The Gospel of Mark (Part Six)

The Story of the Bible

Unapologetically Sold Out: 7 Days of Prayers for Millennials to Live Whole-Heartedly Committed to Jesus Christ

Horizon Church August Bible Reading Plan: Prayer & Fasting

Restore: A 10-Day Devotional Journey

Overcoming Spiritual Disconnectedness

Raising People, Not Products

Presence 12: Arts That Inspire Reflection & Prayers

For the Love of Ruth

Principles for Life in the Kingdom of God

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1KI">
 <div class="chapter ch20" data-usfm="1KI.20">
 <div class="label">20</div><div class="s1">Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria</div><div class="p"> 1Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it. 2He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, &#8220;This is what Ben-Hadad says: 3&#8216;Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4The king of Israel answered, &#8220;Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5The messengers came again and said, &#8220;This is what Ben-Hadad says: &#8216;I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. 6But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, &#8220;See how this man is looking for trouble! When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8The elders and the people all answered, &#8220;Don&#8217;t listen to him or agree to his demands.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 9So he replied to Ben-Hadad&#8217;s messengers, &#8220;Tell my lord the king, &#8216;Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221; They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad.</div><div class="p"> 10Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: &#8220;May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11The king of Israel answered, &#8220;Tell him: &#8216;One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents,#20:12 Or in Sukkoth; also in verse 16 and he ordered his men: &#8220;Prepare to attack.&#8221; So they prepared to attack the city.</div><div class="s1">Ahab Defeats Ben-Hadad</div><div class="p"> 13Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, &#8220;This is what the Lord says: &#8216;Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the Lord.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14&#8220;But who will do this?&#8221; asked Ahab.</div><div class="p">The prophet replied, &#8220;This is what the Lord says: &#8216;The junior officers under the provincial commanders will do it.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;And who will start the battle?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p">The prophet answered, &#8220;You will.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15So Ahab summoned the 232 junior officers under the provincial commanders. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all. 16They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. 17The junior officers under the provincial commanders went out first.</div><div class="p">Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, &#8220;Men are advancing from Samaria.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18He said, &#8220;If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19The junior officers under the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them 20and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. 21The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.</div><div class="p"> 22Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, &#8220;Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, &#8220;Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. 24Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. 25You must also raise an army like the one you lost&#8212;horse for horse and chariot for chariot&#8212;so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they.&#8221; He agreed with them and acted accordingly.</div><div class="p"> 26The next spring Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. 27When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.</div><div class="p"> 28The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, &#8220;This is what the Lord says: &#8216;Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 29For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. 30The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room.</div><div class="p"> 31His officials said to him, &#8220;Look, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 32Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, &#8220;Your servant Ben-Hadad says: &#8216;Please let me live.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">The king answered, &#8220;Is he still alive? He is my brother.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 33The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. &#8220;Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!&#8221; they said.</div><div class="p">&#8220;Go and get him,&#8221; the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot.</div><div class="p"> 34&#8220;I will return the cities my father took from your father,&#8221; Ben-Hadad offered. &#8220;You may set up your own market areas in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Ahab said, &#8220;On the basis of a treaty I will set you free.&#8221; So he made a treaty with him, and let him go.</div><div class="s1">A Prophet Condemns Ahab</div><div class="p"> 35By the word of the Lord one of the company of the prophets said to his companion, &#8220;Strike me with your weapon,&#8221; but he refused.</div><div class="p"> 36So the prophet said, &#8220;Because you have not obeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.&#8221; And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him.</div><div class="p"> 37The prophet found another man and said, &#8220;Strike me, please.&#8221; So the man struck him and wounded him. 38Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes. 39As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, &#8220;Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, &#8216;Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent#20:39 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms of silver.&#8217; 40While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;That is your sentence,&#8221; the king of Israel said. &#8220;You have pronounced it yourself.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 41Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. 42He said to the king, &#8220;This is what the Lord says: &#8216;You have set free a man I had determined should die.#20:42 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221; 43Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.</div>
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 <div class="book bk1KI">
 <div class="chapter ch21" data-usfm="1KI.21">
 <div class="label">21</div><div class="s1">Naboth&#8217;s Vineyard</div><div class="p"> 1Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2Ahab said to Naboth, &#8220;Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3But Naboth replied, &#8220;The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, &#8220;I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.&#8221; He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.</div><div class="p"> 5His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, &#8220;Why are you so sullen? Why won&#8217;t you eat?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6He answered her, &#8220;Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, &#8216;Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.&#8217; But he said, &#8216;I will not give you my vineyard.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7Jezebel his wife said, &#8220;Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I&#8217;ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8So she wrote letters in Ahab&#8217;s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth&#8217;s city with him. 9In those letters she wrote:</div><div class="pm">&#8220;Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth&#8217;s city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. 12They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 13Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, &#8220;Naboth has cursed both God and the king.&#8221; So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. 14Then they sent word to Jezebel: &#8220;Naboth has been stoned to death.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, &#8220;Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.&#8221; 16When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth&#8217;s vineyard.</div><div class="p"> 17Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18&#8220;Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth&#8217;s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19Say to him, &#8216;This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?&#8217; Then say to him, &#8216;This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth&#8217;s blood, dogs will lick up your blood&#8212;yes, yours!&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20Ahab said to Elijah, &#8220;So you have found me, my enemy!&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;I have found you,&#8221; he answered, &#8220;because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. 21He says, &#8216;I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel&#8212;slave or free.#21:21 Or Israel&#8212;every ruler or leader 22I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 23&#8220;And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: &#8216;Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of#21:23 Most Hebrew manuscripts; a few Hebrew manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 9:26) the plot of ground at Jezreel.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 24&#8220;Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 25(There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 26He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.)</div><div class="p"> 27When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.</div><div class="p"> 28Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29&#8220;Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2KI">
 <div class="chapter ch1" data-usfm="2KI.1">
 <div class="label">1</div><div class="s1">The Lord&#8217;s Judgment on Ahaziah</div><div class="p"> 1After Ahab&#8217;s death, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, &#8220;Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, &#8220;Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, &#8216;Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?&#8217; 4Therefore this is what the Lord says: &#8216;You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!&#8217;&#8198;&#8221; So Elijah went.</div><div class="p"> 5When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, &#8220;Why have you come back?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6&#8220;A man came to meet us,&#8221; they replied. &#8220;And he said to us, &#8216;Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, &#8220;This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!&#8221;&#8198;&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7The king asked them, &#8220;What kind of man was it who came to meet you and told you this?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8They replied, &#8220;He had a garment of hair#1:8 Or He was a hairy man and had a leather belt around his waist.&#8221;</div><div class="p">The king said, &#8220;That was Elijah the Tishbite.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 9Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, &#8220;Man of God, the king says, &#8216;Come down!&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10Elijah answered the captain, &#8220;If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!&#8221; Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.</div><div class="p"> 11At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, &#8220;Man of God, this is what the king says, &#8216;Come down at once!&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12&#8220;If I am a man of God,&#8221; Elijah replied, &#8220;may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!&#8221; Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.</div><div class="p"> 13So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. &#8220;Man of God,&#8221; he begged, &#8220;please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! 14See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, &#8220;Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.&#8221; So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.</div><div class="p"> 16He told the king, &#8220;This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!&#8221; 17So he died, according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken.</div><div class="p">Because Ahaziah had no son, Joram#1:17 Hebrew Jehoram, a variant of Joram succeeded him as king in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. 18As for all the other events of Ahaziah&#8217;s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2KI">
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 <div class="label">2</div><div class="s1">Elijah Taken Up to Heaven</div><div class="p"> 1When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, &#8220;Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.&#8221;</div><div class="p">But Elisha said, &#8220;As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.&#8221; So they went down to Bethel.</div><div class="p"> 3The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, &#8220;Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Yes, I know,&#8221; Elisha replied, &#8220;so be quiet.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4Then Elijah said to him, &#8220;Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.&#8221;</div><div class="p">And he replied, &#8220;As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.&#8221; So they went to Jericho.</div><div class="p"> 5The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, &#8220;Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Yes, I know,&#8221; he replied, &#8220;so be quiet.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6Then Elijah said to him, &#8220;Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.&#8221;</div><div class="p">And he replied, &#8220;As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.&#8221; So the two of them walked on.</div><div class="p"> 7Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.</div><div class="p"> 9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, &#8220;Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,&#8221; Elisha replied.</div><div class="p"> 10&#8220;You have asked a difficult thing,&#8221; Elijah said, &#8220;yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours&#8212;otherwise, it will not.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12Elisha saw this and cried out, &#8220;My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!&#8221; And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.</div><div class="p"> 13Elisha then picked up Elijah&#8217;s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. &#8220;Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?&#8221; he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.</div><div class="p"> 15The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, &#8220;The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.&#8221; And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 16&#8220;Look,&#8221; they said, &#8220;we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;No,&#8221; Elisha replied, &#8220;do not send them.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17But they persisted until he was too embarrassed to refuse. So he said, &#8220;Send them.&#8221; And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. 18When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, &#8220;Didn&#8217;t I tell you not to go?&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Healing of the Water</div><div class="p"> 19The people of the city said to Elisha, &#8220;Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20&#8220;Bring me a new bowl,&#8221; he said, &#8220;and put salt in it.&#8221; So they brought it to him.</div><div class="p"> 21Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, &#8220;This is what the Lord says: &#8216;I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221; 22And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.</div><div class="s1">Elisha Is Jeered</div><div class="p"> 23From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. &#8220;Get out of here, baldy!&#8221; they said. &#8220;Get out of here, baldy!&#8221; 24He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. 25And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.</div>
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 <div class="book bk2KI">
 <div class="chapter ch3" data-usfm="2KI.3">
 <div class="label">3</div><div class="s1">Moab Revolts</div><div class="p"> 1Joram#3:1 Hebrew Jehoram, a variant of Joram; also in verse 6 son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. 2He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made. 3Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.</div><div class="p"> 4Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. 5But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. 7He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: &#8220;The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;I will go with you,&#8221; he replied. &#8220;I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8&#8220;By what route shall we attack?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p">&#8220;Through the Desert of Edom,&#8221; he answered.</div><div class="p"> 9So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them.</div><div class="p"> 10&#8220;What!&#8221; exclaimed the king of Israel. &#8220;Has the Lord called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11But Jehoshaphat asked, &#8220;Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?&#8221;</div><div class="p">An officer of the king of Israel answered, &#8220;Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.#3:11 That is, he was Elijah&#8217;s personal servant.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12Jehoshaphat said, &#8220;The word of the Lord is with him.&#8221; So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.</div><div class="p"> 13Elisha said to the king of Israel, &#8220;Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;No,&#8221; the king of Israel answered, &#8220;because it was the Lord who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14Elisha said, &#8220;As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you. 15But now bring me a harpist.&#8221;</div><div class="p">While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha 16and he said, &#8220;This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water. 17For this is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. 18This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord; he will also deliver Moab into your hands. 19You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was&#8212;water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.</div><div class="p"> 21Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to fight against them; so every man, young and old, who could bear arms was called up and stationed on the border. 22When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites across the way, the water looked red&#8212;like blood. 23&#8220;That&#8217;s blood!&#8221; they said. &#8220;Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and fought them until they fled. And the Israelites invaded the land and slaughtered the Moabites. 25They destroyed the towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up all the springs and cut down every good tree. Only Kir Hareseth was left with its stones in place, but men armed with slings surrounded it and attacked it.</div><div class="p"> 26When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed. 27Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2KI">
 <div class="chapter ch4" data-usfm="2KI.4">
 <div class="label">4</div><div class="s1">The Widow&#8217;s Olive Oil</div><div class="p"> 1The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, &#8220;Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 2Elisha replied to her, &#8220;How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Your servant has nothing there at all,&#8221; she said, &#8220;except a small jar of olive oil.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3Elisha said, &#8220;Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don&#8217;t ask for just a few. 4Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6When all the jars were full, she said to her son, &#8220;Bring me another one.&#8221;</div><div class="p">But he replied, &#8220;There is not a jar left.&#8221; Then the oil stopped flowing.</div><div class="p"> 7She went and told the man of God, and he said, &#8220;Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Shunammite&#8217;s Son Restored to Life</div><div class="p"> 8One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9She said to her husband, &#8220;I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10Let&#8217;s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12He said to his servant Gehazi, &#8220;Call the Shunammite.&#8221; So he called her, and she stood before him. 13Elisha said to him, &#8220;Tell her, &#8216;You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">She replied, &#8220;I have a home among my own people.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14&#8220;What can be done for her?&#8221; Elisha asked.</div><div class="p">Gehazi said, &#8220;She has no son, and her husband is old.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15Then Elisha said, &#8220;Call her.&#8221; So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16&#8220;About this time next year,&#8221; Elisha said, &#8220;you will hold a son in your arms.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;No, my lord!&#8221; she objected. &#8220;Please, man of God, don&#8217;t mislead your servant!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.</div><div class="p"> 18The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19He said to his father, &#8220;My head! My head!&#8221;</div><div class="p">His father told a servant, &#8220;Carry him to his mother.&#8221; 20After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.</div><div class="p"> 22She called her husband and said, &#8220;Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23&#8220;Why go to him today?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;It&#8217;s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;That&#8217;s all right,&#8221; she said.</div><div class="p"> 24She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, &#8220;Lead on; don&#8217;t slow down for me unless I tell you.&#8221; 25So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.</div><div class="p">When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, &#8220;Look! There&#8217;s the Shunammite! 26Run to meet her and ask her, &#8216;Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Everything is all right,&#8221; she said.</div><div class="p"> 27When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, &#8220;Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 28&#8220;Did I ask you for a son, my lord?&#8221; she said. &#8220;Didn&#8217;t I tell you, &#8216;Don&#8217;t raise my hopes&#8217;?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 29Elisha said to Gehazi, &#8220;Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don&#8217;t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy&#8217;s face.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 30But the child&#8217;s mother said, &#8220;As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.&#8221; So he got up and followed her.</div><div class="p"> 31Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy&#8217;s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, &#8220;The boy has not awakened.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 32When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. 33He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. 34Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy&#8217;s body grew warm. 35Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.</div><div class="p"> 36Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, &#8220;Call the Shunammite.&#8221; And he did. When she came, he said, &#8220;Take your son.&#8221; 37She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out.</div><div class="s1">Death in the Pot</div><div class="p"> 38Elisha returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, &#8220;Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these prophets.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 39One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were. 40The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, &#8220;Man of God, there is death in the pot!&#8221; And they could not eat it.</div><div class="p"> 41Elisha said, &#8220;Get some flour.&#8221; He put it into the pot and said, &#8220;Serve it to the people to eat.&#8221; And there was nothing harmful in the pot.</div><div class="s1">Feeding of a Hundred</div><div class="p"> 42A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. &#8220;Give it to the people to eat,&#8221; Elisha said.</div><div class="p"> 43&#8220;How can I set this before a hundred men?&#8221; his servant asked.</div><div class="p">But Elisha answered, &#8220;Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: &#8216;They will eat and have some left over.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221; 44Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2KI">
 <div class="chapter ch5" data-usfm="2KI.5">
 <div class="label">5</div><div class="s1">Naaman Healed of Leprosy</div><div class="p"> 1Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.#5:1 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin; also in verses 3, 6, 7, 11 and 27.</div><div class="p"> 2Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman&#8217;s wife. 3She said to her mistress, &#8220;If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5&#8220;By all means, go,&#8221; the king of Aram replied. &#8220;I will send a letter to the king of Israel.&#8221; So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents#5:5 That is, about 750 pounds or about 340 kilograms of silver, six thousand shekels#5:5 That is, about 150 pounds or about 69 kilograms of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: &#8220;With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, &#8220;Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: &#8220;Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.&#8221; 9So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha&#8217;s house. 10Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, &#8220;Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11But Naaman went away angry and said, &#8220;I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn&#8217;t I wash in them and be cleansed?&#8221; So he turned and went off in a rage.</div><div class="p"> 13Naaman&#8217;s servants went to him and said, &#8220;My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, &#8216;Wash and be cleansed&#8217;!&#8221; 14So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.</div><div class="p"> 15Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, &#8220;Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16The prophet answered, &#8220;As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.&#8221; And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.</div><div class="p"> 17&#8220;If you will not,&#8221; said Naaman, &#8220;please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. 18But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow there also&#8212;when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19&#8220;Go in peace,&#8221; Elisha said.</div><div class="p">After Naaman had traveled some distance, 20Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, &#8220;My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. &#8220;Is everything all right?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p"> 22&#8220;Everything is all right,&#8221; Gehazi answered. &#8220;My master sent me to say, &#8216;Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent#5:22 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms of silver and two sets of clothing.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23&#8220;By all means, take two talents,&#8221; said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. 24When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left.</div><div class="p"> 25When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, &#8220;Where have you been, Gehazi?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Your servant didn&#8217;t go anywhere,&#8221; Gehazi answered.</div><div class="p"> 26But Elisha said to him, &#8220;Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes&#8212;or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves? 27Naaman&#8217;s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.&#8221; Then Gehazi went from Elisha&#8217;s presence and his skin was leprous&#8212;it had become as white as snow.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2KI">
 <div class="chapter ch6" data-usfm="2KI.6">
 <div class="label">6</div><div class="s1">An Axhead Floats</div><div class="p"> 1The company of the prophets said to Elisha, &#8220;Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to meet.&#8221;</div><div class="p">And he said, &#8220;Go.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3Then one of them said, &#8220;Won&#8217;t you please come with your servants?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;I will,&#8221; Elisha replied. 4And he went with them.</div><div class="p">They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. 5As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. &#8220;Oh no, my lord!&#8221; he cried out. &#8220;It was borrowed!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6The man of God asked, &#8220;Where did it fall?&#8221; When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. 7&#8220;Lift it out,&#8221; he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.</div><div class="s1">Elisha Traps Blinded Arameans</div><div class="p"> 8Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, &#8220;I will set up my camp in such and such a place.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 9The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: &#8220;Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.&#8221; 10So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.</div><div class="p"> 11This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, &#8220;Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12&#8220;None of us, my lord the king,&#8221; said one of his officers, &#8220;but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13&#8220;Go, find out where he is,&#8221; the king ordered, &#8220;so I can send men and capture him.&#8221; The report came back: &#8220;He is in Dothan.&#8221; 14Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.</div><div class="p"> 15When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. &#8220;Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?&#8221; the servant asked.</div><div class="p"> 16&#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid,&#8221; the prophet answered. &#8220;Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17And Elisha prayed, &#8220;Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.&#8221; Then the Lord opened the servant&#8217;s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.</div><div class="p"> 18As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, &#8220;Strike this army with blindness.&#8221; So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.</div><div class="p"> 19Elisha told them, &#8220;This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.&#8221; And he led them to Samaria.</div><div class="p"> 20After they entered the city, Elisha said, &#8220;Lord, open the eyes of these men so they can see.&#8221; Then the Lord opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.</div><div class="p"> 21When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, &#8220;Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22&#8220;Do not kill them,&#8221; he answered. &#8220;Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.&#8221; 23So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel&#8217;s territory.</div><div class="s1">Famine in Besieged Samaria</div><div class="p"> 24Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. 25There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey&#8217;s head sold for eighty shekels#6:25 That is, about 2 pounds or about 920 grams of silver, and a quarter of a cab#6:25 That is, probably about 1/4 pound or about 100 grams of seed pods#6:25 Or of doves&#8217; dung for five shekels.#6:25 That is, about 2 ounces or about 58 grams</div><div class="p"> 26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, &#8220;Help me, my lord the king!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 27The king replied, &#8220;If the Lord does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?&#8221; 28Then he asked her, &#8220;What&#8217;s the matter?&#8221;</div><div class="p">She answered, &#8220;This woman said to me, &#8216;Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we&#8217;ll eat my son.&#8217; 29So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, &#8216;Give up your son so we may eat him,&#8217; but she had hidden him.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 30When the king heard the woman&#8217;s words, he tore his robes. As he went along the wall, the people looked, and they saw that, under his robes, he had sackcloth on his body. 31He said, &#8220;May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 32Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, &#8220;Don&#8217;t you see how this murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it shut against him. Is not the sound of his master&#8217;s footsteps behind him?&#8221; 33While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him.</div><div class="p">The king said, &#8220;This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?&#8221;</div>
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