The Shunammite’s Land Restored

8 Now Elisha had said to the woman^(A) whose son he had restored to life, “Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the Lord has decreed a famine^(B) in the land that will last seven years.”^{(C) 2} The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years.

³ At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to appeal to the king for her house and land. ⁴ The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, “Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.” ⁵ Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored^(D) the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to appeal to the king for her house and land.

Gehazi said, “This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” ⁶ The king asked the woman about it, and she told him.

Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, “Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.”

Hazael Murders Ben-Hadad

⁷ Elisha went to Damascus,^(E) and Ben-Hadad^(F) king of Aram was ill. When the king was told, “The man of God has come all the way up here,” ⁸ he said to Hazael,^(G) “Take a gift^(H) with you and go to meet the man of God. Consult^(I) the Lord through him; ask him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

⁹ Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him as a gift forty camel-loads of all the finest wares of Damascus. He went in and stood before him, and said, “Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

¹⁰ Elisha answered, “Go and say to him, ‘You will certainly recover.’^(J) Nevertheless,^[a] the Lord has revealed to me that he will in fact die.” ¹¹ He stared at him with a fixed gaze until Hazael was embarrassed.^(K) Then the man of God began to weep.^(L)

¹² “Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael.

“Because I know the harm^(M) you will do to the Israelites,” he answered. “You will set fire to their fortified places, kill their young men with the sword, dash^(N) their little children^(O) to the ground, and rip open^(P) their pregnant women.”

¹³ Hazael said, “How could your servant, a mere dog,^(Q) accomplish such a feat?”

“The Lord has shown me that you will become king^(R) of Aram,” answered Elisha.

¹⁴ Then Hazael left Elisha and returned to his master. When Ben-Hadad asked, “What did Elisha say to you?” Hazael replied, “He told me that you would certainly recover.” ¹⁵ But the next day he took a thick cloth, soaked it in water and spread it over the king’s face, so that he died.^(S) Then Hazael succeeded him as king.

Jehoram King of Judah^(T)

¹⁶ In the fifth year of Joram^(U) son of Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram^(V) son of Jehoshaphat began his reign as king of Judah. ¹⁷ He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. ¹⁸ He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter^(W) of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. ¹⁹ Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the Lord was not willing to destroy^(X) Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp^(Y) for David and his descendants forever.

²⁰ In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king.^{(Z) 21} So Jehoram^[b] went to Zair with all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night; his army, however, fled back home. ²² To this day Edom has been in rebellion^(AA) against Judah. Libnah^(AB) revolted at the same time.

²³ As for the other events of Jehoram’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ²⁴ Jehoram rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king.

Ahaziah King of Judah^(AC)

²⁵ In the twelfth^(AD) year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. ²⁶ Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah,^(AE) a granddaughter of Omri^(AF) king of Israel. ²⁷ He followed the ways of the house of Ahab^(AG) and did evil^(AH) in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was related by marriage to Ahab’s family.

²⁸ Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead.^(AI) The Arameans wounded Joram; ²⁹ so King Joram returned to Jezreel^(AJ) to recover from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramoth^[c] in his battle with Hazael^(AK) king of Aram.

Then Ahaziah^(AL) son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to see Joram son of Ahab, because he had been wounded.

Imitating Christ’s Humility

2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit,^(A) if any tenderness and compassion,^{(B) 2} then make my joy complete^(C) by being like-minded,^(D) having the same love, being one^(E) in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.^(F) Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,^{(G) 4} not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.^(H)

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:^(I)

Do Everything Without Grumbling

¹² Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,^{(V) 13} for it is God who works in you^(W) to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.^(X)

¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling^(Y) or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless^(Z) and pure, “children of God^(AA) without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”^[c](AB) Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ^(AC) that I did not run^(AD) or labor in vain.^{(AE) 17} But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering^(AF) on the sacrifice^(AG) and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.^{(AH) 18} So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

¹⁹ I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy^(AI) to you soon,^(AJ) that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. ²⁰ I have no one else like him,^(AK) who will show genuine concern for your welfare. ²¹ For everyone looks out for their own interests,^(AL) not those of Jesus Christ. ²² But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father^(AM) he has served with me in the work of the gospel. ²³ I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me.^{(AN) 24} And I am confident^(AO) in the Lord that I myself will come soon.

²⁵ But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker^(AP) and fellow soldier,^(AQ) who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.^{(AR) 26} For he longs for all of you^(AS) and is distressed because you heard he was ill. ²⁷ Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸ Therefore I am all the more eager to send him,^(AT) so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. ²⁹ So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him,^{(AU) 30} because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.^(AV)

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

2 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams;^(A) his mind was troubled^(B) and he could not sleep.^{(C) 2} So the king summoned the magicians,^(D) enchanters, sorcerers^(E) and astrologers^[a](F) to tell him what he had dreamed.^(G) When they came in and stood before the king, ³ he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles^(H) me and I want to know what it means.^[b]”

⁴ Then the astrologers answered the king,^[c](I) “May the king live forever!^(J) Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”

⁵ The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided:^(K) If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces^(L) and your houses turned into piles of rubble.^{(M) 6} But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor.^(N) So tell me the dream and interpret it for me.”

⁷ Once more they replied, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”

⁸ Then the king answered, “I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: ⁹ If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty^(O) for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.”^(P)

¹⁰ The astrologers^(Q) answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer.^{(R) 11} What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods,^(S) and they do not live among humans.”

¹² This made the king so angry and furious^(T) that he ordered the execution^(U) of all the wise men of Babylon. ¹³ So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.^(V)

¹⁴ When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. ¹⁵ He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. ¹⁶ At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.

¹⁷ Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.^{(W) 18} He urged them to plead for mercy^(X) from the God of heaven^(Y) concerning this mystery,^(Z) so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. ¹⁹ During the night the mystery^(AA) was revealed to Daniel in a vision.^(AB) Then Daniel praised the God of heaven^{(AC) 20} and said:

Daniel Interprets the Dream

²⁴ Then Daniel went to Arioch,^(AQ) whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him.”

²⁵ Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, “I have found a man among the exiles^(AR) from Judah^(AS) who can tell the king what his dream means.”

²⁶ The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar),^(AT) “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?”

²⁷ Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about,^{(AU) 28} but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.^(AV) He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come.^(AW) Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind^(AX) as you were lying in bed^(AY) are these:^(AZ)

²⁹ “As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen.^{(BA) 30} As for me, this mystery has been revealed^(BB) to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.

³¹ “Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue,^(BC) awesome^(BD) in appearance. ³² The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, ³³ its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. ³⁴ While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands.^(BE) It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed^(BF) them.^{(BG) 35} Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away^(BH) without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain^(BI) and filled the whole earth.^(BJ)

³⁶ “This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king.^{(BK) 37} Your Majesty, you are the king of kings.^(BL) The God of heaven has given you dominion^(BM) and power and might and glory; ³⁸ in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all.^(BN) You are that head of gold.

³⁹ “After you, another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth.^{(BO) 40} Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others.^{(BP) 41} Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. ⁴² As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. ⁴³ And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.

⁴⁴ “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush^(BQ) all those kingdoms^(BR) and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.^{(BS) 45} This is the meaning of the vision of the rock^(BT) cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands^(BU)—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.

“The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future.^(BV) The dream is true^(BW) and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

⁴⁶ Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate^(BX) before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering^(BY) and incense be presented to him. ⁴⁷ The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods^(BZ) and the Lord of kings^(CA) and a revealer of mysteries,^(CB) for you were able to reveal this mystery.^(CC)”

⁴⁸ Then the king placed Daniel in a high^(CD) position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.^{(CE) 49} Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon,^(CF) while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.^(CG)

Psalm 111^[a]