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And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased, because of the word which Naboth had spoken, for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers: and he laid him down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

But Jezebel his wife came to him and said, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? and he answered, Because I spake to Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard for money; or if it please thee I will give thee another for it: and he said, I will not give thee my vineyard.

Then Jezebel said to him, Dost thou not govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise and eat bread, and let thy heart be cheerful: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and nobles that were in the city, dwelling with him.

And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people; and cause two men, ungodly persons, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. Then carry him out, and stone him that he may die.

And the men of his city, the elders, and nobles who dwelt in it, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she sent to them.

They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people; and there came in two men, ungodly persons, and sat before him, who witnessed before him in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him out of the city, and stoned him with stones, so that he died.

And when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and dead, she said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth, which he refused to give thee for money: for he is not alive, but dead. Then Ahab rose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth, to take possession of it.

And the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab, king of Israel, behold he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.

And thou shalt speak to him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because

thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.

I will bring evil upon thee, and take away thy posterity, and cut off from Ahab every male, and him that is shut up, and left in Israel: and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam, and like the house of Baasha, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel, by the wall of Jezreel. Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

And when Ahab heard these words, he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

And as Ahab was fighting against Syria, he was wounded in his chariot, and died. And the blood ran out of the wound unto the midst of the chariot.

And one washed his chariot in the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and they washed his armour, according unto the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah. And the time that Ahab reigned over Israel was twenty and two years.

LESSON CIX. 2 KINGS, CHAP. I. II.

AHAZIAH, the son of Ahab, reigned in the stead of his father: he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and was sick and he sent messengers, saying to them, Go, inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this illness.

But the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go up to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?

Now, therefore, thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come

down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. Then Elijah departed.

And when the messengers returned, the king said unto them, Why are ye now turned back?

And they answered, There came up a man to meet us, who said to us, Go, turn again to the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Is it because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.

And he said to them, What manner of man was he who came up to meet you, and spoke to you these words? And they answered, He was a hairy man, girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty, with his fifty who went up to him, for behold, he sat on the top of a hill, and said to him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.

And Elijah answered, If I be a man of God let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. there came down fire and consumed them.

And

Again also he sent to him another captain of fifty, with fifty, who spoke thus to him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly. And Elijah answered, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire and consumed them.

And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, saying, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty, thy servants, be precious in thy sight. Behold there came fire down from heaven, and consumed the two captains of the former fifties, with their fifties. Now therefore let my life be precious in thy sight.

And the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, Go down with him, be not afraid of his presence. So he arose and went down with him to the king, and said to him, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? Therefore thou shalt

not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.

So he died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken: And Jehoram reigned in his stead, for he had no son. This was in the second year of Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.

Now when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And he said to Elisha, Tarry here I pray thee; for the Lord sends me to Beth-el. And Elisha answered, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.

So they went down to Beth-el. And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to-day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold you your peace.

And Elijah said to Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee, for the Lord sends me to Jericho.

And he answered, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho said to Elisha, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to-day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold you your peace.

And Elijah said to him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord sends me to Jordan; but he answered, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood to view afar off, whilst they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither; so they two went over on dry land.

And when they were gone over, Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what shall I do for thee, before I am taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: yet, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it will be so to thee; but if not, it will not be so.

And it came to pass as they went on and talked, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

And when Elisha saw it, he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof: and he saw him no more; and he took hold of his own garments, and rent them in two pieces.

He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan. And with the mantle of Elijah which fell from him he smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? And when he had smitten the waters they parted hither and thither so that Elisha went over.

And he went up from thence unto Beth-el: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up thou bald head, Go up thou bald head.

And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord: upon which there came two she-bears out of the wood, and tare forty-two children of them.

And he went from thence to Mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.

LESSON CX. 2 KINGS, CHAP. IV.

Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead, who, as thou knowest, feared the Lord, and the creditor is come to take my two sons to him to be bondmen.

And Elisha said, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she answered, thy handmaid hath not any thing in the house, excepting a pot of oil.

Then he said, Go borrow thee vessels of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee, and thy sons, and shalt pour oil into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

She accordingly went from him and shut the door upon her, and her sons, who brought the vessels to her, and she poured out. And when the vessels were full, she said to her son, bring me another vessel. But he answered, there is not a vessel more. Then the oil stayed.

Upon which she came and told the man of God; and he said, Go sell the oil and pay thy debt; afterwards live thou and thy children on the rest.

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