And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.

And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.

And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men. And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy. And Solomon had three score and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains beside the chief of Solomon's officers which were over the work, three thousand and three-hundred, which ruled over the people that wrought in the work.

And the king commanded and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the' house. And Solomon's builders, and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the stone-squarers; so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.--1 Kings v.

THE PROPHET SLAIN BY A LION.

Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of G.o.d had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.

And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of G.o.d went, which came, from Judah. And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the a.s.s. So they saddled him the, a.s.s: and he rode thereon, and went after the man of G.o.d, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of G.o.d that camest from Judah? And he said, I am. Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. And he, said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: for it was said to me by the word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest. He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.

And it came to pa.s.s, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back: and he cried unto the man of G.o.d that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy G.o.d commanded thee, but camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carca.s.s shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.

And it came to pa.s.s, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the a.s.s, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.

And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carca.s.s was cast in the way, and the a.s.s stood by it, the lion also stood by the carca.s.s.

And, behold, men pa.s.sed by, and saw the carca.s.s cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carca.s.s: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is; the man of G.o.d, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him. And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the a.s.s. And they saddled him.

And he went and found his carca.s.s cast in the way, and the a.s.s and the lion standing by the carca.s.s: the lion had not eaten the carca.s.s, nor torn the a.s.s.--2 Kings xiii, II-28.

ELIJAH DESTROYING THE MESSENGERS OF AHAZIAH.

And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baal-zebub the G.o.d of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.

But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a G.o.d in Israel, that 'ye go to enquire of Baal-zebub the G.o.d of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou; shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.

And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back? And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Is it not because there is not a G.o.d in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baal-zebub the G.o.d of Ekron?

therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words? And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of G.o.d, the king hath said, Come down. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of G.o.d, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of G.o.d, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly. And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of G.o.d, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty.

And the fire of G.o.d came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of G.o.d, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.

And the angel of the lord said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king. And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baal-zebub the G.o.d of Ekron, is it not because there is no G.o.d in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.

So he died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken.--2 Kings i, 2-17.

ELIJAH'S ASCENT IN A CHARIOT OF FIRE.

And it came to pa.s.s, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Beth-el.

And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el.

And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to-day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to-day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off and they two stood by Jordan.

And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

And it came to pa.s.s, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee.

And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

And it came to pa.s.s, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.--2 Kings ii, I-II.

THE DEATH OF JEZEBEL.

And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?

And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side?

who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses and he trod her under foot. And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king's daughter. And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands. Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel: and the carca.s.s of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.--2 Kings ix, 30-37.

ESTHER CONFOUNDING HAMAN.

So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.

And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine What is thy pet.i.tion, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.

Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my pet.i.tion, and my people at my request: for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.

Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?

And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman.