gh his
breastplate, in his lungs. Upon this Ahab resolved not to make his
mischance known to his army, lest they should run away; but he bid the
driver of his chariot to turn it back, and carry him out of the battle,
because he was sorely and mortally wounded. However, he sat in his
chariot and endured the pain till sunset, and then he fainted away and
died.

6. And now the Syrian army, upon the coming on of the night, retired to
their camp; and when the herald belonging to the camp gave notice that
Ahab was dead, they returned home; and they took the dead body of Ahab
to Samaria, and buried it there; but when they had washed his chariot
in the fountain of Jezreel, which was bloody with the dead body of the
king, they acknowledged that the prophecy of Elijah was true, for the
dogs licked his blood, and the harlots continued afterwards to wash
themselves in that fountain; but still he died at Ramoth, as Micaiah had
foretold. And as what things were foretold should happen to Ahab by the
two prophets came to pass, we ought thence to have high notions of God,
and every where to honor and worship him, and never to suppose that what
is pleasant and agreeable is worthy of belief before what is true, and
to esteem nothing more advantageous than the gift of prophecy [44] and
that foreknowledge of future events which is derived from it, since God
shows men thereby what we ought to avoid. We may also guess, from what
happened to this king, and have reason to consider the power of fate;
that there is no way of avoiding it, even when we know it. It creeps
upon human souls, and flatters them with pleasing hopes, till it leads
them about to the place where it will be too hard for them. Accordingly
Ahab appears to have been deceived thereby, till he disbelieved those
that foretold his defeat; but, by giving credit to such as foretold what
was grateful to him, was slain; and his son Ahaziah succeeded him.

BOOK IX. Containing The Interval Of One Hundred And Fifty-Seven Years.

From The Death Of Ahab To The Captivity Of The Ten Tribes.

CHAPTER 1. Concerning Jehoshaphat Again; How He Constituted Judges And,
By God's Assistance Overcame His Enemies.

1. When Jehoshaphat the king was come to Jerusalem, from the assistance
he had afforded Ahab, the king of Israel, when he fought with Benhadad,
king of Syria, the prophet Jehu met him, and accused him for assisting
Ahab, a man both impious and wicked; and said to him, that God was