Ecclesiasticus 48

Elijah

1Then stood up Eli´jah the prophet as fire, and his word burned like a lamp.

2He brought a sore famine upon them, and by his zeal he diminished their number.

3By the word of the Lord he shut up the heaven, and also three times brought down fire.[#1 Kgs 17.1; Jas 5.17; 1 Kgs 18.38; 2 Kgs 1.10-12; Luke 9.54.]

4O Eli´jah, how wast thou honored in thy wondrous deeds! and who may glory like unto thee!

5Who didst raise up a dead man from death, and his soul from the place of the dead, by the word of the most High:[#1 Kgs 17.21,22.]

6who broughtest kings to destruction, and honorable men from their bed:[#2 Kgs 1.16.]

7who heardest the rebuke of the Lord in Si´nai, and in Horeb the judgment of vengeance:[#1 Kgs 19.8-17.]

8who anointedst kings to take revenge, and prophets to succeed after him:[#1 Kgs 19.15,16,19.]

9who wast taken up in a whirlwind of fire, and in a chariot of fiery horses:[#2 Kgs 2.11.]

10who wast ordained for reproofs in their times, to pacify the wrath of the Lord's judgment, before it brake forth into fury, and to turn the heart of the father unto the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.[#Mal 4.5,6; Luke 1.17.]

11Blessed are they that saw thee, and slept in love; for we shall surely live.

Elisha

12Eli´jah it was, who was covered with a whirlwind: and Eli´sha was filled with his spirit: whilst he lived, he was not moved with the presence of any prince, neither could any bring him into subjection.[#2 Kgs 2.11,15.]

13No word could overcome him; and after his death his body prophesied.[#2 Kgs 13.20,21.]

14He did wonders in his life, and at his death were his works marvelous.

Sins and Punishment of the People

15For all this the people repented not, neither departed they from their sins, till they were spoiled and carried out of their land, and were scattered through all the earth: yet there remained a small people, and a ruler in the house of David:[#2 Kgs 18.11-12.]

16of whom some did that which was pleasing to God , and some multiplied sins.

Hezekiah and Isaiah

17Hezeki´ah fortified his city, and brought in water into the midst thereof: he digged the hard rock with iron, and made wells for waters.[#2 Kgs 20.20.]

18In his time Sennach´erib came up, and sent Rab–sha´keh, and lifted up his hand against Zion, and boasted proudly.[#2 Kgs 18.13,17; 19.33-35; Isa 36.1.]

19Then trembled their hearts and hands, and they were in pain, as women in travail.

20But they called upon the Lord which is merciful, and stretched out their hands toward him: and immediately the Holy One heard them out of heaven, and delivered them by the ministry of Isaiah.[#2 Kgs 19.15-20.]

21He smote the host of the Assyrians, and his angel destroyed them.[#2 Kgs 19.35; Isa 37.36; 1 Macc 7.41.]

22For Hezeki´ah had done the thing that pleased the Lord, and was strong in the ways of David his father, as Isaiah the prophet, who was great and faithful in his vision, had commanded him.

23In his time the sun went backward, and he lengthened the king's life.[#2 Kgs 20.10,11; Isa 38.8.]

24He saw by an excellent spirit what should come to pass at the last, and he comforted them that mourned in Zion.[#Isa 40.1; 61.1,2.]

25He showed what should come to pass for ever, and secret things or ever they came.[#Isa 42.9.]

King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.
Published by: American Bible Society