Historical
Elijah Prophesies to Ahaziah
1 After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel.
2 Now Ahaziah fell down from the balcony of his upper chamber in Samaria and was injured. So he sent messengers and instructed them, “Go inquire of Baal-Zebub[a] the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.”
3 But an angel of Adonai said 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 Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron?’ 4 Therefore thus says Adonai: ‘You will not leave the bed you are lying on, for you will surely die.’” And Elijah departed.
5 When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned?”
6 They answered 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 Adonai, “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on, for you will surely die.”’”
7 Then he said to them, “What kind of man was he that came up to meet you and told you these words?”
8 They answered him, “He was a hairy man with a leather belt around his waist.”
“It’s Elijah the Tishbite,” he said.
9 So the king sent a captain of 50 with his 50 to Elijah. When the captain went up to him, behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. So he announced to him, “O man of God, by order of the king, come down!”
10 In response, Elijah said to the captain of 50, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50!” Then fire did come down from heaven and consumed him and his 50.
11 So the king again sent to him another captain of 50 with his 50 men, who addressed him and said, “O man of God, by order of the king, come down quickly!”
12 In response, Elijah said to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50.
13 So the king again sent the captain of a third 50 with his 50. But when the third captain of 50 went up and came near, he knelt before Elijah, and begged him saying, “O man of God, please, let my life and the lives of these 50 servants of yours be precious in your eyes! 14 Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two previous captains of 50 with their 50; but now let my life be precious in your eyes!”
15 Then the angel of Adonai said 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 Elijah said to the king, “Thus says Adonai: 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 will not leave the bed you are lying on, for you will surely die.” 17 So he died just as was the word of Adonai that Elijah had spoken.
Then Jehoram became king in his place, because Ahaziah had no son. It was in the second year of Jehoram son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. 18 Now the rest of the deeds of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
Elijah in a Chariot of Fire
2 Now it came to pass, when Adonai was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here please, for Adonai has sent me on to Bethel.”
But Elisha said, “As Adonai lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3 Then the sons of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Adonai is going to take your master away from over you today?”
He said, “Yes, I know. Be silent.”
4 Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here please, for Adonai has sent me on to Jericho.”
But he said, “As Adonai lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.
5 Then the sons of the prophets at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Adonai is going to take away your master from over you today?”
He replied, “Yes, I know. Be silent.”
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here please, for Adonai has sent me to the Jordan.”
But he said, “As Adonai lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So both of them went on.
7 Then 50 of the sons of the prophets went and stood aside at a distance from them, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Elijah then took his mantle, wrapped it together, and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that they two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 Now as they were crossing over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I will do for you before I am taken from you.”
So Elisha said, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
10 He replied, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be so to you; but if not, it will not be so.”
11 As they were walking along and talking, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 As Elisha was watching, he was crying out, “Avi! Avi! The chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” Then he saw him no more. So he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
Elisha Takes Up the Mantle
13 He then picked up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him. When he returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan, 14 he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen off him, struck the waters and said, “Where is Adonai, the God of Elijah?” As he indeed struck the waters, they parted here then there. Then Elisha crossed over.
15 When the sons of the prophets at Jericho saw him some way off, they said, “The spirit of Elijah has rested on Elisha.” So they came to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him. 16 Then they said to him, “Behold now, there are 50 strong men with your servants. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Ruach Adonai has taken him up and cast him onto some mountain or into some valley.”
But he said, “Don’t send them.” 17 But when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” So they sent 50 men. Though they searched for three days, they did not find him. 18 When they came back to him while he staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Look now, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad and the land barren.”
20 He responded, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the spring of water, threw salt in it and said, “Thus says Adonai, I have healed this water. No longer will there be from there death or barrenness.” 22 So the waters were healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.
23 From there he went up to Bethel. As he was going up along the road, some young boys came out of the city. They mocked him saying to him, “Go on up, baldy! Go on up, baldy!” 24 So he turned around and looked at them and cursed them in the Name of Adonai. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the boys.
25 From there he went to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
3 Now Jehoram, Ahab’s son, became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. 2 He did what was evil in Adonai’s eyes, though not like his father and his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. 3 Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, not turning away from them.
Moab Revolts Against Israel
4 Now King Mesha of Moab was a sheep-breeder, and he used to render as tribute to the king of Israel the wool of 100,000 lambs and 100,000 rams. 5 But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 So King Jehoram marched out from Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. 7 Then he sent word to King Jehoshaphat of Judah saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you march with me against Moab to battle?”
Jehoshaphat replied, “I will march. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 8 And he added, “By which route will we go up?”
He answered, “The route of the wilderness of Edom.”
9 So the king of Israel, the king of Judah and the king of Edom marched. They kept circling roundabout for seven days, but there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them. 10 “Ah!” the king of Israel cried, “Adonai has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab!”
Elisha Foretells Moab’s Defeat
11 But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there a prophet of Adonai here, that we may inquire of Adonai by him?”
One of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, “Elisha son of Shaphat, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah, is here.”
12 Jehoshaphat replied, “The word of Adonai is with him.” So the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. 13 But 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!”
“No!” the king of Israel said to him, “For has Adonai brought these three kings together only to deliver them into the hand of Moab?”
14 Elisha said, “As Adonai-Tzva’ot lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I respect the presence of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, I would not look at you or even see you. 15 Now, bring me a musician.”
Now as the musician played, the hand of Adonai came upon him, 16 and he said, “Thus says Adonai: Make this valley full of trenches. 17 For thus says Adonai: You will not see wind nor will you see rain, yet this valley will be filled with water. So you will drink, both you and your cattle and your animals. 18 Yet this is an easy thing in Adonai’s eyes—for He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. 19 Then you must strike every fortified city and every major town, cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs of water and ruin every good field with stones.”
20 Then it came to pass in the morning, about the time of offering up the sacrifice, behold—water was flowing from the direction of Edom—so that the water covered the land.
21 Meanwhile the Moabites heard that the kings had marched to fight against them. So they gathered themselves together, all that were able to put on armor and older, and stood at the border. 22 When they rose up early in the morning and the sun was shining upon the water, the Moabites saw the water from a distance as red as blood! 23 So they said, “This is blood! The kings have surely clashed swords and slain each other. Now, to the spoil, Moab!”
24 But when they came near Israel’s camp, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, who fled before them. Then they invaded, slaughtering the Moabites. 25 They destroyed the cities. Also each man threw his stone onto every good field and covered it. They stopped up all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees—until nothing was left except Kir-hareseth with the stones of its wall. However, the slingers encircled it and struck it down.
26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him 700 swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. 27 Then he took his firstborn son who should have become king in his place and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And there was great wrath against Israel that they withdrew from him and returned to their own land.
Miracle of Multiplying Oil
4 Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha saying, “Your servant my husband is dead—you know that your servant feared Adonai. Now the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.”
2 “What should I do for you?” Elisha asked her. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
She replied, “Your handmaid has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.”
3 Then he said, “Go borrow for yourself vessels from all your neighbors—empty jars—not just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and behind your sons, and pour into all those vessels, setting aside what is full.”
5 So she left him and shut the door behind her and behind her sons. They kept bringing the vessels to her and she kept pouring. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.”
But he said to her, “There isn’t another vessel.” So the oil stopped.
7 Then she came and told the man of God. So he said, “Go sell the oil and pay your debt, then you and your sons can live on the rest.”
Shunammite Hospitality
8 One day when Elisha passed through Shunem, where there was a prominent woman who persuaded him to eat some food. And so it was, whenever he passed through, he would stop for a meal. 9 Then she said to her husband, “Behold now, I realize that this man who often passes through is a holy man of God. 10 Please, let’s make a little walled room on the roof, and let’s put there a bed, a table, a chair, and a lampstand for him. Then whenever he comes to us, he can stay there.”
11 One day he came there, and retired to the upper chamber and lay down there. 12 Then he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite woman.” When he had called her, she stood before him. 13 He said to him, “Tell her: Behold, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What can be done for you? Can something be communicated to the king or to the commander of the army for you?”
She answered, “I am living among my own people.”
14 So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?”
Then Gehazi answered, “In fact, she has no son, and her husband is old.”
15 “Call her,” he said. And when he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16 Then he said, “At this season next year, you will be embracing a son.”
But she said, “No, my lord, do not lie to your handmaid, man of God.”
17 Nevertheless, the woman conceived and bore a son during that season the following year, just as Elisha had told her.
18 Now when the child was grown, one day he went out to his father among the reapers. 19 Then he said to his father, “My head, my head!” So he said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 So he picked him up and brought him to his mother. The child sat on her lap until noon, and then died. 21 She then went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door on 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 come back.”
23 But he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither New Moon nor Shabbat.”
But she said, “It will be well.”
24 Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Move on! Don’t slow down riding unless I tell you.”
25 So she set out and came near the man of God at Mount Carmel. Upon seeing her from a distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite. 26 Please, run now to meet her and ask her: ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the boy?’”
She answered, “It is well.” 27 But when she arrived at the mountain, up to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet.
Then Gehazi stepped forward to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is bitter within her, yet Adonai has hid it from me and has not told me.”
28 “Did I ask my lord for a son?” she said. “Didn’t I say, ‘Don’t deceive me’?”
29 Then he said to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, don’t greet him. Or if anyone greets you, don’t answer him; and lay my staff on the face of the child.”
30 But the mother of the child said, “As Adonai lives and as you live, I won’t leave you.” So he arose and followed her. 31 Gehazi passed on ahead of them and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or response. So he returned to meet him and told him, saying, “The boy has not awakened.”
32 When Elisha entered the house, there was the child, dead and laying on his bed. 33 So he entered and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to Adonai. 34 Then he got 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 upon him. So the flesh of the child became warm. 35 Then he stepped down and walked in the house to and fro, and then he got up on the bed and stretched himself on him. The child sneezed seven times, then the child opened his eyes. 36 He then called Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.”
So he called her. When she came in to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” 37 She came, fell at his feet and bowed down to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.
Elisha Purifies Deadly Stew
38 Afterward Elisha returned to Gilgal. Now there was 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 of them went out into the field to gather herbs, found a wild vine and picked from it a lapful of wild gourds. Then he came back and sliced them into the stew pot, for they didn’t know what they were. 40 Then they served it for the men to eat. But it came to pass as they were still eating the stew, they cried out and said, “O man of God, there is death in the pot.” So they could not eat it.
41 But he said, “Bring some flour,” and he threw it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people and let them eat.” So there was nothing bad in the pot.
42 Now a man came from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits—20 loaves of barley bread and fresh ears of corn in his sack. Then he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat.”
43 But his attendant said, “What? Will I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat, for thus says Adonai, ‘They will eat and will have left over.’” 44 So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of Adonai.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.