Then Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "Thus may the gods do to me, and may they add to it, surely at this time tomorrow I will make your life as the life of one of them!" Then he became afraid, got up, and fled for his life. He came to Beersheba which belongs to Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went into the wilderness one day’s journey, and he went and sat under a certain broom tree. Then he asked Yahweh that he might die, and he said, "It is enough now, Yahweh; take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors." He lay down and fell asleep under a certain broom tree, and suddenly this angel was touching him and said to him, "Get up, eat!" He looked, and behold, a bread cake on hot coals was near his head and a jar of water, so he ate and drank. Then he did it again and lay down. The angel of Yahweh appeared a second time and touched him and said, "Get up, eat, for the journey is greater than you." So he got up, ate, drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights up to Horeb, the mountain of God.

He came to the cave there and spent the night there. Suddenly the word of Yahweh came to him and asked him, "Elijah, what are you doing here?" Then he said, "I have been very zealous for Yahweh the God of hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant. They have demolished your altars, and they have killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left over, and they seek to take my life. He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before Yahweh." Suddenly Yahweh was passing by, with a great and strong wind ripping the mountains and crushing rocks before Yahweh; but Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake; but Yahweh was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake was a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire. After the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. It happened at the moment Elijah heard, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, "Elijah, why are you here?" He said, "I have been very zealous for Yahweh the God of Hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, demolished your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword; I alone am left, and they seek to take my life!" Then Yahweh said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. Go and anoint Hazael as king over Aram; and Jehu son of Nimshi you shall anoint as king over Israel. You shall also anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-Meholah as prophet in your place. It shall be that the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. I will leave in Israel seven thousand, all of the knees that have not bowed down to Baal and all of the mouths that have not kissed him."

So he went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him. When he and the twelve passed Elijah, he threw his cloak on him. Then he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, "Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will go after you." Then he said, "Go, return, for what I have done to you?" So he returned from after him, and he took a pair of oxen and slaughtered them, and with the yoke of the oxen he boiled the flesh and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and served him.

Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathered all of his army, and thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots. He went up and laid siege against Samaria and fought with it. He sent messengers to the city to Ahab king of Israel. He said to him, "Thus says Ben-Hadad: ‘Your silver and your gold are mine, and your women and your best sons are mine.’" Then the king of Israel answered and said, "As your word, my master the king; I am yours, and all that is mine is yours." The messengers returned and said, "Thus says Ben-Hadad, saying, ‘I sent to you saying, "Your silver and gold are mine, and your women and your best sons you must give to me." So at this time tomorrow, I will send my servants to you that they might search your house and the houses of your servants. All the desire of your eyes they will lay hands on and take it away.’"

Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, "Please know and realize that this man is seeking trouble, for he sent to me for my women, my sons, my silver, and my gold, and I did not withhold anything from him." All of the elders and all of the people said to him, "Do not listen and do not consent." So he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, "Say to my lord the king, ‘All that you demanded from your servant at the first, I will do, but this thing I am not able to do.’" Then the messengers went and made a report to him. Then Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, "Thus may the gods do to me and thus may they add if the dust of Samaria is sufficient for the hollow of a hand for all of the people who are at my feet." The king of Israel answered and said, "Tell him, ‘Let not him who girds on his armor boast as one who takes off his armor.’" It happened at the moment he heard this word, he and the kings were drinking in the tents. He said to his servants, "Get ready to attack." So they got ready to attack the city.

Suddenly a certain prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, "Thus says Yahweh: ‘Have you seen all this great crowd? Behold, I am giving it into your hand today, that you may know that I am Yahweh.’" Ahab said, "By whom?" And he said, "Thus says Yahweh: ‘By the servants of the commanders of the provinces.’" He asked, "Who will begin the battle?" And he said, "You." So he mustered the servants of the commanders of the provinces, and there were two hundred and thirty-two. After them he mustered all of the army, all the sons of Israel, seven thousand.

They went out at noon while Ben-Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the tents, he and the thirty-two kings helping him. Then the servants of the commanders of the provinces went out first, and Ben-Hadad sent, and they reported to him, saying, "Men have come out from Samaria." Then he said, "If they have come out for peace, seize them alive; and if they have come out for war, seize them alive." But these had come out from the city, the servants of the commanders of the provinces, and the army that was after them. Each man killed his man, and the Arameans fled, so Israel pursued them, but Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with cavalry. The king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and the chariots and defeated Aram with a great blow.

Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel, and he said to him, "Go, strengthen yourself; consider well what you should do, for the king of Aram is coming against you at the turn of the year."

The servants of the king of Aram said to him, "Their gods are gods of the mountains, therefore they were stronger than we. Let us fight with them in the plain; surely we will be stronger than they. Do this thing: remove the kings each from his post, and put a governor in their place. You must muster an army for yourself as the army you have lost, and horses and chariots as the horses and chariots you lost, then we will fight them in the plain. Surely we will be stronger than they." So he listened to their voice and did so.

It happened at the turning of the year that Ben-Hadad mustered Aram and went up to Aphek for the war with Israel. The Israelites had been mustered and provisioned, and they went to engage them. The Israelites encamped opposite them as two flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the land. Then the man of God approached, and he spoke to the king of Israel, and he said, "Thus says Yahweh: ‘Because Aram has said, "Yahweh is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,"’ I will give all this great crowd into your hand that you may know that I am Yahweh." These encamped opposite for seven days, and it happened on the seventh day that the battle began, and the Israelites killed the Arameans, one hundred thousand infantry in one day. Then those who remained fled to Aphek, to the city, and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who had remained, so Ben-Hadad fled and went to the innermost rooms of the city.

Then his servants said to him, "Please now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are kings of mercy. Let us now put sackcloth on around our waists and ropes on our heads. Then let us go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will let you live." So they tied sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads. Then they went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’" And he said, "Is my brother still alive?" The men took this as a good omen and they quickly accepted it as true from him, and they said, "Your brother Ben-Hadad lives." So he said, "Go, get him." Ben-Hadad came out to him, and Ahab pulled him up on the chariot. Ben-Hadad said to him, "The cities which my father took from your father I shall return. You may set up streets with stalls for yourself in Damascus just as my father set up in Samaria." Then Ahab said, "On these terms I will let you go," So he made a covenant with him and let him go.

A certain man from the sons of the prophets said to his fellow countryman, "By the word of Yahweh, please strike me." But the man refused to strike him.

He said to him, "Because you have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh, look, as you now are going from me, a lion will kill you." When he went from beside him, the lion found him and killed him. Then he found another man and said, "Strike me, please," so the man struck him sharply and wounded him. Then the prophet went and waited for the king along the road and disguised himself with a headband over his eyes. As the king was passing by, he called to the king and said, "Your servant went out in the thick of the battle, and suddenly a man turned and brought a man to me and said, ‘Guard this man. If by any means he should be missed, it will be your life in his place, or you shall pay a talent of silver.’ It happened that your servant was busy here and there, and he disappeared." Then the king said to him, "Your own judgment has been determined." He quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him, that he was from the prophets. He said to him, "Thus says Yahweh: ‘Because you have let the man I devoted for destruction go from your hand, your life shall be in place of his life and your people in place of his people.’" Then the king of Israel went to his house, sullen and angry, and he came to Samaria.

It happened after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, "Give me your vineyard that it may be mine for a garden of vegetable plants, because it is near, beside my house, and I will give to you a better vineyard in place of it. If it is better in your eyes, I will give you the money of its price." Naboth said to Ahab, "Far be it from me from Yahweh that I should give the inheritance of my ancestors to you." Then Ahab went to his house, sullen and angry because of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him when he had said, "I will not give to you the inheritance of my ancestors." So he lay on his bed, turned away his face, and would not eat any food.

Then Jezebel his wife came to him, and she said to him, "What is this, that your spirit is sullen and you are not eating food?" Then he said to her, "When I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and asked him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money, or it you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in place of it,’ he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’" Jezebel his wife said to him, "Now, you rule over Israel. Get up, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful. I myself will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."

So she wrote letters in the name of Ahab and sealed them with his seal. She sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling with Naboth in his city. She had written in the letters, saying, "Call a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people. Seat two men, scoundrels, opposite him. Let them witness against him saying, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then you shall bring him out and stone him so that he dies." The men of his city and the elders and nobles who were living in his city did according to what Jezebel had sent to them, as was written in the letters which she had sent to them. They called a fast, and they seated Naboth at the head of the people. Then the two men, scoundrels, came, sat opposite him, and the scoundrels witnessed against Naboth before the people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king," so they brought him outside of the city and stoned him with stones, and he died.

They sent to Jezebel saying, "Naboth has been stoned, and he is dead." It happened at the moment Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and died, Jezebel said to Ahab, "Get up, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite which he had refused to give to you for money, for Naboth is not alive, but dead." When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.

The word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, "Arise, go down to meet Ahab the king of Israel who is in Samaria. Look in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession of it. You shall say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh: "Have you committed murder and also taken possession?"’ You shall also say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh: "In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, the dogs will also lick your blood."’"

Then Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, my enemy?" He said, "I have found you because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of Yahweh. ‘Look, I am bringing disaster on you, and I will sweep away after you. I will cut off for Ahab every male in Israel, bond or free. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because you made me angry and have caused Israel to sin.’ Moreover, concerning Jezebel, Yahweh has said, ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel in the outer rampart of Jezreel.’ The one who dies for Ahab in the city, the dogs will eat; the one who dies in the open country, the birds of heaven will eat."

Truly, there was no one like Ahab who had sold himself by doing evil in the eyes of Yahweh, whose wife Jezebel urged him on. Also, he acted very abominably by going after idols like all the Amorites had done whom Yahweh had driven out from before the Israelites."

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth over his flesh, fasted, lay in the sackcloth, and went about dejectedly. Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, "Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring disaster in his days. I will bring the disaster on his house in the days of his son."

And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place, and he strengthened himself against Israel. And he put troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and put garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had taken. And Yahweh was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of David his father and did not seek after the Baals, but he sought after the God of his ancestors and walked in his commandments and not according to the works of Israel. So Yahweh established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah gave tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had much wealth and honor. And his heart was courageous in the ways of Yahweh. Moreover, he removed the high places and the Asherahs from Judah.

In the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; and with them the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah; and with them the priests Elisham and Joram. And they taught in Judah, and the scroll of the law of Yahweh was with them when they went around in all the cities of Judah, and they taught the people.

And the fear of Yahweh was upon all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, and they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. And some of the Philistines brought a gift and silver to Jehoshaphat as tribute. The Arabians also brought him seven thousand seven hundred sheep and seven thousand seven hundred goats.

And Jehoshaphat grew greater and greater, and he built fortresses and storage cities in Judah. And he had many supplies in the cities of Judah and mighty warriors for battle in Jerusalem. Now these were their enrollment by the house of their ancestors: of Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah, the commander, and with him were three hundred thousand mighty armed warriors; and at his side, Jehohanan the commander, and with him were two hundred and eighty thousand; and at his side, Amasiah the son of Zicri, who had made a freewill offering to Yahweh, and with him were two hundred thousand mighty armed warriors. And from Benjamin: Eliada, a powerful mighty warrior, and with him were two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield; and at his side, Jehozabad, and with him were one hundred and eighty thousand armed for war. These were serving the king, besides those whom the king had placed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

A song of ascents.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez became the father of Hezron, and Hezron became the father of Aram, and Aram became the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon, and Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David the king.

And David became the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam became the father of Abijah, and Abijah became the father of Asa, and Asa became the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat became the father of Joram, and Joram became the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah became the father of Jotham, and Jotham became the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz became the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh became the father of Amon, and Amon became the father of Josiah, and Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

And after the deportation to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud, and Abiud became the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim became the father of Azor, and Azor became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Achim, and Achim became the father of Eliud, and Eliud became the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar became the father of Matthan, and Matthan became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary by whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Therefore all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ are fourteen generations.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ occurred in this way. His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. So Joseph her husband, being righteous and not wanting to disgrace her, intended to divorce her secretly. But as he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. And she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name ‘Jesus,’ because he will save his people from their sins." Now all this happened in order that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,

which is translated, "God with us." And Joseph, when he woke up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and he took his wife and did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.