New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Ahaziah’s Messengers Meet Elijah

1 Now Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.

2 And Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber whichwasin 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 sickness.”

3 But the angel of the Lordsaid 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 no God in Israelthatyou are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’

4 Now therefore thus says the Lord, ‘You shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'” Then Elijah departed.

5 When the messengers returned to him he said to them, “Why have you returned?”

6 They said to him, “A man came up to meet us and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you and say to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israelthatyou are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.'”‘”

7 He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?”

8 They answered him, “He wasa hairy man with a leather girdle bound about his loins.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

9 Thenthe kingsent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.'”

10 Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

11 So he again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he said to him, “O man of God, thus says the king, ‘Come down quickly.'”

12 Elijah replied to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

13 So he again sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. When the third captain of fifty went up, he came and bowed down on his knees before Elijah, and begged him and said to him, “O man of God, please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight.

14 Behold fire came down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty with their fifties; but now let my life be precious in your sight.”

15 The angel of the Lordsaid 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, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron-is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word?-therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.'”

Jehoram Reigns over Israel

17 So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lordwhich Elijah had spoken. And because he had no son, Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.

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?

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/2KI/1-a4caf7020065db085c393038bd081c16.mp3?version_id=100—

Elijah Taken to Heaven

1 And it came about when the Lordwas about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here please, for the Lordhas sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lordlives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

3 Then the sons of the prophets whowere atBethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lordwill take away your master from over you today?” And he said, “Yes, I know; be still.”

4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lordhas sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lordlives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.

5 The sons of the prophets whowereat Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lordwill take away your master from over you today?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be still.”

6 Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the Lordhas sent me to the Jordan.” And he said, “As the Lordlives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.

7 Now fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood oppositethemat a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan.

8 Elijah took his mantle and folded it together and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

9 When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”

10 He said, “You have asked a hard thing.Nevertheless,if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not beso.”

11 As they were going along and talking, behold,there appeareda chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven.

12 Elisha sawitand cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan.

14 He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over.

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

15 Now when the sons of the prophets whowereat Jericho oppositehimsaw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

16 They said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men, please let them go and search for your master; perhaps the Spirit of the Lordhas taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.”

17 But when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men; and they searched three days but did not find him.

18 They returned to him while he was staying at Jericho; and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”

19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold now, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.”

20 He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” So they broughtitto him.

21 He went out to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘I have purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer.'”

22 So the waters have been purified to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

23 Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city and mocked him and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!”

24 When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number.

25 He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/2KI/2-aac61c655c17ac43a5d89e2d2aacfe03.mp3?version_id=100—

Jehoram Meets Moab Rebellion

1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.

2 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, though not like his father and his mother; for he put away thesacredpillar of Baal which his father had made.

3 Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.

4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and used to pay the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams.

5 But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

6 And King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel.

7 Then he went and sentwordto Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” And he said, “I will go up; I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

8 He said, “Which way shall we go up?” And he answered, “The way of the wilderness of Edom.”

9 So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days’ journey, and there was no water for the army or for the cattle that followed them.

10 Then the king of Israel said, “Alas! For the Lordhas called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.”

11 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not a prophet of the Lordhere, that we may inquire of the Lordby him?” And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”

12 Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lordis with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

13 Now Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do I have to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” And the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the Lordhas called these three kingstogetherto give them into the hand of Moab.”

14 Elisha said, “As the Lordof hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you.

15 But now bring me a minstrel.” And it came about, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lordcame upon him.

16 He said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’

17 For thus says the Lord, ‘You shall not see wind nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, both you and your cattle and your beasts.

18 This is but a slight thing in the sight of the Lord; He will also give the Moabites into your hand.

19 Then you shall strike every fortified city and every choice city, and fell every good tree and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.'”

20 It happened in the morning about the time of offering the sacrifice, that behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

21 Now all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. And all who were able to put on armor and older were summoned and stood on the border.

22 They rose early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water oppositethemas red as blood.

23 Then they said, “This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and they have slain one another. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!”

24 But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites arose and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land, slaughtering the Moabites.

25 Thus they destroyed the cities; and each one threw a stone on every piece of good land and filled it. So they stopped all the springs of water and felled all the good trees, until in Kir-haresethonlythey left its stones; however, the slingers went aboutitand struck it.

26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him 700 men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not.

27 Then he took his oldest son who was to reign in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And there came great wrath against Israel, and they departed from him and returned to their own land.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/2KI/3-04380a43ff34b0ee40c35e622af257f4.mp3?version_id=100—

The Widow’s Oil

1 Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.”

2 Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.”

3 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors,evenempty vessels; do not get a few.

4 And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full.”

5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringingthe vesselsto her and she poured.

6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not one vessel more.” And the oil stopped.

7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and youandyour sons can live on the rest.”

The Shunammite Woman

8 Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she persuaded him to eat food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat food.

9 She said to her husband, “Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God passing by us continually.

10 Please, let us make a little walled upper chamber and let us set a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; and it shall be, when he comes to us,thathe can turn in there.”

11 One day he came there and turned in to the upper chamber and rested.

12 Then he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” And when he had called her, she stood before him.

13 He said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Behold, you have been careful for us with all this care; what can I do for you? Would you be spoken for to the king or to the captain of the army?'” And she answered, “I live among my own people.”

14 So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Truly she has no son and her husband is old.”

15 He said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway.

16 Then he said, “At this season next year you will embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant.”

17 The woman conceived and bore a son at that season the next year, as Elisha had said to her.

The Shunammite’s Son

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

19 He said to his father, “My head, my head.” And he said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.”

20 When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her lap until noon, andthendied.

21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shutthe doorbehind him and went out.

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

23 He said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath.” And she said, “It will bewell.”

24 Then she saddled a donkey and said to her servant, “Drive and go forward; do not slow down the pace for me unless I tell you.”

25 So she went and came to the man of God to Mount Carmel.

When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Behold, there is the Shunammite.

26 Please run now to meet her and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?'” And she answered, “It is well.”

27 When she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away; but the man of God said, “Let her alone, for her soul is troubled within her; and the Lordhas hidden it from me and has not told me.”

28 Then she said, “Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me’?”

29 Then he said to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand, and go your way; if you meet any man, do not salute him, and if anyone salutes you, do not answer him; and lay my staff on the lad’s face.”

30 The mother of the lad said, “As the Lordlives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” And he arose and followed her.

31 Then Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the lad’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he returned to meet him and told him, “The lad has not awakened.”

32 When Elisha came into the house, behold the lad was dead and laid on his bed.

33 So he entered and shut the door behind them both and prayed to the Lord.

34 And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, and he stretched himself on him; and the flesh of the child became warm.

35 Then he returned and walked in the house once back and forth, and went up and stretched himself on him; and the lad sneezed seven times and the lad opened his eyes.

36 He called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, “Take up your son.”

37 Then she went in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground, and she took up her son and went out.

The Poisonous Stew

38 When Elisha returned to Gilgal,there wasa famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”

39 Then one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, for they did not knowwhat they were.

40 So they poureditout for the men to eat. And as they were eating of the stew, they cried out and said, “O man of God, there is death in the pot.” And they were unable to eat.

41 But he said, “Now bring meal.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pouritout for the people that they may eat.” Then there was no harm in the pot.

42 Now a man came from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And he said, “Givethemto the people that they may eat.”

43 His attendant said, “What, will I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Givethemto the people that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and havesomeleft over.'”

44 So he setitbefore them, and they ate and hadsomeleft over, according to the word of the Lord.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/2KI/4-ec013c35d363e86e7b8d8821792d57a4.mp3?version_id=100—

Naaman Is Healed

1 Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and highly respected, because by him the Lordhad given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior,but he wasa leper.

2 Now the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on Naaman’s wife.

3 She said to her mistress, “I wish that my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.”

4 Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus spoke the girl who is from the land of Israel.”

5 Then the king of Aram said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” He departed and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousandshekelsof gold and ten changes of clothes.

6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “And now as this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man is sendingwordto me to cure a man of his leprosy? But consider now, and see how he is seeking a quarrel against me.”

8 It happened when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sentwordto the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Now let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

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

10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you andyou willbe clean.”

11 But Naaman was furious and went away and said, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lordhis God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.’

12 Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

13 Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “My father, had the prophet told youto do somegreat thing, would you not have doneit?How much morethen,when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”

14 So he went down and dippedhimselfseven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean.

Gehazi’s Greed

15 When he returned to the man of God with all his company, and came and stood before him, he said, “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so please take a present from your servant now.”

16 But he said, “As the Lordlives, before whom I stand, I will take nothing.” And he urged him to takeit,but he refused.

17 Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant at least be given two mules’ load of earth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord.

18 In this matter may the Lordpardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lordpardon your servant in this matter.”

19 He said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him some distance.

20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, thought, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, by not receiving from his hands what he brought. As the Lordlives, I will run after him and take something from him.”

21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?”

22 He said, “All 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 the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothes.'”

23 Naaman said, “Be pleased to take two talents.” And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes and gave them to two of his servants; and they carriedthembefore him.

24 When he came to the hill, he took them from their hand and deposited them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed.

25 But he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.”

26 Then he said to him, “Did not my heart gowith you,when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money and to receive clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and male and female servants?

27 Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence a leperas whiteas snow.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/2KI/5-8ba91288ae098c61fbb77872d626a9b4.mp3?version_id=100—

The Axe Head Recovered

1 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Behold now, the place before you where we are living is too limited for us.

2 Please let us go to the Jordan and each of us take from there a beam, and let us make a place there for ourselves where we may live.” So he said, “Go.”

3 Then one said, “Please be willing to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I shall go.”

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

5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.”

6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threwitin there, and made the iron float.

7 He said, “Take it up for yourself.” So he put out his hand and took it.

The Arameans Plot to Capture Elisha

8 Now the king of Aram was warring against Israel; and he counseled with his servants saying, “In such and such a place shall be my camp.”

9 The man of God sentwordto the king of Israel saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Arameans are coming down there.”

10 The king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God had told him; thus he warned him, so that he guarded himself there, more than once or twice.

11 Now the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?”

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

13 So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and take him.” And it was told him, saying, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”

14 He sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

15 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, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”

16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lordopened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

18 When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lordand said, “Strike this people with blindness, I pray.” So He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

19 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.

20 When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of thesemen,that they may see.” So the Lordopened their eyes and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

21 Then the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”

22 He answered, “You shall not killthem.Would you kill those you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.”

23 So he prepared a great feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel.

The Siege of Samaria-Cannibalism

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

25 There was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eightyshekelsof silver, and a fourth of akab of dove’s dung for fiveshekelsof silver.

26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!”

27 He said, “If the Lorddoes not help you, from where shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?”

28 And the king said to her, “What is the matter with you?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’

29 So we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.”

30 When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes-now he was passing by on the wall-and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body.

31 Then he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today.”

32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Andthe kingsent a man from his presence; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door shut against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”

33 While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him and he said, “Behold, this evil is from the Lord; why should I wait for the Lordany longer?”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/2KI/6-8327a09018550d3694c5ad475446cda8.mp3?version_id=100—

Elisha Promises Food

1 Then Elisha said, “Listen to the word of the Lord; thus says the Lord, ‘Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will besoldfor a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.'”

2 The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God and said, “Behold, if the Lordshould make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” Then he said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it.”

Four Lepers Relate Arameans’ Flight

3 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why do we sit here until we die?

4 If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, we will but die.”

5 They arose 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.

6 For the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots and a sound of horses,eventhe sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.”

7 Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their donkeys,eventhe camp just as it was, and fled for their life.

8 When these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they entered one tent and ate and drank, and carried from there silver and gold and clothes, and went and hidthem;and they returned and entered another tent and carried from therealso,and went and hidthem.

9 Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king’s household.”

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

11 The gatekeepers called and tolditwithin the king’s household.

12 Then the king arose in the night and said to his servants, “I will now tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone from the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and get into the city.'”

13 One of his servants said, “Please, let somementake five of the horses which remain, which are left in the city. Behold, theywill be in any caselike all the multitude of Israel who are left in it; behold, theywill be in any caselike all the multitude of Israel who have already perished, so let us send and see.”

14 They took therefore two chariots with horses, and the king sent after the army of the Arameans, saying, “Go and see.”

The Promise Fulfilled

15 They went after them to the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away in their haste. Then the messengers returned and told the king.

16 So the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. Then a measure of fine flourwas soldfor a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord.

17 Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.

18 It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two measures of barley for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, will besoldtomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria.”

19 Then the royal officer answered the man of God and said, “Now behold, if the Lordshould make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it.”

20 And so it happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/2KI/7-a19eb4c762826a3ead0830e0261cce38.mp3?version_id=100—

Jehoram Restores the Shunammite’s Land

1 Now Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go with your household, and sojourn wherever you can sojourn; for the Lordhas called for a famine, and it will even come on the land for seven years.”

2 So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God, and she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.

3 At the end of seven years, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went out to appeal to the king for her house and for her field.

4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please relate to me all the great things that Elisha has done.”

5 As he was relating to the king how he had restored to life the one who was dead, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and for her field. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.”

6 When the king asked the woman, she relateditto him. So the king appointed for her a certain officer, saying, “Restore all that was hers and all the produce of the field from the day that she left the land even until now.”

Elisha Predicts Evil from Hazael

7 Then Elisha came to Damascus. Now Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and it was told him, saying, “The man of God has come here.”

8 The king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lordby him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?'”

9 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, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?'”

10 Then Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You will surely recover,’ but the Lordhas shown me that he will certainly die.”

11 He fixed his gaze steadilyon himuntil he was ashamed, and the man of God wept.

12 Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” Then he answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel: their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword, and their little ones you will dash in pieces, and their women with child you will rip up.”

13 Then Hazael said, “But what is your servant,who is buta dog, that he should do this great thing?” And Elisha answered, “The Lordhas shown me that you will be king over Aram.”

14 So he departed from Elisha and returned to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he answered, “He told me that you would surely recover.”

15 On the following day, he took the cover and dipped it in water and spread it on his face, so that he died. And Hazael became king in his place.

Another Jehoram Reigns in Judah

16 Now in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then the king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king.

17 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

18 He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab became his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.

19 However, the Lordwas not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David His servant, since He had promised him to give a lamp to him through his sons always.

20 In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.

21 Then Joram crossed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him. And he arose by night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots; buthisarmy fled to their tents.

22 So Edom revolted against Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.

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

Ahaziah Succeeds Jehoram in Judah

24 So Joram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Ahaziah his son became king in his place.

25 In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.

26 Ahaziahwastwenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s namewasAthaliah the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel.

27 He walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahabhad done,because he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.

28 Then he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram.

29 So King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/2KI/8-83ecaef633a011846b11db811a45b02a.mp3?version_id=100—