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God Judges Ahaziah
1 Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. 2 Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria and became ill. So he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron whether I will recover from this illness.”
3 But the angel of the Lord 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 not a God in Israel, that you go to inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron?’ 4 Therefore thus says the Lord, ‘You will not come down from the bed on which you have gone up but will surely die.’ ” Then Elijah departed.
5 When the messengers returned to the king, he said to them, “Why have you returned?”
6 And they said to him, “A man came up to meet us and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king that sent you and say to him: Thus says the Lord: 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 come down from the bed on which you have gone up, but you will surely die.’ ”
7 He said to them, “What sort of man was he who came up to meet you and told you these things?”
8 They answered him, “He was a hairy man with a leather belt around his waist.”
He said, “It was Elijah the Tishbite.”
9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. He went up to Elijah, and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill, and he said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’ ”
10 But Elijah answered the captain of fifty: “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.
11 Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men. He said, “Man of God, thus says the king: Come down quickly.”
12 Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.
13 Then again the king sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men. The third captain of fifty went up, came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, “Man of God, may my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. 14 See, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two captains of the former fifties with their fifty men. May my life now be precious in your sight.”
15 Then the angel of the Lord 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 he said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Have you sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron, because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore you will not come down from the bed on which you have gone up, but you will surely die.” 17 So he died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken.
Then Jehoram[a] reigned in his place in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because he had no son. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
Elijah Ascends to Heaven
2 Then when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Tarry here, I ask you, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel.”
But Elisha said to him, “As the Lord lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3 The sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord is taking away your master from you?”
And he said, “Yes, I know. Keep silent.”
4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.”
And he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they entered Jericho.
5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord is taking away your master from you?”
And he said, “Yes, I know. Keep silent.”
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.”
And he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” And the two of them went on.
7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood at a distance, and the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Then Elijah took his robe and rolled it up and struck the water, and it was divided from one side to the other. Then the two of them crossed on dry ground.
9 And as they were crossing, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask for something, and I will do it for you before I am taken away from you.”
And Elisha said, “Let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
10 He said, “You have asked for a difficult thing, but if you see me when I am taken from you, it will happen to you. If not, it will not.”
11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Elisha was watching and crying, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” And he did not see him again. Then he grabbed his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
13 He picked up the robe of Elijah that fell from him, and he returned and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 And he took the robe of Elijah that fell from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord, God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, it parted from one side to the other, and Elisha crossed over.
15 When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him from far off, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him. 16 They said to him, “Look now, there are fifty strong men with your servants. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has lifted him up and thrown him on some mountain or into some valley.”
He said, “Do not send them.”
17 When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” So they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days but did not find him. 18 When they returned to him (for he had stayed at Jericho), he said to them, “Did I not say to you, do not go?”
Elisha Performs Miracles
19 Now the men of the city said to Elisha, “The location of this city is good, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.”
20 He said, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.
21 He went out to the spring of water and threw the salt into it and said, “Thus says the Lord: I have healed this water. No more death or unfruitfulness will come from it.” 22 So the waters have been healthy until this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.
23 He went up from there to Bethel, and going up on the way, little boys came out of the city and made fun of him and said to him, “Go up, you bald head! Go up, you bald head!” 24 He turned around, saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and ripped open forty-two of the boys. 25 He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
Jehoram Reigns Over Israel
3 Now Jehoram son of Ahab reigned over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah and reigned twelve years. 2 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not like his father and mother, for he removed the pillar of Baal that his father had made. 3 Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. He did not depart from them.
4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-breeder and gave back to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. 5 But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. 7 He went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to Moab to battle?”
He said, “I will go up. I am as you are, my people as your people, and my horses as your horses.”
8 Then he said, “Which way should we go up?”
And he said, “The way through the Wilderness of Edom.”
9 So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom went, and they marched around seven days. But there was no water for the camp or for the livestock that followed them.
10 The king of Israel said, “Alas! The Lord has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab!”
11 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there a prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?”
Then one of the king of Israel’s servants answered, “Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah, is here.”
12 Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to your father’s prophets, or to your mother’s prophets.”
Then the king of Israel said to him, “No. The Lord has called these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
14 Elisha said, “As the Lord of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not for my regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you. 15 Now bring me a musician.”
And when the musician played, the hand of the Lord came upon him. 16 He said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Make this valley full of pools.’ 17 For thus says the Lord, ‘You will not see wind, nor will you see rain, yet that valley will be filled with water, that you may drink, both you and your livestock, and your cattle.’ 18 This is an easy thing in the sight of the Lord, and He will give the Moabites into your hand. 19 You will strike every fortified city and every choice city, and will cut down every good tree, and stop every spring of water, and you will ruin every good piece of land with stones.”
20 So in the morning as the offering was offered up, suddenly water flowed from the way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.
21 When all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to bear arms and older were summoned and stood at the border. 22 They got up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them was as red as blood. 23 Then they said, “This is blood. The kings have surely fought together; and they have killed one another. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!”
24 When they came to the camp of Israel, the children of Israel arose and struck the Moabites, so that they ran from them. And they went forward into their land, killing the Moabites. 25 They demolished the cities, and on every good piece of land every man threw a stone and filled it with stones, and they stopped every spring of water and cut down every good tree. Only in Kir Hareseth did the stones in the wall remain, until the slingers surrounded it and struck it.
26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was overwhelming him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they were unable. 27 Then he took his firstborn son, who would have reigned in his place, and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. And great wrath came upon Israel, and they departed from him and returned to their own land.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.