John Chrysostom, Synopsis of Sacred Scripture

to obtain salvation. But he both made him come up into his chariot, and having deemed him worthy of honor, sent him away to his own land. The prophet comes, accusing the king concerning these things, and threatening death. Ahab deliberates whether he should march against the Syrians; and at the counsel of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Micaiah the prophet is summoned, and being asked, he foretells disasters if he should go to war. Ahab is angry; Zedekiah the false prophet strikes Micaiah. Ahab is ordered to keep Micaiah the false prophet in custody, until the war should come to an end. He went out to fight, and says to Jehoshaphat: Let us exchange our appearance and our clothing; I, taking yours, give you 56.351 mine in return. And when this was done, and the soldiers had received a command from their own king to leave all others and to engage in war with the king of Israel alone, seeing Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, and thinking him to be the king of Israel (for his appearance deceived them), they surrounded him, wanting to kill him. But he, having cried out, was delivered from the danger. But a certain other archer shot Ahab, and the blood flowed down. Which they washed out in the pool (or, spring), and the harlots bathed in his blood, and the dogs licked it. After Ahab, Ahaziah his son reigned. And since Jehoshaphat had become his friend, he paid the penalty, that his works were broken up. Fourth Book of Kings. Ahaziah, having fallen ill, sent to inquire of Baal whether he would recover, and Elijah the prophet, meeting those who had been sent, commanded them to go back and say that he would not recover. And Ahaziah, learning that it was Elijah, sent the first and second captain of fifty; and when each was consumed by fire along with their fifty men, with the third Elijah is commanded to come down, and coming to the king he said that he would die. After him his brother Joram reigns; for he had no son. Hence the assumption of Elijah into heaven. The sons of the prophets, seeing Elisha walking on dry ground in the Jordan, said: The spirit of Elijah has rested upon him, and they ask to send men in search of Elijah; but he forbade it; later, however, he permitted it; but those who went did not find him. He heals the waters in Jericho; going away to Bethel, he curses the children who mock him, and they are destroyed by the bears. The king of Moab ceased to pay the customary tribute. Joram the king of Israel marches against him, having taken with him also Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and the king of Edom. And when they did not find water in the desert, but were in danger of perishing, at the counsel of Ahaziah they come to Elisha. But he is angry with the king of Israel, and said that he would not even look at him, were it not for the king of Judah. And not only did he foretell that an abundance of water would come to them, but also the conquest of Moab, just as it also came to pass; and the king of the Moabites came to such a disaster, that he slaughtered his son from upon the wall. Here is the woman for whom the oil abounded, and the Shunammite, to whom he granted a son by praying, and raised him up when he had died. When a famine occurred, he both took away the bitterness that was in the pot, and he fed a hundred men in the name of God from twenty barley loaves. Naaman the general of the king of the Syrians was made a leper; and coming to the king of Israel he sought a cure; but he was at a loss, and tore his garments. Elisha summons him, and commands him to be baptized in the Jordan seven times. But at first he hesitated, and disbelieved that he would be cured; but later, being urged by his servants, he is baptized and is cured, and offered gifts to Elisha. But he was unwilling. And when the man had departed, 56.352 Gehazi the servant of Elisha, having pursued him, as if sent by Elisha, takes from Naaman two talents of silver, and two changes of clothing. And coming to Elisha he tried to hide it. But he rebuked him, and he received leprosy as a punishment. The sons of the prophets come to cut wood for building. And when of one it fell out

σωτηρίας τυχεῖν. Ὁ δὲ ἀνεβίβασέ τε αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ ἅρμα, καὶ τιμῆς ἀξιώσας, ἐξέπεμψεν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν γῆν. Ἔρχεται ὁ προφήτης ἐγκαλῶν ὑπὲρ τούτων τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ θάνατον ἀπειλῶν. Βουλεύεται ὁ Ἀχαὰβ, εἰ δέοι ἐπιστρατεῦσαι τοῖς Σύροις· καὶ συμβουλεύσαντος τοῦ Ἰωσαφὰτ βασιλέως Ἰούδα, μετάπεμπτος γίνεται Μιχαίας ὁ προφήτης, καὶ ἐρωτηθεὶς προλέγει συμφορὰς, εἰ πολεμήσειεν. Ὀργίζεται ὁ Ἀχαάβ· τύπτει τὸν Μιχαίαν Σεδεκίας ὁ ψευδοπροφήτης. Κελεύεται Ἀχαὰβ τηρεῖσθαι Μιχαίαν τὸν ψευδοπροφήτην, ἕως ἂν ὁ πόλεμος λάβῃ τέλος. Ἐξῆλθε μαχεσόμενος, καί φησι τῷ Ἰωσαφάτ· Ἀμείψωμεν τὸ σχῆμα καὶ τὸν ἱματισμόν· λαβὼν ἐγὼ τὸν σὸν, ἀντιδίδωμί σοι τὸν 56.351 ἐμόν. Ὡς δὲ γέγονε τοῦτο, καὶ οἱ στρατιῶται ἐντολὴν εἰλήφεισαν παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ ἑαυτῶν, πάντας ἀφέντες, μόνῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ συνάπτειν εἰς πόλεμον, ἰδόντες τὸν Ἰωσαφὰτ τὸν βασιλέα τοῦ Ἰούδα, καὶ νομίσαντες αὐτὸν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ εἶναι (τὸ γὰρ σχῆμα αὐτοὺς ἠπάτησεν), ἐκύκλουν αὐτὸν, ἀνελεῖν θέλοντες. Ὁ δὲ ἀναβοήσας, ἀπηλλάγη τοῦ κινδύνου. Ἕτερος δέ τις τοξότης ἔβαλε τὸν Ἀχαὰβ, καὶ κατέῤῥει τὸ αἷμα. Ὅπερ ἀπέπλυναν ἐν τῇ κυρήνῃ (λ. κρήνῃ), καὶ αἱ πόρναι ἐλούσαντο ἐν τῷ αἵματι αὐτοῦ, καὶ οἱ κύνες ἔλειξαν αὐτό. Ἐβασίλευσε μετὰ τὸν Ἀχαὰβ Ὀχοζίας ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ. Ὡς δὲ φίλος αὐτοῦγέγονεν Ἰωσαφὰτ, ἔδωκε δίκην, τὸ διακοπῆναι τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ. Βασιλειῶν δʹ. Ἀῤῥωστήσας Ὀχοζίας ἔπεμψεν ἐρωτῆσαι ἐν τῷ Βάαλ, εἰ ἀναστήσεται, καὶ ἀπαντήσας Ἠλίας ὁ προφήτης τοῖς ἀποσταλεῖσι, ἐκέλευσεν ἀπελθόντας εἰπεῖν, ὅτι οὐκ ἀναστήσεται. Μαθὼν δὲ Ὀχοζίας, ὅτι Ἠλίας ἐστὶν, ἔπεμψε τὸν πεντηκόνταρχον πρῶτον καὶ δεύτερον· ὡς δὲ ἀνηλώθησαν ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς ἕκαστος μετὰ τῶν πεντήκοντα, μετὰ τοῦ τρίτου κελεύεται κατελθεῖν ὁ Ἠλίας, καὶ ἐλθὼν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα εἶπεν, ὅτι ἀποθανεῖται. Μετὰ τοῦτον βασιλεύει ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ Ἰωράμ· οὐ γὰρ ἦν αὐτῷ υἱός. Ἐντεῦθεν ἡ ἀνάληψις τοῦ Ἠλίου εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. Ἰδόντες υἱοὶ τῶν προφητῶν τὸν Ἑλισσαῖον διὰ ξηρᾶς ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ βαδίσαντα, εἶπον· Ἐπαναπέπαυται τὸ πνεῦμα Ἠλίου ἐπ' αὐτὸν, καὶ ἀξιοῦσιν ὥστε ἐπιπέμψαι εἰς ἐπιζήτησιν τοῦ Ἠλίου· ὁ δὲ διεκώλυσεν· ὕστερον δὲ συνεχώρησεν· οἱ δὲ ἀπελθόντες οὐχ εὗρον. Ἰᾶται τὰ ἐν Ἱεριχὼ ὕδατα· ἀπερχόμενος εἰς Βαιθὴλ, τὰ διασύροντα αὐτὸν παιδία καταρᾶται, καὶ ἀναιρεῖται ὑπὸ τῶν ἄρκτων. Ὁ Μωὰβ βασιλεὺς ἀπέστη τοῦ τελεῖν τὸν εἰωθότα φόρον. Ἐπιστρατεύει ἐπ' αὐτὸν Ἰωρὰμ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰσραὴλ, προσλαβὼν καὶ τὸν Ἰωσαφὰτ βασιλέα Ἰούδα, καὶ τὸν Ἐδὼμ βασιλέα. Ὡς δὲ οὐχ εὕρισκονὕδωρ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἀλλ' ἐκινδύνευον διαφθαρῆναι, συμβουλεύσαντος Ὀχοζίου ἔρχονται πρὸς Ἑλισσαῖον. Ὁ δὲ ὀργίζεται πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ οὐδ' ἂν ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν ἔφη, εἰ μὴ διὰ τὸν βασιλέα Ἰούδα. Οὐ μόνον δὲ ὕδατος ἀφθονίαν προεῖπεν αὐτοῖς ἥξειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν κράτησιν τῆς Μωαβίτιδος, ὥσπερ καὶ γέγονε· καὶ εἰς τοσαύτην συμφορὰν ἦλθεν ὁ Μωαβιτῶν βασιλεὺς, ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ σφάξαι ἄνωθεν ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους. Ἐνταῦθα ἡ γυνὴ, ᾗ τὸ ἔλαιον ἐπερίσσευσε, καὶ ἡ Σουμανῖτις, ᾗ τὸν υἱὸν ἐχαρίσατο εὐξάμενος, καὶ ἀποθανόντα ἀνέστησε. Λιμοῦ γενομένου τήν τε πικρίαν ἀφεῖλε τὴν ἐν τῷ λέβητι γενομένην, καὶ ἑκατὸν ἄνδρας ἔθρεψεν ἐν ὀνόματι Θεοῦ ἀπὸ κριθίνων ἄρτων εἴκοσιν. Ἐλεπρώθη Νεεμὰν ὁ στρατηγὸς τοῦ βασιλέως Σύρων· καὶ ἐλθὼν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα Ἰσραὴλ ἐζήτει θεραπείαν· ὁ δὲ διηπόρει, καὶ διέῤῥηξε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ. Μεταπέμπεται αὐτὸν ὁ Ἑλισσαῖος, καὶ κελεύει βαπτισθῆναι ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ἕβδομον. Ὁ δὲ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ὤκνησε, καὶ ἠπίστει θεραπευθῆναι· ὕστερον δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν παίδων αὐτοῦ παρακληθεὶς, βαπτίζεται καὶ θεραπεύεται, καὶ ἐδίδου δῶρα τῷ Ἑλισσαίῳ. Ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἤθελεν. Ὡς δὲ ἀπῆλθεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, κατα 56.352 διώξας ὁ Γιεζὶ ὁ παῖς τοῦ Ἑλισσαίου, ὡς παρὰ τοῦ Ἑλισσαίου πεμφθεὶς, λαμβάνει παρὰ τοῦ Νεεμὰν διτάλαντον ἀργυρίου, καὶ δύο στολάς. Ἐλθὼν δὲ πρὸς Ἑλισσαῖον ἐπειρᾶτο κρύπτειν. Ὁ δὲ διήλεγξεν αὐτὸν, καὶ τιμωρίαν ἔλαβε τὴν λέπραν. Ἔρχονται οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν προφητῶν κόψαι ξύλα πρὸς οἰκοδομήν. Ὡς δὲ ἐξέπεσεν ἑνὸς