27And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry 8aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”
28So they cried aloud, and qcut themselves, as was their custom, with 9knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.
29And when midday was past, rthey prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was sno voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.
30Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. tAnd he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
31And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, u“Israel shall be your name.”
32Then with the stones he built an altar vin the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
33And he wput the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and xpour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.”
34Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time.
35So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled ythe trench with water.
36And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD zGod of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, alet it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that bI have done all these things at Your word.
37“Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
38Then cthe fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
39Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, d“The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”
40And Elijah said to them, e“Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook fKishon and gexecuted them there.
The Drought Ends
41Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
42So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; hthen he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,
43and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”
44Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, 10‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”
45Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.
46Then the ihand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he jgirded11 up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
1 Kings 19
Elijah Escapes from Jezebel
1And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had aexecuted all the prophets with the sword.
2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, b“So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.”
3And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a 1broom tree. And he cprayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”
5Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an 2angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.”
6Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on 3coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.
7And the 4angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.”
8So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and dforty nights as far as eHoreb, the mountain of God.
9And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10So he said, f“I have been very gzealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and hkilled Your prophets with the sword. iI alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
God’s Revelation to Elijah
11Then He said, “Go out, and stand jon the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD kpassed by, and la great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;
12and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire 5a still small voice.
13So it was, when Elijah heard it, that mhe wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. nSuddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14oAnd he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
15Then the LORD said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; pand when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.
16“Also you shall anoint qJehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And rElisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.
17s“It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will tkill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, uElisha will kill.
18v“Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, wand every mouth that has not kissed him.”
Elisha Follows Elijah
19So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his xmantle on him.
20And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, y“Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”
21So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and zboiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.
1 Kings 20
Ahab Defeats the Syrians
1Now aBen-Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his forces together; thirty-two kings were with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged bSamaria, and made war against it.
2Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, “Thus says Ben-Hadad:
3‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your loveliest wives and children are mine.’ ”
4And the king of Israel answered and said, “My lord, O king, just as you say, I and all that I have are yours.”
5Then the messengers came back and said, “Thus speaks Ben-Hadad, saying, ‘Indeed I have sent to you, saying, “You shall deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children”;
6‘but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants. And it shall be, that whatever is 1pleasant in your eyes, they will put in their h
ands and take it.’ ”
7So the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Notice, please, and see how this man seeks trouble, for he sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold; and I did not deny him.”
8And all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent.”
9Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’ ” And the messengers departed and brought back word to him.
10Then Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, c“The gods do so to me, and more also, if enough dust is left of Samaria for a handful for each of the people 2who follow me.”
11So the king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him, ‘Let not the one who puts on his armor dboast like the one who takes it off.’ ”
12And it happened when Ben-Hadad heard this message, as he and the kings were edrinking at the 3command post, that he said to his servants, “Get ready.” And they got ready to attack the city.
13Suddenly a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, fI will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’ ”
14So Ahab said, “By whom?” And he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘By the young leaders of the provinces.’ ” Then he said, “Who will set the battle in order?” And he answered, “You.”
15Then he mustered the young leaders of the provinces, and there were two hundred and thirty-two; and after them he mustered all the people, all the children of Israel—seven thousand.
16So they went out at noon. Meanwhile Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two kings helping him were ggetting drunk at the command post.
17The young leaders of the provinces went out first. And Ben-Hadad sent out a patrol, and they told him, saying, “Men are coming out of Samaria!”
18So he said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; and if they have come out for war, take them alive.”
19Then these young leaders of the provinces went out of the city with the army which followed them.
20And each one killed his man; so the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them; and Ben-Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the cavalry.
21Then the king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22And the prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself; take note, and see what you should do, hfor 4in the spring of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.”
The Syrians Again Defeated
23Then the servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than they.
24“So do this thing: Dismiss the kings, each from his position, and put captains in their 5places;
25“and you shall muster an army like the army 6that you have lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain; surely we will be stronger than they.” And he listened to their voice and did so.
26So it was, in the spring of the year, that Ben-Hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to iAphek to fight against Israel.
27And the children of Israel were mustered and given provisions, and they went against them. Now the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, while the Syrians filled the jcountryside.
28Then a kman of God came and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The LORD is God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys,” therefore lI will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’ ”
29And they encamped opposite each other for seven days. So it was that on the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel killed one hundred thousand foot soldiers of the Syrians in one day.
30But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; then a wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the men who were left. And Ben-Hadad fled and went into the city, into an inner chamber.
Ahab’s Treaty with Ben-Hadad
31Then his servants said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please, let us mput sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life.”
32So they wore sackcloth around their waists and put ropes around their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’ ” And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
33Now the men were watching closely to see whether any sign of mercy would come from him; and they quickly grasped at this word and said, “Your brother Ben-Hadad.” So he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben-Hadad came out to him; and he had him come up into the chariot.
34So Ben-Hadad said to him, n“The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Then Ahab said, “I will send you away with this treaty.” So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.
Ahab Condemned
35Now a certain man of othe sons of the prophets said to his neighbor pby the word of the LORD, “Strike me, please.” And the man refused to strike him.
36Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, surely, as soon as you depart from me, a lion shall kill you.” And as soon as he left him, qa lion found him and killed him.
37And he found another man, and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him, inflicting a wound.
38Then the prophet departed and waited for the king by the road, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.
39Now ras the king passed by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and there, a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, syour life shall be for his life, or else you shall 7pay a talent of silver.’
40“While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” Then the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.”
41And he hastened to take the bandage away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
42Then he said to him, “Thus says the LORD: t‘Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.’ ”
43So the king of Israel uwent to his house sullen and displeased, and came to Samaria.
1 Kings 21
Naboth Is Murdered for His Vineyard
1And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in aJezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
2So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your bvineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.”
3But Naboth said to Ahab, “The LORD forbid cthat I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!”
4So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food.
5But dJezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sullen that you eat no food?”
6He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ ”
7Then
Jezebel his wife said to him, “You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8And she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth.
9She wrote in the letters, saying,
Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth 1with high honor among the people;
10and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, “You have eblasphemed God and the king.” Then take him out, and fstone him, that he may die.
11So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them.
12gThey proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth with high honor among the people.
13And two men, scoundrels, came in and sat before him; and the scoundrels hwitnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth has blasphemed God and the king!” iThen they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died.
14Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”
15And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
16So it was, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
The LORD Condemns Ahab
17jThen the word of the LORD came to kElijah the Tishbite, saying,
18“Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, lwho lives in Samaria. There he is, in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it.
19“You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Have you murdered and also taken possession?” ’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: m“In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours.” ’ ”
The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV Page 172