18. Joakin, son of Joakim. He did evil in the sight of the Lord. And he, with all the treasures of the land, and with all the princes and chief men, were carried away into Babylon.

His name,

19. Sedecias, uncle to Joakin. Matthanias, was changed by Nabuchodonosor, king of Babylon, to Sedecias. He did evil in the sight of God. He revolted against the King of Babylon, who came up and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, and carried all the people (except a few of the poorest class) captives into Babylon. This captivity lasted for 70 years. Sedecias reigned 11 years.

The following Psalm of Lamentation used to be sung by the people of God during their captivity in Babylon.

"Super Flumina.

"By the waters of Babylon there we sat and wept, when we remembered Sion.

"On the willows in the midst thereof we hung our harps.

"For there they who had made us captives required of us the words of song.

And they who had led us away, said, Sing us a hymn of the Songs of Sion.

How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?

"If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be consigned to oblivion.

:

THE KINGS OF THE TEN TRIBES.

205

"If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to my mouth.

"If I prefer not Jerusalem in the beginning of my joy.

"Be mindful, O Lord, of the children of Jerusalem in the day of Jerusalem, who say, Down with it, down with it, even to the fouudation thereof.

"O, hapless daughter of Babylon, blessed shall he be who shall pay thee back all that thou hast done to us.

"Blessed shall he be who shall take and dash thy children against the stone."

CHAPTER LXXIV.

A SUMMARY OF THE KINGS OF THE TEN TRIBES OF ISRAEL.

1. Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, "who made Israel to sin."

2. Nadab, son of Jeroboam, a wicked king, like his father. Reigned two years. Was slain by Baasa, who conspired against him.

3. Baasa, son of Abias, of the house of Issachar. He cut off all the house of Jeroboam. Reigned 24 years, and he did evil before God, walking in all the sin of Jeroboam.

4. Ela, son of Baasa. He slew the prophet of the Lord, Jehu, and was himself slain, while drunk, by his servant Zambri.

5. Zambri, having slain Ela, usurped the throne.

All Israel, under Amri, revolted against Zambri, who shut himself up in Thersa, but, seeing that the city was about to be taken, he went into the palace and burnt himself with the king's house, and he died in his sins which he had sinned, doing evil before the Lord, and walking in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin, wherewith he made Israel to sin."-3 Kings, xvi. 18, 19.

6. (a) Thebni, the son of Gineth, was followed by half the people, and

6. (b) Amri by the other half. But Amri afterwards prevailed over the followers of Thebni, and he re-united the people. And he bought the hill of Samaria of Semer for two talents of silver, and he built upon it, and he called the city which he built Samaria, after the name of Semer, the owner of the hill. And Amri did evil in the sight of the Lord, and acted wickedly above all that were before him.

7. Achab, the son of Amri, succeeded his father. He exceeded in wickedness all that had gone before him.

CHAPTER LXXV.

THE HISTORY OF KING ACHAB.

Mention some of the acts by which Achab most grievously offended God.

1. He walked in the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nabat.

2. He took to wife Jezabel, daughter of Ethbaal, King of the Sidonians.

3. He set up an altar for Baal, and built a temple for him in Samaria.

4. He planted a grove for the worship of the basest idols.

What does the Scripture say about the crimes of Achab?

"Achab did more to provoke the Lord the God of Israel, than all the kings of Israel that were before him."-3 Kings, xvi. 33.

CHAPTER LXXVI.

THE HISTORY OF ACHAB CONTINUED. THE
PROPHET ELIAS.

What judgment first came upon the Israelites in punishment for the sins of Achab?

Almighty God, by the Prophet Elias, the Thesbite, shut up the heavens, so that there was no rain for three years, and consequently a famine came upon the land.

During this period how did God take care of the Prophet Elias himself?

He, at first, commanded him to hide himself by the torrent of Carith, (or Cedron,) which is over against the Jordan. There he was to

drink of the torrent, and God commanded the ravens to feed him.

How did they feed him?

They brought him bread and flesh in the

morning, and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the torrent."-3 Kings, xvii. 6.

Why did he leave this retirement?

Because the waters of the brook dried up, for it had not rained upon the earth.

Then where did God command him to go? God sent him to a widow woman of Sarephta, of the Sidonians.

When the prophet met this widow, what was she doing?

She was gathering sticks to make a fire
What did he ask her to do?

To give him a little water in a vessel. And when she went to fetch him the water, he cried after her to bring him also a morsel of bread. Was she able to do so?

"As the Lord liveth," was her answer to the prophet, "I have no bread, but only a little oil in a cruse; behold, I am gathering two sticks that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it and die."—3 Kings,

xvii. 12.

How did the prophet console her?

Elias said to her, "Fear not, but go and do as thou hast said; but first make for me of the same meal a little hearth-cake, and bring it to me, and after make for thyself and thy son. For thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: The pot of meal shall not waste, nor the cruse of oil be diminished until the day wherein the Lord will give rain upon the face of the earth." -verses 13, 14.

And all this came to pass?