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ORIGINAL BASE TEXT
Kent’s Student’s Bible
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NOTES
Text taken and re-arranged from Kent’s Student Bible.
Missing verses added, with comments, from JPS 1917 facsimile.
All verses are present, and numbered according to the ASV scheme.
JPS 1917 diverges from the ASV verse numbering scheme in chapter 4, 5, and 22.
Obvious typos removed, and modern quotation marks added.
1 Kings
1 Now King David was advanced in years, and although they covered him with clothes, he was not warm. 2 Therefore his servants said to him, ‘Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin and let her attend the king and constantly take care of him; and let her lie in your bosom, that the lord my king may be warm.’ 3 So they sought for a beautiful maiden throughout all the territory of Israel and found Abishag the Shunammite and brought her to the king. 4 And the maiden was surpassingly beautiful; and she took care of the king and ministered to him; but the king knew her not.
5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, ‘I will be king.’ Therefore he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run before him as runners. 6 And his father had never in his life troubled him saying, ‘Why have you done so?’ And he was also an exceedingly good-looking man, and he was by birth next after Absalom. 7 And he entered into negotiations with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, so that they espoused Adonijah’s cause. 8 But Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and David’s famous heroes were not with Adonijah. 9 And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fatlings by the Serpent’s Stone, which is beside the Fuller’s Spring, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, together with all the royal officials of Judah; 10 but the prophet Nathan and Benaiah and the famous heroes and Solomon his brother, he did not invite.
11 Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, ‘Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has been made king without David our lord knowing it? 12 Now therefore come, let me counsel you that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go at once to Kind David and say to him, “Did you not, my lord, the king, swear to your maid-servant, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne? Why then has Adonijah been made king?’” 14 Just as you are talking with the king, I also will come after you, and confirm your words.’
15 And Bathsheba went in to the king into his apartment; and the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king. 16 And Bathsheba bowed and did obeisance to the king. And the king said, ‘What do you wish?’ 17 And she said to him, ‘My lord, you swore to your maid-servant by Jehovah God, “Solomon your son shall be king after me and he shall sit upon my throne.” 18 And now, see, Adonijah has been made king, without my lord, the king, knowing it. 19 And he has slain oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and had invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army; but Solomon your servant he has not invited. 20 And now, my lord, the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.Where Kent has "after him", the Masoretic Text has "after you". 21 Otherwise the result will be, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be regarded as criminals.’
22 And, while she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23 And they told the king, saying, ‘Nathan the prophet is here. And he came in before the king and did obeisance before the king with his face to the ground.’ 24 And Nathan said, ‘My lord the king, have you said, “Adonijah shall be king after me and shall sit on my throne?” 25 For he has gone down this day and slain oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king’s sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest; and there they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, “May King Adonijah live!” 26 But me, even me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon, has he not invited. 27 Has this been brought about by my lord the king, and have you not showed your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?’
28 Then King David answered and said, ‘Call Bathsheba to me.’ And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29 Then the king took an oath and said, ‘As Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed me out of all adversity, 30 as I have sworn to you by Jehovah, the God of Israel, saying, “Solomon your son shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne in my place;” verily so will I do to-day.’ 31 Then Bathsheba bowed her face to the earth, and did obeisance to the king and said, ‘May my lord King David live forever.’
32 Then King David said, ‘Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoida.’ And when they came before the king 33 the king said to them, ‘Take with you the servants of your lord, let Solomon my son ride upon my own mule, bring him down to Gihon, 34 and there let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel; and blow the trumpet, and say, “May King Solomon live!” 35 Then you shall go up after him, and he shall enter in and sit upon my throne, for he shall be king in my place; and I have appointed him to be leader over Israel and Judah.’Where the Kent reads, "thus may Jehovah establish the words of my lord the king", the Masoretic Text reads "thus may Yhwh the god of my lord the king say". 36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, ‘So may it be! thus may Jehovah establish the words of my lord the king. 37 As Jehovah has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!’
38 Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, together with the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went down and set Solomon on King David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. 39 And Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the tent and anointed Solomon. Thereupon they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, ‘May Solomon live!’ 40 Then all the people went up after him and the people played on flutes and rejoiced so loudly that the earth seemed to be rent with their voice.
41 Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it just as they had finished eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, ‘Why is there the noise of the city in an uproar?’ 42 While he was still speaking, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, ‘Come in, for you are a valiant man and bring good news.’ 43 And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, ‘Nay, but our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44 And the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, together with the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and they have set him on the king’s mule, 45 and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city is thrown into uproar. That is the noise which you heard. 46 And Solomon also has taken his seat on the royal throne!Where Kent reads "God", the Masoretic Text reads "your god". 47 And moreover the king’s servants have already come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, “May God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and his throne greater than your throne!” and the king bowed himself on his bed.The Masoretic Text omits "of my descendants". 48 And furthermore thus said the king, “Blessed be Jehovah the God of Israel, who hath given one of my descendants to sit on my throne this day, my eyes even seeing it.”’
49 Then all the guests of Adonijah were seized with terror and rose up and each went his way. 50 But Adonijah in his fear of Solomon arose, and went and caught hold of the horns of the altar. 51 And it was reported to Solomon, ‘See, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold he has caught hold of the horns of the altar, saying, “Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not slay his servant with the sword.”’ 52 Solomon said, ‘If he shall show himself a worthy man, not a hair of him shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness be found in him he must die.’ 53 So King Solomon sent to bring him away from the altar. And he came and did obeisance to King Solomon. And Solomon said to him, ‘Go to your house.’
2 Now when the time drew near that David must die, he charged Solomon his son, saying, 2 ‘I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong therefore, and show yourself a man; 3 and faithfully discharge your duty to Jehovah your God, by walking in his ways, by keeping his statutes, his commands, his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may act wisely and prosper in all that you do and in all that you undertake; 4 that Jehovah may redeem his promise which he made to me, saying, “If your sons take heed to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you” (said he) “a man on the throne of Israel.”
Where Kent reads, "and thus in time of peace avenged blood shed in war", the Masoretic Text reads "and put the blood of war in peace". And where Kent reads "innocent blood", the Masoretic Text reads "the blood of war". 5 ‘And you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, how that he slew them and thus in time of peace avenged blood shed in war, and put innocent blood upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. 6 Act therefore according to your wisdom, so that you will not let his hoary head go down to Sheol in peace. 7 But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite that they may be among those who eat at your table; for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother. 8 Furthermore you have with you the Benjamite, Shimei the son of Gera of Bahurim, who uttered a grievous curse against me on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by Jehovah, saying, “I will not put you to death with the sword.” 9 But now do not let him go unpunished; you are a wise man and know what to do in order to bring his hoary head down with blood to Sheol.’
10 Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. 11 And the period that David reigned over Israel was forty years: seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem.
12 Now Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father and his kingdom was firmly established.The Masoretic Text omits "and bowed before her". 13 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon and bowed before her. And she said, ‘Do you come in a friendly manner?’ And he replied, ‘Yes’, 14 and added, ‘I have something to say to you.’ And she said, ‘Speak.’ 15 And he said, ‘You know that the kingdom was mine and that all Israel regarded me as the coming king, but now the kingdom has been taken away from me and has become my brother’s, for it was his from Jehovah. 16 Now, however, I would ask one thing of you; do not refuse me.’ And she said to him, ‘Speak.’ 17 And he said, ‘Then request Solomon the king--he will not refuse you--to give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife.’ 18 And Bathsheba said, ‘Good, I will speak for you to the king.’
Where Kent reads, "a seat was placed", the Masoretic Text reads "caused a seat to be placed". 19 Bathsheba went therefore to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed before her, and sat down on his throne, and a seat was placed for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right. 20 Then she said, ‘I would make a small request of you; do not refuse me.’ And the king said to her, ‘Make your request, my mother, for I will not refuse you.’ 21 And she said, ‘Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as wife.’Where Kent reads, "and on his side are Abiathar the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah", the Masoretic Text reads, "and for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah". 22 Then King Solomon answered and said to his mother, ‘Why then do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also! for he is my elder brother, and on his side are Abiathar the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah.’ 23 Thereupon King Solomon swore by Jehovah, saying, ‘God do to me whatever he pleaseth if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life. 24 Now therefore as Jehovah liveth, who hath established me and caused me to mount the throne of David my father, and who hath, as he promised, given me posterity, Adonijah shall surely be put to death this day.’ 25 Then King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoida; and he struck him down, so that he died.
Where Kent reads "Jehovah", the Masoretic Text reads "the Lord Yhwh". 26 And to Abiathar the priest the king said, ‘Go to Anathoth to your estate; for you are to-day condemned to die, but I will not put you to death, because you bore the ark of Jehovah before David my father and because you shared all the afflictions which my father experienced.’ 27 Thus Solomon ejected Abiathar, so that he was no longer Jehovah’s priest, that he might fulfil the word of Jehovah which he spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
28 But when the report came to Joab--for Joab had supported Adonijah, although he had not supported Absalom--Joab fled to the tent of Jehovah, and caught hold of the horns of the altar.The Masoretic Text omits, "Thereupon Solomon sent to Joab, saying, ’How comes it that you have fled to the altar?’ Joab replied, ’Because I was afraid of you and so I fled to Jehovah.’" 29 And it was told King Solomon, ‘Joab has fled to the tent of Jehovah and is there beside the altar.’ Thereupon Solomon sent to Joab, saying, ‘How comes it that you have fled to the altar?’ Joab replied, ‘Because I was afraid of you and so I fled to Jehovah.’ Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoida, saying, ‘Go, strike him down.’ 30 And Benaiah went to the tent of Jehovah and said to him, ‘The king commands, “Come forth.”’ But he said, ‘No; I will rather die here.’ And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, ‘Thus said Joab and thus he answered me.’ 31 And the king said to him, ‘Do as he has said: strike him down and bury him, that you may take away the innocent blood which Joab shed from me and from my father’s clan. 32 And Jehovah will requite his bloody act upon his own head, because he struck down two men more honorable and better than he, and slew them with the sword without the knowledge of my father David: Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. 33 So shall their blood come back upon the head of Joab and the head of his descendants forever; but to David, and to his descendants, and to his house, and to his throne may there be peace forever from Jehovah.’ 34 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and struck him down and slew him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. 35 And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the army, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.
36 Then the king summoned Shimei and said to him, ‘Build a house in Jerusalem, there you may live, but you shall not go forth from there to any place whatever. 37 For as soon as you go away and cross the Brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall surely die; your blood shall be upon your own head.’ 38 And Shimei said to the king, ‘The statement is fair. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said.’ And Shimei lived in Jerusalem a long time.
39 But at the end if three years, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish son of Maacah king of Gath. And when it was reported to Shimei, ‘Your slaves are in Gath’, 40 Shimei rose and saddled his ass and went to Gath to Achish to seek his slaves. And Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath. 41 And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had come back again. 42 Then the king summoned Shimei, and said to him, ‘Did I not cause you to take an oath by Jehovah and solemnly admonish you, saying, “Know for certain that as soon as you go away to any place whatever, you shall surely die”? And you said to me, “The statement is fair.” 43 Why then have you not kept the oath of Jehovah and the command that I laid upon you?’ 44 The king also said to Shimei, ‘You are aware of all the wickedness which you yourself alone know, that you did to David my father; now Jehovah hath brought your wickedness upon your own head.’ 45 But King Solomon shall be blessed and the throne of David shall be established before Jehovah forever. 46 So the king gave command to Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck him down, and thus he died. So the kingdom was brought completely under the control of Solomon.
3 And Solomon allied himself by marriage with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had completed the building of his own palace and the temple of Jehovah and the wall around Jerusalem.
Where Kent reads "for Jehovah", the Masoretic Text reads "for the name of Jehovah". 2 The people likewise sacrificed on the high places because up to that time no temple had been built for Jehovah. 3 Now Solomon loved Jehovah so that he walked in the statutes of David his father; only he sacrificed and burnt offerings on the high places. 4 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.
5 In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night. And God said, ‘Ask what I shall give thee.’ 6 And Solomon said, ‘Thou hast showed to thy servant David my father great kindness, according as he walked before thee in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast reserved for him this great kindness, in that thou hast given him a son who sits on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Jehovah my God, thou hast made thy servant king in the place of David my father, although I am but a child, not knowing how to go out or come in. 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people too numerous to be numbered or counted. 9 Give thy servant therefore an understanding mind to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this thy great people?’
10 And it pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 And God said to him, ‘Because thou hast asked this thing and hast not asked for thyself long life nor riches nor the life of thy enemies, but hast asked for thyself insight to discern justice; 12 behold, I have done according to thy request: I have given thee a wise and discerning mind, so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like thee. 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked: both riches and honor, so that, as long as thou livest, there shall not be any among the kings like thee. 14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, so that thou wilt keep my statutes and my commands, as did thy father David, then will I give thee long life.’ 15 And when Solomon awoke, behold it was a dream. Then he returned to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah and offered up burnt-offerings and sacrificed peace-offerings and made a feast for all his servants.
16 Then two harlots came to the king and stood before him. 17 And the one woman said, ‘O, my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house; and I was delivered of a child in her presence within the house. 18 Now on the third day after I was delivered, this woman was also delivered and we were together, there being no one else with us in the house: we two being alone in the house. 19 And this woman’s child died in the night, because she lay upon it. 20 And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your maid-servant slept, and laid it in her bosom and laid her dead child in my bosom. 21 And when I rose in the morning to nurse my child, there it was dead; but when I looked at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son whom I had borne.’ 22 Then the other woman said, ‘No; but the living is my son, and the dead child is your son.’ And the first woman was saying, ‘No; but the dead is your son and the living child is my son.’ Thus they contented before the king.
23 Then the king said, ‘This one says, “This is my son, the living, and your son is the dead.” And the other says, “No; but your son is the dead, and my son is the living!’ 24 Thereupon the king said, ‘Bring me a sword.’ And they brought a sword before the king. 25 And the king said, ‘Divide the living child in two and give half to the one and half to the other.’ 26 Then the woman to whom the living child belonged, spoke to the king--for her heart yearned over her son--and she said, ‘O, my lord, give her the living child and on no account put it to death.’ But the other said, ‘It shall be neither mine nor yours! Divide it!’ 27 Then the king answered and said, ‘Give her the living child, and on no account put it to death; she is his mother.’ 28 And when all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered, they revered the king, for they saw that divine wisdom to execute justice was in him.
4 Now Solomon was king over all Israel. 2 And these were the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok was priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahiluf was chancellor; 4 and Benaiah the son of Jehoida was at the head of the army; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 5 and Azariah the son of Nathan was at the head of the officers; and Zabud the son of Nathan was a priest and the king’s friend; 6 and Ahishar was prefect of the palace; and Adoniram the son of Abda was in charge of the forced levy.
7 And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household: each man had to make provision for a month in the year. 8 And these are their names: Ben-hur, in the hill-country of Ephraim; 9 Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Bethshemesh, and Elonbethanan: 10 Ben-hesed, in Arubboth; to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher; 11 Ben-abinadab, in all the highland of Dor (he had Tapath the daughter of Solomon as wife); 12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo and all Bethshean, which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to Abel-meholah, as far as the other side of Jokneam; 13 Ben-geber in Ramoth in Gilead; to him belonged the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him belonged the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and brazen bars; 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife); 16 Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin;Where Kent reads "Gad", the Masoretic Text reads "Gilead". Where Kent reads, "and one officer was over all the officials who were in the land", the Masoretic Text reads, "and there was one officer who was in the land". 19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gad, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and one officer was over all the officials who were in the land.
20 Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand which is by the sea; they were ever eating and drinking and making merry. 21 And Solomon was the ruler from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and were subject to Solomon as long as he lived.
22 And Solomon’s provision for one day was about six hundred bushels of fine flour, and about one thousand, two hundred bushels of meal, 23 ten fat, and twenty meadow-fed oxen, and a hundred sheep, besides harts, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowls.
24 For he had dominion over everything on the other side the River Euphrates, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on the other side the River. And he had peace on all sides of him, 25 so that Judah and Israel from Dan to Beersheba dwelt in safety, every man under his own vine and fig tree, as long as Solomon lived.start jps1917 This is 5:6 in JPS 1917
26 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.end jps1917
27 And these officers provided food for King Solomon and for all who came to King Solomon’s table, each in his month. They let nothing be lacking. 28 Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the proper place--each according to his individual responsibility.
29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and insight in plentiful measure, and breadth of mind, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore, 30 so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the eastern Arabians and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men: than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations.Where Kent reads "five thousand", the Masoretic Text reads "one thousand and five". 32 And he uttered three thousand proverbs, and his songs were five thousand. 33 And he spoke of different varieties of trees from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also beasts, of birds, of creeping things, and of fishes. 34 And there came some from among all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, deputed by all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.
5 And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon because he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father; for Hiram had loved David. 2 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,Where Kent reads "warlike foes", the Masoretic Text reads "warfare". 3 ‘You yourself know that David my father was not able to build a temple for the name of Jehovah his God on account of the warlike foes who were about him on every side, until Jehovah brought them into subjection to him. 4 But now Jehovah my God hath given me rest on every side: there is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5 Now I purpose to build a temple for the name of Jehovah my God, as Jehovah spoke to David my father, saying, “Thy son, whom I will set on thy throne in thy place, he shall build the temple for my name.” 6 Therefore command that they cut for me cedar timber from Lebanon; and my servants will go with your servants, and I will give you wages for your servants just as you shall say; for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber as the Sidonians.’
7 Now when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced exceedingly and said, ‘Blessed be Jehovah this day, who hath given to David a wise son over this great people.’ 8 So Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, ‘I have heard your message to me; I, on my part will fulfil all your wishes in regard to cedar and cypress timber. 9 My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that you shall appoint, and will have them broken up there, and you shall receive them. You also shall fulfil my wish by providing food for my household.’ 10 So Hiram furnished Solomon cypress timber, as much as he wished. 11 And Solomon gave Hiram four hundred thousand bushels of wheat for food for his household, and one hundred and sixty thousand gallons of oil from the beaten olives. This much Solomon gave to Hiram year by year. 12 And Jehovah gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they made an alliance with each other.
13 And King Solomon raise a forced levy out of all Israel; and the levy consisted of thirty thousand men. 14 And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in relays; a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home; and Adoniram was in charge of the forced levy. 15 And Solomon had seventy thousand burden-bearers and eighty thousand hewers of stone in the mountains; 16 besides Solomon’s chief officers who were in charge of the work, three thousand, three hundred, who superintended the people who did the work. 17 And the king commanded that they should hew out great, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the temple with cut stone. 18 And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and especially the Gebalites shaped them and prepared the timber and the stones to build the temple.
6 Now in the four hundred and eightieth year after the departure of the Israelites from the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, that is the second month, he built the temple of Jehovah. 2 And the length of the temple which King Solomon built for Jehovah was sixty and its breadth twenty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 3 And the porch before the large room of the temple was twenty cubits wide, corresponding to the breadth of the temple, ten cubits deep before the temple. 4 And for the temple he made windows with narrowed frames.
Where Kent reads "wings", the Masoretic Text reads "wings around the walls of the temple". 5 And around against the wall of the temple he built wings, both around the larger room and the inner room, and made side chambers round about.Where Kent reads "side-chamber", the Masoretic Text reads "wing". 6 The lower side-chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle six cubits broad, and the third seven cubits broad; for on the outside he made offsets around about the temple in order not to make an inset into the walls of the temple.Verse 7 will need special attention. 7 In building the temple it was built with stone which had been made ready at the quarry; neither hammer nor chisel nor any iron tool was heard while the temple was building.Where Kent reads "lower", the Masoretic Text reads "middle". 8 The entrance into the lower side-chambers was on the south side of the temple. And one could go up by winding stairs into the middle story, and from the middle into the third.Verse 9 will need special attention. 9 So he built the temple and finished it; and he covered the temple with cedar. 10 And he built the wings against all the temple, each story five cubits high; and they rested on the temple with timbers of cedar.
11 And the word of Jehovah came to Solomon, saying, 12 ‘Concerning this temple which thou art building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments by walking in accordance with them, then will I redeem with thee my promise, which I gave to David thy father. 13 And I will dwell among the Israelites and will not forsake my people Israel.’ 14 So Solomon completed the building of the temple.
15 And he built the walls of the temple within with boards of cedar; from the floor of the temple to the rafters of the ceiling, overlaying them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the temple with boards of cypress.Where Kent reads "rafters", the Masoretic Text reads "walls". 16 And he built off the back twenty cubits from the innermost part of the temple with boards of cedar from the floor to the rafters: he built it within for an inner room, even for the most holy place. 17 And the temple, that is the large room before the inner room was forty cubits long. 18 And there was cedar in the interior of the temple, carving in the form of gourds and open flowers; all was cedar, no stone was seen. 19 And he prepared an inner room in the interior of the temple in order to place there the ark of the covenants of Jehovah.Where the Kent reads "the inner room", the Masoretic Text reads "before the inner room". Where Kent reads "made", the Masoretic Text reads "covered". 20 And the inner room was twenty cubits long and twenty cubits broad and twenty cubits high. And he overlaid it with pure gold. And he made an altar of cedar woodThis verse will need special attention. 21 before the inner room, and he overlaid it with gold.At the end of verse 22, the Masoretic Text adds, "And the whole altar which was in the inner room he overlaid with gold". 22 And the whole temple he overlaid with gold, until all the temple was finished.
23 And in the inner room he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24 And one wing of the cherub measured five cubits, and the other wing of the cherub also five cubits--ten cubits from the extremity of one wing to the extremity of the other. 25 And the other cherub also measured ten cubits: both the cherubim were of the same measurement and form. 26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other-- 27 And he set up the cherubim in the inner room of the temple, and the wings of the cherubim were stretched forth, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, while the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall, and their wings touched each other in the middle of the temple; 28 and he overlaid the cherubim with gold.
Where Kent reads "both in the inner and outer rooms", the Masoretic Text reads "within and without". 29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and opening flowers, both in the inner and outer rooms.At the end of verse 30, the Masoretic Text adds, "within and without". 30 And the floor of the temple he overlaid with gold.
This verse will need special attention. 31 And the door of the inner room he made with folding doors of olive wood: the pilasters formed a pentagonal. 32 And on the two doors of olive wood he carved carvings of cherubim and palm trees and opening flowers, and he spread the gold over the cherubim and the palm trees.
33 So also he made for the door of the large room posts of olive wood, four square, 34 and two folding leaves of cypress-wood: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. 35 And he carved cherubim and palm trees and opening flowers, and overlaid them with gold applied evenly to the carving. 36 And he built the inner court with three courses of hewn stone and a course of cedar beams.
37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the temple of Jehovah laid, in the month Ziv. 38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul (that is the eight month), was the temple completed in all its parts, and according to all the specifications. Thus he was seven years in building it.
7 And Solomon was building his palace thirteen years, until he had completely finished his palace.Where Kent reads "three", the Masoretic Text has "four". 2 There also he built the Forest of Lebanon; its length was a hundred cubits, and its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, upon three rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.Where Kent reads "and the number of pillars was fifteen in a row", the Masoretic Text reads "fifteen {per} row". 3 And it was covered with cedar above over the forty-five beams, that were upon the pillars; and the number of the pillars was fifteen in a row. 4 And there were window-frames in three rows, and window was over against window in three tiers.Where Kent reads "windows", the Masoretic Text reads "posts". Where Kent reads "door was over against door", the Masoretic Text reads "window was over against window". 5 And all the doors and windows were made with square frames: and door was over against door in three tiers. 6 And the hall of pillars he made fifty cubits long and thirty cubits broad; and a porch before them and pillars and a threshold before them. 7 And he made the throne-hall where he was to judge, even the Hall of Judgment; and it was covered with cedar from floor to ceiling.
8 And his palace, where he was to dwell, in another court farther in from the Hall of Judgment, was of the same workmanship. He also made a palace of Pharoah’s daughter (whom Solomon had taken as wife), similar to his hall.
9 All these were costly stones, hewn according to measurements, sawed with saws, both on the interior and on the exterior, even from the foundaion to the coping, and from the exterior to the great court. 10 And the foundation was of costly great stones--stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits. 11 And above were costly stones, hewn according to measurements, and cedar wood.Where Kent reads "even so it was round about", the Masoretic Text reads "both for". The Masoretic Text also omits "the court of". 12 And the great encircling court had three courses of hewn stone and a course of cedar beams; even so it was round about the inner court of the temple of Jehovah and the court of the porch of the palace.
13 Then King Solomon sent and brought Hiram-abi from Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, an Aramean worker in brass; and he was gifted with skill, understanding, and knowledge to carry on all kinds of work in brass. And he came to King Solomon and did all his work.For verse 15, the Masoretic Text reads, "And he fashioned the two pillars of brass. Eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and the circumference of the second pillar measured twelve cubits." 15 For he cast the two pillars of brass for the porch of the temple. Eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and its circumference measured twelve cubits; the thickness of the pillar was four fingers--it was hollow. And the second pillar was similar.The Masoretic Text omits "And he made". 16 And he made two capitals of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits.Where Kent reads "a net for the one capital, and a net for the other capital", the Masoretic Text reads "seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital". 17 And he made two nets (woven work, festoons, chain-work) for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; a net for the one capital, and a net for the other capital.Where Kent has "And he made the pomegranates", the bulk of Masoretic manuscripts read, "And he made the pillars". Kittel (1909, Biblia Hebraica) cites two manuscripts agreeing with Kent. 18 And he made the pomegranates; and two rows of pomegranates in brass were upon the one network, and he did the same to the other capital. 19 And the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily-work--four cubits. 20 And there were capitals above also upon the two pillars, in connection with the bowl-shaped part of the pillar which was beside the network and there were two hundred pomegranates--two rows around about the one capital. 21 And he set up the pillars at the porch of the temple: and he set up the pillar at the right and called it Jachin; and he set up the pillar at the left and called it Boaz. 22 And upon the top of the pillars was lily-work. So was the work of the pillars finished.
23 And he made the molten sea ten cubits in diameter from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and its circumference measured thirty cubits.Where Kent reads "thirty", the Masoretic Text reads "ten". 24 And under its brim on the outside were gourds which encircled it, for thirty cubits, encircling the sea on the outside; the gourds were in two rows, cast when it was cast. 25 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 down upon them, and all their hinder parts were turned inward. 26 And it was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was wrought like the brim of a cup, similar to the flower of a lily. It held about sixteen thousand gallons.
27 And he made the ten stands of brass: each stand was four cubits long, four cubits broad, and three cubits high. 28 And the stands were made as follows: they had border-frames, and the border-frames were between the upright supports;The Masoretic Text omits the "and" in "and above and below". The Masoretic Text omits "and cherubim", and contains a difficult word. 29 and on the border-frames that were between the upright supports were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and upon the upright supports likewise; and above and beneath the lions and oxen and cherubim was bevelled work. 30 And every stand had four wheels of brass and axles of brass {Where Kent reads "corners", the Masoretic Text reads "feet"} and the four corners had shoulder-pieces: beneath the bowl the shoulder-pieces were cast, with wreaths at the side of each.Where Kent reads "shoulder-pieces", the Masoretic Text reads "capital". Where Kent reads "its border-frames", the Masoretic Text reads, "their border-pieces". 31 And its opening within the shoulder-pieces was a cubit and more: and its opening was round after the form of a pedestal (a cubit and a half) and also upon its opening were gravings, and its border-frames were square, not round. 32 And the four wheels were underneath the border-frames; and the axles and the wheels were cast as a part of the stand. And the height of each wheel was a cubit and a half. 33 And the construction of the wheels was like that of a chariot wheel: their axles, their felloes, their spokes, and their hubs, were all cast. 34 And at the four corners of each stand were four shoulder-pieces; the shoulder-pieces were cast as part of the stand. 35 And in the top of the stand was a round opening, half a cubit high, and on the top of the stand were its stays and its border-frames. 36 And on the flat surface of the stays and border-frames, he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to the space on each, with wreaths round about. 37 Thus he made the ten stands: all of them had one casting, and were of the same measure and form.
38 And he made ten lavers of brass: one laver contained three hundred and twenty gallons, and each laver measured four cubits; and on each one of the ten stands was a laver. 39 And he set the stands, five on the right side of the temple and five on the left side of the temple: and he set the sea on the right side of the temple eastward toward the south.
Where Kent reads "Hiram made", the Masoretic Text reads "Hirom made". 40 And Hiram made the lavers and the shovels, and the bowls. So Hiram completed all the work that he wrought for King Solomon in the temple of Jehovah: 41 the two pillars and the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on the top of the pillars, 42 and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on the top of the pillars, 43 and the ten stands and the ten lavers on the stands, 44 and the one sea with the twelve oxen under the sea.
45 And the pots, the shovels, and the bowls, and all these vessels which Hiram made for King Solomon in the temple of Jehovah, were of burnished brass.Where Kent reads "he cast"rem , the Masoretic Text reads "the king cast". 46 In the Plain of the Jordan he cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. 47 There was no weighing the brass from which he made all these vessels, because it was so very much, the weight of the brass could not be determined.
Where Kent reads "placed all the vessels which he had made", the Masoretic Text reads "made all the vessels which were". 48 And Solomon placed all the vessels which he had made in the temple of Jehovah: the golden altar and the golden table on which was the showbread; 49 and the candlesticks, five on the right side, and five on the left before the inner room, of pure gold; and the flowers, the lamps, and the golden tongs; 50 and the cups, the snuffers, basins, bowls, and fire-pans, of pure gold; and the golden hinges, both for the folding doors of the inner room (the most holy place) and for the folding doors of the temple (the large room). 51 Thus all the work that King Solomon wrought in the temple of Jehovah was finished. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated, even the silver and the gold and the vessels, placing them in the treasuries of the temple of Jehovah.
8 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ houses of the Israelites in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the city of David, which is in Zion. 2 And all the men of Israel assembled about King Solomon at the feast, in the month of Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priest took up the ark. 4 And they brought up the ark of Jehovah, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; even these did the priests and Levites bring up. 5 Then King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark sacrificing so many sheep and oxen, that they could neither be counted nor numbered. 6 So the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Jehovah to its place in the inner room of the temple (in the most holy place) under the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark so that the cherubim formed a covering above the ark and its slaves. 8 And the staves were so long that the ends of the staves were seen from the place before the inner room; but further out they could not be seen. And there they are to this day. 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when Jehovah made a covenant with the Israelites as they came from the land of Egypt. 10 And when the priests had come from the sanctuary, the cloud filled the temple of Jehovah, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of Jehovah filled the temple of Jehovah.
In the Masoretic Text, verse 12 reads, "Then Solomon said, Yhwh said he would dwell in thick darkness." 12 Then Solomon said,
Jehovah hath set the sun in the heavens,
But he hath himself determined to dwell in thick darkness.
13 So I have built thee a temple as a place of abode,
A dwelling for thee to abide in forever. Is it not written in the Book of Jashar?
14 Then the king turned about and blessed all the assembly of Israel; and all the assembly of Israel stood up. 15 He said, ‘Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, who has with his own hand fulfilled what he spoke with his mouth to David my father, saying,The Masoretic Text omits, "but I have chosen Jerusalem that my name might be there". 16 “Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel from Egypt, I chose no {other} city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a temple, that my name might be there; but I have chosen Jerusalem that my name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.” 17 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a temple for the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel. 18 But Jehovah said to David my father, “Whereas it was in thy heart to build a temple for my name, thou didst well that it was in thy heart; 19 nevertheless thou shalt not build the temple; but thy son, who shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the temple for my name.” 20 Now Jehovah has fulfilled his promise that he made: for I have risen up in the place of David my father and sit on the throne of Israel, as Jehovah promised, and have built the temple for the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel. 21 And there have I set a place for the ark in which is the covenant of Jehovah, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.’
22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of Jehovah in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread forth his hands toward heaven, 23 and said, ‘O Jehovah, the God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heaven above or on earth beneath, who keepest the covenant and showest kindness to thy servants who walk before thee with all their heart, 24 who hast kept with thy servant David my father the promise that thou didst make to him; yea, thou spakest with thy mouth and hast fulfilled it with thy hand, as it is this day. 25 Now therefore, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father the promise that thou hast made to him, saying, “There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me as thou hast walked before me.” 26 Now therefore, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou hast spoken to thy servant David my father.
The Masoretic Text omits "with men". 27 ‘But can God actually dwell with men on the earth? Indeed heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain thee; how much less this temple that I have built! 28 Yet have respect to the prayer of thy servant and to his supplication, O Jehovah, my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant offereth before thee this day, 29 that thine eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, “My name shall be there.” to listen to the prayer which thy servant shall offer toward this place. 30 And hear thou the supplication of thy servant and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place; yea, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place; and when thou hearest forgive.
31 ‘If a man sin against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he come and swear before thine altar in this temple, 32 then hear thou in heaven, and act and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring the consequences of his conduct upon his own head and justifying the righteous, to recompense him according to his righteousness.
33 ‘When thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy because they have sinned against thee, if they turn again to thee and confess thy name and pray and make supplication to thee in this temple, 34 then hear thou in heaven and forgive the sin of thy people Israel and bring them again to the land which thou gavest to their fathers. 35 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 doest humble them, 36 then hear thou in heaven and forgive the sin of of they servants and of thy people Israel, when thou teachest them the good way in which they should walk, and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.Where Kent reads, "in any of their gates", the Masoretic Text reads "in the land of their cities". 37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting or mildew, locust or caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in any of their gates; whatever plague, whatever sickness there be, Where the Masoretic Text reads "any man", the Masoretic Text reads "by any man, by all your people Israel". 38 whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, who knows his own personal affliction, and spreads forth his hands toward this temple, 39 then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place and forgive and act and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou knowest (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men), 40 that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest to our fathers.
41 ‘Also to the foreigner, who is not of thy people Israel, but comes from a far country for thy name’s sake-- 42 for they shall hear of thy great name and of thy mighty hand and of thine outstretched arm--when he shall come and pray toward this temple, 43 wilt thou listen in heaven thy dwelling place, and do all things as the foreigner request of thee, that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as doth thy place Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by thy name.
Where Kent reads "to thee", the Masoretic Text reads "to Yhwh". 44 ‘If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way thou shalt send them, and they pray to thee in the direction of the city which thou hast chosen and the temple which I have built for thy name, 45 then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication and uphold their cause.
46 ‘If they sin against thee--for there is no man that sinneth not--and thou be angry with them and deliver them to their enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near;Where Kent reads "captivity", the Masoretic Text reads "captors". 47 yet if they shall be converted in the land to which they are carried captive and turn again and make supplication to thee in the land of their captivity, saying, “We have sinned, and have acted perversely and wickedly; 48 if they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul while yet in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to thee in the direction of their land, which thou hast chosen and the temple which I have built for thy name, 49 then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and uphold their cause, 50 and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions with which they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion with those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them-- 51 for they are thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace-- 52 that thine eyes may be open to the supplication of thy servant and to the supplication of thy people Israel, to listen to them whenever they cry to thee. 53 For thou didst separate them from all the peoples of the earth to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord Jehovah.’
54 After Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to Jehovah, he arose from kneeling on his knees before the altar of Jehovah with his hands spread forth toward heaven, 55 and stood, and with a loud voice blessed all the assembly of Israel, saying, 56 ‘Blessed be Jehovah who hath given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. One word hath not failed of all his good promise, which he made by Moses his servant. 57 Jehovah our God be with us, as he was with our fathers; let him not leave us nor forsake us, 58 that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commands and his statutes and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers. 59 And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before Jehovah, be near to Jehovah, our God, day and night, that he uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day shall require, 60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that Jehovah is God alone. 61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with Jehovah our God, to walk in his statutes and to keep his commandments, as at this day.’
62 Both the king and all Israel offered sacrifice before Jehovah. 63 Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, which he offered to Jehovah, twenty-two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of Jehovah. 64 The same day the king hallowed the middle of the court that was before the temple of Jehovah; for there he offered the burnt-offering and the cereal-offering and the fat pieces of the peace-offerings, because the brazen altar that was before Jehovah was too small to receive the burnt-offering and the cereal-offering and the fat of the peace-offerings.Where Kent reads "seven days", the Masoretic Text reads "seven days and seven days: fourteen days". 65 So Solomon held the feast at that time and all Israel with him--a great assembly, from the entrance to Hamath to the brook of Egypt--before Jehovah our God, seven days.At the beginning of verse 66, the Masoretic Text omits "But". Where Kent reads "receiving a blessing from the king", the Masoretic Text has "blessing the king". 66 But on the eighth day he sent the people away; and receiving a blessing from the king, they went to their homes, joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that Jehovah had showed to David his servant, and to Israel his people.
9 Now when Solomon had finished the building of the temple of Jehovah, and the royal palace, and all Solomon’s plans which he wished to carry out, 2 Jehovah appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 And Jehovah said to him, ‘I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me. I have hallowed this temple which thou hast built to put my name there forever; and mind eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually. 4 If indeed 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 wilt keep my statutes and mine ordinances, 5 then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, “There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.” 6 But if ye shall turn away from following me, ye or your children, and shall not keep my commands and my statutes which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; 7 then I will take away Israel from the land, which I have given them; and this temple which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast away from me, and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all peoples.Where Kent reads "ruins", the Masoretic Text has "most high". 8 Moreover this temple shall become ruins, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished and shall hiss, and they shall say, “Why hath Jehovah done thus to this land and to this people? 9 And they shall answer, “Because they forsook Jehovah their God, who brought forth their fathers from the land of Egypt, and took up with other gods, worshipping and serving them; therefore Jehovah hath brought all this evil upon them.”’
10 Now at the end of twenty years, during which Solomon had built the two buildings: the temple of Jehovah and the king’s palace, 11 Hiram the king of Tyre having furnished Solomon with cedar and cypress wood and with gold as much as he wished, King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. 12 But when Hiram came from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, he was displeased with them. 13 And he said, ‘What sort of cities are these which you have given me, my brother?’ So they are called the land of Cabul {Good for nothing} even to the present day. 14 But Hiram sent to the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold.
15 And this is the way it was with the levy which King Solomon raised to build the temple of Jehovah, his own palace, Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Meggido, Gezer,
16 Then Pharaoh king of Egypt went up, captured Gezer, and burnt it with fire, slew the Caanaanites who dwelt in the city, and gave it as a portion to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. 17 And Solomon rebuilt Gezer, lower Bethhoron, 18 Baalath, and Tamar in the wilderness in the land of Judah, 19 and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and that which solomon was pleased to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land over which he ruled. 20 All the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the Israelites, 21 their children who were left after them in the land, whom the Israelites were not able utterly to destroy, of them did Solomon raise a forced levy of bondmen, even to this day. 22 But of the Israelites Solomon made no bondmen, for they were the warriors and his servants, his generals, his captains, his officer over his chariots, and his horsemen.
23 These were the chief officers who were over Solomon’s work, five hundred and fifty, who directed the people who did the work.
24 And Pharoah’s daughter came up out of the city of David to her palace which Solomon had built for her.
Where Kent reads "rise before Jehovah", the Masoretic Text reads "rise with it, which was before Yhwh". 25 And three times in the year Solomon used to offer burnt-offering and peace-offerings upon the altar which he built to Jehovah, and he used to cause the savor of the sacrifice to rise before Jehovah. So he finished the temple.
26 And King Solomon made a fleet of ships in Ezion-geber, which is near Elath on the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom. 27 And Hiram sent with the fleet his subjects--seamen, who had knowledge of the sea, together with the servants of Solomon. 28 And they went to Ophir, and took from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to King Solomon.
10 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon through the name of Jehovah, she came to test him with riddles. 2 So she came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices and very much gold and precious stones. And as soon as she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. 3 And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hid from the king which he could not answer her. 4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food of his table, the seating of his courtiers, the attendance of his waiters, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt-offering which he used to offer at the temple of Jehovah, there was no more spirit in her. 6 And she said to the king, ‘True was the report that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom. 7 But I would not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; the half was not told me; you exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard.Where Kent reads "wives", the Masoretic Text reads "men". 8 Happy are your wives! Happy are these your courtiers who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! 9 Blessed be Jehovah your God who delighted in you and has set you on the throne of Israel! Because Jehovah loved Israel forever, he has made you king that you may do justice and righteousness.’ 10 Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold and a very great store of spices and precious stones; never again came so many spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
Where Kent reads "red sandal wood", the Masoretic Text has "almug wood". 11 And Hiram’s fleet of ships, that bore gold from Ophir, also brought a great amount of red sandal wood and precious stones. 12 And the king made of the sandal wood from Ophir pilasters for the temple of Jehovah, and for the royal palace, and lyres and harps for the singers. There came no other such sandal wood nor has the like been seen to the present day.
13 And King Solomon gave to the queen all that she wished and asked, aside from that which she had brought to Solomon, according to his royal bounty. So she returned and went to her own land, together with her servants.
14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,This verse will need special attention. 15 besides what came from the traffic of the merchants and from all the kings of the Arabians and from the governors of the country.
16 And King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold--six hundred shekels of gold went on one buckler-- 17 and three hundred shields of beaten gold--three minahs of gold went on one shield--and the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 18 The king also made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold. 19 The throne had six steps and behind the throne were heads of calves, and on both sides of the seat were arms, and beside the arms stood two lions, 20 on the six steps stood twelve lions on each side. The like was not made in any kingdom.
21 And all King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold: none were of silver; it was accounted of no value in the days of Solomon. 22 For the king had at sea a fleet of Tarshish ships with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of Tarshish ships came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. 23 So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 24 And all the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, with which God endowed his mind. 25 And they brought each a present: vessels of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, year by year.
26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen; and he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. 27 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as common as stones, and cedars he made as plentiful as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland. 28 Solomon’s import of horses was from Mucri, and Kue; the king’s traders received them from Kue at a price,Where Kent reads "Mucri", the Masoretic Text has "Egypt". 29 so that a chariot could be imported from Mucri for six hundred shekels of silver and a horse for a hundred and fifty. Even so through their agency these were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the Arameans.
11 Now King Solomon was a lover of women; and he took many foreign wives--Moabites, Canaanites, Edomites, Sidonians, Hittites, and Ammonites-- 2 From the nations concerning which Jehovah had said to the Israelites, ye shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you; for otherwise they will turn away your heart after their gods; Solomon clung to these in love.
3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 Now when Solomon was old his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as was the heart of David his father; and his wives turned away his heart after their gods.In the Masoretic Text, this verse reads, "And Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites". 5 and also for Ashtarte the goddess of the Sidonians.
6 And Solomon did that which displeased Jehovah and did not faithfully follow Jehovah, as did David his father,
Where Kent reads "god of Moab", the Masoretic Text reads "abomination of Moab". And where Kent reads "the god of the Ammonites", the Masoretic Text reads "the abomination of the Ammonites". 7 But Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the god of Moab, in the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Milcom the god of the Ammonites, Where Kent reads "burning incense and sacrificing to their gods", the Masoretic Text reads, "who were burning incense and sacrificing to their gods". 8 And so he did for all his foreign wives, burning incense and sacrificing to their gods.
9 And Jehovah was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from Jehovah, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,Where Kent reads "take care to do", the Masoretic Text has "keep". 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not take care to do that which Jehovah had commanded.
11 Therefore Jehovah said to Solomon, ‘Inasmuch as this is thy character and thou hast not kept my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. 12 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. 13 However I will not rend away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to thy son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.’
14 Then Jehovah raised up against Solomon as adversary, the Edomite Hadad, of the race of Edomite kings; In the Masoretic Text, whole of verse 15 reads, "And when David was with Edom, when Joab the commander of the army went up to bury the slain, and he smote every male in Edom". 15 for when David smote the Edomites, he smote every male in Edom.
Also when Joab the commander of the army went up to bury the slain--In the Masoretic Text, this verse reads, "for Joab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom". 16 for Joab and all Israel remained there six months--In the Masoretic Text, the whole of verse 17 reads, "and Adad fled, and certain Edomites of his father’s servant with him, to go into Egypt. And Hadad was a small child." 17 Adad fled and certain Edomites with him.
But Hadad being a child, one of his father’s servants brought him to Egypt.
Where the Masoretic Text reads "who gave him a house and land", the Masoretic Text reads "who gave him a house, and appointed him bread, and gave him land". 18 And they set out from Midian and came to Paran and took men with them out of Paran and came to Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house and land.
In the Masoretic Text, the whole of verse 19 reads, "And Hadad found great favor in the eyes of Pharaoh, and he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen." 19 And he found great favor in the eyes of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to his chief wife,
He also gave him as wife the sister of Tahpenes.
In the Masoretic Text, the whole of verse 20 reads, "And the sister of Tahpenes bore to him Genubath his son, and Tahpenes weaned him in Pharaoh’s house. And Genubath was in Pharaoh’s house among the sons of Pharaoh." 20 And the sister of Tahpenes bore to him Genubath his son, and Genubath lived in Pharaoh’s house. But when he heard that David slept with his fathers, he returned to his land and likewise became an adversary to Solomon.
and she brought him up in Pharaoh’s palace among the sons of Pharaoh.Where Kent reads "that David slept with his fathers, he said", the Masoretic Text reads "that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said". 21 But when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, he said to Pharaoh, ‘Let me depart that I may go to my own country.’ 22 Then Pharaoh said to him, ‘What do you lack with me that you are now seeking to go to your own country?’ And he said to him, ‘Nevertheless you must let me go. . . .’
23 God also raised up as an adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah.After "marauding band", the Masoretic Text adds "when David slew them". 24 And he gathered men about him and became commander of a marauding band, and they went to Damascus, and dwelt there and reigned in Damascus.Verse 25 will need special attention. The Hebrew appears incomplete. 25 And he was an adversary to Israel as long as Solomon lived.
This is the evil that Hadad did; and he abhorred Israel and ruled in Edom.
26 And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, an official of Solomon, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also lifted up his hand against the king. 27 And this was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo and closed up the exposed place in the city of David his father. 28 And Jeroboam was a man of great ability. And when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious, he placed him over all the forced levy of the house of Joseph.
The Masoretic Text omits "and turned him aside from the way". 29 Now it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went away from Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah of Shilo found him in the way and turned him aside from the way. Now Ahijah had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field. 30 Now Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces. 31 And he said to Jeroboam, ‘Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, “Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to thee, 32 but he shall have one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel,Where Kent reads "he has forsaken", the Masoretic Text reads "they have forsaken". Likewise, where Kent has "has not walked", the Masoretic Text has "have not walked". 33 because he has forsaken me and worshipped Ashtarte, the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh, the god of Moab, and Milcom, the god of the Ammonites, and has not walked in my ways to do that which is pleasing to me, and to act in accordance with my statutes and mine ordinances, as David his father. Where Kent reads "uphold him", the Masoretic Text reads "make him prince". 34 However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand; but I will surely uphold him all the days of his life, for David my servant’s sake whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes. 35 But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hands and will give it to thee, even ten tribes. 36 And his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a lamp ever before me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put my name. 37 And I will take thee and thou shalt reign over all that thou desirest, and shalt be king over Israel. 38 And if thou wilt hearken to all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways and do that which is pleasing to me, in keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, then I will be with thee and will build thee an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to thee. 39 And I will for this afflict the descendants of David, but not forever.”’
40 Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. Then Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak {Sheshonk I} king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
41 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not already recorded in the History of the Acts of Solomon? 42 And the time during which Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. 43 Then Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son became king in his place.
12 And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
Where Kent reads "and he dwelt in Egypt--he returned at once to his native town, Zeredah in Mount Ephraim", the Masoretic Text has only, "and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt". 2 Now as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard {that Solomon was dead} --for he was still in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of King Solomon, and he dwelt in Egypt--he returned at once to his native town, Zeredah in Mount Ephraim.
In the Masoretic Text, this verse begins, "And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came." 3 And they sent and called Jeroboam, and he, with all the assembly to Israel, came. And they said to Rehoboam, 4 ‘Your father made our yoke intolerable. Now therefore make the intolerable service of your father and the heavy yoke he laid upon us lighter, and we will serve you.’ 5 And he said to them, ‘Go away for three days, then come again to me. So the people went away.’
v 6 And King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father during his lifetime, saying, ‘What answer do you advise me to give this people?’ 7 And they replied to him saying, ‘If now you will be a servant to this people, and will serve them and give them a favorable answer, then they will be your servants forever.’ 8 But he rejected the counsel which the old men had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and had stood before him. 9 And he said to them, ‘What answer do you advise us to give to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, “Make the yoke that your father put upon us lighter”?’ 10 And the young men who had grown up with him replied to him, saying, ‘Thus must you answer this people who have said to you, “Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us”; thus must you say to them, “My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! 11 And now whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will make your yoke heavier; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges.”’
12 So when Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come to me the third day, 13 the king answered the people harshly, and did not follow the counsel which the old men had given him, 14 but spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, ‘My father made your yoke heavy, but I also will make your yoke still heavier; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges.’ 15 So the king gave no heed to the people; for it was a thing brought about of Jehovah to confirm his word, which Jehovah spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16 And when all Israel saw that the king gave no heed to them, the people answered the king, saying,
What share have we in David?
We have no claim in the son of Jesse!
To your tents, O Israel!
Now care for your own house, O David! So the Israelites went to their homes. 17 But over the Israelites who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; but all Israel stoned him to death. Thereupon King Rehoboam quick mounted his chariot in order to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David to the present day.
20 And as soon as all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly of the people and made him king over all Israel. None remained loyal to the house of David except the tribe of Judah.
21 Now when Rehoboam had arrived at Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel in order to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, as follows, 23 ‘Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, 24 “Thus saith Jehovah, ‘Ye shall not go up to fight against your kinsmen the Israelites; go back home all of you, for this thing has come to pass at my instigation.’”’ So they listened to the word of Jehovah, and departed according to the word of Jehovah.
25 Then Jeroboam fortified Schechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Afterwards he went out from there and fortified Penuel. 26 Then Jeroboam said to himself, ‘Now the sovereignty will revert to the house of David. 27 If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of Jehovah at Jerusalem, then will the heart of this people turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.’Where Kent reads, "to the people", the Masoretic Text has "to them". 28 So the king took counsel with himself, and made two calves to gold, and said to the people, ‘You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!’ 29 And he set up the one in Bethel, and the other in Dan.The Masoretic Text omits "to Israel". 30 And this thing became a sin to Israel, for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
31 And he made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi. 32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he went up unto the altar; so he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made; and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made.
Where Kent reads "which he had", the Masoretic Text reads "in the month which he had". 33 And Jeroboam went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eight month, which he had arbitrarily chosen; and he ordained a feast for the Israelites and went up to the altar to offer sacrifice.
13 At that time a man of God came from Judah at the command of Jehovah to Bethel. And Jeroboam was standing by the altar to offer sacrifice.Where Kent reads "he shall burn", the Masoretic Text reads "they shall burn". 2 Then {the man of God} cried against the altar at the command of Jehovah and said, ‘O altar, altar, thus saith Jehovah: “Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on thee shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places who offer sacrifices on thee, and he shall burn men’s bones on thee.”’ 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, ‘This is the sign which Jehovah hath spoken, “Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.”’ 4 Now when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam put forth his hand from the altar, saying, ‘Take hold of him.’ But his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back again to himself. 5 The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given at the command of Jehovah. 6 And the king answered and said to the man of God, ‘Now intercede with Jehovah thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again.’ So the man of God interceded with Jehovah, and the king’s hand was restored to him again and became as it was before. 7 And the king said to the man of God, ‘Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.’ 8 But the man of God said to the king, ‘If you were to give me half your house, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place; 9 for it was commanded me by the word of Jehovah, saying, “Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water, nor return by the way that thou camest.”’ 10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.
Where Kent reads "his sons", the Masoretic Text reads "one of his sons". 11 Now a certain old prophet dwelt in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the deeds that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king.Where Kent reads "Then his sons showed", the Masoretic Text reads, "And his sons saw". 12 And their father said to them, ‘What way did he go?’ Then his sons showed him which way the man of God who came from Judah had gone. 13 And he said to his sons, ‘Saddle for me an ass.’ So they saddled for him the ass, and he rode on it. 14 And he went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak; and he said to him, ‘Are you the man of God who came from Judah?’ And he said, ‘I am.’ 15 Then he said, ‘Come home with me and eat bread.’Where Kent reads "drink water", the Masoretic Text has "drink water with you". 16 But he said, ‘I may not return with you, nor go in with you, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place; 17 for it was commanded me by the word of Jehovah, “Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor depart by the way that thou camest.”’ 18 And he said to him, ‘I also am a prophet as you are; and a Messenger spoke to me by the word of Jehovah, saying, “Bring him back with thee to thy house, that he may eat bread and drink water!”’ (But he was lying to him.) 19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water.
20 But while they were sitting at the table, the word of Jehovah came to the prophet who brought him back.Where Kent reads "disobeyed the word", the Masoretic Text reads "rebelled against the mouth". 21 And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, ‘Thus saith Jehovah, “Since thou hast disobeyed the word of Jehovah, and hast not kept the command which Jehovah thy God commanded thee, 22 but camest back and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to thee, ‘Eat no bread, and drink no water,’ thy body shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.”’Verses 23 and 24 will need special attention, as the Masoretic Text, as Kent puts it, "unintelligible" here. 23 And after he had eaten bread and drunk water, he saddled for him the ass, and he again departed. 24 But a lion met him by the way and slew him, and his body was cast upon the highway, and the ass stood by it; the lion also stood by the body. 25 And just then men passed by and saw the body cast in the highway, and the lion standing by the body; and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.
26 And when the prophet who brought him back from the way heard of it, he said, ‘It is the man of God who disobeyed the word of Jehovah; therefore Jehovah hath delivered him to the lion, which has torn him, and slain him, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spoke to him.’ 27 And he commanded his sons, saying, ‘Saddle for me the ass.’ And they saddled it. 28 So he went and found his body thrown down in the highway, and the ass and the lion standing by the body; the lion had not eaten the body nor torn the ass.In the Masoretic Text, this whole verse reads, "And the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it on the ass, and brought it back, and the old prophet came to the city to mourn and to bury him." 29 Then the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it on the ass, and brought it back to the city to mourn and to bury him. 30 And he laid his body in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, ‘Alas, my brother!’ 31 And when he had buried him, he spoke to his sons, saying, ‘When I die, bury me in the sepulchre in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones: 32 for the saying which he cried by the word of Jehovah against the altar in Bethel, and against all the temples of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.’
This verse, in which Kent says the Hebrew is "impossible", will need special attention. 33 After this even Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but made again from all the people priests of the high places. Whomsoever he would he consecrated to be a priest of the high places. 34 And this thing became a source of sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth.
14 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. 2 And Jeroboam said to his wife, ‘Arise, I pray you, and disguise yourself, that you may not be known to be the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. There is Ahijah the prophet who predicted that I should become king over this people. 3 And take with you ten loaves and cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him; he will tell you what shall become of the child.’ 4 And Jeroboam’s wife did so; arising, she went to Shiloh and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes had become dim because of his age.For the last sentence, the Masoretic Text reads, "And when she comes in, she will pretend to be another woman." The Masoretic Text takes this as part of what Yhwh says. 5 But Jehovah had said to the aged Ahijah, ‘The wife of Jeroboam cometh now to inquire of thee concerning her son, for he is sick; thus and thus shalt thou say to her.’ And when she came in, she pretended to be another woman.
6 But whan Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, he said, ‘Come in, wife of Jeroboam; why do you pretend to be another? seeing that I am sent to you with heavy tidings. 7 Go, tell Jeroboam, “Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: ‘Because I exalted thee from among the people and made thee prince over my people Israel, 8 and rent the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to thee, and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my command and followed me with all his heart to do that only which was right in mine eyes, 9 but hast done evil more than all that were before thee, and hast gone and made thee other gods and molten images to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back: 10 therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male child--him that is shut up and him that is left at large in Israel--and will utterly sweep away the house of Jeroboam, as a man sweepeth away refuse, until it is gone. 11 Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat, and him that dieth in the field shall the birds of the heavens eat; for Jehovah hath spoken it.’” 12 Now rise up, go to your house; and when your feet enter the city, the child shall die. 13 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 Jehovah, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam.This verse will need special attention. Kent: "The Heb. is doubtful and the versions are obscure." 14 Moreover Jehovah will raise up for himself a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day. But even nowThe Masoretic Text omits "and they shall be shaken". 15 Jehovah will smite Israel, and they shall be shaken as a reed is shaken in the water, and he will root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River {Euphrates}, because they have made their Ashtartes, provoking Jehovah to anger. 16 And he will give up Israel because of the sins of Jeroboam which he has committed, and with which he has made Israel sin.’
17 Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed and came to Tirzah. And as she came to the threshold of the house, the child died. 18 And all Israel buried him and mourned for him, according to the word of Jehovah which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the prophet.
19 Now the other acts of Jeroboam, how he carried on wars, how he ruled, they are already recorded in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 20 And the time during which Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years. Then he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son became king in his place.
21 Now Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, became king in Judah. Rehoboam was forty one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Jehovah had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there, and his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess.
22 And Judah did that which displeased Jehovah, and they aroused his anger with sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. 23 They also built for themselves high places, pillars, and asherahs, on every high hill and under every green tree. 24 There were also temple prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which Jehovah drove out before the Israelites.
25 Now in the fifth year of King Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. 26 And he took away the treasures of the temple of Jehovah and the treasures of the royal palace--he took all away. He also took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. 27 And King Rehoboam made in their place shields of brass and gave them into the charge of the commanders of the guards, who kept the door of the royal palace. 28 And as often as the king went into the temple of Jehovah, the guards took them and brought them back into the guard-room.
29 Now the other acts of Rehoboam and all that he did, are they not recorded in the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.Between the two sentences, the Masoretic Text adds, "And his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess." 31 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Abijam his son became king in his place.
15 Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. 2 Three years he reigned in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 3 And he walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as the heart of David his father.The Masoretic Text reads "son", not "sons". 4 Nevertheless for David’s sake Jehovah his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, in that he raised up his sons after him and preserved Jerusalem, 5 because David did that which pleased Jehovah and turned not aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except only in the affair of Uriah the Hittite.start jps1917
6 Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.end jps1917
7 And the other acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not recorded in the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8 And Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son became king in his place.
9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel Asa began to reign over Judah. 10 And he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah--the daughter of Abishalom. 11 And Asa pleased Jehovah, as did David his father. 12 And he put away the sacred prostitutes from the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 And he also removed Maacah his mother from being queen-mother, because she had made a horrible image as an asherah. And Asa cut down her horrible image, and burnt it in the Kidron Valley. 14 But the high places were not taken away; nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with Jehovah all his days. 15 Also he brought into the temple of Jehovah the votive gifts his father consecrated and his own votive gifts--silver, gold, and vessels.
16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17 And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah, so as not to allow anyone to go out or in to Asa king of Judah. 18 Then Asa tool all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the temple of Jehovah and the treasures of the royal palace, and entrusted them to his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion king of Aram, who dwelt at Damascus, with the statement, 19 ‘There is a league between me and you and between my father and your father; herewith I send you a present of silver and gold. Break your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.’ 20 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-Maacah, and all Chinneroth, together with all the land of Naphtali.Instead of "returned to", the Masoretic Text has "dwelt in". 21 Now as soon as Baasha heard of it, he abandoned the fortifying of Ramah and returned to Tirzah. 22 Thereupon King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah--none was exempted--that they must carry away the stones of Ramah and the timber with which Baasha had fortified it. Then with these King Asa fortified Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.
23 Now the other acts of Asa and all his brave deeds and the cities which he built, are they not recorded in the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he became diseased in his feet. 24 And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father. And Jehoshaphat his son became king in his place.
25 And Nadab the son of Jeroboam became king in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26 And he did that which displeased Jehovah, and followed in the way of his father, and in his sin whereby he made Israel sin. 27 And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him, and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon. 28 So in the third year of Asa king of Judah Baasha slew him, and became king in his place.Where Kent reads "so that he provoked", the Masoretic Text has "by his provocation with which he provoked". 29 But as soon as he became king, he smote all the house of Jeroboam. He did not leave of Jeroboam’s house a single soul which he did not destroy. According to the word of Jehovah, which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite, 30 because of the sins which Jeroboam committed and by which he made Israel to sin, so that he provoked Jehovah, the God of Israel, to anger. 31 Now the other acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not recorded in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah Baasha the son of Ahijah became king over all Israel in Tirzah, and reigned twenty-four years. 34 And he displeased Jehovah, and followed in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin. 16 And the following word of Jehovah came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, 2 ‘Forasmuch as I have raised 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, so that they have provoked me to anger with their sins, 3 I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 4 Whoever belonging to Baasha dies in the city, him shall the dogs eat, and whoever of his dies in the field, him shall the birds of the heavens eat.’
5 Now the other acts of Baasha, and what he did and his mighty deeds, are they not recorded in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 6 And Baasha slept with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah, and Elah his son became king in his place. 7 Moreover, by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani the word of Jehovah came against Baasha and against his house, both because of the evil that he did in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and also because he smote him.
8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah Elah the son of Baasha became king over Israel in Tirzah, and reigned two years. 9 And his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. While he was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, the royal chamberlain in Tirzah, 10 Zimri went in and smote and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and became king in his place. 11 But as soon as he became king and had seated himself on the throne, he smote all the house of Baasha; he left him not a single male, either of his kinsfolks or of his friends. 12 Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, 13 for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of his sons Elah, which they committed and with which they made Israel sin, to provoke Jehovah, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities. 14 Now the other acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not recorded in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the people were besieging Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. 16 And the people who were engaged in the siege heard the report, Zimri has conspired and has also smitten the king; therefore all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17 So Omri went up from Gibbethon and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. 18 When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the castle of the royal palace, and burnt the royal palace over him. Thus he died 19 for his sins which he committed in doing that which displeased Jehovah, in following in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he did, to make Israel sin. 20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his conspiracy which he made, are they not recorded in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
After "divided", the Masoretic Text adds "in half". 21 Then the people of Israel were divided. Half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath and made him king, and the other half followed Omri.The Masoretic Text omits "and his brother Joram". 22 But the people with Omri were stronger than the people with Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni and his brother Joram died, and Omri became king. 23 In the thiry-first year of Asa king of Judah Omri began to reign over Israel, and reigned twelve years; six years he reigned in Tirzah.
24 Then he bought the hill Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill and named the city which he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.
25 And Omri did that which displeased Jehovah, and was more wicked than all his predecessors.Where Kent reads "practices", the Masoretic Text has "vanities". 26 For he followed altogether in the steps of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in that with which he made Israel to sin, so that by their heathen practices they angered Jehovah the God of Israel. 27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri, and all that he did and his mighty deeds, are they not recorded in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 28 So Omri slept with fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son became king in his place.
29 Now in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did that which displeased Jehovah more than all his predecessors. 31 Furthermore, as if it had been a slight thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and turned them to serve Baal and worshipped him. 32 And he erected an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab also made the Asherah; and Ahab did yet more to anger Jehovah the God Israel than all the kings of Israel who preceded him.
34 In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho. He laid its foundation with the loss of Abiram his eldest, and set up the gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, as Jehovah had spoken by Joshua the son of Nun.
Where Kent reads "Tishbe", the Masoretic Text reads "the sojourners". 17 Now Elijah the Tishbite of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As Jehovah, the God of Israel, liveth, whom I serve, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except according to my word. . . .’
2 Then the word of Jehovah came to him, saying, 3 ‘Depart from here and turn eastward and hide thyself by the Brook Cherith, that is east of Jordan. 4 Then thou shalt drink out of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.’Where Kent reads "dwelt", the Masoretic Text has "went and dwelt". 5 So he went and obeyed the command of Jehovah and dwelt by the Brook Cherith that is east of Jordan.Where Kent reads "bread every morning and flesh every evening", the Masoretic Text reads "bread and flesh every morning, and bread and flesh every evening". 6 And the ravens brought him bread every morning and flesh every evening, and he used to drink out of the brook. 7 But after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
8 Then the word of Jehovah came to him, saying, 9 ‘Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for thee.’ 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city a widow was there gathering sticks; and calling to her, he said, ‘Bring me, I pray, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.’ 11 And as she was going to bring it, he called after her, ‘Bring also, I pray, a bit of bread with you.’Where Kent reads "I have nothing but", the Masoretic Text reads, "I have no cake, but only". 12 And she replied, ‘As Jehovah your God liveth, I have nothing but a handful of meal in the jar and a little oil in the cruse; and now I am gathering a few sticks, that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and then die.’ 13 But Elijah said to her, ‘Fear not; go and do as you have said, but first make me from it a little cake, and then make for yourself and your son. 14 For thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, “The jar of meal shall not be used up, neither shall the curse of oil become empty, until the day that Jehovah sendeth rain upon the earth.”’At the end of this verse, the Masoretic Text adds "some days". 15 And she went and did as Elijah directed. So she and he and her household had food to eat. 16 From that day the jar of meal was not used up, neither did the cruse of oil become empty, just as Jehovah had said by Elijah.
17 Now after this the son of the mistress of the house fell sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 Then she said to Elijah, ‘What have I to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to remind me of my sin by slaying my son!’ 19 And he said to her, ‘Give me your son.’ And he took him out of her bosom and carried him up into the upper chamber, where he was staying, and laid him upon his own bed. 20 And he cried to Jehovah, and said, ‘O Jehovah, my God, has thou also brought evil upon this widow, whose guest I am, by slaying her son?’ 21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried to Jehovah and said, ‘O Jehovah, my God, I pray thee, let this child’s life come back to him again.’ 22 And Jehovah hearkened to the voice of Elijah; and the life of the child came back to him again, so that he revived. 23 Then Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, ‘See, your son lives!’ 24 And the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of Jehovah in your mouth is truth.’
18 Now a long time after this the word of Jehovah came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, ‘Go, show thyself to Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.’ 2 So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab.
And the famine was severe in Samaria. 3 And Ahab called Obadiah, the perfect of the palace. Now Obadiah revered Jehovah greatly. 4 For when Jezebel tried to exterminate the prophets of Jehovah Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave and fed them continually with bread and water.The Masoretic Text omits "let us". Additional attention will be needed, though. "The Heb. is obscure" (Kent). 5 And Ahab had said to Obadiah, ‘Up! let us go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass so that we can save the horses and mules alive and not lose all the beasts.’ 6 So they divided the land between them to pass through it: Ahab went in one direction by himself and Obadiah went in another direction by himself,
7 And while Obadiah was on the way, Elijah met him suddenly. When he knew him, he fell on his face and said, ‘Is it you, my lord Elijah?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘It is I; go, tell your lord, “Elijah is here.”’ 9 And he said, ‘Wherein have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? 10 As Jehovah your God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord has not sent seek you; and when they said “He is not here,” he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that no one had found you. 11 And now you say, “Go, tell your lord, ‘Elijah is here.’” 12 And as soon as I am gone from you the spirit of Jehovah will carry you to a place unknown to me, and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will put me to death, although I, your servant, have feared Jehovah from my youth. 13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of Jehovah, how I hid a hundred of Jehovah’s prophets by fifty in a cave and fed them continually with bread and water? 14 And now you say, “Go, tell your lord, Elijah is here,” that he may put me to death!’ 15 But Elijah said, ‘As Jehovah of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him to-day.’
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah, 17 And as soon as Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ‘Is it you, you who have brought misfortune to Israel?’ 18 And he answered, ‘I have not brought misfortune to Israel, but you and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken the commands of Jehovah and have run after the Baals. 19 Now therefore send and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, together with the four hundred and fifty prophets of the Baal and the four hundred prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.’
20 So Ahab sent to all the Israelites and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel. 21 Then Elijah came near to all the people and said, ‘How long are you going to limp between the two sides? If Jehovah be God, follow him, but if the Baal, then follow him.’ But the people gave him no answer. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, ‘I, even I only, am left as a prophet of Jehovah, but the Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks, and let them choose one bullock for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood without putting on any fire, and I will dress the other bullocks and lay it on wood without putting on any fire. 24 Then you call on your god and I will call on Jehovah; and the God who answers by fire, he is the God.’ And all the people answered and said, ‘It is well spoken.’
25 And Elijah said to the prophets of the Baal, ‘Choose one of the bullocks for yourselves and dress it first, for you are many, and call on your god, without putting on any fire.’Where Kent reads "they had erected", the Masoretic Text reads, "was erected". 26 So they took the bullocks he gave them and dressed it, and called on the Baal from morning even until noon, saying, ‘O Baal, hear us.’ But there was no voice nor answer. And they limped about the altar which they had erected. 27 But when it was noon, Elijah mocked them, saying, ‘Cry aloud; for he is a god; either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!’ 28 Then they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with swords and lances until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening oblation; but there was neither voice not answer nor heed paid to their cry.
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come near to me.’ And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of Jehovah which had been thrown down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones corresponding to the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob to whom the word of Jehovah came, saying, ‘Israel shall be thy name.’ 32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of Jehovah. Then he made a trench about the altar of about the capacity of two seahs of seed. 33 And he laid the pieces of wood in order, cut up the bullocks, and laid it on pieces of the wood. And he said, ‘Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt-offering and on the pieces of wood.’ 34 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 also the third time, 35 so that the water ran round the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
36 But when it was time to offer the evening oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, ‘O Jehovah, God of Abraham, of 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 command. 37 Hear me, O Jehovah, hear me, that this people may know that thou, Jehovah, art God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.’ 38 Then the fire of Jehovah fell and consumed the burnt-offering and the wood, the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and cried, ‘Jehovah, he is God; Jehovah, he is God.’ 40 But Elijah commanded them, ‘Take the prophets of the Baal; let not one of them escape!’ So they took them down to the Brook Kishon and slew them there.
41 Then Elijah said Ahab, ‘Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of a heavy downpour of rain.’ 42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and crouched down upon the earth, with his face between his knees.The Masoretic Text omits, "So the servant went back seven times." 43 And he 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, ‘Now go again seven times.’ So the servant went back seven times. 44 But the seventh time he said, ‘There is a cloud arising out of the sea as small as a man’s hand.’ And he said, ‘Go up, say to Ahab, “Make ready your chariot, go down, that the rain may not stop you.”’ 45 And the next instant the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode toward Jezreel. 46 And the hand of Jehovah was on Elijah, so that he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
19 Now when Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and all the details of his slaying the prophets with the sword, The Masoretic Text omits "As surely as you are Elijah and I am Jezebel". 2 Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘As surely as you are Elijah and I am Jezebel, may the gods do to me what they will, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time.’ 3 Then he was afraid and arose and went for his life. And he came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah; and there he left his servant. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree, and he asked that he might die, saying, ‘It is enough; now, O Jehovah, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers!’ 5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. Thereupon a divine Messenger touched him and said to him, ‘Rise, eat!’ 6 And when he looked, he saw there at his head a cake, baked on hot stones, and jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 But the Messenger of Jehovah came again the second time and touched him and said, ‘Rise, eat, or else the journey will be too long for you.’ 8 So he arose and ate and drank and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the Mount of God. 9 And there he came to a cave and lodged therein.
Thereupon the word of Jehovah came to him. And he said to him, ‘What doest thou here, Elijah?’Where Kent reads "forsaken thee", the Masoretic Text reads "forsaken thy covenant". 10 And he said, ‘I have been very jealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken thee, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword: and I only am left, and they seek to take my life from me.’ 11 Then he said, ‘Go forth and stand on the mount before Jehovah.’
Thereupon Jehovah passed by, and a great and violent wind rent the mountain and broke in pieces the rocks before Jehovah; but Jehovah was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake; but Jehovah was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but Jehovah was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low, soft whisper. 13 And as soon as Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave, And then there came a voice to him and said, ‘What doest thou here, Elijah?’Where Kent reads "forsaken thee", the Masoretic Text has "forsaken thy covenant". 14 And he said, ‘I have been very jealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken thee, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword, and I only am left, and they seek to take away my life from me.’
15 Then Jehovah said to him, ‘Go, return on thy way to the Wilderness of Damascus, and when thou comest anoint Hazael to be king over Aram. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy place. 17 And it shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall slay; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall slay. 18 Yet will I spare seven thousand in Israel--all the knees which have not bowed to Baal and every mouth which hath not kissed him.’
19 Now when he had departed from there he found Elisha the son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he was with the twelfth. And Elijah went over to him and cast his mantle upon him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, ‘Let me, I pray you, kiss my father and my mother and then I will follow you.’ And he said to him, ‘Go back again, for what have I done to you?’ 21 So he turned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and slew them and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen and gave to the people to eat. Then he arose and went after Elijah and entered into his service.
20 Then Ben-hadad the king of Aram gathered all his host together, and there were thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria and fought against it. 2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city and said to him, ‘Thus says Ben-hadad,After "children", the Masoretic Text adds "the fairest". 3 “Your silver and your gold are mine; your wives also and your children, are mine.”’ 4 And the king of Israel answered and said, ‘As you say, my lord, O king: I am yours with all that I have.’ 5 And the messengers came again and said, ‘Thus says Ben-hadad, “I sent to you, saying, ‘You shall deliver to me your silver and your gold and your wives and your children’;Where Kent reads "them", the Masoretic Text reads "your eyes". 6 but to-morrow I will send my servants about this time and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants; and whatever is attractive to them, they shall take in their hands and bear it away.”’
7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, ‘Mark, I pray, and see how this man is seeking to make trouble, for he sent to me for my wives and my children and for my silver and gold, and I did not refuse him.’ 8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, ‘Do not hearken nor consent!’ 9 Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, ‘Tell my lord the king, “All that you demanded of your servant at the first I will do, but this I cannot do.”’ So the messengers departed and brought him word again. 10 Then Ben-hadad sent to him and said, ‘Let the gods do to me what they will, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me!’ 11 And the king of Israel answered and said, ‘Tell him, “Let not him who is girding on his sword boast himself as he who is putting it off.”’Instead of "Ben-hadad", the Masoretic Text reads "he". 12 Now when Ben-hadad heard this message--he was drinking together with the kings in the pavilions--he said to his servants, ‘Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.’
13 But just then a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel and said, ‘Thus saith Jehovah. “Hast thou seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into thy hand to-day, and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah.”’ 14 And Ahab said, ‘By whom?’ And he said, ‘Thus saith Jehovah, “By the young men under the provincial commanders.”’ And he said, ‘Who shall begin the battle?’ And he answered, ‘Thou.’ 15 Then he mustered the young men under the provincial commanders, and they were two hundred and thirty-two. And after them he mustered all the people, even all the Israelites--seven thousand. 16 And at noon they made the attack, while Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, together with the thirty-two kings who had come to help him. 17 And the young men under the provincial commanders went out first. And Ben-hadad sent out messengers and they reported to him saying, ‘Men have come out from Samaria.’ 18 And he said, ‘Whether they have come out with peaceful intent, take them alive; or whether they have come out for war, take them alive.’ 19 So these (the young men under provincial commanders) went out of the city, and the army which followed them. 20 And they slew each his man, so that the Arameans fled. And the Israelites pursued them, but Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, escaped on a horse with horsemen.Instead of "captured", the Hebrew has "slew". 21 Then the king of Israel went out and captured horses and chariots, and slew a great number of the Arameans.
22 And the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, ‘Go, strengthen thyself, and mark and see what thou wilt do, for a year from now the king of Aram will come up against thee.’ 23 And the servants of the king of Aram said to him, ‘Their gods are hill-gods, therefore they were too strong for us; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. 24 And do this: take the kings away each from his place, and put commanders in their place, 25 and assemble an army, like the army that you have lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot; then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.’ And he listened to their advice and did so.
26 Now when the year had come around Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to up to Aphek to fight against Israel. 27 And the Israelites were mustered and provided with provisions, and went against them. And the Israelites encamped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans filled the country. 28 Then a man of God came near and said to the king of Israel, ‘Thus saith Jehovah, “Because the Arameans think, ‘Jehovah is a hill-god but not a god of the valleys,’ therefore I willl deliver all this great multitude into thy hand, that ye may know that I am Jehovah.”’ 29 So they encamped opposite each other seven days. But on the seventh day the battle was joined; and the Israelites slew of the Arameans a hundred thousand footmen in one day. 30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and the wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand of the men who were left. Ben-hadad also fled, and came into the city, into an innermost chamber.
31 And his servants said to him, ‘Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings; let us therefore put sackcloth about our loins and ropes about our heads and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will save your life.’ 32 So they girded sackcloth about their loins and put ropes about their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, ‘Your servant Ben-hadad says, “Let me live.”’ And he replied, ‘Is he yet alive? He is my brother.’This verse will need special attention. "The Heb. as it reads is untranslatable" (Kent). 33 Now the men began to divine his thought and quickly caught it up from him and said, ‘Ben-hadad is your brother.’ Then he said, ‘Go, bring him!’ And when Ben-hadad came out to him he took him up to himself in the chariot.The Masoretic Text omits "Ahab said". 34 And Ben-hadad said to him, ‘The cities which my father took from your father, I will restore, and you may establish streets for yourself in Damascus as my father established in Samaria.’ And Ahab said, ‘I will let you go with this agreement.’ So he made an agreement with him and let him go.
35 Now a certain man of the sons of the prophets at the command of Jehovah said to his fellow, ‘Smite me, I pray.’ But the man refused to smite him. 36 Then he said to him, ‘Since you have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah, as soon as you have gone away from me, a lion shall slay you.’ Accordingly, as soon as he had gone away from him, a lion found him and slew him. 37 Then he found another man, and said, ‘Smite me, I pray.’ And the man smote him so as to wound him. 38 Then the prophet departed and waited for the king by the way and disguised himself with a covering over his eyes. 39 And as the king was passing by, he cried to the king and said, ‘Your servant had gone out into the midst of the battle, when suddenly a man turned aside, and brought a man to me and said, “Watch this man; if by any means he be missing, then must your life be for his life, or else you must pay a talent of silver!”Where Kent reads "looking", the Masoretic Text reads "doing". 40 And as your servant was looking here and there, he was gone.’ And the king of Israel said to him, ‘Such is your verdict: you yourself have decided it.’ 41 Then he quickly took the covering away from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets. 42 And he said to him, ‘Thus saith Jehovah, “Because thou hast let go out of thy hand the man whom I had condemned to destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people.”’ 43 And the king of Israel went homeward in ill-humor and sullen, and came to Samaria.
Instead of "Now", the Masoretic Text reads "Now after these things". 21 Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, ‘Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it is more satisfactory to you, I will give you the value of it in money.’ 3 But Naboth answered Ahab, ‘Jehovah forbid me, that I should give to you the inheritance of my fathers.Where Kent reads "in ill-humor", the Masoretic Text reads "in ill-humor and sullen". Where Kent reads "covered", the Masoretic Text reads "turned away". 4 And Ahab came into his house in ill-humor because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, ‘I will not give to you the inheritance of my fathers.’ And he lay down on his bed and covered his face and would eat no food.
5 But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, ‘Why are you so out of humor that you eat no food?’ 6 And he replied to her, ‘Because I made a proposition to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, “Give me your vineyard for money; or else if it is more satisfactory to you I will give you another vineyard for it”; and he answered “I will not give you my vineyard.”’ 7 Then Jezebel his wife said to him, ‘Is it you who now holds sway in Israel? Arise, eat, and let your heart be cheerful. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.’ 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles who were in his city who presided with Naboth. 9 And she wrote in the letters, ‘Proclaim a fast and also place Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10 Then place two base men before him and let them bear witness against him, saying, “You have cursed God and the king.” And then carry him out and stone him to death.’
11 And the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who presided in his city, did as Jezebel had ordered them. As it was prescribed in the letters which she had sent to them, 12 they proclaimed a fast, and put Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 13 And two base men came in and sat before him, and the scoundrels bore witness against him (Naboth) in the presence of the people, saying, ‘Naboth cursed God and the king.’ Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him to death with stones. 14 And they sent to Jezebel, saying, ‘Naboth has been stoned and is dead.’ 15 And as soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, ‘Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive but dead.’ 16 And as soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
17 But the word of Jehovah came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 ‘Arise, go down to meet Ahab the king of Israel, who dwells in Samaria; he is just now in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he has gone down to take possession of it. 19 And thou shalt speak to him, saying, “Thus saith Jehovah, ‘Hast thou killed and also taken possession?’” Moreover thou shalt speak to him, saying, “Thus saith Jehovah, ‘In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth will th dogs lick thy blood also.’”’The Masoretic Text omits "to no purpose". 20 And Ahab said to Elijah, ‘Have you found me, O mine enemy?’ And he answered, ‘I have. Because thou hast sold thyself to no purpose, to do that which is displeasing to Jehovah, 21 I will bring evil upon thee, and will utterly sweep thee away and will cut off from Ahab every male and him that is shut up and him that is left at large in Israel.’ 22 And I will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the anger which thou hast aroused and because thou hast made Israel to sin.This word will need special attention regarding the Hebrew word where Kent reads "district". 23 And of Jezebel also Jehovah has spoken, saying, “The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel. 24 Whoever of Ahab’s house dieth in the fields, the birds of the heavens shall eat.”’
25 There was absolutely none who sold himself to do that which was displeasing to Jehovah, as did Ahab, because Jezebel his wife incited him. 26 For he behaved most abominably in following idols, as did all the Amorites, whom Jehovah had driven out before the Israelites.
27 Now when Ahab heard those words he tore his clothes and put sack-cloth on his flesh and fasted, he also slept on sackcloth and went about quickly. 28 Then the word of Jehovah came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 ‘Hast thou seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.’
22 Then for three years they remained at peace, without there being war between Aram and Israel. 2 But in the third year, when Jehoshaphat the king of Judah had come down to the king of Israel, 3 the king of Israel said to his servants, ‘Do you know that Ramoth in Gilead belongs to us, yet we sit still instead of taking it from the king of Aram?’ 4 And he said to Jehoshaphat, ‘Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth in Gilead?’ And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, ‘I am as you, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.’
5 Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, ‘Inquire at this time, I pray, for the word of Jehovah.’Instead of "Jehovah", the Masoretic Text reads "the Lord". 6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and asked them, ‘Shall I go to fight against Ramoth in Gilead or shall I forbear?’ And they said, ‘Go up; for Jehovah will deliver it into the hand of the king.’ 7 But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Is there no other prophet of Jehovah, that we may inquire of him?’ 8 And the king of Israel said, ‘There is another by whom we may inquire of Jehovah, Micaiah the son of Imalah, but I hate him; for he prophesies for me nothing good, but only evil.’ And Jehoshaphat said, ‘Let not the king say so.’
9 Then the king of Israel called an eunuch and said, ‘Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah.’Where Kent reads "at the entrance", the Masoretic Text reads "in a threshing floor at the entrance". Instead of "at the entrance", the Masoretic Text reads "in a threshing-floor at the entrance". 10 Now while the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, clad in his robes of state at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them, 11 Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, ‘Thus saith Jehovah, “With these shalt thou push the Arameans until you have destroyed them!”’ 12 And all the prophets prophesied the same saying, ‘Go up to Ramoth in Gilead; for Jehovah will deliver it into the hand of the king.’
13 And the messenger who went to call Micaiah said to him, ‘See, now the prophets have with one consent promised good fortune for the king; therefore speak the same as they all do and prophesy good fortune.’ 14 But Micaiah said, ‘As Jehovah liveth, I will speak what Jehovah saith to me.’ 15 And when he came to the king, the king said to him, ‘Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth in Gilead to fight or shall we forbear?’ And he answered him, ‘Go up and prosper; and Jehovah will deliver it into the hand of the king!’ 16 But the king said to him, ‘How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of Jehovah?’ 17 And he said, ‘I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And Jehovah said, “These have no master; let each of them go home in peace!”’
18 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘Did I not tell you that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?’ 19 And Michaiah said, ‘Therefore hear the word of Jehovah: I saw Jehovah sitting on his throne and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. 20 And Jehovah said, “Who shall delude Ahab so that he will go up and fall at Ramoth in Gilead?” And one proposed one thing and another another; 21 until there came forth a spirit and stood before Jehovah and said, “I will delude him.” 22 And Jehovah said to him, “By what means?” And he said, “I will go forth and become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” Thereupon he said, “Thou shalt delude him and shalt succeed also! Go forth, and do so.” 23 So behold, Jehovah hath now put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, since Jehovah hath determined to bring evil upon you.’
24 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, ‘Which way did the spirit of Jehovah go from me to speak to you?’ 25 And Micaiah said, ‘Indeed, you shall see on that day, when you shall go from one chamber to another to hide yourself.’ 26 Then the king of Israel said, ‘Take Micaiah and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son, 27 and say, “Thus the king commands, ‘Put this fellow in prison and feed him with a scanty fare of bread and water until I return in peace.’”’At the end of this verse, the Masoretic Text adds, "And he said, ’Hear, O people, all of you.’" 28 And Micaiah said, ‘If you indeed return in peace, Jehovah hath not spoken by me.’
29 Then the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth in Gilead. 30 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you can put on your robes.’ So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle. 31 Now the king of Aram had given orders to the thirty-two commanders of his chariots, saying, ‘Fight with neither small nor great, except only with the king of Israel.’Where Kent reads "surrounded him", the Masoretic Text has "turned aside". 32 Accordingly when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, ‘Surely it is the king of Israel’, and they surrounded him to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 Therefore, as soon as the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
34 But a certain man drew at a venture and smote the king of Israel between the attachments and the coat of mail. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, ‘Turn about and carry me out of the army; for I am severely wounded.’The Masoretic Text reads, "And the battle increased that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot against the Arameans, and died at evening. And the blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot." 35 And the battle increased that day, and the king was propped up in his chariots against the Arameans until evening, and the blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot. But at evening he died. 36 And toward sunset the cry went throughout the army, ‘Each to his city and each to his land,The Masoretic Text reads, "And the king died, and came to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria." 37 for the king is dead!’ so they came to Samaria and buried the king in Samaria. 38 And when they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, the dogs licked up his blood, and the harlots washed themselves in it, just as Jehovah had declared. 39 Now the other acts of Ahab, and all that he did and the ivory house which he built and all the cities that he built, are they not recorded in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 40 So Ahab slept with his fathers and Ahaziah his son became king in his place.
41 And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. 43 And he walked altogether in the way of Asa his father; he did not turn aside from it, doing that which pleased Jehovah. Only the high places were not taken away, but the people still sacrificed and burnt their offerings on the high places. 44 And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
45 Now the other acts of Jehoshaphat and his brave deeds, that he did, and how he made war, are they not recorded in the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 46 Also the rest of the temple prostitutes, who remained in the days of his father Asa, he expelled from the land.
The Masoretic Text reads, "Now there was no king of Edom; a deputy was king." 47 Now there was no king of Edom. But the deputy of King Jehoshaphat Masoretic Text: "Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold. But they did not go; for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber." 48 made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold. But they did not go; for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber. 49 Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, ‘Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.’ But Jehoshaphat would not. 50 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehoram his son became king in his place.
51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. 52 And he did that which displeased Jehovah, and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had led Israel into sin. 53 And he served Baal and worshipped him, and provoked to anger Jehovah, the God of Israel, just as his father had done.