Study Desk

Now it came about, when the LORD was about to ^(C1)bring Elijah up by a ^(F1)whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah left ^(C2)Gilgal with ^(C3)Elisha.

And Elijah said to Elisha, "^(C1)Stay here please, for the LORD has sent me as far as ^(C2)Bethel." But Elisha said, "^(C3)As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.

Then ^(C1)the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel went out to Elisha and said to him, "Are you aware that the LORD will take away your master from over ^(F1)you today?" And he said, "Yes, I am aware; say nothing about it."

And Elijah said to him, "Elisha, please ^(C1)stay here, for the LORD has sent me to ^(C2)Jericho." But he said, "^(C1)As surely as the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho.

Then ^(C1)the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, "^(C2)Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over ^(F1)you today?" And he ^(F2)answered, "Yes, I know; say nothing about it."

And Elijah said to him, "Please ^(C1)stay here, for the LORD has sent me to ^(C2)the Jordan." But he said, "As surely as the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on.

Now ^(C1)fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan.

And Elijah ^(C1)took his coat, folded it, and ^(C2)struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask me what I should do for you before I am taken from you." And Elisha said, "Please let a ^(C1)double portion of your spirit be upon me."

He said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you ^(C1)see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so."

And as they were walking along and talking, behold, ^(C1)a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and they separated the two of them. Then Elijah went up by a ^(F1)whirlwind to heaven.

And Elisha was watching it and he was crying out, "^(C1)My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" And he did not see ^(F1)Elijah again. Then ^(C2)he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

He also took up the coat of Elijah that had fallen from him, and he went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.

Then he took the coat of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters, and said, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" And when he also had ^(C1)struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over.

Now when ^(C1)the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah has settled on Elisha." And they came to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.

Then they said to him, "Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men; please let them go and search for your master, in case ^(C1)the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some valley." But he said, "You shall not send anyone."

Yet when ^(C1)they urged him until he was ashamed to refuse, he said, "Send them." So they sent fifty men; and they searched for three days, but did not find him.

They returned to him while he was staying in Jericho; and he said to them, "Did I not say to you, 'Do not go'?"

Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Behold now, the site of the city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land ^(F1)is unfruitful."

And he said, "Bring me a new jar, and put salt ^(F1)in it." So they brought it to him.

Then he went out to the spring of water and ^(C1)threw salt ^(F1)in it and said, "This is what the LORD says: 'I have ^(F2)purified these waters; there shall not come from there death or ^(F3)unfruitfulness any longer.'"

So the waters have been ^(F1)purified to this day, in accordance with the word of Elisha which he spoke.

Now he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the road, some young boys came out from the city and ^(C1)ridiculed him and said to him, "Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!"

When he looked behind him and saw them, he ^(C1)cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two ^(F1)of the boys.

He then went on from there to ^(C1)Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria ^(C1)in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned for twelve years.

He did evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and his mother; for ^(C1)he removed the memorial stone of Baal ^(C2)which his father had made.

Nevertheless, ^(C1)he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, into ^(C2)which he misled Israel; he did not abandon them.

Now Mesha the king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he ^(C1)used to make tribute payments to the king of Israel of a hundred thousand lambs, and the wool of a hundred thousand rams.

However, ^(C1)when King Ahab died, the king of Moab broke with the ^(F1)king of Israel.

So King Jehoram left Samaria for battle ^(F1)at that time and mustered all Israel.

Then he went and sent word to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, "The king of Moab has broken away from me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?" And he said, "I will go up. ^(F1)(C1)Consider me yours, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."

Then he said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he ^(F1)answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom."

So ^(C1)the king of Israel went with ^(C2)the king of Judah and ^(C3)the king of Edom, and they made a circuit of seven days' journey. But there was no water for the army or for the cattle that ^(F1)followed them.

Then the king of Israel said, "It is hopeless! For the LORD has called these three kings to hand them over to Moab!"

But Jehoshaphat said, "^(C1)Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?" And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, "^(C2)Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, ^(C3)who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah."

And 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.

Now Elisha said to the king of Israel, "^(F1)What business do you have with me? ^(C1)Go to your father's prophets and your mother's prophets." But the king of Israel said to him, "No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to hand them over to Moab."

Elisha said, "^(C1)As surely as the LORD of armies lives, before whom I stand, if I did not respect Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you.

"But now ^(C1)bring me a ^(F1)musician." And it came about, when the ^(F1)musician played, that ^(C2)the hand of the LORD came upon him.

And he said, "This is what the LORD says: 'Make this valley ^(F1)full of trenches.'

"For the LORD says this: 'You will not see wind, nor will you see rain; yet that valley ^(C1)shall be filled with water, so that you will drink, you, your livestock, and your other animals.

'And this is an ^(C1)insignificant thing in the sight of the LORD; He will also give the Moabites into your hand.

'^(C1)Then you shall strike every fortified city and every choice city, and ^(F1)cut down every good tree and stop up all the springs of water, and spoil every good plot of land with stones.'"

And it happened in the morning ^(C1)about the time of offering the sacrifice, that behold, water came from the direction of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

Now all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. And all who were able to ^(F1)put on armor and older were summoned and they took their positions on the border.

Then they got up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood.

So they said, "This is blood; the kings must have fought each other, and they have killed one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoils!"

But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled from them; and the Israelites invaded ^(F1)the land, ^(F2)killing the Moabites.

^(C1)So they destroyed the cities; and each one threw a stone on every plot of good land and filled it. So they stopped up every spring of water and ^(F1)cut down every good tree, until in ^(C2)Kir-hareseth only they left its stones; however, the rock slingers surrounded it and struck it.

When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not.

Then the king of Moab took his oldest son who was to reign in his place, and ^(C1)offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And great anger came upon Israel, and they departed from him and returned to their own land.

Now a woman of the wives of ^(C1)the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD; and ^(C2)the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves."

So Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your servant has nothing in the house except ^(C1)a jar of oil."

Then he said, "Go, ^(F1)borrow containers ^(F2)elsewhere for yourself, empty containers from all your neighbors—do not get too few.

"Then you shall come in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour into all these containers; and you shall set aside what is full."

So she left him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they began bringing the containers to her, and she poured the oil.

When ^(C1)the containers were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another container." But he said to her, "There ^(F1)are no more containers." Then the oil stopped.

So she came and told ^(C1)the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest."

Now a day came when Elisha went over to ^(C1)Shunem, where there was a ^(F1)prominent woman, and she urged him to eat ^(F2)food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, that he turned in there to eat ^(F2)food.

And she said to her husband, "Behold now, I am aware that this is a holy ^(C1)man of God passing by us repeatedly.

"Please, let's ^(C1)make a little walled upper room, and let's set up a bed for him there, and a table, a chair, and a lampstand; then it shall be, when he comes to us, that he can turn in there."

Now ^(F1)one day he came there, and turned in to the upper room and ^(F2)rested.

Then he said to his servant ^(C1)Gehazi, "Call this Shunammite." And when he had called her, she stood before him.

And he said to him, "Say now to her, 'Behold, you have taken trouble for us with all this ^(F1)care; what can I do for you? ^(F2)Would you like me to speak for you to the king or to the commander of the army?'" But she ^(F3)answered, "I live among my own people."

So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi ^(F1)answered, "It is a fact that she has no son, and her husband is old."

He then said, "Call her." When he had called her, she stood in the doorway.

Then he said, "^(C1)At this season ^(F1)next year, you are going to embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, you man of God, ^(C2)do not lie to your servant."

Now the woman conceived and gave birth to a son at that season ^(F1)the next year, as Elisha had told her.

When the child was grown, the day came that he went out to his father, to the reapers.

And he said to his father, "My head, my head!" And his father said to his servant, "Carry him to his mother."

When he had carried him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her ^(F1)lap until noon, and then he died.

And she went up and ^(C1)laid him on the bed of ^(C2)the man of God, and shut the door behind him and left.

Then she called to her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so that I may run to the man of God and return."

But he said, "Why are you going to him today? It is neither ^(C1)new moon nor Sabbath." So she just said, "It will be fine."

Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Drive the donkey and go on; do not slow down ^(F1)the pace for me unless I tell you."

So she went on and came to the man of God at ^(C1)Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi his servant, "Behold, that person there is the Shunammite.

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Cross References:  

"Please run now to meet her and say to her, 'Is it going well for you? Is it going well for your husband? Is it going well for the child?'" Then she ^(F1)answered, "It is going well."

But she came to the man of God ^(C1)at the hill and took hold of his feet. And Gehazi came up to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone, for her soul is ^(F1)troubled within her; and the LORD has concealed it from me and has not informed me."

Then she said, "Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, '^(C1)Do not give me false hope'?"

Then he said to Gehazi, "^(F1)(C1)Get ready and ^(C2)take my staff in your hand, and go; if you meet anyone, do not ^(F2)(C3)greet him, and if anyone ^(F3)greets you, do not reply to him. And ^(C4)lay my staff on the boy's face."

The mother of the boy said, "^(C1)As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will not leave you." So he got up and followed her.

Then Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound or ^(F1)response. So he returned to meet him and informed him, saying, "The boy ^(C1)has not awakened."

When Elisha entered the house, behold the boy was dead, laid on his bed.

So he entered and ^(C1)shut the door behind them both, and he prayed to the LORD.

Then ^(C1)he got up on the bed and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, his hands on his hands, and he bent down on him; and the flesh of the child became warm.

Then he returned and walked in the house back and forth once, and went up and ^(C1)bent down on him; and the boy sneezed seven times, then the boy opened his eyes.

And he called Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite." So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, "Pick up your son."

Then she came in and fell at his feet and bowed down to the ground, and ^(C1)she picked up her son and left.

When Elisha returned to ^(C1)Gilgal, there was ^(C2)a famine in the land. ^(F1)As ^(C3)the sons of the prophets ^(C4)were sitting in front of him, he said to his servant, "^(C5)Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets."

Then one went out into the field to gather mallow, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds; and he came and sliced them into the pot of stew, because they did not know what they were.

So they poured it out for the men to eat. But as they were eating the stew, they cried out and said, "You man of God, there is ^(C1)death in the pot!" And they were unable to eat.

Then he said, "Bring flour." ^(C1)And he threw it into the pot, and said, "Pour it out for the people that they may eat." Then there was nothing harmful in the pot.

Now a man came from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh grain in his sack. And Elisha said, "^(C1)Give them to the people that they may eat."

But his attendant said, "How ^(C1)am I to serve this to a hundred men?" Nevertheless he said, "Give them to the people that they may eat, for this is what the LORD says: 'They shall eat and have some left over.'"

So he served it to them, and they ate and ^(C1)had some left over, in accordance with the word of the LORD.

Now ^(C1)Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man ^(F1)in the view of his master, and eminent, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but afflicted with leprosy.

Now the Arameans had gone out ^(C1)in bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she ^(F1)waited on Naaman's wife.

And she said to her mistress, "If only my master were ^(F1)with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy."

And ^(F1)Naaman went in and told his master, saying, "The girl who is from the land of Israel spoke such and such."

Then the king of Aram said, "Go ^(F1)now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he departed and ^(C1)took with him ten ^(F2)talents of silver, six thousand ^(F3)shekels of gold, and ten ^(C2)changes of clothes.

And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, ^(F1)which said, "And now as this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, so that you may cure him of his leprosy."

But when the king of Israel read the letter, ^(C1)he tore his clothes and said, "^(C2)Am I God, to kill and to keep alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? But ^(C3)consider now, and see how he is seeking ^(F1)a quarrel against me."

Now it happened, when Elisha ^(C1)the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent word to the king, saying, "Why did you tear your clothes? Just have him come to me, and he shall learn that there is a prophet in Israel."

So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and stood at the doorway of Elisha's house.

And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "^(C1)Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean."

But Naaman was furious and went away, and he said, "Behold, I ^(F1)thought, 'He will certainly come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the site and cure the ^(F2)leprosy.'

"Are ^(F1)Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, not better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and ^(C1)went away in a rage.

^(C1)Then his servants approached and spoke to him, ^(F1)saying, "^(C2)My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?"

So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, in accordance with the word of the man of God; and ^(C1)his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and ^(C2)he was clean.

Then he returned to the man of God ^(F1)with all his company, and came and stood before him. And he said, "Behold now, ^(C1)I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; so please ^(C2)accept a ^(F2)gift from your servant now."

But he said, "^(C1)As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, ^(C2)I will accept nothing." And he urged him to accept it, but he refused.

Then Naaman said, "If not, please let your servant be given two mules' load of ^(C1)earth; for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering nor a sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD.

"Regarding this matter may the LORD forgive your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and ^(C1)he leans on my hand and I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when I bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the LORD please forgive your servant in this matter."

He said to him, "^(C1)Go in peace." So he went some distance from him.

But ^(C1)Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, ^(F1)thought, "Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, ^(F2)by not accepting from his hand what he brought. ^(C2)As the LORD lives, I will run after him and take something from him."

So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, "Is everything well?"

And he said, "^(C1)Everything is well. My master has sent me, saying, 'Behold, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from ^(C2)the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and ^(C3)two changes of clothes.'"

Naaman said, "^(C1)Be sure to take two talents." And he urged him, and tied up two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes, and gave them to two of his servants; and they carried them before him.

When he came to the ^(F1)hill, he took them from their hand and ^(C1)deposited them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed.

But he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" And he said, "^(C1)Your servant went nowhere."

Then he said to him, "Did my heart not go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? ^(C1)Is it a time to accept money and to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, and male and female slaves?

"Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your ^(F1)descendants forever." So he went out from his presence ^(C1)afflicted with leprosy, as white as snow.

Now ^(C1)the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "Behold now, the place ^(F1)before you where we are living is too cramped for us.

"Please let us go to the Jordan, and let us each take from there a beam, and let us construct a place there for ourselves, to live there." So he said, "Go."

Then one of them said, "Please agree and go with your servants." And he said, "I will go."

So he went with them; and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.

But it happened that as one of them was ^(F1)cutting down a beam, ^(F2)the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Oh, my master! It was borrowed!"

Then the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And when he showed him the place, ^(C1)he cut off a stick and threw it in there, and made the iron float.

Then he said, "Pick it up for yourself." So he reached out his hand and took it.

Now the king of Aram was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, "In such and such a place shall be my camp."

But ^(C1)the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, saying, "Be careful that you do not pass this place, because the Arameans are coming down there."

And the king of Israel sent scouts to the place about which the man of God had told him; so he warned him, so that he was on his guard there, ^(F1)more than once or twice.

Now the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this matter; and he called his servants and said to them, "Will you not tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?"

One of his servants said, "No, my lord, the king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom."

So he said, "Go and see where he is, so that I may send men and take him." And it was told to him, saying, "Behold, he is in ^(C1)Dothan."

So he sent horses and chariots and a substantial army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, "This is hopeless, my master! ^(F1)What are we to do?"

And he said, "^(C1)Do not be afraid, for ^(C2)those who are with us are ^(F1)greater than those who are with them."

Then Elisha prayed and said, "^(C1)LORD, please, open his eyes so that he may see." And the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of ^(C2)horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, "Please strike this ^(F1)people with blindness." So He ^(C1)struck them with blindness in accordance with the word of Elisha.

Then Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, nor is this the city; follow me and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." And he brought them to Samaria.

When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, "^(C1)LORD, open the eyes of these men, so that they may see." So the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

Then the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, "^(C1)My father, shall I ^(F1)kill them? Shall I ^(F1)kill them?"

But he ^(F1)answered, "You shall not ^(F2)kill them. Would you ^(F2)(C1)kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? ^(C2)Set bread and water before them, so that they may eat and drink, and go to their master."

So he provided a large feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And ^(C1)the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel.

Now it came about after this, that ^(C1)Ben-hadad the king of Aram gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.

So there was a severe ^(C1)famine in Samaria; and behold, they kept besieging it until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a ^(F1)kab of dove's dung for five shekels of silver.

And as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, "Help, my lord the king!"

But he said, "^(F1)If the LORD does not help you, from where am I to help you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?"

Then the king said to her, "^(C1)What ^(F1)is on your mind?" And she said, "This woman said to me, 'Give your son so that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.'

"^(C1)So we cooked my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, 'Give your son, so that we may eat him'; but she has hidden her son."

When the king heard the woman's words, ^(C1)he tore his clothes—and he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth ^(F1)underneath on his ^(F2)body.

Then he said, "May ^(C1)God do so to me and more so, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat ^(F1)remains on him today."

Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and ^(C1)the elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man from his presence; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, "Do you ^(C2)see how this son of a murderer has sent a man to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and ^(F1)hold the door shut against him. Is the sound of his master's feet not behind him?"

While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him and he said, "^(C1)Behold, this evil is from the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"

Then Elisha said, "Listen to the word of the LORD; this is what the LORD says: '^(C1)About this time tomorrow a ^(F1)measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.'"

^(C1)The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning responded to the man of God and said, "^(C2)Even if the LORD were to make ^(F1)windows in heaven, could this thing happen?" Then he said, "Behold, you are going to see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat ^(F2)any of it."

Now there were four ^(C1)leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die?

"If we say, 'We will enter the city,' then the famine is in the city and we will die there; but if we sit here, we will also die. Now then come, and let's go over to ^(C1)the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, then we will die."

So they got up at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans; when they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans, behold, there was no one there.

For ^(C1)the Lord had made the army of the Arameans hear a sound of chariots, a sound of horses, that is, the sound of a great army; and they said to one another, "Behold, the king of Israel has hired ^(C2)the kings of the Hittites and ^(C3)the kings of the Egyptians against us, to ^(F1)attack us!"

So they ^(C1)got up and fled at twilight, and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—indeed the camp itself, just as it was; and they fled for their lives.

When these men with leprosy came to the outskirts of the camp, they entered one tent and ate and drank, and ^(C1)carried from there silver, gold, and clothes, and they went and hid them; then they returned and entered another tent, and carried valuables from there also, and went and hid them.

Then they said to one another, "We are not doing the right thing. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent about it; if we wait until the morning light, punishment will ^(F1)overtake us. Now then come, let's go and inform the king's household."

So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and told them, saying, "We came to the camp of the Arameans, and behold, there was no one there, nor a human voice; only the horses tied and the donkeys tied, and the tents just as they were."

And the gatekeepers called and announced it inside the king's house.

Then the king got up in the night and said to his servants, "I will now tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that ^(C1)we are hungry; so they have left the camp ^(C2)to hide themselves in the field, saying, 'When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and get into the city.'"

One of his servants responded and said, "Please, have some men take five of the horses that remain, which are left ^(F1)in the city. Behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it; behold, they will be like all the multitude of Israel who have already perished, so let us send them and see."

Therefore they took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them after the army of the Arameans, saying, "Go and see."

They went after them to the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away when they fled in a hurry. Then the messengers returned and informed the king.

So the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. Then a ^(F1)measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two ^(F1)measures of barley for a shekel, ^(C1)in accordance with the word of the LORD.

Now the king appointed ^(C1)the royal officer on whose hand he leaned ^(F1)to be in charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said, ^(C2)who spoke when the king came down to him.

So it happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, "^(C1)Two ^(F1)measures of barley for a shekel and a ^(F1)measure of fine flour for a shekel, will be sold about this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria."

At that time the royal officer had responded to the man of God and said, "Now even if ^(C1)the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could such a thing as this happen?" And he had said, "Behold, you are going to see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat ^(F1)any of it."

And this is what happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died.

Now ^(C1)Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, "Arise and go ^(F1)with your household, and live wherever you can live; for the ^(C2)LORD has called for a famine, and ^(C3)it will indeed come on the land for seven years."

So the woman arose and acted in accordance with the word of the man of God: she went with her household and resided in the land of the Philistines for seven years.

Then at the end of seven years, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went to ^(F1)appeal to the king for her house and for her field.

Now the king was speaking with ^(C1)Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, "Please report to me all the great things that Elisha has done."

And as he was reporting to the king ^(C1)how he had restored to life the one who was dead, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life ^(F1)appealed to the king for her house and for her field. And Gehazi said, "My lord the king, this is the woman and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life."

When the king asked the woman, she told everything to him. So the king appointed an officer for her, saying, "Restore all that was hers and all the produce of the field from the day that she left the land even until now."

Then Elisha came to ^(C1)Damascus. Now ^(C2)Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, was sick, and it was told to him, saying, "^(C3)The man of God has come here."

And the king said to ^(C1)Hazael, "^(C2)Take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and ^(C3)inquire of the LORD by him, saying, 'Will I recover from this sickness?'"

So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift in his hand, even every kind of good thing of Damascus, forty camels' loads; and he came and stood before him and said, "^(C1)Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, 'Will I recover from this sickness?'"

Then Elisha said to him, "^(C1)Go, say to him, 'You will certainly recover'; but the ^(C2)LORD has shown me that he will certainly die."

And he ^(F1)stared steadily at him ^(C1)until Hazael was embarrassed, and then ^(C2)the man of God wept.

And Hazael said, "Why is my lord weeping?" And he ^(F1)answered, "Because ^(C1)I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel: you will set their fortified cities on fire, you will kill their young men with the sword, their little ones you ^(C2)will smash to pieces, and you will rip up their pregnant women."

Then Hazael said, "But what is your servant—^(C1)a lowly dog—that he could do this great thing?" And Elisha ^(F1)answered, "^(C2)The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram."

So he left Elisha and came to his master, who said to him, "What did Elisha say to you?" And he ^(F1)answered, "He told me that ^(C1)you would certainly recover."

But on the following day, he took the ^(F1)cover and dipped it in water, and spread it over his face, ^(C1)so that he died. And Hazael became king in his place.

Now in the fifth year of ^(C1)Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king.

He was ^(C1)thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem.

He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for ^(C1)Ahab's daughter was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

However, the LORD did not want to destroy Judah, for the sake of David His servant, ^(C1)since He had ^(F1)promised him to give him a ^(F2)lamp through his sons always.

In his days ^(C1)Edom broke away from the ^(F1)rule of Judah, and appointed a king over themselves.

Then Joram crossed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him. And he got up at night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots; ^(C1)but ^(F1)his army fled to their tents.

^(C1)So Edom has broken away from ^(F1)Judah to this day. Then ^(C2)Libnah broke away at the same time.

Now the rest of the acts of Joram and everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

So Joram ^(F1)lay down with his fathers and ^(C1)was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and his son ^(C2)Ahaziah became king in his place.

^(C1)In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.

^(C1)Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel.

^(C1)He walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD, like the house of Ahab, because he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.

Then he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against ^(C1)Hazael king of Aram at ^(C2)Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans ^(F1)wounded Joram.

So ^(C1)King Joram returned to have himself healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Arameans had ^(F1)inflicted on him at ^(C2)Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then ^(C3)Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick.

Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of ^(C1)the sons of the prophets and said to him, "^(F1)(C2)Get ready and ^(C3)take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to ^(C4)Ramoth-gilead.

"When you arrive there, then look there for ^(C1)Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in and ^(C2)have him get up from among his brothers, and bring him to an inner room.

"Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head, and say, 'This is what the LORD says: "^(C1)I have anointed you king over Israel."' Then open the door and flee, and do not wait."

So ^(C1)the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead.

When he arrived, behold, the commanders of the army were sitting, and he said, "I have a word for you, commander." And Jehu said, "^(F1)For which one of us?" And he said, "For you, commander."

He then got up and went into the house, and the prophet's servant poured the oil on his head and said to him, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: '^(C1)I have anointed you king over the people of the LORD, over Israel.

'And you shall strike the house of Ahab your master, ^(C1)so that I may avenge ^(C2)the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, ^(C3)at the hand of Jezebel.

'For the entire house of Ahab shall perish, and ^(C1)I will eliminate from Ahab ^(C2)every male person ^(C3)both ^(F1)slave and free in Israel.

'^(C1)I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and ^(C2)like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah.

'^(C1)The dogs will eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and no one will bury her.'" Then he opened the door and fled.

Now Jehu went out to the servants of his master, and one said to him, "^(C1)Is everything well? Why did this ^(C2)crazy fellow come to you?" And he said to them, "You know very well the man and his talk."

And they said, "It is a lie; tell us now." And he said, "Such and such he said to me, saying, 'This is what the LORD says: "I have anointed you king over Israel."'"

Then ^(C1)they hurried, and each man took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and ^(C2)blew the trumpet, saying, "Jehu is king!"

So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. ^(C1)Now Joram ^(F1)with all Israel was ^(F2)defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram,

but ^(C1)King ^(F1)Joram had returned to Jezreel to have himself healed of the wounds which the Arameans had ^(F2)inflicted on him when he fought Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said to the other men, "If this is your ^(F3)intent, then let no ^(F4)one escape from the city to go tell about it in Jezreel."

Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, since Joram was lying there recovering. ^(C1)And Ahaziah the king of Judah had come down to see Joram.

Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and he saw the ^(F1)company of Jehu as he came, and he said, "I see a ^(F1)company." And ^(F2)Joram said, "Take a horseman and send him to meet them and have him ^(F3)ask, 'Is your intention peace?'"

So a horseman went to meet him and said, "This is what the king says: 'Is your intention peace?'" But Jehu said, "^(F1)(C1)How is peace any business of yours? Turn and follow me." And the watchman ^(F2)reported, "The messenger came to them, but he did not return."

Then he sent a second horseman, and he came to them and said, "This is what the king says: 'Is your intention peace?'" And Jehu ^(F1)answered, "^(F2)How is peace any business of yours? Turn and follow me."

And the watchman ^(F1)reported, "He came up to them, but he did not return; and ^(C1)the ^(F2)driving is like the driving of ^(C2)Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously."

Then ^(F1)Joram said, "^(F2)Get ready." And they ^(F3)made his chariot ready. ^(C1)Then ^(F1)Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu and found him on the ^(F4)(C2)property of Naboth the Jezreelite.

When ^(F1)Joram saw Jehu, he said, "Is your intention peace, Jehu?" And he ^(F2)answered, "What 'peace,' ^(C1)so long as your mother Jezebel's acts of prostitution and witchcraft are so many?"

So ^(F1)Joram ^(F2)turned back and fled, and he said to Ahaziah, "^(C1)There is treachery, Ahaziah!"

Then ^(C1)Jehu ^(F1)drew his bow with his full strength and ^(F2)shot ^(F3)Joram between his arms; and the arrow went ^(F4)through his heart, and he sank in his chariot.

And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, "Pick him up and ^(C1)throw him on the ^(F1)property of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember, when ^(F2)you and I were riding together after his father Ahab, that the ^(C2)LORD brought this ^(C3)pronouncement against him:

'^(C1)I have certainly seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,' declares the LORD, 'and ^(C2)I will repay you on this ^(F1)property,' declares the LORD. Now then, pick him up and throw him on the ^(F1)property, in accordance with the word of the LORD."

^(C1)When Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by way of the garden house. But Jehu pursued him and said, "^(F1)Shoot him too, in the chariot." So they shot him at the ascent of Gur, which is at ^(C2)Ibleam. But he fled to Megiddo and died there.

^(C1)Then his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his grave with his fathers in the city of David.

Now in ^(C1)the eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, Ahaziah became king over Judah.

When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it, and ^(C1)she put makeup on her eyes and adorned her head, and looked down through the window.

As Jehu entered the gate, she said, "^(C1)Is your intention peace, Zimri, his master's murderer?"

Then he raised his face toward the window and said, "Who is with me, who?" And two or three officials looked down at him.

Then he said, "Throw her down." So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her underfoot.

When he came in, he ate and drank; and he said, "See now to ^(C1)this cursed woman and bury her, for ^(C2)she is a king's daughter."

So they went to bury her, but they found nothing of her except the skull, the feet, and the palms of her hands.

Therefore they returned and informed him. And he said, "This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, '^(C1)On the ^(F1)property of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel;

and ^(C1)the corpse of Jezebel will be like dung on the face of the field in the ^(F1)property of Jezreel, so they cannot say, "This is Jezebel."'"