⁵⁴ And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell ^(A)fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”^[a]

¹⁰ But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, ^(A)let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

¹¹ Again 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!’” ¹² But Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, ^(B)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.

¹³ Again 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, ^(C)be precious in your sight. ¹⁴ Behold, 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.”

¹⁴ But if you have bitter ^(A)jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵ This is not ^(B)the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, ^(C)demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ¹⁷ But ^(D)the wisdom from above is first pure, then ^(E)peaceable, gentle, open to reason, ^(F)full of mercy and good fruits, ^(G)impartial and ^(H)sincere. ¹⁸ And ^(I)a harvest of righteousness ^(J)is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Hearing and Doing the Word

^19 (A)Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person ^(B)be quick to hear, ^(C)slow to speak, ^(D)slow to anger; ²⁰ for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

²⁹ And now, Lord, ^(A)look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all ^(B)boldness, ³⁰ while ^(C)you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed ^(D)through the name of your ^(E)holy servant Jesus.”

³ One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and ^(A)the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast.

³¹ But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. ^(A)He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin.

² So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel but ^(A)of the remnant of the Amorites. Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.

¹⁶ And he said, “Come with me, and see ^(A)my zeal for the Lord.” So he^[a] had him ride in his chariot.