Elijah Stops the Rain

17 Now Elijah the Tishbite was a prophet from the settlers in Gilead. “I ·serve [^Lstand before] the Lord, the God of Israel,” Elijah said to Ahab. “As surely as the Lord lives, no dew or rain will fall during the next few years ·unless I command it [except by my word; ^Cthe people were worshiping the false god Baal whom they believed brought rain].”

² Then the ·Lord spoke his word [word of the Lord came] to Elijah: ³ “Leave this place and go east and hide near Kerith ·Ravine [Brook; Wadi] east of the Jordan River. ⁴ Drink from the stream, and I have ·commanded [ordered] ravens to bring you food there.” ⁵ So Elijah did ·what the Lord said [^Laccording to the word of the Lord]; he went to Kerith ·Ravine [Brook; Wadi], east of the Jordan, and lived there. ⁶ The ·birds [ravens] brought Elijah bread and meat every morning and evening, and he drank water from the stream.

⁷ After a while the stream dried up because there was no rain in the land. ⁸ Then the ·Lord spoke his word to Elijah [^Lword of the Lord came to him], ⁹ “Go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I have commanded a widow there to ·take care of [provide for; feed] you.”

¹⁰ So Elijah went to Zarephath. When he reached the town gate, he saw a widow gathering ·wood for a fire [sticks]. Elijah asked her, “·Would you [Please] bring me a little water in a ·cup [jar; pitcher] so I may have a drink?” ¹¹ As she was going to get his water, Elijah said, “Please bring me a ·piece [scrap] of bread [^Lin your hand].”

¹² The woman answered, “As surely as the Lord your God lives, I have no bread. I have only a handful of flour in a ·jar [bowl] and only a little olive oil in a jug. I came here to gather some wood so I could go home and cook our last meal. My son and I will eat it and then die [^Cof hunger].”

¹³ “Don’t ·worry [be afraid],” Elijah said to her. “Go home and cook your food as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread from the flour you have, and bring it to me. Then cook something for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ The Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘That jar of flour will never be ·empty [spent; used up], and the jug will ·always have oil in it [not run dry/fail/be empty], until the day the Lord sends rain to the land.’”

¹⁵ So the woman went home and did what Elijah told her to do. And the woman and her ·son and Elijah [family; ^Lhousehold] had enough food ·every day [^Lfor many days]. ¹⁶ The ·jar [bowl] of flour and the jug of oil were never empty, ·just as the Lord, through Elijah, had promised [^Laccording to the word of the Lord, spoken through Elijah].

Elijah Brings a Boy Back to Life

¹⁷ ·Some time later [^LAfter these things] the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. He grew worse and worse and finally ·stopped breathing [died; ^Lthere remained no breath in him]. ¹⁸ The woman said to Elijah, “Man of God, what ·have you done to me [do you have against me; ^Lto me and to you]? Did you come here to ·remind me of [reveal; point out] my sin and to kill my son?”

¹⁹ Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” Elijah took the boy from ·her [her arms/lap/^Lbosom], carried him upstairs, and laid him on the bed in the room where he was staying. ²⁰ Then he prayed to the Lord: “Lord my God, this widow is letting me stay in her house. Why have you ·done this terrible thing [brought tragedy/calamity] to her and caused her son to die?” ²¹ Then Elijah ·lay on top of [stretched himself on] the boy three times. He prayed to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this ·boy live again [boy’s life/breath/soul return to him]!”

²² The Lord ·answered [heard] Elijah’s ·prayer [cry; ^Lvoice]; the ·boy began breathing again [boy’s life/breath/soul returned to him] and ·was alive [revived]. ²³ Elijah carried the boy downstairs and gave him to his mother and said, “See! Your son is alive!”

²⁴ “Now I know you really are a man from God,” the woman said to Elijah. “I know that the ·Lord truly speaks through you [^Lword of the Lord in your mouth is true]!”

Elijah Kills the Prophets of Baal

18 During the third year without rain, the ·Lord spoke his word [^Lword of the Lord came] to Elijah: “Go and ·meet [present/show yourself to] King Ahab, and I will soon send rain.” ² So Elijah went to ·meet [present/show himself to] Ahab.

By this time ·there was no food [the famine was severe] in Samaria. ³ King Ahab sent for Obadiah, who was in charge of the ·king’s palace [household]. (Obadiah ·was a true follower of [^Lgreatly revered/feared] the Lord. ⁴ When Jezebel was killing the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah hid a hundred of them in two caves, fifty in one cave and fifty in another. He also ·brought [provided] them food and water.) ⁵ Ahab said to Obadiah, “·Let’s [Go] check every spring and valley in the land. Maybe we can find enough grass to keep our horses and mules alive and not have to kill our animals.” ⁶ So ·each one chose a part of the country to search [they divided the land between them]; Ahab ·went in one direction [^Lwalked one way by himself] and Obadiah ·in another [^Lwalked one way by himself].

⁷ While Obadiah was on his way, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized Elijah, so he ·bowed down to the ground [^Lfell on his face] and said, “Elijah? Is it really you, ·master [my lord]?”

⁸ “Yes,” Elijah answered. “Go tell your master that I am here.”

⁹ Then Obadiah said, “What ·wrong [sin] have I done for you to hand me over to Ahab like this? He will put me to death. ¹⁰ As surely as the Lord your God lives, the king has sent people to every ·country [nation and kingdom] to search for you. If the ruler said you were not there, Ahab ·forced the ruler to swear [required an oath that] you could not be found in his country. ¹¹ Now you want me to go to my master and tell him, ‘Elijah is here’? ¹² The Spirit of the Lord may carry you to some ·other [unknown] place after I leave. If I go tell King Ahab you are here, and he comes and doesn’t find you, he will kill me! ·I [Even though/Yet I] have ·followed [^Lrevered; feared] the Lord since I was a boy. ¹³ Haven’t you been told what I did? When Jezebel was killing the Lord’s prophets, I hid a hundred of them, fifty in one cave and fifty in another. I ·brought [provided] them food and water. ¹⁴ Now you want me to go and tell my master, ‘Elijah is here’? He will kill me!”

¹⁵ Elijah answered, “As surely as the Lord ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] lives, whom I serve, I will ·be seen by [present/show myself to] Ahab today.”

¹⁶ So Obadiah went to Ahab and told him. Then Ahab went to meet Elijah.

¹⁷ When he saw Elijah, he asked, “Is it you—·the biggest troublemaker in [^Lyou troubler of] Israel?”

¹⁸ Elijah answered, “I have not made trouble in Israel. You and your father’s ·family [^Lhouse] have made all this trouble by ·not obeying [forsaking; abandoning] the Lord’s commands. You have ·gone after [followed; worshiped] the Baals. ¹⁹ Now ·tell [summon; assemble] all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel. Also bring the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah [14:15], who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

²⁰ So Ahab ·called [summoned; assembled] all the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] and those prophets to Mount Carmel. ²¹ Elijah approached the people and said, “How long will you ·not decide between two choices [^Llimp/hobble/waver between two opinions]? If the Lord is ·the true God [^LGod], follow him, but if ·Baal is the true God [^LBaal], follow him!” But the people ·said nothing [^Ldid not answer a word].

²² Elijah said, “I am the only prophet of the Lord ·here [left], but there are four hundred fifty prophets of Baal. ²³ Bring two ·bulls [oxen]. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull and kill it and cut it into pieces. Then let them put the meat on the wood, but they are not to set fire to it. I will prepare the other ·bull [ox], putting the meat on the wood but not setting fire to it. ²⁴ You prophets of Baal, ·pray to [^Lcall on the name of] your god, and I will ·pray to [^Lcall on the name of] the Lord. The god who answers by ·setting fire to his wood is the true [fire—he is] God [^CBaal, the storm god, threw lightening from the sky].”

All the people agreed that this was a good idea.

²⁵ Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “There are many of you, so you go first. Choose a ·bull [ox] and prepare it. ·Pray to [^LCall on the name of] your god, but don’t start the fire.”

²⁶ So they took the ·bull [ox] that was given to them and prepared it. They ·prayed to [^Lcalled on the name of] Baal from morning until noon, shouting “Baal, answer us!” But there was no ·sound [voice; response], and no one answered. They ·danced [leaped; or limped; ^C“limped” may suggest that Israel had hobbled itself by worshiping both God and Baal] around the altar they had built.

²⁷ At noon Elijah began to ·make fun of [mock; taunt] them. “·Pray [Call; Shout] louder!” he said. “·If Baal really is [Since he is surely] a god, maybe he is ·thinking [preoccupied; daydreaming], or ·busy [has wandered away], or ·traveling [is on a trip/journey]! Maybe he is sleeping so you will have to wake him!” ²⁸ The prophets ·prayed [called; shouted] louder, cutting themselves with swords and ·spears [lances] until their blood flowed, ·which was the way they worshiped [as was their custom; ^Ca ritual performed when they thought Baal had temporarily gone to the underworld]. ²⁹ The afternoon passed, and the prophets ·continued to act like this [raved; ranted] until it was time for the evening sacrifice. But no voice was heard; Baal did not answer, and no one paid attention.

³⁰ Then Elijah said to all the people, “Now come ·to [near/closer to] me.” So they gathered around him, and Elijah ·rebuilt [repaired] the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down [^Cthe remains of a previous altar to God]. ³¹ He took twelve stones, one stone for each of the twelve tribes [^Csymbolizing a previously unified Israel; cf Josh. 4:2–20], the number of Jacob’s sons. (·The Lord changed Jacob’s name to Israel […to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying “Israel will be your name”; Gen. 32:22–32].) ³² Elijah used these stones to ·rebuild the [build an] altar in ·honor [^Lthe name] of the Lord. Then he dug a ·ditch [trench] around the altar that was big enough to hold ·about thirteen quarts [^Ltwo measures/seahs] of seed. ³³ Elijah ·put [piled; arranged] the wood on the altar, cut the ·bull [ox] into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. ³⁴ Then he said, “Fill four ·jars [pitchers] with water, and pour it on the ·meat [^Lburnt offering; Lev. 1:1–17] and on the wood.” Then Elijah said, “Do it ·again [a second time],” and they did it ·again [a second time]. Then he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it the third time. ³⁵ So the water ran ·off [all around] the altar and filled the ·ditch [trench].

³⁶ At the time for the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah went near the altar. “Lord, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,” he ·prayed [said]. “·Prove [^LLet it be known this day] that you are the God ·of [in] Israel and that I am your servant. Show these people that ·you commanded me to do all these things [^LI have done all these things at your word]. ³⁷ Answer me, Lord, answer ·my prayer [^Lme,] so these people will know that you, Lord, are God and that you ·will change their minds [^Lhave turned their hearts back again].”

³⁸ Then fire from the Lord came down and ·burned the sacrifice [consumed the burnt offering; Lev. 1:1–17], the wood, the stones, and the ·ground [dust] around the altar. It also ·dried [^Llicked] up the water in the ·ditch [trench]. ³⁹ When all the people saw this, they fell ·down to the ground [on their faces], crying, “·The Lord is God [^LThe Lord—he is God]! ·The Lord is God [^LThe Lord—he is God]!”

⁴⁰ Then Elijah said, “·Capture [Seize] the prophets of Baal! Don’t let ·any [a single one] of them ·run away [escape]!” The people ·captured [seized] all the prophets. Then Elijah led them down to the Kishon ·Valley [Brook], where he ·killed [slaughtered] them.

The Rain Comes Again

⁴¹ Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Now, go, eat, and drink, ·because a heavy rain is coming [^Lfor there is the sound of rushing rain].” ⁴² So King Ahab went to eat and drink. At the same time Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel, where he bent down to the ground with his ·head [^Lface] between his knees.

⁴³ Then Elijah said to his servant, “Go and look toward the sea.”

The servant went and looked. “I see nothing,” he said.

Elijah told him to go and look again. This happened seven times. ⁴⁴ The seventh time, the servant said, “I see a small cloud, the size of a ·human fist [man’s hand], ·coming [rising] from the sea.”

Elijah told the servant, “Go to Ahab and tell him to get his chariot ready and go ·home [^Ldown] now. Otherwise, the rain will stop him.”

⁴⁵ After a short time the sky ·was covered with dark [grew black with] clouds. The wind began to blow, and soon a ·heavy [torrential] rain began to fall [^Cshowing that it was the Lord, not Baal, that supplied the rain]. Ahab got in his chariot and started back to Jezreel. ⁴⁶ ·The Lord gave his power to [^LThe hand of the Lord was on] Elijah, who ·tightened his clothes around him [^Tgirded up his loins] and ·ran ahead of King [outran] Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

Elijah Runs Away

19 King Ahab told Jezebel every thing Elijah had done and how Elijah had killed all the prophets with a sword. ² So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods ·punish me terribly [deal severely with me, and worse; ^Ldo to me, and even more] if by this time tomorrow I don’t ·kill you just as you killed those prophets [^Lmake your life like the life of one of them].”

³ Elijah was afraid and ran for his life, taking his servant with him. When they came to Beersheba in Judah, Elijah left his servant there. ⁴ Then Elijah ·walked [journeyed] for a whole day into the ·desert [wilderness]. He sat down under a ·bush [juniper/broom tree] and asked to die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he prayed. “·Let me die [^LTake my life]. I am no better than my ·ancestors [fathers; ^Cthat is, he is as good as dead, as they already are].” ⁵ Then he lay down under the tree and slept.

Suddenly an ·angel [messenger] came to him and touched him. “Get up and eat,” the angel said. ⁶ Elijah saw near his head a loaf baked over ·coals [hot stones] and a jar of water, so he ate and drank. Then he ·went back to sleep [^Llay down again].

⁷ The Lord’s ·angel [messenger] came to him a second time. The angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat. If you don’t, the journey will be too ·hard [much] for you.” ⁸ So Elijah got up and ate and drank. The food made him strong enough to walk for forty days and nights to Mount ·Sinai [^LHoreb; Ex. 3:1, 17:6; 19:18], the mountain of God. ⁹ There Elijah went into a cave and stayed all night.

Then the ·Lord spoke his word to [word of the Lord came to] him: “Elijah! ·Why are you [What are you doing] here?”

¹⁰ He answered, “Lord God ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts], I have ·always served you as well as I could [been very zealous for you]. But the ·people [^Lsons; ^Tchildren] of Israel have ·broken [abandoned; forsaken] their ·agreement [covenant; solemn pact] with you, ·destroyed [torn down] your altars, and killed your prophets with swords. I ·am the only prophet [alone am] left, and now they ·are trying to kill me [seek my life], too.”

¹¹ The Lord said to Elijah, “Go, stand ·in front of [before] me on the mountain, ·and I will pass by you [for the Lord is about to pass by].” Then a very strong wind ·blew until it caused the mountains to fall apart and large rocks to break in front of [tore apart the mountain and shattered the rocks before] the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was ·a quiet, gentle sound [the sound of a gentle whisper/blowing/wind; or a brief sound of silence; ^Ta still small voice]. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “Elijah! ·Why are you [What are you doing] here?”

¹⁴ He answered, “Lord God ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts], I have ·always served you as well as I could [been very zealous for you]. But the ·people [^Lsons; ^Tchildren] of Israel have ·broken [abandoned; forsaken] their ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with you, ·destroyed [torn down] your altars, and killed your prophets with swords. I ·am the only prophet [alone am] left, and now they ·are trying to kill me [seek my life], too.”

¹⁵ The Lord said to him, “Go back on the road that leads to the ·desert [wilderness] around Damascus. Enter that city, and ·pour olive oil on [^Lanoint] Hazael to make him king over Aram [2 Kin. 8:7–15]. ¹⁶ Then ·pour oil on [^Lanoint] Jehu son of Nimshi to make him king over Israel [2 Kin. 9:1–13]. Next, ·pour oil on [^Lanoint] Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to ·make him a prophet in your place [succeed you as prophet; 2 Kin. 2:1–18]. ¹⁷ Jehu will kill anyone who escapes from Hazael’s sword, and Elisha will kill anyone who escapes from Jehu’s sword. ¹⁸ I ·have left [or will preserve/spare/leave] seven thousand people in Israel who have never bowed down before Baal and whose mouths have never kissed ·his idol [^Lhim].”

Elisha Becomes a Prophet

¹⁹ So Elijah left that place and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field with ·a team of oxen. He owned twelve teams of oxen and was plowing with the twelfth team [or twelve teams of oxen, and he with the twelfth]. Elijah came up to Elisha, took off his ·coat [^Tmantle], and put it on Elisha. ²⁰ Then Elisha left his oxen and ran to follow Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and my mother good-bye,” Elisha said. “Then I will go with you.”

Elijah answered, “Go back. ·It does not matter to me [For what have I done to you?; or But consider what I have done to you].”

²¹ So Elisha went back and took his pair of oxen and ·killed [slaughtered; sacrificed] them. He used ·their wooden yoke [the plowing gear] for a fire [^Csymbolizing his turning from farming to a new calling as a prophet]. Then he cooked the meat and gave it to the people. After they ate it, Elisha left and followed Elijah and became his ·helper [servant; assistant].

Ben-Hadad and Ahab Go to War

20 Ben-Hadad king of Aram ·gathered together [mobilized; mustered] all his army. There were thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots who went with him and ·surrounded [besieged] Samaria and attacked it. ² The king sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel.

This was his message: “Ben-Hadad says, ³ ‘Your silver and gold ·belong to me [are mine], as well as the best of your wives and children.’”

⁴ Ahab king of Israel answered, “My ·master [lord] and king, ·I agree to what you say [^Lit is as you say/according to your word]. I and everything I have ·belong to you [are yours].”

⁵ Then the messengers came to Ahab again. They said, “Ben-Hadad says, ‘I told you before that you must give me your silver and gold, your wives and your children. ⁶ About this time tomorrow I will send my ·men [officials; servants], who will search everywhere in your ·palace [^Lhouse] and in the homes of your ·officers [officials; servants]. Whatever ·they want [or you value] they will take and carry off.’”

⁷ Then Ahab called a meeting of all the elders of his country. He said, “Ben-Hadad is looking for trouble. First he said I had to give him my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I have not refused him.”

⁸ The elders and all the people said, “Don’t listen to him or ·agree to this [consent].”

⁹ So Ahab said to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell my ·master [lord] the king: ‘I will do what you said at first, but ·I cannot allow this second command [this thing I cannot do].’” And King Ben-Hadad’s men carried the message back to him.

¹⁰ Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods ·punish me terribly [deal severely with me, and worse; ^Ldo to me, and even more] if I don’t completely destroy Samaria. There won’t be enough left for each of my men to get a handful of dust!”

¹¹ Ahab answered, “Tell Ben-Hadad, ‘·The man who puts on his armor should not brag. It’s the man who lives to take it off who has the right to brag [^LLet not him who puts on boast like him who takes off; ^Cthat is, boast only after victory in battle, not before].’”

¹² Ben-Hadad was drinking in his tent with the ·other rulers [kings] when the message came from Ahab. Ben-Hadad commanded his men to prepare to attack the city, and they ·moved into place for battle [took their positions].

¹³ At the same time a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel. The prophet said, “Ahab, ·the Lord says to you [^Tthus says the Lord], ‘Do you see that ·big army [^Lgreat multitude]? I will hand it over to you today so you will know I am the Lord.’ ”

¹⁴ Ahab asked, “·Who will you use to defeat them [By what means; ^LBy whom]?”

The prophet answered, “·The Lord says [^TThus says the Lord], ‘The young officers of the ·district governors [provincial commanders] will defeat them.’”

Then the king asked, “Who will ·command the main army [or attack first; begin the battle]?”

The prophet answered, “You will.”

¹⁵ So Ahab ·gathered [summoned; mustered] the young officers of the ·district governors [provincial commanders], two hundred thirty-two of them. Then he called together the ·army [^Lsons] of Israel, about seven thousand people in all.

¹⁶ They marched out at noon, while Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two ·rulers [kings] helping him were getting drunk in their tents. ¹⁷ The young officers of the ·district governors [provincial commanders] attacked first. Ben-Hadad sent out scouts who told him that soldiers were coming from Samaria. ¹⁸ Ben-Hadad said, “They may be coming to fight, or they may be coming to ask for peace. In either case capture them alive.”

¹⁹ The young officers of the ·district governors [provincial commanders] ·led the attack [went out from the city], followed by the army of Israel. ²⁰ Each officer of Israel killed the man who came against him. The men from Aram ran away as Israel chased them, but Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with some of his ·horsemen [cavalry; charioteers]. ²¹ Ahab king of Israel ·led the army [^Lwent out] and destroyed the horses and chariots and slaughtered the Arameans.

²² Then the prophet went to Ahab king of Israel and said, “The king of Aram will attack you again ·next spring [^Lat the turn of the year]. So go home now and strengthen ·your army [^Lyourself] and see what you need to do.”

²³ Meanwhile the officers of Ben-Hadad king of Aram said to him, “The gods of Israel are mountain gods, so they were stronger. Let’s fight them on the ·flat land [plain], and then we will ·win [be stronger]. ²⁴ This is what you should do. ·Don’t allow the thirty-two rulers to command the armies, but [^LRemove the kings from their place/commands, and] put other commanders in their places. ²⁵ ·Gather [Recruit; Raise; Muster] an army like the one ·that was destroyed and as many horses and chariots as before [^Lyou lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot]. We will fight the Israelites on ·flat land [the plain], and then we will ·win [be stronger].” Ben-Hadad ·agreed with their advice [^Lheeded their voice] and did what they said.

²⁶ ·The next spring [^LAt the turn of the year] Ben-Hadad ·gathered [mustered] the army of Aram and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

²⁷ The ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] also had ·prepared for war [mustered and gathered provisions]. They marched out to meet the Arameans and camped opposite them. The Israelites looked like two small flocks of goats, but the Arameans covered the ·area [countryside].

²⁸ A man of God came to the king of Israel with this message: “·The Lord says [^TThus says the Lord], ‘The people of Aram say that I, the Lord, am a god of the mountains, not a god of the ·valleys [plains]. So I will ·allow you to defeat this huge army [^Lgive this great multitude into your hands], and then you will know I am the Lord.’”

²⁹ The armies were camped across from each other for seven days. On the seventh day the battle began. The ·Israelites [^Lsons of Israel] ·killed [slaughtered] one hundred thousand Aramean soldiers in one day. ³⁰ The rest of them ran away to the city of Aphek, where a city wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of them. Ben-Hadad also ran away to the city and hid in a room.

³¹ His ·officers [officials; ^Lservants] said to him, “We have heard that the kings of Israel are ·trustworthy [merciful]. Let’s dress in ·rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap; ^Cindicating sorrow], and wear ropes on our heads. Then we will go to the king of Israel, and perhaps he will ·let you live [spare your life].”

³² So they dressed in ·rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap] and wore ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel. They said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please ·let me live [spare my life].’”

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

³³ Ben-Hadad’s men ·had wanted a sign from Ahab [took this as a good sign]. They quickly ·caught [picked up on] his word, “Yes! Ben-Hadad is your brother.”

Ahab said, “Bring him to me.” When Ben-Hadad came, Ahab asked him to join him in the chariot.

³⁴ Ben-Hadad said to him, “Ahab, I will ·give you back [restore] the cities my father took from your father. And you may ·put shops [establish bazaars/markets/trading areas] in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.”

Ahab said, “If you ·agree [covenant] to this, I will allow you to go free.” So the two kings made a ·peace agreement [covenant; treaty]. Then Ahab let Ben-Hadad go free.

A Prophet Speaks Against Ahab

³⁵ One ·prophet from one of the groups of prophets [^Lof the sons of the prophets] told another, “Hit me!” He said this ·because the Lord had commanded it [by the word of the Lord], but the other man refused. ³⁶ The prophet said, “You did not obey the ·Lord’s command [^Lvoice of the Lord], so a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me.” When the man left, a lion found him and killed him.

³⁷ The prophet went to another man and said, “Hit me, please!” So the man hit him and hurt him. ³⁸ The prophet ·wrapped his face in a cloth [placed a bandage over his eyes; ^Cto disguise himself]. Then he went and waited by the road for the king. ³⁹ As Ahab king of Israel passed by, the prophet called out to him. “I went to fight in the battle,” the prophet said. “One of our men brought an ·enemy soldier [^Lman] to me. Our man said, ‘Guard this man. If he ·runs away [is missing], ·you will have to give your life in his place [^Lit will be your life for his life]. Or, you will have to pay a ·fine of seventy-five pounds [^Ltalent] of silver.’ ⁴⁰ But I was busy doing other things, so the man ran away.”

The king of Israel answered, “That is your ·sentence [judgment]. You have ·already said what the punishment is [pronounced it yourself].

⁴¹ Then the prophet quickly took the ·cloth from his face [bandage from his eyes]. When the king of Israel saw him, he knew he was one of the prophets. ⁴² The prophet said to the king, “·This is what the Lord says [^TThus says the Lord]: ‘You freed the man I ·said should die [^Lhad devoted to destruction], so your life will be ·taken instead of his [for his life]. ·The lives of your people will also be taken instead of the lives of […and your people for] his people.’”

⁴³ Then King Ahab went back to his palace in Samaria, ·angry and upset [resentful and sullen].

Ahab Takes Naboth’s Vineyard

21 After these things had happened, this is what followed. A man named Naboth owned a vineyard in Jezreel, near the palace of Ahab king of Israel. ² One day Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard. It is near my palace, and I want to make it into a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard in its place, or, if you prefer, I will pay you what it is worth.”

³ Naboth answered, “·May the Lord keep me from ever giving my land to you. It belongs to my family [^LThe Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers/ancestors].”

⁴ Ahab went home ·angry and upset [resentful and sullen], because he did not like what Naboth from Jezreel had said. (Naboth had said, “I will not give you ·my family’s land [^Lthe inheritance of my fathers/ancestors].”) Ahab lay down on his bed, turned his face to the wall, and refused to eat.

⁵ His wife, Jezebel, came in and asked him, “Why are you so ·upset [sullen; depressed] that you refuse to eat?”

⁶ Ahab answered, “I talked to Naboth, the man from Jezreel. I said, ‘Sell me your vineyard, or, if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ But Naboth refused.”

⁷ Jezebel answered, “Is this how you ·rule as king [reign] over Israel? Get up, eat something, and cheer up. I will get Naboth’s vineyard for you.”

⁸ So Jezebel wrote some letters, signed Ahab’s name to them, and used his own seal to seal them. Then she sent them to the elders and ·important men [nobles] who lived in Naboth’s town. ⁹ The letter she wrote said: “Declare a day during which the people are to fast. Call the people together, and give Naboth a place of honor among them. ¹⁰ Seat two ·troublemakers [scoundrels] across from him, and have them say ·they heard Naboth speak against [“You cursed…”] God and the king. Then take Naboth out of the city and ·kill him with stones [stone him to death].”

¹¹ The elders and important men of Jezreel obeyed Jezebel’s command, just as she wrote in the letters. ¹² They declared a ·special day on which the people were to fast [fast]. And they put Naboth in a place of honor before the people. ¹³ Two ·troublemakers [scoundrels] sat across from Naboth and said in front of everybody ·that they had heard him speak against [“You cursed…”] God and the king. So the people carried Naboth out of the city and ·killed him with stones [stoned him to death]. ¹⁴ Then the leaders sent a message to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been ·killed [^Lstoned and is dead].”

¹⁵ When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been ·killed [^Lstoned and was dead], she told Ahab, “Naboth of Jezreel is no longer alive; he’s dead. Now you may go and take for yourself the vineyard he would not sell to you.” ¹⁶ When Ahab heard that Naboth of Jezreel was dead, he got up and went to the vineyard to take ·it for his own [possession of it].

¹⁷ At this time the ·Lord spoke his word [^Lword of the Lord came] to the prophet Elijah the Tishbite. The Lord said, ¹⁸ “Go to Ahab king of Israel in Samaria. He is at Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take ·it as his own [possession of it]. ¹⁹ Tell Ahab that I, the Lord, say to him, ‘·You have [^LHave you not…?] murdered Naboth and taken his land. So I tell you this: In the same place the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, they will also lick up your blood [1 Kin. 22:37–38]!’”

²⁰ When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, “So you have found me, my enemy!”

Elijah answered, “Yes, I have found you. You ·have always chosen to do what the Lord says is wrong [^Lsold yourself to do evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. ²¹ So the Lord says to you, ‘I will ·soon destroy you [bring evil/disaster on you]. I will ·kill you [sweep you away] and ·every [^Lcut off every] ·male [^Lone who urinates against the wall] in your ·family [^Lhouse], both slave and free. ²² Your ·family [^Lhouse] will be like the ·family [^Lhouse] of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the ·family [^Lhouse] of King Baasha son of Ahijah. I will destroy you, because you have ·made me angry [provoked/aroused me to anger] and have led the people of Israel to sin.’

²³ “And the Lord also says, ‘Dogs will eat the body of Jezebel in the ·city [fields; boundaries] of Jezreel [2 Kin. 9:30–37].’

²⁴ “Anyone in Ahab’s ·family [^Lhouse] who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the ·fields [country] will be eaten by ·birds [vultures; ^Lbirds of the air/sky; 16:4].”

²⁵ There was no one like Ahab who ·had chosen so often [^Lsold himself] to do ·what the Lord said was wrong [^Levil in the eyes/sight of the Lord], ·because his wife Jezebel influenced him to do evil [urged on by his wife Jezebel]. ²⁶ Ahab ·sinned terribly [acted most detestably/abominably] by ·worshiping [following; going after] idols, just as the Amorites did. And the Lord had ·taken away their land and given it to [driven them out before] the people of Israel.

²⁷ After Elijah finished speaking, Ahab tore his clothes. He put on ·rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap; ^Cindicating sorrow and contrition] and fasted, and even slept in ·the rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap] and walked about ·dejectedly [despondently; with slow steps].

²⁸ The ·Lord spoke his word [^Lword of the Lord came] to Elijah the Tishbite: ²⁹ “·I see that [^LHave you seen how…?] Ahab ·is now sorry for what he has done [has now humbled himself before me]. So I will not ·cause the trouble to come to him during his life [^Lbring this evil/disaster on him during his days], but I will wait until his son is king. Then I will bring this ·trouble [evil; disaster] to Ahab’s ·family [^Lhouse].”

The Death of Ahab^(A)

22 For three years there was ·peace [^Lno war] between Israel and Aram. ² During the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went to visit Ahab king of Israel.

³ At that time Ahab asked his ·officers [officials; ^Lservants], “Do you ·remember [realize; know] that the king of Aram took Ramoth in Gilead from us? Why have we done nothing to get it back?” ⁴ So Ahab asked King Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth in Gilead [^CJehoshaphat was a subordinate treaty partner with Ahab]?”

“I will go with you,” Jehoshaphat answered. “My ·soldiers are yours [^Lpeople are your people], and my horses are ·yours [^Lyour horses].” ⁵ Jehoshaphat also said to Ahab, “But first we should ·ask if this is the Lord’s will [^Linquire for the word of the Lord].”

⁶ Ahab called about four hundred prophets together and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or ·not [hold back]?”

They answered, “Go, because the Lord will hand them over to you.”

⁷ But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord here [^Cindicating skepticism about their reliability]? Let’s ask him what we should do.”

⁸ Then King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “There is one other prophet. We could ask the Lord through him, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything good about me, ·but something bad [only evil]. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

Jehoshaphat said, “King Ahab, you shouldn’t say that!”

⁹ So Ahab king of Israel told one of his officers to bring Micaiah son of Imlah to him at once.

¹⁰ Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah had on their royal robes and were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor, near the entrance to the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were standing before them, ·speaking their messages [prophesying]. ¹¹ Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made some iron horns. He said to Ahab, “·This is what the Lord says [^TThus says the Lord], ‘You will use these horns to ·fight [gore] the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”

¹² All the other prophets said the same thing. “Attack Ramoth in Gilead and ·win [triumph; prosper], because the Lord will hand the Arameans over to you.”

¹³ The messenger who had gone to get Micaiah said to him, “All the ·other prophets are saying King Ahab will succeed [words of the prophets are favorable to the king]. ·You should agree with them and give the king a good answer [Let your word be like theirs and speak favorably].”

¹⁴ But Micaiah answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, I ·can tell him [will say] only what the Lord tells me.”

¹⁵ When Micaiah came to Ahab, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth in Gilead or ·not [hold back]?”

Micaiah answered, “Attack and ·win [triumph; prosper]! The Lord will hand them over to you [^CMicaiah must have spoken sarcastically].”

¹⁶ But Ahab said to Micaiah, “How many times ·do I have to tell you [must I make you swear] to speak only the truth to me in the name of the Lord?”

¹⁷ So Micaiah answered, “I saw ·the army of [all] Israel scattered over the ·hills [mountains] like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘They have no ·leaders [master; ^Cforeshadowing Ahab’s death]. They should go home ·and not fight [^Lin peace].’”

¹⁸ Then Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I told you! He never prophesies anything good about me, but only ·bad [evil].”

¹⁹ But Micaiah said, “Hear the ·message from [^Lword of] the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with his heavenly ·army [hosts] standing near him on his right and on his left. ²⁰ The Lord said, ‘Who will ·trick [entice; deceive] Ahab into attacking Ramoth in Gilead where he will ·be killed [fall]?’

“Some ·said [suggested; answered] one thing; some ·said [suggested; answered] another. ²¹ Then one spirit came and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will ·trick [entice; deceive] him.’

²² “The Lord asked, ‘How will you do it?’

“The spirit answered, ‘I will go to Ahab’s prophets and ·make them tell lies [^Lbe a lying/deceiving spirit in their mouths].’

“So the Lord said, ‘You will succeed in ·tricking [enticing; deceiving] him. Go and do it.’”

²³ Micaiah said, “Ahab, the Lord has ·made your prophets lie to you [^Lput a deceiving/lying spirit in the mouth of your prophets], and the Lord has ·decided [pronounced; proclaimed; decreed] that disaster ·should come to [for; on] you.”

²⁴ Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up to Micaiah and slapped him in the ·face [cheek]. Zedekiah said, “·Has [How did] the Lord’s spirit ·left [pass from] me to speak through you?”

²⁵ Micaiah answered, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an ·inside [secret] room [^Cwhen the prophesied disaster strikes].”

²⁶ Then Ahab king of Israel ordered, “Take Micaiah and ·send [return] him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son. ²⁷ Tell them I said to put this man in prison and ·give [feed] him only bread and water until I return safely [^Cfrom the upcoming battle].”

²⁸ Micaiah said, “Ahab, if you come back safely, the Lord has not spoken through me. ·Remember [Mark; Listen to] my words, all you people!”

²⁹ So Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah ·went to [marched on] Ramoth in Gilead. ³⁰ King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “When I go into battle, I will ·wear other clothes [disguise myself] so no one will recognize me. But you wear your royal clothes.” So Ahab ·wore other clothes [disguised himself] and went into battle [22:15].

³¹ The king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Don’t fight with anyone—·important or unimportant [^Lsmall or great]—except the king of Israel.” ³² When these chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought he was certainly the king of Israel, so they turned to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat began shouting, ³³ they saw he was not King Ahab, and they stopped chasing him.

³⁴ By chance, a soldier shot an arrow and hit Ahab king of Israel ·between the pieces [in a gap/joint] of his armor. King Ahab said to his chariot driver, “Turn around and get me out of the battle, because I am ·hurt [badly wounded]!” ³⁵ The battle ·continued [raged] all day. King Ahab was ·held [propped] up in his chariot and faced the Arameans. His blood from the wound flowed down to the bottom of the chariot. That evening he died. ³⁶ Near sunset a cry went out through the army of Israel: “Each man go back to his own city and land [^Can indication of panic and defeat].”

³⁷ In that way King Ahab ·died [^Llay down/^Tslept with his fathers/ancestors]. His body was carried to Samaria and buried there. ³⁸ The men cleaned Ahab’s chariot at a pool in Samaria ·where prostitutes bathed [or and the prostitutes bathed in his blood], and the dogs licked his blood from the chariot. These things happened as the ·Lord had said they would [word of the Lord had spoken].

³⁹ Everything else Ahab did ·is [^Lis it not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 14:19] of the kings of Israel. It tells about the ·palace Ahab built and decorated with ivory [^Livory house] and the cities he built. ⁴⁰ So Ahab ·died [^Llay down/^Tslept with his fathers/ancestors], and his son Ahaziah became king in his place.

Jehoshaphat King of Judah^(B)

⁴¹ Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah during Ahab’s fourth year as king of Israel. ⁴² Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. ⁴³ Jehoshaphat ·was good, like [^Lwalked/followed in the way/path of] his father Asa, and he did ·what the Lord said was right [^Lright in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. But Jehoshaphat did not destroy the ·places where gods were worshiped [^Lhigh places; 3:2], so the people continued offering sacrifices and burning incense there. ⁴⁴ Jehoshaphat was at peace with the king of Israel. ⁴⁵ ·Jehoshaphat fought many wars, and these wars and his successes are [^LConcerning the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat and his power and the wars he waged, are they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 14:19] of the kings of Judah. ⁴⁶ There were male prostitutes still in the places of worship from the days of his father, Asa [14:24]. So Jehoshaphat ·forced them to leave [banished/expelled/or exterminated them].

⁴⁷ During this time the land of Edom had no king; it was ruled by a ·governor [deputy].

⁴⁸ King Jehoshaphat built ·trading ships [ships of Tarshish] to sail to Ophir for gold. But the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber, so they never set sail. ⁴⁹ Ahaziah son of Ahab went to help Jehoshaphat, offering to give Jehoshaphat some men to sail with his men, but Jehoshaphat refused.

⁵⁰ Jehoshaphat ·died [^Llay down/^Tslept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David [^CJerusalem], his ·ancestor [father]. Then his son Jehoram became king in his place.

Ahaziah King of Israel

⁵¹ Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria during Jehoshaphat’s seventeenth year as king over Judah. Ahaziah ·ruled [reigned] Israel for two years, ⁵² and he did ·what the Lord said was wrong [^Levil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. He ·did the same evil as [^Lwalked in the way/path of his] his father Ahab, his mother Jezebel, and Jeroboam son of Nebat. All these rulers led the people of Israel into more sin. ⁵³ Ahaziah worshiped and served the god Baal, and this ·made the Lord, the God of Israel, very angry [provoked/aroused the Lord, the God of Israel to anger], just as his father had done.

Elijah and King Ahaziah

1 After Ahab died, Moab ·broke away from Israel’s rule [rebelled against Israel]. ² Ahaziah fell down through the ·wooden bars in [lattice of] his upstairs room in Samaria and was badly hurt. He sent messengers and told them, “Go, ask Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron, if I will recover from my ·injuries [illness].”

³ But the Lord’s ·angel [messenger] said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and ·meet [confront; intercept] the messengers sent by the king of Samaria. Ask them, ‘Why are you going to ·ask questions of [consult with; inquire of] Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron? Is it because there is no God in Israel?’ ⁴ This is what the Lord says: ‘You will never get up from the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.’” Then Elijah ·left [set out; departed].

⁵ When the messengers returned to Ahaziah, he asked them, “Why have you returned [^Cso soon after being sent]?”

⁶ They said, “A man came to meet us. He said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him ·what the Lord says [^TThus says the Lord]: ‘Why are you going to ·ask questions of [consult with; inquire of] Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron? Is it because there is no God in Israel?’ You will never get up from the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.”’”

⁷ Ahaziah asked them, “What ·did the man look like who [kind of man] met you and told you this?”

⁸ They answered, “He ·was a hairy man [or wore a hairy cloak] and wore a leather belt around his waist.”

Ahaziah said, “It was Elijah the Tishbite.”

⁹ Then he sent a captain with his fifty men to Elijah. The captain went to Elijah, who was sitting on top of the hill, and said to him, “Man of God [^Ca prophet], the king says, ‘Come down!’”

¹⁰ Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and ·burn up [consume; destroy] you and your fifty men.” Then fire came down from heaven and ·burned up [consumed; destroyed] the captain and his fifty men.

¹¹ Ahaziah sent another captain and fifty men to Elijah. The captain said to him, “Man of God, this is what the king says: ‘Come down ·quickly [at once]!’”

¹² Elijah answered, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and ·burn up [consume; destroy] you and your fifty men!” Then fire came down from heaven and ·burned up [consumed; destroyed] the captain and his fifty men.

¹³ Ahaziah then sent a third captain with his fifty men. The third captain came and fell down on his knees before Elijah and ·begged [pleaded], “Man of God, please ·respect [value; consider precious] my life and the lives of your fifty servants. ¹⁴ ·See [^TBehold], fire came down from heaven and ·burned up [consumed; destroyed] the first two captains of fifty with all their men. But now, ·respect [value; consider precious] my life.”

¹⁵ The Lord’s ·angel [messenger] said to Elijah, “Go down with him and don’t be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to see the king.

¹⁶ Elijah told Ahaziah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have sent messengers to ·ask questions of [consult with; inquire of] Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron. Is it because there is no God in Israel to ask? Because of this, you will never get up from your bed; you will surely die.’” ¹⁷ So Ahaziah died, ·just as the Lord, through Elijah, had said he would [^Lin accordance with the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken].

Because Ahaziah had no son to take his place, Joram^[a] became king in Ahaziah’s place during the second year Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat was king of Judah. ¹⁸ The other things Ahaziah did ·are [^Lare they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals] of the kings of Israel [^Ca history book now lost].

Elijah Is Taken to Heaven

2 When the Lord was about to take Elijah by a whirlwind up into heaven, Elijah and Elisha were leaving Gilgal. ² Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here. The Lord has ·told me to go to [^Lsent me as far as] Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you live, I won’t leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. ³ The ·groups [company; brotherhood; ^Lsons] of prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know the Lord will take your ·master [lord] away from you today?”

Elisha said, “Yes, I know, ·but don’t talk about it [be quiet/still].”

⁴ Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha, because the Lord has sent me to Jericho.”

But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you live, I won’t leave you.”

So they went to Jericho. ⁵ The ·groups [company; brotherhood; ^Lsons] of prophets at Jericho came to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the Lord will take your ·master [lord] away from you today?”

Elisha answered, “Yes, I know, ·but don’t talk about it [be quiet/still].”

⁶ Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here. The Lord has sent me to the Jordan River.”

Elisha answered, “As the Lord lives, and as you live, I won’t leave you.”

So the two of them went on. ⁷ Fifty men of the ·groups [company; brotherhood; ^Lsons] of prophets came and stood ·far [at a distance] from where Elijah and Elisha were standing by the Jordan. ⁸ Elijah took off his ·coat [cloak; ^Tmantle], ·rolled [folded] it up, and hit the water. The water divided to ·the right and to the left [^Lone side and the other], and Elijah and Elisha crossed over on dry ground [^Creminiscent of the crossing of the Sea; Ex. 14].

⁹ After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “What can I do for you before I am taken from you?”

Elisha said, “Leave me a double ·share [portion] of your spirit [^Clike a firstborn heir (Deut. 21:17), he asks for double the blessing of other followers of Elijah, not twice as much as Elijah].”

¹⁰ Elijah said, “You have asked a ·hard [difficult] thing. But if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be ·yours [as you request]. If you don’t, it won’t happen.”

¹¹ As they were walking along and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and ·separated [drove between] Elijah from Elisha. Then Elijah ·went up [ascended] to heaven in a whirlwind. ¹² Elisha saw it and shouted, “My father! My father! The chariots of Israel and ·their horsemen [its charioteers/or horses]!” And Elisha did not see him anymore. Then Elisha grabbed his own clothes and tore them in two [^Ca sign of mourning or distress].

¹³ He picked up Elijah’s ·coat [cloak; ^Tmantle] that had fallen from him. Then he returned and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ Elisha hit the water with Elijah’s ·coat [cloak; ^Tmantle] and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he hit the water, it divided to ·the right and to the left [^Lone side and the other], and Elisha crossed over [2:8].

¹⁵ The ·groups [company; brotherhood; ^Lsons] of prophets at Jericho were watching from a distance and said, “·Elisha now has the spirit Elijah had [^LElijah’s spirit now rests on Elisha].” And they came to meet him, bowing down to the ground before him. ¹⁶ They said to him, “There are fifty ·strong [able] men with us. Please let them go and look for your ·master [lord]. Maybe the Spirit of the Lord has taken Elijah up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”

But Elisha answered, “No, don’t send them.”

¹⁷ When the ·groups [company; brotherhood; ^Lsons] of prophets had begged Elisha until he ·couldn’t refuse them anymore [was too embarrassed/ashamed to refuse], he said, “Send them.” So they sent fifty men who looked for three days, but they could not find him. ¹⁸ Then they came back to Elisha at Jericho where he was staying. He said to them, “I told you not to go, didn’t I?”

Elisha Makes the Water of Jericho Pure

¹⁹ The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, ·master [lord], this city is ·a nice place to live [well/pleasantly situated/located] as you can see. But the water is so bad the land ·cannot grow crops [is unproductive/unfruitful].”

²⁰ Elisha said, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

²¹ Then he went out to the ·spring [water source] and threw the salt in it. He said, “·This is what the Lord says [^TThus says the Lord]: ‘I have ·healed [purified; made wholesome] this water. From now on it won’t cause death, ·and it won’t keep the land from growing crops [or unfruitfulness/unproductiveness/or miscarriage].’” ²² So the water has been ·healed [purified; made wholesome] to this day just as Elisha had said.

Boys Make Fun of Elisha

²³ From there Elisha went up to Bethel. On the way some boys came out of the city and ·made fun of [mocked; jeered at; Ps. 1:1; Prov. 1:22; 3:34; 13:1; Gal. 6:7] him. They said to him, “Go ·up too, you baldhead [away, baldy]! Go ·up too, you baldhead [away, baldy]!” ²⁴ Elisha turned around, looked at them, and put a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two mother bears came out of the woods and ·tore [mauled] forty-two of the boys to pieces. ²⁵ Elisha went to Mount Carmel and from there he returned to Samaria.