Then his wife Jezebel came in and said to him, “Why do you have a bitter attitude and refuse to eat?”

(There had never been anyone like Ahab, who was firmly committed<n id="1" /> to doing evil in the sight of<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc>, urged on by his wife Jezebel.<n id="3" />

The other woman said, &#8220;No! My son is alive; your son is dead!&#8221; But the first woman replied, &#8220;No, your son is dead; my son is alive.&#8221; Each presented her case before the king.<n id="1" />p>

He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali,<n id="1" /> and his father was a craftsman in bronze from Tyre. He had the skill and knowledge<n id="2" /> to make all kinds of works of bronze. He reported to King Solomon and did all the work he was assigned.p>

(Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had attacked and captured Gezer. He burned it and killed the Canaanites who lived in the city. He gave it as a wedding present to his daughter, who had married Solomon.)

When Solomon became old, his wives shifted his allegiance to<n id="1" /> other gods; he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the <sc>Lordsc> his God, as his father David had been.<n id="2" />

But the <sc>Lordsc> had told Ahijah, &#8220;Look, Jeroboam&#8217;s wife is coming to find out from you what will happen to her son, for he is sick. Tell her so-and-so.<n id="1" /> When she comes, she will be in a disguise.&#8221;

When Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps as she came through the door, he said, &#8220;Come on in, wife of Jeroboam! Why are you pretending to be someone else? I have been commissioned to give you bad news.<n id="1" />

As if following in the sinful footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat were not bad enough, he married Jezebel the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians. Then he worshiped and bowed to Baal.<n id="1" />

So he got up and went to Zarephath. When he went through the city gate, there was a widow gathering wood. He called out to her, &#8220;Please give me a cup<n id="1" /> of water, so I can take a drink.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">After this<n id="1" /> the son of the woman who owned the house got sick. His illness was so severe he could no longer breathe.

The king of Israel summoned all the leaders<n id="1" /> of the land and said, &#8220;Notice how this man is looking for trouble.<n id="2" /> Indeed, he demanded my wives, sons, silver, and gold, and I did not resist him.&#8221;

His wife Jezebel said to him, &#8220;You are the king of Israel!<n id="1" /> Get up, eat some food, and have a good time.<n id="2" /> I will get the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.&#8221;p>

The real mother<n id="1" /> spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were aroused.<n id="2" /> She said, &#8220;My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don&#8217;t kill him!&#8221;<n id="3" /> But the other woman said, &#8220;Neither one of us will have him! Let them cut him in two!&#8221;