1 Kings 17 - 2 Kings 5

Tree of Life Version

Elijah Proclaims Famine

17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, one of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab: “As Adonai God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be no dew or rain these years, except at my word.”^[a]

² Then the word of Adonai came to him saying: ³ “Leave this place, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan. ⁴ It will come about that you will drink from the wadi. I have also commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

⁵ So he went and did according to the word of Adonai—he went and lived by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. ⁶ The ravens kept bringing him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the wadi. ⁷ Then it came to pass after a while that the wadi dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

⁸ Then the word of Adonai came to him saying: ⁹ “Arise, go to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have just commanded a widow there to provide for you.”

Miracle of Flour and Oil

¹⁰ So he arose and went to Zarephath. Now when he came to the town gate, to his surprise, a widow was there gathering sticks. So he called her and said, “Please bring a little water in a jar that I may drink.” ¹¹ As she was going to fetch it, he called her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”

¹² So she said, “As Adonai your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in the jar, and a little oil in the jug. Now look, I am gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go in and prepare it for me and my son, that we may eat it and die.”

¹³ Elijah said to her, “Fear not! Go and do as you said, but first make me a little cake from what you have there. Bring it out to me and afterwards, make some for you and for your son. ¹⁴ For thus says Adonai God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be exhausted nor shall the jug of oil be empty until the day Adonai sends rain on the land.’”

¹⁵ So she went and did according to the word of Elijah—and she and he, and her household ate for many days. ¹⁶ The jar of flour was not exhausted, nor did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of Adonai which He spoke through Elijah.

Resurrection of a Boy

¹⁷ After these things, it came to pass that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house fell sick, and his sickness was getting much worse until he had no breath left in him. ¹⁸ So she said to Elijah, “What do I have to do with you, man of God? Have you come to me to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”

¹⁹ He said to her, “Give me your son.” Then he took him from her arms, carried him up to the upper room where he was staying and laid him on his own bed. ²⁰ He cried out to Adonai and said, “Adonai my God, have You brought such evil even on the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?” ²¹ Then he stretched himself upon the child three times. He cried out to Adonai and said, “Adonai my God, please let this child’s soul come back into his body!”

²² Adonai listened to the cry of Elijah, so the soul of the child came back into his body and he was revived. ²³ Then Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. Elijah said, “See! Your son is alive.”^[b]

²⁴ Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word in your mouth is truth.”

Elijah Confronts Ahab

18 Now it was after many days that the word of Adonai came to Elijah in the third year saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab; then I will send rain on the land. ² So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab.

Now the famine was severe in Samaria. ³ Ahab summoned Obadiah who was the steward of the palace. Now Obadiah feared Adonai greatly— ⁴ for when Jezebel was cutting off the prophets of Adonai, Obadiah took 100 prophets, hid them 50 to a cave, and provided them with bread and water. ⁵ Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the wadis. Perhaps we may find grass and so keep the horses and mules alive and not lose all the animals.” ⁶ So they divided the land between them to explore it—Ahab went one way by himself while Obadiah went another way by himself.

⁷ As Obadiah was on the road, all of a sudden, Elijah met him. When he recognized him, he fell on his face and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”

⁸ “It is I,” he answered him. Go tell your lord, ‘Look, Elijah is here!”

⁹ “How have I sinned,” he replied, “that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab, to put me to death? ¹⁰ As Adonai your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent to search for you; and when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made that kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you.

¹¹ “Now you’re saying, ‘Go tell your lord, “Look, Elijah is here!”’ ¹² But as soon as I leave you, the Ruach Adonai may carry you off where I wouldn’t know. Then, when I come and tell Ahab and he can’t find you, he’ll kill me! Now I, your servant, have feared Adonai since my youth. ¹³ Wasn’t my lord told what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the prophets of Adonai—how I hid 100 of Adonai’s prophets, 50 to a cave and provided them with bread and water? ¹⁴ So now you say, ‘Go tell your lord, “Look, Elijah is here!’” He’ll kill me!”

¹⁵ Then Elijah said, “As Adonai-Tzva’ot lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”

¹⁶ So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him; then, Ahab went to meet Elijah. ¹⁷ Now when Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, the one who causes trouble for Israel?”

¹⁸ But he answered, “I have not troubled Israel. Rather, it is you and your father’s house—by forsaking the mitzvot of Adonai and going after the Baalim. ¹⁹ Now then, send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

Triumph on Mount Carmel

²⁰ So Ahab sent word to all the children of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. ²¹ Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If Adonai is God, follow Him; but if Baal is, follow him.” But the people did not answer him, not even a word.

²² Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only prophet of Adonai left, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. ²³ Now let them give us two young bulls. Let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it into pieces, lay it on the wood, and put no fire underneath, while I prepare the other bull, lay it on the wood, and put no fire underneath. ²⁴ Then you will call on the name of your god, and then, I will call on the Name of Adonai. The God who answers with fire, He is God.”

All the people responded and said, “It’s a good thing.”

²⁵ Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first—since you are so many. Then call on the name of your god, but put no fire underneath.”

²⁶ So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning till noon, crying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice—no one was answering. They also danced leaping around the altar that was made.

²⁷ Now when it was about noon, Elijah mocked them and said, “Shout louder! After all, he is a god! Maybe he’s deep in thought, or he’s relieving himself, or he’s off on a journey, or perhaps he’s asleep and must wake up!” ²⁸ So they shouted even louder and cut themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them. ²⁹ When midday was past, they kept prophesying ecstatically until the time of offering up the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice, no one answering, no one paying attention.

³⁰ Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came closer to him. Then he repaired the damaged altar of Adonai. ³¹ Elijah took twelve stones—like the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of Adonai had come saying, “Israel shall be your name”— ³² and with the stones he built an altar in the Name of Adonai. Then he made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed. ³³ Then he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood.

³⁴ Then he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” Then he said, “A second time!” and they did it a second time. Then he said, “A third time!” and they did it a third time. ³⁵ So the water ran around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.

³⁶ Now it was at the time of offering up the evening sacrifice that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Adonai, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel,^[c] let it be known today that You are God in Israel, that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. ³⁷ Answer me, Adonai, answer me, so that these people may know that You, Adonai, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.”

³⁸ Then the fire of Adonai fell and consumed the burnt offering—and the wood, the stones and the dust—and licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹ When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and they said, “Adonai, He is God! Adonai, He is God!”

⁴⁰ Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Let not a single one of them escape.” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon and slew them there.

⁴¹ Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there’s the sound of rain.” ⁴² So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, crouched on the ground and put his face between his knees. ^{[d] 43} Then he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.”

So he went up, looked, and said, “There’s nothing.”

Then he said, “Go back”—seven times— ⁴⁴ and it was the seventh time that he said, “Look! A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”

Then he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Harness your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”

⁴⁵ In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. Ahab mounted and rode, and headed to Jezreel. ⁴⁶ Now the hand of Adonai was on Elijah, so he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Whisper at the Cave

19 Then Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. ² Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah saying, “So let the gods do to me and worse if by this time tomorrow I don’t make your life like the life of one of them.” ³ Frightened, he got up and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, he left his servant there. ⁴ But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom bush. He prayed that he might die. “It’s too much!” he said. “Now, Adonai, take my life! For I’m no better than my fathers.”

⁵ Then he lay down and slept under the broom bush. Then behold, an angel touched him, and said to him, “Get up, and eat.” ⁶ So he looked, and to his surprise, there by his head was a cake baked on the hot stones and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. ⁷ Then the angel of Adonai came again a second time, touched him and said. “Get up and eat, because the journey is too much for you.” ⁸ So he arose and ate and drank, and in the strength of that meal forty days and forty nights went to Horeb, the mountain of God.

⁹ When he arrived there at the cave, he spent the night there. Then behold, the word of Adonai came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁰ “I have been very zealous for Adonai-Tzva’ot,” he said, “for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and slain Your prophets with the sword—and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it!”^[e]

¹¹ Then He said, “Come out and stand on the mount before Adonai.”^[f] Behold, Adonai was passing by—a great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and shattering cliffs before Adonai. But Adonai was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but Adonai was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake a fire, but Adonai was not in the fire. After the fire there was a soft whisper of a voice. ¹³ As soon as Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Then all of a sudden, a voice addressed him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁴ “I have been very zealous for Adonai-Tzva’ot,” he said, “for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and slain Your prophets with the sword—and I alone am left, and they are seeking to take my life!”

¹⁵ Then Adonai said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram, ¹⁶ and anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. ¹⁷ It shall come to pass that whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu will slay; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha will slay. ¹⁸ Yet I have preserved seven thousand in Israel whose knees have not bowed to Baal and whose mouth has not kissed him.”

Calling of Elisha

¹⁹ So he departed from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. Then Elijah crossed over to him and threw his mantle on him. ²⁰ So he left the oxen and ran after Elijah saying, “Let me please kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.”^[g]

“Come back,” he said to him. “For what have I done to you?” ²¹ So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the oxen’s yoke gear, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose, went after Elijah and became his attendant.

Ahab and the Prophets

20 Now King Ben-Hadad of Aram gathered all his army. With him were 32 kings, along with horses and chariots. He marched up, besieged Samaria and attacked it. ² Then he sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel, ³ and said to him, “Thus says Ben-Hadad: ‘Your silver and gold are mine! Your best wives and children are also mine.”

⁴ The king of Israel replied, “As you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all I have.”

⁵ Then the messengers came back and said, “Thus says Ben-Hadad: Indeed I sent word to you, ordering you to give me your silver, your gold, your wives and your children. ⁶ Now I will send my servants to you tomorrow at this time, and they shall search your palace and the houses of your courtiers. Whatever is valuable in your eyes, they shall seize in their hand and take it away.”

⁷ Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please know and see how this man is bent on evil! For he sent someone to me for my wives, my children, my silver and my gold, and I didn’t refuse him.”

⁸ All the elders and all the people said to him, “Don’t listen to him or consent.”

⁹ So he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, “Tell my lord the king: All that you sent to your servant at first, I will do, but this thing I cannot do,” The messengers departed and reported to him.

¹⁰ Then Ben-Hadad sent word to him again saying, “May the gods do so to me and even more, if the dust of Samaria will suffice for handfuls for all the people at my feet.”

¹¹ The king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him: ‘Let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.”

¹² On hearing this reply—while he and the other kings were drinking in the booths—he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they stationed themselves against the city.

¹³ Then behold, a prophet approached King Ahab of Israel and said, “Thus says Adonai: Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this day, and you will know that I am Adonai.”

¹⁴ Ahab asked, “By whom?”

He said, “Thus says Adonai: By the young men of the rulers of the provinces.”

Then he asked, “Who should begin the battle?”

“You!” he answered.

¹⁵ So he mustered the young men of the rulers of the provinces. There were 232. After them he mustered all the people of all the children of Israel, 7,000. ¹⁶ They marched out at noon, while Ben-Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths—he and the 32 kings allied with him. ¹⁷ The young men of the rulers of the provinces marched out first. Ben-Hadad sent out scouts, who reported to him saying, “There are men coming out from Samaria.”

¹⁸ He said, “Whether they are coming out for peace, take them alive, or whether they are coming out for battle, take them alive.”

¹⁹ Now when the young men of the rulers of the provinces marched out of the city, with the army following them, ²⁰ each man struck down his foe. Then the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, but King Ben-Hadad of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen. ²¹ Then the king of Israel went out, struck the horses and chariots, and inflicted on the Arameans a great defeat.

²² The prophet then approached the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself. Consider carefully what you should do, for at the turn of the year the king of Aram will march up against you.”

²³ Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their God is a God of the mountains—that’s why they were stronger than us. But let’s fight against them in the plain. Then surely we’ll be stronger than them. ²⁴ So this is what you should do: remove the kings, each from his post, and appoint governors in their place. ²⁵ Then muster an army like the army that you lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—and let’s fight against them in the plain, and surely we’ll be stronger than them!” He listened to their advice and acted accordingly.

²⁶ It came about at the turn of the year that Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and marched up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. ²⁷ Now the children of Israel were mustered, given provisions, and marched against them. But when the children of Israel encamped before them, they looked like two little flocks of goats while the Arameans covered the land.

²⁸ Then a man of God approached the king of Israel and spoke to him saying, “Thus says Adonai: Because the Arameans have said, ‘Adonai is a God of the mountains, but He is not a God of the valleys,’ therefore I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am Adonai.”

²⁹ So they encamped one over against the other seven days. On the seventh day the battle was joined, and the children of Israel struck down 100,000 of the Aramean foot soldiers in a single day. ³⁰ The rest fled to Aphek into the city and the wall fell upon 27,000 men that were left. But Ben-Hadad fled into the city, into an inner chamber. ³¹ His officials said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please let’s put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our heads, and surrender to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life.”

³² So they girded sackcloth on their loins, put ropes on their heads, came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says: ‘Please let me live.’”

He replied, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

³³ The men took it as a good sign and were quick to catch on, so they said, “Yes, Ben-Hadad is your brother.”

“Go, bring him,” he said. So Ben-Hadad came out to him and he took him up into his chariot.

³⁴ Then he said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will give back, and you may set up markets for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.”

“Then I will let you go with this covenant.” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.

³⁵ Now a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow by the word of Adonai, “Strike me please!” But the man refused to strike him. ³⁶ Then he said to him, “Because you did not obey the voice of Adonai, behold, as soon as you leave me, a lion shall kill you.” As soon as he left him, a lion found him and killed him.

³⁷ Then he found another man, and said, “Strike me please!” So the man struck him and wounded him. ³⁸ Then the prophet left and waited for the king by the road, disguising himself with a headband over his eyes. ³⁹ As the king was passing by, he cried to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the midst of the battle, and behold, a man turned aside and brought another man to me and said, ‘Guard this man! If by any means he is missing, then your life will be for his life, or else you will weigh out a talent of silver.’ ⁴⁰ Then as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.”

The king of Israel said to him, “So will your sentence be—you yourself have decided it.”

⁴¹ Then he quickly took the headband away from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. ⁴² Then he said to him, “Thus says Adonai: ‘Because you have released out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life will be in place of his life and your people in place of his people.’”

⁴³ Then the king of Israel went home to Samaria sullen and resentful.

Naboth Murdered for His Vineyard

21 Now it came about after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, next to the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. ² Ahab spoke to Naboth saying, “Give me your vineyard, so I may have it for a garden of herbs, since it’s right next to my house. I’ll give you a better vineyard than it in exchange, or if it seems better to you, I’ll give you its price in money.”

³ But Naboth said to Ahab, “Adonai forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”

⁴ So Ahab went into his house sullen and resentful because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him, when he said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay down on his bed, turned away his face and would eat no food.

⁵ Then his wife Jezebel came to him and asked him, “Why is your spirit so sullen that you are eating no food?”

⁶ Then he told her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and asked him: ‘Give me your vineyard for money, or if it pleases you, I’ll give you another vineyard for it,’ but he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”

⁷ Then his wife Jezebel said to him, “Now, do you really govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, eat some food, and let your heart be merry! I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” ⁸ So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city. ⁹ She wrote in the letters saying, “Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people. ¹⁰ Then seat two sons of Belial before him, and let them testify against him saying, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”

¹¹ So the men of his city—the elders and the nobles who lived in his city—did just as Jezebel had bid them, just as was written in the letters that she had sent to them. ¹² They proclaimed a fast then seated Naboth at the head of the people. ¹³ Then the two worthless men came in and sat before him, and the worthless men testified against him, against Naboth, before the people saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king!” Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him to death. ¹⁴ Then they sent word to Jezebel saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”

¹⁵ Now when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite which he refused to sell you for money—for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” ¹⁶ As soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.

¹⁷ Then the word of the Adonai came to Elijah the Tishbite saying: ¹⁸ “Arise, go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, who is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone down to take possession of it. ¹⁹ You shall speak to him saying, ‘Thus says Adonai: Have you murdered and then taken possession?’ You shall also speak to him saying, ‘Thus says Adonai: In the same place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your blood too.’”

²⁰ Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?”

“I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself over to do what is evil in Adonai’s eyes. ²¹ ‘Behold, I will bring evil upon you, utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel. ²² I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasa son of Ahijah because you provoked My anger by leading Israel to sin.’

²³ “Adonai has also spoken about Jezebel saying: ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. ²⁴ Any of Ahab who die in the city, the dogs will eat; or any who die in the country, the birds of the sky will eat.’”

²⁵ Surely there was none like Ahab, who sold himself over to do evil in Adonai’s eyes, at the instigation of Jezebel his wife. ²⁶ He did grossly loathsome acts in following idols just like all that the Amorites had done, whom Adonai had dispossessed before the children of Israel.

²⁷ Now when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his body, fasted, lay in sackcloth and walked about subdued. ²⁸ Then the word of Adonai came to Elijah the Tishbite saying: ²⁹ “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but in his son’s days I will bring the evil upon his house.”

Ahab’s Last Stand

22 Three years remained without war between Aram and Israel. ² Then it came about in the third year that King Jehoshaphat of Judah came down to the king of Israel. ³ The king of Israel said to his courtiers, “Do you know that Ramoth-gilead is ours, yet we are still doing nothing to recover it from the hand of the king of Aram?” ⁴ Then he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramot-gilead?”

Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” ⁵ Jehoshaphat said further to the king of Israel, “Please inquire of Adonai for a word first,”

⁶ So the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about 400 men, and asked them: “Should I march against Ramot-gilead to battle or should I refrain?”

They responded, “Go up, for my Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

⁷ But Jehoshaphat said: “Is there no longer a prophet of Adonai here that we may inquire of Him?”

⁸ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Yes, there is still one by whom we may inquire of Adonai—Micaiah son of Imlah—but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, only evil.”

But Jehoshaphat said, “May the king not say so!”

⁹ So the king of Israel summoned one of his eunuchs and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah quickly.”

¹⁰ Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, at a threshing-floor at the entrance of Samaria’s gate. All the prophets were prophesying before them. ¹¹ Now Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron and said, “Thus says Adonai: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are consumed!” ¹² Then all the prophets were prophesying so, saying, “Go up to Ramot-gilead and triumph! For Adonai will deliver it into the hand of the king!”

¹³ Meanwhile the messenger that went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold now, the words of the prophets are uniformly declaring favor to the king. So please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.”

¹⁴ But Micaiah said, “As Adonai lives, what Adonai says to me, that will I speak.”

¹⁵ Now when he came to the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we march to Ramot-gilead in battle or should we refrain?”

“March and triumph!” he answered, “and Adonai will give it into the hand of the king.”

¹⁶ But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to speak to me nothing but the truth in the Name of Adonai?”

¹⁷ Then he said,

“I saw all Israel scattered on the hills,

as sheep without a shepherd.^[h]

Then Adonai said, ‘These have no master;

let each of them return home in peace.’”

¹⁸ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he wouldn’t prophesy good concerning me, only evil?”

¹⁹ Micaiah then continued, “Therefore hear the word of Adonai. I saw Adonai sitting on His throne,^[i] with all the hosts of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left. ²⁰ Then Adonai said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ One suggested this and another that, ²¹ until a certain spirit came forward and stood before Adonai and said, ‘I will entice him.’ So Adonai asked him, ‘How?’ ²² And he said: ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit^[j] in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said: ‘You shall entice him and shall prevail also—go and do so.’ ²³ Now therefore, behold, Adonai has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and Adonai has decreed evil upon you.”

²⁴ Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah approached Micaiah, struck him on the cheek and said, “Which way did the Ruach Adonai pass from me to speak to you?”

²⁵ Micaiah replied, “Behold, you will see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide.”

²⁶ Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and take him back to Amon the city governor and to Joash the king’s son, ²⁷ and say, “Thus says the king: ‘Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’”

²⁸ Micaiah then said, “If you ever return safely, then Adonai has not spoken through me.” And he added, “Did you hear, all you people?”

²⁹ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah marched to Ramot-gilead. ³⁰ Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you, put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle.

³¹ Now the king of Aram had commanded his 32 chariot commanders saying, “Do no single combat with anyone, small or great—except the king of Israel.” ³² So when the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel!” and they turned aside to do combat with him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. ³³ When the captains of the chariots realized that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

³⁴ But a man drew his bow aimlessly and struck the king of Israel between the lower armor and the breastplate. Then he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I’m wounded.” ³⁵ The battle raged that day, and the king remained propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. But he died at evening—and the blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot. ³⁶ As the sun was setting, a shout went throughout the army, saying, “Each man to his town, and each man to his land!”

³⁷ So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. ³⁸ Then they washed the chariot at the pool of Samaria where the harlots washed and the dogs licked up his blood—just as was the word of Adonai that He had spoken.

³⁹ Now the rest of Ahab’s deeds and all he did, including the ivory palace he built and all the cities he fortified, are they not written in Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? ⁴⁰ So Ahab slept with his fathers, and his son Ahaziah became king in his place.

Jehoshaphat of Judah

⁴¹ Now Jehoshaphat son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. ⁴² Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king, and he reigned 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

⁴³ He walked in all the ways of his father Asa, not straying from them, but doing what was right in Adonai’s eyes. ⁴⁴ However, they did not take away the high places, and the people continued to sacrifice and burn incense on the high places.

⁴⁵ Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel. ⁴⁶ Now the rest of the deeds of Jehoshaphat along with his might that he showed and how he warred, are they not written in Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? ⁴⁷ He expelled from the land the cult prostitutes remaining from the days of his father Asa. ⁴⁸ There was no king in Edom; a deputy was king. ⁴⁹ Jehoshaphat made Tarshish ships go to Ophir for gold, but they never went, because the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber. ⁵⁰ Then Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants sail with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat refused. ⁵¹ Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David, and his son Jehoram became king in his place.

⁵² Ahaziah son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. ⁵³ But he did what was evil in Adonai’s eyes and followed the way of his father, and the way of his mother, and the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat who caused Israel to sin. ⁵⁴ For he worshipped Baal and bowed down to him, vexing Adonai God of Israel, like all his father had done.

Elijah Prophesies to Ahaziah

1 After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel.

² Now Ahaziah fell down from the balcony of his upper chamber in Samaria and was injured. So he sent messengers and instructed them, “Go inquire of Baal-Zebub^[k] the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.”

³ But an angel of Adonai said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them: ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron?’ ⁴ Therefore thus says Adonai: ‘You will not leave the bed you are lying on, for you will surely die.’” And Elijah departed.

⁵ When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned?”

⁶ They answered him, “A man came up to meet us and said to us: ‘Go, return to the king who sent you, and say to him, thus says Adonai, “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on, for you will surely die.”’”

⁷ Then he said to them, “What kind of man was he that came up to meet you and told you these words?”

⁸ They answered him, “He was a hairy man with a leather belt around his waist.”

“It’s Elijah the Tishbite,” he said.

⁹ So the king sent a captain of 50 with his 50 to Elijah. When the captain went up to him, behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. So he announced to him, “O man of God, by order of the king, come down!”

¹⁰ In response, Elijah said to the captain of 50, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50!” Then fire did come down from heaven and consumed him and his 50.

¹¹ So the king again sent to him another captain of 50 with his 50 men, who addressed him and said, “O man of God, by order of the king, come down quickly!”

¹² In response, Elijah said to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50.

¹³ So the king again sent the captain of a third 50 with his 50. But when the third captain of 50 went up and came near, he knelt before Elijah, and begged him saying, “O man of God, please, let my life and the lives of these 50 servants of yours be precious in your eyes! ¹⁴ Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two previous captains of 50 with their 50; but now let my life be precious in your eyes!”

¹⁵ Then the angel of Adonai said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king.

¹⁶ Then Elijah said to the king, “Thus says Adonai: You have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron. Is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on, for you will surely die.” ¹⁷ So he died just as was the word of Adonai that Elijah had spoken.

Then Jehoram became king in his place, because Ahaziah had no son. It was in the second year of Jehoram son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. ¹⁸ Now the rest of the deeds of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

Elijah in a Chariot of Fire

2 Now it came to pass, when Adonai was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. ² Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here please, for Adonai has sent me on to Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “As Adonai lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

³ Then the sons of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Adonai is going to take your master away from over you today?”

He said, “Yes, I know. Be silent.”

⁴ Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here please, for Adonai has sent me on to Jericho.”

But he said, “As Adonai lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.

⁵ Then the sons of the prophets at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Adonai is going to take away your master from over you today?”

He replied, “Yes, I know. Be silent.”

⁶ Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here please, for Adonai has sent me to the Jordan.”

But he said, “As Adonai lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So both of them went on.

⁷ Then 50 of the sons of the prophets went and stood aside at a distance from them, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. ⁸ Elijah then took his mantle, wrapped it together, and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that they two of them crossed over on dry ground. ⁹ Now as they were crossing over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I will do for you before I am taken from you.”

So Elisha said, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”

¹⁰ He replied, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be so to you; but if not, it will not be so.”

¹¹ As they were walking along and talking, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. ¹² As Elisha was watching, he was crying out, “Avi! Avi! The chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” Then he saw him no more. So he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

Elisha Takes Up the Mantle

¹³ He then picked up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him. When he returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan, ¹⁴ he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen off him, struck the waters and said, “Where is Adonai, the God of Elijah?” As he indeed struck the waters, they parted here then there. Then Elisha crossed over.

¹⁵ When the sons of the prophets at Jericho saw him some way off, they said, “The spirit of Elijah has rested on Elisha.” So they came to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him. ¹⁶ Then they said to him, “Behold now, there are 50 strong men with your servants. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Ruach Adonai has taken him up and cast him onto some mountain or into some valley.”

But he said, “Don’t send them.” ¹⁷ But when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” So they sent 50 men. Though they searched for three days, they did not find him. ¹⁸ When they came back to him while he staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

¹⁹ Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Look now, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad and the land barren.”

²⁰ He responded, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. ²¹ Then he went out to the spring of water, threw salt in it and said, “Thus says Adonai, I have healed this water. No longer will there be from there death or barrenness.” ²² So the waters were healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.

²³ From there he went up to Bethel. As he was going up along the road, some young boys came out of the city. They mocked him saying to him, “Go on up, baldy! Go on up, baldy!” ²⁴ So he turned around and looked at them and cursed them in the Name of Adonai. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the boys.

²⁵ From there he went to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

3 Now Jehoram, Ahab’s son, became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. ² He did what was evil in Adonai’s eyes, though not like his father and his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. ³ Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, not turning away from them.

Moab Revolts Against Israel

⁴ Now King Mesha of Moab was a sheep-breeder, and he used to render as tribute to the king of Israel the wool of 100,000 lambs and 100,000 rams. ⁵ But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. ⁶ So King Jehoram marched out from Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. ⁷ Then he sent word to King Jehoshaphat of Judah saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you march with me against Moab to battle?”

Jehoshaphat replied, “I will march. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” ⁸ And he added, “By which route will we go up?”

He answered, “The route of the wilderness of Edom.”

⁹ So the king of Israel, the king of Judah and the king of Edom marched. They kept circling roundabout for seven days, but there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them. ¹⁰ “Ah!” the king of Israel cried, “Adonai has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab!”

Elisha Foretells Moab’s Defeat

¹¹ But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there a prophet of Adonai here, that we may inquire of Adonai by him?”

One of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, “Elisha son of Shaphat, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah, is here.”

¹² Jehoshaphat replied, “The word of Adonai is with him.” So the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. ¹³ But Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do I have to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother!”

“No!” the king of Israel said to him, “For has Adonai brought these three kings together only to deliver them into the hand of Moab?”

¹⁴ Elisha said, “As Adonai-Tzva’ot lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I respect the presence of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, I would not look at you or even see you. ¹⁵ Now, bring me a musician.”

Now as the musician played, the hand of Adonai came upon him, ¹⁶ and he said, “Thus says Adonai: Make this valley full of trenches. ¹⁷ For thus says Adonai: You will not see wind nor will you see rain, yet this valley will be filled with water. So you will drink, both you and your cattle and your animals. ¹⁸ Yet this is an easy thing in Adonai’s eyes—for He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. ¹⁹ Then you must strike every fortified city and every major town, cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs of water and ruin every good field with stones.”

²⁰ Then it came to pass in the morning, about the time of offering up the sacrifice, behold—water was flowing from the direction of Edom—so that the water covered the land.

²¹ Meanwhile the Moabites heard that the kings had marched to fight against them. So they gathered themselves together, all that were able to put on armor and older, and stood at the border. ²² When they rose up early in the morning and the sun was shining upon the water, the Moabites saw the water from a distance as red as blood! ²³ So they said, “This is blood! The kings have surely clashed swords and slain each other. Now, to the spoil, Moab!”

²⁴ But when they came near Israel’s camp, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, who fled before them. Then they invaded, slaughtering the Moabites. ²⁵ They destroyed the cities. Also each man threw his stone onto every good field and covered it. They stopped up all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees—until nothing was left except Kir-hareseth with the stones of its wall. However, the slingers encircled it and struck it down.

²⁶ When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him 700 swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. ²⁷ Then he took his firstborn son who should have become king in his place and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And there was great wrath against Israel that they withdrew from him and returned to their own land.

Miracle of Multiplying Oil

4 Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha saying, “Your servant my husband is dead—you know that your servant feared Adonai. Now the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.”

² “What should I do for you?” Elisha asked her. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”

She replied, “Your handmaid has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.”

³ Then he said, “Go borrow for yourself vessels from all your neighbors—empty jars—not just a few. ⁴ Then go inside and shut the door behind you and behind your sons, and pour into all those vessels, setting aside what is full.”

⁵ So she left him and shut the door behind her and behind her sons. They kept bringing the vessels to her and she kept pouring. ⁶ When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.”

But he said to her, “There isn’t another vessel.” So the oil stopped.

⁷ Then she came and told the man of God. So he said, “Go sell the oil and pay your debt, then you and your sons can live on the rest.”

Shunammite Hospitality

⁸ One day when Elisha passed through Shunem, where there was a prominent woman who persuaded him to eat some food. And so it was, whenever he passed through, he would stop for a meal. ⁹ Then she said to her husband, “Behold now, I realize that this man who often passes through is a holy man of God. ¹⁰ Please, let’s make a little walled room on the roof, and let’s put there a bed, a table, a chair, and a lampstand for him. Then whenever he comes to us, he can stay there.”

¹¹ One day he came there, and retired to the upper chamber and lay down there. ¹² Then he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite woman.” When he had called her, she stood before him. ¹³ He said to him, “Tell her: Behold, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What can be done for you? Can something be communicated to the king or to the commander of the army for you?”

She answered, “I am living among my own people.”

¹⁴ So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?”

Then Gehazi answered, “In fact, she has no son, and her husband is old.”

¹⁵ “Call her,” he said. And when he had called her, she stood in the doorway. ¹⁶ Then he said, “At this season next year, you will be embracing a son.”

But she said, “No, my lord, do not lie to your handmaid, man of God.”

¹⁷ Nevertheless, the woman conceived and bore a son during that season the following year, just as Elisha had told her.

¹⁸ Now when the child was grown, one day he went out to his father among the reapers. ¹⁹ Then he said to his father, “My head, my head!” So he said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” ²⁰ So he picked him up and brought him to his mother. The child sat on her lap until noon, and then died. ²¹ She then went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door on him and went out. ²² Then she called to her husband, and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys that I may run to the man of God and come back.”

²³ But he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither New Moon nor Shabbat.”

But she said, “It will be well.”

²⁴ Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Move on! Don’t slow down riding unless I tell you.”

²⁵ So she set out and came near the man of God at Mount Carmel. Upon seeing her from a distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite. ²⁶ Please, run now to meet her and ask her: ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the boy?’”

She answered, “It is well.” ²⁷ But when she arrived at the mountain, up to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet.

Then Gehazi stepped forward to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is bitter within her, yet Adonai has hid it from me and has not told me.”

²⁸ “Did I ask my lord for a son?” she said. “Didn’t I say, ‘Don’t deceive me’?”

²⁹ Then he said to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, don’t greet him. Or if anyone greets you, don’t answer him; and lay my staff on the face of the child.”

³⁰ But the mother of the child said, “As Adonai lives and as you live, I won’t leave you.” So he arose and followed her. ³¹ Gehazi passed on ahead of them and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or response. So he returned to meet him and told him, saying, “The boy has not awakened.”

³² When Elisha entered the house, there was the child, dead and laying on his bed. ³³ So he entered and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to Adonai. ³⁴ Then he got up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, and he stretched himself upon him. So the flesh of the child became warm. ³⁵ Then he stepped down and walked in the house to and fro, and then he got up on the bed and stretched himself on him. The child sneezed seven times, then the child opened his eyes. ³⁶ He then called Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.”

So he called her. When she came in to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” ³⁷ She came, fell at his feet and bowed down to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.

Elisha Purifies Deadly Stew

³⁸ Afterward Elisha returned to Gilgal. Now there was famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”

³⁹ Then one of them went out into the field to gather herbs, found a wild vine and picked from it a lapful of wild gourds. Then he came back and sliced them into the stew pot, for they didn’t know what they were. ⁴⁰ Then they served it for the men to eat. But it came to pass as they were still eating the stew, they cried out and said, “O man of God, there is death in the pot.” So they could not eat it.

⁴¹ But he said, “Bring some flour,” and he threw it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people and let them eat.” So there was nothing bad in the pot.

⁴² Now a man came from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits—20 loaves of barley bread and fresh ears of corn in his sack. Then he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat.”

⁴³ But his attendant said, “What? Will I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat, for thus says Adonai, ‘They will eat and will have left over.’” ⁴⁴ So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of Adonai.

Naaman’s Tza’arat

5 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in his master’s sight and highly esteemed, because through him Adonai had given victory to Aram. Though the man was a mighty man of valor, he had tza’arat.

² Aram had gone out in bands, and had taken captive a young girl from the land of Israel. So she served Naaman’s wife. ³ Then she said to her mistress, “If only my lord went before the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his tza’arat.”

⁴ So Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus spoke the girl who is from the land of Israel.” ⁵ The king of Aram said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, 6,000 pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothes.

⁶ He brought the letter to the king of Israel saying, “When this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent my servant Naaman to you, so you may cure him of his tza’arat.”

⁷ Now when the king of Israel read the letter, he ripped his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man is sending to me to cure a man of his tza’arat? But please consider, and see how he is seeking a pretext against me.”

⁸ Now when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, he sent word to the king saying, “Why have you rent your clothes? Please, let him come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

⁹ So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha. ¹⁰ So Elisha sent him a messenger, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored, and you will be clean.”

¹¹ But Naaman was angered and walked away, saying, “I thought he would surely come out to me, stand and call on the Name of Adonai his God, and wave his hand over the spot and cure the tza’arat. ¹² Aren’t Amanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

¹³ But his servants approached him and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he told you only to ‘Wash and be clean’?” ¹⁴ So, he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God. Then his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

¹⁵ When he returned with his entire retinue to the man of God, and came and stood before him, he said, “Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. Now please, accept a present^[l] from your servant.”

¹⁶ But Elisha said, “As Adonai before whom I stand lives, I will accept nothing.” Naaman pressed him to accept, but Elisha refused.

¹⁷ So Naaman said, “If not, then please, let your servant be given two mule loads of soil, for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any other god, except Adonai. ¹⁸ In this matter, may Adonai pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my hand, and I prostrate myself in the house of Rimmon—when I prostrate myself in the house of Rimmon, may Adonai pardon your servant in this matter.”

¹⁹ Elisha said to him, “Go in peace.” So Naaman departed from him some distance.

²⁰ But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, thought, “Behold, my master held back from accepting what this Naaman the Aramean brought. As Adonai lives, I will surely run after him and get something from him.”

²¹ So Gehazi pursued Naaman. Now when Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and asked, “Is everything all right?”

²² “It’s all right, he replied. “My master sent me saying: ‘Behold, two young men of the sons of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothes.’”

²³ Naaman said, “Please, take two talents.” He even urged him, and packed two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes, and gave them to two of his servants; and they carried them ahead of him. ²⁴ Now when he arrived at the fortified hill, he took them from their hand and deposited them in the house, and let the men go, so they departed.

²⁵ When he entered and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?”

So he replied, “Your servant has gone nowhere.”

²⁶ Then Elisha said to him, “Didn’t my heart go, when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to accept money and accept clothes, or olive groves and vineyards, or sheep and oxen, or male and female servants? ²⁷ Therefore, the tza’arat of Naaman will cling to you and to your offspring forever.” Then he went out from his presence with tza’arat as white as snow.