Book of 1stKings
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Verse by verse, account of the book of 1^st Kings

1^st Kings: chapter 1

¹Now king David was old and stricken in years and even though he was covered with blankets, he could not stay warm. ²So his servants and physicians sought for him a young virgin to lie with the king, so he could get warm. ³They searched throughout all of Israel and found Abishag a Shunammite, (NOTE: likely of the tribe of Issachar). ⁴And the damsel was very beautiful and cherished the king, but the king did not have intercourse with her.

⁵Then Adonijah the son of Haggith, (NOTE: the fourth son of David, 2^nd Samuel 3:4), said to himself; I will be the new king. And he prepared for himself, chariots, horsemen and fifty men to run before him. ⁶Now Adonijah was younger than his brother Absalom and was also a very handsome man, who had never been disciplined by his father David the king. ⁷And he conferred with Joab (David's general) and Abiathar the priest and they both were in agreement of his conspiracy. ⁸However, Zadok the priest, Benaiah (one of David's mighty men, in his administration), Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei and the rest of David's mighty men, were not behind Adonijah.

⁹Adonijah then held a celebration feast, where he sacrificed sheep and oxen and he called all of his brothers, the king's sons and the men of Judah, the king's servants. ¹⁰Except Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, David's mighty men and Solomon his brother.

¹¹But Nathan spoke to Bathsheba, (Solomon's mother). Telling her that Adonijah was planning to reign as king and that David the king is not aware of this. ¹²Therefore, I pray that you let me give you counsel, so that you might save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. ¹³Go to king David and remind him that he swore to you that your son Solomon would succeed the king. And tell him of Adonijah plans to reign. ¹⁴While you are there telling the king this, I will come in and confirm your words.

¹⁵So Bathsheba went to the king's chamber, for David was now very old and Abishag the Shunammite was there caring for the king. ¹⁶And Bathsheba bowed, honoring the king. Then the king said; What do you wish?

¹⁷Bathsheba then said; My lord, you have sworn to me before God, that Solomon your son would reign after you. ¹⁸Adonijah is plaining to reign and my lord the king is not aware of it. ¹⁹He has held a celebration feast with all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, Joab the captain of your army and he has not called Solomon. ²⁰And now my lord, my king, all of Israel is watching you, to see what you will tell them and who will sit on the throne. ²¹As it stands right now, when you die my son Solomon and I shall be considered offenders.

²²And, while Bathsheba was yet speaking, Nathan the prophet came in ²³and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. ²⁴Then Nathan said; My lord, the king, have you said that Adonijah is to reign after you?

²⁵For today he is holding his celebration / victory feast and has sacrificed sheep and oxen in abundance. Together with all the king's sons, Joab the captain of your army and Abiathar, the priest and they are proclaiming Adonijah to be king. ²⁶But your faithful servants, myself, Zadok the priest, Benaiah and Solomon, have been excluded. ²⁷Has this been done by my lord the king, without sharing it with his servant, of who is to be your successor?

²⁸King David then answered and said; Call Bathsheba back in here. ²⁹And the king again swore, saying; As the LORD God of Israel lives, ³⁰Solomon will surely reign and sit on my throne after me and I will make sure of this very thing today.

³¹Bathsheba then bowed and gave honor to the king, saying; Let my lord king David live forever.

³²King David then gathered his loyal men, Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah. ³³Instructing them to, take with them their servants, along with Solomon riding on my royal mule and go to Gihon, (NOTE: the center of Israel). ³⁴There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet shall anoint Solomon king over Israel and shall blow the trumpet, pronouncing, God save king Solomon. ³⁵After that you shall return here and Solomon shall sit on my throne, as king after me, for I have appointed him to be the ruler over Israel and over Judah.

³⁶And Benaiah said to the king; Amen, May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, say so too. ³⁷Just as the LORD has been with my lord the king, may He also be with Solomon and make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord king David.

³⁸So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah and the men with Solomon all went with him down to Gihon. ³⁹Then Zadok the priest with a horn of oil from the tabernacle anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet and all the people said, God save king Solomon. ⁴⁰All the people came up after him, rejoicing and making music, so much so that the sound of them resounded for miles around.

⁴¹Now Adonijah and all his guests also heard the sound of the trumpet and the noise within the city and it caused an end to their feasting, as they questioned it. ⁴²And while Adonijah was yet speaking, the son of the priest came with a message. And Adonijah said to him; speak your message, for you are a trustworthy man and bring good news.

⁴³And he said; Truly, I tell you that our lord king David has made Solomon king. ⁴⁴David has sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, along with other men and they have placed Solomon upon the king's mule. ⁴⁵Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon king in Gihon. And the noise that you heard was when they came up from the city rejoicing. ⁴⁶And now Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom. ⁴⁷Moreover the king's servants have blessed king David by saying, May God make the name and throne of Solomon even greater than your name. This pleased David and he worshiped and praised God on his bed. ⁴⁸Today David has indeed blessed be the LORD God of Israel, for giving him a successor to sit on his throne.

⁴⁹When all the guests with Adonijah heard this, they were afraid and every man left to go back to his own house. ⁵⁰Adonijah also feared because of Solomon and fled to the house of the LORD and bowed down at the altar. ⁵¹Now it was told Solomon, that Adonijah feared king Solomon and has fled to the sanctuary. Praying that you would swear to him this day that you will not kill your servant.

⁵²Solomon's response was if Adonijah would show himself a worthy man, not one hair on his head shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die. ⁵³So king Solomon sent for him from out of the sanctuary and he came and bowed down to king Solomon. And Solomon said to him; Go to your house.

1^st Kings: chapter 2

¹Now David's days were drawing to a close and he charged Solomon his son. ²To be strong after I am gone and show yourself a man. ³Keep the ways of the LORD your God, walk in His ways, keep His statutes, commandments, judgments and testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do, whatever direction you may go. ⁴That the LORD may establish His Word that He spoke concerning me; That if my sons walk before Him in the truth, that there shall always be a man on the throne of Israel.

⁵Moreover you know what Joab, my general did, how he killed Abner 2^nd Samuel 3:27 and Amasa 2^nd Samuel 20:9, the two captains of the army of Israel. How he took revenge for acts of war in times of peace, thus putting the blood of war upon his head. ⁶Therefore according to your wisdom, do not let him go down to his grave in peace.

⁷But do show kindness to the sons of Barzillai, let them eat at your table, for they came to me and helped me when I fled because of Absalom, 2^nd Samuel chapter 15.

⁸Also there is Shimei, a Benjamite, who cursed me, as I was fleeing from Absalom, 2^nd Samuel 16:5. And later he came down to meet me at Jordan river and I swore to him by the LORD, that I would not put him to death, 2^nd Samuel 19:23. ⁹Therefore do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what to do with such a man, bring him down to the grave.

¹⁰Then David died and was buried in the city of David. ¹¹David had reigned over Israel for forty years, seven years he reigned in Hebron (over the tribe of Judah) and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem (over the twelve tribes of Israel).

¹²And Solomon succeeded David, his father and sat on his throne and his kingdom was greatly established.

¹³Now Adonijah came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. Saying; I come in peace. ¹⁴And have something to say to you.

¹⁵Adonijah then said; You know that the kingdom was mine and has now become my brother's, for it was given to him from the LORD. ¹⁶I now come to you with one request, please do not deny me. ¹⁷For Solomon the king will not say no to you. Please speak to the king for me, that he might give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife. (NOTE: Abishag was part of king David's harem 1^st Kings 1:3, whereby she was a virgin, this would still have been achieving a sign of kingship for Adonijah) ¹⁸And Bathsheba said; Yes I will speak to king Solomon on your behalf.

¹⁹So Bathsheba went before king Solomon. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed before her, clearing a seat for her on the right side of his throne. ²⁰And said, I have one small request of you; I pray that you will not refuse me. And the king replied; Ask of me, my mother, for I will not say no to you. ²¹Then Bathsheba said; Give Abishag the Shunammite to your brother Adonijah as his wife. ²²Then king Solomon asked his mother, why she requested such a thing? Also, saying, why not ask for the entire kingdom as well. For he is my elder brother and he does have supporters of Abiathar the priest and Joab the captain of the army.

²³The king then swore an oath to the LORD, saying; May God return this on me, if Adonijah has not spoken this to the detriment of his own life. ²⁴As the LORD lives, He who has established me on the throne. Adonijah shall be put to death this day. ²⁵And that day king Solomon sent Benaiah to kill Adonijah.

²⁶And to Abiathar the priest, (NOTE: whose loyalty was towards Adonijah) Solomon said; Go back to your city of Anathoth and attend to your fields. Though you are worthy of death, because of conspiring with Adonijah. I will not kill you this day, because you are a priest of God and have carried the Ark of the Lord GOD, also you have served my father in his time of need. ²⁷So Solomon removed Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD. That he might fulfill the Word of the LORD, which he spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

NOTE: (This fulfilled the prophecy spoken to Eli the priest that his family line would be removed from the line of priests, 1^st Samuel 2:27).

²⁸When the report of what Solomon was doing came to Joab. Joab fled to the tabernacle of the Lord, for Joab had conspired with Adonijah, though he had not followed after Absalom. ²⁹It was then told to king Solomon that Joab had fled to the tabernacle of the LORD. Solomon then sent Benaiah to the tabernacle to kill him. ³⁰When Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, he said to Joab; Return with me! But, Joab said; No, I will die here, so Benaiah brought this word back to the king. ³¹And Solomon answered; Do as he has said, kill him right there and bury him. That I and my father's house will be cleared of the innocent blood that Joab shed. ³²Then the LORD shall return his bloody acts upon his own head, for Joab killed two men who were more righteous than he was. For without my father knowing of it at the time, Joab killed Abner 2^nd Samuel 3:27 and Amasa 2^nd Samuel 20:9, the two captains of the army of Israel. ³³Returning their blood upon Joab's head and his descendants forever. Then shall David, his descendants and his house be absolved and live in the peace of the LORD forever. ³⁴So Benaiah went up to the tabernacle, killed Joab and buried him in his own house in the wilderness.

³⁵Then the king placed Benaiah as the commander of the army and placed Zadok the priest in the office that Abiathar held. ³⁶Solomon then sent for Shimei, (NOTE: the man who swore at his father David, 2^nd Samuel 16:5) telling him to build his house in Jerusalem, staying inside the city and do not depart from it. ³⁷For it shall be that on the day you leave the city of Jerusalem, you shall surely be put to death and your blood shall be on your own head. ³⁸And Shimei said to the king; What my lord the king has said, seems good and thus will his servant keep. And Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days.

NOTE: (Solomon did not have a personal grievance with Shimei, so he watched Shimei, seeing if he would he be obedient, or would he break the oath Solomon made with him).

³⁹However, after three years, two of Shimei's servants ran away and it was told to Shimei where his servants were. ⁴⁰So Shimei left Jerusalem to seek his servants and he brought his servants back with him. ⁴¹It was then told to Solomon that Shimei left Jerusalem and had returned. ⁴²The king then called for Shimei, saying to him; Did you not agree to and swear by the LORD to stay within Jerusalem and not depart from it? And did I not tell you that the day when you leave it, you would surely die and you said to me, the words that I have heard seem good? ⁴³Why then have you not kept the oath of the LORD and the commandment that I have given you? ⁴⁴Moreover I know of all the wickedness that is in your heart and what you did to my father David. Thus the LORD shall now return your wickedness to you. ⁴⁵In turn I shall be blessed and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD forever. ⁴⁶And the king commanded Benaiah to kill Shimei. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

1^st Kings: chapter 3

¹Solomon then made an alliance with Pharaoh the king of Egypt, bringing Pharaoh's daughter into the city of David, until the building of his own house, the house of the LORD and the walls of Jerusalem. ²However, the people sacrificed to God in high places, as was the custom of the heathen, because there was no house built and dedicated to the LORD. ³And Solomon loved the LORD and walked in the statutes of David his father. Except that he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places, encouraging the people to do so also. ⁴Now, the king went to a great high place outside of Jerusalem and sacrificed one thousand burnt offerings upon the pagan altar there.

King Solomon asks for and receives great wisdom from God, also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 1:10.

⁵While he was in that city, the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; God said to Solomon; Ask Me of what I shall give to you. ⁶Solomon said; You have shown Your servant David my father great mercy, according to how he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, in uprightness of heart and has placed his son on his throne. ⁷LORD my God, You have now made me Your servant and king instead of David my father, but I am as a little child, knowing not how to begin or end. ⁸For I am in the midst of Your chosen people, a great people and a multitude that cannot be numbered. ⁹Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge and rule so great a people, without understanding from the LORD?

¹⁰Solomon's request pleased the Lord. ¹¹And God said to him; Because you have asked for understanding and discernment to rule My people and you have not asked for long life or riches, or for revenge on your enemies. ¹²I have done according to your words, giving you a wise and an understanding heart. So much so that there has not been such a man before you or will be after you. ¹³I have also given you what you have not asked for, both riches and honor. And there shall not be any among the kings as you are, during all your days. ¹⁴And if you will walk in my ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David did, I will also lengthen your days.

¹⁵Solomon then awoke from the dream and came back into Jerusalem. Standing before the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, he offered up burnt and peace offerings and held a feast for all of his servants.

¹⁶Now two women came and stood before the king, they were both harlots and they brought their dispute before Solomon to Judge. ¹⁷One of the women explained the situation, saying; My lord, the two of us dwell in the same house and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. ¹⁸Three days after I had delivered my child, this woman also delivered her child and it was just the two of us in the house, with our two babies ¹⁹Now this woman's child died in the night, because she rolled over on it. ²⁰And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me as I slept, replacing her dead child with mine. ²¹Now when I woke in the morning to nurse my child, I found the child dead, but as I considered the situation. I realized that this was not my son that I held. ²²When I asked the other woman, she said; The living child is my son and the dead child is your son. But, I know that the living child is my son and the dead child is her son.

²³The king then restated the case, saying; each of you claim the living son, saying the dead child is the others. ²⁴Solomon then called for a sword. ²⁵And the king said; Divide the living child in two, giving each woman half. ²⁶Then the woman of the living child spoke to the king, for she was greatly grieved within herself and she said; My lord, give the other woman the living child, do not destroy it. However, the other woman said, Let it be neither my nor hers, but divide it. ²⁷Solomon then spoke, saying; Give the living child to the woman who did not want the child slain, she is the mother. ²⁸And all of Israel heard of the judgment that Solomon had given and the people feared the king, for they saw that he had the wisdom of God.

1^st Kings: chapter 4

¹Now king Solomon was king over all of Israel. ²And his administration was as follows; Azariah the son of Zadok was priest. ³Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, were scribes. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, was the recorder. ⁴Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the armies of Israel. And Zadok and Abiathar were the priests. ⁵Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers. And Zabud the son of Nathan was the principal officer and a friend to the king. ⁶Ahishar was over the palace. And Adoniram the son of Abda was in charge of forced labor.

⁷Solomon had twelve officers to provided food for the king and his household, each man was assigned a certain month in the year and to even out the commerce, each man was assigned a land region to gather food from. ⁸And these are their names: Ben-hur, gathered from the hill country of Ephraim. ⁹Ben-deker, gathered from the cities of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh and Elon-beth-hanan. ¹⁰Ben-hesed, gathered from the district of Arubboth, mainly the city of Socoh and the town of Hepher. ¹¹Ben-abinadab, gathered from the town of Naphath-dor and he was also married to Taphath Solomon's daughter. ¹²Baana gathered from the cities of Taanach, Megiddo, Beth-shean to Abel-meholah and beyond Jokmeam. ¹³Ben-geber, gathered from the city of Ramoth-gilead, mainly the towns of Havoth-Jair of the tribe of Manasseh and the region of Argob, twenty fortified cities in all. ¹⁴Ahinadab gathered from the town of Mahanaim. ¹⁵Ahimaaz, gathered from the territories of Naphtali and he was also married to Basemath Solomon's daughter. ¹⁶Baana the son of Hushai, gathered from the territories of Asher and the town of Bealoth. ¹⁷Jehoshaphat gathered from the territories of Issachar. ¹⁸Shimei gathered from the territories of Benjamin. ¹⁹And Geber gathered from the city of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan and he was the only officer in this foreign land.

²⁰Now the people of Judah and Israel were many in multitude, eating, drinking and rejoicing. ²¹And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the Euphrates river to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. And the neighboring kingdoms, that were under his rule by consent all brought presents and served Solomon all the days of his life.

²²One days provision for the kingdom was six and a half bushels of fine flour and thirteen bushels of meal, ²³Ten fatted oxen and twenty oxen from the pasture, one hundred sheep, beside miscellaneous deer and choice fowl. ²⁴For Solomon had dominion over all the region and over all the kings on this side of the river and there was peace all around him. ²⁵And in the days of Solomon, every man of Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his own provision.

²⁶Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots and twelve thousand horsemen. ²⁷Each officer named above, provided food for king Solomon and his elected table in his assigned month, no one lacked a thing. ²⁸Even the provision of fresh barley and straw for the horses and mules was scheduled and assigned.

²⁹And God gave Solomon exceeding much wisdom and an understanding heart. ³⁰Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the people of the east country and all the wisdom of Egypt. ³¹For he was wiser than all men, the wise counselors, the singers and musicians and this report was spread nationwide. ³²Solomon spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs were one thousand and five. ³³For he spoke of trees, beasts, fowl, of creeping things and fish in the sea. ³⁴And people came from all kingdoms around to hear the wisdom of Solomon, everyone that had heard of his great wisdom.

1^st Kings: chapter 5

¹Now Hiram the king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, for he had heard that Solomon had been anointed king in his father's place, for Hiram had loved David. ²And Solomon replied back to Hiram, saying;

³You are aware that David my father could not build a house for the LORD his God, because of the great numbers of wars that were all around him, until the LORD put all his enemies under his feet. ⁴But now the LORD my God has given me peace and rest on every side. ⁵So I will purpose to build a house for the LORD my God, as the LORD had spoken to David my father, saying; Your son, shall build a house unto My name.

⁶Therefore, Hiram command your men to hew cedar trees for me out of the forest of Lebanon. My servants shall assist your men and I will pay whatever is right. For there is none other that can skillfully hew timber like the Sidonians.

⁷When Hiram received the message from Solomon, he rejoiced greatly. Saying; Blessed be the LORD, who gave David a wise son to be king over this great people. ⁸Hiram then sent word to Solomon, saying; I received your message and have considered it. I will do all that you desire concerning the timbers. ⁹I shall have my servants bring them from Lebanon to the sea and will ship them to you by floating them down the sea. In return what I desire for this is that you would provide food for my house.

¹⁰Hiram then gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to his desire. ¹¹And Solomon gave Hiram six thousand six hundred sixty-six bushels of wheat and one hundred twenty gallons of pure oil. And every year this amount was sent to Hiram. ¹²As the LORD promised, he gave Solomon wisdom and Hiram and Solomon made a treaty together.

¹³King Solomon then formed a workforce out of Israel of thirty thousand men. ¹⁴He divided the workforce into three groups, sending a group of ten thousand men to Lebanon and rotating the groups every month. So one group would be working in Lebanon for one month and resting at his home for two months. Adoniram of Solomon's staff was over the labor force. ¹⁵Solomon also had seventy thousand men that bore the labors and eighty thousand men that cut stones in the mountains.

¹⁶Besides his chief officers, Solomon had three thousand three hundred overseers that ruled over the laborers. ¹⁷As Solomon commanded, they hewn great stones and costly stones and laid the foundation of the house of God. ¹⁸Thus Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders cut the stones and prepared the timbers to build the house.

1^st Kings: chapter 6

¹Four hundred eighty years after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the forth year of Solomon's reign, in the month of ziv, (the second month), he began building the house of the LORD. (NOTE: the year was approximately year 966BC). ²The length of the house was 60 cubits, its width was 20 cubits and the height was 30 cubits. (90 feet * 30 feet * 45 feet) ³The porch of the temple was 20 cubits in length according to the width of the house and 10 cubits was its span before the house. ⁴And the house had windows of narrow lights. ⁵Around the sides and the back of the temple chambers were built. ⁶The side chambers of the first story were 5 cubits wide, the chambers on the second story were 6 cubits wide and the chambers on the third story were 7 cubits wide and around the wall were made offsets, so that the supporting beams of the house would not be straight reaching through all stories of the house. ⁷The house was built with stones that were precut, so there would be no hammer, axe or tool of iron heard in the house during the building. ⁸Within the house on the right side was a winding staircase leading to the second floor and continuing on to the third. ⁹And the house was completed and covered with beams and boards of cedar. ¹⁰The outer chambers against the house were then built, each one was 5 cubits high and they were fastened to the house with timbers of cedar.

¹¹ And the Word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying; ¹²Concerning the house that you have built, if you will walk in My statutes, execute My judgment, keeping My commandments and walking in them. I will then fulfill to you the promises that I have spoken to David you father. ¹³I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake My people of Israel. ¹⁴And Solomon completed the temple.

Solomon's temple.

¹⁵The walls and the ceiling of the inner sanctuary within the house, were boards of cedar and the floor was planks of fur. ¹⁶Inside the house, the back 20 cubits was partitioned off from the floor to ceiling with boards of cedar, for the Most Holy place and its holy articles. ¹⁷And the house or the temple that is before it, was 40 cubits long. ¹⁸The entire temple area was covered with cedar, carved with knobs and open flowers, no stones could be seen. ¹⁹And the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD sat in the Most Holy place. ²⁰Now the Most Holy place was 20 cubits in length, 20 cubits in width and 20 cubits high, (30 foot square and high), all sides of it were overlaid with pure gold, even the altar of cedar was overlaid with pure gold. ²¹Chains of gold were draped before the entrance to the Holy of Holies. ²²And the whole house and the altar that was before the Holy of Holies was overlaid with gold.

²³Within the Holy of Holies Solomon had two cherubim made from olive tree, each one was 10 cubits in height. ²⁴Each wings of the cherubs were 5 cubits in length and the wings met in the center, thus each cherub had a 10 cubit wing span. ²⁵And both cherub's were identical in measure. ²⁶The height of both was 10 cubits. ²⁷The cherubim were set within the Holy of Holies, that was 20 cubits square. Two of their wing-tips touched one another, creating a 20 cubit span, from one wall to the other. ²⁸And the cherubim were also overlaid with gold.

²⁹All the walls of the house were carved with figures of cherubim, palm trees and open flowers. ³⁰Even the floor was overlaid with gold.

³¹The entrance leading into the Holy of Holies was of two folding doors made of olive wood and the door frame took up one fifth of the wall. ³²And the two doors also had on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees and open flowers and they were all overlaid with gold. ³³Likewise was the main door of the tabernacle also made, taking up on forth of the outside wall. ³⁴The two outside double doors were of cypress wood. ³⁵Also carved with cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, overlaid with gold. ³⁶The inner court was built with three rows of hewed stone and a row of cedar beams. ³⁷ In the forth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month of ziv. ³⁸And in the eleventh year, of the month of Bul, (which is the eight month), the house was finished. It had been seven years and six months in building of the house.

1^st Kings: chapter 7

¹Now Solomon took thirteen years to build and finish his own house. ²He also built a house called the forest of Lebanon, 100 cubits in length, 50 cubits in width and 30 cubits in height, (150 feet * 75 feet * 45 feet). Resting on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams over the pillars. ³Covered with planks of cedar above the beams, laying on 45 pillars, 15 in a row. ⁴Having windows in each of the three rows and the windows were opposite one another on three levels. ⁵all the doors and posts were square cut and the windows were lined up against each other on all three levels. ⁶The porch was 50 cubits, by 30 cubits, (75 feet * 45 feet) .

⁷Then Solomon made a throne where he might judge, called the porch of judgment and it was covered with cedar on all sides. ⁸Also his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of similar work. Solomon made this for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken to wife.

⁹all the stones used were costly stones, hewn on both the front and the back, no matter where the stones were used, whether used in the foundation or in the finished workmanship. ¹⁰The foundation was of costly stones, of 8 and 10 cubits, (12 and 15 feet). ¹¹Above were also costly stones, the same measures of the hewn stones and cedars. ¹²For within the great court, both the inner court and the porch of the house had three rows of hewn stones and a row of cedar beams.

¹³King Solomon then sent for a man named Hiram from Tyre. ¹⁴He was a widow's son, of the tribe of Naphtali and his father was a man from Tyre, a worker in brass, filled with wisdom and understanding, able to do all works of brass. ¹⁵He cast two pillars of brass, both pillars were 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference. ¹⁶He then made two capitals of molten brass to set on the tops of the pillars, both having a height of 7.5 feet. ¹⁷With a lattice network and wreaths of chain work, seven were made for each capital. ¹⁸Seven networks of braided chain work were made for each capital. ¹⁹And the bottom 4 cubits (6 feet), of the capitals were made with designs of lily work. ²⁰The capitals also were decorated with two hundred pomegranates.

²¹Then the two pillars were set before the porch of the temple. The right pillar was named Jachin, (the name means: God will establish) and the left pillar was named Boaz, (the name means: strength). ²²And the finish work of the pillars was the same lily work as on the capitals.

²³Next he made the center basin / fountain, it was 15 feet in diameter from rim to rim and the basin stood 7.5 feet high. ²⁴Under the rim of the basin there were knobs cast around the base, two rows of knobs and ten knobs spaced within a foot and a half. ²⁵The basin stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east and the basin sat on top. ²⁶It was 3 inches thick, flared at the rim as a cup is decorated with flowers of lilies and the complete water system held nearly twelve thousand gallons.

²⁷He then made ten bases of brass, for the bronze Laver, each one was 6 feet square and 4.5 feet high. ^28-29There was decorative work on the bases of lions, oxen and cherubim, with borders around the edges made of thin work and four panels were joined to a base below. ³⁰Each base had four wheels with bronze axles attached to it. ³¹The base that held the basin was square and the basin was round, 18 inches in diameter and 27 inches height, decorated with engravings and borders. ³²Under the base were the four wheels and the height of the wheels alone was 27 inches. ³³The wheels were as chariot wheels, the axles, rims, spokes and hubs were all of cast metal. ³⁴And there were four supports under each of the four corners of base. ³⁵On the top of the base there was a round ring 9 inches high that the basin fit into. ³⁶And on all the plates there were engravings of cherubim, lions and palm trees, proportional to the size of the material. ³⁷After this pattern were the ten bases made, each one was but of one casting and one size. ³⁸Then he made the ten laver's of brass, each laver was 6 feet in diameter and held two hundred forty gallons. ³⁹Five wheel bases and their basins were placed on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house. With the basin / fountain placed at the southeast corner of the temple.

⁴⁰Hiram then made the utensils needed, the fire buckets, shovels and basins and he came to an end of all his work. ⁴¹He had built the two main pillars and the two capitals that were on top of them. Complete with the network design on the two capitals. ⁴²He had made four hundred pomegranates for the two networks. ⁴³The ten bases and the ten lavers on the bases. ⁴⁴The main fountain and the twelve oxen that stood as its base. ⁴⁵The utensils, the pots, shovels and basins. All these vessels Hiram made for king Solomon of bright brass.

⁴⁶The casting was done in the plain of Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan. ⁴⁷all the vessels were left unweighted, for there were exceeding many, nor was the weight of the brass ever determined.

⁴⁸Solomon made all these vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold as the altar of incense and the table of gold to display the showbread. ⁴⁹The candlesticks of pure gold, five candlesticks on the right side and five on the left side, before the Holy of Holies, with flowers, lamps and tongs of gold, ⁵⁰The bowls, the snuffers, the basins, the spoons and the censers were of pure gold. And all the hinges for the inner house, the Most Holy Place and the outer house were all of gold. ⁵¹Thus all the work was completed for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the silver and gold vessels that his father David had dedicated and he put them among the treasures of the house of the LORD.

1^st Kings: chapter 8

¹Solomon then assembled the elders of Israel and the heads of the tribes together in Jerusalem, that they might bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, (which is Zion). ²So all the men of Israel assembled themselves in the seventh month of Ethanim. ³When they were assembled the priests took up the Ark. ⁴And they brought the Ark of the LORD and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, up to Jerusalem. ⁵As they brought the Ark up, there was a multitude of people, that could not be numbered assembled with king Solomon, sacrificing sheep and oxen. ⁶So the priests brought in the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD into the Most Holy place within the house, under the wings of the cherubim. ⁷And the Ark and the two poles used to carry it by, sat underneath the spread wings of the two cherubim. ⁸The two poles used to carry the Ark were so long that the ends of them could be seen outside of the Most Holy place and they are still in place to this day. ⁹The only thing in the Ark was the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, Exodus 25:16, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel as they came out of Egypt. ¹⁰And when the priests had come out of the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD, ¹¹To where the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

¹²Solomon then spoke to the priests, saying; The LORD has said that He would dwell in thick darkness. ¹³Thus, I have surely built the LORD a house for Him to dwell in forever.

¹⁴Solomon then turned to the people and blessed the entire congregation of Israel. ¹⁵Saying; Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that spoke to my father David and by His hand has fulfilled what He has spoken, saying; ¹⁶Since the day when I brought My people out of Egypt, I did not choose a place to build a house, where My name and presence might be, rather I chose David to rule over My people of Israel. ¹⁷And it was in David's desire to build a house honoring the LORD God of Israel. ¹⁸However the LORD said to David my father; It is well that you wish to build Me a house. ¹⁹But you shall not build the house, rather your son shall build the house unto My name. ²⁰Thus the LORD has performed His Word that He spoke. I have risen up in the office of David my father, sitting on the throne of Israel and have built a house for the LORD God of Israel, just as the LORD has spoken. ²¹In the house I have designed a place for the Ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD, that He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.

Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple, this is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 6:12.

²²Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of the congregation of Israel and spread his hands toward heaven. ²³Saying; LORD God of Israel, there is no God like You, either in heaven or on the earth, for You keep Your covenant and show mercy to Your servants that walk before You with all their heart. ²⁴This day You have fulfilled with Your hand, the word that You gave to Your servant David my father. ²⁵Now, LORD God of Israel, may it also be fulfilled as You promised David, that a descendant of David's line shall always sit on the throne of Israel, if my children consider their ways and walk before Me as David did. ²⁶I now pray that You would confirm Your Word and establish what You have spoken to Your servant David.

²⁷But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? If the vastness of the heavens cannot contain You, how much less is this house that I have built? ²⁸Yet LORD God, You consider the supplications of Your servant, now hearken to my cry that is before You today. ²⁹That Your eyes might be on this house that Your name is on, night and day and that You may consider the prayers of Your servants. ³⁰LORD, hearken to the petitions of Your servant and Your people of Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear us from Your dwelling place in heaven and when You hear us, forgive.

³¹If any man sins against his neighbor and then comes before Your altar in this house and swear an oath. ³²LORD, hear from heaven and judge Your servants. Condemning the wicked and bringing their corrupt way back upon their head. Justifying the righteous according to their righteousness.

³³When Your people of Israel are struck down before the enemy, because they have sinned against You. And they do turn back to You, confessing Your name and humbly praying to You in this house. ³⁴LORD, hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people of Israel, bringing them again unto their land inheritance that You gave to their fathers.

³⁵When heaven is restrained, where there is no rain, because the people have sinned against You. If they pray toward this house, confessing Your name and turning from their sin. ³⁶LORD, hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people of Israel. Teach them the right and good way that they should walk and may You send rain upon the land, that You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

³⁷If there should be a famine or a calamity in the land, a disease or plague, or if their enemy overtakes them. ³⁸Whatever heartfelt prayer and supplication is made by Your people of Israel. ³⁹LORD, hear from Your dwelling place in heaven and forgive, judge and do to every man according to his ways. For only You LORD know the ways of a mans heart. ⁴⁰That the people may fear You all the days that they live in the land that You gave to their fathers.

⁴¹Concerning a stranger, (a non-Israelite), who comes from a far country because of Your name. ⁴²(For they had heard of Your great name, powerful hand and Your great deeds), having come to pray toward this house. ⁴³LORD, hear from Your dwelling place in heaven and do according to the petitions of the stranger. That all people of the earth may know Your great name and fear You, as do Your people of Israel.

⁴⁴If Your people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever You shall direct them. And if they call upon the LORD concerning the city that You are against, praying toward the house that I have built in Your name. ⁴⁵LORD, hear their prayer and petitions from heaven and defend their cause.

⁴⁶If they sin against You, (for there is no man that does not sin) and You become angry with them. Delivering them to the enemy, so that they are carried away captive into the land of the enemy.

NOTE: (this happened after Solomon's reign, when the kingdom was divided, the northern kingdom 'Israel' was taken captive by the Assyrians in 722bc and the southern kingdom 'Judah' was taken captive by the Babylonians in 597bc).

⁴⁷Yet if they repent while in the land where they are held captive, praying to You and confessing their sins. ⁴⁸Returning to the LORD with all their heart and soul, praying to the God of Israel, looking towards the chosen land that You gave to their fathers and to the house that I have built in Your name. ⁴⁹Then LORD, hear their prayer and petitions from Your dwelling place in heaven and take up their cause, ⁵⁰And forgive Your people of their transgressions that have sinned against You and grant them compassion even with their captors. ⁵¹For they are Your people and Your inheritance, that You brought out of Egypt out of their bondage. ⁵²Look upon the cries and petitions of Your people of Israel and hearken unto them that call to You. ⁵³For You have separated Your people from among the rest of the people of the earth, as Your inheritance. As You, LORD God made this known through Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt.

⁵⁴When Solomon had finished his praying and making supplication to the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling with his hands raised up to heaven. ⁵⁵He then stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying; ⁵⁶Blessed be the LORD, that has given rest to His people of Israel, according to His promises, not one of His good promises has failed, that He spoke by the hand of His servant Moses. ⁵⁷May the LORD our God be with us as He was with our fathers. let Him not leave us, nor forsake us. ⁵⁸That He may incline our hearts to Himself, that we might walk in all His ways and keep His commandments, statutes and judgments, that He commanded our fathers. ⁵⁹Let my words that I have prayed and made supplication to the LORD, be held before the LORD our God day and night and that He would defend the cause of His servants and people of Israel. ⁶⁰That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God and there is none other. ⁶¹Therefore, may your heart be blameless with the LORD our God, that this day, you walk in His statutes and keep His commandments. ⁶²Then the king and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD.

⁶³Solomon offered a peace offering to the LORD of twenty-two thousand oxen and twenty thousand one hundred sheep. And thus the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the temple to the LORD. ⁶⁴The same day, Solomon also consecrated the middle of the court. There he offered burnt offerings, meat offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brazen altar was too small to receive all the offerings. ⁶⁵On that day, Solomon held a feast before the LORD for all the people of Israel, from one border to another, lasting a total of seven days. ⁶⁶And on the eighth day he sent the people away and the people blessed the king, going away with joy and being glad in their hearts, because of all the goodness that the LORD had done for David His servant and His people of Israel.

1^st Kings: chapter 9

¹Now when Solomon had finished all the building of the temple of the LORD and his own house, (the desires of his heart). ²The LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had also appeared unto him at Gibeon.

³And the LORD said to him: I have heard your prayer and request that you have put before Me, I have consecrated this house and made it holy, that you have built. I have put My name on it and My presence shall remain there perpetually. ⁴If you will walk before Me, as David your father walked. Having integrity and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded of you, keeping My statutes and judgments. ⁵I will then establish your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised to David your father, saying; It shall always be that you will have a descendant on the throne of Israel 2^nd Samuel 7:12,13. ⁶But if you or your children turn away from following Me, to serve and worship other gods. ⁷I will then cut the people of Israel out of the land that I have given them. The temple that I have consecrated and made holy for My name sake, I will abandon it from My sight. And Israel shall be a proverb and a mockery among all people. ⁸Then everyone that passes by this high and exalted house shall be astonished and wonder, Why the LORD did this to the land and to this house? ⁹And they shall reason; It is because the Israelites' forsook the LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt. For they have worshiped and served other gods, therefore the LORD has brought this evil upon them.

¹⁰After twenty years, when Solomon had built the house of the LORD and his own house. ¹¹(Hiram, the king of Tyre who had furnished Solomon with lumber and gold, according to what Solomon desired), Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. ¹²Hiram then went to look at the cities, however, they did not please him. ¹³And Hiram said to Solomon; What are these cities that you have given me, my brother? And he called the lands, sterile and unproductive and that is their name to this very day. (NOTE: Hiram returned these lands back to Solomon, 2^nd Chronicles 8:2). ¹⁴And Hiram sent to the king one hundred twenty talents of gold.

¹⁵Here is the record of the labor force king Solomon used in the building of the house of the LORD, his own house, the fortified city of Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, the cities of Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer. ¹⁶For Pharaoh the king of Egypt had battled against Gezer, killing all the Canaanites in the land and he burnt the city. Then giving it to his daughter, Solomon's wife as a present. ¹⁷So Solomon rebuilt the cities of Gezer, Lower Beth-horon, ¹⁸Baalath and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land. ¹⁹Solomon even had cities built for the sole purpose to store his chariots and cities for his horsemen. He built in Jerusalem, Lebanon and all the lands of his dominion.

²⁰Now the labor force was composed of non-Israelites in the land, the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and the Jebusites. ²¹Solomon took the non-Israelites as slaves, all the children of the inhabitants of the promise land that the Israelites failed to utterly destroy. ²²But none of the children of Israel became Solomon's slaves, rather they were men of war, together with his servants, his princes, captains and rulers of his chariots and horsemen. ²³There were five hundred fifty chief officers that were over Solomon's work force.

²⁴But when Pharaoh's daughter moved from the city of David to the house that Solomon built for her, after that he built the fortified city of Millo.

²⁵Three times a year Solomon offered burnt and peace offerings, as he also burnt incense on the altar that he had built unto the LORD and thus marked the completion of the house of the LORD.

²⁶King Solomon formed a navy and their ships were in the port of Ezion-geber, that is on the shore of the Red sea. ²⁷And Hiram, king of Tyre sent his servants that had knowledge of the sea into the navy to work with Solomon's own servants. ²⁸They sailed to Ophir, bringing back four hundred twenty talents of gold for king Solomon.

1^st Kings: chapter 10

Queen of Sheba praises Solomon's great wisdom, (this is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 9:1-12).

¹When the queen of Sheba heard of the notoriety of Solomon's reputation concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. ²She came into Jerusalem with a very great entourage, with camels that bare spices, much gold and precious stones. When she had come to Solomon, she spoke with much liberty of all that was in her heart. ³Solomon answered all of her questions, not hiding any matter from her. ⁴And when the queen of Sheba had seen all of Solomon's wisdom and the house that he had built for the LORD. ⁵The operations of his kingdom. The meat on his table, the sitting of his servants, the attendance of his ministers and their apparel, his cupbearers and how Solomon himself would ascend into the house of the LORD, she was greatly astonished and speechless. ⁶And said to the king, It is a true report that I heard of your deeds, sayings and your wisdom. ⁷I did not believe the words I heard until I came here and saw with my own eyes. The half was not told me, for your wisdom and prosperity exceeds the reports that I heard. ⁸Your men and servants that stand continually before you are happy, that hear your wisdom. ⁹Blessed be the LORD your God, whom delighted in you and has set you on the throne of Israel. For the LORD has an everlasting love for Israel and He has made you king to judge and preform justice.

¹⁰The queen gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, many precious stones and a great abundance of spices, such an abundance of spices that king Solomon has not since seen such an abundant amount. ¹¹From the navy, the servants of Hiram brought him fine gold, rare lumber and precious stones. ¹²With the lumber Solomon made pillars for the house of the LORD and for his own house, he made musical instruments for the singers and to this day there has not been seen lumber of such quality. ¹³And Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba whatever she desired, besides what he gave her of his royal treasury and then she and her servants left for her own country.

King Solomon's vast material wealth, (this is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 9:13-28).

¹⁴The weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold. ¹⁵Beside this he had what the merchantmen and the spice merchants brought him and the taxes from the kings and governors of Arabia. ¹⁶And king Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold, using six hundred shekels of gold, approximately fifteen pounds of gold went into one shield. ¹⁷ And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pounds of gold went into one shield and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. ¹⁸He made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with fine gold. ¹⁹The throne had six steps and the top of the throne was arched and on either side of the seat were two lions. ²⁰On the sides of each of the six steps were two lions, twelve in all, there was not another such throne in any kingdom. ²¹All of king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold and the vessels within the king's house were of pure gold, none were of silver, for silver was not accounted as anything in the days of Solomon. ²²The king also had a navy in the port of Tharshish along with the navy of Hiram. Every three years the navy of Tharshish came to the king, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.

²³So king Solomon exceeded all the other kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. ²⁴Therefore all the earth sought out Solomon, to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart. ²⁵And every man that came to see him brought a present, vessels of silver or gold, fine clothes, armor, spices, horses and mules and the gifts increased year by year. ²⁶Solomon collected chariots and horsemen, he had fourteen hundred chariots, twelve thousand horsemen that he stationed in the cities that housed the chariots, with Solomon himself at Jerusalem. ²⁷In Jerusalem the king considered silver to be as common as stones and fine lumbers was as plentiful as the trees of the forest. ²⁸Solomon brought horses from Egypt and the king's merchants received linens by the yarn at a price. ²⁹A chariot could be bought from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver and a horse for one hundred shekels and so also did the Hittites and the kings of Syria sell to king Solomon.

1^st Kings: chapter 11

¹But, king Solomon loved many foreign women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians and Hittites; ²These women were of the nations that the LORD had told the children of Israel; You shall not go into them, nor shall you let them seduce you. For they will turn away your heart towards their pagan gods. But, regardless Solomon clung to them in love. ³Solomon had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines and his wives turned his heart away from the LORD God of Israel. ⁴And when Solomon became old, his wives turned his heart towards other gods. For his heart was not blameless with the LORD his God, as was his fathers David's. ⁵For Solomon went after pagan god's, the fertility goddess of love called, Venus and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. ⁶Thus Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, not seeking fully after the LORD, as his father David did. ⁷And Solomon even build a high place for Chemosh, the pagan god of the Moabites. On a hill that is before Jerusalem, as he also built a high place for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. ⁸And he build high places for all his strange wives and his wives burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

⁹Thus the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared to him twice, ¹⁰For the LORD had commanded that Solomon should not go after other gods, but he did not keep what the LORD had commanded. ¹¹Therefore the LORD said to Solomon; Since you have done this thing and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, that I commanded of you. I will tear apart the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. ¹²But for your father David's sake, I will not rend the kingdom out of your hands, rather I will rend it out of the hands of your son. ¹³I will not completely tear the entire kingdom away from you, but will leave one tribe with your son, for David My servant's sake and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.

¹⁴Then the LORD raised up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite, a descendant of the king of Edom. ¹⁵For in earlier times when king David had besieged Edom, 2^nd Samuel 8:9. ¹⁶Joab stayed in Edom for six months, until every male in Edom was dead. ¹⁷At that time Hadad was a small child and certain of his father's servants fled to Egypt. ¹⁸They left the city and were gathering men in their party as they went and coming into Egypt they went to Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Pharaoh gave young Hadad a house, land and a provision of food. ¹⁹Hadad had great favor with Pharaoh, for Pharaoh also gave Hadad the sister of his queen for a wife. ²⁰Now Hadad's wife bore him a son named, Genubath and the boy was weaned by the queen and grew up in Pharaoh's household with Pharaoh's other sons.

²¹When Hadad heard in Egypt that David was dead and that Joab (David's past general), was also dead. Hadad asked Pharaoh, to allow him to depart to his own country. ²²Pharaoh then said to him; Have you lacked anything with me, that you ask to go to your own country? And Hadad said; I have lacked nothing, but please let me go anyway.

²³Then God raised up another adversary against Solomon, Rezon, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah, 2^nd Samuel 8:1 ²⁴After David had slaughtered them, Rezon became captain over a band of malicious men. who dwelt in Damascus and made Rezon their king. ²⁵And Rezon remained an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the evil that Hadad did, for he also abhorred Israel and he reigned over Syria.

²⁶Now Jeroboam, who was one of Solomon's servants, of the tribe of Ephraim and whose mother was a widow woman, also rebelled against the king. ²⁷What started his rebellion was when Solomon built Millo and repaired the breaches of the city of David. ²⁸Solomon saw Jeroboam as a mighty man of valor and made him ruler over the forced labor of the house of Joseph. ²⁹And when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah came to him and Ahijah had on a new garment. ³⁰Ahijah then took up his garment and tore it into twelve pieces. ³¹Saying to Jeroboam; Take these ten pieces, for the LORD God of Israel says; I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you. ³²And for David's sake and Jerusalem's sake, the city that I have chosen, I will leave one tribe. ³³I am doing this, because they have forsaken Me, worshiping other gods and have not walked in My ways, to do what is right, keeping My statutes and judgments, as did David Solomon's father. ³⁴I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon's hands, but will leave a servant on the throne, whom I choose, for David's sake because he kept My commandments and statutes: ³⁵But I will take ten tribes from the kingdom out of his son's hand and I will give it to you. ³⁶And to his son I shall give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light always before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen to put My name on. ³⁷I shall be with you and you shall reign according to all that you desire and shall be king over Israel. ³⁸If you heed all that I command you, walking in My ways, doing what is right, keeping My statutes and commandments, as David My servant did. Then I will be with you, I will build you a sure house, as I built for David. ³⁹For this I will humble the line of David, but not forever.

⁴⁰When Solomon found out about this, he sought to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled into the land of Egypt and he remained in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

⁴¹As for the other things that Solomon did and his wisdom, they are written in the book of the acts of Solomon. ⁴²Solomon reigned from Jerusalem over all of Israel for forty years. ⁴³Then Solomon died and was buried in the city of David his father and his son Rehoboam reigned as king.

1^st Kings: chapter 12

¹Rehoboam then went to Shechem, (a city with a history of political dealings), for all of Israel had gathered there to make him king. ²And when Jeroboam, who had fled to Egypt because of the fear of Solomon, heard of this, he returned from Egypt. ³Jeroboam and those who had called him from Egypt, together with the whole congregation of Israel came before Rehoboam and said; ⁴Your father placed heavy burdens upon us, lesson our burdens and we will serve you. ⁵And Rehoboam said; Depart for now and return to me in three days time. And the people departed.

⁶King Rehoboam then consulted with his father's wise counselors, asking them, how they would advise him to answer the people? ⁷And their advice was, that if he would be a servant unto the people this day and affirm what they want, they would become his servants forever. ⁸But Rehoboam did not follow their wise counsel and consulted further with the young men that had grown up with him, which also stood before him. ⁹And he asked them their counsel.

¹⁰ And the counsel the young men gave was to say to the people; You say my father gave you a heavy burden to carry and you are asking me to lighten it, The burden that I give you shall even be heavier than his was. ¹¹Whereby your father put a heavy burden on them, tell the people that you shall increase their burdens.

¹²So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day. ¹³And the king spoke to the people roughly. ¹⁴Saying; My father made your burdens heavy and I will now increase your burdens. My father corrected you with the whip, but I will correct you with scorings. ¹⁵King Rehoboam did not harken to the people or listen to the wise council, for the situation was directed by the LORD, so that the LORD might perform His words spoken by Ahijah given to Jeroboam, 1^st Kings 11:29.

¹⁶When all the people of Israel realized that the king did not regard them. They said to the king; Is our inheritance in the house of David, or within the LORD? People of Israel, depart to your own house and let David depart to his own house. (NOTE: king Rehoboam was of the tribe of Judah). ¹⁷So Rehoboam only reigned over the children of Israel, which dwelt in the cities of Judah. ¹⁸So king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the forced labors to negotiate with the people, but the people of Israel came out and stoned him to death. Therefore, king Rehoboam quickly fled in his chariot back to Jerusalem. ¹⁹And Israel has rebelled against the house of David ever since.

²⁰Now when all the people of Israel had heard that Jeroboam was dwelling back in the land, they called for him and made him king over all Israel and the only tribe that followed after David's house was the tribe of Judah.

²¹Now when Rehoboam had come into Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred eighty thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. (NOTE: The tribe of Benjamin was split between the two kingdoms, Judah was the only complete tribe under the house of David). ²² But the Word of God came to the prophet Shemaiah, saying; ²³Speak to Rehoboam king of Judah and to all the people, saying; ²⁴Thus says the LORD; Do not go up and fight against your brethren the children of Israel, every man shall return to his house, for this division is of Me. And every man harkened to the words of the LORD and returned to their own house.

²⁵Jeroboam, (king of the ten northern tribes of Israel) built and dwelt in the city of Shechem, within the hills of Ephraim. ²⁶And Jeroboam thought that the kingdom could possibly return to the house of David. ²⁷If at the determined feast days, when the people go up to give their sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem. The people might return their loyalty back to their lord Rehoboam, the king of Judah and they shall kill me.

²⁸Therefore Jeroboam took counsel and set up two calves of gold, saying to the people; Rather than you go up to Jerusalem, here are the gods of Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt, (NOTE: Jeroboam made two golden calves, as the Israelites had made in the wilderness, God looked on this as a form of idol worship). ²⁹Jeroboam set one of the calves in the city of Bethel and the other one in the city of Dan. ³⁰And this became a sin, because the people worshiped at both places. ³¹Jeroboam also built temples on the high places, making priests of the people, regardless of whether they were of the house of Levi. ³²He also ordained a feast in the eight month, on the fifteenth day, (likened to the Feast of Tabernacles held in Judah, on the seventh month, of the fifteenth day). ³³At this feast he offered up sacrifices and burnt incense at Bethel. And the month and the day of the feast he had devised within his own heart.

1^st Kings: chapter 13

¹Now there came a man of God out of Judah to speak the Word of the LORD at Bethel, as king Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. ²And he cried out against the altar speaking the Word of the LORD, saying; A child named Josiah shall be born of the house of David and upon this altar he shall offer the idolatrous priests of the high places that burn incense upon you and the bones of men shall be burnt upon you. ³That same day he spoke and said; This shall be the sign of the LORD, the altar shall be broken in two and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.

NOTE: (this prophecy was fulfilled in 2^nd Kings 23:15-16).

⁴When king Jeroboam heard the man of God speak this concerning the altar in Bethel. He stretched forth his hand from off the altar to have the man seized, but right then his hand withered, to where he could not draw it back to himself. ⁵At that time the altar was broken in two and the ashes poured out from it, according to the sign of the LORD which he had spoken. ⁶The king then said to the man of God, Pray to the LORD on my behalf, that God would restore my hand. And the man of God besought the LORD and the king's hand was restored. ⁷Then the king said to the man of God, Come home with me and refresh yourself, there I will give you a reward. ⁸But the man of God said to the king; Even if you offer me half of your kingdom, I will not go in with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water in this place. ⁹For I was commanded by the Word of the LORD, to neither eat any bread or drink water, nor to leave by the same way that I came. ¹⁰So the man left, returning another way that he had come.

¹¹Now in the city of Bethel there dwelt an old prophet and his sons told him the words that the man of God had spoken to the king standing at the altar. ¹²Then their father asked his sons; What way the man had gone? ¹³He then told his sons to, saddle his donkey. ¹⁴And he went looking for the man of God, who had come from Judah and found him sitting under an oak tree. ¹⁵Then he said to the man; Come home with me and we shall partake of a meal. ¹⁶But the man replied; I shall not return with you to partake of any food or drink. ¹⁷For I was told by the Word of the LORD, not to eat of any food or drink any water, nor to leave the city, by the way, I came into it.

¹⁸But the prophet said to the man of God; I am also a prophet and an angel spoke words of the LORD to me and said; Bring the man of God back with you to your house that he may eat and drink and refresh himself. But, the old man was lying when he said this. ¹⁹So the man of God returned back with him and they both ate and drank. ²⁰As the two sat at the table eating, the Word of the LORD came to the prophet of the house. ²¹And he sharply spoke to the man of God that came from Judah, saying; The LORD has said, that since you have disobeyed the spoken command of the LORD. ²²For you have returned into the city and have eaten food in this place. Therefore, when you die you shall not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.

²³Now after the prophet had eaten and drank, he saddled the prophets donkey whom he had brought back with him. ²⁴As the prophet was going, a lion met him on the rood and killed him, leaving the dead body in the way, with both his donkey and the lion standing by the corpse. ²⁵This was then reported to the old prophet by men passing by. ²⁶When the prophet heard this, he knew it was the man of God, whom was disobedient and did not keep the Word of the LORD. therefore, he said, the LORD has delivered him to the lion. ²⁷He then saddled his donkey. ²⁸Went and found the dead body and the lion had not eaten the carcass or attacked the man's donkey. ²⁹The prophet then put the body of the man of God upon his donkey, bringing it back to the city of Bethel, to mourn him and bury him. ³⁰He laid his body in his own grave and they mourned over their brother.

³¹After the prophet had buried the man of God, he instructed his sons, to burry him in the same tomb, when he is dead. ³²For I am sure that the Word of the LORD that the man spoke against the altar in Bethel, will surely come to pass.

³³Even after this, Jeroboam continued in his evil ways. Consecrating any Israelite as a priest of the high places. ³⁴And this became the sin of the house of Jeroboam, that caused it to be cut it off and destroyed from the face of the earth.

1^st Kings: chapter 14

¹At this time Abijah, the son of Jeroboam fell sick. ²Jeroboam then told his wife to, disguise herself and go to the city of Shiloh. For Ahijah the prophet is there, that told me, I should be king over the people. ³Take with you ten loaves, cakes and a jar of honey. Go to him and he will tell you what is to become of the child. ⁴And Jeroboam's wife did so and came to the house of Ahijah the prophet. But, Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age.

⁵And the LORD said unto Ahijah; The wife of Jeroboam has come to ask you about her son, for the boy is sick and you shall say this to her. And when she comes she has disguised herself to be another woman. ⁶And when Ahijah the prophet heard the sound of her feet at the door, he told her to come in. Saying to her; You are the wife of Jeroboam and why do you wear a disguise, perhaps because I have heavy news for you.

⁷Tell Jeroboam that this is what the LORD God of Israel has said; I have exalted you from out of the people, making you ruler over My people of Israel, ⁸I gave the kingdom of the house of David to you, but you have not kept My commandments as did My servant David, following Me with his whole heart, doing only what was right. ⁹Rather you have done more evil than all who have gone before you. You have made images of other gods, provoking Me to anger and turning your back on Me. ¹⁰Therefore, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from him every male in Israel, both slave and free that despises My ways. Removing every remnant of the house of Jeroboam, until all the filth is gone. ¹¹Those that die of the house of Jeroboam, the dogs shall eat or shall be food for the birds of the air, the LORD has spoken such.

¹²Therefore wife of Jeroboam, go back to your own house and when you enter into the city, the child will die. ¹³All of Israel shall mourn for him and bury him. For he is the only one of the house of Jeroboam that the LORD God of Israel has found anything good in. ¹⁴And the LORD shall raise up a new king over Israel, that will cut off the house of Jeroboam, that day and forever. ¹⁵The LORD will smite Israel, as a reed shaken in the water, rooting up Israel out of this good land that He gave to their fathers. Scattering them beyond even the Euphrates river, because they have made their idolatrous plans and have provoked the LORD to anger. ¹⁶And the LORD shall give Israel up, all because of the sins of Jeroboam, who sinned and caused Israel also to sin.

¹⁷Jeroboam's wife then departed and when she had entered into her own city, the child died. ¹⁸And all of Israel mourned when they buried him, according to the Word of the LORD, that was spoken through His servant Ahijah the prophet.

¹⁹All the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, the wars fought and how he reigned and ruled, are written in the book of chronicles of the kings of Israel, 2^nd Chronicles chapters 10-12. ²⁰Jeroboam reigned for twenty-two years over Israel and his son Nadab then reigned as king of Israel.

King Rehoboam reigns over Judah for 17 years, (931-914bc.), (this is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles chapters 10-12.

²¹Now Rehoboam, Solomon's son was forty-one years old when he began to reign over Judah and he reigned for seventeen years in the city of Jerusalem. The city that the LORD chose out of all the tribes of Israel to put His name on. And his mother's was Naamah an Ammonitess, one of Solomon's many foreign wives. ²²During Rehoboam reign, Judah did evil, provoking the LORD to jealousy, for their sins were even greater than what their fathers had done. ²³On every hill and under every green tree they built high places and erected statutes to their false gods. ²⁴There were also sodomites, foreigners in the land, that practiced all the abominations that the original nations did which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

²⁵Now in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, Shishak, the king of Egypt, (NOTE: most-likely he was Jeroboam's brother-in-law), battled against Jerusalem. ²⁶And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king's house, he even took away the shields of gold which Solomon had made. ²⁷In place of the gold shields, king Rehoboam made shields of brass for the royal guard. ²⁸And as often as the king went to the house of the LORD, that the guards carried the shields, always bringing them back to the guardroom.

²⁹The rest of the acts of king Rehoboam and his reign are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah, 2^nd Chronicles chapters 10-12. ³⁰And continually there was war between king Rehoboam of Judah and king Jeroboam of Israel. ³¹Then Rehoboam died and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. His mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess. And Rehoboam's son Abijam then reigned as king of Judah.

1^st Kings: chapter 15

King Abijah reigns over Judah for 3 years, (913-911bc.), (this is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 13:1-22.

¹Now in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam, the king of Israel, Abijah reigned as king over Judah. ²He reigned three years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Absalom. ³But Abijah walked in all the sins of his father, Rehaboam and his heart was not blameless with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. ⁴Nevertheless for David's sake, the LORD his God gave his son after him a presence in Jerusalem, to establish Jerusalem. ⁵Because David did what was right in the sight of the LORD, not going contrary to the LORD all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. ⁶For all the days of Rehoboam and Jeroboam, there was war between the two kingdoms. ⁷Now the rest of the acts of Abijah and all that he did, are written in the book of chronicles of the kings of Judah, 2^nd Chronicles 13:1-22. And there was also war between Abijah and Jeroboam. ⁸Abijah then died and was buried in the city of David and Asa his son succeeded him as king of Judah.

King Asa reigns over Judah for 41 years, (911-870bc.), (this is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles chapters 14-16.

⁹And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa reigned as king over Judah. ¹⁰He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Absalom. ¹¹And Asa did what was right in the sight of the LORD, as did David his father. ¹²He did away with the sacred prostitutes from the land, also removing all the idols that his fathers had made. ¹³He even removed his mother, Maachah from being queen, because she had set up an idol to a sex goddess and Asa destroyed and burnt her idol. ¹⁴However Asa did not remove the high places, nevertheless, Asa's heart was blameless with the LORD all his days. ¹⁵Asa brought the vessels of silver and gold that his father had dedicated and he brought them into the house of the LORD.

¹⁶But all the days of Asa, king of Judah and Baasha, king of Israel, there was war between the two kingdoms. ¹⁷Baasha the king of Israel went up against Judah, building the fortified city of Ramah, to effectively block all traffic into the city of Jerusalem. ¹⁸So king Asa of Judah took all the silver and the gold left in the treasure of the house of the LORD and within the king's house, sending it to Ben-hadad, the king of Syria. ¹⁹Saying that; There is a covenant between us, as was between our fathers. Accept my gift of silver and gold and break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.

²⁰So Ben-hadad agreed with king Asa, sending the captains of his armies against several cities of Israel, Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maachah and the entire region of Cinneroth and the land of Naphtali. ²¹And when king Baasha heard of this, he ceased his building of Ramah and located the reign of the northern kingdom, Israel to the city of Tirzah.

²²Then king Asa of Judah, sent a proclamation throughout the land of Judah. Calling for a labor force to remove the building materials, the stones and the timbers, from the city of Ramah. And with the materials obtained king Asa built the city of Geba in the land of Benjamin and Mizpah. ²³The rest of all the mighty acts of king Asa and all that he did are recorded in the book of chronicles of the kings of Judah, 2^nd Chronicles 14:1-16. And in his old age he became diseased in his feet. ²⁴Asa then died and was buried with his fathers in the city of David and Jehoshaphat his son reigned as king of Judah.

²⁵Now king Nadab, of the northern kingdom began to reign over Israel in the second year of king Asa of Judah, of the southern kingdom. And Nadab reigned over Israel for two years. ²⁶But Nadab did evil in the sight of the LORD, walking in the way of his father and through his sin, he also led Israel into sin. ²⁷Now Baasha, of the northern kingdom conspired against king Nadab, of the northern kingdom and killed him. ²⁸In the third year of Asa's king of Judah reign, Baasha killed Nadab and then reigned as king over the northern kingdom of Israel.

²⁹As Baasha came into his kingship, he killed all those who were of the house of Jeroboam, according to the Words of the LORD spoken by His servant Ahijah, verse 14:7-11 ³⁰Because of the grievous sins of Jeroboam and how he led Israel into sin, thus he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger. ³¹And the rest of the acts of Nadab and all he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. ³²For all the days of Asa and Baasha, there was war between the two kingdoms.

³³In the third year of king Asa of Judah, Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah and he reigned for twenty-four years. ³⁴But Baasha did evil in the sight of the LORD, walking in the ways of Jeroboam and through his sin, he led Israel into sin.

1^st Kings: chapter 16

¹The Word of the LORD then came to the prophet Jehu against Baasha, king of Israel, saying;

²I have exalted you from the dust, making you ruler over My people of Israel, but you walk in the ways of Jeroboam, leading My people into sin, provoking Me to anger by their sins. ³I will now remove Baasha and his house, making your house as the house of Jeroboam. ⁴Those of the house of Baasha shall be eaten by the wild dogs and scavenged by the birds of the air.

⁵And the rest of the acts of Baasha, what he did and his might, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. ⁶Baasha then died and was buried in the city of Tirzah and his son Elah reigned as king over Israel. ⁷That is also how it was for Baasha, the prophet Jehu spoke the Word of the LORD against him and his house, because of all the evil that he did provoking the LORD to anger. Thus he was destroyed as was the house of Jeroboam.

⁸In the twenty-sixth year of Asa, the king of Judah, Elah began to reign as king over the northern kingdom, (Israel) and he reigned for two years. ⁹However his servant, the captain of half of his chariots, Zimri conspired against him, as the king was becoming drunk. ¹⁰And Zimri went into his chambers and killed Elah, approximately two years after he had begun to reign and Zimri reigned in his place as king of Israel.

¹¹As soon as Zimri began to reign, he killed every male of the house of Baasha, both his kinsfolk and his friends. ¹²Zimri destroy the entire line of Baasha, according to the Word of the LORD spoken by Jehu the prophet, verse 16:2-4. ¹³This was done for all of the sins of his father Baasha and the sins of Elah his son. For they also led Israel into sin, provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities. ¹⁴And the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

^15-16Seven days after Zimri began to reign in the city of Tirzah. The people who were battling against the Philistines at Gibbethon, heard that Zimri had killed Elah and made himself king. However, all Israel made Omri, who was the captain of their army, king over Israel that day in their camp. ¹⁷Omri and his men then went and besieged Israel's capital city of Tirzah. ¹⁸And when Zimri saw that his city was taken, through civil strife, he set the king's house on fire and let it fall on him and he died. ¹⁹This was because of his sins and the evil he had done in the sight of the LORD, walking in the ways of Jeroboam leading Israel into sin. ²⁰And the rest of the acts of Zimri and his treason that he conspired, are written in the book of chronicles of the kings of Israel.

²¹Now the people of Israel were divided into two parts, half of the people followed Tibni, wishing to make him king and half followed Omri, wishing to make him king. ²²But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni, so Tibni was killed and Omri reigned. ²³In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel and reigned over Israel for twelve years, (NOTE: Omri took full reign of Israel approximately three years after the split loyalty between him and Tibni, Omri then built Samaria and relocated Israel's capital). ²⁴And he bought a hill of ground for two talents of silver, built on it and called the name of the city Samaria, after the owner of the hill. ²⁵But Omri did much evil in the sight of the LORD, evil far worse than any that went before him. ²⁶For Omri also walked in all the way of Jeroboam, leading Israel into sin and provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger through their vanities. ²⁷And the rest of the acts of Omri and his might that he showed, are written in the book of chronicles of the kings of Israel ²⁸And Omri died and was buried in Samaria and his son Ahab then reigned as king of Israel.

²⁹In the thirty-eighth year of Asa, king of Judah, Ahab began to reign over Israel and Ahab reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. ³⁰But Ahab did evil in the sight of the LORD, evil far above all that went before him. ³¹For he treated it as a light thing, walking in the sins of Jeroboam. Taking Jezebel, a woman from Sidon as his wife, the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians and she promoted pagan worship and served Baal.

³²Ahab set up an altar in the house of Baal, which he built in the city of Samaria. ³³And Ahab made a shrine, doing even more than all the other kings of Israel that went before him to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger. ³⁴During the days of his reign, Hiel from Bethel built and fortified Jericho. The foundation of the city was laid at the cost of Abiram his firstborn son and the gates of the city were set in place at the cost of Segub his youngest son. According to the Word of the LORD spoken by Joshua the son of Nun, Joshua 6:26.

1^st Kings: chapter 17

¹Then Elijah a prophet from Gilead, said to king Ahab; As the LORD God of Israel lives and of whom I speak for, there shall not be any dew or rain except by my word.

²The LORD then told Elijah to; ³Leave this place and travel eastward, hide yourself by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan river. ⁴There you shall drink of the brook and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.

⁵So Elijah did according to the Word of the LORD. ⁶And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and in the evening and he drank of the brook. ⁷However, given time the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

⁸And the Word of the LORD came to Elijah again, saying; ⁹Go to the city of Zarephath and stay there, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain you.

¹⁰So Elijah did according to the Word of the LORD and when he came to the gate of the city, there was a widow woman there gathering sticks. He called to her, saying; Please bring me a little water that I may drink. ¹¹As she was going to get him some water, Elijah called to her again, saying; Please bring me a morsel of bread by your hand.

¹²And she answered; As the LORD your God lives, I do not have a cake of bread, but only a handful of meal and a little oil. I was about to gather a few sticks, so that I could prepare it for me and my son, that we would eat it and afterwards die.

¹³And Elijah said to her, Do not fear! Go and do as you have spoken, but first make a little cake for me and afterwards make one for you and your son. ¹⁴For the LORD God of Israel has spoken, The meal and the oil shall not fail, until the day when the LORD sends rain back to the earth.

¹⁵So the widow woman did according to Elijah's words and she and her household ate for many days afterwards. ¹⁶For the meal nor the oil failed, according to the Word of the LORD, spoken by Elijah.

¹⁷After some time the widow's son became ill and the boy died. ¹⁸And she said to Elijah; Man of God, what do you have against me? Have you come here to call my sin into remembrance and to kill my son?

¹⁹Elijah said to her; Give me your son and he took the boy from her arms. Carried him up to the loft where he was staying and set him on his own bed. ²⁰He then cried out to the LORD, saying; LORD my God, have You also brought evil upon this widow with whom I stay, by killing her son? ²¹Elijah then stretched himself upon the child, three times, crying out to the LORD, saying; LORD my God, I pray of You, let this child live again. ²²And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah and the child began to live again.

²³Elijah then delivered the child to his mother. ²⁴And the woman said to Elijah; By this I know that you are a man of God and that the Word of the LORD that you speak is true.

1^st Kings: chapter 18

¹After the famine had lasted three and a half years, the Word of the LORD came to Elijah, saying; Present yourself to king Ahab and I will send rain upon the earth.

²So Elijah went to king Ahab, while there was still a severe famine in Samaria. ³As he was going, king Ahab was speaking with Obadiah, the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly. ⁴For when Jezebel was destroying the prophets of the LORD. Obadiah took one hundred of the prophets and hid them in caves, in two groups of fifty, providing for them with bread and water). ⁵The king was telling Obadiah to go through all the countryside, that they might locate grass to feed our horses and mules, so that we do not lose all of our animals. ⁶And they divided the land between them and Ahab went one direction, while Obadiah went the other direction.

⁷As Obadiah had gone out of the city he met Elijah and fell on his face, saying; Are you not my lord Elijah? ⁸And Elijah said: Yes, I am, go and tell the king that I have come. ⁹Then Obadiah said; Have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant to king Ahab, to be killed? ¹⁰For, I swear to you by the LORD that the king has looked for you in every city and nation. And when the officials reported that you were not there. The king had the officials of those lands within his kingdom take an oath that you were not in their land. ¹¹And you are telling me now, to tell the king that you are here. ¹²If I leave and tell king Ahab and you are not here when he arrives, he shall kill me. But, do know that your servant has feared the LORD from my youth. ¹³Was it not told to my lord what I did when Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD, how I hid one hundred of the LORD's prophets in caves, in two groups of fifty, providing for them with bread and water? ¹⁴And you tell me now to go and tell the king you are here, he will kill me.

¹⁵Elijah then said; As the LORD God lives, before whom I stand, I will show myself to the king this day. ¹⁶So Obadiah went and told king Ahab and the king came to meet Elijah.

¹⁷When king Ahab saw Elijah, he said; Are you the one who troubles Israel? ¹⁸But Elijah answered, I have not troubled Israel; but rather you and your father's house have. Because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, following false gods. ¹⁹Therefore, there shall be a testing on Mount Carmel. Gather the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of the sex goddess, that eat at queen Jezebel's table.

²⁰So the king gathered the prophets together as Elijah had said and informed all the people of Israel.

²¹Elijah then spoke to all the people, saying; How long will you waver between two beliefs? If the LORD is God or if Baal is god, follow whom you choose. And the people were silent. ²²Then Elijah said; I am the only remaining prophet of the LORD, but you have heard four hundred fifty prophets of Baal. ²³Therefore the test shall be: We shall both have an offering of a bullock and shall cut it in pieces and place it on wood, however we shall not kindle any fire underneath the offering. ²⁴Then you shall call upon the name of your gods and likewise, I will call on the name of the LORD. It shall be that the God that answers by fire shall be God. And all the people said; you have spoken well.

²⁵Elijah then said to the prophets of Baal; Prepare your offering, however, do not kindle any fire under it. ²⁶So they prepared their offering and called on the name of Baal, from morning until noon time, saying; O Baal, hear us! But there was no voice or no answer, even as some of them leaped up on the altar that they made.

²⁷Now at noon, Elijah started to mock them, saying; Cry louder, for he must be either meditating, or occupied, perhaps he is on a journey or maybe has fallen asleep and needs to be awakened. ²⁸And they cried and cut themselves with knives until their blood gushed out on them. ²⁹The prophets cried out until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, but there was no response of any kind.

³⁰Then Elijah said to the people; Now come near to me and he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been broken down. ³¹He took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, to whom the Word of the LORD came, saying; Israel shall be your name: ³²With the stones Elijah built an altar in the name of the LORD and made a trench about the altar. ³³He put the wood in order, cutting the bullock in pieces and laying him on the wood. He then had four barrels filled with water and poured on the sacrifice and the wood. ³⁴Altogether, filling the four barrels with water and pouring it on the sacrifice and the wood and this was repeated three times. ³⁵Until the water ran round about the altar and the trench was also filled with water.

³⁶Now it was the time of the evening sacrifice, when Elijah the prophet came near and said; LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and of Jacob, let it be known this day in Israel that You are God, that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your Word. ³⁷Hear me LORD! That the people may know that You are the LORD God, who has turned their hearts back to you.

³⁸The fire of the LORD then came down and consumed the burnt sacrifice, the wood, even the stones and the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹When the people saw this, they fell on their faces and said; The LORD is the God, He is the God. ⁴⁰Elijah then said to the people; Take the prophets of Baal, do not let any of them escape. And they killed them down by the brook Kishon.

⁴¹Elijah then said to king Ahab; Cease your fast, go and eat and drink, for there is a sound of abundance of rain. ⁴²So Ahab ate and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel. Bowed himself down on the earth, putting his face between his knees, ⁴³Elijah said to his servant; Look towards the sea and tell me what you see. And when the servant went up, there was nothing. And Elijah had him repeated this seven times. ⁴⁴The seventh time that his servant checked, there arose a little cloud from over the horizon, as a man's hand. He then told the servant to tell the king to prepare your chariot, least the rain hinders you.

⁴⁵And it happened that the heaven became black with clouds, wind and there was a great rain. And king Ahab rode back to his city. ⁴⁶But the hand of the LORD was on Elijah. For on foot he outran king Ahab's chariot to the entrance of the city.

1^st Kings: chapter 19

¹Now king Ahab told queen Jezebel all that Elijah had done, how he had slain all the false prophets with the sword. ²Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying; Let the gods do to me and more, if I fail to take your life by this time tomorrow.

³When Elijah had read this, he was afraid and ran for his life to Beer-sheba, a city that belongs to the southern kingdom of Judah and left his servant there. ⁴But he went a day's journey into the wilderness, there he sat down under a lone stub of a tree and desired that he might die. For he said; It is enough LORD, now take away my life, for I am not better than my fathers.

⁵As he slept under that tree, an angel touched him, saying to him, Arise and eat. ⁶And there was a cake and a container of water at his head. So he ate and drank and laid back down again. ⁷A second time the angel of the LORD came and touched him, saying; Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you. ⁸And Elijah ate and drink and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights to Horeb the Mount of God. (NOTE: Mount Horeb is also refereed to as Mount Sinai and Elijah's trip can be compared with the forty years of the Israelites walking in the wilderness).

⁹Elijah then lodged in a cave and the Word of the LORD came to him and the LORD said; What are you doing here Elijah? ¹⁰Elijah replied; I have been very zealous for the LORD God of Israel, but the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, they have destroyed Your altars, killing Your prophets and I am now the only one left and they seek to take my life.

¹¹The LORD then said to Elijah; Stand on the mount before Me and the LORD passed by. There was a great and strong wind that even cracked opened the rocks, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹²After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a still small voice. ¹³And when Elijah heard the voice, he covered his face with his mantle and stood in the entrance of the cave. And again there came a voice to him, saying; What are you doing here, Elijah? ¹⁴Elijah replied; I have been very zealous for the LORD God of Israel, but the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, they have destroyed Your altars, killing Your prophets and I am now the only one left and they seek to take my life.

¹⁵Then the LORD said; Return via the way of the wilderness of Damascus and when you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. ¹⁶You shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Israel and you shall anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat, he shall become prophet in your place. ¹⁷It shall be that whomever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill and he that escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. ¹⁸For I have seven thousand men in Israel, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.

¹⁹Elijah then departed and came to Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle on him. ²⁰Elisha then left the oxen and ran after Elijah, saying; I pray that you allow me to bid my parents goodbye and then I will follow you. And Elijah replied, Say goodbye to your parents, but do be mindful of God's calling on your life. ²¹When Elisha returned back to Elijah, he took a yoke of oxen, killed them and boiled their flesh using the instruments of the oxen and gave the sacrifice to the people. He then followed after Elijah and ministered to him.

1^st Kings: chapter 20

¹Now Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his armies together, along with thirty-two other kings and their horses and chariots. And went up and besieged the city of Samaria, making war against it. ²Ben-hadad then sent messengers to Ahab king of the northern kingdom Israel, saying to him; ³All that you have is mine, your silver and gold, your wife and children, every good thing that you have is mine. ⁴Ahab answered back and said, My lord, O king, according to your words, I and all that I have are yours.

⁵Ben-hadad then sent another message, saying; Rather than you delivering your gold and silver, your wives and children to me. ⁶I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, they shall search through your house and the servants quarters. And whatsoever they find that is good to them, they shall take away.

⁷The king of Israel then called all the elders together, saying; This man is seeking to destroy us, bit by bit. He has sent for my wives and children, silver and gold and I did not deny him. ⁸And all the elders said to him; Do not give him your consent. ⁹Be true to your word that you gave him at first, but do not agree to this new thing. And he sent his servants back emptied handed with this message. ¹⁰When Ben-hadad received this message, he replied back; May the gods do their worst to me if I don't turn Samaria into a dust hep. ¹¹And the king of Israel replied back, saying; Let not he that puts on armor boast in his unrealized victory, but rather only he that take armor off.

¹²When Ben-hadad heard this message, he was drinking with the other kings in the pavilions. And immediately gave his servant's orders to, prepare themselves for battle against the city.

¹³On that day a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus says the LORD; Have you seen this great multitude that is coming after you? Watch as I deliver them into your hands this day, then you shall know that I am the LORD. ¹⁴Ahab said to the prophet; And who will lead the battle? And he said; The LORD has spoken that the young men and princes of the provinces shall. The king then said; And who shall order the battle? And the prophet said; You shall.

¹⁵So Ahab numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces and they were two hundred thirty-two and after them he numbered all the people of Israel and they were seven thousand. ¹⁶And they went out at noon. But, Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilion, with the other thirty-two kings that helped him. ¹⁷Now the young princess of the provinces went out first and Ben-hadad was sent word that men were coming out of Samaria. ¹⁸And Ben-hadad ordered his people, Whether they have come out for peace or for war, take them alive. ¹⁹And the men continued to come out of the city and the army followed them. ²⁰That day everyone of them killed his men and the Syrians fled as the Israelites pursued them and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse. ²¹And the king of Israel also went out, destroying both horses and chariots and killing the Syrians in a great slaughter.

²²Then the prophet returned to the king of Israel, said to him; Go and fortify your lands, for you can be sure of this, that in the following year the king of Syria will again come up against you.

²³The servants of the king of Syria told him that the gods of the Israelites are gods of the hills and that is why they were victorious. But, let us battle against them in the plains and we shall be victorious. ²⁴Now do this thing, Remove the kings from over their men within the army and put trained captains in their place. ²⁵Then recruit and number an army, we shall then be stronger than they are and shall fight against them in the plain. And when the king heard this advice, he did so. ²⁶And in the following year, Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians and went up to a town in Israel and fought against them.

²⁷Now the children of Israel were all numbered and present. But, as they camped before the Syrians, their camps seemed as two little flocks of sheep, as the Syrians filled the entire valley. ²⁸At that time, there came a man of God, speaking to the king of Israel and said; The LORD says; Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, thinking He is not God of the valleys. For this reason, I will also deliver all this great multitude into your hand and you shall know and understand that I am the LORD.

²⁹As both armies camped in the valley, on the seventh day the battle was engaged. And that day the children of Israel killed one hundred thousand footman of the Syrians. ³⁰The rest of the Syrians fled into the city and there a wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of them that had fled the battle. Ben-hadad also fled into the city, hiding from place to place.

³¹His servants then said to him; We have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. Therefore, let us put on sackcloth, having the appearance of repentance and ropes around our necks and go out to the king of Israel, perhaps he will spare our life. ³²So they did as such, coming to the king of Israel and said; Your servant Ben-hadad begs of you to let him live. And king Ahab said; Is he yet alive, he is my brother? ³³The servants of Ben-hadad quickly observe that the king called him his brother and replied back; Yes, Ben-hadad is your brother. The king of Israel then sent for Ben-hadad and he invited him up into his chariot. ³⁴And king Ahab said; I will restore the cities that my father took from your father and you can make the capital of Syria in Damascus, as Israel's capital is in Samaria. And I will send you away with a covenant between you and me.

³⁵Then a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor, speaking the Word of the LORD; I pray that you strike me. But, the man refused to strike him. ³⁶And the prophet said to him; Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, as soon as you depart from me, a lion shall kill you. And as soon as he departed, a lion came and destroyed the man.

³⁷Then the prophet found another man and said; I pray that you strike me. So the man struck him and wounded him. ³⁸The prophet then departed and waited for the king by the roadway, disguised with ashes on his face. ³⁹As the king passed by, the man cried out to the king, saying; Your servant was in the midst of the battle; I was given a prisoner to guard and was told, if this man escapes your guard, the cost shall be a talent of silver or your life. ⁴⁰As your servant was busy, the man escaped. And the king of Israel said to him; So shall your own judgment be, you yourself have spoken it. ⁴¹The prophet then quickly removed the ashes from his face and the king knew who he was. ⁴²And the prophet said to the king; This is what the LORD says; Because you have freed a man, from your hand, that I the LORD appointed for destruction. It shall be your life for his life and your people for his people. ⁴³After hearing this, the king of Israel went to his house in Samaria, heavy and displeased.

1^st Kings: chapter 21

¹After the issues of war, a man named Naboth owned a vineyard, in the plains of Jezreel, that boarder king Ahab of Israel second palace that he had built in Jezreel. ²So Ahab spoke to Naboth, wanting to acquirer the land, that he might use it for a herb garden. Offering Naboth either to give him a better property or to pay him what it was worth. ³But Naboth said to the king; May the LORD prohibit me from ever selling my father's inheritance to you. ⁴And Ahab went back to his palace with a heavy heart and very much displeased because Naboth had told him, he could never sell his father's inheritance. And the king laid on his bed, refusing even to eat bread.

⁵Then Jezebel his wife came to him, asking why his spirit was so sad? ⁶And the king told her why he was depressed. ⁷On hearing this Jezebel, said; Are you not the king of Israel, now eat bread and let your heart be merry. I will get the vineyard of Naboth for you.

⁸She then wrote letters in Ahab's name, signed and sealed them with the king's seal, sending the letters to the elders and nobles in the district where Naboth dwelt. ⁹In the letters she wrote; That the district was to proclaim a fast and that Naboth was to sit at the head of the people. ¹⁰And place two worthless and godless men before him, so they can bear false witness against him, that he blasphemed God and the king. Then he shall be taken and stoned and put to death.

¹¹The elders and nobles of his city then did as Jezebel had instructed them. ¹² They proclaimed a fast and placed Naboth as the head of the people. ¹³They found two worthless and godless men to sit beside him, to bear false witness against Naboth, in the presence of the people, accusing him of blaspheming God and the king. Then they carried Naboth out of the city and stoned him to death. ¹⁴And they sent message to Jezebel, telling her that Naboth was now dead.

¹⁵When Jezebel heard that Naboth was dead. She told king Ahab to take possession of Naboth's vineyard. ¹⁶Ahab then went down to Naboth's vineyard to take possession of it.

¹⁷And the Word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying; ¹⁸Go down to meet Ahab the king of Israel, you can find him in the vineyard of Naboth, that he wishes to possess. ¹⁹There you shall speak to him and say; This is what the LORD says, Have you killed so you can now take possession? And this is what the LORD says about this, In the place where dogs lick the blood of Naboth, so shall they also lick up your blood.

²⁰When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him; Has my enemy found me? And Elijah answered; Yes, I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD. ²¹Thus the LORD will bring evil upon you, He will cut off all of your male descendants, both bound and free. ²²Your house will become as the house of the past kings, (Jeroboam and Baasha), who also provoked the LORD to anger, for they made Israel sin. ²³Also concerning Jezebel; The dogs shall eat her by the wall of the city Jezreel. ²⁴Anyone of Ahab that dies shall be eaten by the wild dogs or the fowls of the air.

²⁵There was not a king as wicked as Ahab, He gave himself over to do the works of wickedness in the sight of the LORD, encouraged by his wife Jezebel. ²⁶For he followed idols, according to all the abominable practices of the Amorites, whom the LORD drove out before the children of Israel.

²⁷And when Ahab heard these judgments, he tore his clothes, putting on sackcloth and fasting and went around humbly.

²⁸Again the Word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying; ²⁹See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me, because he has done so. I will not bring the evil in his days, but rather will bring the evil upon his son's house.

1^st Kings: chapter 22

Prophet Micaiah warns King Ahab not to go to war, (this is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles chapter 16.

¹For three years, there was not a war between Syria and Israel. ²However in the third year, Jehoshaphat the king of the southern kingdom of Judah came down to talk with Ahab the king of Israel. ³And the king of Israel said to his servants, You do realize that the Levitical city of Ramoth within the land of Benjamin is ours, verse 20:34. We hesitated and did not take it from the hand of the king of Syria? ⁴Ahab also said this to Jehoshaphat, asking him if he would help them go to battle against the city. And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, we are with you, our forces are as your forces.

⁵However Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I pray that you should inquire of the Word of the LORD today. ⁶So the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men and asked them; If he should attack the city or not? And the prophets replied; Go up, for the Lord will surely deliver the city into the hand of the king.

⁷But Jehoshaphat questioned, if there was a prophet of the LORD that we might also inquire of him? ⁸And Ahab said; There is a man named Micaiah, (the name means: who is like the LORD), but I despise him. For he does not prophesy good over me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king speak that. ⁹So the king of Israel sent for Micaiah.

¹⁰While the kings waited they both sat on a throne, having put on their royal robes. Seated in an open place by the entrance to the gate of Samaria and there all the prophets prophesied before them. ¹¹While there a prophet named Zedekiah, made for himself horns of iron and said to the kings. The LORD has said that with these you shall push back the Syrians, until they are completely consumed. ¹²Likewise all the prophets prophesied, that the kings should take the city and prosper, for the LORD shall deliver it into to your hands.

¹³When Micaiah arrived, he was told by the messenger who called him to speak to the kings the good words that the other prophets had declared over them, for all the prophets were in agreement. ¹⁴And Micaiah replied; Whatever the LORD gives me, that is what I will speak.

¹⁵Then he came to the king. And the king asked him; If he should fight against the city or not? And Micaiah answered him, (NOTE: sarcastically repeating to the king what the other false prophets had told him); Go and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver the city into the hand of the king. ¹⁶And the king said; How many times shall I charge you to speak only the truth to me, in the name of the LORD?

¹⁷Micaiah, the prophet then said; I saw all of Israel scattered on various hills, as sheep without a shepherd and the LORD remarked, they have no master. Therefore, let every man return to his house in peace. ¹⁸The king of Israel then turned to Jehoshaphat and said, Did I not tell you that his prophecy concerning me would not be good, but rather evil? ¹⁹Micaiah then said, this is also the vision that I had, I saw the LORD sitting on His throne and all the host of heaven standing around Him. ²⁰And the LORD said; Who shall persuade Ahab, to go up and be defeated in the battle? ²¹And a spirit stood before the LORD and said; I will persuade him. ²²I will go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said; That will persuade him, go forth and prevail. ²³That you might know, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all of your prophets and has spoken evil concerning you.

²⁴But Zedekiah, one of the king's prophets, struck Micaiah on the cheek, saying; Since when did the Spirit of the LORD depart from me, that you might guide me? ²⁵And Micaiah said; That day shall come to pass when you find yourself desperately seeking shelter. ²⁶The king of Israel then ordered his servants to seize Micaiah and deliver him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son. ²⁷Telling the king to put this man in prison and deliver to him much affection, until I come back to you in peace. ²⁸But Micaiah replied back; If you do return at all in peace, It will mean, the LORD did not speak through me. Hear me and harken to my voice!

²⁹Both the kings, Ahab the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, fought against the city of Ramoth. ³⁰The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, that he was going to disguise himself and enter into the battle. But, that he should put on his royal robes.

³¹And the king of Syria commanded his thirty-two captains that were over his chariots, not to regard men either small or great, but go after the king of Israel. ³²When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they thought him to be the king of Israel. So they turned aside to fight against him and Jehoshaphat cried out. ³³When he did cry out, the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel and they turned back from pursuing him. ³⁴However a certain solider struck Ahab the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. And the king said to his chariot driver; Turn aside and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.

³⁵And the battle increased that day and the king stayed propped up in his chariot watching the battle. Now in the evening the king died and his blood flowed in the midst of the chariot. ³⁶And at the going down of the sun, a proclamation went throughout the land, that every man return to his own city.

³⁷And the king's body was brought to and buried in Samaria. ³⁸They washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria and the dogs licked up the king's blood, thus fulfilling the Word of the LORD spoken by Elijah, verse 21:19.

³⁹The rest of the acts of Ahab, all that he did, the ivory house and the cities that he had built, are all recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. ⁴⁰And after Ahab's death, his son Ahaziah reigned as king of Israel.

King Jehoshaphat reigns over Judah for 25 years, (873-848bc.), (this is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles chapters 17-20).

⁴¹Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah in the forth year of Ahab king of Israel. ⁴²Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Azubah. ⁴³And Jehoshaphat walked in the good ways of Asa his father, doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD. Nevertheless, the high places remained and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense at the high places. ⁴⁴Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. ⁴⁵And the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, of his might and the wars he fought, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah, 2^nd Chronicles 17:1-20.

⁴⁶But the remnant of the sodomites that remained in the land, from the time of his father Asa, Jehoshaphat expelled from the land. ⁴⁷At that time, there was then no king in Edom, but a deputy ruled.

⁴⁸Now Jehoshaphat built ships to carry gold and silver, but not soon afterwards the ships were wrecked. ⁴⁹During that time, Ahaziah, the king of the northern kingdom (Israel), said to Jehoshaphat; Let my servants travel with your servants in the ships. But, Jehoshaphat would not agree to such a deal.

⁵⁰Then Jehoshaphat died and was buried with his fathers in the city of David and his son Jehoram reigned as king of Judah.

⁵¹Ahaziah began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah and reigned for two years. ⁵²However Ahaziah did evil in the sight of the LORD, walking in the ways of his father and his mother. Continuing in the ways of Jeroboam, who lead Israel into sin. ⁵³For he served and worshiped the false god, Baal, provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger, according to the deeds of his father.