2Kings 1-3 - Prayer Tents

2Kings 1

Elijah Confronts King Ahaziah

1After King Ahab's death, the land of Moab rebelled against Israel.H4124H6586H3478H310H4194H2562One day Israel's new king, Ahaziah, fell through the latticework of an upper room at his palace in Samaria and was seriously injured. So he sent messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether he would recover.H274H5307H7639H5944H8111H2470H7971H4397H559H3212H1875H1176H430H6138H2421H24833But the angel of the LORD told Elijah, who was from Tishbe, "Go and confront the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, 'Is there no God in Israel? Why are you going to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether the king will recover?H4397H3068H1696H452H8664H6965H5927H7125H4397H4428H8111H1696H430H3478H1980H1875H1176H430H61384Now, therefore, this is what the LORD says: You will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.'" So Elijah went to deliver the message.H559H3068H3381H4296H5927H4191H4191H452H32125When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, "Why have you returned so soon?"H4397H7725H559H2088H77256They replied, "A man came up to us and told us to go back to the king and give him this message. 'This is what the LORD says: Is there no God in Israel? Why are you sending men to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether you will recover? Therefore, because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.'"H559H5927H376H5927H7125H559H3212H7725H4428H7971H1696H559H3068H430H3478H7971H1875H1176H430H6138H3381H4296H5927H4191H41917"What sort of man was he?" the king demanded. "What did he look like?"H1696H4941H376H5927H7125H1696H16978They replied, "He was a hairy man

, and he wore a leather belt around his waist." "Elijah from Tishbe!" the king exclaimed.H559H8181H1167H376H247H232H5785H4975H559H452H86649Then he sent an army captain with fifty soldiers to arrest him. They found him sitting on top of a hill. The captain said to him, "Man of God, the king has commanded you to come down with us."H4428H7971H8269H2572H2572H5927H3427H7218H2022H1696H376H430H4428H1696H338110But Elijah replied to the captain, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!" Then fire fell from heaven and killed them all.H452H6030H1696H8269H2572H376H430H784H3381H8064H398H2572H3381H784H8064H398H257211So the king sent another captain with fifty men. The captain said to him, "Man of God, the king demands that you come down at once."H7725H7971H312H8269H2572H2572H6030H1696H376H430H4428H559H3381H412012Elijah replied, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!" And again the fire of God fell from heaven and killed them all.H452H6030H1696H376H430H784H3381H8064H398H2572H784H430H3381H8064H398H257213Once more the king sent a third captain with fifty men. But this time the captain went up the hill and fell to his knees before Elijah. He pleaded with him, "O man of God, please spare my life and the lives of these, your fifty servants.H7971H7725H8269H7992H2572H2572H7992H8269H2572H5927H935H3766H1290H5048H452H2603H1696H376H430H5315H5315H2572H5650H3365H586914See how the fire from heaven came down and destroyed the first two groups. But now please spare my life!"H3381H784H3381H8064H398H8147H8269H7223H2572H2572H5315H3365H586915Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, "Go down with him, and don't be afraid of him." So Elijah got up and went with him to the king.H4397H3068H1696H452H3381H3372H6440H6965H3381H442816And Elijah said to the king, "This is what the LORD says: Why did you send messengers to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether you will recover? Is there no God in Israel to answer your question? Therefore, because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die."H1696H559H3068H7971H4397H1875H1176H430H6138H430H3478H1875H1697H3381H4296H5927H4191H419117So Ahaziah died, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah. Since Ahaziah did not have a son to succeed him, his brother Joram

became the next king. This took place in the second year of the reign of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.H4191H1697H3068H452H1696H3088H4427H8147H8141H3088H1121H3092H4428H3063H112118The rest of the events in Ahaziah's reign are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.H3499H1697H274H6213H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H3478

2Kings 2

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.H3068H5927H452H8064H5591H452H3212H477H15372And 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.H452H559H477H3427H3068H7971H1008H477H559H3068H2416H5315H2416H5800H3381H10083The 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."H1121H5030H1008H3318H477H559H3045H3068H3947H113H7218H3117H559H3045H28144Then 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.H452H559H477H3427H3068H7971H3405H559H3068H2416H5315H2416H5800H935H34055Then 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."H1121H5030H3405H5066H477H559H3045H3068H3947H113H7218H3117H559H3045H28146Then 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.H452H559H3427H3068H7971H3383H559H3068H2416H5315H2416H5800H8147H32127Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River.H2572H376H1121H5030H1980H5975H5048H7350H8147H5975H33838Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground!H452H3947H155H1563H5221H4325H2673H8147H5674H27249When 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."H5674H452H559H477H7592H6213H3947H477H559H8147H6310H730710"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."H559H7592H7185H7200H394711As 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.H1980H1980H1696H7393H784H5483H784H6504H8147H996H452H5927H5591H806412Elisha 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.H477H7200H6817H1H1H7393H3478H6571H7200H2388H899H7167H8147H716813Elisha picked up Elijah's cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River.H7311H155H452H5307H7725H5975H8193H338314He 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.H3947H155H452H5307H5221H4325H559H3068H430H452H5221H4325H2673H477H567415When 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.H1121H5030H3405H7200H559H7307H452H5117H477H935H7125H7812H77616"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."H559H3426H5650H2572H2428H1121H582H3212H1245H113H7307H3068H5375H7993H259H2022H259H1516H559H797117But 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.H6484H954H559H7971H7971H2572H376H1245H7969H3117H467218Elisha 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."H582H5892H559H477H4186H5892H2896H113H7200H4325H7451H776H792120Elisha said, "Bring me a new bowl with salt in it." So they brought it to him.H559H3947H2319H6746H7760H4417H394721Then 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

."H3318H4161H4325H7993H4417H559H559H3068H7495H4325H4194H792122And the water has remained pure ever since, just as Elisha said.H4325H7495H3117H1697H477H169623Elisha 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!"H5927H1008H5927H1870H3318H6996H5288H5892H7046H559H5927H7142H5927H714224Elisha 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.H6437H310H7200H7043H8034H3068H3318H8147H1677H3293H1234H705H8147H320625From there Elisha went to Mount Carmel and finally returned to Samaria.H3212H2022H3760H7725H8111

2Kings 3

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.H3088H1121H256H4427H3478H8111H8083H6240H8141H3092H4428H3063H4427H8147H6240H81412He 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.H6213H7451H5869H3068H1H517H5493H4676H1168H1H62133Nevertheless, he continued in the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had committed and led the people of Israel to commit.H1692H2403H3379H1121H5028H3478H2398H54934King 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.H4338H4428H4124H5349H7725H4428H3478H3967H505H3733H3967H505H352H67855But after Ahab's death, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.H256H4194H4428H4124H6586H4428H34786So King Joram promptly mustered the army of Israel and marched from Samaria.H4428H3088H3318H8111H3117H6485H34787On 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."H3212H7971H3092H4428H3063H559H4428H4124H6586H3212H4124H4421H559H5927H5971H5971H5483H54838Then Jehoshaphat asked, "What route will we take?" "We will attack from the wilderness of Edom," Joram replied.H559H1870H5927H559H1870H4057H1239The 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.H4428H3478H3212H4428H3063H4428H123H5437H7651H3117H1870H4325H4264H929H727210"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."H4428H3478H559H162H3068H7121H7969H4428H7121H5414H3027H412411But 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

."H3092H559H5030H3068H1875H3068H259H4428H3478H5650H6030H559H477H1121H8202H3332H4325H3027H45212Jehoshaphat said, "Yes, the LORD speaks through him." So the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom went to consult with Elisha.H3092H559H1697H3068H3426H4428H3478H3092H4428H123H338113"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!"H477H559H4428H3478H3212H5030H1H5030H517H4428H3478H559H3068H7121H7969H4428H7121H5414H3027H412414Elisha 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.H477H559H3068H6635H2416H6440H5975H3884H5375H6440H3092H4428H3063H5027H720015Now bring me someone who can play the harp." While the harp was being played, the power

of the LORD came upon Elisha,H3947H5059H5059H5059H3027H306816and he said, "This is what the LORD says: This dry valley will be filled with pools of water!H559H559H3068H6213H5158H135617You 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.H559H3068H7200H7307H7200H1653H5158H4390H4325H8354H4735H92918But this is only a simple thing for the LORD, for he will make you victorious over the army of Moab!H7043H5869H3068H5414H4124H302719You 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."H5221H4013H5892H4004H5892H5307H2896H6086H5640H4599H4325H3510H2896H2513H6820The 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.H1242H4503H5927H935H4325H1870H123H776H4390H432521Meanwhile, 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.H4124H8085H4428H5927H3898H6817H2296H2290H4605H5975H136622But when they got up the next morning, the sun was shining across the water, making it appear red to the Moabites—like blood.H7925H1242H8121H2224H4325H4124H7200H4325H5048H122H181823"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!"H559H1818H4428H2717H2717H5221H376H7453H4124H799824But 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

.H935H4264H3478H3478H6965H5221H4124H5127H6440H5221H5221H412425They 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.H2040H5892H2896H2513H7993H376H68H4390H5640H4599H4325H5307H2896H6086H7025H7604H68H7051H5437H522126When 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.H4428H4124H7200H4421H2388H3947H7651H3967H376H8025H2719H1234H4428H123H320127Then 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