1 Kings 22:29 - 2 Kings 2:22

English Standard Version

Ahab Killed in Battle

²⁹So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. ³⁰And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ^(A)“I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. ³¹Now the king of Syria had commanded ^(B)the thirty-two captains of his chariots, “Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.” ³²And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is surely the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. ³³And when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. ³⁴But a certain man drew his bow at random^[a] and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, ^(C)for I am wounded.” ³⁵And the battle continued that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, until at evening he died. And the blood of the wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot. ³⁶And about sunset a cry went through the army, “Every man to his city, and every man to his country!”

³⁷So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. ³⁸And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, ^(D)according to the word of the Lord that he had spoken. ³⁹Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, and ^(E)the ivory house that he built and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? ⁴⁰So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah

⁴¹^(F)Jehoshaphat the son of ^(G)Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. ⁴²Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. ⁴³^(H)He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. Yet ^(I)the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. ⁴⁴^(J)Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.

⁴⁵Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written ^(K)in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? ⁴⁶And from the land he exterminated the remnant ^(L)of the male cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa.

⁴⁷^(M)There was no king in Edom; a deputy was king. ⁴⁸Jehoshaphat made ^(N)ships of Tarshish to go to ^(O)Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at ^(P)Ezion-geber. ⁴⁹Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships,” but Jehoshaphat was not willing. ⁵⁰^(Q)And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

Ahaziah Reigns in Israel

⁵¹Ahaziah the son of Ahab ^(R)began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. ⁵²He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord ^(S)and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. ⁵³^(T)He served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger ^(U)in every way that his father had done.

Elijah Denounces Ahaziah

1 ^(V)After the death of Ahab, Moab ^(W)rebelled against Israel.

²Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of ^(X)Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, ^(Y)whether I shall recover from this sickness.” ³But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah ^(Z)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 ^(AA)Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? ⁴Now therefore thus says the Lord, ^(AB)You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” So Elijah went.

⁵The messengers returned to the king, and he said to them, “Why have you returned?” ⁶And they said to him, “There came a man to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him, Thus says the Lord, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of ^(AC)Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” ⁷He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?” ⁸They answered him, ^(AD)“He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

⁹Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, ^(AE)“O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” ¹⁰But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, ^(AF)let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

¹¹Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty men with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, “O man of God, this is the king's order, ‘Come down quickly!’” ¹²But Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, ^(AG)let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

¹³Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up and came and fell on his knees before Elijah and entreated him, “O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, ^(AH)be precious in your sight. ¹⁴Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties, but now let my life be precious in your sight.” ¹⁵Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king ¹⁶and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of ^(AI)Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’”

¹⁷So he died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Jehoram became king in his place ^(AJ)in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son. ¹⁸Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

Elijah Taken to Heaven

2 Now when the Lord was about to ^(AK)take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and ^(AL)Elisha were on their way from ^(AM)Gilgal. ²And Elijah said to Elisha, ^(AN)“Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, ^(AO)“As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. ³And ^(AP)the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”

⁴Elijah said to him, “Elisha, ^(AQ)please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to ^(AR)Jericho.” But he said, ^(AS)“As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. ⁵^(AT)The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”

⁶Then Elijah said to him, ^(AU)“Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. ⁷Fifty men of ^(AV)the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. ⁸Then Elijah ^(AW)took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, ^(AX)and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.

⁹When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” ¹⁰And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” ¹¹And as they still went on and talked, behold, ^(AY)chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. ¹²And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! ^(AZ)The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.

Then he took hold of his own clothes ^(BA)and tore them in two pieces. ¹³And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, ^(BB)the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

¹⁵Now when ^(BC)the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. ¹⁶And they said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. It may be that ^(BD)the Spirit of the Lord has caught him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.” ¹⁷But when they urged him ^(BE)till he was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men. And for three days they sought him but did not find him. ¹⁸And they came back to him while he was staying at Jericho, and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”

¹⁹Now the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” ²⁰He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. ²¹Then he went to the spring of water and ^(BF)threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the Lord, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” ²²So the water has been healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.