of Nabat, and like the house of Baasa the son of Ahias: for what thou hast done, to provoke Me to anger, and for making Israel to sin. And of Jezabel also the Lord

spoke, saying: The dogs shall eat Jezabel in the field of Jezrahel. If Achab die in the city, the dogs shall eat him but if he die in the field, the birds of the air shall eat him.

And when Achab heard the prophet's words, he rent his garments, and put hair-cloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and slept in sackcloth, and walked with his head cast down. And the word of the Lord came to Elias the Thesbite, saying: Hast thou not seen Achab humbled before Me? therefore, because he hath humbled himself for my sake, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

CHAP. XX. The Death of Achab. Elias calls fire from Heaven. ACHAB'S cup of iniquity was now about to be filled to the brim; for his repentance was not such as would endure; and he never turned to God with his whole heart. He engaged in a war with the Syrians, and entered into a defensive league with Josaphat the king of Juda. Before marching to battle, Achab consulted his pretended prophets, and with one flattering voice they promised him success over his enemies. But Josaphat, a pious man, was not content without asking counsel of a prophet of the true God. Achab replied that he knew of one only, Micheas by name; and that he hated him, because he always prophesied evil of him. Nevertheless, Josaphat insisted upon his being sent for; and Micheas at once foretold that Achab would be slain. Filled with indignation, Achab ordered him to prison, until he should return in safety; but, nevertheless, he took the precaution of going into the fight without his royal dress, that he might not be made a special object of attack by the enemy's troops. But vain was all his care. In the battle that ensued, a random arrow, shot by a man at a venture, mortally wounded the king of Israel, and he

died that evening. And his chariot was washed in a pool, and the dogs licked up the blood that had flowed from his wound into it, as the Lord had foretold.

Josaphat returned in safety from the field, and the war between Syria and the people of Juda and Israel was ended. Achab was succeeded by his son Ochozias, and Josaphat, when he afterwards died, by his son Joram.

The earthly days of the great prophet were also now drawing to a close; but before his departure God gave a fresh token to the guilty Israelites of the honour due to His faithful servant. Ochozias the king was injured by a fall, and instead of asking advice of Elias, he sent to consult the idol-god Beelzebub. The messengers on their way were met by Elias, who bade them return with a reproof from God to their master. When the king heard their story, he inquired who the man was who had met them. And when they described him as a hairy man, with a leather girdle about his loins, he knew that it was Elias; and sent a captain, and a troop of fifty men, with an insolent message to the prophet to appear before the king. The captain, finding Elias sitting upon a hill, cried out to him: Man of God, the king hath commanded thee that thou come down. And Elias said, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty men. And the fire came and burned them all. Again the king sent another troop, who met the same awful fate. A third captain, when despatched, fell on his knees before the prophet, and humbly entreated him to spare his life. And God bade Elias go with him to the king. And he went and told the king that he should never rise from his bed of sickness. And the king died, and his brother Joram reigned in his stead.

CHAP. XXI. Elias taken up to Heaven.

IT was the will of God common death of men.

that Elias should not die the When his time was come for

departure from this world, he was going with his follower Eliseus from Galgal. And he said to Eliseus : Stay here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as Bethel. And Eliseus said to him: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And when they were come down to Bethel, the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Eliseus, and said to him: Dost thou know that this day the Lord will take away thy master from thee? And he answered: I also know it: hold your peace. And Elias said to Eliseus: Stay here, because the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And when they were come to Jericho, the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Eliseus, and said to him: Dost thou know that this day the Lord will take away thy master from thee? And he said: I also know it: hold your peace. And Elias said to him: Stay here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as the Jordan. And he said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on together. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets followed them, and stood in sight at a distance: but they two stood by the Jordan. And Elias took his mantle, and folded it together, and struck the waters; and they were divided hither and thither: and they both passed over on dry ground. And when they were gone over, Elias said to Eliseus Ask what thou wilt have me to do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Eliseus said: I beseech thee that in me may be thy double spirit. And he answered: Thou hast asked a hard thing; nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, thou shalt have what thou hast asked; but if thou see me not, thou shalt not have it. And as they went on, walking and talking together, behold, a fiery chariot and fiery horses parted them both asunder; and Elias went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Eliseus saw him, and cried: My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the driver thereof. And he saw him no more and he took hold of his own garments, and rent

:

them in two pieces. And he took up the mantle of Elias that fell from him: and going back he stood upon the bank of the Jordan: and he struck the waters with the mantle of Elias that had fallen from him; and they were not divided. And he said: Where is now the God of Elias? And he struck the waters, and they were divided hither and thither; and Eliseus passed over. And the sons of the prophets at Jericho, who were overagainst him, seeing it, said: The spirit of Elias hath rested upon Eliseus. And coming to meet him, they worshipped him, falling to the ground, and they said to him: Behold, there are with thy servants fifty strong men, that can go and seek thy master, lest perhaps the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley. And he said: Do not send. But they pressed him, till he consented, and said: Send. And they sent fifty men: and they sought three days, but found him not. And they came back to him; for he abode at Jericho; and he said to them: Did I not say to you: Do not send? And the men of the city said to Eliseus: Behold, the situation of this city is very good, as thou my lord seest; but the waters are very bad, and the ground barren. And he said: Bring me a new vessel, and put salt into it. And when they had brought it, he went out to the spring of the waters, and cast the salt into it; and said: Thus saith the Lord: I have healed these waters; and there shall be no more in them death or barrenness. And the waters were healed unto this day, according to the word of Eliseus, which he spoke. And he went up from thence to Bethel : and as he was going up by the way, little boys came out of the city, and mocked him, saying: Go up, thou baldhead go up, thou bald-head. And looking back, he saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord: and there came forth two bears out of the forest, and tore of them two-and-forty boys.

CHAP. XXII. The Miracles of Eliseus.

THE prophet Eliseus is distinguished above all the other Jewish prophets by the number of miracles which he wrought. His miracles, also, were for the most part worked for purposes which unbelievers account trifling, and unworthy of the interposition of Almighty power. They were generally of a private and almost household character; and bear a great resemblance to the miracles which were done by some of the Saints of the Christian Church some time after the days of the Apostles.

and

The first instance which the Scriptures record of the aid he furnished to his fellow-countrymen is not perhaps miraculous, except in this: that the prophet was guided by Divine inspiration in the course he followed. The kings of Israel and Juda were leagued with the king of Edom in a war against the Moabites, and want of water reduced the confederate army to extreme distress. In their trouble they summoned Eliseus; for the sake of the pious king of Juda, the prophet listened to their prayer that he would intercede with God on their behalf. He sent for a minstrel; and as the minstrel played upon his instrument, the Spirit of God came upon Eliseus, and he bade them cut the whole bed of a dried-up river, near which they were encamped, into a number of ditches. The next day, though there was no rain, the ditches were filled, and the people drank of the water. The Moabites, also, saw the red reflection of the morning sun's rays upon the surface of the pools; and supposing it to be blood, imagined that the three kings had quarrelled and fought, rushed in rash disorder upon the camp of the allies, where they were received with unlooked-for resistance, and met a bloody defeat. The conquerors followed up the victory by laying waste the territory of Moab; until a frightful example of Gentile superstition struck the Israelites with horror. The king of Ēdom took his own son and offered him up as a burnt-sacrifice to his idol-gods, in the sight of the hostile armies; and the Israelites, filled with in