1
Kings
1
Kings 1 (The Message)
1 King David grew old. The years had
caught up with him. Even though they piled blankets on him, he couldn't keep
warm. 2 So his servants said to him, "We're going to get a young virgin
for our master the king to be at his side and look after him; she'll get in bed
with you and arouse our master the king." 3 So they searched the country
of Israel for the most ravishing girl they could find; they found Abishag the
Shunammite and brought her to the king. 4 The girl was stunningly beautiful;
she stayed at his side and looked after the king, but the king did not have sex
with her. 5 At this time Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, puffed himself up
saying, "I'm the next king!" He made quite a splash, with chariots
and riders and fifty men to run ahead of him. 6 His father had spoiled him
rotten as a child, never once reprimanding him. Besides that, he was very
good-looking and the next in line after Absalom. 7 Adonijah talked with Joab
son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they threw their weight on his
side. 8 But neither the priest Zadok, nor Benaiah son of Jehoiada, nor Nathan
the prophet, nor Shimei and Rei, nor David's personal bodyguards supported
Adonijah. 9 Next Adonijah held a coronation feast, sacrificing sheep, cattle,
and grain-fed heifers at the Stone of Zoheleth near the Rogel Spring. He
invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and everyone in Judah who had
position and influence - 10 but he did not invite the prophet Nathan, Benaiah,
the bodyguards, or his brother Solomon. 11 Nathan went to Bathsheba, Solomon's
mother, "Did you know that Adonijah, Haggith's son, has taken over as
king, and our master David doesn't know a thing about it? 12 Quickly now, let
me tell you how you can save both your own life and Solomon's. 13 Go immediately
to King David. Speak up: 'Didn't you, my master the king, promise me,
"Your son Solomon will be king after me and sit on my throne"? So why
is Adonijah now king?' 14 While you're there talking with the king, I'll come
in and corroborate your story." 15 Bathsheba went at once to the king in
his palace bedroom. He was so old! Abishag was at his side making him
comfortable. 16 As Bathsheba bowed low, honoring the king, he said, "What
do you want?" 17 "My master," she said, "you promised me in
God's name, 'Your son Solomon will be king after me and sit on my throne.' 18
And now look what's happened - Adonijah has taken over as king, and my master
the king doesn't even know it! 19 He has thrown a huge coronation feast -
cattle and grain-fed heifers and sheep - inviting all the king's sons, the
priest Abiathar, and Joab head of the army. But your servant Solomon was not
invited. 20 My master the king, every eye in Israel is watching you to see what
you'll do - to see who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him.
21 If you fail to act, the moment you're buried my son Solomon and I are as
good as dead." 22 Abruptly, while she was telling the king all this,
Nathan the prophet came in 23 and was announced: "Nathan the prophet is
here." He came before the king, honoring him by bowing deeply, his face
touching the ground. 24 "My master the king," Nathan began, "did
you say, 'Adonijah shall be king after me and sit on my throne'? 25 Because
that's what's happening. He's thrown a huge coronation feast - cattle, grain-fed
heifers, sheep - inviting all the king's sons, the army officers, and Abiathar
the priest. They're having a grand time, eating and drinking and shouting,
'Long live King Adonijah!' 26 But I wasn't invited, nor was the priest Zadok,
nor Benaiah son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon. 27 Is this something
that my master the king has done behind our backs, not telling your servants
who you intended to be king after you?" 28 King David took action:
"Get Bathsheba back in here." She entered and stood before the king.
29 The king solemnly promised, "As God lives, the God who delivered me
from every kind of trouble, 30 I'll do exactly what I promised in God's name,
the God of Israel: Your son Solomon will be king after me and take my place on
the throne. And I'll make sure it happens this very day." 31 Bathsheba
bowed low, her face to the ground. Kneeling in reverence before the king she
said, "Oh, may my master, King David, live forever!" 32 King David
said, "Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of
Jehoiada." They came to the king. 33 Then he ordered, "Gather my
servants, then mount my son Solomon on my royal mule and lead him in procession
down to Gihon. 34 When you get there, Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet
will anoint him king over Israel. Then blow the ram's horn trumpet and shout,
'Long live King Solomon!' 35 You will then accompany him as he enters and takes
his place on my throne, succeeding me as king. I have named him ruler over
Israel and Judah." 36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada backed the king: "Yes!
And may God, the God of my master the king, confirm it! 37 Just as God has been
with my master the king, may he also be with Solomon and make his rule even
greater than that of my master King David!" 38 Then Zadok the priest,
Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the king's personal bodyguard
(the Kerethites and Pelethites) went down, mounted Solomon on King David's
mule, and paraded with him to Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest brought a flask of oil
from the sanctuary and anointed Solomon. They blew the ram's horn trumpet and
everyone shouted, "Long live King Solomon!" 40 Everyone joined the
fanfare, the band playing and the people singing, the very earth reverberating
to the sound. 41 Adonijah and his retinue of guests were just finishing their
"coronation" feast when they heard it. When Joab heard the blast of
the ram's horn trumpet he said, "What's going on here? What's all this
uproar?" 42 Suddenly, in the midst of the questioning, Jonathan son of
Abiathar the priest, showed up. Adonijah said, "Welcome! A brave and good
man like you must have good news." 43 But Jonathan answered, "Hardly!
Our master King David has just made Solomon king! 44 And the king has
surrounded him with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of
Jehoiada, with the Kerethites and Pelethites; and they've mounted Solomon on
the royal mule. 45 Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him
king at Gihon and the parade is headed up this way singing - a great fanfare!
The city is rocking! That's what you're hearing. 46 Here's the crowning touch -
Solomon is seated on the throne of the kingdom! 47 And that's not all: The
king's servants have come to give their blessing to our master King David
saying, 'God make Solomon's name even more honored than yours, and make his
rule greater than yours!' On his death bed the king worshiped God 48 and
prayed, 'Blessed be God, Israel's God, who has provided a successor to my
throne, and I've lived to see it!'" 49 Panicked, Adonijah's guests got out
of there, scattering every which way. 50 But Adonijah himself, afraid for his
life because of Solomon, fled to the sanctuary and grabbed the horns of the
Altar. 51 Solomon was told, "Adonijah, fearful of King Solomon, has taken
sanctuary and seized the horns of the Altar and is saying, 'I'm not leaving
until King Solomon promises that he won't kill me.'" 52 Solomon then said,
"If he proves to be a man of honor, not a hair of his head will be hurt;
but if there is evil in him, he'll die." 53 Solomon summoned him and they
brought him from the Altar. Adonijah came and bowed down, honoring the king.
Solomon dismissed him, "Go home."
1
Kings 2 (The Message)
1 When David's time to die approached,
he charged his son Solomon, saying, 2 "I'm about to go the way of all the
earth, but you - be strong; show what you're made of! 3 Do what God tells you.
Walk in the paths he shows you: Follow the life-map absolutely, keep an eye out
for the signposts, his course for life set out in the revelation to Moses; then
you'll get on well in whatever you do and wherever you go. 4 Then God will
confirm what he promised me when he said, 'If your sons watch their step,
staying true to me heart and soul, you'll always have a successor on Israel's
throne.' 5 "And don't forget what Joab son of Zeruiah did to the two
commanders of Israel's army, to Abner son of Ner and to Amasa son of Jether. He
murdered them in cold blood, acting in peacetime as if he were at war, and has
been stained with that blood ever since. 6 Do what you think best with him, but
by no means let him get off scot-free - make him pay. 7 "But be generous
to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite - extend every hospitality to them;
that's the way they treated me when I was running for my life from Absalom your
brother. 8 "You also will have to deal with Shimei son of Gera the
Benjaminite from Bahurim, the one who cursed me so viciously when I was on my
way to Mahanaim. Later, when he welcomed me back at the Jordan, I promised him
under God, 'I won't put you to death.' 9 But neither should you treat him as if
nothing ever happened. You're wise, you know how to handle these things. You'll
know what to do to make him pay before he dies." 10 Then David joined his
ancestors. He was buried in the City of David. 11 David ruled Israel for forty
years - seven years in Hebron and another thirty-three in Jerusalem. 12 Solomon
took over on the throne of his father David; he had a firm grip on the kingdom.
13 Adonijah son of Haggith came to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. She said,
"Do you come in peace?" 14 And then, "May I say something to
you?" "Go ahead," she said, "speak." 15 "You know
that I had the kingdom right in my hands and everyone expected me to be king,
and then the whole thing backfired and the kingdom landed in my brother's lap -
God's doing. 16 So now I have one request to ask of you; please don't refuse
me." "Go ahead, ask," she said. 17 "Ask King Solomon - he
won't turn you down - to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife." 18
"Certainly," said Bathsheba. "I'll speak to the king for
you." 19 Bathsheba went to King Solomon to present Adonijah's request. The
king got up and welcomed her, bowing respectfully, and returned to his throne.
Then he had a throne put in place for his mother, and she sat at his right
hand. 20 She said, "I have a small favor to ask of you. Don't refuse
me." The king replied, "Go ahead, Mother; of course I won't refuse
you." 21 She said, "Give Abishag the Shunammite to your brother
Adonijah as his wife." 22 King Solomon answered his mother, "What
kind of favor is this, asking that Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah?
Why don't you just ask me to hand over the whole kingdom to him on a platter
since he is my older brother and has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of
Zeruiah on his side!" 23 Then King Solomon swore under God, "May God
do his worst to me if Adonijah doesn't pay for this with his life! 24 As surely
as God lives, the God who has set me firmly on the throne of my father David
and has put me in charge of the kingdom just as he promised, Adonijah will die
for this - today!" 25 King Solomon dispatched Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he
struck Adonijah and he died. 26 The king then told Abiathar the priest,
"You're exiled to your place in Anathoth. You deserve death but I'm not
going to kill you - for now anyway - because you were in charge of the Chest of
our ruling God in the company of David my father, and because you shared all
the hard times with my father." 27 Solomon stripped Abiathar of his
priesthood, fulfilling God's word at Shiloh regarding the family of Eli. 28
When this news reached Joab, this Joab who had conspired with Adonijah
(although he had remained loyal in the Absalom affair), he took refuge in the
sanctuary of God, seizing the horns of the Altar and holding on for dear life.
29 King Solomon was told that Joab had escaped to the sanctuary of God and was
clinging to the Altar; he immediately sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada with orders,
"Kill him." 30 Benaiah went to the sanctuary of God and said,
"King's orders: Come out." He said, "No - I'll die right
here." Benaiah went back to the king and reported, "This was Joab's
answer." 31 The king said, "Go ahead then, do what he says: Kill him
and bury him. Absolve me and my father's family of the guilt from Joab's
senseless murders. 32 God is avenging those bloody murders on Joab's head. Two
men he murdered, men better by far than he ever was: Behind my father's back he
brutally murdered Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel's army, and Amasa son
of Jether, commander of Judah's army. 33 Responsibility for their murders is
forever fixed on Joab and his descendants; but for David and his descendants,
his family and kingdom, the final verdict is God's peace." 34 So Benaiah
son of Jehoiada went back, struck Joab, and killed him. He was buried in his
family plot out in the desert. 35 The king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada
over the army in place of Joab, and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest. 36
The king next called in Shimei and told him, "Build yourself a house in
Jerusalem and live there, but you are not to leave the area. 37 If you so much
as cross the Brook Kidron, you're as good as dead - you will have decreed your
own death sentence." 38 Shimei answered the king, "Oh, thank you!
Your servant will do exactly as my master the king says." Shimei lived in
Jerusalem a long time. 39 But it so happened that three years later, two of
Shimei's slaves ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. Shimei was
told, "Your slaves are in Gath." 40 Shimei sprang into action,
saddled his donkey, and went to Achish in Gath looking for his slaves. And then
he came back, bringing his slaves. 41 Solomon was told, "Shimei left
Jerusalem for Gath, and now he's back." 42 Solomon then called for Shimei
and said, "Didn't I make you promise me under God, and give you a good
warning besides, that you would not leave this area? That if you left you would
have decreed your own death sentence? And didn't you say, 'Oh, thank you - I'll
do exactly as you say'? 43 So why didn't you keep your sacred promise and do
what I ordered?" 44 Then the king told Shimei, "Deep in your heart
you know all the evil that you did to my father David; God will now avenge that
evil on you. 45 But King Solomon will be blessed and the rule of David will be
a sure thing under God forever." 46 The king then gave orders to Benaiah
son of Jehoiada; he went out and struck Shimei dead. The kingdom was now
securely in Solomon's grasp.
1
Kings 3 (The Message)
1 Solomon arranged a marriage contract
with Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He married Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to
the City of David until he had completed building his royal palace and God's
Temple and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 Meanwhile, the people were worshiping
at local shrines because at that time no temple had yet been built to the Name
of God. 3 Solomon loved God and continued to live in the God-honoring ways of
David his father, except that he also worshiped at the local shrines, offering
sacrifices and burning incense. 4 The king went to Gibeon, the most prestigious
of the local shrines, to worship. He sacrificed a thousand
Whole-Burnt-Offerings on that altar. 5 That night, there in Gibeon, God
appeared to Solomon in a dream: God said, "What can I give you? Ask."
6 Solomon said, "You were extravagantly generous in love with David my father,
and he lived faithfully in your presence, his relationships were just and his
heart right. And you have persisted in this great and generous love by giving
him - and this very day! - a son to sit on his throne. 7 "And now here I
am: God, my God, you have made me, your servant, ruler of the kingdom in place
of David my father. I'm too young for this, a mere child! I don't know the
ropes, hardly know the 'ins' and 'outs' of this job. 8 And here I am, set down
in the middle of the people you've chosen, a great people - far too many to
ever count. 9 "Here's what I want: Give me a God-listening heart so I can
lead your people well, discerning the difference between good and evil. For who
on their own is capable of leading your glorious people?" 10 God, the
Master, was delighted with Solomon's response. 11 And God said to him,
"Because you have asked for this and haven't grasped after a long life, or
riches, or the doom of your enemies, but you have asked for the ability to lead
and govern well, 12 I'll give you what you've asked for - I'm giving you a wise
and mature heart. There's never been one like you before; and there'll be no
one after. 13 As a bonus, I'm giving you both the wealth and glory you didn't
ask for - there's not a king anywhere who will come up to your mark. 14 And if
you stay on course, keeping your eye on the life-map and the God-signs as your
father David did, I'll also give you a long life." 15 Solomon woke up -
what a dream! He returned to Jerusalem, took his place before the Chest of the
Covenant of God, and worshiped by sacrificing Whole-Burnt-Offerings and
Peace-Offerings. Then he laid out a banquet for everyone in his service. 16 The
very next thing, two prostitutes showed up before the king. 17 The one woman
said, "My master, this woman and I live in the same house. While we were
living together, I had a baby. 18 Three days after I gave birth, this woman
also had a baby. We were alone - there wasn't anyone else in the house except
for the two of us. 19 The infant son of this woman died one night when she
rolled over on him in her sleep. 20 She got up in the middle of the night and
took my son - I was sound asleep, mind you! - and put him at her breast and put
her dead son at my breast. 21 When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, here
was this dead baby! But when I looked at him in the morning light, I saw
immediately that he wasn't my baby." 22 "Not so!" said the other
woman. "The living one's mine; the dead one's yours." The first woman
countered, "No! Your son's the dead one; mine's the living one." They
went back and forth this way in front of the king. 23 The king said, "What
are we to do? This woman says, 'The living son is mine and the dead one is
yours,' and this woman says, 'No, the dead one's yours and the living one's mine.'"
24 After a moment the king said, "Bring me a sword." They brought the
sword to the king. 25 Then he said, "Cut the living baby in two - give
half to one and half to the other." 26 The real mother of the living baby
was overcome with emotion for her son and said, "Oh no, master! Give her
the whole baby alive; don't kill him!" But the other one said, "If I
can't have him, you can't have him - cut away!" 27 The king gave his
decision: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Nobody is going to
kill this baby. She is the real mother." 28 The word got around - everyone
in Israel heard of the king's judgment. They were all in awe of the king,
realizing that it was God's wisdom that enabled him to judge truly.
1
Kings 4 (The Message)
1 King Solomon was off to a good start
ruling Israel. 2 These were the leaders in his government: Azariah son of Zadok
- the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha - secretaries; Jehoshaphat
son of Ahilud - historian; 4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada - commander of the army;
Zadok and Abiathar - priests; 5 Azariah son of Nathan - in charge of the
regional managers; Zabud son of Nathan - priest and friend to the king; 6
Ahishar - manager of the palace; Adoniram son of Abda - manager of the slave
labor. 7 Solomon had twelve regional managers distributed throughout Israel.
They were responsible for supplying provisions for the king and his
administration. Each was in charge of bringing supplies for one month of the
year. 8 These are the names: Ben-Hur in the Ephraim hills; 9 Ben-Deker in
Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Bethhanan; 10 Ben-Hesed in Arubboth -
this included Socoh and all of Hepher; 11 Ben-Abinadab in Naphoth Dor (he was
married to Solomon's daughter Taphath); 12 Baana son of Ahilud in Taanach and
Megiddo, all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel, and from Beth Shan to
Abel Meholah over to Jokmeam; 13 Ben-Geber in Ramoth Gilead - this included the
villages of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead and the region of Argob in Bashan
with its sixty large walled cities with bronze-studded gates; 14 Ahinadab son
of Iddo in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz in Naphtali (he was married to Solomon's
daughter Basemath); 16 Baana son of Hushai in Asher and Aloth; 17 Jehoshaphat
son of Paruah in Issachar; 18 Shimei son of Ela in Benjamin; 19 Geber son of
Uri in Gilead - this was the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and also of
Og king of Bashan; he managed the whole district by himself. 20 Judah and
Israel were densely populated - like sand on an ocean beach! All their needs
were met; they ate and drank and were happy. 21 Solomon was sovereign over all
the kingdoms from the River Euphrates in the east to the country of the
Philistines in the west, all the way to the border of Egypt. They brought
tribute and were vassals of Solomon all his life. 22 One day's food supply for
Solomon's household was: 185 bushels of fine flour 375 bushels of meal 10
grain-fed cattle 20 range cattle 100 sheep and miscellaneous deer, gazelles,
roebucks, and choice fowl. 23 24 Solomon was sovereign over everything,
countries and kings, west of the River Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza. Peace
reigned everywhere. 25 Throughout Solomon's life, everyone in Israel and Judah
lived safe and sound, all of them from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the
south - content with what they had. 26 Solomon had forty thousand stalls for
chariot horses and twelve thousand horsemen. 27 The district managers, each
according to his assigned month, delivered food supplies for King Solomon and
all who sat at the king's table; there was always plenty. 28 They also brought
to the designated place their assigned quota of barley and straw for the
horses. 29 God gave Solomon wisdom - the deepest of understanding and the
largest of hearts. There was nothing beyond him, nothing he couldn't handle. 30
Solomon's wisdom outclassed the vaunted wisdom of wise men of the East,
outshone the famous wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than anyone - wiser than
Ethan the Ezrahite, wiser than Heman, wiser than Calcol and Darda the sons of Mahol.
He became famous among all the surrounding nations. 32 He created three
thousand proverbs; his songs added up to 1,005. 33 He knew all about plants,
from the huge cedar that grows in Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows in the
cracks of a wall. He understood everything about animals and birds, reptiles
and fish. 34 Sent by kings from all over the earth who had heard of his
reputation, people came from far and near to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.
1
Kings 5 (The Message)
1 Hiram king of Tyre sent ambassadors
to Solomon when he heard that he had been crowned king in David's place. Hiram
had loved David his whole life. 2 Solomon responded, saying, 3 "You know
that David my father was not able to build a temple in honor of God because of
the wars he had to fight on all sides, until God finally put them down. 4 But
now God has provided peace all around - no one against us, nothing at odds with
us. 5 "Now here is what I want to do: Build a temple in honor of God, my
God, following the promise that God gave to David my father, namely, 'Your son
whom I will provide to succeed you as king, he will build a house in my honor.'
6 And here is how you can help: Give orders for cedars to be cut from the
Lebanon forest; my loggers will work alongside yours and I'll pay your men
whatever wage you set. We both know that there is no one like you Sidonians for
cutting timber." 7 When Hiram got Solomon's message, he was delighted,
exclaiming, "Blessed be God for giving David such a wise son to rule this
flourishing people!" 8 Then he sent this message to Solomon: "I
received your request for the cedars and cypresses. It's as good as done - your
wish is my command. 9 My lumberjacks will haul the timbers from the Lebanon
forest to the sea, assemble them into log rafts, float them to the place you
set, then have them disassembled for you to haul away. All I want from you is
that you feed my crew." 10 In this way Hiram supplied all the cedar and
cypress timber that Solomon wanted. 11 In his turn, Solomon gave Hiram 125,000
bushels of wheat and 115,000 gallons of virgin olive oil. He did this every
year. 12 And God, for his part, gave Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised.
The healthy peace between Hiram and Solomon was formalized by a treaty. 13 King
Solomon raised a workforce of 30,000 men from all over Israel. 14 He sent them
in shifts of 10,000 each month to the Lebanon forest; they would work a month
in Lebanon and then be at home two months. Adoniram was in charge of the work
crew. 15 Solomon also had 70,000 unskilled workers and another 80,000
stonecutters up in the hills 16 - plus 3,300 foremen managing the project and
supervising the work crews. 17 Following the king's orders, they quarried huge
blocks of the best stone - dressed stone for the foundation of The Temple. 18
Solomon and Hiram's construction workers, assisted by the men of Gebal, cut and
prepared the timber and stone for building The Temple.
1
Kings 6 (The Message)
1 Four hundred and eighty years after
the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's rule over
Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, Solomon started building The
Temple of God. 2 The Temple that King Solomon built to God was ninety feet
long, thirty feet wide, and forty-five feet high. 3 There was a porch across
the thirty-foot width of The Temple that extended out fifteen feet. 4 Within
The Temple he made narrow, deep-silled windows. 5 Against the outside walls he
built a supporting structure in which there were smaller rooms: 6 The lower
floor was seven and a half feet wide, the middle floor nine feet, and the third
floor ten and a half feet. He had projecting ledges built into the outside
Temple walls to support the buttressing beams. 7 The stone blocks for the
building of The Temple were all dressed at the quarry so that the building site
itself was reverently quiet - no noise from hammers and chisels and other iron
tools. 8 The entrance to the ground floor was at the south end of The Temple;
stairs led to the second floor and then to the third. 9 Solomon built and completed
The Temple, finishing it off with roof beams and planks of cedar. 10 The
supporting structure along the outside walls was attached to The Temple with
cedar beams and the rooms in it were seven and a half feet tall. 11 The word of
God came to Solomon saying, 12 "About this Temple you are building -
what's important is that you live the way I've set out for you and do what I
tell you, following my instructions carefully and obediently. Then I'll
complete in you the promise I made to David your father. 13 I'll personally
take up my residence among the Israelites - I won't desert my people
Israel." 14 Solomon built and completed The Temple. 15 He paneled the
interior walls from floor to ceiling with cedar planks; for flooring he used
cypress. 16 The thirty feet at the rear of The Temple he made into an Inner
Sanctuary, cedar planks from floor to ceiling - the Holy of Holies. 17 The Main
Sanctuary area in front was sixty feet long. 18 The entire interior of The
Temple was cedar, with carvings of fruits and flowers. All cedar - none of the
stone was exposed. 19 The Inner Sanctuary within The Temple was for housing the
Chest of the Covenant of God. 20 This Inner Sanctuary was a cube, thirty feet
each way, all plated with gold. The Altar of cedar was also gold-plated. 21
Everywhere you looked there was pure gold: gold chains strung in front of the
gold-plated Inner Sanctuary 22 - gold everywhere - walls, ceiling, floor, and
Altar. Dazzling! 23 Then he made two cherubim, gigantic angel-like figures,
from olivewood. Each was fifteen feet tall. 24 The outstretched wings of the
cherubim (they were identical in size and shape) measured another fifteen feet.
He placed the two cherubim, their wings spread, in the Inner Sanctuary. The
combined wingspread stretched the width of the room, the wing of one cherub
touched one wall, the wing of the other the other wall, and the wings touched
in the middle. 25 26 27 28 The cherubim were gold plated. 29 He then carved
engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and flower blossoms on all the walls of
both the Inner and the Main Sanctuary. 30 And all the floors of both inner and
outer rooms were gold plated. 31 He constructed doors of olivewood for the
entrance to the Inner Sanctuary; the lintel and doorposts were five-sided. 32
The doors were also carved with cherubim, palm trees, and flowers, and then
covered with gold leaf. 33 Similarly, he built the entrance to the Main
Sanctuary using olivewood for the doorposts but these doorposts were
four-sided. 34 The doors were of cypress, split into two panels, each panel
swinging separately. 35 These also were carved with cherubim, palm trees, and
flowers, and plated with finely hammered gold leaf. 36 He built the inner court
with three courses of dressed stones topped with a course of planed cedar
timbers. 37 The foundation for God's Temple was laid in the fourth year in the
month of Ziv. 38 It was completed in the eleventh year in the month of Bul (the
eighth month) down to the last detail, just as planned. It took Solomon seven
years to build it.
1
Kings 7 (The Message)
1 It took Solomon another thirteen
years to finish building his own palace complex. 2 He built the Palace of the
Forest of Lebanon a hundred and fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and
forty-five feet high. 3 There were four rows of cedar columns supporting
forty-five cedar beams, fifteen in each row, and then roofed with cedar. 4
Windows in groupings of three were set high in the walls on either side. 5 All
the doors were rectangular and arranged symmetrically. 6 He built a colonnaded
courtyard seventy-five feet long and forty-five wide. It had a roofed porch at
the front with ample eaves. 7 He built a court room, the Hall of Justice, where
he would decide judicial matters, and paneled it with cedar. 8 He built his
personal residence behind the Hall on a similar plan. Solomon also built
another one just like it for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had married. 9 No
expense was spared - everything here, inside and out, from foundation to roof
was constructed using high-quality stone, accurately cut and shaped and
polished. 10 The foundation stones were huge, ranging in size from twelve to
fifteen feet, and of the very best quality. 11 The finest stone was used above
the foundation, shaped to size and trimmed with cedar. 12 The courtyard was
enclosed with a wall made of three layers of stone and topped with cedar
timbers, just like the one in the porch of The Temple of God. 13 King Solomon
sent to Tyre and asked Hiram (not the king; another Hiram) to come. 14 Hiram's
mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali. His father was a Tyrian and a
master worker in bronze. Hiram was a real artist - he could do anything with
bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all the bronze work. 15 First he cast
two pillars in bronze, each twenty-seven feet tall and eighteen feet in
circumference. 16 He then cast two capitals in bronze to set on the pillars;
each capital was seven and a half feet high 17 and flared at the top in the
shape of a lily. Each capital was dressed with an elaborate filigree of seven
braided chains and a double row of two hundred pomegranates, setting the
pillars off magnificently. 18 19 20 21 He set the pillars up in the entrance
porch to The Temple; the pillar to the south he named Security (Jachin) and the
pillar to the north Stability (Boaz). 22 The capitals were in the shape of
lilies. 23 Hiram's next project was to make the Sea - an immense round basin of
cast metal fifteen feet in diameter, seven and a half feet tall, and forty-five
feet in circumference. 24 Just under the rim there were two bands of decorative
gourds, ten gourds to each foot and a half. The gourds were cast in one piece
with the Sea. 25 The Sea was set on twelve bulls, three facing north, three
facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; the bulls faced outward
supporting the Sea on their hindquarters. 26 The Sea was three inches thick and
flared at the rim like a cup, or like a lily. It held about 11,500 gallons. 27
Hiram also made ten washstands of bronze. Each was six feet square and four and
a half feet tall. 28 They were made like this: Panels were fastened to the
uprights. 29 Lions, bulls, and cherubim were represented on the panels and
uprights. Beveled wreath-work bordered the lions and bulls above and below. 30
Each stand was mounted on four bronze wheels with bronze axles. The uprights
were cast with decorative relief work. 31 Each stand held a basin on a circular
engraved support a foot and a half deep set on a pedestal two and a quarter
feet square. The washstand itself was square. 32 The axles were attached under
the stand and the wheels fixed to them. The wheels were twenty-seven inches in
diameter; 33 they were designed like chariot wheels. Everything - axles, rims,
spokes, and hubs - was of cast metal. 34 There was a handle at the four corners
of each washstand, the handles cast in one piece with the stand. 35 At the top
of the washstand there was a ring about nine inches deep. The uprights and
handles were cast with the stand. 36 Everything and every available surface was
engraved with cherubim, lions, and palm trees, bordered by arabesques. 37 The
washstands were identical, all cast in the same mold. 38 He also made ten
bronze washbasins, each six feet in diameter with a capacity of 230 gallons,
one basin for each of the ten washstands. 39 He arranged five stands on the
south side of The Temple and five on the north. The Sea was placed at the
southeast corner of The Temple. 40 Hiram then fashioned the various utensils:
buckets and shovels and bowls. Hiram completed all the work he set out to do
for King Solomon on The Temple of God: 41 two pillars; two capitals on top of
the pillars; two decorative filigrees for the capitals; 42 four hundred
pomegranates for the two filigrees (a double row of pomegranates for each
filigree); 43 ten washstands each with its washbasin; one Sea; 44 twelve bulls
under the Sea; 45 miscellaneous buckets, shovels, and bowls. 46 He cast them in
clay in a foundry on the Jordan plain between Succoth and Zarethan. 47 These
artifacts were never weighed - there were far too many! Nobody has any idea how
much bronze was used. 48 Solomon was also responsible for all the furniture and
accessories in The Temple of God: the gold Altar; the gold Table that held the
Bread of the Presence; 49 the pure gold candelabras, five to the right and five
to the left in front of the Inner Sanctuary; the gold flowers, lamps, and
tongs; 50 the pure gold dishes, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, ladles, and
censers; the gold sockets for the doors of the Inner Sanctuary, the Holy of
Holies, used also for the doors of the Main Sanctuary. 51 That completed all
the work King Solomon did on The Temple of God. He then brought in the items
consecrated by his father David, the silver and the gold and the artifacts. He
placed them all in the treasury of God's Temple.
1
Kings 8 (The Message)
1 Bringing all this to a climax, King
Solomon called in the leaders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the
family patriarchs, to bring up the Chest of the Covenant of God from Zion, the
City of David. 2 And they came, all Israel before King Solomon in the month of
Ethanim, the seventh month, for the great autumn festival. 3 With all Israel's
leaders present, the priests took up the Chest of God 4 and carried up the
Chest and the Tent of Meeting and all the holy vessels that went with the Tent.
5 King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel were there at the Chest
worshiping and sacrificing huge numbers of sheep and cattle - so many that no
one could keep track. 6 Then the priests brought the Chest of the Covenant of
God to its place in the Inner Sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, under the wings of
the cherubim. 7 The outspread wings of the cherubim stretched over the Chest
and its poles. 8 The poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the
entrance to the Inner Sanctuary, but were not noticeable farther out. They're
still there today. 9 There was nothing in the Chest but the two stone tablets
that Moses had placed in it at Horeb where God made a covenant with Israel
after bringing them up from Egypt. The Temple Finished, Dedicated, Filled 10
When the priests left the Holy Place, a cloud filled The Temple of God. 11 The
priests couldn't carry out their priestly duties because of the cloud - the
glory of God filled The Temple of God! 12 Then Solomon spoke: God has told us
that he lives in the dark where no one can see him; 13 I've built this splendid
Temple, O God, to mark your invisible presence forever. 14 The king then turned
to face the congregation and blessed them: 15 "Blessed be God, the God of
Israel, who spoke personally to my father David. Now he has kept the promise he
made when he said, 16 'From the day I brought my people Israel from Egypt, I
haven't set apart one city among the tribes of Israel to build a Temple to fix
my Name there. But I did choose David to rule my people Israel.' 17 "My
father David had it in his heart to build a Temple honoring the Name of God,
the God of Israel. 18 But God told him 'It was good that you wanted to build a
Temple in my honor - most commendable! 19 But you are not the one to do it -
your son will build it to honor my Name.' 20 "God has done what he said he
would do: I have succeeded David my father and ruled over Israel just as God
promised; and now I've built a Temple to honor God, the God of Israel, 21 and
I've secured a place for the Chest that holds the covenant of God, the covenant
that he made with our ancestors when he brought them up from the land of
Egypt." 22 Before the entire congregation of Israel, Solomon took a
position before the Altar, spread his hands out before heaven, 23 and prayed,
24 You kept your word to David my father, your personal word. You did exactly
what you promised - every detail. The proof is before us today! 25 Keep it up,
God, O God of Israel! Continue to keep the promises you made to David my father
when you said, "You'll always have a descendant to represent my rule on
Israel's throne, on the condition that your sons are as careful to live
obediently in my presence as you have." 26 God of Israel, let this all
happen; confirm and establish it! 27 Can it be that God will actually move into
our neighborhood? Why, the cosmos itself isn't large enough to give you
breathing room, let alone this Temple I've built. 28 Even so, I'm bold to ask:
Pay attention to these my prayers, both intercessory and personal, O God, my
God. Listen to my prayers, energetic and devout, that I'm setting before you
right now. 29 Keep your eyes open to this Temple night and day, this place of
which you said, "My Name will be honored there," 30 and listen to the
prayers that I pray at this place. Listen from your home in heaven and when you
hear, forgive. 31 When someone hurts a neighbor and promises to make things
right, and then comes and repeats the promise before your Altar in this Temple,
32 listen from heaven and act accordingly: Judge your servants, making the
offender pay for his offense and setting the offended free of any charges. 33
When your people Israel are beaten by an enemy because they've sinned against
you, but then turn to you and acknowledge your rule in prayers desperate and
devout in this Temple, 34 Listen from your home in heaven, forgive the sin of
your people Israel, return them to the land you gave their ancestors. 35 When
the skies shrivel up and there is no rain because your people have sinned
against you, but then they pray at this place, acknowledging your rule and
quitting their sins because you have scourged them, 36 isten from your home in
heaven, forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Then start over
with them: Train them to live right and well; send rain on the land you gave
your people as an inheritance. 37 When disasters strike, famine or catastrophe,
crop failure or disease, locust or beetle, or when an enemy attacks their
defenses - calamity of any sort 38 - any prayer that's prayed from anyone at
all among your people Israel, hearts penetrated by the disaster, hands and arms
thrown out to this Temple for help, 39 Listen from your home in heaven. 40 so
that they'll live before you in lifelong reverent and believing obedience on
this land you gave our ancestors. 41 And don't forget the foreigner who is not
a member of your people Israel but has come from a far country because of your
reputation. 42 People are going to be attracted here by your great reputation,
your wonder-working power, who come to pray at this Temple. 43 Listen from your
home in heaven. Honor the prayers of the foreigner so that people all over the
world will know who you are and what you're like and will live in reverent
obedience before you, just as your own people Israel do; so they'll know that
you personally make this Temple that I've built what it is. 44 When your people
go to war against their enemies at the time and place you send them and they
pray to God toward the city you chose and this Temple I've built to honor your
Name, 45 Listen from heaven to what they pray and ask for, and do what's right
for them. 46 When they sin against you - and they certainly will; there's no
one without sin! - and in anger you turn them over to the enemy and they are
taken captive to the enemy's land, whether far or near, 47 but repent in the
country of their captivity and pray with changed hearts in their exile,
"We've sinned; we've done wrong; we've been most wicked," 48 and turn
back to you heart and soul in the land of the enemy who conquered them, and
pray to you toward their homeland, the land you gave their ancestors, toward
the city you chose, and this Temple I have built to the honor of your Name, 49
isten from your home in heaven to their prayers desperate and devout and do
what is best for them. 50 Forgive your people who have sinned against you;
forgive their gross rebellions and move their captors to treat them with
compassion. 51 They are, after all, your people and your precious inheritance
whom you rescued from the heart of that iron-smelting furnace, Egypt! 52 O be
alert and attentive to the needy prayers of me, your servant, and your dear
people Israel; listen every time they cry out to you! 53 You handpicked them
from all the peoples on earth to be your very own people, as you announced
through your servant Moses when you, O God, in your masterful rule, delivered
our ancestors from Egypt. 54 Having finished praying to God - all these bold
and passionate prayers - Solomon stood up before God's Altar where he had been
kneeling all this time, his arms stretched upward to heaven. 55 Standing, he
blessed the whole congregation of Israel, blessing them at the top of his
lungs: 56 "Blessed be God, who has given peace to his people Israel just as
he said he'd do. Not one of all those good and wonderful words that he spoke
through Moses has misfired. 57 May God, our very own God, continue to be with
us just as he was with our ancestors - may he never give up and walk out on us.
58 May he keep us centered and devoted to him, following the life path he has
cleared, watching the signposts, walking at the pace and rhythms he laid down
for our ancestors. 59 "And let these words that I've prayed in the
presence of God be always right there before him, day and night, so that he'll
do what is right for me, to guarantee justice for his people Israel day after
day after day. 60 Then all the people on earth will know God is the true God;
there is no other God. 61 And you, your lives must be totally obedient to God,
our personal God, following the life path he has cleared, alert and attentive
to everything he has made plain this day." 62 The king and all Israel with
him then worshiped, offering sacrifices to God. 63 Solomon offered
Peace-Offerings, sacrificing to God twenty-two thousand cattle, a hundred and
twenty thousand sheep. This is how the king and all Israel dedicated The Temple
of God. 64 That same day, the king set apart the central area of the Courtyard
in front of God's Temple for sacred use and there sacrificed the
Whole-Burnt-Offerings, Grain-Offerings, and fat from the Peace-Offerings - the
bronze Altar was too small to handle all these offerings. 65 This is how
Solomon kept the great autumn feast, and all Israel with him, people there all
the way from the far northeast (the Entrance to Hamath) to the far southwest
(the Brook of Egypt) - a huge congregation. They started out celebrating for
seven days - and then did it another seven days! Two solid weeks of
celebration! 66 Then he dismissed them. They blessed the king and went home,
exuberant with heartfelt gratitude for all the good God had done for his
servant David and for his people Israel.
1
Kings 9 (The Message)
1 After Solomon had completed building
The Temple of God and his own palace, all the projects he had set his heart on
doing, 2 God appeared to Solomon again, just as he had appeared to him at
Gibeon. 3 And God said to him, "I've listened to and received all your
prayers, your ever-so-passionate prayers. I've sanctified this Temple that you
have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in
it always. 4 As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived,
pure in heart and action, living the life I've set out for you, attentively
obedient to my guidance and judgments, 5 then I'll back your kingly rule over
Israel, make it a sure thing on a solid foundation. The same guarantee I gave
David your father I'm giving you: 'You can count on always having a descendant
on Israel's throne.' 6 "But if you or your sons betray me, ignoring my
guidance and judgments, taking up with alien gods by serving and worshiping
them, 7 then the guarantee is off: I'll wipe Israel right off the map and
repudiate this Temple I've just sanctified to honor my Name. And Israel will
become nothing but a bad joke among the peoples of the world. 8 And this
Temple, splendid as it now is, will become an object of contempt; visitors will
shake their heads, saying, 'Whatever happened here? What's the story behind
these ruins?' 9 Then they'll be told, 'The people who used to live here
betrayed their God, the very God who rescued their ancestors from Egypt; they
took up with alien gods, worshiping and serving them. That's what's behind this
God-visited devastation.'" 10 At the end of twenty years, having built the
two buildings, The Temple of God and his personal palace, 11 Solomon rewarded
Hiram king of Tyre with a gift of twenty villages in the district of Galilee.
Hiram had provided him with all the cedar and cypress and gold that he had
wanted. 12 But when Hiram left Tyre to look over the villages that Solomon had
given him, he didn't like what he saw. 13 He said, "What kind of reward is
this, my friend? Twenty backwoods hick towns!" People still refer to them
that way. 14 This is all Hiram got from Solomon in exchange for four and a half
tons of gold! 15 This is the work record of the labor force that King Solomon
raised to build The Temple of God, his palace, the defense complex (the Millo),
the Jerusalem wall, and the fortified cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. 16
Pharaoh king of Egypt had come up and captured Gezer, torched it, and killed
all the Canaanites who lived there. He gave it as a wedding present to his
daughter, Solomon's wife. 17 So Solomon rebuilt Gezer. 18 Baalath, and Tamar in
the desert, back-country 19 storehouse villages, and villages for chariots and
horses. Solomon built widely and extravagantly in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and
wherever he fancied. 20 The remnants from the original inhabitants of the land
(Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites - all non-Israelites),
21 survivors of the holy wars, were rounded up by Solomon for his gangs of
slave labor, a policy still in effect. 22 But true Israelites were not treated
this way; they were used in his army and administration - government leaders
and commanders of his chariots and charioteers. 23 They were also the project
managers responsible for Solomon's building operations - 550 of them in charge
of the workforce. 24 It was after Pharaoh's daughter ceremonially ascended from
the City of David and took up residence in the house built especially for her
that Solomon built the defense complex (the Millo). 25 Three times a year
Solomon worshiped at the Altar of God, sacrificing Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings,
and burning incense in the presence of God. Everything that had to do with The
Temple he did generously and well; he didn't skimp. 26 And ships! King Solomon
also built ships at Ezion Geber, located near Elath in Edom on the Red Sea. 27
Hiram sent seaworthy sailors to assist Solomon's men with the fleet. 28 They
embarked for Ophir, brought back sixteen tons of gold, and presented it to King
Solomon.
1
Kings 10 (The Message)
1 The queen of Sheba heard about
Solomon and his connection with the Name of God. She came to put his reputation
to the test by asking tough questions. 2 She made a grand and showy entrance
into Jerusalem - camels loaded with spices, a huge amount of gold, and precious
gems. She came to Solomon and talked about all the things that she cared about,
emptying her heart to him. 3 Solomon answered everything she put to him -
nothing stumped him. 4 When the queen of Sheba experienced for herself
Solomon's wisdom and saw with her own eyes the palace he had built, 5 the meals
that were served, the impressive array of court officials and sharply dressed
waiters, the lavish crystal, and the elaborate worship extravagant with
Whole-Burnt-Offerings at the steps leading up to The Temple of God, it took her
breath away. 6 She said to the king, "It's all true! Your reputation for
accomplishment and wisdom that reached all the way to my country is confirmed.
7 I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself; they didn't
exaggerate! Such wisdom and elegance - far more than I could ever have
imagined. 8 Lucky the men and women who work for you, getting to be around you
every day and hear your wise words firsthand! 9 And blessed be God, your God,
who took such a liking to you and made you king. Clearly, God's love for Israel
is behind this, making you king to keep a just order and nurture a God-pleasing
people." 10 She then gave the king four and a half tons of gold, and also
sack after sack of spices and expensive gems. There hasn't been a cargo of
spices like that since that shipload the queen of Sheba brought to King
Solomon. 11 The ships of Hiram also imported gold from Ophir along with
tremendous loads of fragrant sandalwood and expensive gems. 12 The king used the
sandalwood for fine cabinetry in The Temple of God and the palace complex, and
for making harps and dulcimers for the musicians. Nothing like that shipment of
sandalwood has been seen since. 13 King Solomon for his part gave the queen of
Sheba all her heart's desire - everything she asked for, on top of what he had
already so generously given her. Satisfied, she returned home with her train of
servants. 14 Solomon received twenty-five tons of gold in tribute annually. 15
This was above and beyond the taxes and profit on trade with merchants and
assorted kings and governors. 16 King Solomon crafted two hundred body-length
shields of hammered gold - seven and a half pounds of gold to each shield 17 -
and three hundred smaller shields about half that size. He stored the shields
in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 18 The king built a massive throne of
ivory accented with a veneer of gold. 19 The throne had six steps leading up to
it, its back shaped like an arch. The armrests on each side were flanked by lions.
20 Lions, twelve of them, were placed at either end of the six steps. There was
no throne like it in any of the surrounding kingdoms. 21 King Solomon's
chalices and tankards were made of gold and all the dinnerware and serving
utensils in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold - nothing was
made of silver; silver was considered common and cheap. 22 The king had a fleet
of ocean-going ships at sea with Hiram's ships. Every three years the fleet
would bring in a cargo of gold, silver, and ivory, and apes and peacocks. 23
King Solomon was wiser and richer than all the kings of the earth - he
surpassed them all. 24 People came from all over the world to be with Solomon
and drink in the wisdom God had given him. 25 And everyone who came brought gifts
- artifacts of gold and silver, fashionable robes and gowns, the latest in
weapons, exotic spices, and horses and mules - parades of visitors, year after
year. 26 Solomon collected chariots and horses: fourteen hundred chariots and
twelve thousand horses! He stabled them in the special chariot cities as well
as in Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver as common as rocks and cedar as common
as the fig trees in the lowland hills. 28 His horses were brought in from Egypt
and Cilicia, specially acquired by the king's agents. 29 Chariots from Egypt
went for fifteen pounds of silver and a horse for about three and three-quarter
pounds of silver. Solomon carried on a brisk horse-trading business with the
Hittite and Aramean royal houses.
1
Kings 11 (The Message)
1 King Solomon was obsessed with women.
Pharaoh's daughter was only the first of the many foreign women he loved -
Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite. 2 He took them from the
surrounding pagan nations of which God had clearly warned Israel, "You
must not marry them; they'll seduce you into infatuations with their
gods." Solomon fell in love with them anyway, refusing to give them up. 3
He had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines - a thousand
women in all! And they did seduce him away from God. 4 As Solomon grew older,
his wives beguiled him with their alien gods and he became unfaithful - he
didn't stay true to his God as his father David had done. 5 Solomon took up
with Ashtoreth, the whore goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the horrible
god of the Ammonites. 6 Solomon openly defied God; he did not follow in his
father David's footsteps. 7 He went on to build a sacred shrine to Chemosh, the
horrible god of Moab, and to Molech, the horrible god of the Ammonites, on a
hill just east of Jerusalem. 8 He built similar shrines for all his foreign
wives, who then polluted the countryside with the smoke and stench of their
sacrifices. 9 God was furious with Solomon for abandoning the God of Israel,
the God who had twice appeared to him 10 and had so clearly commanded him not
to fool around with other gods. Solomon faithlessly disobeyed God's orders. 11
God said to Solomon, "Since this is the way it is with you, that you have
no intention of keeping faith with me and doing what I have commanded, I'm
going to rip the kingdom from you and hand it over to someone else. 12 But out
of respect for your father David I won't do it in your lifetime. It's your son
who will pay - I'll rip it right out of his grasp. 13 Even then I won't take it
all; I'll leave him one tribe in honor of my servant David and out of respect
for my chosen city Jerusalem." 14 God incited Hadad, a descendant of the
king of Edom, into hostile actions against Solomon. 15 Years earlier, when
David devastated Edom, Joab, commander of the army, on his way to bury the
dead, massacred all the men of Edom. 16 Joab and his army stayed there for six
months, making sure they had killed every man in Edom. 17 Hadad, just a boy at
the time, had escaped with some of the Edomites who had worked for his father.
18 Their escape route took them through Midian to Paran. They picked up some
men in Paran and went on to Egypt and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad
a house, food, and even land. 19 Pharaoh liked him so well that he gave him the
sister of his wife, Queen Tahpenes, in marriage. 20 She bore Hadad a son named
Genubath who was raised like one of the royal family. Genubath grew up in the
palace with Pharaoh's children. 21 While living in Egypt, Hadad heard that both
David and Joab, commander of the army, were dead. He approached Pharaoh and
said, "Send me off with your blessing - I want to return to my
country." 22 "But why?" said Pharaoh. "Why would you want
to leave here? Hasn't everything been to your liking?" "Everything
has been just fine," said Hadad, "but I want to go home - give me a
good send-off!" 23 Then God incited another adversary against Solomon,
Rezon son of Eliada, who had deserted from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah.
24 After David's slaughter of the Arameans, Rezon collected a band of outlaws
and became their leader. They later settled in Damascus, where Rezon eventually
took over as king. 25 Like Hadad, Rezon was a thorn in Israel's side all of
Solomon's life. He was king over Aram, and he hated Israel. 26 And then, the
last straw: Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against the king. He was an
Ephraimite from Zeredah, his mother a widow named Zeruah. He served in
Solomon's administration. 27 This is why he rebelled. Solomon had built the
outer defense system (the Millo) and had restored the fortifications that were
in disrepair from the time of his father David. 28 Jeroboam stood out during
the construction as strong and able. When Solomon observed what a good worker
he was, he put the young man in charge of the entire workforce of the tribe of
Joseph. 29 One day Jeroboam was walking down the road out of Jerusalem. Ahijah
the prophet of Shiloh, wearing a brand-new cloak, met him. The two of them were
alone on that remote stretch of road. 30 Ahijah took off the new cloak that he
was wearing and ripped it into twelve pieces. 31 Then he said to Jeroboam,
"Take ten of these pieces for yourself; this is by order of the God of
Israel: See what I'm doing - I'm ripping the kingdom out of Solomon's hands and
giving you ten of the tribes. 32 In honor of my servant David and out of
respect for Jerusalem, the city I especially chose, he will get one tribe. 33
And here's the reason: He faithlessly abandoned me and went off worshiping
Ashtoreth goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh god of the Moabites, and Molech god
of the Ammonites. He hasn't lived the way I have shown him, hasn't done what I
have wanted, and hasn't followed directions or obeyed orders as his father
David did. 34 "Still, I won't take the whole kingdom away from him. I'll
stick with him through his lifetime because of my servant David whom I chose
and who did follow my directions and obey my orders. 35 But after that I'll
remove the kingdom from his son's control and give you ten tribes. 36 I'll
leave one tribe to his son, to maintain a witness to my servant David in
Jerusalem, the city I chose as a memorial to my Name. 37 "But I have taken
you in hand. Rule to your heart's content! You are to be the king of Israel. 38
If you listen to what I tell you and live the way I show you and do what
pleases me, following directions and obeying orders as my servant David did,
I'll stick with you no matter what. I'll build you a kingdom as solid as the
one I built for David. Israel will be yours! 39 I am bringing pain and trouble
on David's descendants, but the trials won't last forever." 40 Solomon
ordered the assassination of Jeroboam, but he got away to Egypt and found
asylum there with King Shishak. He remained in exile there until Solomon died.
41 The rest of Solomon's life and rule, his work and his wisdom, you can read
for yourself in The Chronicles of Solomon. 42 Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over
all Israel for forty years. 43 He died and was buried in the City of David his
father. His son Rehoboam was the next king.
1
Kings 11 (The Message)
1
Rehoboam traveled to Shechem where all Israel had gathered to inaugurate him as
king. 2 Jeroboam had been in Egypt, where he
had taken asylum from King Solomon; when he got the report of Solomon's death
he had come back. 3 Rehoboam assembled Jeroboam and all
the people. They said to Rehoboam, 4 "Your father made life hard for
us - worked our fingers to the bone. Give us a break; lighten up on us and
we'll willingly serve you." 5 "Give me three days to think it
over, then come back," Rehoboam said. 6 King Rehoboam talked it over with the
elders who had advised his father when he was alive: "What's your counsel?
How do you suggest that I answer the people?" 7
They said, "If you will be a servant to this people, be considerate of
their needs and respond with compassion, work things out with them, they'll end
up doing anything for you." 8 But he rejected the counsel of the
elders and asked the young men he'd grown up with who were now currying his
favor, 9 "What do you think? What should I
say to these people who are saying, 'Give us a break from your father's harsh
ways - lighten up on us'?" 10 The young turks he'd grown up with
said, "These people who complain, 'Your father was too hard on us; lighten
up' - well, tell them this: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's
waist. 11 If you think life under my father was
hard, you haven't seen the half of it. My father thrashed you with whips; I'll
beat you bloody with chains!'" 12 Three days later Jeroboam and the
people showed up, just as Rehoboam had directed when he said, "Give me
three days to think it over, then come back." 13
The king's answer was harsh and rude. He spurned the counsel of the elders 14
and went with the advice of the younger set, "If you think life under my
father was hard, you haven't seen the half of it. My father thrashed you with
whips; I'll beat you bloody with chains!" 15
Rehoboam turned a deaf ear to the people. God was behind all this, confirming
the message that he had given to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah of
Shiloh. 16 When all Israel realized that the
king hadn't listened to a word they'd said, they stood up to him and said, Get
lost, David! We've had it with you, son of Jesse! Let's get out of here,
Israel, and fast! From now on, David, mind your own business. 17
But Rehoboam continued to rule those who lived in the towns of Judah. 18
When King Rehoboam next sent out Adoniram, head of the workforce, the
Israelites ganged up on him, pelted him with stones, and killed him. King
Rehoboam jumped in his chariot and fled to Jerusalem as fast as he could. 19
Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic regime ever since. Jeroboam of
Israel 20 When the word was out that Jeroboam
was back and available, the assembled people invited him and inaugurated him
king over all Israel. The only tribe left to the Davidic dynasty was Judah. 21
When Rehoboam got back to Jerusalem, he called up the men of Judah and the
tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand of their best soldiers, to go
to war against Israel and recover the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon. 22
At this time the word of God came to Shemaiah, a man of God: 23
"Tell this to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, along with everyone
in Judah and Benjamin and anyone else who is around: 24
This is God's word: Don't march out; don't fight against your brothers the
Israelites; go back home, every last one of you; I'm in charge here." And
they did it; they did what God said and went home. 25
Jeroboam made a fort at Shechem in the hills of Ephraim, and made that his
headquarters. He also built a fort at Penuel. 26
But then Jeroboam thought, "It won't be long before the kingdom is
reunited under David. 27 As soon as these people resume
worship at The Temple of God in Jerusalem, they'll start thinking of Rehoboam
king of Judah as their ruler. They'll then kill me and go back to King
Rehoboam." 28 So the king came up with a plan: He
made two golden calves. Then he announced, "It's too much trouble for you
to go to Jerusalem to worship. Look at these - the gods who brought you out of
Egypt!" 29 He put one calf in Bethel; the other
he placed in Dan. 30 This was blatant sin. Think of it -
people traveling all the way to Dan to worship a calf! 31
And that wasn't the end of it. Jeroboam built forbidden shrines all over the
place and recruited priests from wherever he could find them, regardless of
whether they were fit for the job or not. 32 To top it off, he created a holy New
Year festival to be held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month to replace
the one in Judah, complete with worship offered on the Altar at Bethel and
sacrificing before the calves he had set up there. He staffed Bethel with
priests from the local shrines he had made. 33 This was strictly his own idea to
compete with the feast in Judah; and he carried it off with flair, a festival
exclusively for Israel, Jeroboam himself leading the worship at the Altar.
1
Kings 13 (The Message)
1 And then this happened: Just as
Jeroboam was at the Altar, about to make an offering, a holy man came from
Judah by God's command 2 and preached (these were God's orders) to the Altar:
"Altar, Altar! God's message! 'A son will be born into David's family
named Josiah. The priests from the shrines who are making offerings on you, he
will sacrifice - on you! Human bones burned on you!'" 3 At the same time
he announced a sign: "This is the proof God gives - the Altar will split
into pieces and the holy offerings spill into the dirt." 4 When the king
heard the message the holy man preached against the Altar at Bethel, he reached
out to grab him, yelling, "Arrest him!" But his arm was paralyzed and
hung useless. 5 At the same time the Altar broke apart and the holy offerings
all spilled into the dirt - the very sign the holy man had announced by God's
command. 6 The king pleaded with the holy man, "Help me! Pray to your God
for the healing of my arm." The holy man prayed for him and the king's arm
was healed - as good as new! 7 Then the king invited the holy man, "Join
me for a meal; I have a gift for you." 8 The holy man told the king,
"Not on your life! You couldn't pay me enough to get me to sit down with
you at a meal in this place. 9 I'm here under God's orders, and he commanded,
'Don't eat a crumb, don't drink a drop, and don't go back the way you came.'"
10 Then he left by a different road than the one on which he had walked to
Bethel. 11 There was an old prophet who lived in Bethel. His sons came and told
him the story of what the holy man had done that day in Bethel, told him
everything that had happened and what the holy man had said to the king. 12
Their father said, "Which way did he go?" His sons pointed out the
road that the holy man from Judah had taken. 13 He told his sons, "Saddle
my donkey." When they had saddled it, he got on 14 and rode after the holy
man. He found him sitting under an oak tree. He asked him, "Are you the
holy man who came from Judah?" "Yes, I am," he said. 15
"Well, come home with me and have a meal." 16 "Sorry, I can't do
that," the holy man said. "I can neither go back with you nor eat
with you in this country. 17 I'm under strict orders from God: 'Don't eat a
crumb; don't drink a drop; and don't come back the way you came.'" 18 But
he said, "I am also a prophet, just like you. And an angel came to me with
a message from God: 'Bring him home with you, and give him a good meal!'"
But the man was lying. 19 So the holy man went home with him and they had a
meal together. 20 There they were, sitting at the table together, when the word
of God came to the prophet who had brought him back. 21 He confronted the holy
man who had come from Judah: "God's word to you: You disobeyed God's
command; you didn't keep the strict orders your God gave you; 22 you came back
and sat down to a good meal in the very place God told you, 'Don't eat a crumb;
don't drink a drop.' For that you're going to die far from home and not be
buried in your ancestral tomb." 23 When the meal was over, the prophet who
had brought him back saddled his donkey for him. 24 Down the road a way, a lion
met him and killed him. His corpse lay crumpled on the road, the lion on one
side and the donkey on the other. 25 Some passersby saw the corpse in a heap on
the road, with the lion standing guard beside it. They went to the village
where the old prophet lived and told what they had seen. 26 When the prophet
who had gotten him off track heard it, he said, "It's the holy man who
disobeyed God's strict orders. God turned him over to the lion who knocked him
around and killed him, just as God had told him." 27 The prophet told his
sons, "Saddle my donkey." They did it. 28 He rode out and found the
corpse in a heap in the road, with the lion and the donkey standing there. The
lion hadn't bothered either the corpse or the donkey. 29 The old prophet loaded
the corpse of the holy man on his donkey and returned it to his own town to
give it a decent burial. 30 He placed the body in his own tomb. The people
mourned, saying, "A sad day, brother!" 31 After the funeral, the
prophet said to his sons, "When I die, bury me in the same tomb where the
holy man is buried, my bones alongside his bones. 32 The message that he
preached by God's command against the Altar at Bethel and against all the
sex-and-religion shrines in the towns of Samaria will come true." 33 After
this happened, Jeroboam kept right on doing evil, recruiting priests for the
forbidden shrines indiscriminately - anyone who wanted to could be a priest at
one of the local shrines. 34 This was the root sin of Jeroboam's government.
And it was this that ruined him.
1
Kings 14 (The Message)
1 At about this time Jeroboam's son
Abijah came down sick. 2 Jeroboam said to his wife, "Do something.
Disguise yourself so no one will know you are the queen and go to Shiloh.
Ahijah the prophet lives there, the same Ahijah who told me I'd be king over
this people. 3 Take along ten loaves of bread, some sweet rolls, and a jug of
honey. Make a visit to him and he'll tell you what's going on with our
boy." 4 Jeroboam's wife did as she was told; she went straight to Shiloh
and to Ahijah's house. Ahijah was an old man at this time, and blind, 5 but God
had warned Ahijah, "Jeroboam's wife is on her way to consult with you
regarding her sick son; tell her this and this and this." 6 Ahijah heard
her come through the door and said, "Welcome, wife of Jeroboam! But why
the deception? I've got bad news for you. 7 Go and deliver this message I
received firsthand from God, the God of Israel, to Jeroboam: I raised you up
from obscurity and made you the leader of my people Israel. 8 I ripped the
kingdom from the hands of David's family and gave it to you, but you weren't at
all like my servant David who did what I told him and lived from his undivided
heart, pleasing me. 9 Instead you've set a new record in works of evil by
making alien gods - tin gods! Pushing me aside and turning your back - you've
made me mighty angry. 10 "And I'll not put up with it: I'm bringing doom
on the household of Jeroboam, killing the lot of them right down to the last
male wretch in Israel, whether slave or free. They've become nothing but
garbage and I'm getting rid of them. 11 The ones who die in the city will be
eaten by stray dogs; the ones who die out in the country will be eaten by
carrion crows. God's decree! 12 "And that's it. Go on home - the minute
you step foot in town, the boy will die. 13 Everyone will come to his burial,
mourning his death. He is the only one in Jeroboam's family who will get a
decent burial; he's the only one for whom God, the God of Israel, has a good
word to say. 14 "Then God will appoint a king over Israel who will wipe
out Jeroboam's family, wipe them right off the map - doomsday for Jeroboam! 15
He will hit Israel hard, as a storm slaps reeds about; he'll pull them up by
the roots from this good land of their inheritance, weeding them out, and then
scatter them to the four winds. And why? Because they made God so angry with
Asherah sex-and-religion shrines. 16 He'll wash his hands of Israel because of
Jeroboam's sins, which have led Israel into a life of sin." 17 Jeroboam's wife
left and went home to Tirzah. The moment she stepped through the door, the boy
died. 18 They buried him and everyone mourned his death, just as God had said
through his servant the prophet Ahijah. 19 The rest of Jeroboam's life, the
wars he fought and the way he ruled, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings
of Israel. 20 He ruled for twenty-two years. He died and was buried with his
ancestors. Nadab his son was king after him. 21 Rehoboam son of Solomon was
king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he took the throne and was king
for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city God selected from all the tribes of
Israel for the worship of his Name. Rehoboam's mother was Naamah, an Ammonite.
22 Judah was openly wicked before God, making him very angry. They set new
records in sin, surpassing anything their ancestors had done. 23 They built
Asherah sex-and-religion shrines and set up sacred stones all over the place -
on hills, under trees, wherever you looked. 24 Worse, they had male sacred
prostitutes, polluting the country outrageously - all the stuff that God had
gotten rid of when he brought Israel into the land. 25 In the fifth year of
King Rehoboam's rule, Shishak king of Egypt made war against Jerusalem. 26 He
plundered The Temple of God and the royal palace of their treasures, cleaned
them out - even the gold shields that Solomon had made. 27 King Rehoboam
replaced them with bronze shields and outfitted the royal palace guards with
them. 28 Whenever the king went to God's Temple, the guards carried the shields
but always returned them to the guardroom. 29 The rest of Rehoboam's life, what
he said and did, is all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. 30
There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam the whole time. 31 Rehoboam died
and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His mother was Naamah,
an Ammonite. His son Abijah ruled after him.
1
Kings 15 (The Message)
1 In the eighteenth year of the rule of
Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah took over the throne of Judah. 2 He ruled in
Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah daughter of Absalom. 3 He
continued to sin just like his father before him. He was not truehearted to God
as his grandfather David had been. 4 But despite that, out of respect for
David, his God graciously gave him a lamp, a son to follow him and keep
Jerusalem secure. 5 For David had lived an exemplary life before God all his
days, not going off on his own in willful defiance of God's clear directions
(except for that time with Uriah the Hittite). 6 But war continued between
Abijah and Jeroboam the whole time. 7 The rest of Abijah's life, everything he
did, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. But the war with
Jeroboam was the dominant theme. 8 Abijah died and was buried with his
ancestors in the City of David. His son Asa was king after him. 9 In the
twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began his rule over Judah. 10 He
ruled for forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother's name was Maacah. 11
Asa conducted himself well before God, reviving the ways of his ancestor David.
12 He cleaned house: He got rid of the sacred prostitutes and threw out all the
idols his predecessors had made. 13 Asa spared nothing and no one; he went so
far as to remove Queen Maacah from her position because she had built a
shockingly obscene memorial to the whore goddess Asherah. Asa tore it down and
burned it up in the Kidron Valley. 14 Unfortunately, he didn't get rid of the
local sex-and-religion shrines. But he was well-intentioned - his heart was in
the right place, in tune with God. 15 All the gold and silver vessels and
artifacts that he and his father had consecrated for holy use he installed in
The Temple. 16 But through much of his reign there was war between Asa and
Baasha king of Israel. 17 Baasha king of Israel started it by building a fort
at Ramah and closing the border between Israel and Judah so no one could enter
or leave Judah. 18 Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the
treasuries of The Temple of God and the royal palace, gave it to his servants,
and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion king of Aram,
who was ruling in Damascus, with this message: 19 "Let's make a treaty
like the one between our fathers. I'm showing my good faith with this gift of
silver and gold. Break your deal with Baasha king of Israel so he'll quit
fighting against me." 20 Ben-Hadad went along with King Asa and sent out
his troops against the towns of Israel. He attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth
Maacah, and the entire region of Kinnereth, including Naphtali. 21 When Baasha
got the report he quit fortifying Ramah and pulled back to Tirzah. 22 Then King
Asa issued orders to everyone in Judah - no exemptions - to haul away the logs
and stones Baasha had used in the fortification of Ramah and use them to fortify
Geba in Benjamin and Mizpah. 23 A full account of Asa's life, all the great
things he did and the fortifications he constructed, is written in The
Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. In his old age he developed severe gout. 24
Then Asa died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son
Jehoshaphat became king after him. 25 Nadab son of Jeroboam became king over
Israel in the second year of Asa's rule in Judah. He was king of Israel two
years. 26 He was openly evil before God - he followed in the footsteps of his
father who both sinned and made Israel sin. 27 Baasha son of Ahijah of the
tribe of Issachar ganged up on him and attacked him at the Philistine town of
Gibbethon while Nadab and the Israelites were doing battle there. 28 Baasha killed
Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and became Israel's next king. 29
As soon as he was king he killed everyone in Jeroboam's family. There wasn't a
living soul left to the name of Jeroboam; Baasha wiped them out totally, just
as God's servant Ahijah of Shiloh had prophesied 30 - punishment for Jeroboam's
sins and for making Israel sin, for making the God of Israel thoroughly angry.
31 The rest of Nadab's life, everything else he did, is written in The
Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 32 There was continuous war between Asa and
Baasha king of Israel. 33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of
Ahijah became king in Tirzah over all Israel. He ruled twenty-four years. 34 He
was openly evil before God, walking in the footsteps of Jeroboam, who both
sinned and made Israel sin.
1
Kings 16 (The Message)
1 The word of God came to Jehu son of
Hanani with this message for Baasha: 2 "I took you from nothing - a
complete nobody - and set you up as the leader of my people Israel, but you plodded
along in the rut of Jeroboam, making my people Israel sin and making me seethe
over their sin. 3 And now the consequences - I will burn Baasha and his regime
to cinders, the identical fate of Jeroboam son of Nebat. 4 Baasha's people who
die in the city will be eaten by scavenger dogs; carrion crows will eat the
ones who die in the country." 5 The rest of Baasha's life, the record of
his regime, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 6 Baasha died
and was buried with his ancestors in Tirzah. His son Elah was king after him. 7
That's the way it was with Baasha: Through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani,
God's word came to him and his regime because of his life of open evil before
God and his making God so angry - a chip off the block of Jeroboam, even though
God had destroyed him. 8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah
son of Baasha began his rule. He was king in Tirzah only two years. 9 One day
when he was at the house of Arza the palace manager, drinking himself drunk,
Zimri, captain of half his chariot-force, conspired against him. 10 Zimri
slipped in, knocked Elah to the ground, and killed him. This happened in the
twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Zimri then became the king. 11 Zimri
had no sooner become king than he killed everyone connected with Baasha, got
rid of them all like so many stray dogs - relatives and friends alike. 12 Zimri
totally wiped out the family of Baasha, just as God's word delivered by the
prophet Jehu had said 13 - wages for the sins of Baasha and his son Elah; not
only for their sins but for dragging Israel into their sins and making the God
of Israel angry with their stupid idols. 14 The rest of Elah's life, what he
said and did, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 15 Zimri was
king in Tirzah for all of seven days during the twenty-seventh year of the
reign of Asa king of Judah. The Israelite army was on maneuvers near the
Philistine town of Gibbethon at the time. 16 When they got the report,
"Zimri has conspired against the king and killed him," right there in
the camp they made Omri, commander of the army, king. 17 Omri and the army
immediately left Gibbethon and attacked Tirzah. 18 When Zimri saw that he was
surrounded and as good as dead, he entered the palace citadel, set the place on
fire, and died. 19 It was a fit end for his sins, for living a flagrantly evil
life before God, walking in the footsteps of Jeroboam, sinning and then
dragging Israel into his sins. 20 As for the rest of Zimri's life, along with
his infamous conspiracy, it's all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of
Israel. 21 After that the people of Israel were split right down the middle:
Half favored Tibni son of Ginath as king, and half wanted Omri. 22 Eventually
the Omri side proved stronger than the Tibni side. Tibni ended up dead and Omri
king. 23 Omri took over as king of Israel in the thirty-first year of the reign
of Asa king of Judah. He ruled for twelve years, the first six in Tirzah. 24 He
then bought the hill Samaria from Shemer for 150 pounds of silver. He developed
the hill and named the city that he built Samaria, after its original owner
Shemer. 25 But as far as God was concerned, Omri lived an evil life - set new
records in evil. 26 He walked in the footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who not
only sinned but dragged Israel into his sins, making God angry - such an
empty-headed, empty-hearted life! 27 The rest of Omri's life, the mark he made
on his times, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 28 Omri died
and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab was the next king after him. 29 Ahab
son of Omri became king of Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of
Judah. Ahab son of Omri was king over Israel for twenty-two years. He ruled
from Samaria. 30 Ahab son of Omri did even more open evil before God than
anyone yet - a new champion in evil! 31 It wasn't enough for him to copy the
sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat; no, he went all out, first by marrying Jezebel
daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and then by serving and worshiping
the god Baal. 32 He built a temple for Baal in Samaria, and then furnished it
with an altar for Baal. 33 Worse, he went on and built a shrine to the sacred
whore Asherah. He made the God of Israel angrier than all the previous kings of
Israel put together. 34 It was under Ahab's rule that Hiel of Bethel
refortified Jericho, but at a terrible cost: He ritually sacrificed his
firstborn son Abiram at the laying of the foundation, and his youngest son
Segub at the setting up of the gates. This is exactly what Joshua son of Nun
said would happen.
1
Kings 17 (The Message)
1 And then this happened: Elijah the
Tishbite, from among the settlers of Gilead, confronted Ahab: "As surely
as God lives, the God of Israel before whom I stand in obedient service, the
next years are going to see a total drought - not a drop of dew or rain unless
I say otherwise." 2 God then told Elijah, 3 "Get out of here, and
fast. Head east and hide out at the Kerith Ravine on the other side of the
Jordan River. 4 You can drink fresh water from the brook; I've ordered the
ravens to feed you." 5 Elijah obeyed God's orders. He went and camped in
the Kerith canyon on the other side of the Jordan. 6 And sure enough, ravens
brought him his meals, both breakfast and supper, and he drank from the brook.
7 Eventually the brook dried up because of the drought. 8 Then God spoke to
him: 9 "Get up and go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I've
instructed a woman who lives there, a widow, to feed you." 10 So he got up
and went to Zarephath. As he came to the entrance of the village he met a
woman, a widow, gathering firewood. He asked her, "Please, would you bring
me a little water in a jug? I need a drink." 11 As she went to get it, he
called out, "And while you're at it, would you bring me something to
eat?" 12 She said, "I swear, as surely as your God lives, I don't
have so much as a biscuit. I have a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil
in a bottle; you found me scratching together just enough firewood to make a
last meal for my son and me. After we eat it, we'll die." 13 Elijah said
to her, "Don't worry about a thing. Go ahead and do what you've said. But
first make a small biscuit for me and bring it back here. Then go ahead and
make a meal from what's left for you and your son. 14 This is the word of the
God of Israel: 'The jar of flour will not run out and the bottle of oil will
not become empty before God sends rain on the land and ends this
drought.'" 15 And she went right off and did it, did just as Elijah asked.
And it turned out as he said - daily food for her and her family. 16 The jar of
meal didn't run out and the bottle of oil didn't become empty: God's promise
fulfilled to the letter, exactly as Elijah had delivered it! 17 Later on the
woman's son became sick. The sickness took a turn for the worse - and then he
stopped breathing. 18 The woman said to Elijah, "Why did you ever show up
here in the first place - a holy man barging in, exposing my sins, and killing
my son?" 19 Elijah said, "Hand me your son." 20 Then he prayed,
"O God, my God, why have you brought this terrible thing on this widow who
has opened her home to me? Why have you killed her son?" 21 Three times he
stretched himself out full-length on the boy, praying with all his might,
"God, my God, put breath back into this boy's body!" 22 God listened
to Elijah's prayer and put breath back into his body - he was alive! 23 Elijah
picked the boy up, carried him downstairs from the loft, and gave him to his
mother. "Here's your son," said Elijah, "alive!" 24 The
woman said to Elijah, "I see it all now - you are a holy man. When you
speak, God speaks - a true word!"
1 A long time passed. Then God's word
came to Elijah. The drought was now in its third year. The message: "Go
and present yourself to Ahab; I'm about to make it rain on the country." 2
Elijah set out to present himself to Ahab. The drought in Samaria at the time
was most severe. 3 Ahab called for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace.
Obadiah feared God - he was very devout. 4 Earlier, when Jezebel had tried to
kill off all the prophets of God, Obadiah had hidden away a hundred of them in
two caves, fifty in a cave, and then supplied them with food and water. 5 Ahab
ordered Obadiah, "Go through the country; locate every spring and every
stream. Let's see if we can find enough grass to keep our horses and mules from
dying." 6 So they divided the country between them for the search - Ahab
went one way, Obadiah the other. 7 Obadiah went his way and suddenly there he
was - Elijah! Obadiah fell on his knees, bowing in reverence, and exclaimed,
"Is it really you - my master Elijah?" 8 "Yes," said
Elijah, "the real me. Now go and tell your boss, 'I've seen Elijah.'"
9 Obadiah said, "But what have I done to deserve this? Ahab will kill me. 10
As surely as your God lives, there isn't a country or kingdom where my master
hasn't sent out search parties looking for you. And if they said, 'We can't
find him; we've looked high and low,' he would make that country or kingdom
swear that you were not to be found. 11 And now you're telling me, 'Go and tell
your master Elijah's found!' 12 The minute I leave you the Spirit of God will
whisk you away to who knows where. Then when I report to Ahab, you'll have
disappeared and Ahab will kill me. And I've served God devoutly since I was a
boy! 13 Hasn't anyone told you what I did when Jezebel was out to kill the
prophets of God, how I risked my life by hiding a hundred of them, fifty to a
cave, and made sure they got food and water? 14 And now you're telling me to
draw attention to myself by announcing to my master, 'Elijah's been found.'
Why, he'll kill me for sure." 15 Elijah said, "As surely as
God-of-the-Angel-Armies lives, and before whom I take my stand, I'll meet with
your master face to face this very day." 16 So Obadiah went straight to Ahab
and told him. And Ahab went out to meet Elijah. 17 The moment Ahab saw Elijah
he said, "So it's you, old troublemaker!" 18 "It's not I who has
caused trouble in Israel," said Elijah, "but you and your government
- you've dumped God's ways and commands and run off after the local gods, the
Baals. 19 Here's what I want you to do: Assemble everyone in Israel at Mount
Carmel. And make sure that the special pets of Jezebel, the four hundred and
fifty prophets of the local gods, the Baals, and the four hundred prophets of
the whore goddess Asherah, are there." 20 So Ahab summoned everyone in
Israel, particularly the prophets, to Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah challenged the
people: "How long are you going to sit on the fence? If God is the real
God, follow him; if it's Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!" Nobody
said a word; nobody made a move. 22 Then Elijah said, "I'm the only
prophet of God left in Israel; and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of
Baal. 23 Let the Baal prophets bring up two oxen; let them pick one, butcher
it, and lay it out on an altar on firewood - but don't ignite it. I'll take the
other ox, cut it up, and lay it on the wood. But neither will I light the fire.
24 Then you pray to your gods and I'll pray to God. The god who answers with fire
will prove to be, in fact, God." All the people agreed: "A good plan
- do it!" 25 Elijah told the Baal prophets, "Choose your ox and
prepare it. You go first, you're the majority. Then pray to your god, but don't
light the fire." 26 So they took the ox he had given them, prepared it for
the altar, then prayed to Baal. They prayed all morning long, "O Baal,
answer us!" But nothing happened - not so much as a whisper of breeze.
Desperate, they jumped and stomped on the altar they had made. 27 By noon, Elijah
had started making fun of them, taunting, "Call a little louder - he is a
god, after all. Maybe he's off meditating somewhere or other, or maybe he's
gotten involved in a project, or maybe he's on vacation. You don't suppose he's
overslept, do you, and needs to be waked up?" 28 They prayed louder and
louder, cutting themselves with swords and knives - a ritual common to them -
until they were covered with blood. 29 This went on until well past noon. They
used every religious trick and strategy they knew to make something happen on
the altar, but nothing happened - not so much as a whisper, not a flicker of
response. 30 Then Elijah told the people, "Enough of that - it's my turn.
Gather around." And they gathered. He then put the altar back together for
by now it was in ruins. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the
tribes of Jacob, the same Jacob to whom God had said, "From now on your
name is Israel." 32 He built the stones into the altar in honor of God.
Then Elijah dug a fairly wide trench around the altar. 33 He laid firewood on
the altar, cut up the ox, put it on the wood, and said, "Fill four buckets
with water and drench both the ox and the firewood." 34 Then he said,
"Do it again," and they did it. Then he said, "Do it a third
time," 35 and they did it a third time. The altar was drenched and the
trench was filled with water. 36 When it was time for the sacrifice to be
offered, Elijah the prophet came up and prayed, "O God, God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Israel, make it known right now that you are God in Israel, that I
am your servant, and that I'm doing what I'm doing under your orders. 37 Answer
me, God; O answer me and reveal to this people that you are God, the true God,
and that you are giving these people another chance at repentance." 38
Immediately the fire of God fell and burned up the offering, the wood, the
stones, the dirt, and even the water in the trench. 39 All the people saw it
happen and fell on their faces in awed worship, exclaiming, "God is the
true God! God is the true God!" 40 Elijah told them, "Grab the Baal
prophets! Don't let one get away!" They grabbed them. Elijah had them
taken down to the Brook Kishon and they massacred the lot. 41 Elijah said to
Ahab, "Up on your feet! Eat and drink - celebrate! Rain is on the way; I
hear it coming." 42 Ahab did it: got up and ate and drank. Meanwhile,
Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bowed deeply in prayer, his face between
his knees. 43 Then he said to his young servant, "On your feet now! Look
toward the sea." He went, looked, and reported back, "I don't see a
thing." "Keep looking," said Elijah, "seven times if
necessary." 44 And sure enough, the seventh time he said, "Oh yes, a
cloud! But very small, no bigger than someone's hand, rising out of the
sea." "Quickly then, on your way. Tell Ahab, 'Saddle up and get down
from the mountain before the rain stops you.'" 45 Things happened fast.
The sky grew black with wind-driven clouds, and then a huge cloudburst of rain,
with Ahab hightailing it in his chariot for Jezreel. 46 And God strengthened
Elijah mightily. Pulling up his robe and tying it around his waist, Elijah ran
in front of Ahab's chariot until they reached Jezreel.
1
Kings 19 (The Message)
1 Ahab reported to Jezebel everything
that Elijah had done, including the massacre of the prophets. 2 Jezebel
immediately sent a messenger to Elijah with her threat: "The gods will get
you for this and I'll get even with you! By this time tomorrow you'll be as
dead as any one of those prophets." 3 When Elijah saw how things were, he
ran for dear life to Beersheba, far in the south of Judah. He left his young
servant there 4 and then went on into the desert another day's journey. He came
to a lone broom bush and collapsed in its shade, wanting in the worst way to be
done with it all - to just die: "Enough of this, God! Take my life - I'm
ready to join my ancestors in the grave!" 5 Exhausted, he fell asleep
under the lone broom bush. Suddenly an angel shook him awake and said,
"Get up and eat!" 6 He looked around and, to his surprise, right by
his head were a loaf of bread baked on some coals and a jug of water. He ate
the meal and went back to sleep. 7 The angel of God came back, shook him awake
again, and said, "Get up and eat some more - you've got a long journey
ahead of you." 8 He got up, ate and drank his fill, and set out. Nourished
by that meal, he walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of
God, to Horeb. 9 When he got there, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep.
Then the word of God came to him: "So Elijah, what are you doing
here?" 10 "I've been working my heart out for the
God-of-the-Angel-Armies," said Elijah. "The people of Israel have
abandoned your covenant, destroyed the places of worship, and murdered your
prophets. I'm the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me." 11
Then he was told, "Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God
will pass by." A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered
the rocks before God, but God wasn't to be found in the wind; after the wind an
earthquake, but God wasn't in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake fire,
but God wasn't in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper. 13
When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak,
went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, "So
Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?" 14 Elijah said it again,
"I've been working my heart out for God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
because the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed your
places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I'm the only one left, and now
they're trying to kill me." 15 God said, "Go back the way you came
through the desert to Damascus. When you get there anoint Hazael; make him king
over Aram. 16 Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi; make him king over Israel.
Finally, anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as
prophet. 17 Anyone who escapes death by Hazael will be killed by Jehu; and
anyone who escapes death by Jehu will be killed by Elisha. 18 Meanwhile, I'm
preserving for myself seven thousand souls: the knees that haven't bowed to the
god Baal, the mouths that haven't kissed his image." 19 Elijah went
straight out and found Elisha son of Shaphat in a field where there were twelve
pairs of yoked oxen at work plowing; Elisha was in charge of the twelfth pair.
Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak over him. 20 Elisha deserted the
oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Please! Let me kiss my father and
mother good-bye - then I'll follow you." "Go ahead," said
Elijah, "but, mind you, don't forget what I've just done to you." 21
So Elisha left; he took his yoke of oxen and butchered them. He made a fire
with the plow and tackle and then boiled the meat - a true farewell meal for
the family. Then he left and followed Elijah, becoming his right-hand man.
1
Kings 20 (The Message)
1 At about this same time Ben-Hadad
king of Aram mustered his troops. He recruited in addition thirty-two local
sheiks, all outfitted with horses and chariots. He set out in force and
surrounded Samaria, ready to make war. 2 He sent an envoy into the city to set
his terms before Ahab king of Israel: 3 "Ben-Hadad lays claim to your
silver and gold, and to the pick of your wives and sons." 4 The king of
Israel accepted the terms: "As you say, distinguished lord; I and
everything I have is yours." 5 But then the envoy returned a second time,
saying, "On second thought, I want it all - your silver and gold and all
your wives and sons. Hand them over - the whole works. 6 I'll give you
twenty-four hours; then my servants will arrive to search your palace and the
houses of your officials and loot them; anything that strikes their fancy,
they'll take." 7 The king of Israel called a meeting of all his tribal
elders. He said, "Look at this - outrageous! He's just looking for
trouble. He means to clean me out, demanding all my women and children. And
after I already agreed to pay him off handsomely!" 8 The elders, backed by
the people, said, "Don't cave in to him. Don't give an inch." 9 So he
sent an envoy to Ben-Hadad, "Tell my distinguished lord, 'I agreed to the
terms you delivered the first time, but this I can't do - this I won't
do!'" The envoy went back and delivered the answer. 10 Ben-Hadad shot back
his response: "May the gods do their worst to me, and then worse again, if
there'll be anything left of Samaria but rubble." 11 The king of Israel
countered, "Think about it - it's easier to start a fight than end
one." 12 It happened that when Ben-Hadad heard this retort he was into some
heavy drinking, boozing it up with the sheiks in their field shelters.
Drunkenly, he ordered his henchmen, "Go after them!" And they
attacked the city. 13 Just then a lone prophet approached Ahab king of Israel
and said, "God's word: Have you taken a good look at this mob? Well, look
again - I'm turning it over to you this very day. And you'll know, beyond the
shadow of a doubt, that I am God." 14 Ahab said, "Really? And who is
going to make this happen?" God said, "The young commandos of the
regional chiefs." "And who," said Ahab, "will strike the
first blow?" God said, "You." 15 Ahab looked over the commandos
of the regional chiefs; he counted 232. Then he assessed the available troops -
7,000. 16 At noon they set out after Ben-Hadad who, with his allies, the
thirty-two sheiks, was busy at serious drinking in the field shelters. 17 The
commandos of the regional chiefs made up the vanguard. A report was brought to
Ben-Hadad: "Men are on their way from Samaria." 18 He said, "If
they've come in peace, take them alive as hostages; if they've come to fight,
the same - take them alive as hostages." 19 The commandos poured out of
the city with the full army behind them. 20 They hit hard in hand-to-hand
combat. The Arameans scattered from the field, with Israel hard on their heels.
But Ben-Hadad king of Aram got away on horseback, along with his cavalry. 21
The king of Israel cut down both horses and chariots - an enormous defeat for
Aram. 22 Sometime later the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, "On
the alert now - build up your army, assess your capabilities, and see what has
to be done. Before the year is out, the king of Aram will be back in
force." 23 Meanwhile the advisors to the king of Aram said, "Their
god is a god of the mountains - we don't stand a chance against them there. So
let's engage them on the plain where we'll have the advantage. 24 Here's the
strategy: Remove each sheik from his place of leadership and replace him with a
seasoned officer. 25 Then recruit a fighting force equivalent in size to the
army that deserted earlier - horse for horse, chariot for chariot. And we'll
fight them on the plain - we're sure to prove stronger than they are." It
sounded good to the king; he did what they advised. 26 As the new year
approached, Ben-Hadad rallied Aram and they went up to Aphek to make war on
Israel. 27 The Israelite army prepared to fight and took the field to meet
Aram. They moved into battle formation before Aram in two camps, like two
flocks of goats. The plain was seething with Arameans. 28 Just then a holy man
approached the king of Israel saying, "This is God's word: Because Aram
said, 'God is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,' I'll hand
over this huge mob of an army to you. Then you'll know that I am God." 29
The two armies were poised in a standoff for seven days. On the seventh day
fighting broke out. The Israelites killed 100,000 of the Aramean infantry in
one day. 30 The rest of the army ran for their lives back to the city, Aphek,
only to have the city wall fall on 27,000 of the survivors. 31 Then his
advisors told him, "Look, we've heard that the kings of Israel play by the
rules; let's dress in old gunnysacks, carry a white flag of truce, and present
ourselves to the king of Israel on the chance that he'll let you live." 32
So that's what they did. They dressed in old gunnysacks and carried a white
flag, and came to the king of Israel saying, "Your servant Ben-Hadad said,
'Please let me live.'" Ahab said, "You mean to tell me that he's still
alive? If he's alive, he's my brother." 33 The men took this as a good
sign and concluded that everything was going to be all right: "Ben-Hadad
is most certainly your brother!" The king said, "Go and get
him." They went and brought him back by chariot. 34 Ahab said, "I am
prepared to return the cities that my father took from your father. And you can
set up your headquarters in Damascus just as my father did in Samaria; I'll
send you home under safe conduct." Then he made a covenant with him and
sent him off. 35 A man who was one of the prophets said to a bystander,
"Hit me; wound me. Do it for God's sake - it's his command. Hit me; wound
me." But the man wouldn't do it. 36 So he told him, "Because you
wouldn't obey God's orders, as soon as you leave me a lion will attack you."
No sooner had the man left his side than a lion met him and attacked. 37 He
then found another man and said, "Hit me; wound me." That man did it
- hit him hard in the face, drawing blood. 38 Then the prophet went and took a
position along the road, with a bandage over his eyes, waiting for the king. 39
It wasn't long before the king happened by. The man cried out to the king,
"Your servant was in the thick of the battle when a man showed up and
turned over a prisoner to me, saying, 'Guard this man with your life; if he
turns up missing you'll pay dearly.' 40 But I got busy doing one thing after
another and the next time I looked he was gone." The king of Israel said,
"You've just pronounced your own verdict." 41 At that, the man ripped
the bandage off his eyes and the king recognized who he was - one of the
prophets! 42 The man said to the king, "God's word: Because you let a man
go who was under sentence by God, it's now your life for his, your people for
his." 43 The king of Israel went home in a sulk. He arrived in Samaria in
a very bad mood.
1
Kings 21 (The Message)
1 And then, to top it off, came this:
Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel that bordered the palace of
Ahab king of Samaria. 2 One day Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, "Give me your
vineyard so I can use it as a kitchen garden; it's right next to my house - so
convenient. In exchange I'll give you a far better vineyard, or if you'd prefer
I'll pay you money for it." 3 But Naboth told Ahab, "Not on your
life! So help me God, I'd never sell the family farm to you!" 4 Ahab went
home in a black mood, sulking over Naboth the Jezreelite's words, "I'll
never turn over my family inheritance to you." He went to bed, stuffed his
face in his pillow, and refused to eat. 5 Jezebel his wife came to him. She
said, "What's going on? Why are you so out of sorts and refusing to
eat?" 6 He told her, "Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite. I
said, 'Give me your vineyard - I'll pay you for it or, if you'd rather, I'll
give you another vineyard in exchange.' And he said, 'I'll never give you my
vineyard.'" 7 Jezebel said, "Is this any way for a king of Israel to
act? Aren't you the boss? On your feet! Eat! Cheer up! I'll take care of this;
I'll get the vineyard of this Naboth the Jezreelite for you." 8 She wrote
letters over Ahab's signature, stamped them with his official seal, and sent
them to the elders in Naboth's city and to the civic leaders. 9 She wrote
"Call for a fast day and put Naboth at the head table. 10 Then seat a
couple of stool pigeons across from him who, in front of everybody will say,
'You! You blasphemed God and the king!' Then they'll throw him out and stone
him to death." 11 And they did it. The men of the city - the elders and
civic leaders - followed Jezebel's instructions that she wrote in the letters
sent to them. 12 They called for a fast day and seated Naboth at the head
table. 13 Then they brought in two stool pigeons and seated them opposite
Naboth. In front of everybody the two degenerates accused him, "He
blasphemed God and the king!" The company threw him out in the street,
stoned him mercilessly, and he died. 14 When Jezebel got word that Naboth had
been stoned to death, she told Ahab, "Go for it, Ahab - take the vineyard
of Naboth the Jezreelite for your own, the vineyard he refused to sell you.
Naboth is no more; Naboth is dead." 15 16 The minute Ahab heard that
Naboth was dead, he set out for the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite and
claimed it for his own. 17 Then God stepped in and spoke to Elijah the
Tishbite, 18 "On your feet; go down and confront Ahab of Samaria, king of
Israel. You'll find him in the vineyard of Naboth; he's gone there to claim it
as his own. 19 Say this to him: 'God's word: What's going on here? First
murder, then theft?' Then tell him, 'God's verdict: The very spot where the
dogs lapped up Naboth's blood, they'll lap up your blood - that's right, your
blood.'" 20 Ahab answered Elijah, "My enemy! So, you've run me
down!" 21 'I will most certainly bring doom upon you, make mincemeat of
your descendants, kill off every sorry male wretch who's even remotely
connected with the name Ahab. 22 And I'll bring down on you the same fate that
fell on Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah - you've made me that
angry by making Israel sin.'" 23 As for Jezebel, God said, "Dogs will
fight over the flesh of Jezebel all over Jezreel. 24 Anyone tainted by Ahab who
dies in the city will be eaten by stray dogs; corpses in the country will be
eaten by carrion crows." 25 Ahab, pushed by his wife Jezebel and in open
defiance of God, set an all-time record in making big business of evil. 26 He
indulged in outrageous obscenities in the world of idols, copying the Amorites
whom God had earlier kicked out of Israelite territory. 27 When Ahab heard what
Elijah had to say, he ripped his clothes to shreds, dressed in penitential
rough burlap, and fasted. He even slept in coarse burlap pajamas. He tiptoed
around, quiet as a mouse. 28 Then God spoke to Elijah the Tishbite: 29 "Do
you see how penitently submissive Ahab has become to me? Because of his
repentance I'll not bring the doom during his lifetime; Ahab's son, though,
will get it."
1
Kings 22 (The Message)
1 They enjoyed three years of peace -
no fighting between Aram and Israel. 2 In the third year, Jehoshaphat king of
Judah had a meeting with the king of Israel. 3 Israel's king remarked to his
aides, "Do you realize that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, and we're sitting
around on our hands instead of taking it back from the king of Aram?" 4 He
turned to Jehoshaphat and said, "Will you join me in fighting for Ramoth
Gilead?" 5 He then continued, "But before you do anything, ask God
for guidance." 6 The king of Israel got the prophets together - all four
hundred of them - and put the question to them: "Should I attack Ramoth
Gilead? Or should I hold back?" "Go for it," they said.
"God will hand it over to the king." 7 But Jehoshaphat dragged his
heels: "Is there still another prophet of God around here we can
consult?" 8 The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, "As a matter of
fact, there is still one such man. But I hate him. He never preaches anything
good to me, only doom, doom, doom - Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king
shouldn't talk about a prophet like that," said Jehoshaphat. 9 So the king
of Israel ordered one of his men, "On the double! Get Micaiah son of
Imlah." 10 Meanwhile, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat were seated on
their thrones, dressed in their royal robes, resplendent in front of the
Samaria city gates. All the prophets were staging a prophecy-performance for
their benefit. 11 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had even made a set of iron horns,
and brandishing them called out, "God's word! With these horns you'll gore
Aram until there's nothing left of him!" 12 All the prophets chimed in,
"Yes! Go for Ramoth Gilead! An easy victory! God's gift to the king!"
13 The messenger who went to get Micaiah said, "The prophets have all said
Yes to the king. Make it unanimous - vote Yes!" 14 But Micaiah said,
"As surely as God lives, what God says, I'll say." 15 With Micaiah
before him, the king asked him, "So Micaiah - do we attack Ramoth Gilead,
or do we hold back?" "Go ahead," he said. "An easy victory.
God's gift to the king." 16 "Not so fast," said the king.
"How many times have I made you promise under oath to tell me the truth
and nothing but the truth?" 17 "All right," said Micaiah,
"since you insist. I saw all of Israel scattered over the hills, sheep
with no shepherd. Then God spoke: 'These poor people have no one to tell them
what to do. Let them go home and do the best they can for themselves.'" 18
Then the king of Israel turned to Jehoshaphat, "See! What did I tell you?
He never has a good word for me from God, only doom." 19 Micaiah kept on:
"I'm not done yet; listen to God's word: I saw God enthroned, and all the
angel armies of heaven Standing at attention ranged on his right and his left.
20 And God said, 'How can we seduce Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead?' Some
said this, and some said that. 21 Then a bold angel stepped out, stood before
God, and said, 'I'll seduce him.' 'And how will you do it?' said God. 22
'Easy,' said the angel, 'I'll get all the prophets to lie.' 'That should do
it,' said God. 'On your way - seduce him!' 23 "And that's what has
happened. God filled the mouths of your puppet prophets with seductive lies.
God has pronounced your doom." 24 Just then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah came
up and punched Micaiah in the nose, saying, "Since when did the Spirit of
God leave me and take up with you?" 25 Micaiah said, "You'll know
soon enough; you'll know it when you're frantically and futilely looking for a
place to hide." 26 The king of Israel had heard enough: "Get Micaiah
out of here! Turn him over to Amon the city magistrate and to Joash the king's
son 27 with this message, 'King's orders: Lock him up in jail; keep him on
bread and water until I'm back in one piece.'" 28 Micaiah said, "If
you ever get back in one piece, I'm no prophet of God." He added,"When
it happens, O people, remember where you heard it!" 29 The king of Israel
and Jehoshaphat king of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead. 30 The king of Israel
said to Jehoshaphat, "Wear my kingly robe; I'm going into battle
disguised." So the king of Israel entered the battle in disguise. 31
Meanwhile, the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders (there were
thirty-two of them): "Don't bother with anyone, whether small or great; go
after the king of Israel and him only." 32 When the chariot commanders saw
Jehoshaphat they said, "There he is! The king of Israel!" and took
after him. Jehoshaphat yelled out, 33 and the chariot commanders realized they
had the wrong man - it wasn't the king of Israel after all. They let him go. 34
Just then someone, without aiming, shot an arrow randomly into the crowd and
hit the king of Israel in the chink of his armor. The king told his charioteer,
"Turn back! Get me out of here - I'm wounded." 35 All day the
fighting continued, hot and heavy. Propped up in his chariot, the king watched
from the sidelines. He died that evening. Blood from his wound pooled in the
chariot. 36 As the sun went down, shouts reverberated through the ranks,
"Abandon camp! Head for home! 37 The king is dead!" 38 They washed
down the chariot at the pool of Samaria where the town whores bathed, and the
dogs lapped up the blood, just as God's word had said. 39 The rest of Ahab's
life - everything he did, the ivory palace he built, the towns he founded, and
the defense system he built up - is all written up in The Chronicles of the
Kings of Israel. 40 He was buried in the family cemetery and his son Ahaziah
was the next king. 41 Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth
year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he
became king and he ruled for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was
Azubah daughter of Shilhi. 43 He continued the kind of life characteristic of
his father Asa - no detours, no dead ends - pleasing God with his life. But he
failed to get rid of the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines. People
continued to pray and worship at these idolatrous shrines. 44 And he kept on
good terms with the king of Israel. 45 The rest of Jehoshaphat's life, his
achievements and his battles, is all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of
Judah. 46 Also, he got rid of the sacred prostitutes left over from the days of
his father Asa. 47 Edom was kingless during his reign; a deputy was in charge.
48 Jehoshaphat built ocean-going ships to sail to Ophir for gold. But they
never made it; they shipwrecked at Ezion Geber. 49 During that time Ahaziah son
of Ahab proposed a joint shipping venture, but Jehoshaphat wouldn't go in with
him. 50 Then Jehoshaphat died and was buried in the family cemetery in the City
of David his ancestor. Jehoram his son was the next king. 51 Ahaziah son of
Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat
king of Judah. He ruled Israel for two years. 52 As far as God was concerned,
he lived an evil life, reproducing the bad life of his father and mother,
repeating the pattern set down by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into a
life of sin. 53 Worshiping at the Baal shrines, he made God, the God of Israel,
angry, oh, so angry. If anything, he was worse than his father.
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