 CHAPTER I Now King David was old and stricken in years, and they covered him with clothes, but he got no heat, wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin, and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom that my lord the king may get heat. So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a shunamite, and brought her to the king. And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king and ministered to him, but the king knew her not. Then Adonijah, the son of Haggoth, exalted himself, saying, I will be king, and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him, and his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done, sir? And he also was a very goodly man, and his mother bear him after Absalom, and he conferred with Joab the son of Zeru'ayah, and with Abitha the priest, and they following Adonijah helped him. But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei and Ray and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zohoileth, which is by Enrigal, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants. But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not. But Nathan spoke unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Has thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggoth doth reign, and David our Lord knoweth it not? Now therefore come, let me I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son, Solomon. Go and get thee in unto King David, and say unto him, Didst not thou my Lord, O King, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, As shortly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? Why then doth Adonijah reign? Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee and confirm thy words. And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber, and the king was very old, and Abishag the shunamite ministered unto the king. And Bathsheba bowed and did obeisance unto the king, and the king said, What would thou? And she said unto him, My Lord, thou swarest by the Lord thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, As shortly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? And now behold, Adonijah reigneth, and now my Lord the king thou knowest it not? And he hath slain oxen, and fat cattle, and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abirtha the priest, and Joab the captain of the host? But Solomon thy servant hath he not called? And thou, my Lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldst tell them who shall sit on the throne of my Lord the king after him. Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my Lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders. And lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in. And they told the king, saying, Behold, Nathan the prophet! And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. And Nathan said, My Lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? For he has gone down this day, and hath slain oxen, and fat cattle, and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abirtha the priest, and behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah. But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the senator Hoyada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called? Is this thing done by my Lord the king, and thou hast not showed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my Lord the king after him? Then King David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba! And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king. And the king swear and said, As the Lord liveth that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress, even as I swear unto thee by the Lord God of Israel, saying, A shortly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead. Even so will I certainly do this day. Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my Lord King David live for ever. And King David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and they came before the king. The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your Lord, and call Solomon my son to ride upon my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. And let Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, anoint him there king over Israel, and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save King Solomon. Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne, for he shall be king in my stead. And I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen, the Lord God of my Lord the king, say so too. As the Lord hath been with my Lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my Lord King David. So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the charathites and the palathites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon King David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, God save King Solomon. And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them. And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it, as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar? And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abirtha the priest came, and Adonijah said unto him, Come in, for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings. And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our Lord King David hath made Solomon king. And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Baniah the son of Jehoida, and the charathites and the palathites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule. And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from tents rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard. And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom. And moreover, the king's servants came to bless our Lord King David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed. And also Thoth said the king, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it. And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way. And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold Adonijah feareth King Solomon, for lo he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let King Solomon surround to me today that he will not slay his servant with the sword. And Solomon said, If he will show himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth, but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die. So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar, and he came and bowed himself to King Solomon, and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house. End of chapter 1 Chapter 2 of First Kings of the Bible King James Version This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Joy Chan, the Bible, King James Version, First Kings, Chapter 2. Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth, be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes and his commandments and his judgments and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and with us soever thou turnest thyself. That the Lord may continue his word, which he spake concerning me, saying, if thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart, and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee, said he, a man on the throne of Israel. Moreover, thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zareiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Nair, and unto Amasah the son of Jethar, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his whore-head go down to the grave in peace. But show kindness unto the sons of Basilai, the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table, for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother. And behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gira, a Benjaminite of Bahurum, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahaname. But he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I swear to him by the Lord saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword. Now therefore hold him not guiltless, for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him. But his whore-head bring thou down to the grave with blood. So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years. Seven years he reigned in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem. Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was established greatly. And Adonijah the son of Haggath came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, and she said, Comeest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably. He said moreover, I have some work to say unto thee. And she said, Say on. And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign, hath be it the kingdom is turned about and has become my brothers, for it was his from the Lord. And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on. And he said, Speak I pray thee unto Solomon the king, for he will not say thee nay, that he give me Abishag the Shunamite to wife. And Bathsheba said, Well, I will speak for thee unto the king. Bathsheba therefore went unto King Solomon to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right hand. Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee, I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on my mother, for I will not say thee nay. And she said, Let Abishag the Shunamite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife. And King Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunamite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my elder brother, even for him and for Abitha the priest, and for Joab the son of Zariah. Then King Solomon swear by the Lord, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life. Now therefore as the Lord liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me in house as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day. And King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he fell upon him that he died. And unto Abitha the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth unto thine own fields, for thou art worthy of death, but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted. So Solomon thrust out Abitha from being priest unto the Lord, that he might fulfill the word of the Lord, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. Then tidings came to Joab, for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom, and Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold on the horns of the altar, and it was told King Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord, and behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him. Then Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said unto him, Thust sayeth the king, come forth. And he said, Nay, but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thust said Joab, and Thust he answered me. And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him, that thou mayest take away the innocent blood which Joab shed from me and from the house of my father. And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword. My father David, not knowing thereof, to wit, Abna the son of Neh, captain of the host of Israel, and Amassa the son of Jethah, captain of the host of Judah. Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever. But upon David and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the Lord. So Benaiah the son of Jehoedah went up, and fell upon him, and slew him, and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoedah in his room over the host, and Zadok the priest, that the king put in the room of Abaitha. And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee in house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and go not forth fence any wither, for it shall be that on the day thou goest out and passest over the brook he drawn, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die, thy blood shall be upon thine own head. And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good, as my lord the king hath said, So will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Akish, son of Makkah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold thy servants be in Gath. And Shimei arose and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Akish, to seek his servants. And Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again. And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the lord, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou ghost out, and walkest abroad any wither, that thou shalt surely die? And thou sensed unto me, the word that I have heard is good. Why then has thou not kept the oath of the lord, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father. Therefore the lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head. And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the lord for ever. So the king commanded Baniah the son of Jehoedah, which went out and fell upon him that he died, and the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon. End of chapter 2 CHAPTER III OF FIRST KINGS OF THE BIBLE, KING JAMES VERSION This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. CHAPTER III And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the lord, until those days. And Solomon loved the lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. A thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. In Gibeon the lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee. And thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne as it is this day. And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father, and I am but a little child. I know not how to go out or come in, and thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad, for who is able to judge this thy so great a people. And the speech pleased the lord that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor has asked the life of thine enemies, but has asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment. Behold, I have done according to thy words, lo I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. And Solomon awoke, and behold it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants. Then came there two women that were harlots unto the king, and stood before him. And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house, and I was delivered of a child with her in the house, and it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also, and we were together. There was no stranger with us in the house save we too in the house. And this woman's child died in the night because she overlaid it, and she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold it was dead. But when I had considered it in the morning, behold it was not my son which I did bear. And the other woman said, Nay, but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No, but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king. Then said the king, The one sayeth, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is dead. The other sayeth, Nay, but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other. Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. She is the mother thereof. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged, and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment. CHAPTER IV So King Solomon was king over all Israel, and these were the princes which he had. Asariah the son of Zadok the priest, Elahorof and Ahaya the sons of Shisha, scribes, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud the recorder, and Bunayah the son of Jehoedah was over the host, and Zadok and Abietha were the priests, and Asariah the son of Nathan was over the officers, and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer and the king's friend. Ahesha was over the household, and Adonarum the son of Abda was over the tribute, and Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel which provided victuals for the king and his household, each man his month in a year made provision. And these are their names, the son of Her in Maldefraim, the son of Deca and Makas, and in Shalbim and Bethshemish, and Elon Bethanan. The son of Hesed in Aroboth, to him pertain Socha and all the land of Heifer. The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor, which had Tafeth the daughter of Solomon to wife. Bana the son of Ahulud, to him pertain Tanak and Megiddo, and all Bethshem which is by Zatana, beneath Jezreel from Bethshem to Abel Mahola, even unto the place that is beyond Jok'neim. The son of Giba and Ramoth Gilead, to him pertain to the towns of Jehoedah the son of Manasur, which are in Gilead. To him also pertain to the region of Agob which is in Bashan, three score great cities with walls and brace and bars. Abinadab the son of Iddo had Mahaneim. Ahimaz was in Naftali. He also took Basmath, the daughter of Solomon, to wife. Bana the son of Hushai was in Asha and in Aloth. Jehoshaphat the son of Perua in Issacah. Shime the son of Elah in Benjamin. Giba the son of Uray was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sion king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan, and he was the only officer which was in the land. And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt. They brought presents and served Solomon all the days of his life. And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and three score measures of meal, ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and a hundred sheep beside hearts and robux and fallow deer and fatted fowl. For he had dominion over all the region on this side of the river, from Tiffsa even to Azar, over all the kings on this side of the river, and he had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beishiba, all the days of Solomon. And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. And those officers provided victual for King Solomon, and for all that came unto King Solomon's table, every man in his month, they lacked nothing. Barley also in straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge. And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the seashore. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the East country and all the wisdom of Egypt, for he was wiser than all men, than Ethan, the Israelite, and Heman, and Chalkol, and Dada, the sons of Mehol, and his fame was in all nations round about. And he spake three thousand proverbs, and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall. He spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. And they came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard his wisdom. End of Chapter 4. Chapter 5 of First Kings of the Bible, King James Version. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Joy Chan. The Bible, King James Version, First Kings, Chapter 5. And Hiram, King of Tyre, sent his servants unto Solomon, for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father, for Hiram was ever a lover of David. And Solomon sent to Hiram saying, Thou knowest how that David my father could not build in house unto the name of the Lord his God, for the wars which were about him on every side, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent. And behold, I purposed to build in house unto the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spake unto David my father, saying, Thy Son, whom I will set upon Thy throne in Thy room, he shall build in house unto my name. Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon, and my servants shall be with thy servants, and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants, according to all that thou shalt appoint, for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians. And it came to pass when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly and said, Blessed be the Lord this day, which hath given unto David a wise son over this great people. And Hiram sent to Solomon saying, I have considered the things which thou sentest to me for, and I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir. My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon unto the sea, and I will convey them by sea and floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them, and thou shalt accomplish my desire in giving food for my household. So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire. And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil, thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom as he promised him, and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they too made a league together. And King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel, and the levy was thirty thousand men, and he sent them to Lebanon ten thousand a month by courses, a month they were in Lebanon and two months at home, and Adonarum was over the levy. And Solomon had three score in ten thousand that bear burdens, and four score thousand hewers in the mountains. Beside the chief of Solomon's offices which were over the work, three thousand and three hundred which ruled over the people that wrought in the work. And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones and huge stones, to lay the foundation of the house. And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the stone squares, so they prepared timber and stones to build the house. End of chapter five Chapter six of First Kings of the Bible, King James Version. This is a LibriVox recording, all LibriVox recordings in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Joy Chan, the Bible, King James Version, First Kings, Chapter six. And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel would come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord. And the house which King Solomon built for the Lord, the length thereof was three score cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, and the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house, and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house. And for the house he made windows of narrow lights, and against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle, and he made chambers round about. The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad, for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house, and the house when it was in building was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither, so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building. The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house, and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third. So he built the house, and finished it, and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar. And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high, and they rested on the house with timber of cedar. And the word of the Lord came to Solomon saying, concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou would walk in my statutes and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them, then will I perform my word with thee which I spake unto David thy father, and I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel. So Solomon built the house, and finished it, and he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the ceiling, and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fur, and he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar. He even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place. And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long, and the cedar of the house within was carved with knobs and open flowers. All was cedar, there was no stone seen, and the oracle he prepared in the house within to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the oracle in the four part was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof, and he overlaid it with pure gold, and so covered the altar which was of cedar. So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold, and he made a petition by the chains of gold before the oracle, and he overlaid it with gold, and the whole house he overlaid with gold until he had finished all the house, also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold, and within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high, and five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub, from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits, and the other cherub was ten cubits. Both the cherubims were of one measure and one size. The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub. And he set the cherubims within the inner house, and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall, and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house. And he overlaid the cherubims with gold, and he carved all the walls of the house round about, with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without, and the floors of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without, and for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree, the lintel and sideposts were a fifth part of the wall. The two doors also were of olive tree, and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims and upon the palm trees. So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall. And the two doors were a fir tree, the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work. And he built the inner court with three rows of hued stone, and a row of cedar beams. In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the Lord laid in the month of Ziff. And in the eleventh year in the month Bull, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it. CHAPTER VII But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. He built also the house of the Forest of Lebanon, the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars. And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty-five pillars, fifteen in a row. And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks. And all the doors and posts were square with the windows, and light was against light in three ranks. And he made a porch of pillars, the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits, and the porch was before them, and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them. Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment, and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other. And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of the like work. Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh's daughter whom he had taken to wife, like unto this porch. All these were of costly stones according to the measures of huge stones, soared with sores within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court. And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits. And above were costly stones after the measures of huge stones and cedars. And the great court round about was with three rows of huge stones and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the Lord and for the porch of the house. And King Solomon sent an fechterum out of Tyre. He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naftali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass, and he was filled with wisdom and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to King Solomon and wrought all his work. For he cast two pillars of brass of eighteen cubits high apiece, and a line of twelve cubits had compass either of them about, and he made two chapters of molten brass to set upon the tops of the pillars. The height of the one chapter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapter was five cubits, and nets of checker work and wreaths of chain work for the chapters which were upon the top of the pillars, seven for the one chapter and seven for the other chapter. And he made the pillars and two rows round about upon the one network to cover the chapters that were upon the top with pomegranates, and so did he for the other chapter, and the chapters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits, and the chapters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network, and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapter. And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple, and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jatin, and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz, and upon the top of the pillars was lily work, so was the work of the pillars finished. And he made a molten sea ten cubits from the one brim to the other, it was round all about, and his height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about, and under the brim of it round about there were nops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. The nops were cast in two rows when it was cast. It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east, and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hindered parts were inward. And it was in hand breath thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies. It contained two thousand baths. And he made ten bases of brass, four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it. And the work of the bases was on this manner. They had borders, and the borders were between the ledges. And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims. And upon the ledges there was a base above, and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work. And every base had four brace and wheels, and plates of brass, and the four corners thereof had undersetters. Under the lever were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition. And the mouth of it within the chapter and above was a cubit, but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and a half, and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, four square, not round. And under the borders were four wheels, and the axel trees of the wheels were joined to the base. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit. And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel. Their axel trees and their knaves and their fellows and their spokes were all molten. And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base, and the undersetters were of the very base itself. And in the top of the base was their round compass of half a cubit high. And on the top of the base the ledges thereof, and the borders thereof were of the same. For on the plates of the ledges thereof and on the borders thereof he graved cherubims, lions and palm trees according to the proportion of every one and additions round about. After this manner he made the ten bases. All of them had one casting, one measure, and one size. Then made he ten lavers of brass. One laver contained forty baths, and every laver was four cubits, and upon every one of the ten bases one laver. And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house, and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward over against the south. And Hurum made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basins. So Hurum made an end of doing all the work that he made King Solomon for the house of the Lord. The two pillars and the two bowls of the chapiters that were on the top of the two pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars. And four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, even two rows of pomegranates for one network to cover the two bowls of the chapiters that were upon the pillars. And the ten bases and ten lavers on the bases. And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea. And the pots and the shovels and the basins, and all these vessels which Hurum made to King Solomon for the house of the Lord were of bright brass. In the plane of Jordan did the king cast them in the clay ground between Sucketh and Zathen. And Solomon left all the vessels unwaid because they were exceeding many. Neither was the weight of the brass found out. And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the Lord. The altar of gold and the table of gold were upon the showbread was. And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left, before the oracle with the flowers and the lamps, and the tongs of gold. And the bowls and the snuffers and the basins and the spoons, and the sensors of pure gold, and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house to wit of the temple. So was ended all the work that King Solomon made for the house of the Lord. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated, even the silver and the gold and the vessels did he put among the treasures of the house of the Lord. CHAPTER VIII. Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David which is Zion. And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto King Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanum, which is the seventh month. And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. And they brought up the ark of the Lord and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those that the priests and the Levites bring up. And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be told nor numbered for multitude. And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubimms. For the cherubimms spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubimms covered the ark and the staves thereof above. And they drew out the staves that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without. And there they are unto this day. There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horrib when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt. And it came to pass when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord. Then spake Solomon, the Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. I have surely built thee a house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in, for ever. And the king turned his face about and blessed all the congregation of Israel, and all the congregation of Israel stood. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which spake with his mouth unto David, my Father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying, Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that my name might be therein. But I chose David to be over my people Israel. And it was in the heart of David my Father to build an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel. And the Lord said unto David my Father, Where as it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, that it's well that it was in thine heart. Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house, but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins. He shall build the house unto my name. And the Lord hath performed his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David my Father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel. And I have set there a place for the ark wherein is the covenant of the Lord, which he made with our fathers when he brought them out of the land of Egypt. And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven. And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart, who has kept with thy servant David my Father, that thou promised him. Thou spakest also with thy mouth, and has fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my Father, that thou promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me. And now, O God of Israel, let thy word I pray thee be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my Father. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. How much less this house that I have buildeth! Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee today, that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there, that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place, and hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant and of thy people Israel, when thou shall pray toward this place, and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and when thou hearest forgive. If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gaveest unto their fathers. When heaven is shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them. Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance. If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities, whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be, what prayer and supplication so ever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands towards this house. Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest, for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men, that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gave us unto our fathers. Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy namesake, for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm, when he shall come and pray toward this house. Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for, that all people of the earth may know thy name to fear thee as do thy people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have buildeth is called by thy name. If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, wither so ever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the Lord toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name. Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. If they sin against thee, for there is no man that sineth not, and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near. Yet if they shall be think themselves in the land wither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, we have sinned and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness. And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land which thou gave us unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name. Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause. And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions when they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them. For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou brought us forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron, that thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee. For thou did separate them from among all the people of the earth to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God. And it was so that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, ye rose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hand spread up to heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice saying, Blessed be the Lord that had given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised, they hath not failed one word of all his good promise which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant. The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us nor forsake us, that he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments which he commanded our fathers. And let these my words were with I have made supplication before the Lord, benign unto the Lord our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel at all times as the matter shall require. That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes and to keep his commandments as at this day. And the King and all Israel with him offered sacrifice before the Lord, and Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings which he offered unto the Lord, two and twenty thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the King and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord. The same day did the King hallow the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord, for there he offered burnt offerings and meat offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brazen altar that was before the Lord was too little to receive the burnt offerings and meat offerings and the fat of the peace offerings. And at that time Solomon held a feast and all Israel with him, a great congregation from the entry in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days. On the eighth day he sent the people away and they blessed the King and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart, for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant and for Israel his people. And it came to pass when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord and the King's house and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do, that the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon, and the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, thy supplication, that thou hast made before me. I have hallowed this house which thou hast built to put my name there for ever, and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually. And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and what keep my statutes and my judgments, then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, there shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them, and this house which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people. And at this house which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished and shall hiss, and they shall say, why have the Lord done thus unto this land and to this house? And they shall answer, because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshiped them, and served them. Therefore hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil. And it came to pass at the end of twenty years when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord and the king's house. Now Hiram, the king of Tyre, had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire. That then King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, and they pleased him not. And he said, what cities are these which thou has given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Kabul unto this day. And Hiram sent to the king six core talents of gold. And this is the reason of the levy which King Solomon raised, for to build the house of the Lord, and his own house, and millow, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Giza. For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and taken Giza, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter Solomon's wife. And Solomon built Giza and both horrid the nether, and Barloth and Tudmore in the wilderness in the land, and all the cities of store that Solomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion, and all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel. They are children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy. Upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bond service unto this day. But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen, but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen. These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, which bear rule over the people that wrought in the work. But Pharaoh's daughter came up out of the city of David unto her house which Solomon had built for her. Then did he build Millo. And three times in a year did Solomon offer burnt offerings and peace offerings upon the altar which he built unto the Lord, and he burnt incense upon the altar that was before the Lord. So he finished the house. And King Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion Giver, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom. And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipment that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon. And they came to Ophir, and fetched from Thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to King Solomon. End of Chapter 9. Chapter 10 of First Kings of the Bible, King James Version. This is the LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Joy Chan, the Bible, King James Version, First Kings, Chapter 10. And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bear spices and very much gold, and precious stones. And when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions. There was not anything hid from the King which he told her not. And when the Queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom and the house that he had built, and the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendants of his ministers and the apparel, and his cut-bearers, and his assent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the King, It was a true report that I heard in my own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. How beard I believed not the words until I came, and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me, thy wisdom and prosperity exceeded the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel, because the Lord loved Israel forever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice. And she gave the King and 120 talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones. They came no more such abundance of spices as these which the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almond trees and precious stones. And the King made of the almond trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the King's house, harps also and sultries for singers. They came no such almond trees, nor was seen unto this day. And King Solomon gave unto the Queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 603 score and six talents of gold. Beside that he had of the merchantmen and of the traffic of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country. And King Solomon made 200 targets of beaten gold, 600 shekels of gold went to one target. And he made 300 shields of beaten gold, three pound of gold went to one shield. And the King put them in the house of the Forest of Lebanon. Moreover the King made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with the best gold. The throne had six steps and the top of the throne was round behind, and there were stays on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays. And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom. And all King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold, none were of silver. It was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon. For the King had at sea a navy of Thashish with the navy of Hiram. Once in three years came the navy of Thashish, bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. And all the earth sought to Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and garments and armor and spices, horses and mules, a rate year by year. And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen, and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the King at Jerusalem. And the King made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the veil for abundance. And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt and linen yarn. The King's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse were in hundred and fifty, and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means. End of chapter 10. Chapter 11 of First Kings of the Bible, King James Version. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Joy Chan. The Bible. King James Version. First Kings. Chapter 11. But King Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh. Women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zodonians, and Hittites. Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, You shall not go into them, neither shall they come in unto you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtarith, the goddess of the Zodonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites, and Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build in high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molek, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods, but he kept not that which the Lord commanded. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, for as much as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding, in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake, but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not render away all the kingdom, but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen. And the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, hey dad, the Edomite, he was of the king's seed in Edom. For it came to pass when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom. For six months did Joab remain there with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom. That hey dad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt, hey dad being yet a little child. And they arose out of Midian, and came to Peran, and they took men with them out of Peran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, which gave him a house, and appointed him victorals, and gave him land. And hey dad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tapani's the queen. And the sister of Tapani's bear him Genobath, his son, whom Tapani's weaned in Pharaoh's house, and Genobath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh. And when hey dad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab, the captain of the host, was dead, hey dad said to Pharaoh, let me depart, that I may go to my own country. Then Pharaoh said unto him, but what has thou lacked with me, that behold thou seekest to go to thine own country? And he answered, nothing, albeit let me go in any wise. And God stirred him up another adversary, Rizon, the son of Ilaida, which fled from his lord Hadidiza king of Zoba, and he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zoba, and they went to Damascus and dwelt therein, and reigned at Damascus. And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that hey dad did, and he abhorred Israel and reigned over Syria. And Jeroboam, the son of Nibbat, and Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zera, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king. Solomon built Milo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of Valar, and Solomon, seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahidja, the Shalunite, found him in the way, and he had clad himself with a new garment, and they too were alone in the field. And Ahidja caught the new garment that was on him and rent it in twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces, for thus sayeth the Lord, the God of Israel. Behold, I will rent the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee. But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtaret, the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh, the God of the Moabites, and Milcom, the God of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in my eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father. Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David, my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes. But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes. And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light all way before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there. And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel. And it shall be if thou wilt harken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee. And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever. Solomon sought, therefore, to kill Jeroboam, and Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak, king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years, and Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David, his father, and Jeroboam, his son, reigned in his stead. End of Chapter 11 King James Version First Kings Chapter 12 And Jeroboam went to Shechem, for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king, and it came to pass when Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, for he was fled from the presence of King Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt, that they sent and called him. And Jeroboam, and all the congregation of Israel, came and spake unto Jeroboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous, now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. And he said unto them, depart yet for three days, then come again to me, and the people departed. And King Jeroboam consulted with the old men that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them and answer them, and spake good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him. And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, make the yoke which thy father did put upon us, lighter? And the young men that were grown up with him, spake unto him, saying, Thou shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us. Thou shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. And now, whereas my father did laid you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, come to me again the third day. And the king answered the people roughly, and foresook the old men's counsel that they gave him, and spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke. My father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. Wherefore the king harkened not unto the people, for the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahidja, the Shalanite, and to Jeroboam the son of Nibbat. So when all Israel saw that the king harkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel, now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents. But as for the children of Israel, which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute, and all Israel stoned him with stones that he died. Therefore King Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day, and it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, and 104,000 chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. But the word of God came unto Shamiah the man of God, saying, Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, King of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, Thus saith the Lord, You shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Return every man to his house, for this thing is from me. They harkened, therefore, to the word of the Lord, and returned to depart according to the word of the Lord. Then Jeroboam built Shechem in Mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein, and went out from Thence, and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David. If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their Lord, even unto Rehoboam, King of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam, King of Judah. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and sent unto them, it is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. And this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. And he made a house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart, and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel. And he offered upon the altar and burnt incense. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org, recording by Joy Chan, the Bible, King James Version, First Kings, Chapter 13. And behold, they came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Bethel, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord, Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name, and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burned upon thee. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord had spoken, Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay, hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. And the King answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the King's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before. And the King said unto the man of God, Come home with me and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. And the man of God said unto the King, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee. Neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place. For so it was charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou cameest. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel. Now they dwelt an old prophet in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel, the words which he had spoken unto the King, then they told also to their father. And their father said unto them, What way went he, for his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah. And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass, and he rode thereon, and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. And he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that cameest from Judah? And he said, I am. Then he said unto him, Come home with me and eat bread. And he said, I may not return with thee nor go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place. For it was said to me by the word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou cameest. And he said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art, and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. So he went back with him and did eat bread in his house and drank water. And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back. And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, for as much as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee, but cameest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread and drink no water, thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers. And it came to pass after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to it for the prophet whom he had brought back. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way and slew him, and his carcass was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcass. And behold, men passed by and saw the carcass cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcass, and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord, therefore the Lord had delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him and slain him, according to the word of the Lord which he spake unto him. And he spake to his son, saying, Settle me the ass, and they saddled him. And he went and found his carcass cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcass. The lion had not eaten the carcass, nor torn the ass. And the prophet took up the carcass of the man of God and laid it upon the ass and brought it back, and the old prophet came to the city to mourn and to bury him. And he laid his carcass in his own grave, and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother! And it came to pass after he had buried him, that he spake to his son, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the supple shed wherein the man of God is buried, lay my bones beside his bones, for the saying which he cried by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass. After this thing, Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people, priests of the high places, whosoever would he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth. CHAPTER XIV At that time Abelja, the son of Jeroboam, fell sick, and Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam, and get thee to Shiloh. Behold, there is Ahidja, the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people. And take with thee ten loaves and crackles, and a cruise of honey, and go to him. He shall tell thee what shall become of the child. And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahidja. But Ahidja could not see, for his eyes were set by reason of his age. And the Lord said unto Ahidja, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus shall thou say unto her, for it shall be when she cometh in, that she shall feign herself to be another woman. And it was so when Ahidja heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said, Come in thou wife of Jeroboam, wife feignest thou thyself to be another, for I am sent to thee with heavy tidings. Go, tell Jeroboam, thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel, for as much as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel, and rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee, and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes, but has done evil above all that were before thee, for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and has cast me behind thy back. Therefore behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung till it be all gone. Him that dyeth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat, and him that dyeth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat, for the Lord hath spoken it. And rise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house, and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam. Moreover the Lord shall raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day. But what, even now? For the Lord shall smite Israel as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves provoking the Lord to anger. And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam who did sin, and who made Israel to sin. And Jeroboam's wife arose and departed, and came to Terza. And when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died, and they buried him, and all Israel mourned for him according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by the hand of his servant Ahidja the prophet. And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred and how he reigned, behold they are written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years, and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead. And Jeroboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Jeroboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord did choose out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. And his mother's name was Nama, and Ammonitus. And Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. But they also built them high places and images and groves on every high hill, and under every green tree. And there were also sodomites in the land, and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. And it came to pass in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem. And he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house. He even took away all, and he took away all the shields of God which Solomon had made. And King Rehoboam made in their stead brazen shields, and committed them under the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king's house. And it was so when the king went into the house of the Lord, that the guard bare them, and brought them back into the guard chamber. Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days, and Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and his mother's name was Nama and Ammonitus, and Abidjam his son reigned in his stead. Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, the son of Nibbat reigned Amidjam over Judah. Three years reigned he in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Marca, the daughter of Abishalom. And he walked in all the sins of his father which he had done before him, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father. Nevertheless, for David's sake did the Lord his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem. Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. Now the rest of the acts of Abidjam and all that he did, they are not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. And there was war between Abidjam and Jeroboam. And Abidjam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and Asa his son reigned in his stead. And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam King of Israel reigned Asa over Judah. And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Marca, the daughter of Abishalom. And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David, his father. And he took away the Sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his father had made. And also Marca, his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove. And Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron. But the high places were not removed. Nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the Lord all his days. And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the Lord, silver and gold and vessels. And there was war between Asa and Basha, King of Israel, all their days. And Basha, King of Israel, went up against Judah, and built Rama, that he might not suffer any to go out or come into Asa, King of Judah. Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the King's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-Hadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hesion, King of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father. Behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold. Carmen, break thy league with Basha, King of Israel, that he may depart from me. So Ben-Hadad harkened unto King Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and Smote Ejon, and Dan, and Abel Bethmacher, and Orsinaroth, with all the land of Naftali. And it came to pass when Basha heard thereof, that he left off building of Rama and dwelt in Tosa. Then King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah, none was exempted, and they took away the stones of Rama and the timber thereof, wherewith Basha had built it, and King Asa built with them Giba of Benjamin and Mishpa. The rest of all the acts of Asa and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? Nevertheless, in the time of his old age, he was diseased in his feet, and Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, his father, and Jehoshaphat, his son, reigned in his stead. And Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa, King of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin. And Basha, the son of Ahidja, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him, and Basha smoked him at Gibethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibethon. Even in the third year of Asa, King of Judah did Basha slay him, and reigned in his stead. And it came to Basha, and he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam. He left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Ahidja the Shirenight. Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger. Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? And there was war between Asa and Basha, King of Israel, all their days. In the third year of Asa, King of Judah began Basha, the son of Ahidja, to reign over all Israel in Terza, twenty and four years. Then he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin. End of Chapter 15. Chapter 16 of First Kings of the Bible, King James Version. This is the LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Joy Chan. The Bible. King James Version. First Kings. Chapter 16. Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu, the son of Hanani, against Basha, saying, For as much as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee Prince over my people Israel, and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins. Behold, I will take away the posterity of Basha and the posterity of his house, and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Him that dieth of Basha in the city shall the dogs eat, and him that dieth of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat. Now the rest of the acts of Basha, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. So Basha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Terza, and illa his son reigned in his stead. And also by the hand of the Prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the Lord against Basha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the Lord, in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, and being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he killed him. In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began illa the son of Basha to reign over Israel in Terza two years. And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Terza, drinking himself drunk in the house of Asa, steward of his house in Terza. And Zimri went in and smote him and killed him in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead. And it came to pass when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Basha. He left him not one that pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinsfolk nor of his friends. Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Basha, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake against Basha by Jehu the Prophet. For all the sins of Basha and the sins of illa his son by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, and provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities. Now the rest of the acts of illa and all that he did, and they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign seven days in Terza, and the people were encamped against Givathon which belonged to the Philistines. And the people that were encamped heard say Zimri had conspired, and had also slain the king, wherefore all Israel made Omri the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp. And Omri went up from Givathon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Terza. And it came to pass when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire and died. For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the Lord, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin. Now the rest of the acts of Zimri and his treason that he wrought, and they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts, half of the people followed Tudni the son of Ginnath to make him king, and half followed Omri. But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tudni the son of Ginnath. So Tudni died and Omri reigned. In the thirty and first year of Assa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years. Six years reigned he in Terza, and he bought the hill Samaria of Shema for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shema, owner of the hill, Samaria. But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all that were before him, for he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities. Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he showed, and they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria, and Ahab his son reigned in his stead. And in the thirty and eighth year of Assa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years, and Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbal, king of the Zedonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him. And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a grove, and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. In his days it hiled the Bethelite, build Jericho. He laid the foundation thereof in Abram, his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son, Segob, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun. End of Chapter 16 Chapter 17 of First Kings of the Bible King James Version This is a Librivox recording. All Librivox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Librivox.org Recording by Joy Chan The Bible King James Version First Kings Chapter 17 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Get thee hence and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook cherisheth, that is before Jordan, and it shall be that thou shalt drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. So he went indeed according unto the word of the Lord, for he went and dwelt by the brook cherisheth, that is before Jordan, and the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the brook. And it came to pass after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow-woman there to sustain thee. So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow-woman was there gathering of sticks, and he called to her and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, and little water in a vessel that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruise, and behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not, go and do as thou hast said, but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruise of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah, and she and he and her house did eat many days, and the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruise of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord which he spake by Elijah. And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick, and his sickness was so sore that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? Art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my son? And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried unto the Lord and said, O Lord my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother. And Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is true. And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth. And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab, and there was a sore famine in Sumeria. And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. No Obadiah feared the Lord greatly. For it was so when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took in hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water. And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks, per adventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts. So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him, and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my Lord Elijah? And he answered him, I am, Go, tell thy Lord, behold, Elijah is here. And he said, What have I sinned that thou wouldst deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab to slay me? As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my Lord hath not sent to seek thee. And when they said he is not there, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation that they found thee not. And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy Lord, behold, Elijah is here. And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee wither I know not. So when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me. But I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth. Was it not told my Lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, how I hid and a hundred men of the Lord's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water? And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy Lord, behold, Elijah is here. And he shall slay me. And Elijah said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him today. So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. And it came to pass when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubled Israel? And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim. Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him. But if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Then said Elijah unto the people, I even I only remain a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks, and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under. And I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under. And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord. And the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first, for ye are many, and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning, even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us! But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leapt upon the altar which was made. And it came to pass at noon that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud, for he is a God! Either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or per-adventure, he sleepeth, and must be awaked. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it came to pass when midday was passed, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me! And all the people came near unto him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name. And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, fill full barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood. And he said, do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, do it the third time. And they did it the third time. And the water ran round about the altar, and he filled the trench also with water. And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and they said, the Lord, he is the God, the Lord, he is the God. And Elijah said unto them, take the prophets of Baal, let not one of them escape. And they took them, and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. And Elijah said unto Ahab, get thee up, eat, and drink, for there is a sound of abundance of rain. So Ahab went up to eat and to drink, and Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up and looked, and said, there is nothing. And he said, go again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, behold, there arises a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, go up, say unto Ahab, prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. And Ahab told Jezrebel all that Elijah had done, and with all how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezrebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them, by tomorrow about this time. And when he saw that, he rose and went for his life, and came to Bechiba, which belonged to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a Juniper tree, and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am not better than my father's. And as he lay and slept under a Juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and behold, there was a cake bacon on the coals, and a cruise of water at his head, and he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time and touched him and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat, forty days and forty nights, unto Horeb the mount of God. And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there. And, behold, the word of the Lord came to him and said unto him, What doest thou hear, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life to take it away. And he said, Go forth and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and break in pieces the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so when Elijah heard it that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entering in of the cave. And behold, there came a voice unto him and said, What doest thou hear, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life to take it away. And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, and Jehu, the son of Nimshi, shall thou anoint to be king over Israel, and Elijah, the son of Shaphat of Abel Mahola, shall thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay, and him that escapeeth the sword of Jehu shall Elijah slay. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. So he departed thence, and found Elijah the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth, and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him, and he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again, for what have I done to thee? And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.