M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Elisha Helps a Shunem Woman Get Her Land Back

8 Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought back to life, “Go away with your family. Stay wherever you can. Yahweh has decided to send a famine on this country, and it will last seven years.”

² The woman did what the man of Elohim told her. She and her family went to live in Philistine territory for seven years. ³ At the end of seven years, the woman came home from Philistine territory but left again to make an appeal to the king about her house and land.

⁴ The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of Elohim. He said, “Please tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.” ⁵ While Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha brought a dead child back to life, the mother came to make an appeal to the king about her house and land.

Gehazi said, “Your Majesty, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha brought back to life.”

⁶ When the king asked the woman about this, she told him the story. So the king assigned to her an attendant to whom he said, “Restore all that is hers, including whatever her property produced from the day she left the country until now.”

Elisha Prophesies to Hazael

⁷ Elisha went to Damascus. King Benhadad of Aram, who was sick, was told, “The man of Elohim has come here.”

⁸ The king told Hazael, “Take a present, and meet the man of Elohim. Ask Yahweh through him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

⁹ Hazael went to meet Elisha. He took with him a present and all kinds of goods from Damascus. He had loaded the goods on 40 camels. He stood in front of Elisha and said, “Your humble servant King Benhadad of Aram has sent me to you. He asks whether he will recover from this illness.”

¹⁰ Elisha replied, “Tell him that he will get better, although Yahweh has shown me that he is actually going to die.” ¹¹ He stared at him until he became embarrassed. Then the man of Elohim began to cry.

¹² “Sir, why are you crying?” Hazael asked.

Elisha answered, “I know the evil you will do to the Israelites: You will set their fortresses on fire, kill their best young men, smash their little children, and rip open their pregnant women.”

¹³ But Hazael asked, “How can a dog like me do such a significant thing?”

Elisha answered, “Yahweh has shown me that you will become king of Aram.” ¹⁴ Hazael left Elisha and went to his master Benhadad, who asked him what Elisha had said.

Hazael answered, “He told me that you will get better.”

¹⁵ But the next day Hazael took a blanket, soaked it in water, and smothered the king with it. Hazael ruled as king in his place.

King Jehoram of Judah^(A)

¹⁶ Joram (Ahab’s son) was in his fifth year as king of Israel when Jehoram,^[a] son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, began to rule. Jehoram ruled while Jehoshaphat was still king of Judah. ¹⁷ He was 32 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 8 years in Jerusalem. ¹⁸ He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as Ahab’s family had done, because his wife was Ahab’s daughter. So he did what Yahweh considered evil. ¹⁹ But for David’s sake Yahweh didn’t want to destroy Judah. Yahweh had told David that he would always give him and his descendants a shining lamp.

²⁰ During Jehoram’s time Edom rebelled against Judah and chose its own king. ²¹ Jehoram took all his chariots to attack Zair. The Edomites and their chariot commanders surrounded him, but he got up at night, broke through their lines, and his troops fled home. ²² So Edom rebelled against Judah’s rule and is still independent today. At that time Libnah also rebelled. ²³ Isn’t everything else about Jehoram—everything he did—written in the official records of the kings of Judah? ²⁴ Jehoram lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. His son Ahaziah succeeded him as king.

King Ahaziah of Judah^(B)

²⁵ Joram (Ahab’s son) was in his twelfth year as king of Israel when Jehoram’s son Ahaziah became king of Judah. ²⁶ Ahaziah was 22 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, the granddaughter of King Omri of Israel. ²⁷ Ahaziah followed the ways of Ahab’s family. He did what Yahweh considered evil, as Ahab’s family had done, because he was related to Ahab’s family by marriage.

²⁸ Ahaziah went with Ahab’s son Joram to fight against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. There the Arameans wounded Joram. ²⁹ King Joram returned to Jezreel to let his wounds heal. (He had been wounded by the Arameans at Ramah when he fought against King Hazael of Aram.) Then Jehoram’s son Ahaziah went to Jezreel to see Ahab’s son Joram, who was sick.

Guidelines for Dealing with Other Christians

5 Never use harsh words when you correct an older man, but talk to him as if he were your father. Talk to younger men as if they were your brothers, ² older women as if they were your mothers, and younger women as if they were your sisters, while keeping yourself morally pure.

³ Honor widows who have no families. ⁴ The children or grandchildren of a widow must first learn to respect their own family by repaying their parents. This is pleasing in God’s sight.

⁵ A widow who has no family has placed her confidence in God by praying and asking for his help night and day. ⁶ But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead although she is still alive. ⁷ Insist on these things so that widows will have good reputations. ⁸ If anyone doesn’t take care of his own relatives, especially his immediate family, he has denied the Christian faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹ Any widow who had only one husband and is at least 60 years old should be put on your list of widows. ¹⁰ People should tell about the good things she has done: raising children, being hospitable, taking care of believers’ needs, helping the suffering, or always doing good things.

¹¹ Don’t include younger widows on your list. Whenever their natural desires become stronger than their devotion to Christ, they’ll want to marry. ¹² They condemn themselves by rejecting the Christian faith, the faith they first accepted. ¹³ At the same time, they learn to go around from house to house since they have nothing else to do. Not only this, but they also gossip and get involved in other people’s business, saying things they shouldn’t say.

¹⁴ So I want younger widows to marry, have children, manage their homes, and not give the enemy any chance to ridicule them. ¹⁵ Some of them have already turned away to follow Satan. ¹⁶ If any woman is a believer and has relatives who are widows, she should help them. In this way the church is not burdened and can help widows who have no families.

¹⁷ Give double honor to spiritual leaders^[a] who handle their duties well. This is especially true if they work hard at teaching the word of God. ¹⁸ After all, Scripture says, “Never muzzle an ox when it is threshing^[b] grain,” and “The worker deserves his pay.”

¹⁹ Don’t pay attention to an accusation against a spiritual leader unless it is supported by two or three witnesses. ²⁰ Reprimand those leaders who sin. Do it in front of everyone so that the other leaders will also be afraid.

²¹ I solemnly call on you in the sight of God, Christ Yeshua, and the chosen angels to be impartial when you follow what I’ve told you. Never play favorites.

²² Don’t be in a hurry to place your hands on anyone to ordain him. Don’t participate in the sins of others. Keep yourself morally pure.

²³ Stop drinking only water. Instead, drink a little wine for your stomach because you are frequently sick.

²⁴ The sins of some people are obvious, going ahead of them to judgment. The sins of others follow them there. ²⁵ In the same way, the good things that people do are obvious, and those that aren’t obvious can’t remain hidden.

12 The person who looked like a human continued, “At that time Michael, the great commander, will stand up on behalf of the descendants of your people. It will be a time of trouble unlike any that has existed from the time there have been nations until that time. But at that time your people, everyone written in the book, will be rescued. ² Many sleeping in the ground will wake up. Some will wake up to live forever, but others will wake up to be ashamed and disgraced forever. ³ Those who are wise will shine like the brightness on the horizon. Those who lead many people to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.

⁴ “But you, Daniel, keep these words secret, and seal the book until the end times. Many will travel everywhere, and knowledge will grow.”

The Words Are Sealed Up

⁵ When I, Daniel, looked up, I saw two men standing there. One man stood on one side of the river, and the other one stood on the other side. ⁶ One of them asked the man dressed in linen clothes who was above the river, “How long will it be until these miracles are over?” ⁷ I heard the man dressed in linen clothes who was above the river. He raised his right hand and left hand to heaven and swore an oath by the one who lives forever. He said, “It will be for a time, times, and half of a time. When the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, then all these things will be finished.”

⁸ I heard him, but I did not understand. So I asked him, “Sir, how will these things end?”

⁹ He replied, “Go, Daniel. These words are to be kept secret and sealed until the end times. ¹⁰ Many will be purified, made white, and refined. But wicked people will do wicked things, and none of them will understand. Only wise people will understand. ¹¹ From the time the daily burnt offering is taken away and the disgusting thing that causes destruction is set up, there will be 1,290 days. ¹² Blessed are those who wait until they reach 1,335 days. ¹³ But go on until the end. You will rest, and you will rise for your inheritance at the end of time.”