The Book of the Rulers (Kings) 1

     1[1-4] Now Ruler David was old and weakened in years; and they covered him with blankets, but he couldn’t get warm.So his workers said to him, “Let us search for the Ruler a young woman whose never had sex; and let her face the Ruler, and love you; and let her sleep with you, that the Ruler may keep warm.” So they searched for a beautiful young woman throughout all the borders of Israel, and found Abishag, the Shunammite, and brought her to the Ruler.The young woman was very beautiful; and she loveed the Ruler, and took care of him; but the Ruler didn’t have sex with her.

     [5-10] Then Adonijah, son of Haggith uplifted himself, saying, I’ll be Ruler; and he prepared him war vehicles and riders, and 50 soldiers to run before him. His father hadn’t ever disciplined him at any time and said, “Why have you done this?” He was also very good looking and was born after Absalom.He talked with Joab, of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar, the preacher; and they following Adonijah, helped him.But Zadok, the preacher, and Benaiah, of Jehoiada, and Nathan, the preacher, and Shimei, and Rei, and the soldiers who belonged to David didn’t agree with Adonijah. Adonijah killed sheep and cows and young fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En Rogel; and he called all his family, the Ruler’s sons, and all the people of Judah, the Ruler’s soldiers; but he didn’t call Nathan, the preacher, Benaiah, the soldiers, and Solomon his brother.

[11-14] Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, saying, “Haven’t you heard that Adonijah, son of Haggith rules, and David, our Ruler doesn’t know it?So come now, please let me give you counsel, that you may save your own life, and the life of your son, Solomon.Go and see the Ruler David, and tell him, “Didn’t you, Ruler, promise to your servant, saying, ‘Certainly Solomon, your son, will rule after me, and he’ll sit on my throne?’ So why does Adonijah rule?’ While you are there talking with the Ruler, I also will come in after you, and confirm your words.

[15-21] Bathsheba went to see the Ruler in his room; and the Ruler was very old; and Abishag, the Shunammite, was taking care of him.Bathsheba bowed, and paid respect to the Ruler. The Ruler said, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Sir, you promised by Yahweh, your God, to your wife, saying, “Certainly, Solomon, your son, will rule after me, and he’ll sit on my throne.   Now, see, Adonijah rules; and you, the Ruler, don’t know it; and he has killed many cows, fatlings, and sheep, and has called all the descendants of the Ruler, and Abiathar, the preacher, and Joab, the captain of the troops; but he hasn’t called Solomon, Your follower. All Israel watches you, the Ruler, to tell them who will sit on your throne after you.           Otherwise when you die, I and my son, Solomon, will be counted as enemies.”

[22-27] While she was talking with the Ruler, Nathan, the preacher came in. They told the Ruler, “Nathan, the preacher, is here to see you.” When he had come in before the Ruler, he bowed to the Ruler with his face down. Nathan said, Ruler, have you said, “Adonijah will rule after me, and he’ll sit on my throne?” For he has gone down today, and has killed cows, fatlings, and sheep in wealth, and has called all the Ruler’s sons, and the troop leaderss, and Abiathar, the preacher; and see, they’re eating and drinking before him, and say, ‘Long live Ruler, Adonijah.’But he hasn’t called me, Your follower, Zadok, the preacher, Benaiah, of Jehoiada, or Your follower, Solomon.  Have you done this, and not told your followers who should sit on your throne after the Ruler?”

     [28-31] Then Ruler David answered, “Call to me Bathsheba.” She came into the Ruler’s presence, and stood before the Ruler. The Ruler promised, saying, “As Yahweh lives, who has saved myself out of all difficulty, most certainly, as I promised to you, by Yahweh, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Certainly, Solomon, your son, will rule after me, and will sit on my throne in my place; most certainly, I’ll do so today.’ Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and paid respect to the Ruler, saying, “Let Ruler David live forever.”

[32-37] Ruler David said, “Call Zadok and Nathan, the preachers, and Benaiah, son of Jehoiada.” They came before the Ruler.The Ruler said to them, “Take with you the soldiers of your Ruler, and let Solomon, my son, ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon; and let Zadok and Nathan, the preachers, anoint him there Ruler over Israel; and blow the horn, and say, “Long live Ruler Solomon. Then you’ll come up after him, and he’ll come and sit on my throne and he’ll be Ruler in my place; I’ve made him Ruler over Israel and Judah.” Benaiah answered the Ruler, saying, “So be it; Yahweh, the God of the Ruler, say so too.” As Yahweh has been with the Ruler, even so God will be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of Ruler David.”

[38-40] So Zadok and Nathan, the preachers, and Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and Pelethites went down, and let Solomon ride on Ruler David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. Zadok, the preacher, took the horn of oil out of the Place of Worship, and anointed Solomon. They blew the horn; and all the people said, “Long live Ruler Solomon.             All the people followed him, and the musicians with pipes, and celebrated with great happiness, so that the earth shook with noise.

[41-48] Adonijah and all the guests, who were with him, heard it as they had finished eating. When Joab, heard the sound of the horn, he said, “Why does it sound like the city is in an uproar?” While he was still talking, Jonathan, of Abiathar, the preacher, came; and Adonijah said, “Come in, you’re a worthy man, and bring good news.” Jonathan told Adonijah, “Most certainly, Ruler David has made Solomon Ruler; and the Ruler has sent with him Zadok and Nathan, the preachers, and Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and Pelethites; and they’ve let him ride on the Ruler’s own mule; and Zadok and Nathan, the preachers, have anointed him Ruler in Gihon; and they have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that you’ve heard. Solomon sits on the throne of the nation. Besides this, the Ruler’s soldiers came to bless our leader, Ruler David, saying, ‘Your God make the name of Solomon better than Your Name, and make his throne greater than your throne;’ and the Ruler bowed himself on the bed. The Ruler said also, “Happy is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has given us someone to sit on my throne today, and let Me see it.”

[49-53] All the guests of Adonijah were afraid, and got up and went home. Adonijah feared Solomon; and he went and took hold on the horns of the altar. It was told Solomon, “Adonijah fears Ruler Solomon and has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, “Let Ruler Solomon promise to me first that he won’t kill me.” Solomon said, “If he’ll show himself a worthy man, there won’t a hair of his head fall to the earth; but if evil is found in him, he’ll die. So Ruler Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and paid respect to Ruler Solomon; and Solomon said to him, “Go home.”

 

     2[1-5] Now the time came for David to die; and he told Solomon, his son, “I’m going the way of all the earth; so be strong, and show yourself a man; and keep the charge of Yahweh, your God, to follow God, to keep God’s Word, the laws, rules, and judgments, what’s written in the Law of Moses, that you may do well in what you do, and wherever you go. That Yahweh’s word may proved which God said about me, saying, ‘If your children be careful of their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and soul, there won’t fail to be someone in your line to sit on the throne of Israel. Besides this, you know also what Joab, of Zeruiah, did to me, even what he did to the two troop leaderss of Israel, to Abner, of Ner, and to Amasa, of Jether, whom he killed, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war on his belt that hung on his waist, and in the shoes on his feet.

[6-10] So do what you think best, and don’t let his gray head go down to the grave in peace. But show kindness to the descendants of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and let them be of those who eat at your table, because they came to me, when I ran from Absalom, your brother. See, there’s with you Shimei, of Gera, the Benjamite, of Bahurim, who cursed me with a horrible curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I promised to him by Yahweh, saying, ‘I won’t kill you.’ So now don’t hold him guiltless, for you’re a wise man; and you’ll know what you should do to him, and you’ll bring his gray head down to Hell with blood. So David died, and was buried in the city of David.

[11-24] David ruled over Israel 40 years. He ruled in Hebron 7 years, and in Jerusalem 33 years. Solomon sat on the throne of David, his father; and his nation was strong. Then Adonijah, of Haggith, came to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. She said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably.” He said, “I have something to tell you.” She said, “Tell me.” He said, “You know that the rule was mine, and that all Israel had set their hearts on me, that I should rule; But the rule was changed, and has been given to my brother because it was given him from Yahweh. Now I ask one thing of you; please don’t deny me.” She said to him, “Tell me.” He said, “Please speak to Solomon, the Ruler (for he won’t tell you ‘no’), that he give me Abishag, the Shunammite, as wife.” Bathsheba said, “Okay; I’ll speak to the Ruler for you.” So Bathsheba went to Ruler Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. The Ruler got up to meet her, and bowed to her, and sat down on his throne, and made a throne to be brought for the Ruler’s mother; and she sat on his right side. Then she said, “I ask one small thing of you; please don’t deny me.” The Ruler said to her, “Ask, my mother, because I won’t deny you. She said, “Let Abishag, the Shunammite, be given to Adonijah, your brother, as wife.”Ruler Solomon answered his mother, Why do you ask Abishag, the Shunammite, for Adonijah? You might as well ask for him the rule also because he is my older brother; even for him, and for Abiathar, the preacher, and for Joab, of Zeruiah.”Then Ruler Solomon promised by Yahweh, saying, “God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah hasn’t said this against his own life.So now, as Yahweh lives, Who has set me up, and put me on the throne of David, my father, and who has made me a house, as he promised, truly Adonijah will be killed today.”         

     [25-34] Ruler Solomon sent Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, who killed him.To Abiathar, the preacher, the Ruler said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields because you’re worthy of death; but I won’t kill you at this time, because you carried the Chest of God God before David my father, and because you were troubled in all in which my father was troubled.So Solomon threw out Abiathar from being preacher to Yahweh, that he could fulfill the word of Yahweh, which was said about the house of Eli in Shiloh.                 The news came to Joab, because Joab had followed Adonijah, though he didn’t follow Absalom. Joab ran to the House of Yahweh, and took hold of the horns of the altar. It was told Ruler Solomon, Joab has run to the House of Yahweh, and is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah, saying, “Go, kill him.” Benaiah came to the House of Yahweh God, saying to him, The Ruler says, “Come out!” He said, “No; I’ll die here.” Benaiah brought the Ruler word again, saying, “Joab said this, and answered me this way.” The Ruler said to him, “Do as he has said, and kill him, and bury him; that you may take away the blood, which Joab shed without cause, from me and my father’s house. Yahweh will make his blood fall on his own head, because he killed two men who were better than he, and killed them with the sword, and my father David didn’t know it, that is, Abner, of Ner, captain of the troops of Israel, and Amasa, of Jether, captain of the troops of Judah. So their blood will fall on the head of Joab, and on the head of his family forever; but to David, and to his family, and to his house, and to his throne, there will be peace forever from Yahweh.” Then Benaiah went up, and attacked him, and killed him; and he was buried in his own house in the countryside.

[35-40] The Ruler put Benaiah in his place over the troops; and Zadok, the preacher, the Ruler put in the place of Abiathar. The Ruler sent and called for Shimei, saying to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem, and live there, and don’t go out from there anywhere.On the day you go out, and cross over the Kidron River, know for certain that you’ll truly die; your blood will be on your own head.” Shimei said to the Ruler, “What you say is good; as the Ruler has said, so I’ll do.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem a long time. At the end of three years, two of the workers of Shimei ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, Ruler of Gath. They told Shimei, saying, “Your workers are in Gath.” Shimei got up, and saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish, to look for his workers; and Shimei went, and brought his workers from Gath.

     [41-46] It was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had come back. The Ruler sent and called for Shimei, saying to him, “Didn’t I make you promise by Yahweh, and warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain, that on the day you go out, and walk out anywhere, you’ll truly die?’ and you said to me, ‘What you say is good.’ So why haven’t you kept the promise you made by Yahweh, and the word that I’ve told you?” Besides this, the Ruler said to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the evil that you did to David, my father; so Yahweh will turn your evil back on your own head. But Ruler Solomon will be blessed, and the throne of David will be set up before Yahweh forever.” So the Ruler told Benaiah to kill him. The rule was made sure for Solomon.

 

     3[1-3] Solomon made an agreement with the Ruler of Egypt, and took his daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had finished building his own house, and the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and the wall of Jerusalem  that surrounded it . Only the people sacrificed in the other places of worship in the mountains, because there was no house built for the name of Yahweh until those days. Solomon loved Yahweh, following the laws of David his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense in the other places of worship in the mountains.

     [4-10] The Ruler went to Gibeon to sacrifice there because that was the great place of worship; Solomon made a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. In Gibeon, Yahweh came to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for whatever you want and I’ll give it to you.”Solomon said, “You’ve shown to Your follower David, my father, great loving kindness, as he walked before you in truth, and in goodness, and his heart being right with you; and you’ve continued this great loving kindness for him, and given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today. Now, Yahweh my God, you’ve made Your follower Ruler, instead of David, my father; and I’m like a little child; I don’t even know how to go out or come in. Your follower is in the middle of Your people, which you’ve chosen, a great many people, that can’t even be counted for number.            So give Your follower an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may know the difference between good and evil because who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”  What he said pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this.

[11-14] God said to him, “Because you’ve asked this, and haven’t asked for yourself long life, nor have asked wealth for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to know right from wrong; I’ll do what you ask; I’ll give you a wise and an understanding heart; so that there has been none like you before you, nor will anyone come like you after you. I’ll also give you what you haven’t asked, both wealth and honor, so that there won’t be any among the Rulers like you, all your days. If you’ll follow Me, to keep My laws and My Word, as your father David did, then I’llgive you long life.” ThenSolomon awoke; and it was a dream; and he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the Chest of Promise of Yahweh, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a celebration for all his workers.

[16-28] Then two women, who were prostitutes, came to the Ruler, and stood before him. The first woman said, “Oh, sir, I and this woman live in one house; and I had a child with her in the house. On the third day after I had given birth, this woman also had given birth; and we were together; there was no one with us in the house, except the two of us. This woman’s child died in the night, because she lay on it. She got up at midnight, and took my child from beside me, while I slept, and put it next to her, and laid her dead child next to me. When I woke up in the morning to breastfeed my child, it was dead; but when I looked at it in the morning, it wasn’t my child, which I had.” Then the other woman said, “No; but the living child is my child, and the dead is yours.” Then the first woman said, “No; but the dead is yours, and the living is mine.” This they said, before the Ruler.                 Then the Ruler said, “This one says, ‘This is my child who lives, and your son is the dead; and the other says, No; but your son is the dead, and my child is the living.’”Then the Ruler said, “Go get me a sword.” They brought a sword before the Ruler.           The Ruler said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.” Then the woman, whose the living child really was, said to the Ruler, because her heart was broken over her child, “Oh, sir, give her the living child, and please don’t kill it.” But the other said, “It will be neither mine nor yours; divide it.” Then the Ruler answered, “Give her (the first woman) the living child, and don’t kill it; she is its mother. All Israel heard of the judgment, which the Ruler had made; and they respected the Ruler, because they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do justice.

 

     4[1-6] Ruler Solomon was Ruler over all Israel. These were the leaders whom he had; Azariah, son of Zadok, the preacher; Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, secretaries; Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, the recorder; and Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was over the troops; Zadok and Abiathar were preachers; Azariah, son of Nathan was over the officials; Zabud, son of Nathan was head minister, and the Ruler’s friend; Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram, son of Abda was over their workers.

     [7-19] Solomon had 12 officials over all Israel who gave food for the Ruler and his household; each one had to give it for a month in the year. These are their names; Ben Hur, in the hillsides of Ephraim; Ben Deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan; Ben Hesed, in Arubboth (to whom belonged Socoh, and all the land of Hepher); Ben Abinadab, in all the mountains of Dor (who had Taphath, the daughter of Solomon, as wife); Baana of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth Shean, which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as the far side of Jokmeam; Ben Geber, in Ramoth Gilead (to whom belonged the towns of Jair of Manasseh, which are in Gilead and the area of Argo in Bashan, 60 big cities with walls and brass bars on their gates); Ahinadab, son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;              Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (who also took Basemath, the daughter of Solomon, as wife); Baana, son of Hushai, in Asher and Aloth;   Jehoshaphat, son of Paruah, in Issachar; Shimei, son of Ela, in Benjamin; Geber, son of Uri, in Gilead, the country of Sihon, Ruler of the Amorites, and of Og, Ruler of Bashan; and he was the only official who was in the land.

[20-23] Judah and Israel had as many people as the sand by the sea, eating, drinking, and celebrating. Solomon ruled over all the countries from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, to the border of Egypt; they paid taxes, and served Solomon all the days of his life. Solomon’s needs for one day was 180 bushels of fine flour, and 360 bushels of meal, ten fat cows, and 20 cows out of the pastures, and 100 sheep, Besides this, deer, bucks, antelopes, and chickens.

[24-28] He ruled over all the area on this side the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah all the way to Gaza, over all the Rulers on this side of the Euphrates River; and he had peace on every side of him. Judah and Israel lived safely, everyone happily under their own vine and fig tree, from Dan all the way to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses for his war vehicles, and 12,000 riders. These officials gave food for Ruler Solomon, and all who came to Ruler Solomon’s table, each in their month; they left nothing lacking.They also broughtbarley and straw for the horses and stallions to the place where the officials were living, everyone according to his charge.

     [29-33] God gave Solomon great wisdom and understanding, and great compassion, even as the sand on the seashore.Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the east, and all of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone else; than Ethan, the Ezrahite, or Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. Solomon was famous in all the nations around him.          He spoke 3,000 sayings and made 1,005 songs.He told of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; he told also of animals, birds, insects, and fish.People came from everywhere to hear the Solomon’s wisdom, all the rulers of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

 

     5[1-6] Hiram Ruler of Tyre sent his workers to Solomon because he had heard that they had anointed him Ruler in place of his father because Hiram was a good friend of David. Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, “You know how David, my father, couldn’t build a house for the Name of Yahweh God for the wars which were around him on every side, until Yahweh put them under his power. But now Yahweh, my God, has given me rest on every side; there’s neither enemy, nor evil things happening. See, I plan to build a house for the Name of Yahweh, my God, as Yahweh said to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I’ll set on your throne in your place, will build the house for My Name.’ So now, tell them to cut cedar trees out of Lebanon for me; and my workers will be with Your followers; and I’ll pay you for your workers whatever you say because you know that there isn’t among us any who knows how to cut wood like the Sidonians.”

[7-11] When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he was very happy, saying, Happy is Yahweh today, who has given to David a wise son over this great people. Hiram sent word to Solomon, saying, I’ve heard the message which you’ve sent to me; I’ll do everything you want about the cedar and fir wood. My workers will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea; and I’ll make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that you tell me, and will make them break them up there, and you’ll get them; and pay me, in giving food for my household. So Hiram gave Solomon wood of cedar and fir as much as he wanted. Solomon gave Hiram 120,000 bushels of wheat for food to his household, and 1,200,000 gallons of pure oil; this Solomon gave to Hiram each year.

[12-18] Yahweh gave Solomon wisdom, as was promised; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they made an agreement together. Ruler Solomon raised a work force out of all Israel of 30,000 workers. He sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month by shifts; they were in Lebanon a month, and at home two months; and Adoniram was over the workers.           Solomon had 70,000 who moved the materials, and 80,000 who were stonecutters in the mountains; Besides 3,300 of Solomon’s head officials who were over the work, who had rule over the people who did the work. The Ruler told them to cut out large, expensive stones, to lay the foundation of the house with carved stone. Solomon’s and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites cut them, and prepared the wood and stones to build the house.

 

     6[1-3] In the 480^th year after the people of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the 4^th year of Solomon’s rule over Israel (966 BC), in the month Ziv, which is the second month (Ziv, Iyar, Apr-May), that he began to build the Place of Worship of Yahweh. The house which Ruler Solomon built for Yahweh, its was 90’ long, 30’ wide, and 45 high. The porch in front of the house of the Place of Worship, was 30’ long, like the width of the house; and 15’ wide in front of the house.         For the house he made windows of  slanted lattice work.

[5-10] Against the wall of the house he built stories around, against the walls of the house all around, both of the Place of Worship and of the inner sanctuary; and he made side rooms all around. The first story was 7 ½’ wide, the middle was 9’ wide, and the third was 10 ½ ’ wide because on the outside he made offsets in the outside wall of the house all around, that the beams wouldn’t be put in the walls of the house. When the house was being built, it was built of stone made ready at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was being built. The door for the middle side rooms was in the right side of the house; and they went up by winding stairs into the middle story, and out of the middle into the third. So he built the house, and finished it; and he covered the house with posts and planks of cedar.        He built the stories against all the sides of the house, each 7 ½ ‘ high; and they rested on the house with cedar beams.

[11-16] The word of Yahweh came to Solomon, saying, “About this house which you’re building, if you’ll keep My laws, and follow My rules, and keep all My words to follow them; then I’ll confirm My word with you, which I said to David, your father. I’ll live among the people of Israel, and won’t leave My people Israel.” So Solomon built the house, and finished it. He built the walls of the house inside with posts of cedar; from the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with planks of fir. He built a 30’ room on the back side of the house with posts of cedar from the floor to the walls of the ceiling; he built them for it inside, for an inner sanctuary, for the Most Holy Place.

[17-22] The house, that is, the Place of Worship, in front of the inner sanctuary was 60’ long. There was cedar on the inside, carved with buds and open flowers; all of it was cedar; no stone was seen. He made an inner sanctuary in the middle of the house inside, to put the Chest of Promise of Yahweh. Within the inner sanctuary was a space 30’ long, 30’ wide, and 30’ high; and he covered it with pure gold; and he covered the altar with cedar. Solomon covered the house inside with pure gold; and he pulled chains of gold across in front of the inner sanctuary and covered it with gold. The whole house he covered with gold, until all the house was finished; also the whole altar that was in the inner sanctuary he covered with gold.

[23-29] In the inner sanctuary he made two angelic winged creatures (cherubim)  of olive wood, each 15’ high. Each wing of the cherubwas 7 ½’ long; from the tip of the one wing to the tip of the other was 15’. The other cherub was 15’; both the angelic winged creatures were the same measure and form. They were 15 feet high. He set the cherubim within the inner room; and their wings were stretched out, so that the wing of the one touched one wall, and the wing of the other touched the other wall; and their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. He covered the cherubim with gold. He carved all the walls of the house around with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, inside and outside.

[30-37] The floor of the house he covered with gold, inside and outside. For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood; the top beam and door posts were a fifth of the wall. So he made two doors of olive wood; and he carved on them carvings of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and covered them with gold; and he spread the gold on the cherubim, and on the palm trees. So he made for the entrance of the Place of Worship door posts of olive wood, in a fourth of the wall; and two doors of fir wood; the two leaves of each door folded in the middle to make two folding doors.       He carved on it cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he covered them with gold fitted on the engraved work. He built the inner court with three courses of cut stone, and a course of cedar posts. In the 4^th year the foundation of the Place of Worship of Yahweh was laid, in the 2^nd month Ziv. In the 11^th year, in the month Bul (Cheshvan, Oct-Nov), which is the 8^th month, the house was completely finished, according to its design. So he spent seven years building it.

 

     7[1-5] Solomon was building his own house 13 years, and he finished all his house. He built the house with wood from the forest of Lebanon; it was150’ long, 75’ wide, and 45’ high, on four rows of cedar pillars with cedar beams on the pillars.          It was covered with cedar above over the beams, that were on the 45 pillars; 15 to a row. There were posts in three rows, and window was opposite window in three stories. All the doors and posts were made square with the beams; and window was opposite window in three stories.

[6-12] He made the hall of pillars; it was 75’ long and 45’ wide; and a porch in front of them with pillars and a doorway in front.         He made the throneroom where he was to judge, the hall of judgment; and it was covered with cedar from floor to ceiling. His house where he was to live, the other court within the hall, was of the same work. He also made a house for the Ruler of Egypt’s daughter (whom Solomon had taken as wife), like this one. All these were of costly stones, of stone cut to size, sawed with saws, inside and outside, even from the foundation to the cap stones, and so on the outside to the great court.    The foundation was of costly stones, very large stones, some 15’, and some 12’.  Above them were costly stones, stones cut to size, and cedar wood. The great court had three courses of cut stone around it, and a course of cedar posts; like the inner court of the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and the porch of the house.

[13-18] Ruler Solomon sent for Hiram out of Tyre. He was the son of a death survivor of the family group of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was very knowledgeable and skilfulll to make all kinds of things in brass. He came to Ruler Solomon, and did all his work. He designed the two pillars of brass, 27’ high; and an 18’ line  around them.                He made two capitals of molded brass, to set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was 7 ½’ high. There were nets of lattice, and circles of chain work, for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; seven for each capital. So he made the pillars with two rows around on the lattice, to cover each of the capitals that were on top of the pillars.

[19-22] The capitals that were on the top of the pillars in the porch were 6’ and shaped like a lily. The two capitals above the two pillars had pomegranates close by the rounded belly which was beside the lattice; and there were 200 pomegranates in rows around each. He put up the pillars at the porch of the Place of Worship; and he put up the right pillar, and called its name Jachin; and he put up the left pillar, and called its name Boaz. The top of the pillars was shaped like a lily; so the work of the pillars was finished.

[23-26] He made the molded sea of 15’ from brim to brim, round, and it was 7 ½’ high; and it was 45’ around it. Under its brim, raised cows surrounded it, ten every 18”, surrounding the sea; the cows were put in two rows when it was made. It stood on 12 sculpted cows, three each looking north, west, south, and east; and the sea was set on top of them, and all their hinds were inward. It was a 3” thick; and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; it held 12,000 gallons.

[27-39] He made the ten bases of brass; 6’ long, 6’ wide, and 4 ½’ high. The bases were made this way; they had borders, which were between the ledges; and on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, cows, and cherubim (angelic winged creatures); and on the ledges there was a pedestal above; and beneath the lions and cows were loops of hanging work.          Every base had four brass wheels and axles; and its four feet had supports; beneath the bowl were the supports decorated with loops at the side of each. The mouth of the capital was 18” and was round like the base, but 27”; and also on its mouth were engravings, and their borders were square, not round. The four wheels were underneath the borders; and the axles of the wheels were in the base; and the wheels were 27” high. The wheels were made like a war vehicle wheel; their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all molded brass. There were four supports at the four corners of each base; its supports were of the base itself. In the top of the base, it was a rounded 18” high; and on the top of the base its ledges and borders were the same. On the plates of its ledges and borders, he engraved cherubim (angelic winged creatures), lions, and palm trees, where there was space for each with the loops around it. In this way, he made the ten bases; all of them had one molding, one size, and one form. He made ten bowls of brass; one bowl contained 240 gallons; and every bowl was 6’; and on each of the ten bases one bowl. He set the bases, five on each side of the house; and he set the sea on the right side of the house in the southeast corner.

[40-47] Hiram also made the pots, shovels, and bowls. So Hiram finished doing all the work that he did for Ruler Solomon in the Place of Worship of Yahweh; the two pillars, and the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; and the two lattices to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; and the 400 pomegranates for the two lattices; two rows of pomegranates for each lattice, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars; and the ten bases, and the ten bowls on the bases; and the sea, and the 12 cows under the sea; and the pots, shovels, and bowls; all the tools which Hiram made for Ruler Solomon, in the Place of Worship of Yahweh, were of bronzed brass. The Ruler made them in the field of the Jordan in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. Solomon left all the pots unweighed, because there were so many; the weight of the brass couldn’t be measured.

[48-51] Solomon made all the tools that were in the Place of Worship of Yahweh; the golden altar, the golden tables where the holy bread was kept, and the lampstands, five on each side in front of the inner sanctuary, all of pure gold; and the flowers, lamps, and tongs, all of gold; and the cups, snuffers, bowls, spoons, and fire pans, all of pure gold; and the hinges, both for the doors of the inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place, and for the doors of the main hall, that is, of the Place of Worship, all of gold. So all the work that Ruler Solomon did in the Place of Worship of Yahweh was finished. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated, the silver, gold, and pots, and put them in the treasuries of the Place of Worship of Yahweh.

 

      8[1-4] Then Ruler Solomon gathered the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the family groups, the leaders of the ancestors’ houses of the people of Israel, to Jerusalem, to bring up the Chest of Promise of Yahweh out of the city of David, which is Zion. All the people of Israel came to Ruler Solomon at the celebration, in the month Ethanim (Tishri, Sept.-Oct.), which is the 7^th month. All the elders of Israel came, and the preachers took up the Chest. They brought up the Chest of God, and the Place of Worship, and all the holy pots that were in the Holy Tent; the preachers and Levites brought all these up.  

      [5-11] Ruler Solomon and all the people of Israel, who were gathered to him, were together before the Chest, sacrificing so many sheep and cows, that they couldn’t all be counted. The preachers brought in the Chest of Promise of Yahweh to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Most Holy Place, even under the angelic winged creatures (cherubim). The cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the Chest, and the cherubim covered the Chest and its poles. The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary; but they weren’t seen outside; and there they’re until today. There wasn’t anything in the Chest except the two slabs of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when Yahweh made an agreement with the people of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt.       When the preachers had come out of the holy place, the cloud filled the Place of Worship of Yahweh, so that the preachers couldn’t stand to minister because the cloud which surrounded the glory of Yahweh filled the Place of Worship.

[12-21] Then Solomon said, “Yahweh, You have said, ‘I will live in the dark cloud.’” I’ve Truly built You a house to live in, a place for You to stay forever.” The Ruler turned around, and blessed all the assembly of Israel; and all the assembly of Israel stood.     He said, “Happy is Yahweh, the God of Israel, Who said to David, my father, and has done it, saying, ‘Since the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the family groups of Israel to build a house, that My Name would be there; but I chose David to be over My people Israel.’ Now it was in the heart of David, my father, to build a house for the Name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. But Yahweh said to David, my father, ‘Since it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you did well that it was in your heart; but you won’t build the house; your son who will come out of your own body, he’ll build the house for My Name.’ Yahweh’s word is proven because I’m sitting in the place of David, my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and have built the house for the Name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. I’ve set a place there for the Chest, in which is the promised agreement of Yahweh, which was made with our ancestors when God brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

[22-30] Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven; and he said, “Yahweh, God of Israel, there’s no God like you, in heaven above, or on earth beneath; who keeps promises and shows loving kindness to Your followers, who walk before you with all their heart. You have kept what You promised to Your follower David, my father; yes, You said it, and have done it, as it is today. So now, Yahweh, God of Israel, keep the promise You made with Your follower David, my father, saying, There won’t fail to be someone to sit on the throne of Israel before me for you, if only your children be careful to watch their way, to follow me as you’ve followed me.                So now, God of Israel, please let Your word be proven, which you said to Your follower, David, my father. But will God, in fact, live on the earth? See, heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain You; how much less this house that I’ve built! But still have respect for the prayer of Your follower, and for his prayer, Yahweh, my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your follower prays before you today; that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which You’ve said, ‘My Name will be there;’ to listen to the prayer which Your follower will pray toward this place. Listen to the prayer of Your follower, and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place; yes, hear in heaven, where You are; and when You Listen, forgive them.

[31-40] If anyone sins against their neighbor, and they are made to make a promise, and they come and make a promise before Your altar in this house; then hear them in heaven, and do, and judge Your followers, punishing the sinful, to bring their  sin on their own head, and clearing the good, to give them what their goodness deserves.        When Your people Israel are beaten by the enemy, because they’ve sinned against You; if they turn back to You, and call on Your Name, and pray and say their prayers to You in this house; then hear them in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which You gave to their ancestors. When the sky is shut up, and there’s no rain, because they’ve sinned against You; if they pray toward this place, and call on Your Name, and turn from their sin when You trouble them; then hear them in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your followers, and of Your people Israel when you teach them the good way they should go; and send rain on your land, which You’ve given to Your people for an inheritance. If there’s a lack of food in the land, if there’s disease, if there’s blight or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemy takes their cities in the land; whatever disease, whatever sickness there is; whatever prayer and request is made by someone, or by all Your people Israel, who will know the sin sickness of their own heart, and spread out their hands toward this house; then hear them in heaven, where You are, and forgive, and do, and give to everyone what their ways deserve, whose hearts you know; (for You, and You only, know the hearts of all people;) that they may respect You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our ancestors.

[41-53] Besides this, about the foreigner who isn’t of Your people Israel, when they come out of another country for Your Name’s sake (for they’ll hear of Your Great Name, and of Your strong hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when they come and pray toward this house; hear them in heaven, where You are, and do what the foreigner asks You; that all the peoples of the earth may know Your Name, to respect You, as does Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I’ve built is called by Your Name. If Your people go out to fight against their enemy, by whatever way You send them, and they pray to Yahweh toward the city which You’ve chosen, and toward the house which I’ve built for Your Name;  then hear in heaven their prayer and request, and take their case. If they sin against You (for there’s no one who doesn’t sin), and You’re angry with them, and hand them over to the enemy, so that they take them away prisoner to the land of the enemy, far away or near; still if they change their ways in the land where they’re taken prisoner, and turn back, and pray to You in the land of those who took them prisoner, saying, ‘We’ve sinned, and have done wrong, we’ve done evil;’ if they come back to You with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies, who took them prisoner, and pray to You toward their land, which You gave to their ancestors, the city which You’ve chosen, and the house which I’ve built for Your Name; then hear their prayer and request in heaven, where You are, and take their case;                and forgive Your people, who have sinned against You, and all their sins which they’ve sinned against you; and give them compassion by those who took them prisoner, that they may have compassion on them (for they’re Your people, and Your inheritance, which you brought out of Egypt, from the middle of the iron furnace); that Your eyes may be open to the prayer of Your follower, and to the prayer of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they cry to you. You set them apart from among all the peoples of the earth, to be Your inheritance, as You said,  by Moses Your follower, when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, Yahweh God.”

[54-66] When Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and making requests to Yahweh, he got up from before the altar of Yahweh, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread out toward heaven. He stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel loudly, saying, “Happy is Yahweh, who has given rest to the people of Israel, like what God promised; there hasn’t failed one word of all God’s good promise which was promised to Moses, God’s follower. Yahweh our God is with us, like with our ancestors; let God not leave us, nor turn from us; and turn our hearts toward God, to follow God’s ways, and to keep God’s Words, laws, and rules, which God told our ancestors. Let these words, which I’ve prayed before Yahweh, be near to Yahweh, our God, day and night, Who will maintain the cause of God’s follower, and the cause of God’s people Israel, as everyday needs; that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh is God; and that there’s no one else. Let your heart be true to Yahweh our God, to keep God’s laws, and to keep God’s words, as today. The Ruler and all Israel offered sacrifices before Yahweh. Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to Yahweh, 22,000 cows, and 120,000 sheep. So the Ruler and all the people of Israel dedicated the Place of Worship of Yahweh. The same day, the Ruler made the middle of the court holy that was before the Place of Worship of Yahweh because there he offered the burnt offering, the meal offering, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brass altar that was before Yahweh was too little to receive the burnt offering, the meal offering, and the fat of the peace offerings.So Solomon and all Israel held the celebration at that time, a great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the River of Egypt, before Yahweh our God, seven days and seven more days, 14 days in all. On the 8^th day he sent the people away; and they blessed the Ruler, and went home happy and gladhearted for all the goodness that Yahweh had shown to David, God’s follower, and to Israel, God’s people.

 

     9[1-9] When Solomon had finished building the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and the Ruler’s house, and all that Solomon wanted to do, Yahweh appeared to Solomon a second time, who had appeared to him at Gibeon. Yahweh said to him, “I’ve heard your prayer and request that you’ve made before me; I’ve made this house holy, which you’ve built, to put My Name there forever; and Me and My heart will be there continually. As for you, if you follow Me, as David your father followed Me, with a true heart, and in goodness, to do what I’ve told you, and will keep My laws and rules; then I’ll set up your throne over Israel forever, like I promised to David your father, saying, ‘There won’t fail to be someone for you on the throne of Israel.’ But if you turn away from following me, you or your children, and don’t keep My words and laws which I’ve set before you, but go and serve the false gods, and worship them; then I’ll take Israel out of the land which I’ve given them; and this house, which I’ve made holy for My Name, I’ll put out of My sight; and Israel will be a saying and a byword among all peoples. Though this house stands high, still everyone who passes by it will be shocked, and will mock; and they’ll say, ‘Why has Yahweh done this to this land, and to this house?’ and they’ll answer, ‘Because they left Yahweh their God who brought their ancestors out of the land of Egypt, and took other gods, and worshiped them, and served them; so Yahweh has brought all this evil on them.’”

     [10-14]  At the end of 20 years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, the Place of Worship of Yahweh and the Ruler’s house (now Hiram, the Ruler of Tyre, had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with all the gold he wanted), then Ruler Solomon gave Hiram 20 cities in the land of Galilee. Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities, which Solomon had given him; and he didn’t like them. He said, “What cities are these which you’ve given me, my brother? He called them the land of Cabul (Good for Nothing) until today. Hiram sent to the Ruler 9,000 lbs of gold.

     [15-19] This is the reason for the work force, which Ruler Solomon made, to build the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer. TheRuler of Egypt had gone up and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and killed the Canaanites, who lived in the city, and gave it for a present to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. Solomon built Gezer, and Beth Horon the lower, and Baalath, and Tamar in the countryside in the land of Judah, and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and the cities for his war vehicles, and the cities for his riders, and what Solomon wanted to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land he ruled.

[20-28] As for all the people who were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who weren’t of the people of Israel; their children who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel weren’t able to completely destroy, Solomon made a work force until today. But Solomon made no workers of the people of Israel; but they were the soldiers, his personal workers, his leaders, his captains, and the drivers and riders of his war vehicles. These were the leading officials who were over Solomon’s work, 550 who had rule over the people who did the work. But the Ruler of Egypt’s daughter came up out of the city of David to her house, which Solomon had built for her; then he built Millo. Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar, which he built to Yahweh, burning incense with it, on the altar that was before Yahweh. So he finished the house. Ruler Solomon also made a navy of ships in Ezion Geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom. Hiram sent his workers and sailors, who had knowledge of the sea for the navy to work with the workers of Solomon. They came to Ophir, and got 31,000 lbs of gold from there, and brought it to Ruler Solomon.

 

     10[1-5] When the Ruler of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon about the Name of Yahweh, she came to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a very great caravan of camels that had spices, much gold, and precious stones; and when she had come to Solomon, she talked with him of what was in her heart. Solomon answered all her questions; Solomon didn’t keep any secrets from her. When the Ruler of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built, and the food on the table, and the seating of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their clothing, and his cup bearers, and the steps by which he went up to the Place of Worship of Yahweh; there was no more spirit in her.

[6-10] She said to the Ruler, “It was true what I heard in my own land about your acts, and your wisdom.  But I didn’t believe their words until I came, and I had seen it; and see, the half wasn’t told me; your wisdom and wealth are more famous than I had heard. Happy are your people and your followers, who stand continually before you, and hear your wisdom. Happy is Yahweh, your God, who was pleased to set you on the throne, to be Ruler for Yahweh, your God; because your God loved Israel, to set them up forever, so God made you Ruler over them, to do justice and goodness.” She gave the Ruler 9,000 lbs of gold, and many spices and precious stones; nor was there any treasure of spices like the Ruler of Sheba gave to the Ruler Solomon.

[11-13] The navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a great many algum trees and precious stones. The Ruler made of the algum trees porches for the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and for the Ruler’s house, and harps and lyres for the singers; and there were none seen like this ever before. Ruler Solomon gave to the Ruler of Sheba everything she wanted, whatever she asked for, besides what Solomon gave her of his royal trasures. So she went back to her own land, she and her workers.

[14-20] Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 49,950 lbs (666 talents) of gold, besides what the traders and traders brought; and all the Rulers of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.    Ruler Solomon made 200 shields of beaten gold with 600 gold coins going into each shield.He also made 300 smaller shields of beaten gold with 300 gold coins going into each one; and the Ruler put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. Besides this, the Ruler made a great throne of ivory, and covered it with pure gold; and there were six steps to the throne, and the top of the throne was rounded behind the seat, and it had armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside them.  There were12 lions that stood on each side of the six steps; there wasn’t anything like it made in any country.

     [21-25] All Ruler Solomon’s drinking cups were of gold, and all the dishes of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver wasn’t of any value in the days of Solomon.For the Ruler had merchant ships that went to Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; the ships of Tarshish came once every three years, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.So Ruler Solomon was greater than all the Rulers of the earth in riches and wisdom.All the Rulers of the earth went to Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.They brought their taxes, pots of silver and gold, clothing, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate each year.

     [26-29] Solomon gathered together war vehicles and riders; and he had 1,400 war vehicles, and 12,000 riders, that he put in the war vehicle cities, and with the Ruler at Jerusalem. The Ruler made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedars as common as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland. The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; and the Ruler’s traders got them in herds, each at a set price.  A war vehicle was bought out of Egypt for 600 silver coins, and a horse for 150; and so they sold them by their traders to all the Rulers of the Hittites, and the Syrians.

 

     11[1-6] Now Ruler Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of the Ruler of Egypt, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites; of the nations about which Yahweh said to the people of Israel, “You won’t go with them, neither will they come among you because, truly, they’ll turn your heart away from Me after their false gods;” but Solomon love them and married them. He had 700 wives who were princesses, and 300 mistresses; and his wives turned his heart away from God. When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart to other gods; and his heart wasn’t right with Yahweh God, as was the heart of David his father. Solomon followed Ashtoreth (Cannanite false goddess of love and war) the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the false god of the Ammonites. Solomon did what was evil to Yahweh, and didn’t go fully after Yahweh, as did David his father.

[7-13] Then Solomon built a place of worship for Chemosh, the evil false god of Moab, on the mountain that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech (worshiped with child sacrifice by fire), the evil false god of the people of Ammon.So he did for all his foreign wives who burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods.Yahweh was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel, Who had appeared to him twice, and had warned him about this thing, that he shouldn’t worship other gods; but he didn’t do what Yahweh had told him. So Yahweh said to Solomon, “Because you’ve done this, and you haven’t kept My promised agreement and My laws which I’ve told you, I’ll truly tear the nation from you, and give it to your worker. Though I won’t do it in your days, for David your father’s sake; but I’ll tear it away from your son. I won’t tear away all the people; but I’ll give one family group to your son, for David, My follower’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I’ve chosen.”

     [14-22] Yahweh raised up an enemy to Solomon, Hadad, the Edomite; he was a relative of the Ruler of Edom.  When David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the troops was gone up to bury the dead, and had fought every male in Edom (for Joab and all Israel were left there six months, until he had killed every male in Edom); that Hadad ran, he and certain Edomites of his father’s workers with him, to go into Egypt, Hadad being still a little child. They went  out of Midian, and came to Paran, taking men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, to the Ruler of Egypt, who gave him a house, food, and land.        Hadad was well liked by the Ruler of Egypt, so that he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes, the queen. The sister of Tahpenes had him Genubath, his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Ruler of Egypt’s house; and Genubath was in Ruler of Egypt’s house among the descendants of the Ruler of Egypt. When Hadad heard in Egypt that David died, and that Joab, the captain of the troops was dead, Hadad said to the Ruler of Egypt, “Let me go back to my own country.” Then the Ruler of Egypt said to him, “But what have you lacked with me, that you want to go to your own country?” He answered, “Nothing; but let me go.”

[23-25] God raised up another enemy to him, Rezon, son of Eliada, who had run from his leader Hadadezer, Ruler of Zobah.He gathered men to him, and became captain over a troop when David killed those of Zobah; and they went to Damascus, and lived and ruled there in Damascus.He was an enemy to Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the trouble that Hadad stirred up; and he hated Israel, and ruled over Syria.

     [26-28] Jeroboam of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a worker of Solomon, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a death survivor, also came against the Ruler.This was the reason why he came against the Ruler; Solomon built Millo, and fixed the breach of the city of David, his father.Jeroboam was a brave man of courage; and Solomon saw that the young man was a hard worker, and he put him in charge over all the work of the house of Joseph.

     [29-39] At that time, when Jeroboam went out from Jerusalem, the preacher Ahijah, the Shilonite, met him on the road; now Ahijah had put on a new clothes; and they were alone in the field.Ahijah, took hold of the new clothes that was on him, and tore it in 12 pieces.He said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces, because Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, “See, I’ll tear the countries from Solomon, and will give ten family groups to you (but he’ll have one family group, for my follower David’s sake and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I’ve chosen out of all the family groups of Israel); because they’ve left me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth, the false goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh, the false god of Moab, and Milcom, the false god of the people of Ammon; and they’ve not kept My ways, to do what’s right to Me, and to keep My laws and My rules, as did David his father.But I won’t take the whole nation from him; but I’ll make him head all the days of his life, for David, My follower’s sake, whom I chose, who kept My words and My laws; but I’ll take the countries from his son, and will give it to you, ten family groups.To his son I’ll give one family group, that David, My follower, may have a lamp always before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I’ve chosen to put My Name.I’ll take you, and you’ll rule however you want, and will be Ruler over Israel.If you listen to what I tell you, and follow Me, and do what’s right to Me, to keep My laws and My words, as David my worker did, I’ll be with you, and will let your family rule, as I did for David, and will give Israel to you.I’ll trouble the descendants of David for this, but not forever.”

[40-43] SoSolomon searched to kill Jeroboam; but Jeroboam went to Egypt, to Shishak, Ruler of Egypt, and was in Egypt until Solomon died.Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, and what he did, and his wisdom, are written in The Book of the Acts of Solomon. Solomon ruled 40 years in Jerusalem over all Israel.Solomon died, and was buried in the city of David, his father; and Rehoboam, his son, ruled in his place.

 

     12[1-5] Rehoboam went to Shechem because all Israel had come to Shechem to make him Ruler. When Jeroboam of Nebat heard it (for he was still in Egypt where he had run from Ruler Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt, and they sent and called him), so that Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, saying to Rehoboam, “Your father made our work very hard; So now make that very hard work of your father, and the hard jobs he put on us, easier, and we’ll serve you. So he said to them, Come back to me after three days” and the people left.

[6-11] Ruler Rehoboam counseled with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he still lived, saying, “What answer can you give me to say to these people?” They said to him, “If you’re kind to these people, and do what they want, and speak kindly to them, then they’ll be your workers forever.” But he didn’t take the advice of the old men which they had given him, and asked the young men, who had grown up with him, who stood before him. He said to them, “What answer can you give me that we may say to these people, who have said to me, ‘Make the work that your father put on us easier?’”The young men who had grown up with him said to him, “You should tell the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our work hard, but make it easier to us;’ you should say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s penis.Now while my father gave you hard work, I’ll add more work to you; my father punished you with whips, but I’ll punish you with scorpions.’”

     [12-19] So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the Ruler had said, “Come back to me the third day.” The Ruler answered them roughly; and he refused the advice of the old men, saying to them what the soldiers had said, “My father made your service hard, but I’ll add to it; my father punished you with whips, but I’ll punish you with scorpions.”              So the Ruler didn’t listen to the people because it was brought about of God that Yahweh would prove the word which was said,  by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam of Nebat.When all Israel saw that the Ruler didn’t listen to them, the people answered him, saying, “What part do we have in David? nor do we have any part in the son of Jesse; everyone go home, Israel; now see to your own house, David.” So all Israel went home. But as for the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam ruled over them. Then Ruler Rehoboam sent Hadoram who was over their workers; and the people of Israel stoned him to death with stones. Ruler Rehoboam quickly got into his war vehicle, and ran to Jerusalem. So Israel rebelled against the house of David until today.

     [20-24] When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had gone back, they sent and called him to the people, and made him Ruler over all Israel; there was no one who followed the house of David, but the family group of Judah only.When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he gathered the people of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 of the best soldiers, who were warriors, to fight against Israel, to take the country back for Rehoboam, son of Solomon. But the word of Yahweh came to Shemaiah, the follower of God, saying, “Speak to Rehoboam, son of Solomon, Ruler of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, Yahweh says, You won’t go up, nor fight against your family members; everyone go back home because this thing is of Me. So they listened to the words of Yahweh, and went back home as Yahweh told them.

     [25-28 ] Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there, and built Penuel.   Jeroboam said in his heart, “The countries will go back to the house of David if the people go up to offer sacrifices in the Place of Worship of Yahweh at Jerusalem, and their hearts will turn back to their leader, Rehoboam, Ruler of Judah; and they’ll kill me, and go back to Rehoboam, Ruler of Judah. So the Ruler spoke with his counselors, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It’s too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; see these are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”  

     [29-33] He set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.This thing was a sin because the people went to worship it in Dan.           He made places of false worship, and made preachers from among all the people, who weren’t of the descendants of Levi.          Jeroboam called for a celebration on the 15^th day in the 8^th month (Cheshvan, Oct-Nov), like the celebration that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; and he did so in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made; and he placed the preachers of the places of false worship that he had made in Bethel. He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the 15^th day in the 8^th month, in the time which he had planned in his own heart; and he called for a celebration for the people of Israel, and went up to the altar, to burn incense.

 

     13[1-5] A follower of God came out of Judah by the word of Yahweh to Bethel; and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense. He cried against the altar by the word of Yahweh, saying, “Yahweh says ‘Altar, altar, a son will be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you will he sacrifice the preachers of the places of false worship who burn incense on you, and men’s bones will they burn on you.’” He gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which Yahweh has said, “See, the altar will be broken, and the ashes that are on it will be poured out.” When the Ruler heard what the follower of God had said which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam reached out from the altar, saying, “Grab him. His hand which he put out against him, dried up, so that he couldn’t bring it back to him again. Then the altar was broken, and the ashes poured out from the altar, just like the sign which the follower of God had given them by the word of Yahweh.

     [6-10] The Ruler answered the follower of God, “Ask Yahweh your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be healed again.” The follower of God asked Yahweh, and the Ruler’s hand was healed again, and became as it was before. The Ruler said to the follower of God, “Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I’ll give you a reward.” The follower of God said to the Ruler, “If you gave me half your house, I wouldn’t go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place because it was told me by the word of Yahweh, saying, ‘You’ll eat nothing, nor drink water, nor go back the same way that you came.’”     So he went another way, and didn’t go back the way that he came to Bethel.

[11-18] Now there lived an old preacher in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the follower of God had done that day in Bethel; the words which he had said to the Ruler, they told to their father. Their father asked them, “Which way did he go?” Now his sons had seen which way the follower of God went who came from Judah. He said to his sons, “Saddle me the donkey.” So they saddled him the donkey; and he rode on it. He followed the follower of God, and found him sitting under an oak; and he said to him, “Are you the follower of God who came from Judah?” He said, “I am.” Then he said to him, “Come home with me, and eat.”  He said, “I can’t go back with you, nor go in with you; neither could I eat bread or drink water with you in this place, because it was said to me by the word of Yahweh, ‘You’ll eat nothing nor drink water there, nor turn back to go the way that you came.’ He said to him, “I also am a preacher as you are; and an angel said to me by the word of Yahweh, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house, that he may eat and drink water.’ But he lied to him.

[19-24] So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water. As they sat at the table, the word of Yahweh came to the preacher who brought him back;               and he said to the follower of God who came from Judah, “Yahweh says, ‘Because you’ve been disobedient to the word of Yahweh, and haven’t kept the word which Yahweh your God told you, but came back, and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place which God said to you, ‘Don’t eat or drink anything; your body won’t be buried in the grave of your ancestors.’ After he had eaten and drunk, he saddled for him the donkey, that is, for the preacher whom he had brought back. When he was gone, a lion met him on the road, and killed him; and his body was thrown in the road, and the donkey stood by it; and the lion also stood by the body.

[25-30] Then some men passed by, and saw the body laying in the road, and the lion standing by it; and they came and told it in the city where the old preacher lived. When the preacher who brought him back from the road heard it, he said, “It’s the follower of God who was disobedient to the Word of Yahweh; so Yahweh has given him to the lion which has torn him, and killed him, as Yahweh had told him.He said to his sons, “Saddle me the donkey.” They saddled it. He went and found his body laying in the road, and the donkey and the lion standing by the body; and the lion hadn’t eaten the body, nor hurt the donkey. The old preacher took the body of the follower of God, and laid it on the donkey, and brought it back; and he came back to his city to mourn and bury him. He laid the preacher’s body in his own grave and mourned over him, saying, “Ah, my brother!”

     [31-34] After he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I’m dead, then bury me in the grave in which the follower of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. The saying which he cried by the word of Yahweh against the altar in Bethel, and against all the places of false worship which are in the cities of Samaria, will truly happen.” After this, Jeroboam didn’t turn from his evil ways, but made again from all the people, preachers for the places of false worship; he dedicated whoever would, so that there would be preachers for the places of false worship. This thing was a sin to the house of Jeroboam, to end it, and to destroy it from the face of the earth.

 

     14[1-5] At that time Abijah, son of Jeroboam fell sick.Jeroboam said to his wife, “Please go and disguise yourself, that you not be known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and go to Shiloh, where Ahijah, the preacher, is, who said about me that I would be Ruler over this people. Take with you ten loaves, and cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him; he’ll tell you what will happen to the child. So Jeroboam’s wife did so, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah couldn’t see because his eyes were blind because of his age. Yahweh said to Ahijah, “See, the wife of Jeroboam comes to ask of you about her son because he is sick; this and this will you tell her because when she comes in, she’ll pretend to be another woman.”

[6-16] When Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came in at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam; why do you pretend to be another? I have bad news for you. Go, tell Jeroboam, Yahweh, the God of Israel says, ‘Because I uplifted you from among the people, and made you head over My people Israel,   and tore the countries away from the house of David, and gave it you; and still you haven’t been as my follower David, who kept my words, and who followed me with all his heart, to do only what was right to Me, but have done evil above all who were before you, and have gone and made other false gods, to make Me angry, and have thrown me behind your back; so, see, I’ll bring evil on the house of Jeroboam, and will take from Jeroboam every boy, those who are imprisoned and those who are free in Israel, and will completely throw away the house of Jeroboam, as someone throws away waste, until it ‘s all gone. Those who die of Jeroboam in the city the dogs will eat; and those who die in the field the birds of the sky will eat because Yahweh has said it.’ Get up, go to your house; and when your feet go into the city, the child will die. All Israel will mourn for him, and burn him as he is the  only one of Jeroboam who will be buried, because there’s some good in him toward Yahweh, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. Besides this, Yahweh will raise up a Ruler over Israel, who will put an end to the house of Jeroboham today; yes, even now. For Yahweh will fight Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and will root up Israel out of this good land, which God gave to their ancestors, and will scatter them across the river, because they’ve made their False fertility gods, the Asherim,, making Yahweh angry. He’ll give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has done, and with which he has made Israel to sin.”

[17-20] Jeroboam’s wife got up, and left, and came to Tirzah; and as she came to the doorway of the house, the child died.               All Israel buried him, and mourned for him, as Yahweh had said,  by Ahijah, the preacher, God’s follower. The rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he fought, and how he ruled are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel. The days which Jeroboam ruled were 22 years; and he died and was buried, and Nadab his son ruled in his place.               

     [21-24] Rehoboam, of Solomon, ruled in Judah. Rehoboam was 41 years old when he began to rule, and ruled 17 years in Jerusalem, the city which Yahweh had chosen out of all the family groups of Israel, to put the Name of God there; and his mother’s name was Naamah, the Ammonitess. Judah did what was evil to Yahweh, and made God jellous with their sins which they had done, above what their ancestors had done. They also built them places of false worship, and pillars, and put up false fertility gods, the Asherim, on every mountain, and under the evergreen trees; and there were also Sodomites (homosexuals) in the land; they did all the horrible sins of the nations which Yahweh drove out before the people of Israel.

     [25-31] In the fifth year of Ruler Rehoboam, Shishak, Ruler of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and the treasures of the Ruler’s house; he took it all and took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. Ruler Rehoboam made in their place shields of brass, and put them in the hands of the leaders of the guard, who kept the door of the Ruler’s house. As often as the Ruler went into the Place of Worship of Yahweh, the guard had them, and brought them back into the guard room.Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Judah. There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.          Rehoboam died, and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. His mother’s name was Naamah, the Ammonitess. Abijam, his son, ruled in his place.

 

     15[1-8] Now in the 18^th year of Ruler Jeroboam, son of Nebat, Abijam began to rule over Judah.He ruled three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom. He did all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and his heart wasn’t right with Yahweh God, as the heart of David, his ancestor. But for David’s sake, Yahweh God gave him a light in Jerusalem, to put up his son after him, and to set up Jerusalem; because David did what was right to Yahweh, and didn’t turn from anything that God had told him all his life, except only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. The rest of the acts of Abijam, and what he did, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Judah. There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. Abijam died; and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son ruled in his place.

     [9-15] In the 20^th year of Jeroboam, Ruler of Israel, Asa began to rule over Judah, who ruled41 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom. Asa did what was right to Yahweh, as did David his ancestor.        He put all the homosexuals out of the land, and took away all the false gods that his ancestors had made. Also Maacah, his mother, he removed from being queen, because she had made an evil Asherah (wooden idol used for worship of Astarte, Canaanite fertility goddess, the wife of Baal); and Asa cut down her idol, and burnt it at the Kidron River, though the places of false worship weren’t taken away; But the heart of Asa was right with Yahweh all his days. He brought into the Place of Worship of Yahweh all the things that both he and his father had dedicated, silver, gold, and pots.

[16-21] There was war between Asa, Ruler of Judah, and Baasha, Ruler of Israel, all their days. Baasha went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he not let anyone go out or come in to Asa. Then Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasures of the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and the treasures of the Ruler’s house, and gave it to his workers; and Ruler Asa sent them to Ben Hadad, son of Tabrimmon, of Hezion, Ruler of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying, “There is an agreement between me and you, between my father and your father; I’ve sent to you a present of silver and gold; go, break your agreement with Baasha, Ruler of Israel, to make him leave from me. Ben Hadad listened to Ruler Asa, and sent the captains of his troops against the cities of Israel, and fought Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. When Baasha heard it, he stopped building Ramah, and lived in Tirzah.

[22-24] Then Ruler Asa made an announcement to all Judah; no one was excused; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and its wood with which Baasha had built it; and Ruler Asa built with it Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah. Now the rest of the acts of Asa, and all his strength, and what he did, and the cities which he built, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Judah. But in the time of his old age, he had a disease that affected his feet. Asa died, and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David his father; and Jehoshaphat, his son, ruled in his place.

[25-34] Nadab, son of Jeroboam, began to rule over Israel in the second year of Asa, Ruler of Judah; and he ruled over Israel two years. He did what was evil to Yahweh, and sinned like his father, with which he made Israel to sin.              Baasha, son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, schemed against him; and Baasha fought him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, because Nadab and all Israel were trying to take Gibbethon. In the third year of Asa, Ruler of Judah, Baasha killed him, and ruled in his place. As soon as he was Ruler, he fought all the house of Jeroboam; he didn’t leave to Jeroboam any alive, until he had destroyed them all; according to what Yahweh had said, by Ahijah, the Shilonite, God’s follower; for the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and with which he made Israel to sin, because of the evil with which he made Yahweh, the God of Israel, angry. Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and what he did, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel.There was war between Asa and Baasha Ruler of Israel all their days. In the third year of Asa, Ruler of Judah, Baasha, son of Ahijah, began to rule over all Israel in Tirzah, and ruled 24 years. He did what was evil to Yahweh, and did sins like Jeroboam did, with which he made Israel to sin.

 

     16[1-6] The word of Yahweh came to Jehu of Hanani against Baasha, saying, “Because I uplifted you out of the dust, and made you head over My people Israel, and you’ve done like Jeroboam, and have made My people Israel to sin, to make Me angry with their sins, I’ll completely throw away Baasha and his house; and I’ll make your house like the house of Jeroboam of Nebat. Those who die of Baasha in the city the dogs will eat; and those who die of his in the field the birds of the sky will eat. Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his strength, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel. Baasha died, and was buried in Tirzah; and Elah his son ruled in his place.

[7-10] Besides this, by the preacher Jehu of Hanani, the word of Yahweh came against Baasha, and against his house, both because of all the evil that he did in Yahweh’s sight, to make God angry with what he did, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he killed him. In the 26^th year of Asa, Ruler of Judah, Elah, son of Baasha, began to rule over Israel in Tirzah, and ruled two years. His worker Zimri, captain of half his war vehicles, schemed against him. Now he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah; and Zimri went in and fought him, and killed him, in the 27^th year of Asa, and ruled in his place.

[11-14] When he began to rule, as soon as he sat on his throne, he fought all the house of Baasha; he didn’t leave him a single boy, or any of his relatives, or any of his friends. So Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, as Yahweh had spoken against Baasha, by Jehu the preacher, for all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah, his son, which they sinned, and with which they made Israel to sin, to make Yahweh, the God of Israel, angry with their false worship. Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and what he did, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel.

[15-22] In the 27^th year of Asa, Ruler of Judah, did Zimri rule seven days in Tirzah. Now the people were camped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. The people who were camped heard say, Zimri has schemed, and has also killed the Ruler; so all Israel made Omri, the captain of the troops, Ruler over Israel that day in the camp. Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they surrounded Tirzah. When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the tower of the Ruler’s house, and burnt the Ruler’s house over him with fire, and died for his sins which he sinned in doing what was evil to Yahweh, in doing what Jeroboam did, and doing the sins he had done, to make Israel to sin. Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he did, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel. Then the people of Israel were divided in half; half of the people followed Tibni of Ginath, to make him Ruler; and half followed Omri. But the people who followed Omri were stronger than the people who followed Tibni of Ginath; so Tibni died, and Omri ruled.

[23-28] In the 31^st year of Asa, Ruler of Judah, Omri began to rule over Israel, and ruled 12 years; he ruled six years in Tirzah.         He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for 150 lbs of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Samaria. Omri did what was evil to Yahweh, and did more evil than all who were before him. He did what Jeroboam of Nebat did, and did the sins with which he made Israel to sin, to make Yahweh, the God of Israel, angry with their false worship. [Now the rest of the acts of Omri and his strength that he showed are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel. So Omri died, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab, his son, ruled in his place.

[29-34] In the 38^th year of Asa, Ruler of Judah, Ahab, son of Omri, began to rule over Israel; and Ahab ruled over Israel in Samaria 22 years. Ahab did what was evil to Yahweh more than those who were before him. As if it had been a light thing for him to do the sins of Jeroboam of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, Ruler of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, worshipping their false god. He put up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.                Ahab made the Asherah (wooden idol used for worship of Astarte, Canaanite fertility goddess, the wife of Baal); and Ahab did even more to make Yahweh, the God of Israel, angrier than all the Rulers of Israel who were before him. In his days, Hiel, the Bethelite, built Jericho; he laid its foundation with the loss of Abiram, his firstborn, and put up its gates with the loss of his youngest son, Segub, as Yahweh had said by Joshua, son of Nun.

 

     17[1-5] Elijah, the Tishbite, who was of the foreigners of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there won’t be dew nor rain these years, unless I tell you.” The word of Yahweh came to him, saying, “Get away from here, and go east, and hide by the Cherith River, that is before the Jordan. You’ll drink of the river and I’ve told the ravens to feed you there.”So he went and did as Yahweh had said, going to live by the Cherith River, that is before the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and evening; and he drank of the river.

[7-15] After a while, the river dried up, because there was no rain in the land.Then the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, “Get up, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; I’ve told a death survivor there to keep you.So he got up and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, a death survivor was there gathering sticks; and he called to her, saying, “Please get me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.”As she was going to get it, he called to her, saying, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”She said, “As Yahweh, your God lives, I don’t have a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the jar; and see, I’m gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my child, that we may eat it, and die.” Elijah said to her, “Don’t be scared; go and do as you’ve said, but make me a little cake first, and bring it to me, and afterward make for you and for your son.Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, “The jar of meal won’t empty, neither will the jar of oil fail, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on the earth.” She went and did what Elijah had told her; and she, and he, and her child, ate many days.The jar of meal didn’t empty, neither did the jar of oil fail, as Yahweh had said by Elijah.

 [16-24] Afterwards, the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was very bad, so that he stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, follower of God? You’ve come to me to remind me of my sin, and to kill my child!” He said to her, “Give me your son.” He took him out of her lap, and carried him up into the room, where he stayed, and laid him on his own bed.He cried to Yahweh, saying, “Yahweh, my God, have you also brought evil on this death survivor with whom I stay, by killing her son?”He stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried to Yahweh, saying, “Yahweh, my God, please let this child’s soul come into him again.” Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.               Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the room into the house, and gave him back to his mother; and Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you’re a follower of God, and that the word of Yahweh in your mouth is true.”

 

     18[1-5] After many days, the word of Yahweh came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I’ll send rain on the earth.” Elijah went to show himself to Ahab and there was a great lack of food in Samaria. Ahab called Obadia, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah respected Yahweh greatly for when Jezebel killed the preachers of Yahweh, Obadiah took a hundred preachers, and hid them fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land, to all the creeks of water, and to all the rivers; in case we might find grass and save the horses and mules, that we not lose all the animals.

     [6-14] So they divided the land between them to go throughout it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.As Obadiah was on the road, Elijah met him; and he knew him, and dropped to the ground, saying, Is it you, Sir, Elijah? He answered him, “It’s me; go, tell your leader, Elijah is here.” He said, “How have I sinned, that you’d give Your follower into the power of Ahab, to kill me?As Yahweh, your God lives, there’s no nation or countriy where he hasn’t sent to look for you; and when they said, ‘He isn’t here,’ he made the countries and nation make a promise that they didn’t find you. Now you say, ‘Go, tell your leader, Elijah is here.’As soon as I’m gone from you, the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you I don’t know where; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he can’t find you, he’ll kill me; but I Your follower respect Yahweh from my youth.Wasn’t it told sir what I did when Jezebel killed the preachers of Yahweh, how I hid a hundred people of Yahweh’s preachers by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?Now you say, ‘Go, tell your leader, Elijah is here;’ and he’ll kill me.

     [15-20] Elijah said, “As Yahweh, the God of All Creation lives, before whom I stand, I’ll truly show myself to him today.”       So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” “He answered, I haven’t troubled Israel; but you, and your father’s house, in that you’ve left the words of Yahweh, and you’ve followed the Baals.So now send, and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and the 450 preachers of Baal, and the 400 preachers of the Asherah (wooden idol used for worship of Astarte, Canaanite fertility goddess, the wife of Baal), who eat at Jezebel’s table. So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel, and gathered the preachers together to Mount Carmel.

     [21-24] Elijah came close to all the people, saying, “How long will you waver between two sides? If Yahweh is God, follow God; but if Baal, then follow Baal. The people didn’t say a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I, and I only, am left a preacher of Yahweh; but Baal has 450 preachers.So let them give us two cows; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it; and I’ll dress the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it. You call on the name of your god, and I’ll call on the Name of Yahweh; and the God who answers by fire, let him be God.” All the people answered, “What you’ve said is good.”

     [25-29] Elijah said to the preachers of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first because you’re many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”So they took the bull which was given them, and they got it ready, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, hear us.” But there was no voice, no one who answered. They jumped around the altar which was made.At noon, Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry louder! He is a god, isn’t he? Either he is deep in thought, or he is gone to take a shit, or he is on a trip, or maybe he’s asleep and must be woke up.”So they cried louder, and cut themselves in their way with knives and spears, until the blood ran on them.It was past midday, and they prayed until the time of the evening offering; but there was no voice, no answer, no one who listened to them.

[30-35] Elijah said to all the people, “Come close to me; and all the people came close to him. He built the altar of Yahweh that was knocked down.Elijah took 12 stones, according to the number of the family groups of the descendants of Jacob, to whom the word of Yahweh came, saying, Israel will be your name. With the stones he built an altar in the Name of Yahweh; and he made a trench around the altar, as great as would contain 12 bushels of seed.He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering, and on the wood.”               He said, “Do it again;” and they did it again. He said, “Do it a third time;” and they did it the third time.The water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.

     [36-40] At the time of the evening offering, Elijah, the preacher, came close, saying, “Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that You’re God in Israel, and that I’m Your follower, and that I’ve done all these things at your word. Listen to me, Yahweh, Listen to me, that this people may know that You, Yahweh, are God, and that You’ve turned their heart back again.Then the fire of Yahweh fell, and burned up the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, the dust, and licked up all the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell facedown; and they said, “Yahweh is God; Yahweh is God.” And Elijah said to them, “Take the preachers of Baal; don’t let one of them escape!” They took them; and Elijah brought them down to the river Kishon, and killed them there.

     [41-45] Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and drink because I hear the sound of a heavy rain. So Ahab went up to eat and drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed down on the earth, and put his face between his knees.He said to his worker, “Go up now, look toward the sea. He went up, and looked, saying, “There isn’t anything.” He said, “Go back seven times.” At the 7th time, he said, “ I see a small cloud, like a man’s hand, rising out of the sea.” He said, “Go up, tell Ahab, make ready your war vehicle, and get down, that the rain not stop you.” In a little while, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel; and the hand of Yahweh was on Elijah; and he tied up his clothes around his waist, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

 

     19[1-4] Ahab told Jezebel what Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the preachers with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I don’t make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.”When he saw that, he got up, and ran for his life, and came to Beersheba, in Judah, and left his follower there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the countryside, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he asked to die, saying, “It’s enough; now, O Yahweh, take away my life because I’m no better than my ancestors.”

     [5-12] He lay down and slept under the juniper tree; and an angel touched him, saying to him, “Get up and eat.”He looked, and saw at his head a cake baked on the coals and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and laid down again.The angel of Yahweh came again the second time, and touched him, saying, “Get up and eat, because the journey is too long for you.”   He got up, and ate and drink, and went on the strength of that food 40 days and nights to Horeb, the Mount of God. He came to a cave there, and stayed there; and the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I’ve been very jealous for Yahweh, the God of all Creation, because the people of Israel have left Your promised agreement, knocked down Your altars, and killed Your preachers; and I, and I only, am left; and they want to take my life.”God said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before Yahweh.” Then Yahweh passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains, and broke the rocks in pieces before Yahweh; but Yahweh wasn’t in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake; but Yahweh wasn’t in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire; but Yahweh wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

     [13-18] So when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cape, and went out, and stood in the opening of the cave. He heard a voice, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”He said, “I’ve been very jealous for Yahweh, the God of all Creation, because the people of Israel have left Your promised agreement, thrown down Your altars, and killed all Your preachers; and I, and I only, am left; and they want to take my life.” Yahweh said to him, “Go, go back to the countryside of Damascus; and when you go, anoint Hazael to be Ruler over Syria; and anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi to be Ruler over Israel; and anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat, of Abel Meholah to be preacher in your place.Those who escape from the sword of Hazael Jehu will kill; and those who escape from the sword of Jehu Elisha will kill.ButI still have 7,000 in Israel, all the knees which haven’t bowed to Baal, and every mouth which hasn’t kissed him.

     [19-21] So he left there, and found Elisha of Shaphat, who was plowing with 12 pairs of cows before him, and he with the 12^th; and Elijah went to him, and threw his cape on him.  He left the cows, and ran after Elijah, saying, “Let me, I ask, kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I’ll follow you. He said to him, “Go back; what have I done to you?”He went back from following him, and took the pairs of cows, and killed them, and boiled their meat with the equipment of the cows, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he got up, and followed Elijah, and took care of him.

 

     20[1-6] Ben Hadad, the Ruler of Syria, gathered all his troops together; and there were 32 Rulers with him, and horses and war vehicles; and he went and surrounded Samaria, and fought against it.He sent messengers to Ahab, Ruler of Israel, into the city, saying to him, Ben Hadad says, “Your silver and gold is mine; your wives and children also, even the best, are mine.”               The Ruler of Israel answered, “ Whatever you say, Oh Ruler; I’m yours, and whatever I have.The messengers came again, saying, Ben Hadad, says, “I truly sent to you, saying, “You’ll give me your silver and gold, and your wives and children; but I’ll send my workers to you tomorrow about this time, and they’ll search your house, and the houses of your followers; and it will be, that whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they’ll put their hands on it, and take it away.”

[7-11] Then the Ruler of Israel called all the elders of the land, saying, “Please notice how this man looks for trouble because he sent to me for my wives and children, and for my silver and gold; and I didn’t deny him.” All the elders and the people said to him, “Don’t listen, nor let him do it.”So he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, “Tell the Ruler, What you sent for to your follower at the first I’ll do; but this I won’t do.” The messengers left, and brought him word again. Ben Hadad sent to him, saying, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria will be enough for a handful for each of those who follow me.”The Ruler of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘Don’t let him who puts on his armor brag about himself as those who take it off.’”

     [12-15] When Ben Hadad heard this message as he and the Rulers were drinking in the tents, he said to his workers, Get ready. They got themselves ready to go against the city.Then a preacher came to Ahab, Ruler of Israel, saying, Yahweh says, “Have you seen all this great number? I’ll hand it over to you today; and you’ll know that I am Yahweh.”Ahab said, “By whom?” He said, “Yahweh says, ‘By the young people of the leaders of the countries.’” Then he said, “Who will begin the battle?” He answered, “You.” Then he called the young people of the leaders of the countries, and they were 232; and after them he called all the people of Israel, who were 7,000.

     [16-22] They went out at noon, but Ben Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the tents, he and the Rulers, the 32 leaders who helped him.The young people of the leaders of the countries went out first; and Ben Hadad sent out, and they told him, “There are men come out from Samaria.” He said, “Whether they have come out for peace or war, take them alive. So these went out of the city, the young people of the leaders of the countries, and the troops which followed them. They each killed a soldier; and the Syrians ran, and Israel chased them; and Ben Hadad, the Ruler of Syria, escaped on a horse with riders.       The Ruler of Israel went out, and fought those with horses and war vehicles, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.               The preacher came to the Ruler of Israel, saying to him, “Go, strengthen yourself, and mark, and see what you do because at the first of the year the Ruler of Syria will come against you again.

[23-27] The workers of the Ruler of Syria said to him, “Their god is a god of the hills; so they were stronger than we; but let’s fight against them in the field, and truly we’ll be stronger than them.Do this; take the Rulers away, everyone out of their place, and put captains in their place; and number you an army, like the troops that you’ve lost, horse for horse, and war vehicle for war vehicle; and we’ll fight against them in the field, and truly we’ll be stronger than them.” He listened to them, and did so.  At the first of the year, Ben Hadad called the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.The people of Israel were called, and were given what they needed, and went against them; and the people of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.

     [28-32] A follower of God came saying to the Ruler of Israel, “Yahweh says, ‘Because the Syrians have said, ‘Yahweh is a god of the hills, but isn’t a god of the valleys,’ I’ll give all this great number to you, and you’ll know that I am Yahweh.’” They camped next to one another seven days. So in the 7^th day the battle began; and the people of Israel killed of the Syrians 100,000 foot soldiers in one day.But the rest ran to Aphek, into the city; and the wall fell on the 27,000 soldiers who were left. Ben Hadad ran, and came into the city, into an inner room.His workers said to him, “See now, we’ve heard that the Rulers of the house of Israel are merciful Rulers; let’s ask for mercy, put on mourning clothes, and ropes on our heads, and go out to the Ruler of Israel; maybe he’ll save your life.” So they put on mourning clothes, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the Ruler of Israel, saying, “Your follower Ben Hadad says, please let me live.” He said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

 [33-34] Now the men watched carefully, and tried to catch whether it was his mind to show mercy; and they said quickly, “Your brother Ben Hadad.” Then he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben Hadad came out to him; and he made him come up into the war vehicle.Ben Hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I’ll give back; and you’ll make streets for you in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Ahab said, “I‘ll let you go with this agreement.” So he made an agreement with him, and let him go.

     [35-43] A certain man of the descendants of the preachers said to another by the word of Yahweh, “Please hit me. The other refused to hit him.Then he said to him, “Because you haven’t obeyed the voice of Yahweh, as soon as you’ve left from me, a lion will kill you.” As soon as he had left from him, a lion found him, and killed him.Then he found another man, saying, Please hit me. That one hit him, wounding him.So the preacher left, and waited for the Ruler on the road, and disguised himself with his headband over his eyes.As the Ruler passed by, he called to the Ruler; and said, “Your follower went out into the midst of the battle; and see, a man turned around, and brought another to me, saying, Keep this man; if by any means he is missing, then your life will be given for his life, or else you’ll pay 75 lbs  of silver.As Your follower was busy here and there, he was gone.” The Ruler of Israel said to him, “So your judgment will be as said; you yourself have decided it.He hurried, and took the headband away from his eyes; and the Ruler of Israel knew that he was of the preachers.He said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Because you’ve let go out of your hand the man whom I had dedicated to destruction, so your life will go for his life, and your people for his people.”The Ruler of Israel went to his house sullen and angry, and came to Samaria.

 

     21[1-7] Afterwards, Naboth, the Jezreelite, had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the house of Ahab, Ruler of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it’s near to my house; and I’ll give you a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to you, I’ll give you what it’s worth in money. Naboth said to Ahab, “Yahweh forbids me to give the inheritance of my ancestors to you.”Ahab came into his house sullen and angry because of the word which Naboth had said to him because he had said, “I won’t give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He laid down on his bed, and turned his face away, and would eat nothing.But Jezebel, his wife, came to him, saying to him, “Why is your spirit so sad, that you eat nothing?”He said to her, “Because I asked Naboth, the Jezreelite, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it please you, I’ll give you another vineyard for it;’ and he answered, ‘I won’t give you my vineyard.’” Jezebel, his wife, said to him, “Don’t you now rule the nation of Israel? Get up, and eat bread, and let your heart be merry; I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth.”  

     [8-13] So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the leaders who were in his city, and who lived with Naboth.She wrote in the letters, “Call a fast, and set Naboth in a place of honor among the people; and set two evil men before him, and let them testify against him, saying, “You cursed God and the Ruler.” Then carry him out, and stone him to death. The people of his city, the elders and leaders who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them. They called for a fast, and set Naboth in a place of honor among the people.The two evil men, came in and sat before him; and they acted as witnesses against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the Ruler.” Then they carried him out of the city, and stoned him to death with stones.

     [14-19] Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, We stoned Naboth, and he is dead.When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned, and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Get up, go take the vineyard of Naboth, the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money because Naboth isn’t alive, but dead.” When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up to go to Naboth’s vineyard to take it.  The word of Yahweh came to Elijah, the Tishbite, saying, “Get up, go down to meet Ahab, Ruler of Israel, who lives in Samaria; he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he is gone down to take it. You’ll speak to him, saying, ‘Yahweh says, Have you killed and also taken it?’ You’ll speak to him, saying, ‘Yahweh says, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth will dogs lick your blood.”  

     [20-26] Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” He answered, “I’ve found you, because you’ve sold yourself to do what’s evil to Yahweh.Yahweh says,‘See, I’ll bring evil on you, and will completely put an end to you and will kill every boy of your family, and those who are imprisoned and those who are free in Israel; and I’ll make your house like the house of Jeroboam of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha of Ahijah for how you’ve made Me angry, and have made Israel to sin.’Of Jezebel, Yahweh also said, ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.Thosewho die of Ahab in the city the dogs will eat; and those who die in the field the birds of the sky will eat.’” (But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do what was evil to Yahweh, whom Jezebel, his wife, stirred up.He did very evil in worshipping false gods, like what the Amorites did whom Yahweh threw out before the people of Israel.)  When Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes, and put mourning clothes on him, and fasted, and lay in mourning clothes, and went quietly.The word of Yahweh came to Elijah, the Tishbite, saying, “See how Ahab humbles himself before me? Because he humbles himself before me, I won’t bring the evil in his days; but in his son’s days I’ll bring the evil on his house.”

 

     22[1-5] They continued three years without war between Syria and Israel. In the third year, Jehoshaphat the Ruler of Judah came down to the Ruler of Israel. The Ruler of Israel said to his workers, “You know that Ramoth Gilead is ours, and we haven’t yet taken it from the Ruler of Syria?” He said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead to fight?” Jehoshaphat said to the Ruler of Israel, “I’m as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” Jehoshaphat said to the Ruler of Israel, “Please ask first for the word of Yahweh.”          

     [6-9] Then the Ruler of Israel gathered 400 preachers together, saying to them, “Should I go against Ramoth Gilead to fight, or should I wait?” They said, “Go up because the Lord will put it into the power of the Ruler.”But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there here a preacher of Yahweh besides these, that we may ask of him?”The Ruler of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, there’s still one more by whom we may ask of Yahweh, Micaiah, of Imlah; but I hate him because he doesn’t say anything good about me, but only evil.” Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the Ruler say so.”Then the Ruler of Israel called an official, saying, “Get quickly Micaiah of Imlah.”

     [10-14] Now the Ruler of Israel and Jehoshaphat the Ruler of Judah were sitting each on his throne, clothed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the preachers were preaching before them.Zedekiah of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, saying, “Yahweh says, With these you’ll push the Syrians, until they’re all gone.”All the preachers agreed, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and do well because Yahweh will put it into the power of the Ruler.”         The messenger who went to call Micaiah said to him, “See now, the words of the preachers foretell good to the Ruler with agreement; please let your word be like the word of one of them, and say something good.”Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, I’ll say whatever Yahweh says to me.”

[15-18] When he had come to the Ruler, the Ruler said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth Gilead to fight, or should we wait?” He answered him, “Go up and do well; and Yahweh will put it into the power of the Ruler.” Then the Ruler said to him, “How many times must I tell you that you say to me nothing but the truth in the Name of Yahweh?” He said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd; and Yahweh said, ‘These have no guide; let them go back home in peace.’” The Ruler of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he wouldn’t preach anything good about me, but only evil?”

[19-28] Then Micaiah said, “So hear the word of Yahweh; I saw Yahweh sitting on a throne, and all the troops of heaven standing on the right and on the left.Yahweh said, ‘Who will trick Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One said this; and another said that.Then a spirit came, and stood before Yahweh, saying, ‘I’ll trick him.’Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’ The spirit said, ‘I’ll go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his preachers.’ God said, ‘You’ll trick him, and will triumph also; go out, and do so.’So now, see, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your preachers; and Yahweh has foretold evil about you.” Then Zedekiah of Chenaanah came up, and hit Micaiah on the cheek, saying, “When did the Spirit of Yahweh go from me to speak to you?” Micaiah said, “See, you’ll see on the day when you go into an inner room to hide yourself.” The Ruler of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the Ruler’s son;  and say, The Ruler says, “Put this person in prison, and feed him with bread and water of trouble, until I come  back in peace.” Micaiah said, “If you come back at all in peace, Yahweh hasn’t spoken by me.” Then he said, “Listen, you peoples, all of you.”

  [29-34] So the Ruler of Israel and Jehoshaphat the Ruler of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.The Ruler of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I’ll disguise myself, and go into the battle; but put on your own robes.” The Ruler of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.Now the Ruler of Syria had told the 32 captains of his war vehicles, saying, “Fight neither with small nor great, but only with the Ruler of Israel.” When the leaders of the war vehicles saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Truly it’s the Ruler of Israel; and they turned around to fight him; and Jehoshaphat cried out.When the leaders of the war vehicles saw that it wasn’t the Ruler of Israel, they turned back from chasing him.A certain man drew his bow by chance, and hit the Ruler of Israel between the joints of the armor; so he said to the driver of his war vehicle, “Turn around, and carry me out of the troops because I’m severely wounded.

     [35-40] The battle increased that day; and the Ruler stayed in his war vehicle fighting against the Syrians, and died at evening; and the blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the war vehicle. A cry went out through the troops about sundown, saying, Everyone, go to your city, and everyone, go to your country.So the Ruler died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the Ruler in Samaria.They washed the war vehicle by the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood while the prostitutes bathed there, as Yahweh had said.Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and what he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the cities that he built, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel.So Ahab died; and Ahaziah his son ruled in his place.

     [41-47] Jehoshaphat, son of Asa began to rule over Judah in the 4^th year of Ahab, Ruler of Israel. Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he began to rule, and ruled 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.He did what Asa his father had done; He didn’t turn back from doing what was right to Yahweh; But the places of false worship weren’t taken away; and the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the places of false worship. Jehoshaphat made peace with the Ruler of Israel.Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his strength that he showed, and how he fought, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Judah. What was left of the homosexuals, that were left in the days of his father Asa, he put away out of the land. There was no Ruler in Edom; only an assistant ruled.

     [48-51] Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold; but they didn’t go because the ships were broken at Ezion Geber. Then Ahaziah, son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my people go with your people in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat wouldn’t do it. Jehoshaphat died, and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David, his ancestor; Jehoram, his son, ruled in his place.Ahaziah began to rule over Israel in Samaria in the 17^th year of Jehoshaphat Ruler of Judah, and he ruled two years over Israel.He did what was evil to Yahweh, and did like his father and mother, and Jeroboam of Nebat, in  doing the sins with which he made Israel to sin. He served and worshipped that false god Baal, and made Yahweh, the God of Israel, very angry, like what his father had done.