2Kings 1-3; Psalms 101 - Prayer Tents

18The rest of the events in Ahaziah's reign are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.H3499H1697H274H6213H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H3478

Elijah Taken into Heaven

2When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal.H3068H5927H452H8064H5591H452H3212H477H1537 2And Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, for the LORD has told me to go to Bethel." But Elisha replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you!" So they went down together to Bethel.H452H559H477H3427H3068H7971H1008H477H559H3068H2416H5315H2416H5800H3381H1008 3The group of prophets from Bethel came to Elisha and asked him, "Did you know that the LORD is going to take your master away from you today?" "Of course I know," Elisha answered. "But be quiet about it."H1121H5030H1008H3318H477H559H3045H3068H3947H113H7218H3117H559H3045H2814 4Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, for the LORD has told me to go to Jericho." But Elisha replied again, "As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you." So they went on together to Jericho.H452H559H477H3427H3068H7971H3405H559H3068H2416H5315H2416H5800H935H3405 5Then the group of prophets from Jericho came to Elisha and asked him, "Did you know that the LORD is going to take your master away from you today?" "Of course I know," Elisha answered. "But be quiet about it."H1121H5030H3405H5066H477H559H3045H3068H3947H113H7218H3117H559H3045H2814 6Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, for the LORD has told me to go to the Jordan River." But again Elisha replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you." So they went on together.H452H559H3427H3068H7971H3383H559H3068H2416H5315H2416H5800H8147H3212 7Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River.H2572H376H1121H5030H1980H5975H5048H7350H8147H5975H3383 8Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground!H452H3947H155H1563H5221H4325H2673H8147H5674H2724 9When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away." And Elisha replied, "Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor."H5674H452H559H477H7592H6213H3947H477H559H8147H6310H7307 10"You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah replied. "If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won't."H559H7592H7185H7200H3947 11As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.H1980H1980H1696H7393H784H5483H784H6504H8147H996H452H5927H5591H8064 12Elisha saw it and cried out, "My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!" And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.H477H7200H6817H1H1H7393H3478H6571H7200H2388H899H7167H8147H7168 13Elisha picked up Elijah's cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River.H7311H155H452H5307H7725H5975H8193H3383 14He struck the water with Elijah's cloak and cried out, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" Then the river divided, and Elisha went across.H3947H155H452H5307H5221H4325H559H3068H430H452H5221H4325H2673H477H5674 15When the group of prophets from Jericho saw from a distance what happened, they exclaimed, "Elijah's spirit rests upon Elisha!" And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.H1121H5030H3405H7200H559H7307H452H5117H477H935H7125H7812H776 16"Sir," they said, "just say the word and fifty of our strongest men will search the wilderness for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has left him on some mountain or in some valley." "No," Elisha said, "don't send them."H559H3426H5650H2572H2428H1121H582H3212H1245H113H7307H3068H5375H7993H259H2022H259H1516H559H7971 17But they kept urging him until they shamed him into agreeing, and he finally said, "All right, send them." So fifty men searched for three days but did not find Elijah.H6484H954H559H7971H7971H2572H376H1245H7969H3117H4672 18Elisha was still at Jericho when they returned. "Didn't I tell you not to go?" he asked.H7725H3427H3405H559H559H3212

Elisha’s First Miracles

19One day the leaders of the town of Jericho visited Elisha. "We have a problem, my lord," they told him. "This town is located in pleasant surroundings, as you can see. But the water is bad, and the land is unproductive."H582H5892H559H477H4186H5892H2896H113H7200H4325H7451H776H7921 20Elisha said, "Bring me a new bowl with salt in it." So they brought it to him.H559H3947H2319H6746H7760H4417H3947 21Then he went out to the spring that supplied the town with water and threw the salt into it. And he said, "This is what the LORD says: I have purified this water. It will no longer cause death or infertility."H3318H4161H4325H7993H4417H559H559H3068H7495H4325H4194H7921 22And the water has remained pure ever since, just as Elisha said.H4325H7495H3117H1697H477H1696 23Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a group of boys from the town began mocking and making fun of him. "Go away, baldy!" they chanted. "Go away, baldy!"H5927H1008H5927H1870H3318H6996H5288H5892H7046H559H5927H7142H5927H7142 24Elisha turned around and looked at them, and he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them.H6437H310H7200H7043H8034H3068H3318H8147H1677H3293H1234H705H8147H3206 25From there Elisha went to Mount Carmel and finally returned to Samaria.H3212H2022H3760H7725H8111

War between Israel and Moab

3Ahab's son Joram began to rule over Israel in the eighteenth year of King Jehoshaphat's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria twelve years.H3088H1121H256H4427H3478H8111H8083H6240H8141H3092H4428H3063H4427H8147H6240H8141 2He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, but not to the same extent as his father and mother. He at least tore down the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had set up.H6213H7451H5869H3068H1H517H5493H4676H1168H1H6213 3Nevertheless, he continued in the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had committed and led the people of Israel to commit.H1692H2403H3379H1121H5028H3478H2398H5493 4King Mesha of Moab was a sheep breeder. He used to pay the king of Israel an annual tribute of 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams.H4338H4428H4124H5349H7725H4428H3478H3967H505H3733H3967H505H352H6785 5But after Ahab's death, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.H256H4194H4428H4124H6586H4428H3478 6So King Joram promptly mustered the army of Israel and marched from Samaria.H4428H3088H3318H8111H3117H6485H3478 7On the way, he sent this message to King Jehoshaphat of Judah: "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you join me in battle against him?" And Jehoshaphat replied, "Why, of course! You and I are as one. My troops are your troops, and my horses are your horses."H3212H7971H3092H4428H3063H559H4428H4124H6586H3212H4124H4421H559H5927H5971H5971H5483H5483 8Then Jehoshaphat asked, "What route will we take?" "We will attack from the wilderness of Edom," Joram replied.H559H1870H5927H559H1870H4057H123 9The king of Edom and his troops joined them, and all three armies traveled along a roundabout route through the wilderness for seven days. But there was no water for the men or their animals.H4428H3478H3212H4428H3063H4428H123H5437H7651H3117H1870H4325H4264H929H7272 10"What should we do?" the king of Israel cried out. "The LORD has brought the three of us here to let the king of Moab defeat us."H4428H3478H559H162H3068H7121H7969H4428H7121H5414H3027H4124 11But King Jehoshaphat of Judah asked, "Is there no prophet of the LORD with us? If there is, we can ask the LORD what to do through him." One of King Joram's officers replied, "Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to be Elijah's personal assistant."H3092H559H5030H3068H1875H3068H259H4428H3478H5650H6030H559H477H1121H8202H3332H4325H3027H452 12Jehoshaphat said, "Yes, the LORD speaks through him." So the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom went to consult with Elisha.H3092H559H1697H3068H3426H4428H3478H3092H4428H123H3381 13"Why are you coming to me?" Elisha asked the king of Israel. "Go to the pagan prophets of your father and mother!" But King Joram of Israel said, "No! For it was the LORD who called us three kings here—only to be defeated by the king of Moab!"H477H559H4428H3478H3212H5030H1H5030H517H4428H3478H559H3068H7121H7969H4428H7121H5414H3027H4124 14Elisha replied, "As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, I wouldn't even bother with you except for my respect for King Jehoshaphat of Judah.H477H559H3068H6635H2416H6440H5975H3884H5375H6440H3092H4428H3063H5027H7200 15Now bring me someone who can play the harp." While the harp was being played, the power of the LORD came upon Elisha,H3947H5059H5059H5059H3027H3068 16and he said, "This is what the LORD says: This dry valley will be filled with pools of water!H559H559H3068H6213H5158H1356 17You will see neither wind nor rain, says the LORD, but this valley will be filled with water. You will have plenty for yourselves and your cattle and other animals.H559H3068H7200H7307H7200H1653H5158H4390H4325H8354H4735H929 18But this is only a simple thing for the LORD, for he will make you victorious over the army of Moab!H7043H5869H3068H5414H4124H3027 19You will conquer the best of their towns, even the fortified ones. You will cut down all their good trees, stop up all their springs, and ruin all their good land with stones."H5221H4013H5892H4004H5892H5307H2896H6086H5640H4599H4325H3510H2896H2513H68 20The next day at about the time when the morning sacrifice was offered, water suddenly appeared! It was flowing from the direction of Edom, and soon there was water everywhere.H1242H4503H5927H935H4325H1870H123H776H4390H4325 21Meanwhile, when the people of Moab heard about the three armies marching against them, they mobilized every man who was old enough to strap on a sword, and they stationed themselves along their border.H4124H8085H4428H5927H3898H6817H2296H2290H4605H5975H1366 22But when they got up the next morning, the sun was shining across the water, making it appear red to the Moabites—like blood.H7925H1242H8121H2224H4325H4124H7200H4325H5048H122H1818 23"It's blood!" the Moabites exclaimed. "The three armies must have attacked and killed each other! Let's go, men of Moab, and collect the plunder!"H559H1818H4428H2717H2717H5221H376H7453H4124H7998 24But when the Moabites arrived at the Israelite camp, the army of Israel rushed out and attacked them until they turned and ran. The army of Israel chased them into the land of Moab, destroying everything as they went.H935H4264H3478H3478H6965H5221H4124H5127H6440H5221H5221H4124 25They destroyed the towns, covered their good land with stones, stopped up all the springs, and cut down all the good trees. Finally, only Kir-hareseth and its stone walls were left, but men with slings surrounded and attacked it.H2040H5892H2896H2513H7993H376H68H4390H5640H4599H4325H5307H2896H6086H7025H7604H68H7051H5437H5221 26When the king of Moab saw that he was losing the battle, he led 700 of his swordsmen in a desperate attempt to break through the enemy lines near the king of Edom, but they failed.H4428H4124H7200H4421H2388H3947H7651H3967H376H8025H2719H1234H4428H123H3201 27Then the king of Moab took his oldest son, who would have been the next king, and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the wall. So there was great anger against Israel, and the Israelites withdrew and returned to their own land.H3947H1060H1121H4427H5927H5930H2346H1419H7110H3478H5265H7725H776

101[A psalm of David.] I will sing of your love and justice, Lord. I will praise you with songs.H4210H1732H7891H2617H4941H3068H2167 2I will be careful to live a blameless life—when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.H7919H8549H1870H935H1980H7130H1004H8537H3824 3I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them.H7896H1100H1697H5869H8130H6213H7750H1692 4I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.H6141H3824H5493H3045H7451 5I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride.H5643H3960H3960H7453H6789H1362H5869H7342H3824H3201 6I will search for faithful people to be my companions. Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me.H5869H539H776H3427H1980H8549H1870H8334 7I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence.H6213H7423H3427H7130H1004H1696H8267H3559H5869 8My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked and free the city of the Lord from their grip.H1242H6789H7563H776H3772H205H6466H5892H3068