Because the children of God shoulde looke for no continuall rest and quietnes in this worlde, the holie Ghost setteth before our eyes in this booke the varietie and change of things, which came to the people of Israel from the death of Dauid, Salomon and the rest of the Kings, vnto the death of Ahab, declaring how that flourishing kingdomes, except they bee preserued by Gods protection, (who then fauoureth them when his word is truely set forth, vertue esteemed, vice punished, and concord maintained) fall to decay and come to nought: as appeareth by the deuiding of the kingdome vnder Roboam, and Ieroboam, which before were but all one people, and now by the iust punishment of God were made two, whereof Iudah and Beniamin claue to Roboam: and this was called the kingdome of Iudah, and the other tenne tribes helde with Ieroboam, and this was called the kingdome of Israel. The King of Iudah had his throne in Ierusalem, and the King of Israel in Samaria, after it was built by Amri Ahabs father. And because our Sauiour Christ according to the flesh should come of the stocke of Dauid, the genealogie of the Kings of Iudah is here described, from Salomon to Ioram the sonne of Iosaphat, who reigned ouer Iudah in Ierusalem, as Ahab did ouer Israel in Samaria.

3 Abishag keepeth Dauid in his extreeme age. 5 Adoniiah vsurpeth the kingdome. 30 Salomon is anoynted King. 50 Adoniiah fleeth to the Altar.

¹ Now when King Dauid was [Note: [a] He was about 70 yere olde, 2. Sam.5.4. ] olde, and striken in yeeres, they couered him with clothes, but no [Note: [b] For his naturall heate was worne away with trauels. ] heate came vnto him.

² Wherefore his seruants saide vnto him, Let there be sought for my lord ye King a yong virgin, and let her [Note: Or, serue him. ] stand before the King, and cherish him: and let her lie in thy bosome, that my lord the King may get heate.

³ So they sought for a faire young maide throughout all the coastes of Israel, and founde one Abishag [Note: [c] Which citie was in the tribe of Issachar, as Iosh.19.18. ] a Shunamite, and brought her to the King.

⁴ And the maid was exceeding faire, and cherished the King, and ministred to him, but the King knew her not.

⁵ ¶ Then Adoniiah the sonne of Haggith exalted himselfe, saying, I will be King. And he gate him charets and horsemen, and [Note: [d] Reade 2.Sam. 15.1. ] fiftie men to run before him.

⁶ And his father would not displease him from his [Note: Ebr.daies. ] childehood, to say, Why hast thou done so? And hee was a very goodly man, and his mother bare him next after Absalom.

⁷ And he [Note: Ebr.his wordes were with Ioab. ] tooke counsel of Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah, and of Abiathar the Priest: and they [Note: [e] They tooke his part and followed him. ] helped forward Adoniiah.

⁸ But Zadok the Priest, & Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and Nathan the Prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the men of might, which were with Dauid, were not with Adoniiah.

⁹ Then Adoniiah sacrificed sheepe and oxen, and fat cattel by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by [Note: Or, the fountaine. ] En-rogel, and called all his brethren the kings sonnes, & al the men of Iudah ye Kings seruants,

¹⁰ But Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah, and [Note: [f] As the Cherethites and Pelathites. ] the mightie men, and Salomon his brother hee called not.
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¹¹ Wherefore Nathan spake vnto Bath-sheba the mother of Salomon, saying, Hast thou not heard, that Adoniiah ye sonne [Note: 2.Sam.3.4. ] of Haggith doeth reigne, and Dauid our lord knoweth it not?

¹² Now therefore come, and I will now giue thee counsell, howe to saue thine owne [Note: [g] For Adoniiah will destroy thee and thy sonne, if he reigne. ] life, and the life of thy sonne Salomon.

¹³ Go, and get thee in vnto King Dauid, and say vnto him, Didest not thou, my lorde, O King, sweare vnto thine handmaide, saying, Assuredly Salomo thy sonne shall reigne after me, & he shal sit vpon my throne? why is then Adoniiah King?

¹⁴ Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the King, I also will come in after thee, and [Note: [h] By declaring such things, as may further the same. ] confirme thy wordes.

¹⁵ ¶ So Bath-sheba went in vnto the King into the chamber, and the King was verie olde, and Abishag the Shunammite ministred vnto ye King.

¹⁶ And Bath-sheba bowed and made obeisance vnto the King. And the King saide, What is thy matter?

¹⁷ And shee answered him, My lorde, thou swarest by the Lorde thy God vnto thine handmaide, saying, Assuredly Salomon thy sonne shall reigne after me, and he shall sit vpon my throne.

¹⁸ And beholde, nowe is Adoniiah king, and now, my lord, O King, thou knowest [Note: [i] The king being worne with age, could not attend to the affaires of the realme, and also Adoniiah had many flatterers which kept it. from the king. ] it not.

¹⁹ And he hath offred many oxen, and fatte cattel, and sheepe, and hath called all the sonnes of the King, and Abiathar the Priest, and Ioab the captaine of the hoste: but Salomon thy seruant hath he not bidden.

²⁰ And thou, my lorde, O King, knowest that the eyes of all Israel are on thee, that thou shouldest tell them, who shoulde sit on the throne of my lord the King after him.

²¹ For els when my lord the King shall sleepe with his fathers, I and my sonne Salomon shalbe [Note: [k] And so put to death as wicked transgressers. ] reputed [Note: Ebr.sinners. ] vile.

²² And lo, while she yet talked with the King, Nathan also the Prophet came in.

²³ And they tolde the King, saying, Beholde, Nathan the Prophet. And when he was come in to the King, hee made obeisance before the King vpon his face [Note: [l] Acknowledging him to be the true and worthie king appointed of God, as the figure of his Christ. ] to the ground.

²⁴ And Nathan saide, My lorde, O King, hast thou said, Adoniiah shall reigne after mee, and he shall sit vpon my throne?

²⁵ For hee is gone downe this day, and hath slaine many oxen, and fat cattel, and sheepe, and hath called al the Kings sonnes, and the captaines of the hoste, and Abiathar the Priest: and behold, they eate and drinke before him, and say, [Note: Ebr.let the king Adoniiah liue. ] God saue King Adoniiah.

²⁶ But me thy seruant, and Zadok the Priest, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and thy seruant Salomon hath he not called.

²⁷ Is this thing done by my lord the King, & thou hast not shewed it vnto thy [Note: [m] Meaning, that he ought in such affaires enterprise nothing except he had consulted with the Lord. ] seruant, who should sitte on the throne of my lorde the King after him?

²⁸ ¶ Then King Dauid answered, and saide, Call me Bath-sheba. And shee came into ye Kings presence, and stoode before the King.

²⁹ And the King sware, saying, As the Lorde liueth, who hath redeemed my soule out of all aduersitie,

³⁰ That as I [Note: [n] Moued by the Spirit of God so to doe, because he foresawe that Salomon should be the figure of Christ. ] sware vnto thee by the Lorde God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Salomon thy sonne shall reigne after me, and hee shall sit vpon

my throne in my place, so will I certainely doe this day.

³¹ Then Bath-sheba bowed her face to the earth, and did reuerence vnto the King, and said, God saue my lord King Dauid for euer.

³² ¶ And King Dauid saide, Call mee Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada. And they came before the King.

³³ Then the King said vnto them, Take with you the [Note: [o] Meaning, the kings seruants and such as were of his garde. ] seruants of your lorde, and cause Salomon my sonne to ride vpon mine owne mule, & carie him downe to Gihon.

³⁴ And let Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet anoint him there King ouer Israel, and blowe ye the trumpet, and say, God saue king Salomon.

³⁵ Then come vp after him, that hee may come and sit vpon my throne: and hee shall bee King in my steade: for I haue [Note: Ebr.commanded. ] appointed him to be prince ouer Israel and ouer Iudah.

³⁶ Then Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada answered the King, and said, So be it, and the Lord God of my lord the King [Note: Ebr.say so. ] ratifie it.

³⁷ As the Lord hath bene with my lorde the King, so be he with Salomon, and exalt his throne aboue the throne of my lorde king Dauid.

³⁸ So Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went downe and caused Salomon to ride vpon king Dauids mule, and brought him to Gihon.

³⁹ And Zadok the Priest tooke an horne of [Note: [p] Wherewith they accustomed to anoint ye Priests and the holie instruments, Exod. 30.23. ] oyle out of the Tabernacle, and anointed Salomon: and they blewe the trumpet, and all the people said, God saue king Salomon.

⁴⁰ And all the people came vp after him, and the people piped with pipes, and reioyced with great ioye, so that the earth [Note: Ebr.brake. ] rang with the sound of them.

⁴¹ ¶ And Adoniiah and all the ghestes that were with him, heard it: (and they had made an ende of eating) and when Ioab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, What meaneth this noise and vprore in the citie?

⁴² And as he yet spake, beholde, Ionathan the sonne of Abiathar the Priest came: and Adoniiah said, Come in: for thou art [Note: Ebr.a man of power. ] a worthie man, and bringest [Note: [q] He praised Ionathan, thinking to haue heard comfortable newes, but God wrought things contrarie to his expectation, and so did beate downe his pride. ] good tidings.

⁴³ And Ionathan answered, and said to Adoniiah, Verely our lord King Dauid hath made Salomon King.

⁴⁴ And the King hath sent with him Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they haue caused him to ride vpon the Kings mule.

⁴⁵ And Zadok the Priest, and Nathan ye Prophet haue anointed him King in Gihon: and they are gone vp from thence with ioy, and the citie is moued: this is the noise that ye haue heard.

⁴⁶ And Salomon also sitteth on the throne of the kingdome.

⁴⁷ And moreouer the Kings seruantes came [Note: [r] To salute him, and to pray and praise God for him. ] to blesse our lord King Dauid, saying, God make the name of Salomon more famous then thy name, and exalt his throne aboue thy throne: therefore the King worshipped vpon the [Note: [s] He gaue God thankes for the good successe. ] bed.

⁴⁸ And thus sayd the King also, Blessed bee the Lorde God of Israel, who hath made one to

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sit on my throne this day, euen in my sight.
⁴⁹ Then all the ghestes that were with Adonijah, were afraide, and rose vp, and went euery man his way.

⁵⁰ ¶ And Adonijah fearing the presence of Salomon, arose and went, and tooke holde on the hornes of the [Note: [t] Which Dauid his father had built in the stoore of Araunah, as 2.Sam.24.25. ] altar.

⁵¹ And one tolde Salomon, saying, Beholde, Adonijah doeth feare King Salomon: for lo, he hath caught holde on the hornes of the altar, saying, Let King Salomon sweare vnto me this day, that he will not slay his seruant with the sword.

⁵² Then Salomon sayd, If he will shewe him selfe a worthy man, there shall not an heare of him fall to the earth, but if wickednes be found in him, he shall dye.

⁵³ Then King Salomon sent, & they brought him from the altar, and he came and did obeisance vnto King Salomon. And Salomon sayde vnto him, Go to thine house.

1 Dauid exhorteth Salomon, and giueth charge as concerning Ioab, Barzillai, and Shimei. 10 The death of Dauid. 17 Adoniiah asketh Abishag to wife. 25 He is slaine. 35 Zadok was placed in Abiathars roume.

¹ Then the dayes of Dauid drewe neere that he should die, and hee charged Salomon his sonne, saying,

² I go the [Note: [a] I am ready to die, as all men must. ] way of all the earth: be strong therefore, and shew thy selfe a man,

³ And take heede to the [Note: [b] Hee sheweth how hard a thing it is to gouerne, and that none can doe it wel except he obey God. ] charge of the Lord thy God, to walke in his wayes, and keepe his statutes, and his commaundements, and his iudgements, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that thou mayest [Note: Deut.29.9. iosh 1.7. ] [Note: Or, doe wisely. ] prosper in all that thou doest, and in euery thing whereunto thou turnest thee,

⁴ That the Lorde may confirme his worde which hee spake vnto me, saying, If thy sonnes take heede to their way, that they walke before me in [Note: [c] And without hypocrisie. ] trueth, with all their hearts, and with all their soules, [Note: 2.Sam.7.12. ] [Note: Ebr.a man shall not be cut off to thee from of the throne. ] thou shalt not (sayd he) want one of thy posteritie vpon the throne of Israel.

⁵ Thou knowest also what Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captaines of the hostes of Israel, vnto [Note: 2.Sam.3.27. ] Abner the sonne of Ner, and vnto [Note: 2.Sam.20.10. ] Amasa the sonne of Iether: whome he slewe, and [Note: [d] Hee shed his blood in time of peace, as if there had bene warre. ] shed blood of battell in peace, and [Note: [e] Hee put the bloodie sworde into his sheath. ] put the blood of warre vpon his girdle that was about his loynes, and in his shooes that were on his feete.

⁶ Doe therefore according to thy wisdome, and let thou not his hoare head go downe to the graue in peace.

⁷ But shew kindnes vnto the sonnes of [Note: 2.Sam.19.31. ] Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among them that eate at thy table: [Note: [f] That is, they dealt mercifully with me. ] for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom thy brother.

⁸ ¶ And beholde, with thee [Note: 2.Sam.16.5. ] is Shimei the sonne of Gera, the sonne of Iemini, of Bahurim, which cursed mee with an horrible curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but hee came downe to meete me at Iorden, & I sware to him by the Lorde, saying, [Note: 2.Sam.19.23. ] I will not slay thee with the sword.

⁹ But thou shalt not count him innocent: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to doe vnto him: therefore thou shalt cause his hoare head to goe downe to the graue with [Note: [g] Let him be punished with death: looke verse 46. ] blood.

¹⁰ So [Note: Act.2.29. and 13.36. ] Dauid slept with his fathers, and was buried in the citie of Dauid.

¹¹ And the dayes which Dauid [Note: 2.Sam.5.4. 1.chro.29.26,27. ] reigned vpon Israel, were fourtie yeeres: seuen yeeres reigned he in Hebron, and thirtie & three yeeres reigned he in Ierusalem.

¹² ¶ [Note: 1.Chro.29.23. ] Then sate Salomon vpon the throne of Dauid his father, and his kingdome was stablished mightily.

¹³ And Adonijah the sonne of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Salomon: and she saide, [Note: [h] For she feared, least he woulde worke treason against the King. ] Commest thou peaceably? And hee said, Yea.

¹⁴ He said moreouer, I haue a sute vnto thee. And she sayd, Say on.

¹⁵ Then he said, Thou knowest that the kingdome was mine, and that all Israel set [Note: [i] In signe of their fauour & consent. ] their faces on me, that I should reigne: howbeit the kingdome is turned away, and is my brothers: for it came to him by the Lord.

¹⁶ Nowe therefore I aske thee one request, [Note: Ebr.cause not my face to turne away. ] refuse me not. And she said vnto him, Say on.

¹⁷ And he sayd, Speake, I pray thee, vnto Salomon ye King, (for he will not say thee nay) that he giue me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.

¹⁸ And Bath-sheba sayd, Well, I will speake for thee vnto the King.

¹⁹ ¶ Bath-sheba therefore went vnto King Salomon, to speake vnto him for Adonijah: and the King rose to meete her, and [Note: [k] In token of reuerence, and that others by his example might haue her in greater honour. ] bowed himselfe vnto her, and sate downe on his throne: and he caused a seate to be set for the Kings mother, and she sate at his right hand.

²⁰ Then she sayd, I desire a small request of thee, say me not nay. Then the King sayde vnto her, Aske on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.

²¹ She sayd then, Let Abishag the Shunammite be giuen to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

²² But King Salomon answered and sayd vnto his mother, And why doest thou aske Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? aske for him the [Note: [l] Meaning, that if he shoulde haue granted Abishag, which was so deare to his father, he would afterward haue aspired to the kingdome. ] kingdome also: for he is mine elder brother, and hath for him both Abiathar the Priest, and Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah.

²³ Then King Salomon sware by the Lorde, saying, God doe so to me and more also, if Adoniiah hath not spoken this worde against his owne life.

²⁴ Now therefore as ye Lord liueth, who hath established me, & set me on the throne of Dauid my father, who also hath made me an house, as he [Note: 2.Sam.7.12,13. ] promised, Adoniiah shall surely die this day.

²⁵ And King Salomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and hee [Note: Or, fell vpon him ] smote him that he dyed.

²⁶ ¶ Then the King sayd vnto Abiathar the Priest, Go to Anathoth vnto thine owne [Note: Or, possessions. ] fieldes: for thou art [Note: Ebr. a man of death. ] worthy of death: but I will not this day kill thee, because thou [Note: [m] When he fled before Absalom, 2.Sam.15.24. ] barest the Arke of the Lorde God before Dauid my father, and because thou hast suffered in all, wherein my father hath bene afflicted.

²⁷ So Salomon cast out Abiathar from being Priest vnto the Lord, that he might [Note: 1.Sam.2.31,35. ] fulfill the wordes of the Lord, which he spake against the house of Eli in Shiloh.

²⁸ ¶ Then tidings came to Ioab: (for Ioab had [Note: [n] He tooke Adoniiahs part when he woulde haue vsurped the kingdome, Chap.1.7. ] turned after Adoniiah, but he turned not after Absalom) and Ioab fled vnto the Tabernacle [Page]

of the Lord, and caught hold on the hornes of the altar.

²⁹ And it was tolde king Salomon, that Ioab was fled vnto the Tabernacle of the Lorde, and beholde, he is by the [Note: [o] Thinking to be saued by the holines of the place. ] altar. Then Salomon sent Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, saying, Goe, fall vpon him.

³⁰ And Benaiah came to the Tabernacle of the Lord, & sayd vnto him, Thus sayth the King, Come out. And he sayde, Nay, but I will die here. Then Benaiah brought the King worde againe, saying, Thus sayd Ioab, & thus he answered me.

³¹ And the King sayde vnto him, Doe as he hath sayd, & [Note: [p] For it was lawful to take the wilful murtherer from the altar, Exod.21.14. ] smite him, and bury him, that thou mayest take away the blood, which Ioab shed causelesse, fro me & from the house of my father.

³² And the Lorde shall bring his blood vpon his owne head: for he smote two men more righteous and better then he, and slew them with the sword, & my father Dauid knew not: to wit, [Note: 2.Sam.3.27. ] Abner the sonne of Ner, captaine of the hoste of Israel, and [Note: 2.Sam.20.10. ] Amasa the sonne of Iether captaine of the hoste of Iudah.

³³ Their blood shall therefore returne vpon the [Note: [q] Ioab shalbe iustly punished for the blood that he hath cruelly shed. ] head of Ioab, and on the head of his seede for euer: but vpon Dauid, and vpon his seede, and vpon his house, and vpon his throne shal there be peace for euer from the Lord.

³⁴ So Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada went vp, & smote him, and slewe him, & he was buryed in his owne house in the wildernesse.

³⁵ And the King put Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada in his roume ouer the hoste: and the King set Zadok the [Note: [r] And so tooke the office of the hie Priest from the house of Eli, and restored it to the house of Phinehas. ] Priest in the roume of Abiathar.

³⁶ ¶ Afterwarde the King sent, & called Shimei, and sayde vnto him, Buylde thee an house in Ierusalem, and dwell there, and depart not thence any whither.

³⁷ For that day that thou goest out, and passest ouer the riuer of Kidron, knowe assuredly, that thou shalt dye the death: thy blood shall be vpon thine owne head.

³⁸ And Shimei sayd vnto the King, The thing is good: as my lord the King hath sayd, so wil thy seruant doe. So Shimei dwelt in Ierusalem many dayes.

³⁹ And after three yeres two of the [Note: [s] Thus God appointeth ye wayes & meanes to bring his iust iudgemets vpon the wicked. ] seruants of Shimei fled away vnto Achish sonne of Maachah King of Gath: and they tolde Shimei, saying, Behold, thy seruants be in Gath.

⁴⁰ And Shimei arose, and sadled his asse, and went to Gath to Achish, to seeke his seruantes: and [Note: [t] His couetous minde moued him rather to venture his life, then to lose his worldly profite, which he had by his seruats. ] Shimei went, and brought his seruants from Gath.

⁴¹ And it was tolde Salomon, that Shimei had gone from Ierusalem to Gath, and was come againe.

⁴² And the King sent and called Shimei, and sayde vnto him, Did I not make thee to sweare by the Lorde, and protested vnto thee, saying, That day that thou goest out, and walkest any whither, knowe assuredly that thou shalt dye the death? And thou saydest vnto mee, The thing is good, that I haue heard.

⁴³ Why then hast thou not kept the othe of the Lorde, and the commandement wherewith I charged thee?

⁴⁴ The King sayde also to Shimei, [Note: [u] For though thou wouldest denie, yet thine owne conscience would accuse thee, for reuiling and doing wrong to my father, 2.Sam. 16.5. ] Thou knowest all the wickednes whereunto thine heart is priuie, that thou diddest to Dauid my father: the

Lord therefore shall bring thy wickednesse vpon thine owne head.

⁴⁵ And let King Salomon be blessed, and the throne of Dauid stablished before the Lorde for euer.

⁴⁶ So the King comanded Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada: who went out & smote him that he dyed. And the [Note: 2.Chron.1.1. ] kingdome was [Note: [x] Because all his enemies were destroyed. ] established in the hand of Salomon.

1 Salomon taketh Pharaohs daughter to wife. 5 The Lorde appeareth to him, & giueth him wisedome. 17 The pleading of the two harlots, & Salomons sentence therein.

¹ Salomon [Note: Chap.7.8. ] then made affinitie with Pharaoh King of Egypt, and tooke Pharaohs daughter, and brought her into the [Note: [a] Which was Beth-lehem. ] citie of Dauid, vntill hee had made an ende of buylding his owne house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Ierusalem round about.

² Only the people sacrificed in [Note: [b] Where altars were appointed before the temple was built to offer vnto the Lord. ] the hie places, because there was no house buylt vnto the name of the Lord, vntill those dayes.

³ And Salomon loued the Lord, walking in the ordinances of Dauid his [Note: [c] For his father had commanded him to obey the Lord & walke in his waies, Cha.2.3. ] father: onely he sacrificed and offred incense in the hie places.

⁴ And the King went to [Note: [d] For there the Tabernacle was, 2.Chro.13. ] Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the chiefe hie place: a thousand burnt offrings did Salomon offer vpo that altar.

⁵ In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Salomon in a dreame by night: and God sayd, Aske what I shal giue thee.

⁶ And Salomon sayd, Thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant Dauid my father great mercie, [Note: Or, as he walked. ] when hee walked before thee in trueth, and in righteonsnes, & in vprightnes of heart with thee: and thou hast [Note: [e] Thou hast performed thy promes. ] kept for him this great mercie, and hast giuen him a sonne, to sit on his throne, as appeareth this day.

⁷ And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy seruant King in steade of Dauid my father: and I am but a yong childe, and know not howe to [Note: [f] That is, to behaue my selfe in executing this charge of ruling. ] go out and in.

⁸ And thy seruant is in the mids of thy people, which thou hast chosen, euen a great people which cannot be told nor nobred for multitude.

⁹ [Note: 2.Chro.1.10. ] Giue therefore vnto thy seruant an [Note: Or, obedient. ] vnderstanding heart, to iudge thy people, that I may discerne betweene good & bad: for who is able to iudge this thy [Note: [g] Which are so many in nomber. ] mightie people?

¹⁰ And this pleased the Lorde wel, that Salomon had desired this thing.

¹¹ And God sayde vnto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thy selfe long life, neyther hast asked riches for thy selfe, nor hast asked the life of thine [Note: [h] That is, that thine enemies should die. ] enemies, but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstanding to heare iudgement,

¹² Beholde, I haue done according to thy wordes: lo, I haue giuen thee a wise and an vnderstanding heart, so that there hath bene none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall arise the like vnto thee.

¹³ And I haue also [Note: Matt.6.33. wisd.7.11. ] giuen thee that, which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour, so that among the Kings there [Note: Or, hath bene none. ] shall be none like vnto thee all thy dayes.

¹⁴ And if thou wilt walke in my wayes, to keepe mine ordinances & my commandements, [Note: Chap.15.5. ] as thy father Dauid did walke, I will prolong thy dayes.


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¹⁵ And when Salomon awoke, behold, it was [Note: [i] He knewe that God had appeared vnto him in a dreame. ] a dreame, and he came to Ierusalem, and stoode before the Arke of the couenant of the Lord, and offred burnt offrings and made peace offrings, and made a feast to all his seruants.

¹⁶ ¶ Then came two [Note: Or, vitailers. ] harlots vnto the King, and [Note: [k] By this example it appeareth that God kept promes with Salomon in granting him wisedome. ] stoode before him.

¹⁷ And the one woman sayd, Oh my lorde, I and this woman dwell in one house, and I was deliuered of a childe with her in the house.

¹⁸ And the third day after that I was deliuered, this woman was deliuered also: and we were in the house together: no stranger was with vs in the house, saue we twaine.

¹⁹ And this womans sonne died in the night: for she ouerlay him.

²⁰ And she rose at midnight, and [Note: [l] She stale the quicke childe away because she might both auoyde the shame & punishment. ] tooke my sonne from my side, while thine handmaide slept, and layde him in her bosome, and layde her dead sonne in my bosome.

²¹ And when I rose in the morning to giue my sonne sucke, beholde, he was dead: and when I had wel considered him in the morning, beholde, it was not my sonne, whom I had borne.

²² Then the other woman sayd, Nay, but my sonne liueth, and thy sonne is dead. Againe she sayde, No, but thy sonne is dead, and mine aliue: thus they spake before the King.

²³ Then sayde the King, She sayth, This that liueth is my sonne, and the dead is thy sonne: and the other sayth, Nay, but the dead is thy sonne, and the liuing is my sonne.

²⁴ Then the King said, [Note: [m] Except God giue iudges vnderstanding, the impudencie of the trespasser shal ouerthrowe the iust cause of the innocent. ] Bring me a sworde: & they brought out a sworde before the King.

²⁵ And the King sayde, Deuide ye the liuing child in twaine, & giue the one halfe to the one, and the other halfe to the other.

²⁶ Then spake the woman, whose the liuing child was, vnto the King, for her compassion was kindled toward her sonne, and she sayde, Oh my lorde, giue her the liuing childe, & [Note: [n] Her motherly affection herein appeareth, that she had rather indure the rigour of the lawe, then see her childe cruelly slaine. ] slay him not: but the other sayde, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but deuide it.

²⁷ Then the King answered, and sayde, Giue her the liuing childe, and slay him not: this is his mother.

²⁸ And all Israel heard the iudgement, which the King had iudged, and they feared the King: for they sawe that the wisedome of God was in him to doe iustice.

2 The princes and rulers vnder Salomon. 22 The purueyance for his vitailes. 26 The nomber of his horses 32 His bookes and writings.

¹ And King Salomon was King ouer all Israel.

² And these were [Note: [a] That is, his chiefe officers. ] his princes, [Note: [b] He was the sonne of Achimais and Zadoks nephewe. ] Azariah the sonne of Zadok the Priest,

³ Elihoreph and Ahiah the sonnes of Shisha scribes, Iehoshaphat the sonne of Ahilud, the recorder,

⁴ And Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada was ouer the hoste, and Zadok and [Note: [c] Not Abiathar whom Salomon had put from his office, Chap.2.27. but another of that name. ] Abiathar Priests,

⁵ And Azariah the sonne of Nathan was ouer the officers, and Zabud the sonne of Nathan Priest was the Kings friend,

⁶ And Ahishar was ouer the houshold: and [Note: Chap.5.14. ] Adoniram the sonne of Abda was ouer the tribute.

⁷ ¶ And Salomon had twelue officers ouer all Israel, which prouided vitailes for the King

and his housholde: eche man had a moneth in the yeere to prouide vitailes.

⁸ And these are their names: the sonne of Hur in mount Ephraim:

⁹ The sonne of Dekar in Makaz, and in Shaalbim and Beth-shemesh, and [Note: Or, Elon in Beth-anan. ] Elon and Beth-hanan:

¹⁰ The sonne of Hesed in Aruboth, to whom perteined Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher:

¹¹ The sonne of Abinadab in all the region of Dor, which had Taphath the daughter of Salomon to wife.

¹² Baana the sonne of Ahilud in Taanach, & Megiddo, & in all Beth-shean, which is by Zartanah beneath Izreel, from Beth-shean [Note: Or, to the plaine. ] to Abelmeholah, eue til beyond ouer against Iokmeam:

¹³ The sonne of Geber in Ramoth Gilead, & his were the townes of [Note: [d] Which townes bare Iairs name, because he tooke them of the Canaanites, Nomb. 32.41. ] Iair, the sonne of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, and vnder him was the region of Argob, which is in Bashan: threescore great cities with walles & barres of brasse.

¹⁴ ¶ Ahinadab the sonne of Iddo had to Mahanaim:

¹⁵ Ahimaaz in Naphtali, and he tooke Basmath the daughter of Salomon to wife:

¹⁶ Baanah the sonne of Hushai in Asher and in Aloth:

¹⁷ Iehoshaphat the sonne of Paruah in [Note: [e] Salomon obserued not the deuision that Ioshua made, but deuided it as might best serue for his purpose. ] Issachar.

¹⁸ Shimei the sonne of Elah in Beniamin:

¹⁹ Geber the sonne of Vri in the countrey of Gilead, the land of Sihon King of the Amorites, and of Og King of Bashan, and was officer alone in the land.

²⁰ Iudah and Israel were many, as the sand of the sea in number, [Note: [f] They lined in all peace and securitie. ] eating, drinking, and making merry.

²¹ [Note: Ecclus.47.15. ] And Salomon reigned ouer all kingdomes, from the [Note: [g] Which is Euphrates. ] Riuer vnto the lande of the Philistims, and vnto the border of Egypt, and they brought presents, & serued Salomon all the dayes of his life.

²² And Salomons vitailes for one day were thirtie [Note: Ebr.Corim. ] measures of fine floure, and threescore measures of meale:

²³ Ten fat oxen, and twentie oxen of the pastures, and an hundreth sheepe, beside hartes, and buckes, and bugles, and fat foule.

²⁴ For he ruled in all the region on the other side of the Riuer, from Tiphsah euen vnto [Note: Or, Gaza. ] Azzah, ouer all the [Note: [h] For they were all tributaries vnto him. ] Kings on the other side the Riuer: and he had peace round about him on euery side.

²⁵ And Iudah and Israel dwelt without feare, euery man vnder his vine, and vnder his fig tree, from [Note: [i] Throughout all Israel. ] Dan, euen to Beer-sheba, all the dayes of Salomon.

²⁶ ¶ And Salomon had [Note: 2.Chron.9.25. ] fourtie thousande stalles of horses for his charets, and twelue thousand horsemen.

²⁷ And these officers prouided vitaile for king Salomon, and for all that came to King Salomons table, euery man his moneth, and they suffred to lacke nothing.

²⁸ Barley also and strawe for the horses and mules brought they vnto the place where the officers were, euery man according to his charge.

²⁹ ¶ [Note: Ecclus.47.14, 15.16. ] And God gaue Salomon wisdome and vnderstanding exceeding much, & [Note: [k] Meaning, great vnderstanding & able to comprehend all things. ] a large heart, euen as the sand that is on the sea shore,
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³⁰ And Salomons wisdome excelled the wisedome of all the children of the [Note: [l] To wit, the philosophers & astronomers, which were iudged most wise. ] East and all the wisedome of Egypt.

³¹ For he was wiser then any man: yea, then were Ethan the Ezrahite, the Heman, then Chalcol, then Darda the sonnes of Mahol: and he was famous throughout all nations round about.

³² And Salomon spake three thousand [Note: [m] Which for the most part are thought to haue perished in the captiuitie of Babylon. ] prouerbs: and his songs were a thousand and fiue.

³³ And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon, euen vnto the [Note: [n] From the hiest to the lowest. ] hyssope that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of foules, and of creeping thinges, and of fishes.

³⁴ And there came of all people to heare the wisedome of Salomon, from all Kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisedome.

1 Hiram sendeth to Salomon, and Salomon to him, purposing to builde the house of God. 6 He prepareth stuffe for the buylding. 13 The number of the workemen.

¹ And Hiram King of [Note: Or, Zor. ] Tyrus sent his seruants vnto Salomon, (for he had heard, that they had anoynted him King in the roume of his father) because Hiram had euer loued Dauid.

² [Note: 2.Chron.2 3. ] Also Salomon sent to Hiram, saying,

³ Thou knowest that Dauid my father could not build an house vnto the Name of the Lorde his God, for the warres which were about him on euery side, vntill the Lord had put [Note: Or, his enemies. ] them vnder the soles of his feete.

⁴ But now the Lord my God hath giuen me [Note: [a] He declareth that he was bound to set forth Gods glory, for as much as the Lorde had sent him rest and peace. ] rest on euery side, so that there is neither aduersarie, nor euill to resist.

⁵ And beholde, I purpose to build an house vnto ye Name of the Lord my God, [Note: 2.Sam.7.13. 1.chron.22.10. ] as the Lord spake vnto Dauid my father, saying, Thy sonne, whom I wil set vpon thy throne for thee, he shal build an house vnto my Name.

⁶ Now therefore commaund, that they hewe me cedar trees out of Lebanon, and my seruants shall be with thy seruants, and vnto thee will I giue the [Note: [b] This was his equitie, that he would not receiue a benefite without some recompence. ] hire for thy seruants, according to all that thou shalt appoynt: for thou knowest that there are none among vs, that can hewe timber like vnto the Sidonians.

⁷ ¶ And when [Note: [c] In Hiram is prefigurate the vocation of the Gentiles, who should helpe to builde the Spirituall temple. ] Hiram heard the wordes of Salomon, he reioyced greatly, and sayde, Blessed be the Lord this day, which hath giuen vnto Dauid a wise sonne ouer this mightie people.

⁸ And Hiram sent to Salomon, saying, I haue considered the things, for the which thou sentest vnto me, and will accomplish all thy desire, concerning the cedar trees and firre trees.

⁹ My seruants shal bring them downe from Lebanon to the sea: and I will conuey them by sea [Note: Or, flotes. ] in raftes vnto the place that thou shalt shew me, and wil cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receiue them: nowe thou shalt doe mee a pleasure to minister foode for [Note: [d] While my seruants are occupied about thy businesse. ] my familie.

¹⁰ So Hiram gaue Salomon cedar trees and firre trees, euen his full desire.

¹¹ And Salomon gaue Hiram twentie thousand [Note: Ebr. Corim. ] measures of wheate for foode to his householde, & twentie measures of [Note: Or, pure. ] beaten oyle. Thus much gaue Salomon to Hiram yere by yere.

¹² ¶ And the Lord gaue Salomon wisedome as he [Note: Chap.3.12. ] promised him. And there was peace betweene Hiram and Salomon, and they [Note: [e] As touching the furniture of wood & vitailes. ] two

made a couenant.

¹³ ¶ And King Salomon raised a summe out of all Israel, and the summe was thirtie thousand men:

¹⁴ Whome he sent to Lebanon, ten thousand a moneth by course: they were a moneth in Lebanon, and two moneths at home. And [Note: Chap.4.6. ] Adoniram was ouer the summe.

¹⁵ And Salomon had seuentie thousand that bare burdens, and fourescore thousand masons in the mountaine,

¹⁶ Besides the [Note: Or,masters of the worke. ] princes, whome Salomon appoynted ouer the worke, euen three thousande and three hundreth, which ruled the people that wrought in the worke.

¹⁷ And the King commanded them, and they brought great stones and costly stones to make the foundation of the house, euen hewed stones.

¹⁸ And Salomons workemen, and the workemen of Hiram, and the [Note: [f] The Ebrewe worde is, Giblim, which some say, were excellent masons. ] masons hewed and prepared timber and stones for the buylding of the house.

1 The buylding of the Temple and the forme thereof. 12 The promes of the Lord to Salomon.

¹ And [Note: 2.Chron.3.1. ] in the foure hundreth and foure score yeere (after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt) and in the fourth yere of the reigne of Salomon ouer Israel, in the moneth [Note: [a] Which moneth conteineth part of April and part of May. ] Zif, (which is the second moneth) he built the [Note: [b] Whereby is meant the Temple & the oracle. ] house of the Lord.

² And the house which King Salomon built for the Lorde, was three score cubites long, and twentie broade, and thirtie cubites hie.

³ And the [Note: [c] Or the court where the people prayed, which was before the place where the altar of burnt offrings stood. ] porch before the Temple of the house was twentie cubites long according to the breadth of the house, and ten cubites broade before the house.

⁴ And in the house he made windowes, [Note: Or, to open and to shut. ] broad without, and narrowe within.

⁵ And by the wall of the house hee made [Note: Or, loftes. ] galleries round about, euen by the walles of the house round about the Temple and [Note: [d] Whence God spake betweene the Cherubims, called also the most holy place. ] the oracle, and made chambers round about.

⁶ The nethermost gallerie was fiue cubites broade, and the middlemost sixe cubites broade, and the third seuen cubites broade: for he made [Note: [e] Which were certaine stones comming out of the wall, as staies for the beames to rest vpon. ] restes round about without the house, that the beames should not be fastened in the walles of the house.

⁷ And when the house was built, it was built of stone perfite, before it was brought, so that there was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any toole of yron heard in the house, while it was in building.

⁸ The doore of the middle [Note: Or, gallerie. ] chamber was in the right side of the house, & men went vp with winding stayres into the middlemost, and out of the middlemost into the third.

⁹ So he built the [Note: [f] In Exodus it is called the Tabernacle: and the Temple is there called the sanctuarie, and the Oracle the most holy place. ] house and finished it, and sieled the house being vawted with sieling of cedar trees.

¹⁰ And he built the galleries vpon al the wall of the house of fiue cubites height, and they were ioyned to the house with beames of cedar.

¹¹ And the worde of the Lord came to Salomon, saying,

¹² Cocerning this house which thou buildest, if thou wilt walke in mine ordinances, & execute my iudgements, & keepe al my commadements,

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to walke in them, then will I performe vnto thee my promes, [Note: 2.Sam.7.13. ] which I promised to Dauid thy father. [Note: [Subnote: THE TEMPLE VNCOVERED.]

The cause why we vncouered and set open the Temple, without setting foorth the wall that is before it, is, that the order of those things that are within, might be seene more liuely.

A B. The length of the Temple of three score cubites.

A C. The breadth of twentie cubites within, and not measuring the thicknesse of the walles. This also was the length of the porch without the Temple.

C D. The height of thirtie cubites.

E F. The chambers of the Priestes, which compassed about the Temple on three sides, South, West and North, and were of three heights.

G H. The breadth of the porch, ten cubites.

I. The windowes of the Temple.

K. The first chamber was fiue cubites broad.

L. The second sixe.

M. The third seuen.

N O P. The restes are stayes of the wall, which bare vp the posts that did separate chamber from chamber.

Q. The holy place.

R. The holiest of all, where the Arke of the couenant was.

S. The gate to enter into the most holy place.

T. The fiue candlesticks on euery side of the Temple.

V. The ten tables on both sides for the shewbread.

X. The incense altar.

]
¹³ And I will [Note: [g] According as he promised vnto Moses, Exo.25.22. ] dwell among the children of Israel, and wil not forsake my people Israel.

¹⁴ So Salomon built the house & finished it,

¹⁵ And built the walles of the house within, with boards of cedar tree from the pauement of the house vnto [Note: [h] Meaning, vnto the roofe, which was also sieled. ] the walles of the sieling, and within he couered them with wood, and couered the floore of the house with planks of firre.

¹⁶ And he built twentie cubites in the sides of the house with boards of cedar, from the floore to the walles, and he prepared a place within it for the oracle, euen the most holy place.

¹⁷ But the [Note: [i] For when hee spake of the house in the first verse, he meant both the oracle and the Temple. ] house, that is, the Temple before it, was fourtie cubites long.

¹⁸ And the cedar of the house within was carued with [Note: Or, wilde cucumers. ] knops, and grauen with floures: all was cedar, so that no stone was seene.

¹⁹ ¶ Also he prepared the place of the oracle in the mids of the [Note: [k] That is, in the most inwarde place of the house. ] house within, to set the Arke of the couenant of the Lord there.

²⁰ And the place of the oracle within was twentie cubites long, and twentie cubites broad, and twentie cubites hie, and hee couered it with pure golde, and couered the altar with cedar.

²¹ So Salomon couered the house within with pure golde: and he [Note: Ebr.he drewe through chains of golde before. ] shut the place of the oracle with chaines of gold, and couered it with golde.

²² And he ouerlayde all the house with gold, vntill all the house was made perfite. also he couered the [Note: [l] Meaning, the altar of incense Exod.30.1. ] whole altar, that was before the oracle, with golde.

²³ And within the oracle he made two Cherubims of [Note: Or, pine tree. ] oliue tree, ten cubites hie.

²⁴ The wing also of the one Cherub was fiue cubites, and the wing of the other Cherub was fiue cubites: from the vttermost part of one of his wings vnto the vttermost part of the other of his wings, were ten cubites.

²⁵ Also the other Cherub was of ten cubites: both the Cherubims were of one measure and one sise.
[Note: [Subnote: THE TEMPLE COVERED.]

This figure representeth the great court separated into three partes, whose separation was made of three orders of hewen stone, and one of cedar boards.

A. The court of the Priests next to the porch, called the inner court, for it was neerer the Temple then was the peoples.

B. The altar of burnt sacrifices, which was much greater then Moses was. For the length hereof was twentie cubites, and the breadth as much, and ten in height.

C. Ten lauers, 2.Chron.4.6.

D. The sea, 2.Chron.4.2.

E. The court of the people, 2 Chron.4.9. and 6.12. which is called the great porch, and in Actes 3.11. the porch of Salomon. This court is often taken in the Scriptures of the Newe Testament for the Temple, Matth.21.23. Actes 3.2,3. for the people did not passe vp further, but did worship in this court. This is the place wherein Christ and his Apostles vsed to preach, and whence Christ did cast the buyers and sellers.

F. A stage of brasse whereon Salomon prayed, that he might be better seene and heard of the people. It was fiue cubites long, fiue broad, and in height three, 2.Chron.6.13.

G. A gate on the East, called the gate of Sur, or, Seir, 2.Kings 11.6. and the gate of the foundation, 2.Chron.23.5. It is also called beautifull, Actes 3.2. for the Prince did onely enter in thereat, and not the people, Eze.44.3. for the people entred in by the North gate and the South, Ezek.46.9.

]
²⁶ For the height of the one Cherub was ten cubits, and so was the other Cherub.

²⁷ And he put the Cherubims within the inner house, [Note: Exod.25.20. ] and the Cherubims stretched out their wings, so that the wing of the one touched [Page]

the one wall, and the wing of the other Cherub touched the other wall: and their other wings touched one another in the middes of the house.

²⁸ And he [Note: [m] For the other which Moses made of beaten gold, were taken away with the other iewels by their enemies, whome God permitted diuers times to ouercome them for their great sinnes. ] ouerlaied the Cherubims with golde.

²⁹ And he carued all the walles of the house round about with grauen figures of Cherubims and of Palmetrees, and grauen flowres within and without.

³⁰ And the floore of the house hee couered with golde within and without.

³¹ And in the entring of the oracle he made two doores of oliue tree: and the vpper post and side postes were fiue square.

³² The two doores also were of oliue tree, and he graued them with grauing of Cherubims and palme trees, and grauen floures, and couered them with golde, and layed [Note: [n] So that the fashion of the carued worke might still appeare. ] thin golde vpon the Cherubims and vpon the palme trees.

³³ And so made he for the doore of the Temple, postes of oliue tree foure square.

³⁴ But the two doores were of firre tree, the two sides of the one doore were [Note: Or, folding. ] round, and the two sides of the other doore were round.

³⁵ And he graued Cherubims, & palme trees, and carued floures and couered the carued worke with golde, finely wrought.

³⁶ ¶ And hee built the [Note: [o] Where the Priests were, and was thus called in respect of the great court, which is called Act.3.11. the porch of Salomon, where the people vsed to pray. ] court within with three rowes of hewed stone, and one rowe of beames of cedar.

³⁷ In the fourth yeere was the foundation of the house of the Lorde layed in the moneth of Zif:

³⁸ And in the eleuenth yeere in the moneth of [Note: [p] Which conteineth part of October and part of Nouember. ] Bul, (which is the eight moneth) hee finished the house with all the furniture thereof, and in euery point: so was he seuen yeere in building it.
[Note: [Subnote: THE FIRST FIGVRE OF THE KINGS HOVSE IN THE WOOD OF LEBANON.]

This figure is made without wall or porch, that the order of the pillars within might be seene.

A.B. The length of an hundreth cubites.

B.C. The breadth of fiftie.

B.D. The height of thirtie.

E.F.G.H. The foure rowes of pillars.

I. The three rowes of windowes.

K. The porch or gallerie before the house.

] [Note: [Subnote: THE SECOND FIGVRE OF THE SAME HOVSE.]

This second figure sheweth the maner of the house without, and the porch thereof, which was fiftie cubites long, A.B. and thirtie broad, C.D.

The pauement, E.

The windowes F.

]

1 The building of the houses of Salomon. 15 The excellent workemanship of Hiram in the pieces which he made for the Temple.

¹ Bvt Salomon was building his owne house [Note: Chap.9.10. ] thirteene yeeres, and [Note: [a] After hee had built the Temple. ] finished all his house.

² He built also an house [Note: [b] For the beautie of the place and great abundance of cedar trees that went to the building thereof, it was compared to mount Lebanon in Syria: this house hee vsed in sommer for pleasure and recreation. ] called the forest of Lebanon, an hundreth cubites long, and fiftie cubites broad, and thirtie cubites hie, vpon foure rowes of cedar pillars, and cedar beames were layed vpon the pillars.

³ And it was couered aboue with cedar vpon

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the beames, that lay on the fourtie and fiue pillars, fifteene in a rowe.
⁴ And the windowes were in three rowes, & windowe was [Note: [c] There were as many, and like proportion on the one side as on the other, and at euery ende euen three in a rowe one aboue another. ] against windowe in three rankes.

⁵ And all the doores, and the side postes with the windowes were foure square, and windowe was ouer against windowe in three rankes.

⁶ And he made a porche of pillars fiftie cubites long, and thirtie cubites broade, and the porch was before [Note: [d] Before the pillars of the house. ] them, euen before them were thirtie pillars.

⁷ ¶ Then he made a porch [Note: [e] For his house, which was at Ierusalem. ] for the throne, where he iudged, euen a porch of iudgement, and it was sieled with cedar from pauement to pauement.

⁸ And in his house, where he dwelt, was an other hall more inwarde then the porche which was of the same worke. Also Salomon made an house for Pharaohs daughter ( [Note: Chap.3.1. ] whom he had taken to wife) like vnto this porche.

⁹ All these were [Note: Or, precious. ] of costly stones, hewed by measure, and sawed with sawes within and without, from the foundation vnto [Note: [f] Which were restes and stayes for the beames to lye vpon. ] the stones of an [Note: Or, spanne. ] hand breadth, and on the outside to the great court.

¹⁰ And the foundation was of costly stones, and great stones, euen of stones of ten cubites, and stones of eight cubites.

¹¹ [Note: [g] From the foundation vpward. ] Aboue also were costly stones, squared by rule, and boardes of cedar.

¹² ¶ And the great court round about was wt three rowes of hewed stones, & a rowe of cedar beames: [Note: [h] As the Lordes house was built, so was this: onely the great court of Salomons house was vncouered. ] so was it to ye inner court of the house of the Lord, and to the porche of the house.

¹³ ¶ Then King Salomon sent, and set one Hiram out of [Note: Or, Zor. ] Tyrus.

¹⁴ He was a widowes sonne of the tribe of Naphtali, his father being a man of Tyrus, and wrought in brasse: [Note: [i] Thus when God will haue his glory set forth, he rayseth vp men and giueth them excellent gifts for the accomplishment of the same, Exod.31.2,3. ] he was full of wisedome, and vnderstanding, and knowledge to worke all maner of worke in brasse: who came to King Salomon, and wrought all his worke.

¹⁵ ¶ For he cast two pillars of brasse: ye height of a pillar was eighteene cubites, and a threede of twelue cubites did compasse [Note: Ebr. the second. ] either of ye pillars.
[Note: [Subnote: THE FORME OF THE PILLAR.]

A B The height of a pillar eightene cubites: the compasse. of a pillar was twelue cubites.

D E The height of the chapiter or round ball vpon the pillar of fiue cubits height.

F In the middes were two rowes of pomgranates: the rest is the networke & floure delises, or roses.

]
¹⁶ And he made two [Note: Or, pummels. ] chapiters of molten brasse to set on the tops of the pillars: the height

of one of the chapiters was fiue cubites, and the height of the other chapiter was fiue cubites.

¹⁷ He made grates like networke, and [Note: Or, cordes like chaines. ] wrethen worke like chaynes for the chapiters that were on the top of the pillars, euen seuen for the one chapiter, and seuen for the other chapiter.

¹⁸ So he made the pillars and two rowes of pomegranates round about in the one grate to couer the chapiters that were vpon the top. And thus did he for the other chapiter.

¹⁹ And the chapiters that were on the toppe of the pillars were after [Note: [k] As was seene commonly wrought in costly porches. ] lilye worke in ye porch, foure cubites.

²⁰ And the chapiters vpon the two pillars had also aboue, [Note: Or, round about the middes. ] ouer against the belly [Note: Or, beyond. ] within the networke pomegranates: for two hudreth pomegranates were in the two rankes about vpon [Note: Ebr. the second. ] either of the chapiters.

²¹ And he set vp the pillars in the [Note: [l] Which was in the inner court betweene the Temple and the oracle. ] porche of the Temple. And when hee had set vp the right pillar, he called the name thereof [Note: [m] That is, he will stablish, to wit, his promise toward this house. ] Iachin: and when he had set vp the left pillar, he called the name thereof [Note: [n] That is, in strength: meaning, the power thereof shall continue. ] Boaz.

²² And vpon the top of the pillars was worke of lilyes: so was the workemanship of the pillars finished.

²³ ¶ And he made a molten [Note: [o] So called for the hugenesse of the vessel. ] sea ten cubites wide from brim to brim, rounde in compasse, and fiue cubites hie, and a line of thirtie cubites did compasse it about.
[Note: [Subnote: THE SEA, OR GREAT CALDRON.]

A B Ten cubites from one side to the other.

C D The height of fiue cubites.

E F This vessell was in compasse thirtie cubites.

G The two rowes, which compassed the vessell about, and were garnished with bulles head, wherein were pipes to auoyde the water.

]
²⁴ And vnder the brimme of it were knoppes like wilde cucumers compassing it round about, ten in one cubite, compassing the sea [Note: 2.Cron.4.3. ] round about: and the two rowes of knoppes were cast, when it was molten.

²⁵ It stoode on twelue bulles, three looking towarde the North, and three toward the West, and three toward the South, and three towarde the East: and the sea stoode aboue vpon them, and all their hinder partes were inward.

²⁶ It was [Note: Or, a spanne. ] an hand bredth thicke, & the brim thereof was like the worke of the brim of a cup wt floures of lilyes: it coteined two thousad [Note: [p] Bath and Ephah seeme to be both one measure, Ezek.45.11. euery Bath conteined about ten pottels. ] Baths.
[Page]

²⁷ ¶ And he made tenne bases of brasse, one base was foure cubites long, and foure cubites broad, and three cubites hie.

²⁸ ¶ And the worke of the bases was on this maner, They had borders, and the borders were betweene the ledges:

²⁹ And on the borders that were betweene the ledges, were lyons, bulles and Cherubims: and vpon the ledges there was a base aboue: and beneath the lyons and bulles, were addicions made of thinne worke.

³⁰ And euery base had foure brasen wheeles, and plates of brasse: and the foure corners had [Note: Ebr. shoulders. ] vndersetters: vnder the caldron were vndersetters molten at the side of euery addicion.

³¹ And [Note: [q] The mouth of the great base or frame entred into the chapiter, or pillar that bare vp the caldron. ] the mouth of it was within the chapiter and aboue to measure by the cubite: for the mouth thereof was round made like a base, and it was a cubite and halfe a cubite: and also vpon the mouth thereof were grauen workes, whose borders were foure square, and not round.

³² And vnder the borders were foure wheeles, and the axeltrees of the wheeles ioyned to the base: and the height of a wheele was a cubite and halfe a cubite.

³³ And the facion of the wheeles was like the facion of a charet wheele, their axeltrees, and their naues and their [Note: Or, ringes. ] felloes, and their spokes were all molten.

³⁴ And foure vndersetters were vpon the foure corners of one base: and the vndersetters thereof were of the base it selfe.

³⁵ And in the toppe of the base was a rounde [Note: [r] Which was called the pillar, chapiter, or small base, wherein the caldron stoode. ] compasse of halfe a cubite hie round about: & vpon the toppe of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.

³⁶ And vpon the tables of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof he did graue Cherubims, lions and palmetrees, on the side of euery one, and addicions round about.

³⁷ Thus made he the tenne bases, They had all one casting, one measure, and one syse.

³⁸ ¶ Then made he [Note: [s] To keepe waters for the vse of the sacrifices. ] ten caldrons of brasse, one caldron conteyned fourty Baths: and euery caldron was foure cubites, one caldron was vpon one base throughout the ten bases.

³⁹ And he set the bases, fiue on the right side of the house, & fiue on the left side of the house. And he set the sea on the right side of the [Note: [t] To wit, of the Temple or Sanctuarie. ] house Eastward toward the South.

⁴⁰ ¶ And Hiram made caldrons, and besomes, & basens, & Hiram finished all the worke that he made to King Salomon for the house of ye Lord:

⁴¹ To wit, two pillars and two bowles of the chapiters that were on the toppe of the two pillars, and two grates to couer the two bowles of the chapiters which were vpon the toppe of the pillars,

⁴² And foure hundreth pomegranates for the two grates, euen two rowes of pomegranates for euery grate to couer the two bowles of the chapiters, that were vpon the pillars,

⁴³ And the ten bases, and ten caldrons vpon the bases,

⁴⁴ And the sea, and twelue bulles vnder that sea,

⁴⁵ And pottes, and besomes and basens: and all these vessels, which [Note: [u] By this name also Hiram the King of Tyrus was called. ] Hiram made to King Salomon for the house of the Lorde, were of shining brasse
[Note: [Subnote: THE FORME OF THE CALDRONS.]

A B The base whereupon stood the caldrons which was foure cubites long.

B C Foure cubites broade.

A D Three cubites high.

E The imbossement and figures of Lyons, Balles, Cherubims.

F The border of workemanshippe folding to and fro.

G The foure wheeles, which had a cubite and an halfe of height.

H The foure slayes or vpholders, which were vpon the base whereupon the caldron stoode.

I The Caldron.

]

⁴⁶ In the plaine of Iorden did the King cast them in [Note: Or, thicke earth. ] clay betweene Succoth and Zarthan.

⁴⁷ And Salomon left to weigh all the vessels because of the exceeding aboundance, neyther could the weight of the brasse be counted.

⁴⁸ So Salomon made all the vessels that perteyned vnto the house of the Lord, the [Note: [x] This was done according to the forme that the Lord prescribed vnto Moses in Exodus. ] golden altar, and the golden table, whereon the shewbread was,

⁴⁹ And the candlestickes, fiue at the right side, and fiue at the left, before the oracle of pure gold, and the flowres, and the lampes, and the snuffers of golde,

⁵⁰ And the bowles, [Note: [y] Some take this for some instrument of musicke. ] and the hookes, and the basens, and the spoones, and the ashpannes of pure golde, and the hinges of golde for the doores of the house within, euen for the most holy place, and for the doores of the house, to wit, of the Temple.

⁵¹ So was finished all the worke that King Salomon made for the house of the Lorde, and Salomon brought in the things which [Note: 2.Chro.5.1. ] Dauid his father had dedicated: the siluer and the golde and the vessels, and layed them among the treasures of the house of the Lord.

4 The Arke is borne into the Temple. 10 A cloude filleth the Temple. 14 The King blesseth the people.

¹ Then [Note: 2 Chro.5.2. ] King Salomon assembled the Elders of Israel, euen all the heads of the tribes, the chiefe fathers of the children of Israel vnto [Note: Ebr. Salomon. ] him in Ierusalem, for to [Note: [a] For Dauid brought it from Obed-edom and placed it in the Tabernacle which he had made for it, 2.Sam.6.17. ] bring vp the Arke of the couenant of the Lorde from the citie of Dauid, which is Zion.

² And all the men of Israel assembled vnto King Salomon at the feast in the moneth of [Note: [b] Coteining part of Septeber & part of October, in the which month they held three solemne feastes, Nom.29.1. ] Ethanim, which is the seuenth moneth.

³ And all the Elders of Israel came and the Priests tooke the Arke.


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⁴ They bare the Arke of the Lorde, and they bare the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tabernacle: those did the Priestes and Leuites bring vp.

⁵ And King Salomon and all the Congregation of Israel, that were assembled vnto him, were with him before the Arke, offering sheepe and beeues, which could not be tolde, nor nombred for multitude.

⁶ So the [Note: [c] That is, the Kahathites, Nom. 4.5. ] Priestes brought the Arke of the couenant of the Lorde vnto his place, into the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, euen vnder the wings of the Cherubims.

⁷ For ye Cherubims stretched out their wings ouer the place of the Arke, and the Cherubims couered the Arke, and the barres thereof aboue.

⁸ And they [Note: [d] They drewe them onely out so farre as they might be seene: for they might not pull them altogether out, Exod. 25.15. ] drewe out the barres, that the endes of the barres might appeare out of the Sanctuarie before the oracle, but they were not seene without: and there they are vnto this day.

⁹ Nothing was in the Arke [Note: [e] For it is like that the enemies when they had the Arke in their handes, tooke away the rodde of Aaron and the pot with man. ] saue the two tables of stone which Moses had put there at Horeb, where the Lorde made a couenant with the children of Israel, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁰ And when the Priestes were come out of the Sanctuarie, the [Note: Exod.40.34. ] cloude filled the house of the Lorde,

¹¹ So that the Priestes could not stande to minister, because of the cloude: for the glorie of the Lorde had filled the house of the Lorde.

¹² Then spake Salomon, The Lord [Note: 2.Chron.6.1. ] said, that he woulde dwell in the darke cloude.

¹³ I haue built thee an house to dwell in, an habitation for thee to abide in for [Note: [f] He spake according to the tenor of Gods promes, which was conditionally, that they should serue him aright. ] euer.

¹⁴ ¶ And the King turned his face, and blessed all the Congregation of Israel: for all the Congregation of Israel stoode there.

¹⁵ And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who spake with his mouth vnto Dauid my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying,

¹⁶ Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no citie of all the tribes of Israel, to builde an house that my name might be there: but I haue chosen [Note: 2.Sam.7.8. ] Dauid to be ouer my people Israel.

¹⁷ And it was in ye heart of Dauid my father to builde an house to the Name of the Lorde God of Israel.

¹⁸ And the Lord said vnto Dauid my father, Where as it was in thine heart to build an house vnto my Name, thou diddest well, that thou wast so minded:

¹⁹ Neuerthelesse thou shalt not builde the house, but thy sonne that shall come out of thy loynes, he shall builde the house vnto my Name.

²⁰ And the Lorde hath made [Note: Ebr. confirmed. ] good his worde that he spake: and I am risen vp in the roume of Dauid my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and haue built the house for the Name of the Lord God of Israel.

²¹ And I haue prepared therein a place for the Arke, wherein is the [Note: [g] The two tables wherein the articles of the couenant were written. ] couenant of the Lorde which he made with our fathers, whe he brought them out of the lande of Egypt.

²² ¶ Then Salomon stoode before [Note: 2.Chron 6.13. ] the altar of the Lorde in the sight of all the Congregation of Israel, and stretched out his handes towarde heauen,

²³ And sayd, [Note: 2.Mac.2.8. ] O Lord God of Israel, there is

no God like thee in heauen aboue, or in the earth beneath, thou that keepest couenant and mercie with thy seruants that walke before thee with [Note: [h] Vnfainedly and without all hypocrisie. ] all their heart,

²⁴ Thou that hast kept with thy seruant Dauid my father, that thou hast promised him: for thou spakest with thy mouth and hast fulfilled it with thine hande, as appeareth this day.

²⁵ Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keepe with thy seruant Dauid my father that thou hast promised him, saying, [Note: Chap. 2.4. ] Thou shalt not want a man in my sight to sit vpon ye throne of Israel: so that thy childre take heed to their way, that they walke before me; as thou hast walked in my sight

²⁶ And nowe, O God of Israel, I pray thee, let thy worde be verified, which thou spakest vnto thy seruant Dauid my father.

²⁷ [Note: [i] He is rauished with the admiration of Gods mercies, who being incomprehensible and Lord ouer all, will become familiar with men. ] Is it true in deede that God will dwell on the earth? beholde, the heauens, and the heauens of heauens are not able to conteine thee: howe much more vnable is this house that I haue built?

²⁸ But haue thou respect vnto the prayer of thy seruant, and to his supplication, O Lorde, my God, to heare the cry and prayer which thy seruant prayeth before thee this day:

²⁹ That thine eyes may be open toward this house, night and day, euen towarde the place whereof thou hast said, [Note: Deut. 12.11. ] My Name shalbe there: that thou mayest hearken vnto the prayer which thy seruant prayeth in this place.

³⁰ Heare thou therefore the supplication of thy seruant, and of thy people Israel, which pray in this place, & heare thou [Note: Or, from. ] in the place of thine habitation, euen in heauen, and when thou hearest, haue mercie.

³¹ ¶ When a man shall trespasse against his neighbour, & [Note: [k] To wit, the iudge, or neighbour. ] he lay vpon him an othe to cause him to sweare, and [Note: Ebr. the othe. ] the swearer shall come before thine altar in this house,

³² Then heare thou in heauen, and [Note: [l] That is, make it knowen. ] doe and iudge thy seruants, that thou condemne the wicked to bring his way vpon his head, and iustifie the righteous, to giue him according to his righteousnesse.

³³ ¶ When thy people Israel shall be ouerthrowen before the enemie, because they haue sinned against thee, and turne againe to thee, and [Note: [m] Acknowledge thy iust iudgement, and praise thee. ] confesse thy Name, and pray and make supplication vnto thee in this house,

³⁴ Then heare thou in heauen, and be mercifull vnto the sinne of thy people Israel, and bring them againe vnto the lande, which thou gauest vnto their fathers.

³⁵ ¶ When heauen shalbe [Note: [n] So that there be a drought to destroy the fruites of the land. ] shut vp, & there shalbe no raine because they haue sinned against thee, and shall pray in this place, and confesse thy Name, and turne from their sinne, when thou doest afflict them,

³⁶ Then heare thou in heauen, and pardon the sinne of thy seruants and of thy people Israel (when thou hast taught the the good way wherein they may walke) and giue raine vpon the land that thou hast giuen to thy people to inherite.

³⁷ ¶ When there shalbe famine in the land, when there shalbe pestilence, when there shall be blasting, mildewe, grashopper or caterpiller, when their enemie shall besiege them in the [Note: Ebr. in the land of their gates. ] cities of their lande, or any plague, or any sickenesse,

³⁸ Then what prayer, and supplication so euer [Page]

shalbe made of any man or of all thy people Israel, when euery one shall knowe the plague in his owne [Note: [o] For such are most meete to receiue Gods mercies. ] heart, and stretch foorth his handes in this house,

³⁹ Heare thou then in heauen, in thy dwelling place, and be mercifull, and doe, and giue euery man according to all his wayes, as thou knowest his heart, (for thou only knowest the heartes of all the children of men)

⁴⁰ That they may feare thee as long as they liue in ye lad, which thou gauest vnto our fathers.

⁴¹ Moreouer as touching the [Note: [p] He meaneth such as should be turned from their idolatrie to serue ye true God. ] stranger that is not of thy people Israel, who shall come out of a farre countrey for thy Names sake,

⁴² (When they shal heare of thy great name, and of thy mightie hande, and of thy stretched out arme) and shall come and pray in this house,

⁴³ Heare thou in heauen thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth for vnto thee: that all the people of the earth may know thy Name, and feare thee, as do thy people Israel: and that they may know, that thy [Note: [q] That this is the true religion wherewith thou wilt be worshipped. ] Name is called vpon in this house which I haue built.

⁴⁴ ¶ When thy people shall go out to battell against their enemie by the way that thou shalt sende them, and shall pray vnto the Lorde [Note: Dan. 6.10. ] towarde the way of the citie which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I haue built for thy Name,

⁴⁵ Heare thou then in heauen their prayer & their supplication, and [Note: Or, mainteine their right. ] iudge their cause.

⁴⁶ If they sinne against thee, ( [Note: 2.Chron.6.36. eccles. 7.22. 1.ioh.18.10. ] for there is no man that sinneth not) and thou be angry with them, and deliuer them vnto the enemies, so that they cary them away prisoners vnto the land of the enemies, either farre or neere,

⁴⁷ Yet [Note: Or, if they repent. ] if they turne againe vnto their heart in the lande (to the which they be caryed away captiues) and returne and pray vnto thee [Note: [r] Though the Temple was the chiefe place of prayer, yet he secludeth not them, that being let with necessitie call vpon him in other places. ] in the lande of them that caryed them away captiues, saying, We haue sinned, we haue transgressed, and done wickedly,

⁴⁸ If they turne againe vnto thee with all their heart, and with all their soule in the lande of their enemies, which led them away captiues, and pray vnto thee toward [Note: [s] As Daniel did, Dan.6.10. ] the way of their land, which thou gauest vnto their fathers, and toward the citie which thou hast chosen, and the house, which I haue built for thy Name,

⁴⁹ Then heare thou their prayer and their supplication in heauen thy dwelling place, and [Note: Or, auenge their wrong. ] iudge their cause,

⁵⁰ And be mercifull vnto thy people yt haue sinned against thee, and vnto all their iniquities (wherein they haue transgressed against thee) and cause that they, which led them away captiues, may [Note: [t] He vnderstoode by faith, that God of enemies would make friendes vnto them that did conuert vnto him. ] haue pitie and compassion on them:

⁵¹ For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out of Egypt from the middes of the yron fornace.

⁵² Let thine eyes be open vnto the prayer of thy seruant, and vnto the prayer of thy people Israel, to hearken vnto them, in all that they call for vnto thee.

⁵³ For thou diddest separate them to thee from among all people of the earth for an inheritance, as thou saidest by the hand of Moses thy seruant, when thou broughtest our fathers [Note: Exod. 19.6. ] out of Egypt, O Lord God.

⁵⁴ And when Salomon had made an ende of

praying all this [Note: [u] Salomon is a figure of Christ, who continually is the Mediator betweene God and his Church. ] prayer and supplication vnto the Lorde, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees, and stretching of his handes to heauen,

⁵⁵ And stoode and blessed all the Congregation of Israel with a loud voyce, saying,

⁵⁶ Blessed be the Lorde that hath giuen rest vnto his people Israel, according to all that hee promised: there hath not fayled one word of all his good promise which he promised by the hand of Moses his seruant.

⁵⁷ The Lorde our God be with vs, as he was with our fathers, that he forsake vs not, neither leaue vs,

⁵⁸ That he may [Note: [x] He concludeth that man of him selfe is enemie vnto God, and that all obedience to his lawe proceedeth of his meere mercie. ] bow our heartes vnto him, that we may walke in all his waies, and keepe his commandements, and his statutes, and his lawes, which he commanded our fathers.

⁵⁹ And these my wordes, which I haue prayed before the Lorde, be neere vnto the Lorde our God day and night, that he defende the cause of his seruant, and the cause of his people Israel [Note: Ebr. the thing of a day in his day. ] alway as the matter requireth,

⁶⁰ That all the people of ye earth may knowe, that the Lord is God, and none other.

⁶¹ Let your heart therefore be perfit with the Lorde our God to walke in his statutes, and to keepe his commandements, as this day.

⁶² ¶ [Note: 2.Chron.7.4. ] Then the King and all Israel with him offred sacrifice before the Lorde.

⁶³ And Salomon offered a sacrifice of peace offrings which he offered vnto the Lorde, to wit, two and twentie thousande beeues, and an hundreth and twentie thousande sheepe: so the king & all the children of Israel dedicated the [Note: [y] Before the oracle, where the Arke was. ] house of the Lorde.

⁶⁴ The same day did the King halowe the middle of the court, that was before the house of the Lorde: for there he made burnt offerings, and the meate offrings, and the fat of the peace offeringes, because the [Note: 2.Chron.7.7. ] brasen altar that was before the Lorde, was too litle to receiue the burnt offerings, and the meate offerings, and the fat of the peace offrings.

⁶⁵ And Salomon made at that time a feast & all Israel with him, a very great Congregation, euen from the entring in of [Note: [z] That is, from North to South: meaning, all the countrey. ] Hamath vnto the riuer of Egypt, before the Lord our God, [Note: [a] Seuen dayes for the dedication, and seuen for the feast. ] seuen dayes and seuen dayes, euen fourteene dayes.

⁶⁶ And the eight day he sent the people away: and they [Note: Ebr. blessed. ] thanked the King and went vnto their tentes ioyous and with glad heart, because of al the goodnesse that the Lord had done for Dauid his seruant, and for Israel his people.

2 The Lorde appeareth the second time to Salomon. 11 Salomon giueth cities to Hiram. 20 The Canaanites become tributaries. 28 He sendeth foorth a nauie for golde.

¹ VVhen [Note: 2.Chron.7.12. ] Salomon had finished the building of the house of ye Lorde, & the kings palace, & all yt Salomon desired and minded to do,

² Then the Lorde appeared vnto Salomon the second time, as he [Note: Chap.3.5. ] appeared vnto him at Gibeon.

³ And the Lord sayd vnto him, I haue heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I haue halowed this house (which thou hast built) to [Note: Chap.8.29. deut.12.11. ] put my Name there for euer, and mine eyes, and mine heart shall be there perpetually.


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⁴ And [Note: [a] If thou walke in my feare, and withdraw thy selfe from the common maner of men which folow their sensualitie. ] if thou wilt walke before mee (as Dauid thy father walked in purenesse of heart and in righteousnesse) to doe according to al that I haue commanded thee, and keepe my statutes, and my iudgements,

⁵ Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdome vpon Israel for euer, as I promised to Dauid thy father, saying, [Note: 2.Sam 7.12. 1.chro.22.10. ] Thou shalt not wat a man vpon the throne of Israel.

⁶ But if ye & your children turne away from mee, and wil [Note: [b] God declareth that disobedience against him is the cause of his displeasure and so of all miserie. ] not keepe my commaundements, and my statutes (which I haue set before you) but go and serue other gods, and worship them,

⁷ Then will I cutte off Israel from the lande, which I haue giuen them, and the house which I haue halowed [Note: Iere.7.14. ] for my Name, will I cast out of my sight, and Israel shall be a [Note: [c] The world shall make of you a mocking stock for the vile contempt and abusing of Gods most liberall benefits. ] prouerbe, and a common talke among all people.

⁸ Euen this hie house shall bee so: euery one that passeth by it, shalbe astonied, and shall hisse, and they shal say, [Note: Deut.29.24. iere.22.8. ] Why hath the Lord done thus vnto this land and to this house?

⁹ And they shall answere, Because they forsooke the Lorde their God, which brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and haue taken holde vpon other gods, & haue worshipped them, and serued them, therfore hath the Lord brought vpon them all this euill.

¹⁰ [Note: 2.Chron.8.1. ] And at the ende of twentie yeeres, when Salomon had buylded the two houses, the house of the Lord, and the Kings palace,

¹¹ (For the which Hiram the King of [Note: Or, Zor. ] Tyrus had brought to Salomon timber of cedar, and firre trees, and golde, and whatsoeuer he desired) then King Salomon gaue to Hiram twentie cities in the land of [Note: Or, Galile. ] Galil.

¹² And Hiram came out from Tyrus to see the cities which Salomon had giuen him, & they pleased him not.

¹³ Therefore hee sayde, What cities are these which thou hast giuen me, my brother? And hee called them the land of [Note: Or, dirtie, or barren. ] Cabul vnto this day.

¹⁴ And Hiram had sent the King [Note: [d] For his tribute toward the building. ] sixe score [Note: [e] The common talent was about threescore pound weight. ] talents of gold.

¹⁵ ¶ And this is the cause of the tribute why King Salomon raised tribute, to wit, to builde the house of the Lord, and his owne house, & [Note: [f] Millo was as the towne house or place of assemblie which was open aboue. ] Millo, & the wal of Ierusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.

¹⁶ Pharaoh King of Egypt had come vp, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slew the Canaanites, that dwelt in the citie, and gaue it for a present vnto his daughter Salomons wife.

¹⁷ (Therefore Salomon builte Gezer and Beth-horon the nether,

¹⁸ And Baalath and Tamor in the wildernes of the land,

¹⁹ And all the cities [Note: [g] Cities for his munitions of warre. ] of store, that Salomon had, euen cities for charets, and cities for horsemen, and all that Salomon desired and woulde build in Ierusalem, and in Lebanon and in all the land of his dominion)

²⁰ Al the people that were [Note: [h] These were as bondmen and payed what was required, either labour or money. ] left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hiuites, and Iebusites, which were not of the children of Israel:

²¹ To wit, their children that were left after them in the lande, whome the children of Israel were not able to destroy, those did Salomo make tributaries vnto this day.

²² But of the children of Israel did Salomon

[Note: Leuit.25 39. ] make no bondmen: but they were men of warre and his seruants, and his princes, & his captaines, and rulers of his charets and his horsemen.

²³ These were the princes of the officers, that were ouer Salomons worke: euen [Note: [i] The ouerseers of Salomons workes, were deuided into three partes: the first conteined 3300, the second 300, and the third 250, which were Israelites: so here are conteined the two last partes, which make 550. looke more, 2.Chro.8.10. ] fiue hundreth and fiftie, and they ruled the people that wrought in the worke.

²⁴ ¶ And Pharaohs daughter came vp from the citie of Dauid vnto the house which Salomon had built for her: then did he buylde Millo.

²⁵ And thrise a yere did Salomon offer burnt offringes and peace offrings vpon the altar which he built vnto the Lord: and hee burnt incense vpon the altar that was before the Lorde, when hee had finished the house.

²⁶ ¶ Also King Salomon made a nauie of ships in Ezeon-geber, which is beside Eloth, and the brinke of the red Sea, in the land of Edom.

²⁷ And Hiram sent with the nauie his seruats, that were mariners, and had knowledge of the sea, with the seruants of Salomon.

²⁸ And they came to Ophir and sette from thence [Note: [k] In the 2.chro. 8.18.is made mention of thirtie, more, which seeme to haue bene employed for their charges. ] foure hundreth and twentie talents of gold, and brought it to King Salomon.

1 The Queene of Saba commeth to heare the wisedome of Salomon. 18 His royall throne. 23 His power and magnificence.

¹ And the [Note: 2.Cron.9.1. mat.12.42. luke 11.31. ] Queene of [Note: [a] Iosephus sayth yt she was Queene of Ethiopia, and that Sheba was the name of the chiefe citie of Metoe, which is an yland of Nilus. ] Sheba hearing ye fame of Salomon (concerning the Name of the Lord) came to proue him with hard questions.

² And she came to Ierusalem with a verie great traine, and camels that bare sweete odours, and golde exceeding much, and precious stones: and shee came to Salomon, & communed with him of all that was in her heart.

³ And Salomon declared vnto her all her questions: nothing was hid from the King, which he expounded not vnto her.

⁴ Then the Queene of Sheba sawe all Salomons wisedome, and the house that he had built,

⁵ And the [Note: [b] That is, the whole order, and trade of his house. ] meate of his table, and the sitting of his seruants, and the order of his ministers, and their apparel, and his drinking vessels, and his burnt offrings, that he offered in the house of the Lord, and [Note: Ebr. there was no more spirit in her: ] she was greatly astonied.

⁶ And shee sayde vnto the King, It was a true worde that I heard in mine owne lande of thy sayings, and of thy wisedome.

⁷ Howebeit I beleeued not this report till I came, & had seene it with mine eyes: but lo, ye one halfe was not tolde mee: for thou hast more wisedome & prosperitie, then I haue heard by report.

⁸ Happy are the men, happie are these thy seruants, which stande euer before thee, and heare thy [Note: [c] But much more happie are they, which heare the wisdome of God reueiled in his worde. ] wisedome.

⁹ Blessed be the Lord thy God, which [Note: [d] It is a chiefe signe of Gods fanour, when godly and wise rulers sit in the throne of iustice. ] loued thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel, because the Lorde loued Israel for euer and made thee King to doe [Note: [e] This is the cause, why Kings are appointed. ] equitie and righteousnesse.

¹⁰ And she gaue the King sixe score talents of golde, and of sweete odours exceeding much, and precious stones. There came no more such aboudance of sweete odours, as the Queene of Sheba gaue to King Salomon.

¹¹ The nauie also of Hiram (that caried gold from Ophir) brought likewise great plentie of [Note: 2.Chro.9.10. ] Almuggim trees from Ophir & precious stones.

¹² And the King made of ye Almuggim trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for ye Kings [Page]

palace, and made harpes and psalteries for singers. There came no more such Almuggim trees, nor were any more seene vnto this day.

¹³ And King Salomo gaue vnto the Queene of Sheba, whatsoeuer she would aske, besides that, which Salomon gaue her [Note: Ebr. by the hand of the King. ] of his kingly liberalitie: so she returned and went to her owne countrey, both shee, and her seruantes.

¹⁴ ¶ Also the weight of golde, that came to Salomon in one yeere, was sixe hundreth three score and [Note: Exod.25.39. ] six talents of gold,

¹⁵ Besides that he had of marchant men and of the marchandises of them that solde spices, and of all the Kinges of Arabia, and of the princes of the [Note: [f] To wit, of Arabia, which for the great aboundance of al things was called, Happie. ] countrey.

¹⁶ And King Salomon made two hundreth targets of beaten golde, sixe hundreth shekels of gold went to a target:

¹⁷ And three hundreth shieldes of beaten golde, three pound of gold went to one shielde: and the King put them in the [Note: Chap.7.2. ] house of the wood of Lebanon.

¹⁸ ¶ Then the King made a great throne of yuorie, and couered it with the best golde.

¹⁹ And the throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind, and there were [Note: [g] As the chairebowes, or places to leane vpon. ] stayes on either side on the place of the throne, and two lions standing by the stayes.

²⁰ And there stoode twelue lions on the sixe steps on either side: there was not the like made in any kingdome.

²¹ And all King Salomons drinking vessels were of golde, and all the vessels of the house of the woode of Lebanon were of pure golde, none were of siluer: for it was nothing esteemed in the dayes of Salomon.

²² For the King had on the sea the nauie of Tharshish with the nauie of Hiram: once in three yere came the nauie of [Note: [h] By Tharshish is ment Cilicia, which was abundant in varietie of precious things. ] Tharshish, and brought golde & siluer, yuorie, and apes and peacockes.

²³ So King Salomon exceeded all the kings of the earth both in riches and in wisedome.

²⁴ And al the world sought to see Salomon, to heare his wisedome, which God had put in his heart,

²⁵ And they brought euery man his present,

vessels of siluer, and vessels of golde, and raiment, and armour, and sweete odours, horses & mules, from yeere to yeere.

²⁶ Then Salomon gathered together [Note: 2.Chron.1.14. ] charrets and horsemen: and he had a thousand and foure hundreth charets, and twelue thousande horsemen, whome hee placed in the charet cities, and with the King at Ierusalem.

²⁷ And the King [Note: Or, he made siluer as plenteous as stones. ] gaue siluer in Ierusalem as stones, and gaue cedars as the wilde figtrees that growe abundantly in the plaine.

²⁸ Also Salomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and fine linen: [Note: Or, for the companie of the Kings marchants did receiue a number at a price. ] the Kings marchants receiued the linen for a price.

²⁹ There came vp & went out of Egypt some charet, worth sixe hundreth shekels of siluer: that is, one horse, an hundreth and fiftie and thus they brought horses to all the Kings of the Hittites and to the Kings of Aram by their [Note: Ebr. hands. ] meanes.

1 Salomon hath a thousand wiues and concubines, which bring him to idolatrie. 14 His God raiseth vp aduersaries against him. 43 He dieth.

¹ Bvt King Salomon loued [Note: Deut.17.17. ecclus.47.19. ] many [Note: [a] Which were idolaters. ] outlandish women: both the daughter of Pharaoh, and the women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, Zidon and Heth,

² Of the nations, whereof the Lord had sayd vnto the children of Israel, [Note: Exod.36.16. ] Goe not ye in to them, nor let them come in to you: for surely they will turne your hearts after their gods, to them, I say, did Salomon ioyne in loue.

³ And he had seuen hundreth wiues, that were [Note: Or, Queenes. ] princesses, and three hundreth [Note: [b] To whome apperteined no dowrie. ] concubines, and his wiues turned away his heart.

⁴ For when Salomon was olde, his wiues turned his heart after other gods, so that his heart was not [Note: [c] He serued not God with a pure heart. ] perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of Dauid his father.

⁵ For Salomon followed [Note: Iudg.2.13. ] Ashtaroth the god of the Zidonians, and [Note: [d] Who was also called Molech, verse 7.reade 2.King.23.10. ] Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

⁶ So Salomon wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lord, but continued not to followe the Lord, as did Dauid his father.

⁷ Then did Salomon build an hie place for Chemosh the [Note: [e] Thus the Scripture termeth whatsoeuer man doeth reuerence & serue as God. ] abomination of Moab, in the mountaine that is ouer against Ierusalem, and vnto Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon.

⁸ And so did he for all his outlandish wiues, which burnt incense and offered vnto their gods.

⁹ Therefore the Lord was angry with Salomon, because hee had turned his heart from the Lorde God of Israel, [Note: Chap.3.5.& 9.2. ] which had appeared vnto him twise,

¹⁰ And had giuen him a [Note: Chap.6.12. ] charge concerning this thing, that he should not follow other gods: but he kept not that, which the Lorde had commaunded him.

¹¹ Wherefore the Lord sayd vnto Salomon, Forasmuch as [Note: [f] That thou hast forsaken me and worshipped idols. ] this is done of thee, & thou hast not kept my couenant, and my statutes (which I commanded thee) [Note: Chap.12.15. ] I will surely rent the kingdome from thee, and will giue it to thy seruant.

¹² Notwithstanding in thy dayes I will not doe it, because of Dauid thy father, but I will rent it out of the hand of thy sonne:

¹³ Howbeit I wil not rent all the Kingdome, but will giue one [Note: [g] Because the tribes of Iudah & Beniamin had their possessions mixed, they are here taken as one tribe. ] tribe to thy sonne, because of

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Dauid my seruant, & because of Ierusalem which I haue chosen.
¹⁴ ¶ Then the Lord stirred vp an aduersarie vnto Salomon, euen Hadad the Edomite, of the Kings [Note: [h] Of the King of Edoms stocke. ] seede, which was in Edom.

¹⁵ [Note: 2 Sam.8.14. ] For when Dauid was in Edom, and Ioab the captaine of the hoste had smitten all the males in Edom, & was gone vp to bury ye [Note: [i] Of the Edomites. ] slaine,

¹⁶ (For six moneths did Ioab remaine there, and all Israel, till he had destroyed all the males in Edom)

¹⁷ Then this Hadad [Note: [k] Thus God reserued this idolater to be a scourge to punish his peoples sinnes. ] fled and certaine other Edomites of his fathers seruants with him, to goe into Egypt, Hadad being yet a litle childe.

¹⁸ And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran, and tooke men with them out of Paran, and came to Egypt vnto Pharaoh King of Egypt, which gaue him an house, and appointed him vitailes, and gaue him lande.

¹⁹ So Hadad [Note: [l] God brought him to honour that his power might be more able to compasse his enterprises against Salomons house. ] found great fauour in the sight of Pharaoh, and he gaue him to wife the sister of his owne wife, euen the sister of Tahpenes the Queene.

²⁰ And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his sonne, whome Tahpenes wayned in Pharaohs house: and Genubath was in Pharaohs house among the sonnes of Pharaoh.

²¹ And when Hadad heard in Egypt, that Dauid slept with his fathers, and that Ioab the captaine of the hoste was dead, Hadad sayde to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may goe to mine owne countrey.

²² But Pharaoh saide vnto him, What hast thou lacked with me, that thou wouldest thus go to thine owne countrey? And he answered, Nothing, but in any wise let me goe.

²³ ¶ [Note: 2.Sam.8.3. ] And God stirred him vp another aduersarie, Rezon the sonne of Eliada, which [Note: [m] When Dauid had discomfited Hadadezer and his armie. ] fled from his lorde Hadadezer King of Zobah.

²⁴ And he gathered men vnto him, and had bene captaine ouer the company, when Dauid slew them. And they went to Damascus, & dwelt there, [Note: [n] To wit, the men whome he had gathered vnto him. ] and they made him King in Damascus.

²⁵ Therefore was he an aduersarie to Israel all the daies of Salomon: besides the euil that Hadad did, he also abhorred Israel, & reigned ouer Aram

²⁶ ¶ [Note: 2.Chron.13.6. ] And Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat an Ephrathite of Zereda Salomons seruant (whose mother was called Zeruah a widowe) lift vp his hand against the King.

²⁷ And this was the cause that he lift vp his hande against the King, When Salomon built Millo, he repared the broken places of the citie of Dauid his father.

²⁸ And this man Ieroboam was a man of strength and courage, and Salomon seeing that the yong man was meete for the worke, he made him [Note: [o] He was ouerseer of Salomons workes for the tribe of Ephraim and Manasseh. ] ouerseer of all the labour of the house of Ioseph.

²⁹ And at that time, when Ieroboam went out of Ierusalem, the Prophet Ahiiah the Shilonite founde him in the way, hauing a newe garment on him, and they two were alone in ye field.

³⁰ Then Ahiiah caught the newe garment that was on him, and [Note: [p] By these visible signes the prophets would more deepely print their message into their hearts, to whome they were sent. ] rent it in twelue pieces,

³¹ And said to Ieroboam, Take vnto thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lorde God of Israel, Beholde, I wil rent the kingdome out of ye hands of Salomon, and will giue ten tribes to thee.

³² But he shall haue one tribe for my seruant

Dauids sake, and for Ierusalem the citie, which I haue chosen out of all the tribes of Israel,

³³ Because they haue forsaken me, and haue worshipped Ashtaroth the god of the Zidonians, and Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and haue not walked in my wayes (to [Note: Or, to doe that, that pleaseth me. ] do right in mine eyes, & my statutes, & my lawes) as did Dauid his father.

³⁴ But I will not take the whole kingdome out of his hande: for I will make him prince all his life long for Dauid my seruants sake, whome I haue chosen, and who kept my commandements and my statutes.

³⁵ [Note: Chap.12.15. ] But I will take the kingdome out of his sonnes hand, and will giue it vnto thee, euen the ten tribes.

³⁶ And vnto his sonne will I giue one tribe, that Dauid my seruant may haue a [Note: [q] He hath respect vnto the Messiah, which should be the bright starre that should shine through all the worlde. ] light alway before me in Ierusalem the citie, which I haue chosen me, to put my Name there.

³⁷ And I wil take thee, and thou shalt reigne, [Note: Ebr. in all that thy soule. ] euen as thine heart desireth, and shalt be King ouer Israel.

³⁸ And if thou hearken vnto all that I commande thee, and wilt walke in my wayes, and doe right in my sight, to keepe my statutes and my commandements, as Dauid my seruant did, then will I be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built vnto Dauid, and wil giue Israel vnto thee.

³⁹ And I will for [Note: [r] For this idolatrie that Salomon hath committed. ] this afflict the seede of Dauid, [Note: [s] For the whole spirituall kingdome was restored in Messiah. ] but not for euer.

⁴⁰ ¶ Salomon sought therefore to kill Ieroboam, and Ieroboam arose, and fled into Egypt vnto Shishak King of Egypt, and was in Egypt vntil the death of Salomon.

⁴¹ And the rest of the wordes of Salomon, and all that he did, and his wisedom, are they not written in the [Note: [t] Which booke, as is thought, was lost in their captiuitie. ] booke of the actes of Salomon?

⁴² The time that Salomon reigned in Ierusalem ouer all Israel, was [Note: 2.Chron.9.30. ] fourtie yeere.

⁴³ And Salomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the citie of Dauid his father: and Rehoboam his sonne reigned in his steade.

1 Rehoboam succeedeth Salomon. 8 He refuseth the counsell of the Ancient. 20 Ieroboam reigneth ouer Israel. 21 God commandeth Rehoboam not to fight. 28 Ieroboam maketh golden calues.

¹ And [Note: 2.Chron.10.1. ] Rehoboam went to Shechem: for al Israel were come to Sheche, to make him king

² And whe Ieroboam ye sonne of Nebat heard of it (who was yet in Egypt, [Note: Chap.11.40. ] whither Ieroboam had fled from king Salomon, & [Note: Or, returned from Egypt. ] dwelt in Egypt)

³ Then they sent and called him: and Ieroboam and all the Congregation of Israel came, and spake vnto Rehoboam, saying,

⁴ Thy father made our [Note: Chap.4.7. ] yoke grieuous: now therefore make thou the grieuous seruitude of thy father, and his sore yoke which he put vpon vs, [Note: [a] Oppresse vs not with so great charges, which we are not able to susteine. ] lighter, and we will serue thee.

⁵ And he said vnto them, Depart yet for three dayes, then come againe to me. And the people departed.

⁶ And King Rehoboam tooke counsell with the olde men that [Note: Or, had bene of his ancient counsellers. ] had stande before Salomon his father, while he yet liued, and sayde, What counsell giue ye, that I may make an answere to this people?

⁷ And they spake vnto him, saying, If thou be a [Note: [b] They shewed him that there was no way to winne the peoples hearts, but to grant them their iust petition. ] seruant vnto this people this day, and serue [Page]

them, and answere them, & speake kinde wordes to them, they will be thy seruants for euer.

⁸ But he forsooke the counsell that the olde men had giuen him, and asked counsell of the yong men that had bene brought vp with him, and waited on him.

⁹ And he said vnto them, [Note: [c] There is nothing harder for them, that are in authoritie, then to bridle their affections, and followe good counsell. ] What counsell giue ye, that we may answere this people, which haue spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke, which thy father did put vpon vs, lighter?

¹⁰ Then the yong men that were brought vp with him, spake vnto him, saying, Thus shalt thou say vnto this people, that haue spoken vnto thee, and said, Thy father hath made our yoke heauie, but make thou it lighter vnto vs: euen thus shalt thou say vnto them, My [Note: Or, litle finger. ] least part shalbe [Note: [d] I am much more able to keepe you in subiection then my father was. ] bigger then my fathers loynes.

¹¹ Now where as my father did burden you with a grieuous yoke, I will yet make your yoke heauier: my father hath chastised you with rods, but I will correct you with [Note: Or, scorpions. ] scourges.

¹² ¶ Then Ieroboam & all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had [Note: [e] The people declare their obedience in this, that they would attempt nothing before the King had giuen them iust occasion. ] appointed, saying, Come to me againe ye thirde day.

¹³ And the king answered the people sharpely, and left the old mens counsell that they gaue him,

¹⁴ And spake to them after the counsell of the yong men, saying, My father made your yoke grieuous, and I will make your yoke more grieuous: my father hath chastised you with rods, but I will correct you with scourges.

¹⁵ And the King hearkened not vnto the people: for [Note: Or, the Lord was the cause. ] it was the ordinance of the Lorde, that he might perfourme his saying, which the Lorde had spoken by [Note: Chap.11.11. ] Ahiiah the Shilonite vnto Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat.

¹⁶ So when all Israel sawe that the King regarded them not, the people answered the King thus, saying, What portion haue we in [Note: [f] Though their cause were good, yet it is most hard for the people to bridle their affections, as these vile wordes declare. ] Dauid? we haue none inheritance in the sonne of Ishai. To your tents, O Israel: nowe see to thine owne house, Dauid. So Israel departed vnto their tents.

¹⁷ Howbeit ouer the children of Israel, which dwelt in the cities of Iudah, did Rehoboam reigne still.

¹⁸ ¶ Nowe the King Rehoboam sent Adoram the receiuer of the tribute, and all Israel stoned him to death: then King Rehoboam [Note: Ebr. strengthened him selfe. ] made speede to get him vp to his charet, to flee to Ierusalem.

¹⁹ And Israel rebelled against the house [Note: [g] By the iust iudgement of God for Salomons sinnes. ] of Dauid vnto this day.

²⁰ ¶ And when all Israel had heard that Ieroboam was come againe, they sent and called him vnto the assemblie, and made him King ouer all Israel: none followed the house of Dauid, but the tribe of Iudah [Note: Chap.11.13. ] onely.

²¹ And when Rehoboam was come to Ierusalem, he [Note: [h] For as yet he perceiued not that the Lord had so appointed it. ] gathered all the house of Iudah with the tribe of Beniamin an hundreth and foure score thousand of chosen men (which were good warriours) to fight against the house of Israel, and to bring the kingdome againe to Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon.

²² [Note: 2.Chron.11.2. ] But the worde of God came vnto Shemaiah the [Note: [i] That is, the Prophet. ] man of God, saying,

²³ Speake vnto Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon King of Iudah, and vnto all the house of Iudah and Beniamin, and the remnant of the

people, saying,

²⁴ Thus saith the [Note: [k] Who of his iust iudgement will punish the trespasser, and of his mercie spare the innocent people. ] Lord, Ye shall not go vp, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: returne euery man to his house: for this thing is done by me. They obeyed therefore the worde of the Lorde and returned, and departed, according to the worde of the Lorde.

²⁵ ¶ Then Ieroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein, and went fro thence, and built Penuel.

²⁶ And Ieroboam thought in his heart, Nowe shall the kingdome returne to the house of Dauid.

²⁷ If this people goe vp and doe sacrifice in the house of the Lorde [Note: [l] He feared lest his people shoulde haue by this meanes bene entised to rebell against him. ] at Ierusalem, then shall the heart of this people turne againe vnto their lorde, euen to Rehoboam King of Iudah: so shall they kill me and goe againe to Rehoboam King of Iudah.

²⁸ Whereupon the King tooke counsell, and made two calues of golde, and saide vnto them, [Note: [m] So craftie are the carnall perswasions of princes, when they will make a religion to serue to their appetite. ] It is too much for you to goe vp to Ierusalem: beholde, O Israel, thy gods, which brought thee vp out of the lande of Egypt.

²⁹ And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other set he in Dan.

³⁰ And this thing turned to sinne: for the people went (because of the one) euen to Dan.

³¹ Also he made an [Note: [n] That is, a temple, where altars were built for idolatrie. ] house of hie places, and made Priestes of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sonnes of Leui.

³² And Ieroboam made a feast the [Note: [o] Because he would the more binde the peoples deuotion to his idolatrie, he made a newe holy day, besides those that the Lorde had appointed in the Law. ] fifteenth day of the eight moneth, like vnto the feast that is in Iudah, and offred on the altar. So did he in Beth-el and offered vnto the calues that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the Priestes of the hie places, which he had made.

³³ And he offered vpon the altar, which he had made in Beth-el, the fifteenth day of the eight moneth, (euen in the moneth which he had forged of his owne heart) and made a solemne feast vnto the children of Israel: and he went vp to the altar, to burne incense.

1 Ieroboam is reprehended of the Prophet. 4 His hande dryeth vp. 15 The Prophet is seduced, 24 And is killed of a lyon. 33 The obstinacie of Ieroboam.

¹ And beholde, there came [Note: [a] That is, a Prophet. ] a man of God out of Iudah (by the commaundement of the Lorde) vnto [Note: [b] Not that that was called Luz in Beniamin, but another of that name. ] Beth-el, and Ieroboam stoode by the altar to offer incense.

² And he cryed against the altar by the comandement of the Lorde, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord, Beholde, a child shalbe borne vnto the house of Dauid, [Note: 2.King.23.17. ] Iosiah by name, and vpon thee shall he sacrifice the Priestes of the hie places that burne incense vpon thee, and they shall burne mens bones vpon thee.

³ And he gaue a signe the same time, saying, This is the [Note: [c] By this signe ye shall knowe that the Lorde hath sent me. ] signe, that the Lorde hath spoken, Behold, the altar shall rent, and the ashes that are vpon it, shall [Note: Or, be powred out. ] fall out.

⁴ And when the King had heard the saying of the man of God, which he had cryed against the altar in Beth-el, Ieroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, [Note: [d] The wicked rage against the Prophets of God, when they declare them Gods iudgements. ] Lay holde on him: but his hande which he put foorth against him, dryed vp, and he could not pull it in againe to him.

⁵ The altar also claue asunder, and the ashes

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fell out from the altar, according to the signe, which the man of God had giuen by the [Note: Ebr. mouth. ] commandement of the Lord.
⁶ Then the King answered, and saide vnto the man of God, [Note: [e] Though the wicked humble themselues for a time, when they feele Gods iudgements, yet after they returne to their old malice and declare that they are but vile hypocrites. ] I beseeche thee, pray vnto ye Lorde thy God, and make intercession for me, that mine hand may bee restored vnto me. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the Kings hand was restored, and became as it was afore.

⁷ Then the King sayde vnto the man of God, Come home with mee, that thou mayest [Note: Or, take sustenance. ] dyne, and I will giue thee a reward.

⁸ But the man of God saide vnto the King, If thou wouldest giue me halfe thine house, I would not goe in with thee, neither woulde I eate bread nor drinke water in this place.

⁹ For so [Note: Or, hee charged me: to wit, an Angel. ] was it charged mee by the worde of the Lorde, saying, [Note: [f] Seing he had the expresse word of God, he ought not to haue declined there from, neither for the persuasion of man nor Angel. ] Eate no bread nor drinke water, nor turne againe by the same way that thou camest.

¹⁰ So he went another way and returned not by the way that he came to Beth-el.

¹¹ ¶ And an olde Prophet dwelt in Beth-el, and his sonnes came and tolde him all ye woorkes, that the man of God had done that day in Beth-el, and the wordes which he had spoken vnto the King, tolde they their father.

¹² And their father sayde vnto them, What way went he? and his sonnes [Note: Ebr. looked. ] shewed him what waye the man of God went, which came from Iudah.

¹³ And hee saide vnto his sonnes, Saddle mee the asse. Who sadled him the asse, and hee rode thereon,

¹⁴ And went after the man of God, & found him sitting vnder an oke: and he saide vnto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Iudah? And he sayd, [Note: Ebr. I am. ] Yea.

¹⁵ Then he said vnto him, [Note: [g] This he did of a simple minde, thinking it his duetie to declare friendship to a Prophet. ] Come home with me, and eate bread.

¹⁶ But he answered, I may not returne with thee, nor go in with thee, neither wil I eate bread nor drinke water with thee in this place.

¹⁷ For it was charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Thou shalt eate no bread, nor drinke water there, nor turne againe to goe by the way that thou wentest.

¹⁸ And he said vnto him, I am a Prophet also as thou art, and an [Note: [h] His faulte is here double: first in that that he suffreth not the Prophet to obey Gods expresse commandement: and next, that he faineth to haue a reuelation to the contrarie. ] Angel spake vnto me by the worde of the Lord, saying, Bring him againe with thee into thine house, that hee may eate bread & drinke water: but he lyed vnto him.

¹⁹ So he went againe with him, and did eate bread in his house, and dranke water.

²⁰ And as they sate at the table, the worde of the Lorde came vnto the Prophet, that brought him againe.

²¹ And hee cried vnto the man of God that came from Iudah, saying, Thus sayeth the Lorde, [Note: [i] God would reproue his folie by him, who was the occasion to bring him into error. ] Because thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lorde, and hast not kept the commaundement which the Lord thy God commanded thee,

²² But camest backe againe, and hast eaten bread and drunke water in the place (whereof he did say vnto thee, Thou shalt eate no bread nor drinke any water) thy carkeis shall not come vnto the sepulchre of thy fathers.

²³ ¶ And when he had eaten bread & drunke, he sadled him the asse, to wit, to the Prophet whome he had brought againe.

²⁴ And when hee was gone, [Note: [k] By this feareful example, God setteth forth, howe dangerous a thing it is for men to behaue themselues coldly, or deceitfully in their charge whereunto God hath called them. ] a lion met him by the way, and slewe him, and his body was cast in the way, and the asse stoode thereby: the lion stood by the corps also.

²⁵ And beholde, men that passed by, sawe the carkeis cast in the way, and the lion standing by the corps: and they came and tolde it in ye towne where the olde Prophet dwelt.

²⁶ And when the Prophet that brought him backe againe from the waye, hearde thereof, hee sayde, It is the man of God, who hath bene disobedient vnto the commandement of the Lorde: therefore the Lorde hath deliuered him vnto the lion, which hath rent him and slayne him, according to the worde of the Lorde, which hee spake vnto him.

²⁷ ¶ And he spake to his sonnes, saying, Saddle me the asse. And they sadled him.

²⁸ And he went and founde his body cast in the way, and the asse and the lion stoode by the corps: and the lion had [Note: [l] To declare that this was only the iudgement of God: for if the lion had done it for hunger, hee would also haue deuoured the body. ] not eaten the bodie, nor torne the asse.

²⁹ And the Prophet tooke vp the body of the man of God, & layed it vpon the asse, & brought it againe, and the olde Prophet came to the citie, to lament and burie him.

³⁰ And hee layed his bodie in his [Note: [m] Which hee had prepared for himselfe. ] owne graue, and they lamented ouer him, saying, Alas, my brother.

³¹ And when he had buried him, hee spake to his sonnes, saying, When I am dead, burie ye mee also in the sepulchre, wherein the man of God is buried: lay my bones beside his bones.

³² For that thing which he cried by the word of the Lorde against the altar that is in Beth-el, and against all the houses of the hie places, which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to passe.

³³ Howbeit after this, Ieroboam [Note: [n] So the wicked profite not by Gods threatnings, but goe backward and become worse and worse, 2. Tim.3.13. ] conuerted not from his wicked way, but turned againe, and made of the lowest of the people Priests of the hie places. Who would, might [Note: Ebr. fill his hand. ] consecrate him selfe, and be of the Priestes of the hie places.

³⁴ And this thing turned to sinne vnto the house of Ieroboam, euen to roote it out, and destroy it from the face of the earth.

1 Ieroboam sendeth his wife disguised to Ahiiah the Prophet, who declareth vnto him the destruction of his house. 20 Iudah is punished by Shishak.

¹ At that time Abiiah the sonne of Ieroboam fell sicke.

² And Ieroboam saide vnto his wife, Vp, I pray thee, [Note: [a] His owne conscience bare him witnesse, that the Prophet of God would not satisfie his affections which was a wicked man. ] and disguise thy selfe, that they know not that thou art the wife of Ieroboam, and goe to Shiloh: for there is Ahiiah the Prophet, which tolde mee [Note: Chap.11.31. ] that I shoulde bee King ouer this people,

³ And take [Note: Ebr. in thine hand. ] with [Note: [b] According to the custome when they went to aske counsel of prophets, 1.Sam.9.7. ] thee tenne loaues and [Note: Or, wafers. ] craknels, and a bottell of honie, and go to him: hee shall tell thee what shall become of the yong man.

⁴ And Ieroboams wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahiiah: but Ahiiah could not see, for his [Note: Ebr. eyes stoode. ] sight was decayed for his age.

⁵ Then the Lord saide vnto Ahiiah, Beholde, the wife of Ieroboam commeth to aske a thing of thee for her sonne, for he is sicke: thus & thus shalt thou say vnto her: for when shee commeth [Page]

in, shee shall feine her selfe to be [Note: [c] Then the wife of Ieroboam. ] another.

⁶ Therefore when Ahiiah heard the sounde of her feete as shee came in at the doore, hee saide, Come in, thou [Note: [d] For God oft times discloseth vnto his the craft & subtiltie of the wicked. ] wife of Ieroboam: why feinest thou thus thy selfe to bee an other? I am sent to thee with heauie tidings.

⁷ Goe, tel Ieroboam, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Forasmuch as I haue exalted [Note: [e] Which wast but a seruant. ] thee from among the people, and haue made thee prince ouer my people Israel,

⁸ And haue rent the kingdome away from the house of Dauid, and haue giuen it thee, and thou hast not bene as my seruant Dauid, which kept my commaundements, and followed mee with all his heart, and did onely that which was right in mine eyes,

⁹ But hast done euil aboue al that were before thee (for thou hast gone & made thee other gods, and [Note: [f] To wit, two calues. ] molten images, to prouoke me, & hast cast me behinde thy backe)

¹⁰ Therefore beholde, I will bring euill vpon the house of Ieroboam, and will cut off from Ieroboam him that [Note: Chap.21.21. & 2.king.9.8. ] [Note: [g] Euery male euen to the dogs, 1.Sam.25.22. ] pisseth against the wall, aswell him that [Note: [h] As well him that is in the strong holde, as him that is abroad. ] is shut vp, as him that is left in Israel, and will sweepe away the remnant of the house of Ieroboam, as a man sweepeth away doung, till it be all gone.

¹¹ The dogges shall eate him of Ieroboams stocke that dyeth in the citie, and the foules of the aire shall eate him that dyeth in the fielde: [Note: [i] They shall lack the honour of buriall in token of Gods malediction. ] for the Lord hath said it.

¹² Vp therefore and get thee to thine house: for when thy feete enter into the citie, the childe shall die.

¹³ And al Israel shall mourne for him, and burie him: for he onely of Ieroboam shall come to the graue, because in him there is found [Note: [k] In the middes of the wicked, God hath some, on whom he doeth bestowe his mercies. ] some goodnes towarde the Lorde God of Israel in the house of Ieroboam.

¹⁴ Moreouer, the Lorde shall stirre him vp a King ouer Israel, which shall destroy the house of Ieroboam in that day: [Note: [l] The Lorde will begin to destroy it out of hand. ] what? yea, euen nowe.

¹⁵ For the Lorde shall smite Israel, as when a reede is shaken in the water, and hee shall weede Israel out of his good lad, which he gaue to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the [Note: [m] Meaning, Euphrates. ] Riuer, because they haue made them groues, prouoking the Lord to anger.

¹⁶ And he shall giue Israel vp, because of the sinnes of Ieroboam, who did sinne, and [Note: [n] The people shall not be excused, when they do euill at the commandement of their gouernours. ] made Israel to sinne.

¹⁷ ¶ And Ieroboams wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah, and when shee came to the threshold of the house, the yong man dyed,

¹⁸ And they buried him, and all Israel lamented him; according to the word of the Lord, which hee spake by the hand of his seruant Ahiiah the Prophet.

¹⁹ And the rest of Ieroboams actes, how hee warred, and howe hee reigned, beholde, they are written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

²⁰ And the dayes which Ieroboam reigned, were two and twentie yeere: and he [Note: [o] The Lord smote him that he died, 2.Chro. 13.20. ] slept with his fathers, and Nadab his sonne reigned in his steade.

²¹ ¶ Also Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon reigned in Iudah. Rehoboam was one and fourtie yere olde, when he began to reigne, & reigned seuenteene [Note: [p] And dyed before Ieroboam about 4 yeeres. ] yere in Ierusalem, the citie which the

Lord did chuse out of al the tribes of Israel, to put his Name there: and his mothers name was Naamah an Ammonite.

²² And Iudah wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lorde: and they prouoked him more with their sinnes, which they had committed, [Note: Or, besides all that their fathers had done by their sinnes. ] then all that which their fathers had done.

²³ For they also made them hie places, and images, and groues on euery hie hill, and vnder euery greene tree.

²⁴ There were also Sodomites [Note: [q] Where idolatrie reigneth, all horrible vices are committed, till at length Gods iust iudgement destroy them vtterly. ] in the lande, they did according to all the abominations of the nations, which the Lorde had cast out before the children of Israel.

²⁵ ¶ And in the fift yere of King Rehoboam, Shishak King of Egypt came vp against Ierusale,

²⁶ And tooke the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the Kings house, and tooke away all: also he caried away all the shields of golde [Note: Chap.10.16. ] which Salomon had made.

²⁷ And King Rehoboam made for them brasen shieldes, and committed them vnto ye hands of the chiefe of the garde, which wayted at the doore of the Kings house.

²⁸ And when the King went into the house of the Lorde, the garde bare them, and brought them againe into the gard chamber.

²⁹ And the rest of the actes of Rehoboam, and all that hee did, are they not written in [Note: [r] Which bookes were called the bookes of Shemaiah and Iddo the Prophets, 2.Chro. 12.15. ] the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah?

³⁰ And there was warre betweene Rehoboam and Ieroboam [Note: [s] That is, all the dayes of Rehoboams life ] continually.

³¹ And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the citie of Dauid: his mothers name was Naamah an [Note: [t] Whose idolatrie Rehoboam her sonne followed ] Ammonite. And Abiiam his sonne reigned in his stead.

1 Abiiam reigneth ouer Iudah. 9 Asa succeedeth in his roume. 16 The battell betweene Asa and Baasha. 24 Iehoshaphat succeedeth Asa. 25 Nadab succeedeth Ieroboam. 28 Baasha killeth Nadab.

¹ And in the eighteene yere of King [Note: 2.Chro.11.12. ] Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, reigned Abiiam ouer Iudah.

² Three yeere reigned hee in Ierusalem, and his mothers name was Maachah the daughter of [Note: [a] Some thinke that this was Absalom Salomons sonne. ] Abishalom.

³ And hee walked in all the sinnes of his father, which hee had done before him: and his heart was not perfit with the Lord his God as the heart of Dauid his father.

⁴ But for Dauids sake did the Lorde his God giue him a [Note: [b] Meaning, a sonne to reigne ouer Iudah. ] light in Ierusalem, and set vp his sonne after him, and established Ierusalem,

⁵ Because Dauid did that which was right in the sight of the Lorde, and turned from nothing that he commanded him, all the dayes of his life, [Note: 2.Sam.11.4. and 12.9. ] saue onely in the matter of Vriah the Hittite.

⁶ And there was warre betweene Rehoboam and Ieroboam as long as he liued.

⁷ The rest also of the actes of Abiiam, and all that he did, are they not written in the [Note: 2.Chron.13.3. ] booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah? there was also warre betweene Abiiam, and Ieroboam.

⁸ And Abiiam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the citie of Dauid: and Asa his sonne reigned in his steade.

⁹ ¶ [Note: 2.Chro.14.1. ] And in the twentie yeere of Ieroboam King of Israel reigned Asa ouer Iudah.

¹⁰ He reigned in Ierusalem one and fourtie

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yeere, and his [Note: [c] That is, his grandmother, as Dauid is oft times called father of them, whose gradfather he was. ] mothers name was Maachah the daughter of Abishalom.
¹¹ And Asa did right in the eyes of the Lord, as did Dauid his father.

¹² And he tooke away the Sodomites out of the lande, and put away all the idoles that his fathers had made.

¹³ And he [Note: [d] Neither kinred nor authoritie ought to be regarded, when they blaspheme God & become idolaters, but must be punished. ] put downe [Note: 2.Chro.15.16. ] Maachah his mother also from her estate, because shee had made an idole in a groue: and Asa destroyed her idoles, and burnt them by the brooke Kidron.

¹⁴ But they put not downe the hie places. Neuertheles Asas heart was [Note: [e] For in that that he suffred them to worship God in other places, then he had appointed, it came of ignorance and not of malice. ] vpright with the Lord all his dayes.

¹⁵ Also he brought in the holy vessels of his father, & the things that he had dedicated vnto ye house of the Lord, siluer, and golde, and vessels.

¹⁶ ¶ And there was warre betweene Asa and Baasha King of Israel all their dayes.

¹⁷ Then Baasha king of Israel went vp against Iudah, and buylt [Note: [f] Of the same purpose that Ieroboam did, because the people should not go vp to Ierusalem lest they shoulde follow Asa. ] Ramah, so that he woulde let none go out or in to Asa King of Iudah.

¹⁸ Then Asa tooke all the siluer and the gold that was left in the treasures of the house of the Lord, & the treasures of the kings house, and deliuered them into the handes of his seruantes, and King Asa sent them to [Note: 2.Chron.16.2. ] Ben-hadad the sonne of Tabrimon, the sonne of Hezion king of [Note: Or, Syria. ] Aram that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

¹⁹ There is a couenant betweene me & thee, and betweene my father and thy father: behold, I haue sent vnto thee a present of siluer & golde: come, breake thy couenant with Baasha King of Israel, that he may [Note: [g] And vexe me no longer. ] depart from me.

²⁰ So Ben-hadad hearkened vnto King Asa, and sent the captaines of the hosts, which he had, against the cities of Israel, and smote lion, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, & all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.

²¹ And when Baasha heard thereof, hee left buylding of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.

²² Then king Asa [Note: Or, made a proclamation. ] assembled al Iudah, [Note: Ebr. none innocent. ] none excepted. and they tooke the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had buylt, & King Asa built with them Geba of Beniamin and Mizpah.

²³ And the rest of all the actes of Asa, and all his might, & all that he did, and the cities which he buylt, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah? but in his olde age he was diseased in his [Note: [h] He had the goute & put his trust rather in physicious then in the Lord, 2.Chro.16.12. ] feete.

²⁴ And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the citie of Dauid his [Note: [i] His great grandfather. ] father. And Iehoshaphat his sonne reigned in his steade.

²⁵ And Nadab the sonne of Ieroboam began to reigne ouer Israel the second yere of Asa King of Iudah, and reigned ouer Israel two yeere.

²⁶ And he did euill in the sight of the Lorde, walking in the way of his father, and in his sinne wherewith he made Israel to sinne.

²⁷ And Baasha the sonne of Ahijah of ye house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha slue him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistims: for Nadab and all Israel layde siege to Gibbethon.

²⁸ Euen in the third yeere of Asa King of Iudah did Baasha slay him, & reigned in his steade.

²⁹ And when he was King, he [Note: [k] So God stirred vp one tyrant to punish the wickednes of another. ] smote all the house of Ieroboam, he left none aliue to Ieroboa,

vntill hee had destroyed him, according to the [Note: Chap. 14.10. ] word of the Lord which he spake by his seruant Ahijah the Shilonite,

³⁰ Because of the sinnes of Ieroboam which he committed, and wherewith he made Israel to sinne, by his [Note: [l] By causing the people to commit idolatrie with his calues, & so prouoking God to anger. ] prouocation, wherewith he prouoked the Lord God of Israel.

³¹ And the residue of the actes of Nadab, & all that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

³² And there was warre betweene Asa & Baasha King of Israel, all their dayes.

³³ In the thirde yeere of Asa King of Iudah, began Baasha the sonne of Ahijah to reigne ouer all Israel in [Note: [m] Which was the place where the kings of Israel remained. ] Tirzah, and reigned foure & twentie yeeres.

³⁴ And he did euill in the sight of the Lorde, walking in the way of Ieroboam, & in his sinne, wherewith he made Israel to sinne.

1 Of Baasha, 6 Elah, 9 Zimri, 16 Omri. 31 Ahab marrieth Iezebel. 34 Iericho is built againe.

¹ Then the word of the Lord came to Iehu the sonne of Hanani against Baasha, saying,

² [Note: [a] Thus spake Iehu to Baasha in the Name of the Lord. ] Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, & made thee captaine ouer my people Israel, and thou hast walked in the way of Ieroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sinne, to prouoke me with their sinnes,

³ Beholde, I will take away the posteritie of Baasha, and the posteritie of his house, and will make [Note: [b] Meaning, the house of Baasha. ] thine house like the [Note: Chap. 15.29. ] house of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat.

⁴ [Note: Chap. 14.11. ] He that dyeth of Baashas stocke in the citie, him shal the dogs eate: and that man of him which dyeth in the fieldes, shall the foules of the ayre eate.

⁵ And the rest of the actes of Baasha & what he did, & his [Note: Or, valiantnesse. ] power, are they not written in the booke of the [Note: 2.Chron.16.1. ] Chronicles of the kings of Israel?

⁶ So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buryed in Tirzah, and Elah his sonne reigned in his steade.

⁷ And [Note: [c] That is, the Prophet did his message. ] also by the hande of Iehu the sonne of Hanani the Prophet, came the worde of the Lord to Baasha, and to his house, that he shoulde be like the house of Ieroboam, euen for all the wickednes that he did in the sight of the Lord, in prouoking him with the worke of his hands, and because he killed [Note: [d] Meaning, Nadab Ieroboams sonne. ] him.

⁸ ¶ In the sixe and twentie yeere of Asa king of Iudah began Elah ye sonne of Baasha to reigne ouer Israel in Tirzah, and reigned two yeere.

⁹ And his seruant Zimri, captaine of halfe his charets, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah [Note: [e] The Chalde text hath thus, Drinking till he was drunken in the temple of Arza the idole by his house in Tirzah. ] drinking, til he was drunken in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah.

¹⁰ And Zimri came and smote him & killed him, in the seuen and twentie yeere of Asa king of Iudah, and reigned in his stead.

¹¹ ¶ And when he was King, and sate on his throne, he slew al the house of Baasha, not leauing thereof one to pisse against a wall, neither of his kinsfolkes nor of his friendes.

¹² So did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord which he spake against Baasha by the hande of Iehu the [Note: [f] Both Hanani his father and he were Prophets. ] Prophet,

¹³ For all the sinnes of Baasha, and sinnes of Elah his sonne, which they sinned & made Israel [Page]

to sinne, and prouoked the Lorde God of Israel with their vanities.

¹⁴ And the rest of the actes of Elah, & all that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

¹⁵ ¶ In the seuen and twentie yeere of Asa King of Iudah did Zimri reigne seuen dayes in Tirzah, & the people was then in campe [Note: [g] The siege had continued fro the tune of Nadab Ieroboams sonne. ] against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistims.

¹⁶ And the people of the hoste heard saye, Zimri hath conspired, and hath also slayne the King. Wherefore all Israel made Omri the captaine of the hoste, king ouer Israel that same day, euen in the hoste.

¹⁷ Then Omri went vp from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged [Note: [h] Where Zimri kept himselfe in holde. ] Tirzah.

¹⁸ And when Zimri saw, that the citie was taken, he went into the palace of the Kings house, and [Note: Ebr. burnt the Kings house vpon him. ] burnt himselfe, and the Kings house with fire, and so dyed,

¹⁹ For his sinnes which hee sinned, in doing that which is euil in the sight of the Lord, in walking in the way of Ieroboam, and in his sinnes which he did, causing Israel to sinne.

²⁰ And the rest of the actes of Zimri, and his treason that hee wrought, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kinges of Israel?

²¹ Then were the people of Israel deuided into two partes: for [Note: [i] That is, the people which were not at the siege of Gibbethon: for there they had chosen Omri. ] halfe the people followed Tibni the sonne of Ginath to make him King, & the other halfe followed Omri.

²² But the people that folowed Omri, preuayled against the people that followed Tibni the sonne of Ginath: so Tibni dyed, & Omri reigned.

²³ In the one and thirtie yeere of Asa King of Iudah bega Omri to reigne ouer Israel, & reigned twelue yeere. Sixe yeere reigned he in Tirzah.

²⁴ And he bought the mountaine [Note: Or, Shomeron. ] Samaria of one Shemer for two talents of siluer, & buylt in the mountaine, & called the name of the citie, which he buylt, after the name of Shemer lord of the mountaine, Samaria.

²⁵ But Omri did euil in the eyes of the Lord, and did [Note: [k] For such is the nature of Idolatry, that the superstitio thereof doth daily encrease, and the elder it is, ye more abominable it is before God and his Church. ] worse then all that were before him.

²⁶ For he walked in all the way of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, & in his sinnes wherewith he made Israel to sinne in prouoking the Lord God of Israel with their vanities.

²⁷ And the rest of the actes of Omri, that hee did, and his strength that he shewed, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

²⁸ And Omri slept with his fathers, and was buryed in [Note: [l] He was the first king that was buried in Samaria, after that the kings house was burnt in Tirzah. ] Samaria: and Ahab his sonne reigned in his stead.

²⁹ Nowe Ahab the sonne of Omri began to reigne ouer Israel, in the eyght & thirtie yeere of Asa king of Iudah: and Ahab the sonne of Omri reigned ouer Israel in Samaria two & twety yere.

³⁰ And Ahab the sonne of Omri did worse in ye sight of the Lord then al that were before him.

³¹ For was it a light thing for him to walke in the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, except hee tooke Iezebel also the daughter of Ethbaal King of the Zidonians to [Note: [m] By whose meanes he fell to all wicked and strange idolatry, & cruell persecution. ] wife, and went and serued Baal, and worshipped him?

³² Also he reared vp an altar to Baal in the house of Baal, which he had buylt in Samaria.

³³ And Ahab made a groue, & Ahab proceeded,

& did prouoke the Lord God of Israel more then all the kings of Israel that were before him.

³⁴ In his dayes did Hiel the Bethelite buylde [Note: [n] Reade Iosh. 6. 26. ] Iericho: he layed the foundation thereof in Abiram his eldest sonne, and set vp the gates thereof in his yongest sonne Segub, according to the worde of the Lorde which he spake [Note: Ebr. by the hand of Ioshua. ] by Ioshua the sonne of Nun.

1 Eliiah forewarneth of the famine to come. 4 He is fed of rauens. 9 He is sent to Zarephath, where he restoreth his hostesse sonne to life.

¹ And Eliiah the Tishbite one of the inhabitats of Gilead sayde vnto Ahab, [Note: Ecclus. 48.3. iam. 5.16, 17. ] As the Lorde God of Israel liueth, before whom I [Note: [a] That is, whom I serue. ] stand, there shall be neither dewe nor rayne these yeeres, but [Note: [b] But as I shall declare it by Gods reuelation. ] according to my worde.

² ¶ And the worde of the Lorde came vnto him, saying,

³ Go hence, and turne thee Eastwarde, and hide thy selfe in the [Note: Or, brooke. ] riuer Cherith, that is ouer against Iorden,

⁴ And thou shalt drinke of the riuer: and I haue comanded the [Note: [c] To strengthen his faith against persecution, God promiseth to feede him miraculously. ] rauens to feede thee there.

⁵ So he went & did according vnto the word of the Lord: for he went, and remained by the riuer Cherith that is ouer against Iorden.

⁶ And the rauens brought him bread & flesh in the morning, and bread & flesh in the euening, and he dranke of the riuer.

⁷ And after a while the riuer dryed vp, because there fell no rayne vpon the earth.

⁸ ¶ And the [Note: [d] As the troubles of the Saintes of God are many, so his mercy is euer at hand to deliuer them. ] worde of the Lord came vnto him, saying,

⁹ [Note: Luke 4.25, 26. ] Vp, & get thee to Zarephath, which is in Zidon, and remaine there: beholde, I haue commanded a widow there to sustaine thee.

¹⁰ So he arose, & went to Zarephath: & when he came to the gate of the citie, beholde, the widowe was there [Note: [e] All this was to strengthe the faith of Eliiah, to the intent that he should looke vpon nothing worldly, but only trust on Gods prouidence. ] gathering stickes: and he called her, and sayde, Bring me, I pray thee, a litle water in a vessel, that I may drinke.

¹¹ And as she was going to fet it, he called to her, and sayde, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsell of bread in thine hand.

¹² And shee sayde, As the Lorde thy God liueth, I haue not a cake, but euen an handfull of meale in a barrel, and a litle oyle in a cruse: and behold, I am gathering [Note: Ebr. two. ] a fewe stickes for to go in, and dresse it for me and my sonne, that we may eate it, and [Note: [f] For there is no hope of any more sustenance. ] dye.

¹³ And Eliiah said vnto her, Feare not, come, do as thou hast sayd, but make me thereof a litle cake first of all, and bring it vnto mee, and afterward make for thee, and thy sonne.

¹⁴ For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, [Note: [g] God receiueth no benefite for the vse of his, but he promiseth a most ample recopence for the same. ] The meale in the barrel shall not be wasted, neither shal the oyle in the cruse be diminished, vnto the time that the Lord send rayne vpon the earth.

¹⁵ So she went, and did as Eliiah sayd, and she did eate: so did he and her house [Note: [h] That is, till he had raine & foode on the earth. ] for a certaine time.

¹⁶ The barrell of the meale wasted not, nor the oyle was spent out of the cruse, according to the worde of the Lorde, which he spake by the hand of Eliiah.

¹⁷ ¶ And after these things, the sonne of the wife of the house fell sicke, and his sicknesse was so sore, [Note: Or, that he dyed. ] that there was no [Note: [i] God would trie whether shee had learned by his mercifull prouidence to make him her onely stay and comfort. ] breath left in him.

¹⁸ And she said vnto Eliiah, What haue I to do

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with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come vnto me to call my sinne to remembrance, and to slay my sonne?
¹⁹ And he said vnto her, Giue me thy sonne. and he tooke him out of her bosome, and caryed him vp into a chamber, where he abode, and laid him vpon his owne bed.

²⁰ Then he called vnto the Lord, and sayde, O Lorde my God, hast thou [Note: [k] He was afraid lest Gods Name should haue bin blasphemed and his ministers contemned, except he should haue continued his mercies, as he had begun them, specially while he there remained. ] punished also this widowe, with whome I soiourne, by killing her sonne?

²¹ And he stretched himselfe vpon the childe three times, and called vnto the Lord, and saide, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this childes soule come into him againe.

²² Then the Lord heard the voyce of Eliiah, and the soule of the child came into him againe, and he reuiued.

²³ And Eliiah tooke the childe, and brought him downe out of the chamber into the house, and deliuered him vnto his mother, and Eliiah sayd, Behold, thy sonne liueth.

²⁴ And the woman saide vnto Eliiah, Now [Note: [l] So hard a thing it is to depende on God, except we be confirmed by miracles. ] I knowe that thou art a man of God, and that the worde of the Lord in thy mouth is true.

1 Eliiah is sent to Ahab. 13 Obadiah hideth an hundreth Prophets. 40 Eliiah killeth all Baals prophets. 45 He obtayneth rayne.

¹ After many dayes, the worde of the Lorde came to Eliiah, in the [Note: [a] After that he departed from the riuer Cherith. ] third yeere, saying, Goe, shewe thy selfe vnto Ahab, and I will sende rayne vpon the earth.

² And Eliiah went to shew himselfe vnto Ahab, and there was a great famine in Samaria.

³ And Ahab called Obadiah the gouernour of his house: (and Obadiah [Note: [b] God had begunne to worke his feare in his heart, but had not yet brought him to that knowledge, which is also requisite of the godly: that is, to professe his Name openly. ] feared God greatly:

⁴ For when Iezebel destroyed the Prophets of the Lorde, Obadiah tooke an hundreth Prophets, and hid them, by fiftie in a caue, and he fed them with bread and water.)

⁵ And Ahab saide vnto Obadiah, Goe into the land, vnto all the fountaines of water, and vnto all the riuers, if so be that we may finde grasse to saue the horses and the mules aliue, lest we depriue the lande of the beastes.

⁶ And so they deuided the lande betweene them to walke thorowe it. Ahab went one way by him selfe, and Obadiah went another way by him selfe.

⁷ ¶ And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Eliiah [Note: [c] God pitieth oft times the wicked for godlies sake, and causeth Eliiah to meete with Obadiah, that the benefite might be knowen to bee granted for Gods childrens sake. ] met him: & he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art not thou my lord Eliiah?

⁸ And he answered him, Yea, goe tell thy lord, Behold, Eliiah is here.

⁹ And he said, What haue I sinned, that thou wouldest deliuer thy seruant into the hande of Ahab, to slay me?

¹⁰ As the Lorde thy God liueth, there is no nation or kingdome, whither my lorde hath not sent to seeke thee: and when they sayd, He is not here, he tooke an othe of the kingdome and nation, if they had not found thee.

¹¹ And now thou sayest, Goe, tell thy lorde, Beholde, Eliiah is here.

¹² And when I am gone from thee, the Spirit of the Lorde shall cary thee into some place that I doe not know: so when I come and tell Ahab, if he cannot finde thee, then wil he kil me: But I

thy seruant [Note: [d] I am none of the wicked persecuters, that thou shouldest procure vnto me such displeasure, but serue God and fauour his children. ] feare the Lord from my youth.

¹³ Was it not tolde my lord, what I did when Iezebel slew the Prophets of the Lord, how I hid an hundreth men of the Lordes Prophets by fifties in a caue, and fed them with bread & water?

¹⁴ And now thou sayest, Go, tel thy lord, Behold, Eliiah is here, that he may slay me.

¹⁵ And Eliiah said, As the Lorde of hostes liueth, before whome I stand, I will surely shewe [Note: [e] By my presence I will declare that thou hast tolde him the trueth. ] my selfe vnto him this day.

¹⁶ ¶ So Obadiah went to meete Ahab, and tolde him: And Ahab went to meete Eliiah.

¹⁷ And when Ahab saw Eliiah, Ahab said vnto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?

¹⁸ And he answered, I haue not troubled Israel, but [Note: [f] The true ministers of God ought not onely not to suffer the trueth to be vniustly slandered, but to reproue boldly the wicked slanderers without respect of person. ] thou, and thy fathers house, in that ye haue forsaken the commandements of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.

¹⁹ Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel vnto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal foure hundreth and fiftie, and the prophets of the groues foure hundreth, which eate at Iezebels table.

²⁰ ¶ So Ahab sent vnto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together vnto mount Carmel.

²¹ And Eliiah came vnto all the people, and said, How long [Note: [g] Be constant in religion, & make it not as a thing indifferent whether ye followe God or Baal, or whether ye serue God wholy or in part, Zeph.1.5. ] halt ye betweene two opinions? If the Lord be God, followe him: but if Baal be he, then goe after him. And the people answered him not a worde.

²² Then said Eliiah vnto the people, I onely remayne a Prophet of the Lorde: but Baals prophets are foure hundreth and fiftie men.

²³ Let them therefore giue vs two bullockes, and let them chuse the one, & cut him in pieces, and lay him on the wood, but put no fire vnder, and I will prepare the other bullocke, and lay him on the wood, and will put no fire vnder.

²⁴ Then call ye on the name of your god, & I will call on the name of the Lorde: and then the God that answereth [Note: [h] By sending downe fire from heauen to burne the sacrifice. ] by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered, and sayde, It is well spoken.

²⁵ And Eliiah said vnto the prophets of Baal, Chuse you a bullocke, and prepare him first, (for ye are many) and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire vnder.

²⁶ So they tooke the one bullocke, that was giuen them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal, from morning to noone, saying, O Baal, heare vs: but there was no voyce, nor any to answere: and they [Note: [i] As men rauished with some strange spirit. ] leapt vpon the altar that was made.

²⁷ And at noone Eliiah mocked them, & said, Crye loude: for he is a [Note: [k] You esteeme him as a god. ] god: either he talketh or pursueth his enemies, or is in his iourney, or it may be that he sleepeth, and must be [Note: [l] He mocketh their beastly madnesse, which thinke that by any instance or sute the dead and vile Idoles can helpe their worshippers in their necessities. ] awaked.

²⁸ And they cryed loude, and cut them selues as their maner was, with kniues and launcers, till the blood gushed out vpon them.

²⁹ And when midday was passed, & they had prophecied vntil the offring of the euening sacrifice, there was neither voyce, nor one to answere, nor any that regarded.

³⁰ And Eliiah said vnto all the people, Come to me. And all the people came to him. And he repayred the altar of the Lorde that was broken downe.

³¹ And Eliiah tooke twelue stones, according [Page]

to the nomber of the tribes of the sonnes of Iaakob, (vnto whome the worde of the Lord came, saying, [Note: Gen.32.28. 2.king.17.34. ] Israel shalbe thy name)

³² And with the stones he buylt an altar in the Name of the Lorde: and he made a ditch round about the altar, as great as woulde conteine two [Note: Ebr. Sats, which some thinke conteine about three pottels and a third part a piece. ] measures of seede.

³³ And he put the wood in order, and hewed the bullocke in pieces, & layd him on the wood,

³⁴ And said, Fill foure barrels with water, and powre it on the burnt offring and on the wood. Againe he said, Doe so againe. And they did so the second time. And he sayde, Doe it the third time. And they did it the third time.

³⁵ And the water ran round about the altar: and he [Note: [m] Hereby he declared the excellent power of God, who contrary to nature could make the fire burne euen in the water, to the intent they should haue none occasion to doubt, that he is the onely God. ] filled the ditch with water also.

³⁶ And when they should offer the euening sacrifice, Eliiah the Prophet came, and sayd, Lord God of Abraham, Izhak and of Israel, let it be knowen this day, that thou art the God of Israel, and that I am thy seruant, and that I haue done all these things at thy commandement.

³⁷ Heare me, O Lorde, heare me, and let this people know that thou art the Lorde God, and that thou hast turned their heart againe [Note: [n] Though God suffer his to runne in blindenesse and error for a time, yet at the length he calleth them home to him by some notorious signe and worke. ] at the last.

³⁸ Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offring, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked vp the water that was in the ditche.

³⁹ And when all the people sawe it, they fell on their faces, and saide, The Lord is God, the Lord is God.

⁴⁰ And Elijah said vnto them, Take the prophets of Baal, let not [Note: [o] He commanded them that as they were truely perswaded to confesse the onely God: so they would serue him with all their power and destroy the idolaters his enemies. ] a man of them escape. and they tooke them, and Eliiah brought them to the brooke Kishon, and slewe them there.

⁴¹ ¶ And Eliiah sayde vnto Ahab, Get thee vp, eate and drinke, for there is a sound of much rayne.

⁴² So Ahab went vp to eate and to drinke, and Eliiah went vp to the top of Carmel: and he crouched vnto the earth, & put his face betweene his knees,

⁴³ And sayde to his seruant, Goe vp now and looke towarde the way of the Sea. And he went vp, and looked, and sayde, There is nothing. Againe he sayd, Goe againe [Note: [p] As Gods spirit mooued him to pray, so was he strengthened by the same that he did not faint, but continued stil til he had obtained. ] seuen times.

⁴⁴ And at the seuenth time he sayd, Behold, there ariseth a litle cloude out of the sea like a mans hand. Then he sayd, Vp, and say vnto Ahab, Make readie thy charet, and get thee downe, that the raine stay thee not.

⁴⁵ And [Note: Or, here and there. ] in the meane while the heauen was blacke with cloudes and winde, and there was a great rayne. Then Ahab went vp and came to Izreel.

⁴⁶ And the hand of the Lord was on Eliiah, and he girded vp his Ioynes, and ran [Note: [q] He was so stregthened with Gods spirit, that he ran faster then ye charet was able to runne. ] before Ahab till he came to Izreel.

5 Eliiah fleeing from Iezebel, is nourished by the Angell of God. 15 He is commaunded to anoynt Hazael, Iehu, and Elisha.

¹ Now Ahab tolde Iezebel all that Eliiah had done, and how he had slaine all the [Note: [a] To wit, of Baal. ] prophets with the sword.

² Then Iezebel sent a messenger vnto Eliiah, saying, [Note: [b] Though ye wicked rage against Gods children, yet he holdeth them backe that they cannot execute their malice. ] The gods doe so to me and more also, if I make not thy life like one of their liues by to morowe

this time.

³ ¶ When he sawe that, he arose, and went [Note: Or, whither his minde led him. ] for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which is in Iudah, and left his seruant there.

⁴ But he went a dayes iourney into the wildernesse, and came and sate downe vnder a iuniper tree, and desired that he might die, and sayde, It is now ynough: O Lord, [Note: [c] So hard a thing it is to bridle our impaciencie in affliction, that the saintes could not ouercome the same. ] take my soule, for I am no better then my fathers.

⁵ And as he lay and slept vnder the iuniper tree, behold now, an Angel touched him, and said vnto him, Vp, and eate.

⁶ And when he looked about, behold, there was a cake baken on the coles, and a pot of water at his head: so he did eate and drinke, and returned and slept.

⁷ And the Angel of the Lorde came againe the second time, and touched him, and sayd, Vp, and eate: for [Note: [d] He declareth that except God had nourished him miraculously, it had not bene possible for him to haue gone this iourney. ] thou hast a great iourney.

⁸ ¶ Then he arose, and did eate and drinke, and walked in the strength of that meate fourtie dayes and fourtie nights, vnto Horeb the mount of God.

⁹ And there he entred into a caue, & lodged there: and beholde, the Lorde spake to him, and said vnto him, What doest thou here, Eliiah?

¹⁰ And he answered, I haue [Note: [e] He complayneth, that the more zealous yt he shewed him selfe to mayntaine Gods glory, the more cruelly was he persecuted. ] bene very ielous for the Lord God of hostes: for the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenant, broken downe thine altars, and slayne thy Prophets with the sword, [Note: Rom.11.3. ] and I onely am left, and they seeke my life to take it away.

¹¹ And he saide, Come out, and stand vpon the mount before the Lorde. And beholde, the Lorde went by, and a mightie strong winde rent the mountaines, and brake the rockes before the Lord: but the Lord was [Note: [f] For the nature of man is not able to come neere vnto God, if he should appeare in his strength and full maiestie, and therefore of his mercie he submitteth himselfe to our capacitie. ] not in the winde: and after the wind came an earthquake: but the Lord was not in the earthquake:

¹² And after the earthquake came fire: but the Lorde was not in the fire: and after the fire came a still and soft voyce.

¹³ And when Eliiah heard it, he couered his face with his mantel, and went out, and stoode in the entring in of ye caue: and behold, there came a voyce vnto him, and sayd, What doest thou here, Eliiah?

¹⁴ And he answered, I haue bene very ielous for the Lord God of hostes, [Note: [g] We ought not to depend on the multitude in maitaining Gods glory, but because our duetie so requireth, we ought to doe it. ] because the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenant, cast downe thine altars, and slayne thy Prophets with the sworde, and I onely am left, and they seeke my life to take it away.

¹⁵ And the Lord said vnto him, Goe, returne by the wildernes vnto Damascus, and when thou commest there, anoint Hazael King ouer [Note: Or, Syria. ] Aram.

¹⁶ And Iehu the sonne of Nimshi shalt thou anoynt King ouer Israel: and Elisha the sonne of Shaphat of Abel Meholah shalt thou anoynt to be Prophet in thy roume.

¹⁷ And [Note: 2.King.9.1. 3.ecclus.48.8. ] him that escapeth from the sworde of Hazael, shall Iehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Iehu, shall Elisha slay.

¹⁸ Yet wil [Note: Rom 11. ] I leaue seuen thousand in Israel, euen [Note: [h] He declareth that wicked dissemblers and idolaters are not his. ] all the knees that haue not bowed vnto Baal, and euery mouth that hath not kissed him.

¹⁹ ¶ So he departed thence, and found Elisha the sonne of Shaphat who was plowing wt twelue yoke of oxen before him, and was with the twelft: & Eliiah went towards him, and cast his

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mantel vpon him.
²⁰ And he left the oxen, and ran after Eliiah, and sayde, [Note: [i] Though this naturall affection is not to be contemned, yet it ought not to moue vs when God calleth vs to serue him. ] Let mee, I pray thee, kisse my father and my mother, and then I wil follow thee. Who answered him, Go, returne: for what haue I done to thee?

²¹ And whe he went backe againe from him, he tooke a couple of oxen, and slewe them, and sod their flesh with the [Note: [k] He would not stay till wood was brought, so great was his desire to folow his vocatio. ] instruments of the oxen, and gaue vnto the people, and they did eate: then he arose and went after Eliiah, and ministred vnto him.

1 Samaria is besieged. 13 The Lord promiseth the victorie to Ahab by a Prophet. 31 The King of Israel made peace with Ben-hadad, and is reproued therefore by the Prophet.

¹ Then Ben-hadad the King of [Note: Or, Syria. ] Aram assembled all his armie, and two & thirtie [Note: [a] That is, gouernours, and rulers of prouinces. ] Kings with him, with horses, and charets, & went vp and besieged [Note: Or, Shomeron. ] Samaria, and fought against it.

² And he sent messengers to Ahab King of Israel, into the citie,

³ And sayd vnto him, Thus sayth Ben-hadad, Thy siluer & thy golde is mine: also thy women, and thy fayre children are mine.

⁴ And the King of Israel answered, and sayd, My lord King, according to thy saying, [Note: [b] I am content to obey and pay tribute. ] I am thine, and all that I haue.

⁵ And when the messengers came againe, they said, Thus commandeth Ben-hadad, & saith, When I shal send vnto thee, and command, thou shalt deliuer me thy siluer and thy golde, and thy women, and thy children,

⁶ [Note: [c] He would not accept his answere, except he did out of hand deliuer whatsoeuer he should aske: for he sought an occasion, howe to make warre against him. ] Or els I will sende my seruants vnto thee by to morow this time: and they shal search thine house, & the houses of thy seruants: and whatsoeuer is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall take it in their handes, and bring it away.

⁷ Then the King of Israel sent for all the Elders of the land, & sayd, Take heede, I pray you, and see how he seeketh mischiefe: for he sent vnto me for my wiues, and for my children, and for my siluer, and for my golde, and I denyed him not.

⁸ And all the Elders, and all the people sayd to him, Hearken [Note: [d] They thought it their dueties rather to veter their liues, then to grant to that thing which was not lawful, onely to satisfie the lust of a tyrant. ] not vnto him, nor consent.

⁹ Wherefore hee sayde vnto the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lorde the King, All that thou didddest sende for to thy seruant at the first time, that I will doe, but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him an answere.

¹⁰ And Ben-hadad sent vnto him, and sayde, The gods do so to me and more also, if the [Note: [e] Much lesse shal there be found any pray, that is worth any thing, when they shalbe so many. ] dust of Samaria be ynough to all the people that follow me, for euery man an handfull.

¹¹ And the King of Israel answered, and sayd, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth his harneis, boast himselfe, as he that [Note: [f] Boast not before the victorie be gotten. ] putteth it off.

¹² And when he heard that tidings, as he was with the Kings drinking in the pauilions, he sayd vnto his seruants, [Note: Or, put your selues in order. ] Bring forth your engines, and they set them against the citie.

¹³ ¶ And beholde, there came a Prophet vnto Ahab King of Israel, saying, Thus sayeth the Lorde, Hast thou seene all this great multitude? beholde, I will deliuer it into thine hande this day, that thou mayest knowe, [Note: [g] Before God went about with signes & miracles to pul Ahab from his impietie, and now againe with woderful victories ] that I am the Lorde.

¹⁴ And Ahab sayd, By whome? And he sayde,

Thus sayth the Lord, By the seruants of the princes of the prouinces. He sayde againe, Who shall order the battel? And he answered, Thou.

¹⁵ ¶ Then he nombred the seruantes of the princes of the prouinces, and they were two hundreth, two and thirtie: and after them he nombred the whole people of all the children of Israel, euen seuen thousand.

¹⁶ And they went out at noone: but Ben-hadad did drinke till he was drunken in the tentes, both he and the Kings: for two and thirtie Kings helped him.

¹⁷ So the [Note: [h] That is, yong men trained in the seruice of Princes. ] seruants of the princes of the prouinces went out first: and Ben-hadad sent out, & they shewed him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria.

¹⁸ And he sayde, Whether they be come out for peace, take them aliue: or whether they bee come out to fight, take them yet aliue.

¹⁹ So they came out of the citie, to wit, the seruants of the princes of the prouinces, and the hoste which followed them.

²⁰ And they slew euery one his [Note: Ebr man. ] enemie: and the [Note: Or, Syrians. ] Aramites fled, and Israel pursued them: but Ben-hadad ye King of Aram escaped on an horse with his [Note: [i] With them that were appointed for the preseruatio of his person. ] horsemen.

²¹ And the King of Israel went out, & smote the horses and charets, and with a great slaughter slew he the Aramites.

²² (For there had come a Prophet to the King of Israel, and had sayd vnto him, Goe, be of good courage, and consider, and take heede what thou doest: for when the yeere is gone about, the King of Aram wil come vp against thee)

²³ ¶ Then the seruants of the King of Aram said vnto him, Their [Note: [k] Thus the wicked blaspheme God in their furie, whom notwithstading he suffreth not vnpunished. ] gods are gods of the moutaines, and therefore they ouercame vs: but let vs fight against them in the playne, and doubtlesse we shal ouercome them.

²⁴ And this doe, Take the Kings away, euery one out of his place, & place captaines for them.

²⁵ And nomber thy selfe an armie, like the armie that thou hast lost, with such horses, & such charets, & we wil fight against them in the plaine, and doubtlesse we shall ouercome them: and he hearkened vnto their voyce, and did so.

²⁶ And after the yeere was gone about, Ben-hadad nombred the Aramites, and went vp to Aphek to fight against Israel.

²⁷ And the children of Israel were nombred, and were all [Note: [l] All they, which were in the battell of the former yere, vers. 15. ] assembled and went against them, and the children of Israel pitched before them, like two litle flockes of kiddes: but the Aramites filled the countrey.

²⁸ And there came a man of God, and spake vnto the King of Israel, saying, Thus sayeth the Lord, Because the Aramites haue sayd, The Lord is the God of the mountaines, and not God of the valleis, therefore will I deliuer all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shal know that [Note: [m] Who am of like power in the valley, as I am on the hils, and can aswell destroy a multitude with few as with many. ] I am the Lord.

²⁹ And they pitched one ouer against the other seuen dayes, & in the seuenth day the battel was ioyned: and the children of Israel slew of the Aramites an hundreth thousand footemen in one day.

³⁰ But the rest fled to Aphek into the citie: & there fel a wall vpon seuen and twentie thousand men that were left: and Ben-hadad fled into the citie, and came into [Note: Ebr. from chamber to chamber. ] a secret chamber.
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³¹ ¶ And his seruants sayd vnto him, Beholde nowe, we haue heard say that the Kings of the house of Israel are mercifull Kings: we pray thee, let vs put sacke cloth about our [Note: [n] In signe of submission, & that we haue deserued death, if he will punish vs with rigour. ] loynes, & ropes about our heads, & goe out to the King of Israel: it may be that he will saue thy life.

³² Then they gyrded sackecloth about their loynes, & put ropes about their heads, and came to the King of Israel, and sayd, Thy seruant Ben-hadad sayth, I pray thee, let me liue: and he sayd, Is he yet aliue? he is my brother.

³³ Now the men tooke diliget heede, [Note: Or, and caught it of him. ] if they could catch any thing of him, and made haste, & sayd, Thy brother [Note: [o] He is aliue. ] Ben-hadad. And he sayd, Go, bring him. So Ben-hadad came out vnto him, and he caused him to come vp vnto the chariot.

³⁴ And Ben-hadad sayd vnto him, The cities, which my father tooke from thy father, I wil restore, & thou shalt make streetes for thee in [Note: [p] Thou shalt appoint in my chiefe citie what thou wilt, and I will obey thee. ] Damascus, as my father did in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will let thee goe with this couenant. So he made a couenant with him, and let him goe.

³⁵ ¶ Then a certaine man of the [Note: Or, of the disciples. ] children of the Prophets sayd vnto his neighbour by the comandement of the Lord, [Note: [q] By this external signe he woulde more liuely touch the kings heart. ] Smite me, I pray thee. But the man refused to smite him.

³⁶ Then sayd he vnto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voyce of the Lorde, beholde, as soone as thou art departed from me, a lyon shall [Note: [r] Because thou hast transgressed the comandement of the Lord. ] slay thee. So when he was departed from him, a lyon found him and slew him.

³⁷ Then he founde another man, and sayde, Smite mee, I pray thee. And the man smote him, and in smiting wounded him.

³⁸ So the Prophet departed, & wayted for the King by the way, & disguised himselfe with ashes vpon his face.

³⁹ And when the King came by, he cried vnto the King, and said, [Note: [s] By this parable he maketh Ahab codemne himselfe, who made a coueuant with Gods enemie, & let him escape, whom God had appointed to be slayne. ] Thy seruant went into the middes of the battel: and beholde, there went away a man, whom another man brought vnto me, and sayd, Keepe this man: if he be lost, and want, thy life shall go for his life, or els thou shalt pay a talent of siluer.

⁴⁰ And as thy seruant had here and there to do, he was gone: And the King of Israel said vnto him, So shall thy iudgement be: thou hast giuen sentence.

⁴¹ And hee hasted, and tooke the ashes away from his face: and the King of Israel knewe him that he was of the Prophets:

⁴² And he said vnto him, Thus saith the Lord, [Note: Chap. 22.38. ] Because thou hast let goe out of thine handes a man whom I appoynted to dye, thy life shall goe for his life, and thy people for his people.

⁴³ And the King of Israel went to his house heauie and in displeasure, & came to [Note: Or, Shomeron. ] Samaria.

8 Iezebel commandeth to kill Naboth, for the vineyarde that he refused to sell to Ahab. 19 Eliiah reproueth Ahab, and he repenteth.

¹ [Note: Or, at this time. ] After these things Naboth the Izreelite had a vineyarde in Izreel, hard by the palace of Ahab King of Samaria.

² And Ahab spake vnto Naboth, saying, [Note: [a] Though Ahabs tyrannie be condemned by the holy Spirit, yet he was not so rigorous that he would take from another man his right without full recompence. ] Giue me thy vineyarde, that I may make mee a garden of herbes thereof, because it is neere by mine house: and I will giue thee for it a better vineyarde then it is: or if it please thee, I will giue thee the worth of it in money.

³ And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord keepe me from giuing the inheritance of my father vnto thee.

⁴ Then Ahab came into his house heauie & in displeasure, because of the word which Naboth the Izreelite had spoken vnto him. for hee had sayde, I will not giue thee the inheritance of my fathers, and he lay [Note: [b] Thus the wicked consider not what is iust and lawfull, but fret inwardly, when they can not haue their inordinate appetites satisfied. ] vpon his bed, and turned his face and would eate no bread.

⁵ Then Iezebel his wife came to him & said vnto him, Why is thy spirit so sad that thou eatest no bread?

⁶ And he said vnto her, Because I spake vnto Naboth the Izreelite, & sayd vnto him, Giue me thy vineyard for money, or if it please thee, I will giue thee another vineyard for it: but he answered, I wil not giue thee my vineyarde.

⁷ Then Iezebel his wife sayde vnto him, [Note: [c] As though she said, thou knowest not what it is to reigne. Command, and intreate not. ] Doest thou nowe gouerne the kingdome of Israel? vp, eate bread, & [Note: Ebr. let thine heart be merrie. ] be of good cheere, I will giue thee the vineyard of Naboth the Izreelite.

⁸ ¶ So she wrote letters in Ahabs name, and sealed them with his seale, and sent the letters vnto the Elders, and to the nobles that were in his citie dwelling with Naboth.

⁹ And shee wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaime a [Note: [d] For then they vsed to enquire of mens faults: for none could fast truely that were notorious sinners. ] fast, and set Naboth among the chiefe of the people,

¹⁰ And set two wicked men before him, & let them witnesse against him, saying, Thou diddest blaspheme God and the King: then cary him out, and stone him that he may dye.

¹¹ And the [Note: [e] Thus ye worldlings contrary to Gods commandement, who willeth not to consent to the shedding of innocet blood, obey rather the wicked comandements of princes then the iust lawes of God. ] men of his citie, euen the Elders & gouernours, which dwelt in his citie, did as Iezebel had sent vnto them: as it was written in the letters, which she had sent vnto them.

¹² They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth among the chiefe of the people,

¹³ And there came two wicked men, & sate before him: & the wicked men witnessed against Naboth in the presence of the people saying, Naboth did [Note: Ebr. blesse. ] blaspheme God and the King. Then they caried him away out of the citie, and stoned him with stones, that he dyed.

¹⁴ Then they sent to Iezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned and is dead.

¹⁵ ¶ And when Iezebel heard that Naboth was stoned and was dead, Iezebel sayd to Ahab, [Note: [f] This example of monstruous crueltie the holy Ghost leaueth to vs, to the intent that we should abhorre all tyrannie, & specially in them, whom nature and kinde should moue to be pitifull & inclined to mercy. ] Vp, & take possession of the vineyarde of Naboth the Izreelite, which he refused to giue thee for money: for Naboth is not aliue, but is dead.

¹⁶ And when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he rose to go downe to the vineyard of Naboth the Izreelite, to take possession of it.

¹⁷ ¶ And the word of the Lord came vnto Eliiah the Tishbite, saying,

¹⁸ Arise, goe downe to meete Ahab King of Israel, which is in Samaria. loe, he is in the vineyarde of Naboth, whither he is gone downe to take possession of it.

¹⁹ Therefore shalt thou say vnto him, Thus sayth the Lord, [Note: [g] Doest thou thinke to haue any aduantage by murthering of an innocent? ] Hast thou killed, and also gotten possession? And thou shalt speake vnto him, saying, Thus sayth the Lorde, [Note: [h] This was fulfilled in Ioram his sonne, as 2.King. 9.25,26. ] In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shal dogs licke euen thy blood also.

²⁰ And Ahab sayd to Eliiah, Hast thou found mee, O mine enemie? And he answered, I haue found thee: for thou hast solde thy selfe to worke wickednes in the sight of the Lord.


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²¹ [Note: Chap.14.10. 2.king.9.8. ] Beholde, I will bring euill vpon thee, and wil take away thy posteritie, and wil cut off from Ahab him that [Note: 1.Sam.25.22. ] pisseth against the wall, as well him that is [Note: Chap.14.10. ] shut vp, as him that is left in Israel,

²² And I wil make thine house like the house of [Note: Chap.15.29. ] Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, and like the house of [Note: Chap.16.3. ] Baasha the sonne of Ahiiah, for the prouocation wherewith thou hast prouoked, and made Israel to sinne.

²³ And also of Iezebel spake the Lorde, saying, [Note: 2. King.9.33,36. ] The dogs shall eate Iezebel, [Note: Or, fortresse, or possession. ] by the wall of Izreel.

²⁴ The dogs shall eate him of Ahabs stocke, that dyeth in the citie: and him that dyeth in the fieldes, shall the foules of the ayre eate.

²⁵ (But there was none like Ahab, who did [Note: [i] By the wicked counsell of his wife, he became a vile idolater & cruel murtherer, as one that gaue himselfe wholy to serue sinne. ] fell him selfe, to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord: whom Iezebel his wife prouoked.

²⁶ For he did exceeding abominably in following idoles, according to all that the Amorites did, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.)

²⁷ Nowe when Ahab heard those wordes, he rent his clothes, & put sackcloth vpon [Note: Ebr. his flesh. ] him and fasted, and lay in sackecloth and went [Note: [k] In token of mourning, or as some reade, bare footed. ] softely.

²⁸ And the worde of the Lord came to Eliiah the Tishbite, saying,

²⁹ Seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me? because he submitteth himselfe before me, I will not bring that euill in his dayes, but in his [Note: [l] Meaning, in Iorams time, 2.King.9.26. ] sonnes dayes wil I bring euill vpon his house.

2 Iehoshaphat and Ahab fight against the King of Syria. 15 Michaiah sheweth the King what shall be the successe of their enterprise. 24 Zidkiiah the false prophet smiteth him. 34 Ahab is slaine. 40 Ahaziah his sonne succeedeth. 41 The reigne of Iehoshaphat, 50 and Ioram his sonne.

¹ And [Note: 2. Chron.18.1,2. ] they continued [Note: [a] Ben-hadad the King of Syria & Ahab made a peace, which endured three yeeres. ] three yeere without warre betweene Aram and Israel.

² And in the third yeere did Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah [Note: [b] To see and visite him. ] come downe to ye King of Israel.

³ (Then the King of Israel saide vnto his seruants, Knowe yee not that [Note: [c] The Kings of Syria kept Ramoth before this league was made by Ben-hadad: therefore he thought not him selfe bounde thereby to restore it. ] Ramoth Gilead was ours? and wee stay, and take it not out of ye hand of the King of Aram?)

⁴ And he sayde vnto Iehoshaphat, Wilt thou goe with mee to battel against Ramoth Gilead? And Iehoshaphat saide vnto the King of Israel, [Note: [d] I am ready to ioyne and goe with thee, and all mine is at thy commandement. ] I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and mine horses as thine horses.

⁵ Then Iehoshaphat saide vnto the King of Israel, [Note: [e] He seemed that he would not goe to the warre, except God approued it, yet when Michaiah counselled the contrary, he would not obey. ] Aske counsaile, I pray thee, of the Lord to day.

⁶ Then the King of Israel gathered the [Note: [f] Meaning, the false prophets, which were flatterers & serued for lucre, whom Iezebel had assembled and kept after the death of those whome Elias slewe. ] prophets vpon a foure hundreth men, and said vnto them, Shal I go against Ramoth Gilead to battel, or shal I let it alone? And they said, Go vp: for ye Lord shall deliuer it into the hands of the King.

⁷ And Iehoshaphat said, Is there here neuer a Prophet of the [Note: [g] Ichoshaphat did not acknowledge the false prophets to be Gods ministers, but did cotemne them. ] Lorde more, that we might inquire of him?

⁸ And the King of Israel said vnto Iehoshaphat, There is yet one man (Michaiah the sonne of Imlah) by whom we may aske counsel of the Lord, but [Note: [h] Whereby we see that the wicked cannot abide to heare the trueth, but hate the Prophets of God and molest them. ] I hate him: for he doeth not prophecie good vnto me, but euill. And Iehoshaphat sayd, Let not the King say so.

⁹ Then the King of Israel called an [Note: [i] Reade Geue.37.36. ] Eunuche, and sayde, Call quickely Michaiah the sonne of Imlah.

¹⁰ And the King of Israel & Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah sate either of them on his throne in their [Note: [k] In their kingly apparel. ] apparell in the voyde place at the entring in of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophecied before them.

¹¹ And Zidkiiah the sonne of Chenaanah made him [Note: [l] The true Prophets of God were accustomed to vse signes for the confirmation of their doctrine, Isa.20.2.iere.7.2. wherein the false prophets did imitate them, thinking thereby to make their doctrine more commendable. ] hornes of yron, and sayd, Thus sayth the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Aramites, vntill thou hast consumed them.

¹² And all the prophets prophecied so, saying, Goe vp to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliuer it into the Kings hand.

¹³ ¶ And the messenger that was gone to call Michaiah spake vnto him, saying, Beholde now, the wordes of the prophets declare good vnto the King with [Note: Ebr. mouth. ] [Note: [m] This is the common argument of the wicked, who thinke that none should speake against a thing, if the greater part approue it, be they neuer so vngodly. ] one accorde: let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like the worde of one of them, and speake thou good.

¹⁴ And Michaiah saide, As the Lord liueth, whatsoeuer the Lord sayth vnto me, that will I speake.

¹⁵ ¶ So he came to the King, & the King said vnto him, Michaiah, shall we go against Ramoth Gilead to battel, or shall we leaue off? And he answered him, [Note: [n] He speaketh this in derision, because the king attributed so much to the false prophets, meaning that by experience he should trie that they were but flatterers. ] Goe vp, and prosper: and the Lord shall deliuer it into the hand of the King.

¹⁶ And the King said vnto him, How oft shall I charge thee, that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the Name of the Lord?

¹⁷ Then he said, I sawe all Israel scattered vpon the mountaines, as sheepe that had no shepheard. And the Lorde sayde, [Note: [o] It is better they returne home, the to be punished & scattered, because they take warre in hand without Gods counsel and approbation. ] These haue no master, let euery man returne vnto his house in peace.

¹⁸ (And the King of Israel saide vnto Iehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee, that he would prophecie no good vnto me, but euill?)

¹⁹ Againe he said, Heare thou therefore the worde of the Lorde. I sawe the Lorde sit on his throne, and all the [Note: [p] Meaning, his Angels. ] hoste of heauen stood about him on his right hand and on his left hand.

²⁰ And the Lord sayd, Who shall [Note: Or, perswade and deceiue. ] entise Ahab that he may go and fall at Ramoth Gilead? And one said on this maner, and another sayd on that maner.

²¹ Then there came forth a spirit, & [Note: [q] Here we see that though the deuil be euer readie to bring vs to destruction, yet he hath no further power then God giueth him. ] stoode before the Lord, and sayd, I wil entise him. And the Lord sayd vnto him, Wherewith?

²² And he sayd, I will goe out, and be a [Note: [r] I will cause all his prophets to tell lyes. ] false spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. Then he sayd, Thou shalt entise him, and shalt also preuayle: goe forth, and doe so.

²³ Now therefore behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirite in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath appoynted euill against thee.

²⁴ Then Zidkiiah the sonne of Chenaanah came neere, and smote Michaiah on the cheeke and sayd, [Note: 2.Chron.18.23. ] [Note: [s] Thus the wicked would seeme that none were in the fauour of God, but they, & that God hath giuen his graces to none so much as to them. ] When went the Spirite of the Lord from me, to speake vnto thee?

²⁵ And Michaiah saide, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt goe from chamber to chamber to hide thee.

²⁶ And the King of Israel sayd, Take Michaiah, and cary him vnto Amon the gouernour of the citie, and vnto Ioash the Kings sonne,

²⁷ And say, Thus saith the King, Put this man [Page]

in the prison house, and feede him with [Note: [t] Let him be pined away with hunger and be fed with a small portion of bread and water. ] bread of affliction, and with water of affliction, vntill I returne in peace.

²⁸ And Michaiah sayde, If thou returne in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he sayd, [Note: [u] That when ye shall see these things come to passe, ye may giue God the glory and know that I am his true Prophet. ] Hearken all ye people.

²⁹ So the King of Israel and Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah went vp to Ramoth Gilead.

³⁰ And the King of Israel sayde to Iehoshaphat, I will change mine apparell, and will enter into the battell, but put thou on thine apparell. And the King of Israel changed himselfe, and went into the battel.

³¹ And the King of Aram commaunded his two and thirtie captaines ouer his charets, saying, Fight neither with small, nor great, saue onely against the King of Israel.

³² And when the captaines of the charets saw Iehoshaphat, they sayd, Surely it is the King of Israel, and they turned to fight against him: and Iehoshaphat [Note: [x] That is, to the Lord for helpe. ] cryed.

³³ And when the captaines of the charets saw that he was not the King of Israel, they turned backe from him.

³⁴ Then a certaine man drewe a bow [Note: Or, in his simplicitie and ignorantly. ] mightily and smote the King of Israel betweene the ioyntes [Note: Ebr. and betweene the brigandine. ] of his brigandine. Wherefore he sayde vnto his charet man, Turne thine hand and cary me out of the hoste: for I am [Note: Ebr.sicke. ] hurt.

³⁵ And the battel encreased that day, and the [Note: [y] To wit, Ahab King of Israel. ] King stoode still in his charet against the Aramites, and dyed at euen: & the blood ran out of the wound into the middes of the charet.

³⁶ And there went a proclamation thorowout the [Note: [z] Of the Israelites. ] hoste about the going downe of the sunne, saying, Euery man to his citie, and euery man to his owne countrey.

³⁷ So the King died, and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the King in Samaria.

³⁸ And one washed the charet in the poole of Samaria, and the dogs licked vp his blood (and [Note: Or, the harlots washed it. ] they washed his armour) according [Note: Chap.21.19. ] vnto the word of the Lord which he spake.

³⁹ Concerning the rest of the actes of Ahab and all that he did, and the yuorie house which he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

⁴⁰ So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah

his sonne reigned in his stead.

⁴¹ ¶ [Note: 2.Chron.20.31. ] And Iehoshaphat the sonne of Asa began to reigne vpon Iudah in the fourth yeere of Ahab King of Israel.

⁴² Iehoshaphat was fiue and thirty yere olde, when he began to reigne, and reigned fiue and twentie yeere in Ierusalem. And his mothers name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

⁴³ And he walked in all the wayes of Asa his father, and declined not therefrom, but did that which was right in the eyes of the Lorde. Neuerthelesse [Note: [a] Meaning, that he was led with an error, thinking that they might still sacrifice to the Lord in those places, aswell as they did before the Temple was built. ] the hie places were not taken away: for the people offred still and burnt incense in the hie places.

⁴⁴ And Iehoshaphat made peace with the King of Israel.

⁴⁵ Concerning the rest of the actes of Iehoshaphat, and his worthy deedes that he did, and his battels which he fought, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah?

⁴⁶ And the Sodomites, which remayned in the dayes of his father Asa, he put cleane out of the land.

⁴⁷ There was then no King in Edom: the [Note: [b] In the time of this King, Idumea was subiect to Iudah and was gouerned by whom they of Iudah appoynted. ] deputie was King.

⁴⁸ Iehoshaphat made shippes of [Note: [c] By Tharshish the Scripture meaneth Cilicia and all the Sea called Mediterraneum. ] Tharshish to sayle to [Note: [d] Iosephus writeth that Ophis is in India, where the Egyptians and Arabians traffike for golde. ] Ophir for golde, but they went not, for the shippes were broken at Ezion Gaber.

⁴⁹ Then sayde Ahaziah the sonne of Ahab vnto Iehoshaphat, Let my seruants goe with thy seruants in the ships, But Iehoshaphat would not.

⁵⁰ And Iehoshaphat did sleepe with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the citie of Dauid his father, and Iehoram his sonne reigned in his stead.

⁵¹ ¶ Ahaziah the sonne of Ahab began to reigne ouer Israel in Samaria, the seuenteenth yeere of Iehoshaphat King of Iudah, and reigned two yeeres ouer Israel.

⁵² But he did euill in the sight of the Lorde, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, which made Israel to sinne.

⁵³ For he serued Baal and worshipped him, and prouoked the Lorde God of Israel vnto wrath, [Note: Or, in all poynts as his father did. ] according vnto all that his father had done.