Study Desk

So Ahab called a meeting of the prophets. There were about 400 prophets at that time. Ahab asked the prophets, "Should I go and attack the Arameans at Ramoth Gilead or not?" The prophets answered Ahab, "Yes, because the Lord will let you defeat Ramoth Gilead."

So King Ahab told one of his officers to go and find Micaiah.

While this was happening, the officer went to find Micaiah. When he found him, the officer told him, "All the other prophets have said that the king will succeed, so you should say the same thing."

So Micaiah answered, "I can see the army of Israel scattered all over the hills, like sheep with no one to lead them. This is what the Lord says: ‘These men have no leaders. Let them go home in peace.'"

The Lord said, ‘Which of you will go fool Ahab into attacking the Arameans at Ramoth Gilead so that he will be killed?' The angels discussed many different plans.

The spirit answered, ‘I will go to Ahab's prophets and cause them to tell lies.' So the Lord said, ‘Yes, that will fool Ahab. Go out and do that.'

"So that is what has happened here. The Lord made your prophets lie to you. The Lord himself decided to bring this disaster to you."

When the commanders saw King Jehoshaphat, they thought he was the king of Israel, and so they went to kill him. Jehoshaphat started shouting.

At sunset all the Israelites cheered when they were told to go home. So they all went back to their hometowns.

But the Lord 's angel said to Elijah the Tishbite, "King Ahaziah has sent some messengers from Samaria. Go meet those men and ask them, ‘There is a God in Israel, so why are you men going to ask questions of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron?

When messengers came back to Ahaziah, he asked them, "Why did you come back so soon?"

The messengers said to Ahaziah, "A man came up to meet us and told us to go back to the king who sent us and tell him what the Lord says: ‘There is a God in Israel, so why did you send messengers to ask questions of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron? Since you did this, you will not get up from your bed. You will die!'"

Elijah answered the captain of 50, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your 50 men!" So fire came down from heaven and destroyed the captain and his 50 men.

The Lord 's angel said to Elijah, "Go with the captain. Don't be afraid of him." So Elijah went with the captain to see King Ahaziah.

Elijah told Ahaziah, "This is what the Lord says: ‘There is a God in Israel, so why did you send messengers to ask questions of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron? Since you did this, you will not get up from your bed. You will die!'"

Ahaziah died, just as the Lord said through Elijah. Ahaziah did not have a son, so Joram became the new king after Ahaziah. He began to rule during the second year that Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah.

Elijah said to Elisha, "Please stay here, because the Lord told me to go to Bethel." But Elisha said, "I promise, as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So the two men went down to Bethel.

Elijah said to Elisha, "Please stay here, because the Lord told me to go to Jericho." But Elisha said, "I promise, as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you!" So the two men went to Jericho.

Elijah said to Elisha, "Please stay here, because the Lord told me to go to the Jordan River." Elisha answered, "I promise, as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you!" So the two men went on.

Elijah's coat had fallen to the ground, so Elisha picked it up. He went back and stood at the edge of the Jordan River.