Saturday, 04 May

1.   Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani, against Baasha, saying: 2.   "Inasmuch as I lifted you out of the dust and made you ruler over My people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and have made My people Israel sin, to provoke Me to anger with their sins, 3.   "surely I will take away the posterity of Baasha and the posterity of his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 4.   "The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Baasha and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the fields." 5.   Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, what he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 6.   So Baasha rested with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah. Then Elah his son reigned in his place. 7.   And also the word of the LORD came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD in provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he killed them. 8.   In the twenty–sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha became king over Israel, and reigned two years in Tirzah. 9.   Now his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him as he was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, steward of his house in Tirzah. 10.   And Zimri went in and struck him and killed him in the twenty–seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place. 11.   Then it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he was seated on his throne, that he killed all the household of Baasha; he did not leave him one male, neither of his relatives nor of his friends. 12.   Thus Zimri destroyed all the household of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, 13.   for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, by which they had sinned and by which they had made Israel sin, in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their idols. 14.   Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 15.   In the twenty–seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri had reigned in Tirzah seven days. And the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. 16.   Now the people who were encamped heard it said, "Zimri has conspired and also has killed the king." So all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17.   Then Omri and all Israel with him went up from Gibbethon, and they besieged Tirzah. 18.   And it happened, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned the king’s house down upon himself with fire, and died, 19.   because of the sins which he had committed in doing evil in the sight of the LORD, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he had committed to make Israel sin. 20.   Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and the treason he committed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 21.   Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. 22.   But the people who followed Omri prevailed over the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri reigned. 23.   In the thirty–first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel, and reigned twelve years. Six years he reigned in Tirzah. 24.   And he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; then he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, Samaria, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill. 25.   Omri did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all who were before him. 26.   For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin, provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their idols. 27.   Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 28.   So Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. Then Ahab his son reigned in his place. 29.   In the thirty–eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty–two years. 30.   Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. 31.   And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32.   Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 33.   And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34.   In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the LORD, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun.

1.   And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, " As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word." 2.   Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 3.   "Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 4.   "And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there." 5.   So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 6.   The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. 7.   And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. 8.   Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9.   "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." 10.   So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink." 11.   And as she was going to get it , he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." 12.   So she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." 13.   And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 14.   "For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’" 15.   So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16.   The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah. 17.   Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him. 18.   So she said to Elijah, "What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?" 19.   And he said to her, "Give me your son." So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20.   Then he cried out to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?" 21.   And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him." 22.   Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. 23.   And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, "See, your son lives!" 24.   Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth."

1.   And it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth." 2.   So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab; and there was a severe famine in Samaria. 3.   And Ahab had called Obadiah, who was in charge of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly. 4.   For so it was, while Jezebel massacred the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and had fed them with bread and water.) 5.   And Ahab had said to Obadiah, "Go into the land to all the springs of water and to all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, so that we will not have to kill any livestock. 6.   So they divided the land between them to explore it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. 7.   Now as Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Elijah met him; and he recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, " Is that you, my lord Elijah?" 8.   And he answered him, " It is I. Go, tell your master, ‘Elijah is here .’" 9.   So he said, "How have I sinned, that you are delivering your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me? 10.   " As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you; and when they said, ‘ He is not here ,’ he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they could not find you. 11.   "And now you say, ‘Go, tell your master, "Elijah is here "’! 12.   "And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you to a place I do not know; so when I go and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me. But I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth. 13.   "Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, how I hid one hundred men of the LORD’S prophets, fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water? 14.   "And now you say, ‘Go, tell your master, "Elijah is here ."’ He will kill me!" 15.   Then Elijah said, " As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today." 16.   So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17.   Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, " Is that you, O troubler of Israel?" 18.   And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have , in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals. 19.   "Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table." 20.   So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. 21.   And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word. 22.   Then Elijah said to the people, "I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23.   "Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it ; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it . 24.   "Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God." So all the people answered and said, "It is well spoken." 25.   Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it ." 26.   So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it , and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, "O Baal, hear us!" But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. 27.   And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, "Cry aloud, 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." 28.   So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. 29.   And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention. 30.   Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. 31.   And 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, "Israel shall be your name." 32.   Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33.   And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, "Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood." 34.   Then 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. 35.   So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water. 36.   And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I 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." 38.   Then the 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. 39.   Now when all the people saw it , they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" 40.   And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!" So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there. 41.   Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain." 42.   So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, 43.   and 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." 44.   Then 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, ‘Prepare your chariot , and go down before the rain stops you.’" 45.   Now 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. 46.   Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

18.   Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19.   What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20.   Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21.   You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 22.   Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? 23.   All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. 24.   Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well–being. 25.   Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; 26.   for "the earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness." 27.   If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner , and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. 28.   But if anyone says to you, "This was offered to idols," do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for "the earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness." 29.   "Conscience, " I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? 30.   But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? 31.   Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32.   Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33.   just as I also please all men in all things , not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.