7. Now by the ministry of Iou son of Anani, the Lord had spoken against Baasa, and against his house, on account of all the wickedness which he had committed in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to wrath by the works of his hands, that he should be treated like the house of Jeroboam, and that he 8 would smite him. So when Ela son of Baasa had reigned over

Israel two years at Thersa, Zambri the commander of one half 9 of his cavalry, conspired against him; and when he was drink10 ing to excess in the house of Osa his steward at Thersa, Zambri went in and smote him, and killed him, and reigned in his 11 stead. And when he had made himself king, and seated him12 self on his throne, he smote all the house of Baasa according to the word which the Lord spoke to Iou the prophet, against the 13 house of Baasa, for all the sins of Baasa and his son Ela, because they had caused Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord God 14 of Israel by their idols. Now the rest of the acts of Ela and all that he did, behold are they not written in the journal of the kings of Israel?

15.

And Zambri reigned at Thersa seven days, and Israel was 16 encamped against Gabathon of the Philistines. But when the people in the camp heard the news that Zambri had conspired and slain the king, they made Ambri the general of the army 17 of Israel, king over Israel that very day in the camp. And Am

bri with all Israel marched up from Gabathon and laid siege 18 to Thersa. And when Zambri saw that the city was taken, he

went into a cellar of the king's house and set the house on fire 19 over him. So he died for the sins which he had committed by doing evil in the sight of the Lord, and walking in the way of Jeroboam son of Nabat, and in his sins so as to cause Israel to 20 sin. Now the rest of the acts of Zambri and the conspiracies which he contrived; behold are they not written in the journal of the kings of Israel?

21

Then were the people of Israel divided. One half of the people followed Thamni son of Gonath to make him king; and 22 the other half of the people followed Ambri. But the people who followed Ambri prevailed over them who followed Thamni son of Gonath. So Thamni and his brother Joram died at the 23 same time. And Ambri reigned after Thamni in the thirty first year of king Asa. And Ambri reigned twelve years over Israel.

24 He reigned at Thersa six years. Then Ambri purchased mount Semeron of Semer the lord of the mount, for two talents of silver, and having built on the mount, he called the name of the city which he had built, Semeron, after the name of Semer 25 the owner of the mount. And Ambri did evil in the sight of the Lord. Nay, he exceeded in wickedness all that went before 26 him, and walked in all the way of Jeroboam son of Nabat, and in the sins by which he caused Israel to sin, to provoke 27 the Lord God of Israel with their idols. Now the rest of the

acts of Ambri and all that he did, and all his power, behold 28 are they not written in the journal of the kings of Israel? And Ambri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and Achab his son reigned in his stead.

29

Now in the eleventh year of Ambri, Josaphat son of Asa began to reign when he was thirty years of age, and reigned five years in his father's reign, and twenty five years in Jerusa lem; and his mother's name was Gazuba a daughter of Seli. He walked in the way of his father Asa and deviated not from it, doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. But the high places were not removed. On these they sacrificed and burned incense. Now the agreements which Josaphat made with the king of Israel, and all the dominion which he exercised and the battles which he fought, behold are they not written in the journal of the kings of Juda? The remains of prostitution which were set up in the days of his father Asa he removed out of the land. Though he was not king in Syria-Nasib, king Josaphat built a fleet for Tharsis to go to Sophir for gold. But it did not go; for the fleet was wrecked at Gesion gaber. Then the king of Israel said to Josaphat, let me send thy servants in the fleet with my servants: but Josaphat would not consent. And when Josaphat went to sleep with his fathers he was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Joram his son reigned in his stead.

In the second year of Josaphat king of Juda, Achab son of 30 Ambri began his reign of twenty two years over Israel. And Achab did evil in the sight of the Lord, and surpassed in 31 wickedness all that went before him. It did not suffice him to

walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nabat; but he took to wife Jezabel, a daughter of Jethebaal king of the Sidonians,

32 and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. And he

erected for Baal an altar in the house of his idols, which he 33 had built in Samaria. Achab also made a bower, and proceed

34

ed on in adding to his provocations, to provoke the Lord God of Israel and to destroy his own soul. He did evil above all the kings of Israel who were before him.

Now in his days Achiel the Baithelite, rebuilt Jericho. With Abeiron, his first born, he laid the foundation thereof, and with Segub his youngest son, he set up its gates, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke by Joshua son of Nave.

XVII. And the prophet Elias the Thesbite, who was of Thesbon in Galaad, said to Achab, As the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be 2 dew nor rain for years but by the word of my mouth. Then 3 a word of the Lord came to Elias, Go hence eastward and

hide thyself by the brook Chorrath which is before the Jordan; 4 and thou shalt have water from the brook to drink and I will 5 command the ravens to feed thee there. So Elias did according to the word of the Lord, and took up his abode by the brook 6 Chorrath, fronting the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread in the morning and flesh in the evening, and he drank 7 water from the brook. And when he had been there a year, 8 the brook dried up; for there was no rain in the land. There

upon a word of the Lord came to Elias, Arise and go to Sarepta 9 of Sidonia. Behold I have ordered a widow woman there to 10 sustain thee. So he arose and went to Sarepta, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold there was there a widow woman gathering sticks. And Elias cried after her, and said to her, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water that I may drink. 11 And as she was going to fetch it, Elias called after her and

said, Bring me I pray thee a morsel of bread in thy hand. 12 Whereupon the woman said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake baked and only about a handful of barley meal in the jar and a little oil in the vessel; and behold I was picking up a few sticks, that I may go in and prepare it for myself and 13 my children, that we may eat and die. And Elias said to her,

Take courage, go in and do as thou hast said, but make for me a little cake of it, and bring it out first to me, and after

14 wards thou shalt make for thyself and thy children. For thus

saith the Lord, The jar of meal shall not fail, nor shall the vessel of oil diminish, until the Lord shall send rain on the 15 land. So the woman went and did so. And though she and 16 her children ate yet the jar of meal did not fail, nor was the oil

in the vessel diminished, according to the word of the Lord 17 which he spoke by Elias. And it happened that the son of the

woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and the disorder 18 increased till there was no breath left in him. Upon which she said to Elias, What hast thou to do with me, O man of God? Art thou come to me to bring my sins into remembrance and 19 cause my son to die? And Elias said to the woman, Give me

thy son. So he took him out of her bosom and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his 20 bed. Then Elias cried and said, Wo is me! O Lord! Here is the witness of the widow with whom I dwell. Thou hast 21 afflicted her in causing her son to die. And when he had

breathed on the child three times and called on the Lord, he said, O Lord, my God, I beseech thee let this child's life be 22 restored to him. And so it came to pass and the child cried. 23 Then Elias brought it down from the upper chamber, and de24 livering him to his mother, said, See, thy son liveth. Where

upon the woman said, Now I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is true. XVIII. And after many days, a word of the Lord came to Elias

in the third year, saying, Go and shew thyself to Achab and I 2 will send rain on the face of the land. Now when Elias went to

shew himself to Achab there was a grievous famine in Samaria. 3 And Achab had called his steward Abdiou. This Abdiou 4 feared the Lord greatly; so that when Jezabel smote the prophets of the Lord, Abdiou took a hundred men who were prophets, and hid them by fifties in a cave, and fed them with bread 5 and water. And Achab said to Abdiou, Come and let us.go through the land to the fountains of water and to the brooks, perhaps we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that they may not be utterly destroyed from our habitations. 6 So they divided the way between them, that they might traverse the country. Achab went one way, and Abdiou 7 went by himself another way. And as Abdiou was in the

way by himself Elias came by himself to meet him. Whereupon Abdiou hasted and fell on his face and said, Art 8 thou he, my lord Elias? And Elias said, I am, Go and tell 9 thy master, Behold Elias is here. And Abdiou said, In what

have I sinned that thou shouldst deliver thy servant into the 10 hand of Achab, that he may put me to death? As the Lord thy

God liveth, there is not a nation or a kingdom to which my master hath not sent to seek thee. And if they said, He is not here, he burned the kingdom or its borders, because he did 11 not find thee. And now thou sayst, Go tell thy master, Behold Elias is here. But it may be, that when I am gone from thee, the Spirit of the Lord will carry thee away to a land which I know not. So that when I shall go and tell Achab, and 13 he shall not find thee, he will kill me. Now thy servant is one

who feareth the Lord from his youth. Hath it not been told thee, my lord, what I did when Jezabel slew the prophets of the Lord-how I hid a hundred men of the prophets of the Lord by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water? 14 Yet, now thou sayst, Go, tell thy master, Behold Elias is here, 15 that he may kill me. And Elias said, As the Lord of hosts

liveth, before whom I stand, I will this day shew myself to him. 16 Then Abdiou went to meet Achab, and when he told him, 17 Achab hasted and came to meet Elias. And when Achab saw. 18 Elias, he said to him, Art thou he, the troubler of Israel? To

which Elias replied, I am not the troubler of Israel; but thou and thy father's house are, by your forsaking the Lord your 19 God and going after the Baalims. Now therefore send and gather to me all Israel to mount Carmel, and the prophets of shame, four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the bowers 20 four hundred, who eat at Jezabel's table. And when Achab

had sent to all Israel, and had assembled all the prophets at mount Carmel, Elias came near before them all, and Elias said 21 to them, How long will you halt between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him: but if Baal; follow him. But the 22 people made no reply. Then Elias said to the people, I am left a prophet of the Lord myself alone. But the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men, and the prophets of the Bower 23 four hundred. Let there be given to us two young bulls, and

let them chuse one for themselves, and cut him in pieces, and