appear to him. (And Elijah said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, whom I stand before, I shall appear before him today.)

¹⁶ Therefore Obadiah went into the meeting of Ahab, and showed it to him; and Ahab came into the meeting of Elijah. (And so Obadiah went to find Ahab, and told him everything; and Ahab came to meet with Elijah.)

¹⁷ And when he had seen Elijah, he said, Whether thou art he, that troublest Israel? (And when he had seen Elijah, he said, Art thou he who troublest Israel?)

¹⁸ And he said, Not I trouble Israel, but thou, and the house of thy father, which have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and followed Baalim. (And Elijah said, It is not I who trouble Israel, but thou, and the house of thy father, who have deserted the commandments of the Lord, and followed Baalim.)

¹⁹ Nevertheless now send thou, and gather to me all Israel, into the hill of Carmel, and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and [the] four hundred prophets of (the) maumet woods, that eat of the table of Jezebel. (But now send thou, and gather together for me all Israel on Mount Carmel, and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.)

²⁰ Ahab sent to all the sons of Israel, and gathered together the prophets in the hill of Carmel. (And so Ahab sent for all the Israelites, and gathered together the prophets on Mount Carmel.)

²¹ Forsooth Elijah nighed to all the people of Israel, and said, How long halt ye into two parts? (How long shall ye waver between two paths?) If the Lord is God, follow ye him; and if Baal is God, follow ye him. And the people answered not one word to him.

²² And Elijah said again to the people, I dwelled alone a prophet of the Lord; soothly the prophets of Baal be four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the maumet woods be four hundred men. (And Elijah said to the people, I am the only prophet of the Lord still left; but there be four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and four hundred prophets of Asherah.)

²³ (Let) Twain oxes be given to us; and choose they one ox, and they shall cut (it) into gobbets, and put it on wood, but put they not fire under (it); and I shall make (ready) the tother ox into sacrifice (and I shall prepare the other ox for sacrifice), and I shall put (it) on the wood, and I shall not put fire under (it either).

²⁴ Call ye the name of your gods, and I shall call the name of my God; and the God that heareth by fire falling down, given from heaven to waste the sacrifice, be he God. And all the people answered, and said, The reason is best, that Elijah hath spoken. (Then call ye on the name of your god, and I shall call on the name of my God; and the God who answereth with fire falling down, that is, with fire given from heaven to consume the sacrifice, he is God. And all the people answered, and said, What Elijah hath spoken is reasonable.)

²⁵ Therefore Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose ye one ox to you, and make ye (ready) first your sacrifice, for ye be the more; and call ye the names of your gods, and put ye not fire under. (And so Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose ye one ox for yourselves, and prepare ye first your sacrifice, for ye be the more; and then call ye on the name of your god, but put ye no fire under it.)

²⁶ And when they had taken the ox, whom Elijah gave to them, they made (ready the) sacrifice, and called the name of Baal, from the morrowtide till to midday, and said, Baal, hear us! And no voice was, neither any that answered; and they skipped over the altar, which they had made. (And when they had taken the ox, which was given to them, they prepared the sacrifice, and called on the name of Baal, from the morning until midday, and said, Baal, hear us! But there was no voice, nor anyone who answered; even as they leapt all around the altar, which they had made.)

²⁷ And when it was then midday, Elijah scorned them, and said, Cry ye with [a] greater voice, for Baal is your god, and in hap he speaketh with another, either he is in a harbourgerie, either in the way, either certainly he sleepeth, that he be raised up. (And when it was midday, Elijah scorned them, and said, Cry ye with a greater voice, for Baal is your god, and perhaps he speaketh with another, or else he is at an inn, or is on the way, or certainly he sleepeth, so that he must be raised up.)

²⁸ Therefore they cried with [a] great(er) voice, and they cut themselves with knives and lancets, after their custom, till they were beshed with blood.

²⁹ But after that midday passed, and while they prophesied, or prayed, the time came, in which the sacrifice is wont to be offered, neither voice was heard of their gods, neither any answered, neither perceived them praying. (But after that midday had passed, and yet while they prophesied, and prayed, the time came, in which the evening sacrifice was wont to be offered, and still neither the voice was heard of their god, nor anyone answered them, nor anyone perceived their prayers.)

³⁰ [And] Elijah said to all the people, Come ye to me. And when the people came to him, he arrayed the altar of the Lord, that was destroyed. (And Elijah said to all the people, Come ye close to me. And when the people came close to him, he repaired the altar of the Lord that was destroyed.)

³¹ And he took twelve stones, by the number of the lineages of the sons of Jacob, to which Jacob the word of the Lord was made, and said, Israel shall be thy name.

³² And he builded an altar of stones, in the name of the Lord, and he made a leading-to of water, either a ditch (and he made a leading-to, or a ditch, for the water), as by two little ditches, or furrows, in the compass of the altar^[a].

³³ And he dressed [the] wood, and he parted the ox by (its) members, and put it upon the wood, and said, Fill ye four pots with water, and pour ye it upon the burnt sacrifice (to be), and upon the wood.

³⁴ And again he said, Also the second time do ye this. And they did (it) the second time. And he said, Do ye the same thing the third time; and they did (it) the third time.

³⁵ And the waters ran about the altar, and the ditch, or rut, of [the] leading-to of water was filled. (And the water ran about the altar, and the ditch, or the rut, of the leading-to for the water, was completely filled.)

³⁶ And when the time was then, that the burnt sacrifice should be offered, Elijah the prophet nighed, and said, Lord God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, show thou today that thou art God of Israel, and that I am thy servant, and have done all these words by thy commandment. (And when it was the time, that the burnt sacrifice should be offered, Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, or Jacob, show thou today that thou art the God of Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things by thy commandment.)

³⁷ Lord, hear thou me; Lord, hear thou me; that this people learn, that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast converted again the heart of them. (Lord, hear thou me; Lord, hear thou me; so that this people shall learn that thou art the Lord God, and thou shalt turn their hearts back to thee again.)

³⁸ Soothly [the] fire of the Lord felled down then, and devoured the burnt sacrifice, the wood, and the stones, and it licked up also the powder, and the water that was in the leading-(to), (or the rut,) of (the) water. (Then the fire of the Lord fell down, and devoured the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and it also licked up the water that was in the ditch, or in the rut, for the water.)

³⁹ And when all the people had seen this, the people felled into his face (the people fell down on their faces), and said, The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.

⁴⁰ And Elijah said to them, Take ye the prophets of Baal; not one soothly escape of them. And when they had taken them, Elijah led them to the strand of Kishon, and killed them there. (And Elijah said to them, Take ye hold of the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape. And when they had taken hold of them, Elijah led them to the Kishon Stream/to the Kishon Gorge, and they killed them there.)

⁴¹ And Elijah said to Ahab, Go thou up, and eat, and drink, for the sound of much rain is nigh. (And Elijah said to Ahab, Go thou to eat, and drink, for there is the sound of much rain coming.)

⁴² Ahab went up to eat and drink; but Elijah went up into (the top of) the hill of Carmel, and he set lowly his face to the earth, betwixt his knees; (So Ahab went to eat and drink; but Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel, and he put his face low to the ground, between his knees;)

⁴³ and said to his servant, Go thou up, and behold thou against the sea. And when he had gone up, and beheld, he said, Nothing is (there). And again Elijah said to him, Turn thou again seven times. (and said to his servant, Go thou up now, and behold the sea. And when he had gone, and beheld it, he said, There is nothing there. And Elijah said to him, Do it again; and in all, he commanded him to do it seven times.)

⁴⁴ And in the seventh time, lo! a little cloud, as the step of a man, went up from the sea. And Elijah said, Go thou up, and say to Ahab, Join thy chariot, and go down, lest the rain before-occupy thee. (And on the seventh time, lo! a little cloud, like the hand of a man, went up from the sea. And Elijah said, Go thou up now, and say to Ahab, Join up thy chariot, and get going, or the rain shall stop thee!)

⁴⁵ And when they turned them hither and thither, lo! heavens were made dark, and cloud, and wind, and great rain was made. Therefore Ahab went up (into his chariot), and went into Jezreel; (And when they turned themselves here and there, lo! the skies were made dark with clouds and wind, and a great rain came. And so Ahab went up into his chariot, and went back to Jezreel;)

⁴⁶ and the hand of the Lord was made upon Elijah, and when his loins were girded, he ran before Ahab, till he came into Jezreel. (and the hand of the Lord was made upon Elijah, and when his loins were girded up, he ran ahead of Ahab, all the way back to Jezreel.)

19 Forsooth Ahab told to Jezebel all things that Elijah had done, and how he had slain with (the) sword all the prophets of Baal.

² And Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, and said, Gods do these things to me (The gods do these things to me), and add these things too, no but tomorrow in this hour I shall put thy life as the life of one of them.

³ Therefore Elijah dreaded, and rose (up), and went whither ever his will bare him; and he came into Beersheba of Judah, and he left there his servant (and he left his servant there);

⁴ and went into (the) desert, the way of one day. And when he came, and sat under one juniper tree, he asked to his soul, that he should die (he prayed that he should die); and he said, Lord, it sufficeth to me, take my soul (now); for I am not (any) better than my fathers.

⁵ And he casted forth himself (And he threw himself down), and slept in the shadow of the juniper tree. And lo! the angel of the Lord touched him, and said to him, Rise thou (up), and eat.

⁶ (And) He beheld, and, lo! at his head was a loaf baken under ashes, and a vessel of water. Therefore he ate, and drank, and slept again.

⁷ And the angel of the Lord turned again the second time, and touched him; and he said to him, Rise thou, and eat; for a great way is to thee (Rise thou up, and eat, or the way shall be too much for thee),

⁸ And when he had risen, he ate, and drank; and he went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights, unto Horeb, the hill of God. (And when he had risen, he ate, and drank; and he went in the strength of that food for forty days and forty nights, unto Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.)

⁹ And when he had come thither, he dwelled in a den (And when he had come there, he lived in a cave); and lo! the word of the Lord was made to him, and said to him, Elijah, what doest thou here?

¹⁰ And he answered, By fervent love, that is, of all the heart, I have loved fervently, for the Lord God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken the covenant of the Lord; they have destroyed thine altars, and killed with (the) sword thy prophets; and I am left alone, and they seek my life, that they do it away. (And he answered, With fervent love, that is, with all of my heart, I have fervently loved for the Lord God of hosts; but the Israelites have deserted the covenant of the Lord; they have destroyed thy altars, and killed thy prophets with the sword; and I alone am left, and now they seek my life, so that they can do me away.)

¹¹ And he said to Elijah, Go thou out, and stand in the hill, before the Lord. And lo! the Lord passeth, and a great wind, and strong, turning upside-down hills, and all-breaking stones before the Lord; not in the wind is the Lord. And after the wind is a stirring; not in the stirring is the Lord. (And he said to Elijah, Go thou out, and stand on the mount before the Lord. And lo! the Lord then passed by, and there was a great strong wind, that turned the mountains upside-down, and broke up the stones before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind there was a great shaking; but the Lord was not in that shaking.)

¹² And after the stirring is a fire; not in the fire is the Lord. And after the fire is an hissing of thin wind, or breathing softly; there is the Lord. (And after the stirring, or the shaking, there was a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a hissing of the wind, as if softly breathing; and there was the Lord/and the Lord was there.)

¹³ And when Elijah had heard this, he covered his face with a mantle, and he went out, and stood in the door of the den (and stood at the entrance to the cave). And a voice spake to him, and said, Elijah, what doest thou here?

¹⁴ And he answered, With fervent love I have loved fervently, for the Lord God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken thy covenant; they have destroyed thine altars, and they have killed with (the) sword thy prophets; and I am left alone, and they seek my life, that they do it away. (And he answered, and said, With fervent love I have fervently loved for the Lord God of hosts; but the Israelites have deserted thy covenant; they have destroyed thy altars, and they have killed thy prophets with the sword; and I alone am left, and now they seek my life, so that they can do me away.)

¹⁵ And the Lord said to him, Go, and turn again into thy way, by the desert, into Damascus (And the Lord said to him, Go, and return on the way, by the wilderness, to Damascus); and when thou shalt come thither, thou shalt anoint Hazael king upon Syria;

¹⁶ and thou shalt anoint (unto) king upon Israel, Jehu, the son of Nimshi; and thou shalt anoint a prophet for thee, Elisha, the son of Shaphat, that is of Abelmeholah. (and thou shalt anoint Jehu, the son of Nimshi, to be king upon Israel; and thou shalt anoint Elisha, the son of Shaphat, of Abelmeholah, to be the prophet in thy place.)

¹⁷ And it shall be, whoever shall flee the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall slay him; and whoever shall flee the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall slay him.

¹⁸ And I shall leave to me in Israel seven thousand of men, of which the knees be not bowed before Baal, and each mouth that worshipped not him, and kissed not his hand. (But I shall leave for me seven thousand men in Israel, who have not bowed their knees before Baal, and whose mouths have not worshipped him, nor kissed his hand.)

¹⁹ Therefore Elijah went forth from thence, and found Elisha, the son of Shaphat, earing in twelve yokes of oxen; and he was one in the twelve yokes of oxen, earing. And when Elijah had come to him, Elijah casted his mantle upon him. (And so Elijah went forth from there, and found Elisha, the son of Shaphat, plowing with twelve yokes of oxen; and he was plowing alongside the twelfth yoke of them. And when Elijah had come to him, he threw his mantle upon him.)

²⁰ And he ran anon after Elijah, when the oxen were left, and said, I pray thee, kiss I my father and my mother, and so I shall follow thee. And Elijah said to him, Go thou, and turn again, for I have done to thee that that was mine (to do). (And leaving the oxen behind, Elisha ran at once after Elijah, and said, I pray thee, let me kiss my father and my mother good-bye, and then I shall follow thee. And Elijah said to him, Go thou, and return, for I have done to thee what was mine to do.)

²¹ Soothly he turned again from Elijah, and took twain oxen, and killed them; and with the plow of the oxen he seethed the flesh, and gave (the meat) to the people, and they ate; and he rose (and then he rose up), and went, and followed Elijah, and ministered to him.

20 Forsooth Benhadad, king of Syria, gathered together all his host, and two and thirty kings with him, and horses, and chariots; and he went up against Samaria, and fought, and besieged it.

² And he sent messengers to Ahab, king of Israel, into the city, and (they) said (to him), Benhadad saith these things,

³ Thy silver and thy gold is mine, and thy wives, and thy best sons be mine.

⁴ And the king of Israel answered, By thy word, my lord the king, I am thine, and all my things be thine.

⁵ And the messengers turned again, and said, Benhadad, that sent us to thee, saith these things (again), Thou shalt give to me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy sons.

⁶ Therefore tomorrow, in this same hour, I shall send my servants to thee, and they shall seek (throughout) thine house, and the house of thy servants; and they shall put in their hands, and take away all thing that shall please them.

⁷ Forsooth the king of Israel called all the elder men of the land, and said, Perceive ye, and see, that he setteth treason to us; for he sent to me for my wives, and sons, and for (my) silver, and gold, and I forsook not. (And the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Perceive ye, and see, that this man hath set treason for us; for he sent to me for my wives, and my sons, and my silver, and my gold, and I agreed to it all.)

⁸ And all the greater men in birth (And all the men of great age, that is, the elders), and all the people said to him, Hear thou not, neither assent thou to him.

⁹ And he answered to the messengers of Benhadad, Say ye to my lord the king, I shall do all things, for which thou sentest in the beginning to me, thy servant; but I may not do this thing. And the messengers turned again, and told all things to him. (And so he answered to the messengers of Benhadad, and said, Say ye to my lord the king, I, thy servant, shall do all the things for which thou sentest to me at the beginning; but I cannot do this thing. And the messengers returned, and told all these things to Benhadad.)

¹⁰ Which sent again, and said, Gods do these things to me, and add these things too (And Benhadad sent them back again to Ahab, to say to him, The gods do these things to me, and add these things too), if the dust of Samaria shall suffice to the fist[ful]s of all the people that followeth me.

¹¹ And the king of Israel answered, and said, Say ye to him, A girded man, that is, he that goeth to battle, have not glory evenly as a man ungirded, that is, as he that hath the victory, and hath put off his armours. (And Ahab, the king of Israel, answered, and said, Say ye to him, A girded man, that is, he who goeth to battle, hath not equal glory to an ungirded man, that is, he who already hath the victory, and hath put off his armour.)

¹² And it was done, when Benhadad had heard this word, he drank, and also the kings, in shadowing places (in a shady place in their tents); and he said to his servants, Compass ye the city. And they compassed it.

¹³ And lo! one prophet nighed to Ahab, king of Israel, and said to him, The Lord God saith these things, Certainly thou hast seen all this multitude full great (Certainly thou hast seen all this very great multitude); lo! I shall betake it into thine hand today, that thou know that I am the Lord.

¹⁴ And Ahab said, By whom? And he said to Ahab, The Lord saith these things, By the squires, or the footmen, of the princes of (the) provinces. And Ahab said, Who shall begin to fight? And the prophet said, Thou.

¹⁵ Therefore he numbered the young men of the princes of [the] provinces, and he found the number of two hundred and two and thirty; and after them he numbered the people, all the sons of Israel, seven thousand. (And so he called for the young men who served the leaders of the provinces, and he found them to number two hundred and thirty-two; and after them he called for the people, yea, all the Israelites/the whole Israelite army, seven thousand of them.)

¹⁶ And they went out in midday. Forsooth Benhadad drank, and was drunken in his shadowing place, and (the) two and thirty kings with him, that came to the help of him. (And they went out at midday. And in a shady place in their tents, Benhadad drank, and became drunk, as did the thirty-two kings who were with him, who came to help him.)

¹⁷ And the young men of the princes of (the) provinces went out in the first front. Therefore Benhadad sent men, which told to him, and said, Men went out of Samaria (And Benhadad sent out men, who reported back to him, and said, Some men have come out of Samaria).

¹⁸ And he said, Whether they come for peace, take ye them quick; whether to fight, take ye them quick. [And he saith, Whether for peace they come, taketh them alive; whether that they fight, taketh them alive.]

¹⁹ Therefore the young men of the princes of (the) provinces went out, and the residue host followed (them);

²⁰ and each smote the man that came against him. And (the) men of Syria fled, and Israel pursued them; also Benhadad, the king of Syria, fled on an horse with his knights.

²¹ Also the king of Israel went out, and smote (the) horses and chariots, and he smote Syria with a full great vengeance. (And the king of Israel went out, and struck down the horses and the chariots, and he struck down the Syrians with a very great slaughter.)

²² Forsooth a prophet nighed to the king of Israel, and said, Go thou, and be strengthened, and know, and see, what thou shalt do; for the king of Syria shall ascend against thee in the year following (for the king of Syria shall also come against thee next year).

²³ Soothly the servants of the king of Syria said to him, The Gods of hills be the Gods of the sons of Israel (The gods of the hills be the gods of the Israelites), therefore they overcame us; but it is better that we fight against them in [the] field places, and we shall get them there.

²⁴ Therefore do thou this word, or counsel; remove thou all [the] kings from thine host, and set thou princes for them; (And so do thou this thing, or follow thou this counsel; remove thou all the kings from thy army, and put thou other leaders in their place;)

²⁵ and restore thou the number of knights, that felled of thine, and [the] horses after the former horses, and restore thou [the] chariots, by the chariots which thou haddest before; and we shall fight against them in [the] field places, and thou shalt see, that we shall get them. He believed to the counsel of them, and did so (He believed in their counsel, and did so).

²⁶ Therefore after that the year had passed, Benhadad numbered men of Syria (Benhadad called for the Syrians), and he went up into Aphek, to fight against Israel.

²⁷ Forsooth the sons of Israel were numbered; and when meats were taken, they went forth even against (them); and they, as two little flocks of goats, setted tents against men of Syria. Forsooth men of Syria filled the land. (And the Israelites were also called for; and when provisions were taken, they went forth opposite them; and they, as but two little flocks of goats, pitched their tents opposite the Syrians. And the Syrians filled the land.)

²⁸ And one prophet of God nighed, and said to the king of Israel, The Lord God saith these things, For (the) men of Syria said, God of hills is the Lord of them, and he is not God of valleys (The god of the hills is their Lord, and he is not the god of the valleys), (and so) I shall give all this great multitude in(to) thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

²⁹ And seven days these and they dressed battle arrays even against each other; and in the seventh day the battle was joined altogether, and the sons of Israel smote of the men of Syria an hundred thousand of footmen in one day. (And for seven days these and they directed battle arrays opposite each other; and then on the seventh day the battle was joined, and the Israelites struck down a hundred thousand Syrian footmen in one day.)

³⁰ And they that (were) left fled into the city of Aphek, and the wall felled down upon seven and twenty thousand of (the) men that (were) left. Forsooth Benhadad fled, and entered into the city, into a closet that was within a closet;

³¹ and his servants said to him, [Lo!] We have heard that the kings of the house of Israel be merciful, therefore put we sackcloths in our loins, and cords in our heads (and so let us put sackcloths on our loins, and cords on our heads), and go we out to the king of Israel; in hap he shall save our lives.

³² They girded their loins with sackcloths, and put cords in their heads, and they came to the king of Israel, and said to him, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let my soul live. And he said, If Benhadad liveth yet, he is my brother. (And so they girded up their loins with sackcloths, and put cords on their heads, and they came to the king of Israel, and said to him, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And Ahab said, If Benhadad yet liveth, he is my brother, that is, I will make peace with him.)

³³ Which thing the men of Syria took for a gracious word, and they ravished hastily the word of his mouth (and they hastily took hold of the word of his mouth), and said, Thy brother Benhadad liveth. And Ahab said to them, Go ye, and bring ye him to me. Therefore Benhadad went out to him, and he raised up Benhadad into his chariot.

³⁴ [The] Which Benhadad said to him, I shall yield the cities which my father took from thy father, and make thou streets to thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria; and I shall be bound to peace, and I shall depart from thee. Therefore Ahab made [a] bond of peace with him, and delivered him. (And Benhadad said to Ahab, I shall give back the cities which my father took from thy father, and then thou can make streets of commerce, or for trading, for thyself in Damascus, like my father made in Samaria. And Ahab said, On those terms I shall be bound in peace with thee, and then thou can depart from me. And so he made a covenant with him, and let him go.)

³⁵ Then a man of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow, in the word of the Lord (by the word of the Lord), Smite thou me. And he would not smite (him).

³⁶ To whom the prophet said, For thou wouldest not hear the voice of the Lord, lo! thou shalt go [away] from me, and a lion shall smite thee. And when he had gone a little from him, a lion found him, and slew him.

³⁷ But also the prophet found another man, and he said to that man, Smite thou me. And he smote him, and wounded him.

³⁸ Therefore the prophet went, and met the king in the way; and he changed with a cloth, that is, by (the) wrapping of a cloth, his mouth and eyes. (And so the prophet went, and met the king on the way; and he covered his mouth and his eyes with a cloth, that is, he disguised his face by wrapping it in a cloth.)

³⁹ And when the king had passed (And as the king passed by), he cried to the king, and said, Thy servant went out to fight anon, and when one man had fled, a man brought him to me, and said, Keep thou this man; and if he escapeth, thy life shall be for his life, either thou shalt pay a talent of silver.

⁴⁰ Soothly while I was troubled, and turned me hither and thither, suddenly he appeared not. And the king of Israel said to him, This is thy doom that thou [thyself] hast deemed. (And while I was troubled, and turned myself here and there, suddenly he was gone. And the king of Israel said to him, This is thy judgement, or thy sentence, that thou thyself hast pronounced, or declared.)

⁴¹ And anon he removed the cloth, either binding, from his face (And at once he removed the cloth, or the wrapping, from his face), and the king of Israel knew him, that he was (one) of the prophets.

⁴² The which said to the king, The Lord saith these things, For thou deliveredest from thine hand a man worthy (of) death, thy life shall be for his life, and thy people for his people.

⁴³ Therefore the king of Israel turned again into his house, and despised to hear God’s word, and came wroth into Samaria.^[b] (And so the king of Israel returned to his house, despising the word of God that he had heard, and came back angry to Samaria.)

21 Forsooth after these words, in that time, the vinery of Naboth of Jezreel, that was in Jezreel, was beside the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria. (Now after these things, at that time, Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab, the king of Samaria, that is, the king of Israel.)

² Therefore Ahab spake to Naboth, and said, Give thou to me thy vineyard, that I make to me thereof a garden of worts, for it is nigh to me, and nigh mine house; and I shall give to thee a better vinery for it; either if thou guessest it more profitable to thee, I shall give thee the price of silver, as much as it is worth. (And so Ahab spoke to Naboth, and said, Give thou thy vineyard to me, so that I can make a herb garden out of it for myself, for it is close to me, and close to my house; and I shall give thee a better vineyard for it; or if thou guessest that it be more profitable to thee, I shall give thee the price of it in silver, for as much as it is worth.)

³ To whom Naboth answered, The Lord be merciful to me, that I give not to thee the heritage of my fathers.

⁴ Therefore Ahab came into his house, having indignation, and gnashing on the word which Naboth of Jezreel had spoken to him, and said, I shall not give to thee the heritage of my fathers. And Ahab casted down himself into his bed, and turned away his face to the wall, and ate not bread (And Ahab threw himself down onto his bed, and turned his face to the wall, and ate no food).

⁵ And Jezebel, his wife, entered to him, and said to him, What is this thing, whereof thy soul is made sorry? and why eatest thou not bread? (and why eatest thou no food?)

⁶ Which answered to her, I spake to Naboth of Jezreel, and I said to him, Give thy vineyard to me for money taken, either if it pleaseth thee, I shall give to thee a better vinery for it. And he said, I shall not give to thee my vineyard.

⁷ Therefore Jezebel, his wife, said to him, Thou art of great authority, and thou governest well [the realm of] Israel; rise thou (up), and eat bread, and be thou patient, either comforted; I shall give to thee the vinery of Naboth of Jezreel (I shall get the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel for thee).

⁸ Therefore she wrote letters in the name of Ahab, and sealed those with the ring of him; and she sent to the greater men in birth, and to the best men, that were in the city of Naboth, and dwelled with him (and she sent them to the men of great age, that is, to the elders, and to the best men, who lived in the city of Naboth with him).

⁹ And this was the sentence of the letter(s); Preach ye fasting, and make ye Naboth to sit among the first men of the people;

¹⁰ and send ye (in) privily two men, the sons of Belial, against him, and say they (this) false witnessing, Naboth hath blessed God, and the king^[c], that is, hath cursed; and lead ye out him, and stone ye him, and die he so. (and privately, or stealthily, send ye in two men, the sons of Belial, opposite him, and then say they this false witness against him, Naboth hath cursed God, and the king; and then lead ye him out, and stone ye him, and so he shall die.)

¹¹ Therefore his citizens, the greater men in birth, and the best men that dwelled with him in the city (And so his fellow citizens, the men of great age, that is, the elders, and the best men who lived with him in the city), did as Jezebel had commanded [to them], and as it was written in the letters, which she had sent to them.

¹² They preached fasting, and made Naboth to sit among the first men of the people;

¹³ and when two men, (the) sons of the devil, were brought (in), they made them to sit against him (they had them sit opposite him), and they, that is, as men of the devil, said (false) witnessing against him before all the multitude, (saying,) Naboth blessed God, and the king, that is, Naboth hath cursed God, and the king; for which thing they led him without the city, and killed him with stones.

¹⁴ And they sent to Jezebel, and said, Naboth is stoned (Naboth was stoned), and is dead.

¹⁵ Forsooth it was done, when Jezebel had heard Naboth stoned and dead, she spake to Ahab, Rise thou, take in possession the vinery of Naboth of Jezreel, which would not assent to thee, and give it for [the] money taken; for Naboth liveth not, but is dead. (And it was done, when Jezebel had heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, she spoke to Ahab, and said, Rise thou up, and take in possession the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel, who would not assent to thee, and give it to thee for the money received; for Naboth no longer liveth, but now is dead.)

¹⁶ And when Ahab had heard this, that is, Naboth to be dead, he rose, and went down into the vinery of Naboth of Jezreel, to have it into possession. (And when Ahab had heard this, that is, that Naboth was dead, he rose up, and went down to the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel, to take possession of it.)

¹⁷ Therefore the word of the Lord was made to Elijah of Tishbe, and said,

¹⁸ Rise thou, go down into the coming of Ahab, king of Israel, which is in Samaria; lo! he goeth down to the vinery of Naboth, that he have it in possession. (Rise thou up, and go down to meet with Ahab, the king of Israel, who is in Samaria; lo! he goeth down to the vineyard of Naboth, to take possession of it.)

¹⁹ And thou shalt speak to him, and say, The Lord saith these things, Thou hast slain Naboth, furthermore and thou hast taken his vineyard in possession; and after these things thou shalt add, [These things saith the Lord,] In this place, wherein dogs licked the blood of Naboth, they shall lick also thy blood. (And thou shalt speak to him, and say, The Lord saith these things, Hast thou killed Naboth, and furthermore, hast thou taken possession of his vineyard? and after these things thou shalt add, The Lord saith these things, In this place, where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, they shall also lick up thy blood.)

²⁰ And Ahab said to Elijah, Whether thou hast found me thine enemy? And Elijah said, I have found thee so, for thou art sold to the devil that thou shouldest do evil in the sight of the Lord. (And when Ahab saw Elijah, he said, Hast thou found me, O my enemy? And Elijah said, Yes, I have found thee, for thou hath sold thyself to the devil, and thou doest evil before the Lord.)

²¹ Therefore the Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall bring in upon thee evil, and I shall cut away thine hinder things, and I shall slay of Ahab a pisser to the wall, and the imprisoned, and the last in Israel; (And so the Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall bring in evil upon thee, and I shall cut away thy posterity, or thy descendants, and I shall kill all who be of Ahab, unto a pisser on the wall, and the imprisoned, and the last in Israel;)

²² and I shall give thine house to be as the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and as the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah; for thou didest evil to excite me to wrathfulness, and madest Israel to do sin. (and I shall make thy house to be like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah; for thou didest evil to stir me to anger, and madest Israel to do sin.)

²³ But also the Lord spake of Jezebel, and said, (The) Dogs shall eat (up) Jezebel in the field of Jezreel;

²⁴ if Ahab shall die in the city, dogs shall eat him; soothly if he shall die in the field, birds of the air shall eat him. (and if Ahab shall die in the city, the dogs shall eat him; and if he shall die in the field, the birds of the air shall eat him.)

²⁵ Therefore none other was such as Ahab, that was sold to do evil in the sight of the Lord; for Jezebel his wife excited him thereto; (And there was no one else like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil before the Lord; for Jezebel his wife stirred him to do it;)

²⁶ and he was made abominable, in so much that he followed the idols that (the) Amorites made, which men the Lord wasted from (before) the face of the sons of Israel.

²⁷ Therefore when Ahab had heard these words, he rent his cloth (he tore his cloak), and covered his flesh with an hair-shirt, and he fasted, and slept in a sackcloth, and went with the head cast down.

²⁸ And the word of the Lord was made to Elijah of Tishbe, and said,

²⁹ Whether thou hast not seen Ahab made low before me? Therefore for he is made low for the cause of me, I shall not bring in evil in his days, but in the days of his son I shall bring in evil to his house. (Hast thou seen that Ahab hath made himself low, or hath humbled himself, before me? And so because he hath made himself low, I shall not bring in evil in his days, but later I shall bring in evil upon his household, or his family, yea, in the days of his son.)

22 Therefore three years passed without battle betwixt Syria and Israel.

² And in the third year Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went down to the king of Israel.

³ And the king of Israel said to his servants, Know ye not, that Ramoth of Gilead is ours, and (that) we be negligent to (not) take it (back) from the hand of the king of Syria?

⁴ And he said to Jehoshaphat, Whether thou shalt come with me to fight in Ramoth of Gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, As I am, so and thou (I am ready when thou art/What is mine is yours); my people and thy people be one; and my knights and thy knights be one.

⁵ And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I pray thee, ask thou today the word of the Lord.

⁶ Therefore the king of Israel gathered together [the] prophets, about four hundred men, and he said to them, Ought I to go into Ramoth of Gilead to fight, either ought I to rest? Which answered, Go thou up, and the Lord shall give it in(to) the hand of the king.

⁷ Forsooth Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here any (other) prophet of the Lord, that we (may) ask by him?

⁸ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, One man, Micaiah, the son of Imlah, is left, by whom we may ask the Lord; but I hate him, for he prophesieth not good to me, but evil. To whom Jehoshaphat said, King, speak thou not so. (And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is one man left, Micaiah, the son of Imlah, by whom we can ask the Lord; but I hate him, for he never prophesieth good things for me, but only evil. To whom Jehoshaphat said, O king, do not thou say such things!)

⁹ Therefore the king of Israel called some chamberlain, and said to him, Haste thou to bring Micaiah, [the] son of Imlah.

¹⁰ Forsooth the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, sat, each in his throne, clothed with king’s ornament, in the large house beside the door, or wicket, of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied in the sight of them. (And so the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, each sat on their throne, clothed with king’s adornment, at the entrance to the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.)

¹¹ Also Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made to himself horns of iron, and said, The Lord God saith these things, With these thou shalt scatter Syria, till thou do away it. (And Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made iron horns for himself, and said, The Lord God saith these things, With these horns thou shalt scatter Syria, until thou do it away.)

¹² And all [the] prophets prophesied in like manner, and said, Ascend thou into Ramoth of Gilead, and go thou with prosperity; and the Lord shall betake thine enemies in(to) the hand of the king.

¹³ Soothly the messenger, that went to call Micaiah, spake to him, and said, Lo! the words of the prophets with one mouth preach goods to the king; therefore thy word be like them, and speak thou goods. (And the messenger who went to call Micaiah, spoke to him, and said, Lo! the words of the prophets preach with one mouth good things for the king; and so let thy word/s be like them, and say thou what is good.)

¹⁴ To whom Micaiah said, (As) The Lord liveth, for whatever thing the Lord shall say to me, I shall speak this.

¹⁵ Therefore he came to the king. And the king said to him, Micaiah, ought we (to) go into Ramoth of Gilead to fight, either cease (we)? To which king he answered, Ascend thou, and go in prosperity; and the Lord shall betake it into the hand of the king.

¹⁶ Forsooth the king said to him, Again and again I conjure thee (Again and again I adjure thee), that thou speak not to me, no but that that is sooth in the name of the Lord.

¹⁷ And he said, I saw all Israel scattered in the hills, as sheep not having a shepherd; and the Lord said, These have no lord, each man turn again into his house in peace (and the Lord said, They have no lord, so let each one now return to his house in peace).

¹⁸ Therefore the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Whether I said not to thee, that he prophesieth not good to me, but ever[more] evil? (And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not say to thee, that he never prophesieth good for me, but always evil?)

¹⁹ Soothly that Micaiah added, and said, Therefore hear thou the word of the Lord; I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and I saw all the host of heaven standing nigh [to] him, on the right side and on the left side.

²⁰ And the Lord said, Who shall deceive Ahab, king of Israel, that he ascend, and fall in Ramoth of Gilead? And one said such words, and another in another manner.

²¹ Soothly a spirit went out, and went before the Lord, and said, I shall deceive him.

²² To whom the Lord spake, In what thing? And he said, I shall go out, and I shall be a spirit of leasing in the mouth of all his prophets (and I shall be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets). And the Lord said, Thou shalt deceive (him), and shalt have the mastery; go thou out, and do so.

²³ Now therefore, lo! the Lord gave a spirit of leasing in the mouth of all (these) prophets that be here; and the Lord spake evil against thee. (And so now, lo! the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of thine that be here; and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.)

²⁴ Forsooth Zedekiah, [the] son of Chenaanah, nighed, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Whether the Spirit of the Lord forsook me, and spake to thee?

²⁵ And Micaiah said, Thou shalt see in that day (Thou shalt see on that day), when thou shalt go into a closet within (a) closet, (so) that thou be hid.

²⁶ And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and dwell he at Amon, [the] prince of the city, and at Joash, the son of Amalek; (And the king of Israel said, Take hold of Micaiah, and deliver him to Amon, the ruler of the city, and Joash, the son of Ahab;)

²⁷ and say ye to them, The king saith these things, Send ye this man into prison, and sustain ye him with bread of tribulation, and with water of anguish, till I turn again in peace (until I safely return).

²⁸ And Micaiah said, If thou shalt turn again in peace, the Lord spake not in me (If thou shalt safely return, then the Lord hath not spoken by me). And he said, Hear ye, all peoples.

²⁹ Therefore the king of Israel ascended, and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, into Ramoth of Gilead. (And so the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went up to Ramoth of Gilead.)

³⁰ Therefore the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Take thou armours, and enter thou into battle, and be thou clothed in thy clothes, that is, in (the) noble signs of the king. Certainly the king of Israel changed his clothing, and entered into battle. (And so the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Take thou up thy arms, or thy weapons, and enter thou into the battle, and be thou clothed in thy clothes, that is, in the noble signs of the king. But the king of Israel changed his own clothes, and only then entered into the battle.)

³¹ Soothly the king of Syria had commanded to [the] two and thirty princes of chariots, and said, Ye shall not fight against any man [the] less, either [the] more, but against the king of Israel only. (And the king of Syria had commanded to the thirty-two leaders of his chariots, and said, Ye shall not fight against any lesser man, or against any greater man, but only against the king of Israel.)

³² Therefore when the princes of (the) chariots had seen Jehoshaphat, they supposed that he was (the) king of Israel, and by fierceness made, they fought against him. And Jehoshaphat cried [out], calling (for) God’s help, and declaring his banner;

³³ and the princes of [the] chariots understood, that it was not the king of Israel, and they ceased from (pursuing) him.

³⁴ Soothly some man bent a bow, and directed an arrow into uncertain, and by hap he smote the king of Israel betwixt the lung and the stomach. And the king said to his charioteer, Turn thine hand, and cast me out of the host, for I am wounded grievously (And the king said to his charioteer, Turn thy hand, and take me out of the battle, for I am grievously wounded).

³⁵ Therefore [the] battle was joined in that day, and the king of Israel stood in his chariot against (the) men of Syria, and he was dead at eventide. Forsooth the blood of the wound floated down into the bottom of the chariot. (And so the battle was joined on that day, and the king of Israel stood in his chariot facing the Syrians, and then he died that evening. And the blood from his wound flowed down into the bottom of his chariot.)

³⁶ And a crier sounded in all the host, before that the sun went down, and said, Each man turn again into his city, and into his land (Each man return to his own city, and to his own land).

³⁷ Forsooth the king was dead, and was borne into Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

³⁸ And they washed his chariot in the cistern of Samaria, and dogs licked his blood, and they washed the armours, by the word of the Lord which he had spoken. (And they washed his chariot at the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and they washed his arms, or his weapons/and the whores washed themselves in it, according to the word which the Lord had spoken.)

³⁹ Soothly the residue of [the] words of Ahab, and all things which he did, and the house of ivory which he builded, and of all [the] cities which he builded (and the ivory house and all the cities which he built), whether these be not written in the book of [the] words of [the] days of the kings of Israel?

⁴⁰ Therefore Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah, his son, reigned for him. (And so Ahab died, and his son Ahaziah reigned for him.)

⁴¹ Forsooth Jehoshaphat, [the] son of Asa, began to reign on Judah in the fourth year of Ahab, king of Israel.

⁴² Jehoshaphat was of five and thirty years, when he began to reign, and he reigned five and twenty years in Jerusalem; the name of his mother was Azubah, [the] daughter of Shilhi.

⁴³ And he went in all the way of Asa, his father, and [he] bowed not [aside] from it; and he did that, that was rightful in the sight of the Lord. Nevertheless he did not away [the] high things, for yet the people made sacrifice, and burnt incense, in high places. (And he went in all the ways of his father Asa, and he turned not aside from them; and he did what was right before the Lord. But he did not do away the hill shrines, for yet the people offered sacrifices, and burned incense, at the hill shrines.)

⁴⁴ And Jehoshaphat had peace with the king of Israel.

⁴⁵ Soothly the residue of [the] words of Jehoshaphat, and the works and (the) battles, which he did, whether these be not written in the book of [the] words of [the] days of the kings of Judah?

⁴⁶ But also he took away from the land the relics of [the] men turned into women’s conditions, that (were) left in the days of Asa, his father. (And he also did away from the land the male and female whores, who served at the hill shrines, who were still there from the days of his father Asa.)

⁴⁷ Neither a king was ordained then in Edom (And there was not a king then in Edom, that is, Idumea); (but a deputy, appointed by the king of Judah, ruled over it).

⁴⁸ Forsooth king Jehoshaphat made ships in the sea, that should sail into Ophir for gold, and those might not go, for they were broken in Eziongeber. (And King Jehoshaphat made ships of the sea, to sail to Ophir for gold, but they never arrived there, for they were wrecked at Eziongeber.)

⁴⁹ Then Ahaziah, [the] son of Ahab, said to Jehoshaphat, My servants (shall) go with thine in (our) ships. And Jehoshaphat would not (But Jehoshaphat would not consent to that).

⁵⁰ And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with them in the city of David, his (fore)father; and Jehoram^[d], his son, reigned for him.

⁵¹ Forsooth Ahaziah, [the] son of Ahab, began to reign on Israel, in Samaria, in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah; and Ahaziah reigned on Israel two years.

⁵² And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went in the way of his father, and of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam, [the] son of Nebat, that made Israel to do sin.

⁵³ And he served Baal, and worshipped him, and wrathed the Lord God of Israel, by all things which his father had done. (And he served Baal, and worshipped him, and stirred the Lord God of Israel to anger, by doing all the evil things which his father had done.)

1 Forsooth Moab trespassed against Israel, after that Ahab was dead. (After Ahab died, Moab rebelled against Israel.)

² And Ahaziah felled through the alures of his solar, which he had in Samaria, and was (made) sick; and he sent messengers, and said to them, Go ye, and counsel (with) Baalzebub, [the] god of Ekron, whether I may live after this sickness of me. (And Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his solarium, which he had in Samaria, and was injured; and he sent out messengers, and said to them, Go ye, and counsel with Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, to see whether I shall recover from this injury of mine.)

³ Forsooth the angel of the Lord spake to Elijah of Tishbe, and said, Rise thou, and go down into the meeting of the messengers of the king of Samaria; and thou shalt say to them, Whether God is not in Israel, that ye go to counsel Baalzebub, [the] god of Ekron? (Is God not in Israel, so that ye must go to counsel with Baalzebub, the god of Ekron?)

⁴ For which thing the Lord saith these things, Thou shalt not go down off the bed, on which thou ascendedest, (but thou shalt die). And Elijah went (forth).

⁵ And the messengers turned again to Ahaziah. And he said to them, Why turned ye again? (And the messengers returned to Ahaziah. And he said to them, Why have ye returned?)

⁶ And they answered to him, A man met us, and said to us, Go ye, turn ye again to the king, that sent you; and ye shall say to him, The Lord saith these things, Whether for God was not in Israel, thou sendest, that Baalzebub, [the] god of Ekron, be counselled? Therefore thou shalt not go down off the bed, on which thou ascendedest, but thou shalt die by death. (And they answered to him, A man met us, and said to us, Go ye, return ye to the king, who sent you; and ye shall say to him, The Lord saith these things, Thinkest thou that God was not in Israel, and thou sentest out messengers, so that Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, could be counselled with? And so thou shalt not go down off the bed, on which thou liest, but thou shalt die.)

⁷ Which Ahaziah said to them, Of what figure and habit is that man, that met you, and spake to you these words?

⁸ And they said, An hairy man, and gird with a girdle of leather in the reins. Which said to them, It is Elijah of Tishbe. (And they said, A hairy man, and girded with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said to them, It is Elijah of Tishbe.)

⁹ And he sent to Elijah a prince of fifty, and [the] fifty men that were under him. Which prince ascended to him, and said to him, sitting in the top of the hill, Man of God, the king commandeth, that thou come down. (And he sent to Elijah a leader of fifty men, and the fifty men who were under him. Which leader went up to him, and said to him, as he was sitting on the hill-top, Man of God, the king commandeth, that thou come down.)

¹⁰ And Elijah answered, and said to the prince of fifty men (and said to the leader of fifty men), If I am the man of God, (let) fire come down from heaven, and devour thee and thy fifty men. Therefore fire came down from heaven, and devoured him, and the fifty men that were with him.

¹¹ Again he sent to Elijah another prince of fifty, and fifty men with him, which spake to Elijah, Man of God, the king saith these things, Haste thou, come thou down. (And he sent to Elijah another leader of fifty men, and the fifty men who were with him, who spoke to Elijah, and said, Man of God, the king saith these things, Hasten thou, come thou down.)

¹² Elijah answered, and said, If I am the man of God, (let) fire come down from heaven, and devour thee and thy fifty men. Therefore the fire of God came down from heaven, and devoured him and his fifty men.

¹³ Again he sent the third prince of fifty men, and [the] fifty men that were with him. And when the prince had come, he bowed the knees against Elijah (And when the leader had come near, he bowed his knees before Elijah), and prayed him, and said, Man of God, do not thou despise my life, and the lives of (these fifty men,) thy servants, that be with me.

¹⁴ Lo! fire came down from heaven, and devoured twain, the first (two) princes of fifty men, and the fifty men that were with them; but now, I beseech, that thou have mercy on my life. (Lo! fire came down from heaven, and devoured the first two leaders of fifty men, and the fifty men who were with each of them; but now, I beseech thee, that thou have mercy on my life.)

¹⁵ Forsooth the angel of the Lord spake to Elijah of Tishbe, and said, Go thou down with him; dread thou not (do not thou fear). Therefore Elijah rose (up), and came down with him to the king;

¹⁶ and he spake to the king, (and said,) The Lord saith these things, For thou sentest messengers to counsel Baalzebub, god of Ekron, as if no God were in Israel, of whom thou mightest ask a word; therefore thou shalt not go down off the bed, on which thou ascendedest, but thou shalt die by death. (and he spoke to the king, and said, The Lord saith these things, Because thou sentest out messengers to counsel with Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, as if God were not in Israel, of whom thou mightest ask a word; and so thou shalt not go down off the bed, on which thou liest, but thou shalt die.)

¹⁷ Therefore he was dead by the word of the Lord, which word Elijah spake; and Joram^[e], his brother, reigned for him, in the second year of Jehoram^[f], the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah; for Ahaziah had no son.

¹⁸ Soothly the residue of [the] words of Ahaziah, which he wrought, whether these be not written in the book of [the] words of [the] days of the kings of Israel?

2 Forsooth it was done, when the Lord would raise (up) Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah and Elisha went from Gilgal.

² And Elijah said to Elisha, Sit thou here, for the Lord [hath] sent me till into Bethel. To whom Elisha said, The Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, for I shall not forsake thee (To whom Elisha said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I shall not desert thee). And when they had come down to Bethel,

³ the sons of (the) prophets, that were in Bethel, went out to Elisha, and said to him, Whether thou knowest, that the Lord shall take away thy lord today from thee? (Knowest thou, that the Lord shall take away thy lord from thee today?) Which answered, And I know; be ye still.

⁴ Forsooth Elijah said to Elisha, Sit thou here, for the Lord [hath] sent me into Jericho. And he said, (As) The Lord liveth, and (as) thy soul liveth, for I shall not forsake thee. And when they had come to Jericho,

⁵ the sons of (the) prophets, that were in Jericho, nighed to Elisha, and said to him, Whether thou knowest, that the Lord shall take away thy lord today from thee? (Knowest thou, that the Lord shall take away thy lord from thee today?) And he said, I know; be ye still.

⁶ Forsooth Elijah said to Elisha, Sit thou here, for the Lord [hath] sent me to (the) Jordan (River). Which said, (As) The Lord liveth, and (as) thy soul liveth, for I shall not forsake thee. Therefore (they) both went together;

⁷ and fifty men of the sons of (the) prophets followed, which also stood far even against; soothly they both stood over (the) Jordan. (and fifty men of the sons of the prophets followed, and stood looking from afar; and they both stood by the Jordan River.)

⁸ And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it, and smote the waters; which were parted into ever either part, and both went by the dry. (And Elijah took his mantle, or his cloak, and rolled it up, and struck the water; which was divided into two parts, and they went across on dry ground.)

⁹ And when they had passed [over], Elijah said to Elisha, Ask thou that, that thou wilt that I do to thee, before that I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I beseech, that thy double spirit be made in me/I beseech, that thy double spirit be with me^[g]. (And when they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, Ask thou what thou wilt that I can do for thee, before that I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I beseech thee, that a double portion of thy spirit be given to me/be upon me.)

¹⁰ Which Elijah answered, Thou askest an hard thing; nevertheless if thou shalt see me, when I shall be taken away from thee, that that thou askest shall be (so); soothly if thou shalt not see (me), (then) it shall not be (so).

¹¹ And when they went, and spake going (And as they went forth, speaking as they went), lo! a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, parted ever either; and Elijah ascended by a whirlwind into heaven^[h].

¹² Forsooth Elisha saw, and cried, My father! my father! the chariot of Israel, and the charioteer thereof. And he saw no more Elijah. And he took his clothes, and rent those into two parts. (And Elisha saw it, and cried, My father! my father! the chariot of Israel, and its charioteer. And then he saw Elijah no more. And he took his own mantle, or his own cloak, and tore it in two.)

¹³ And he raised the mantle of Elijah, that felled down to him; and he turned again, and stood over the river of Jordan (And he picked up Elijah’s mantle, that fell down to him; and he returned, and stood by the Jordan River.)

¹⁴ And with the mantle of Elijah, that felled down to him, he smote the waters, which were not parted. And he said, Where is [the] God of Elijah also now? And (so) he smote the waters, and those were parted hither and thither; and Elisha passed [over]. (And using Elijah’s mantle, that fell down to him, he struck the water, for it was not parted. And he said, Where is the God of Elijah? And after that he struck the water, it was again parted here and there; and Elisha crossed over again.)

¹⁵ Soothly the sons of [the] prophets, that were in Jericho even against, saw, and said, The spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha. And they came into the meeting of him, and worshipped him lowly to [the] earth. (And the sons of the prophets from Jericho, were watching, and when they saw this, they said, The spirit of Elijah now resteth upon Elisha. And they came to meet him, and honoured him/and bowed low before him, down to the ground.)

¹⁶ And they said to him, Lo! with thy servants be fifty strong men, that may go, and seek thy lord, lest peradventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him, and hath cast forth him in one of the hills, either in one of the valleys. And Elisha said, Do not ye send. (And they said to him, Lo! among thy servants be fifty strong men, who can go, and search for thy lord, for perhaps the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up, and thrown him forth onto one of the hills, or into one of the valleys. And Elisha said, Do not ye go.)

¹⁷ And they constrained him, till he assented to them, and said, Send ye (them out). And they sent (out the) fifty men; and when they had sought him by three days, they found him not (and after they had looked for him for three days, they still could not find him).

¹⁸ And they turned again to Elisha; and he dwelled in Jericho. And he said to them, Whether I said not to you, Do not ye send (them out)? (And they returned to Elisha, who had stayed in Jericho. And he said to them, Did I not say to you, Do not ye go?/Do not ye send them out?)

¹⁹ Therefore the men of the city said to Elisha, Lo! the dwelling of this city is full good, as thou thyself, lord, seest; but the waters be most evil, and the land is barren.

²⁰ And he said, Bring ye to me a new vessel, and put ye salt into it. And when they had brought it to him,

²¹ he went out to the well of waters, and sent salt into it, and said, The Lord saith these things, I have healed these waters, and neither death, nor barrenness, shall be more in them. (he went to the well of water, or to the spring, and put the salt into it, and said, The Lord saith these things, I have healed this water, and no more shall there be death, or barrenness, in it.)

²² Therefore the waters were healed till into this day, by the word of Elisha, which he spake.

²³ Forsooth Elisha went up from thence into Bethel; and when he went up by the way, little children went out of the city, and scorned him, and said, Go up, thou bald one! go up, thou bald one! (Go away, O bald one! go away, Baldy!)

²⁴ And when he had beheld, he saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two bears went out of the forest, and rent (two and) forty children of them (and tore forty-two of those children to death).

²⁵ Soothly Elisha went from thence into the hill of Carmel, and from thence he turned again to Samaria. (And Elisha went from there to Mount Carmel, and then returned to Samaria.)