Study Desk

"I raised you up out of the dust and made you prince over my people Isra'el. But you have lived in the same way as Yarov‘am and caused my people Isra'el to sin, so that their sinning has made me angry.

Through the prophet Yehu the son of Hanani the word of Adonai was proclaimed against Ba‘sha and his house both because he did so much evil from Adonai 's perspective, angering him with his actions and becoming like the house of Yarov‘am, and because he killed [Nadav].

When Zimri saw that the city had been captured, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and burned down the royal palace over him, so that he died.

But the faction supporting ‘Omri won out over that of Tivni the son of Ginat; so Tivni died, and ‘Omri became king.

Eliyahu from Tishbe, an inhabitant of Gil‘ad, said to Ach'av, "As Adonai the God of Isra'el lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither rain nor dew in the years ahead unless I say so."

So he went and acted according to the word of Adonai — he went and lived in Vadi K'rit near the Yarden.

So he set out and went to Tzarfat. On reaching the gate of the city, he saw a widow there gathering sticks. He called out to her, "Please bring a little water in a container for me to drink."

She answered, "As Adonai your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a pot and a little oil in the jug. Here I am, gathering a couple sticks of wood, so that I can go and cook it for myself and my son. After we have eaten that, we will die."

Ach'av said to ‘Ovadyah, "Go throughout the land, and check all the springs and vadis; maybe we can find grass somewhere, so that we can keep the horses and mules alive and not lose all the animals."

So they divided between them the territory to be visited; Ach'av went one way by himself, and ‘Ovadyah went another way by himself.

But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of Adonai will carry you off to I don't know where; so that when I come and tell Ach'av, and he can't find you, he will kill me. But I your servant have revered Adonai from my youth —

So ‘Ovadyah went, found Ach'av and told him; and Ach'av went to meet Eliyahu.

So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and knives, as their custom was, until blood gushed out all over them.

Hear me, Adonai , hear me, so that this people may know that you, Adonai , are God, and that you are turning their hearts back to you."

So he left and found Elisha the son of Shafat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he himself was behind the twelfth. Eliyahu went over to him and threw his cloak on him.

So he said to Ben-Hadad's messengers, "Tell my lord the king, ‘I will do all that you asked of me the first time, but this I cannot do." The messengers left and brought word back to him.

It happened that Ben-Hadad received this message when he was drinking, he and his kings, in the field-barracks. He ordered his servants: "Take up your battle positions!" So they got ready to attack the city.

So the district governors' men left the city, followed by the army;

So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads, went to the king of Isra'el and said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.'" And he answered, "He's still alive? He is my brother."

Ben-Hadad said to him, "I will return the cities my father took from your father. Also you can set up markets for trade in Dammesek, as my father did in Shomron." "If you put this covenant in writing," said Ach'av, "I will set you free." So he made a covenant with him and set him free.