The Bible, Douay Rheims, Book 9: 1 Kings

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This eBook was produced by David Widger [widger@cecomet.net]
from etext #1581 prepared by Dennis McCarthy, Atlanta, Georgia
and Tad Book, student, Pontifical North American College, Rome.

THE HOLY BIBLE

Translated from the Latin Vulgate

Diligently Compared with the Hebrew, Greek,
and Other Editions in Divers Languages

THE OLD TESTAMENT
First Published by the English College at Douay
A.D. 1609 & 1610

and

THE NEW TESTAMENT
First Published by the English College at Rheims
A.D. 1582

With Annotations

The Whole Revised and Diligently Compared with
the Latin Vulgate by Bishop Richard Challoner
A.D. 1749-1752

THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL, OTHERWISE CALLED THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS

This and the following Book are called by the Hebrews the books of
Samuel, because they contain the history of Samuel, and of the two
kings, Saul and David, whom he anointed. They are more commonly named by
the Fathers, the first and second book of kings. As to the writer of
them, it is the common opinion that Samuel composed the first book, as
far as the twenty-fifth chapter; and that the prophets Nathan and Gad
finished the first, and wrote the second book. See 1 Paralipomenon,
alias 1 Chronicles, 29.29.

1 Kings Chapter 1

Anna the wife of Elcana being barren, by vow and prayer obtaineth a son:
whom she calleth Samuel: and presenteth him to the service of God in
Silo, according to her vow:

1:1. There was a man of Ramathaimsophim, of Mount Ephraim, and his name
was Elcana, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliu, the son of Thohu, the
son of Suph, an Ephraimite:

An Ephraimite... He was of the tribe of Levi, 1. Par. 6.34, but is
called an Ephraimite from dwelling in mount Ephraim.

1:2. And he had two wives, the name of one was Anna, and the name of the
other Phenenna. Phenenna had children: but Anna had no children.

1:3. And this man went up out of his city upon the appointed days, to
adore and to offer sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Silo. And the two
sons of Heli, Ophni and Phinees, were there priests of the Lord.

1:4. Now the day came, and Elcana offered sacrifice, and gave to
Phenenna, his wife, and to all her sons and daughters, portions:

1:5. But to Anna he gave one portion with sorrow, because he loved Anna.
And the Lord had shut up her womb.

1:6. Her rival also afflicted her, and troubled her exceedingly,
insomuch that she upbraided her, that the Lord had shut up her womb:

1:7. And thus she did every year, when the time returned, that they went
up to the temple of the Lord: and thus she provoked her: but Anna wept,
and did not eat.

1:8. Then Elcana, her husband, said to her: Anna, why weepest thou? and
why dost thou not eat? and why dost thou afflict thy heart? Am not I
better to thee than ten children?

1:9. So Anna arose after she had eaten and drunk in Silo: And Heli, the
priest, sitting upon a stool before the door of the temple of the Lord;

1:10. As Anna had her heart full of grief, she prayed to the Lord,
shedding many tears,

1:11. And she made a vow, saying: O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt look
down, and wilt be mindful of me, and not forget thy handmaid, and wilt
give to thy servant a manchild: I will give him to the Lord all the days
of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.

1:12. And it came to pass, as she multiplied prayers before the Lord,
that Heli observed her mouth.

1:13. Now Anna spoke in her heart, and only her lips moved, but her
voice was not heard at all. Heli therefore thought her to be drunk,

1:14. And said to her: How long wilt thou be drunk? digest a little the
wine, of which thou hast taken too much.

1:15. Anna answering, said: Not so, my lord: for I am an exceeding
unhappy woman, and have drunk neither wine nor any strong drink, but I
have poured out my soul before the Lord.

1:16. Count not thy handmaid for one of the daughters of Belial: for out
of the abundance of my sorrow and grief have I spoken till now.

1:17. Then Heli said to her: Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant
thee thy petition, which thou hast asked of him.

1:18. And she said: Would to God thy handmaid may find grace in thy
eyes. So the woman went on her way, and ate, and her countenance was no
more changed.

1:19. And they rose in the morning, and worshipped before the Lord: and
they returned, and came into their house at Ramatha. And Elcana knew
Anna his wife: And the Lord remembered her.

1:20. And it came to pass when the time was come about, Anna conceived
and bore a son, and called his name Samuel: because she had asked him of
the Lord.

Samuel... This name imports, asked of God.

1:21. And Elcana, her husband, went up, and all his house, to offer to
the Lord the solemn sacrifice, and his vow.

1:22. But Anna went not up: for she said to her husband: I will not go
till the child be weaned, and till I may carry him, that he may appear
before the Lord, and may abide always there.

1:23. And Elcana, her husband, said to her: Do what seemeth good to
thee, and stay till thou wean him: and I pray that the Lord may fulfil
his word. So the woman staid at home, and gave her son suck, till she
weaned him.

1:24. And after she had weaned him, she carried him with her, with three
calves, and three bushels of flour, and a bottle of wine, and she
brought him to the house of the Lord in Silo. Now the child was as yet
very young:

1:25. And they immolated a calf, and offered the child to Heli.

1:26. And Anna said: I beseech thee, my lord, as thy soul liveth, my
lord: I am that woman, who stood before thee here praying to the Lord.

1:27. For this child did I pray, and the Lord hath granted me my
petition, which I asked of him.

1:28. Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord all the days of his
life, he shall be lent to the Lord. And they adored the Lord there. And
Anna prayed, and said:

1 Kings Chapter 2

The canticle of Anna. The wickedness of the sons of Heli: for which they
are not duly corrected by their father. A prophecy against the house of
Heli.

2:1. My heart hath rejoiced in the Lord, and my horn is exalted in my
God: my mouth is enlarged over my enemies: because I have joyed in thy
salvation.

My horn... The horn in the scriptures signifies strength, power, the
horn is said to be exalted, when a person receives an increase of
strength or glory.

2:2. There is none holy as the Lord is: for there is no other beside
thee, and there is none strong like our God.

2:3. Do not multiply to speak lofty things, boasting: let old matters
depart from your mouth: for the Lord is a God of all knowledge, and to
him are thoughts prepared.

2:4. The bow of the mighty is overcome, and the weak are girt with
strength.

2:5. They that were full before, have hired out themselves for bread:
and the hungry are filled, so that the barren hath borne many: and she
that had many children is weakened.

2:6. The Lord killeth and maketh alive, he bringeth down to hell, and
bringeth back again.

2:7. The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich, he humbleth and he exalteth:

2:8. He raiseth up the needy from the dust, and lifteth up the poor from
the dunghill: that he may sit with princes, and hold the throne of
glory. For the poles of the earth are the Lord's, and upon them he hath
set the world.

2:9. He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent
in darkness; because no man shall prevail by his own strength.

2:10. The adversaries of the Lord shall fear him: and upon them shall he
thunder in the heavens: The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth, and
he shall give empire to his king, and shall exalt the horn of his
Christ.

2:11. And Elcana went to Ramatha, to his house: but the child ministered
in the sight of the Lord before the face of Heli the priest.

2:12. Now the sons of Heli were children of Belial, not knowing the
Lord,

2:13. Nor the office of the priests to the people: but whosoever had
offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest came, while the flesh was
in boiling, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand,

2:14. And thrust it into the kettle, or into the cauldron, or into the
pot, or into the pan: and all that the fleshhook brought up, the priest
took to himself. Thus did they to all Israel that came to Silo.

2:15. Also before they burnt the fat, the servant of the priest came,
and said to the man that sacrificed: Give me flesh to boil for the
priest: for I will not take of thee sodden flesh, but raw.

2:16. And he that sacrificed said to him: Let the fat first be burnt to
day, according to the custom, and then take to thee as much as thy soul
desireth. But he answered, and said to him: Not so: but thou shalt give
it me now, or else I will take it by force.

2:17. Wherefore the sin of the young men was exceeding great before the
Lord: because they withdrew men from the sacrifice of the Lord.

2:18. But Samuel ministered before the face of the Lord: being a child
girded with a linen ephod.

2:19. And his mother made him a little coat, which she brought to him on
the appointed days, when she went up with her husband, to offer the
solemn sacrifice.

2:20. And Heli blessed Elcana and his wife: and he said to him: The Lord
give thee seed of this woman, for the loan thou hast lent to the Lord.
And they went to their own home.

2:21. And the Lord visited Anna, and she conceived, and bore three sons,
and two daughters: and the child Samuel became great before the Lord.

2:22. Now Heli was very old, and he heard all that his sons did to all
Israel: and how they lay with the women that waited at the door of the
tabernacle:

2:23. And he said to them: Why do ye these kinds of things, which I
hear, very wicked things, from all the people?

2:24. Do not so, my sons: for it is no good report that I hear, that you
make the people of the Lord to transgress.

2:25. If one man shall sin against another, God may be appeased in his
behalf: but if a man shall sin against the Lord, who shall pray for him?
And they hearkened not to the voice of their father, because the Lord
would slay them.

Who shall pray for him... By this word Heli would have his sons
understand, that by their wicked abuse of sacred things, and of the very
sacrifices which were appointed to appease the Lord, they deprived
themselves of the ordinary means of reconciliation with God; which was
by sacrifices. The more, because they were the chief priests whose
business it was to intercede for all others, they had no other to offer
sacrifices and to make atonement for them. Ibid. Because the Lord would
slay them... In consequence of their manifold sacrileges, he would not
soften their hearts with his efficacious grace, but was determined to
destroy them.

2:26. But the child Samuel advanced, and grew on, and pleased both the
Lord and men.

2:27. And there came a man of God to Heli, and said to him: Thus saith
the Lord: Did I not plainly appear to thy father's house, when they were
in Egypt in the house of Pharao?

2:28. And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest,
to go up to my altar, and burn incense to me, and to wear the ephod
before me: and I gave to thy father's house of all the sacrifices of the
children of Israel.

2:29. Why have you kicked away my victims, and my gifts which I
commanded to be offered in the temple: and thou hast rather honoured thy
sons than me, to eat the firstfruits of every sacrifice of my people
Israel?

2:30. Wherefore thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: I said indeed
that thy house, and the house of thy father, should minister in my
sight, for ever. But now saith the Lord: Far be this from me: but
whosoever shall glorify me, him will I glorify: but they that despise
me, shall be despised.

2:31. Behold the days come: and I will cut off thy arm, and the arm of
thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house.

2:32. And thou shalt see thy rival in the temple, in all the prosperity
of Israel, and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever.

Thy rival... A priest of another race. This was partly fulfilled, when
Abiathar, of the race of Heli, was removed from the priesthood, and
Sadoc, who was of another line, was substituted in his place. But it was
more fully accomplished in the New Testament, when the priesthood of
Aaron gave place to that of Christ.

2:33. However, I will not altogether take away a man of thee from my
altar: but that thy eyes may faint, and thy soul be spent: and a great
part of thy house shall die, when they come to man's estate.

2:34. And this shall be a sign to thee, that shall come upon thy two
sons, Ophni and Phinees: in one day they shall both of them die.

2:35. And I will raise me up a faithful priest, who shall do according
to my heart, and my soul and I will build him a faithful house, and he
shall walk all days before my anointed.

2:36. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall remain in thy
house shall come that he may be prayed for, and shall offer a piece of
silver, and a roll of bread, and shall say: Put me, I beseech thee, to
somewhat of the priestly office, that I may eat a morsel of bread.

1 Kings Chapter 3

Samuel is four times called by the Lord: who revealeth to him the evil
that shall fall on Heli, and his house.

3:1. Now the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Heli, and the
word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no manifest
vision.

Precious... That is, rare.

3:2. And it came to pass one day when Heli lay in his place, and his
eyes were grown dim, that he could not see:

3:3. Before the lamp of God went out, Samuel slept in the temple of the
Lord, where the ark of God was.

3:4. And the Lord called Samuel. And he answered: Here am I.

3:5. And he ran to Heli, and said: Here am I: for thou didst call me. He
said: I did not call: go back and sleep. And he went and slept.

3:6. And the Lord called Samuel again. And Samuel arose and went to
Heli, and said: Here am I: for thou calledst me. He answered: I did not
call thee, my son: return and sleep.

3:7. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither had the word of the
Lord been revealed to him.

3:8. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose up
and went to Heli,

3:9. And said: Here am I: for thou didst call me. Then Heli understood
that the Lord called the child, and he said to Samuel: Go, and sleep:
and if he shall call thee any more, thou shalt say: Speak, Lord, for thy
servant heareth. So Samuel went, and slept in his place.

3:10. And the Lord came, and stood, and he called, as he had called the
other times, Samuel, Samuel. And Samuel said: Speak, Lord, for thy
servant heareth.

3:11. And the Lord said to Samuel: Behold I do a thing in Israel: and
whosoever shall hear it, both his ears shall tingle.

3:12. In that day I will raise up against Heli all the things I have
spoken concerning his house: I will begin, and I will make an end.

3:13. For I have foretold unto him, that I will judge his house for
ever, for iniquity, because he knew that his sons did wickedly, and did
not chastise them.

3:14. Therefore have I sworn to the house of Heli, that the iniquity of
his house shall not be expiated with victims nor offerings for ever.

3:15. And Samuel slept till morning, and opened the doors of the house
of the Lord. And Samuel feared to tell the vision to Heli.

3:16. Then Heli called Samuel, and said: Samuel, my son. And he
answered: Here am I.

3:17. And he asked him: What is the word that the Lord hath spoken to
thee? I beseech thee hide it not from me. May God do so and so to thee,
and add so and so, if thou hide from me one word of all that were said
to thee.

3:18. So Samuel told him all the words, and did not hide them from him.
And he answered: It is the Lord: let him do what is good in his sight.

3:19. And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and not one of his
words fell to the ground.

3:20. And all Israel, from Dan to Bersabee, knew that Samuel was a
faithful prophet of the Lord.

3:21. And the Lord again appeared in Silo, for the Lord revealed himself
to Samuel in Silo, according to the word of the Lord. And the word of
Samuel came to pass to all Israel.

1 Kings Chapter 4

The Israelites being overcome by the Philistines, send for the ark of
God: but they are beaten again, the sons of Heli are killed, and the ark
taken: upon the hearing of the news Heli falleth backward and dieth.

4:1. And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered
themselves together to fight: and Israel went out to war against the
Philistines, and camped by the Stone of help. And the Philistines came
to Aphec,

The Stone of help... In Hebrew Eben-ezer; so called from the help which
the Lord was pleased afterwards to give to his people Israel in that
place, by the prayers of Samuel, chap. 7.12.

4:2. And put their army in array against Israel. And when they had
joined battle, Israel turned their backs to the Philistines: and there
were slain in that fight, here and there in the fields, about four
thousand men.

4:3. And the people returned to the camp: and the ancients of Israel
said: Why hath the Lord defeated us to day before the Philistines? Let
us fetch unto us the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Silo, and let
it come in the midst of us, that it may save us from the hand of our
enemies.

4:4. So the people sent to Silo, and they brought from thence the ark of
the covenant of the Lord of hosts, sitting upon the cherubims: and the
two sons of Heli, Ophni and Phinees, were with the ark of the covenant
of God.

4:5. And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord was come into the
camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, and the earth rang again.

4:6. And the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, and they said:
What is this noise of a great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they
understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp.

4:7. And the Philistines were afraid, saying: God is come into the camp.
And sighing, they said:

4:8. Woe to us: for there was no such great joy yesterday, and the day
before: Woe to us. Who shall deliver us from the hand of these high
Gods? these are the Gods that struck Egypt with all the plagues in the
desert.

4:9. Take courage, and behave like men, ye Philistines: lest you come to
be servants to the Hebrews, as they have served you: take courage and
fight.

4:10. So the Philistines fought, and Israel was overthrown, and every
man fled to his own dwelling: and there was an exceeding great
slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

4:11. And the ark of God was taken: and the two sons of Heli, Ophni and
Phinees, were slain.

4:12. And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Silo
the same day, with his clothes rent, and his head strewed with dust.

4:13. And when he was come, Heli sat upon a stool over against the way,
watching. For his heart was fearful for the ark of God. And when the man
was come into the city, he told it: and all the city cried out.

4:14. And Heli heard the noise of the cry, and he said: What meaneth the
noise of this uproar? But he made haste, and came, and told Heli.

4:15. Now Heli was ninety and eight years old, and his eyes were dim,
and he could not see.

4:16. And he said to Heli: I am he that came from the battle, and have
fled out of the field this day. And he said to him: What is there done,
my son?

4:17. And he that brought the news answered, and said: Israel is fled
before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter of the
people: moreover thy two sons, Ophni and Phinees, are dead: and the ark
of God is taken.

4:18. And when he had named the ark of God, he fell from his stool
backwards by the door, and broke his neck and died. For he was an old
man, and far advanced in years: And he judged Israel forty years.

Named the ark, etc... There is great reason, by all these circumstances,
to hope that Heli died in a state of grace; and by his temporal
punishments escaped the eternal.

4:19. And his daughter in law, the wife of Phinees, was big with child,
and near her time: and hearing the news that the ark of God was taken,
and her father in law, and her husband, were dead, she bowed herself and
fell in labour: for her pains came upon her on a sudden.

4:20. And when she was upon the point of death, they that stood about
her said to her: Fear not, for thou hast borne a son. She answered them
not, nor gave heed to them.

4:21. And she called the child Ichabod, saying: The glory is gone from
Israel, because the ark of God was taken, and for her father in law, and
for her husband:

Ichabod... That is, Where is the glory? or, there is no glory. We see
how much the Israelites lamented the loss of the ark, which was but the
symbol of God's presence among them. How much more ought Christians to
lament the loss of God himself, when by sin they have driven him out of
their souls.

4:22. And she said: The glory is departed from Israel, because the ark
of God was taken.

1 Kings Chapter 5

Dagon twice falleth down before the ark. The Philistines are grievously
afflicted, wherever the ark cometh.

5:1. And the Philistines took the ark of God, and carried it from the
Stone of help into Azotus.

5:2. And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the
temple of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

5:3. And when the Azotians arose early the next day, behold Dagon lay
upon his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord: and they took
Dagon, and set him again in his place.

5:4. And the next day again, when they rose in the morning, they found
Dagon lying upon his face on the earth before the ark of the Lord: and
the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands, were cut off upon
the threshold:

5:5. And only the stump of Dagon remained in its place. For this cause
neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that go into the temple, tread on
the threshold of Dagon in Azotus unto this day.

5:6. And the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the Azotians, and he
destroyed them, and afflicted Azotus and the coasts thereof with
emerods. And in the villages and fields in the midst of that country,
there came forth a multitude of mice, and there was the confusion of a
great mortality in the city.

5:7. And the men of Azotus seeing this kind of plague, said: The ark of
the God of Israel shall not stay with us: for his hand is heavy upon us,
and upon Dagon, our god.

5:8. And sending, they gathered together all the lords of the
Philistines to them, and said: What shall we do with the ark of the God
of Israel? And the Gethites answered: Let the ark of the God of Israel
be carried about. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about.

5:9. And while they were carrying it about, the hand of the Lord came
upon every city with an exceeding great slaughter: and he smote the men
of every city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their
secret parts. And the Gethites consulted together, and made themselves
seats of skins.

5:10. Therefore they sent the ark of God into Accaron. And when the ark
of God was come into Accaron, the Accaronites cried out, saying: They
have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our
people.

5:11. They sent therefore, and gathered together all the lords of the
Philistines: and they said: Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and
let it return into its own place, and not kill us and our people.

5:12. For there was the fear of death in every city, and the hand of God
was exceeding heavy. The men also that did not die, were afflicted with
the emerods: and the cry of every city went up to heaven.

1 Kings Chapter 6

The ark is sent back to Bethsames: where many are slain for looking
through curiosity into it.

6:1. Now the ark of God was in the land of the Philistines seven months.

6:2. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners,
saying: What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? tell us how we are to
send it back to its place. And they said:

6:3. If you send back the ark of the God of Israel, send it not away
empty, but render unto him what you owe for sin, and then you shall be
healed: and you shall know why his hand departeth not from you.

6:4. They answered: What is it we ought to render unto him for sin? and
they answered:

6:5. According to the number of the provinces of the Philistines you
shall make five golden emerods, and five golden mice: for the same
plague hath been upon you all, and upon your lords. And you shall make
the likeness of your emerods, and the likeness of the mice, that have
destroyed the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel: to
see if he will take off his hand from you, and from your gods, and from
your land.

6:6. Why do you harden your hearts, as Egypt and Pharao hardened their
hearts? did not he, after he was struck, then let them go, and they
departed?

6:7. Now, therefore, take and make a new cart: and two kine that have
calved, on which there hath come no yoke, tie to the cart, and shut up
their calves at home.

6:8. And you shall take the ark of the Lord, and lay it on the cart, and
the vessels of gold, which you have paid him for sin, you shall put into
a little box at the side thereof: and send it away, that it may go.

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