Part 7 (1/2)

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

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

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

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

THE PROPHET SLAIN BY A LION.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ELIJAH DESTROYING THE MESSENGERS OF AHAZIAH.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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