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^[a] 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.

⁴² As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging them to speak these things to them the next Shabbat. ⁴³ When the synagogue meeting broke up, many of the Jewish people and God-fearing inquirers followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and trying to persuade them to continue in the grace of God.

⁴⁴ The following Shabbat, almost the entire city came together to hear the word of the Lord. ⁴⁵ When the Jewish leaders saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and tried to contradict what Paul was saying by reviling him. ⁴⁶ Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary for the word of God to be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unfit for eternal life—behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

⁴⁸ When the Gentiles heard this, they were thrilled and glorified the word of the Lord; and as many as had been inscribed for eternal life believed.^[b]

⁴⁹ Now the word of the Lord spread throughout the whole region. ⁵⁰ But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and they drove them out of their district. ⁵¹ But Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet against them,^[c] and they went on to Iconium. ⁵² And the disciples were filled with joy and the Ruach ha-Kodesh.

Mixed Crowds Believe Amidst Persecution

14 Now in Iconium, the same thing happened—they entered as usual into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a large number of Jewish and Greek people believed. ² But the Jewish people who would not believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

³ So they stayed there a considerable time, speaking boldly in the Lord—who was testifying to the message of His grace, granting signs and wonders to come about by their hands. ⁴ But the population of the city split; some were with the Jewish leaders and some were with the emissaries. ⁵ Now it happened that an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jewish people, along with their rulers, to abuse and stone them. ⁶ But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding countryside. ⁷ There they proclaimed the Good News.

How Precious Your Thoughts!

Psalm 139