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.

Widows, Elders and Slaves

5 Do not rebuke an older man^(A) harshly,^(B) but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men^(C) as brothers, ² older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

³ Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.^{(D) 4} But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents,^(E) for this is pleasing to God.^{(F) 5} The widow who is really in need^(G) and left all alone puts her hope in God^(H) and continues night and day to pray^(I) and to ask God for help. ⁶ But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.^{(J) 7} Give the people these instructions,^(K) so that no one may be open to blame. ⁸ Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied^(L) the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹ No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, ¹⁰ and is well known for her good deeds,^(M) such as bringing up children, showing hospitality,^(N) washing the feet^(O) of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble^(P) and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

¹¹ As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. ¹² Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. ¹³ Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies^(Q) who talk nonsense,^(R) saying things they ought not to. ¹⁴ So I counsel younger widows to marry,^(S) to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.^{(T) 15} Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.^(U)

¹⁶ If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.^(V)

¹⁷ The elders^(W) who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor,^(X) especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,”^[a](Y) and “The worker deserves his wages.”^{[b](Z) 19} Do not entertain an accusation against an elder^(AA) unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.^{(AB) 20} But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove^(AC) before everyone, so that the others may take warning.^{(AD) 21} I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus^(AE) and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.

²² Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands,^(AF) and do not share in the sins of others.^(AG) Keep yourself pure.^(AH)

²³ Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine^(AI) because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

²⁴ The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. ²⁵ In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

The End Times

12 “At that time Michael,^(A) the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress^(B) such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book^(C)—will be delivered.^{(D) 2} Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake:^(E) some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.^{(F) 3} Those who are wise^[a](G) will shine^(H) like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness,^(I) like the stars for ever and ever.^{(J) 4} But you, Daniel, roll up and seal^(K) the words of the scroll until the time of the end.^(L) Many will go here and there^(M) to increase knowledge.”

⁵ Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank.^{(N) 6} One of them said to the man clothed in linen,^(O) who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?”^(P)

⁷ The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand^(Q) and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever,^(R) saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time.^[b](S) When the power of the holy people^(T) has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.^(U)”

⁸ I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”

⁹ He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed^(V) until the time of the end.^{(W) 10} Many will be purified, made spotless and refined,^(X) but the wicked will continue to be wicked.^(Y) None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.^(Z)

¹¹ “From the time that the daily sacrifice^(AA) is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation^(AB) is set up, there will be 1,290 days.^{(AC) 12} Blessed is the one who waits^(AD) for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.^(AE)

¹³ “As for you, go your way till the end.^(AF) You will rest,^(AG) and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.^(AH)”

ז Zayin

ח Heth

ט Teth