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Ahaziah’s Messengers Meet Elijah
1 Now (A)Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. 2 And Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and became ill. So he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, (B)inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, (C)whether I will recover from this sickness.” 3 But the angel of the Lord said to (D)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 (E)Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ 4 Now therefore thus says the Lord, ‘[a](F)You shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” Then Elijah departed.
5 When the messengers returned to him he said to them, “[b]Why have you returned?” 6 They said to him, “A man came up to meet us and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you and say to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending (G)to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore [c]you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.’”’” 7 He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?” 8 They [d]answered him, “(H)He was a hairy man with a leather girdle [e]bound about his loins.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”
9 Then the king (I)sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” 10 Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, (J)let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” (K)Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
11 So he again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he said to him, “O man of God, thus says the king, ‘Come down quickly.’” 12 Elijah replied to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
13 So he (L)again sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. When the third captain of fifty went up, he came and bowed down on his knees before Elijah, and begged him and said to him, “O man of God, please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. 14 Behold fire came down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty with their fifties; but now let my [f]life be precious in your sight.” 15 (M)The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; (N)do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king. 16 Then he said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have sent messengers (O)to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word?—therefore [g]you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.’”
Jehoram Reigns over Israel
17 So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. And because he had no son, Jehoram became king in his place (P)in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
Elijah Taken to Heaven
2 And it came about when the Lord was about to (Q)take up Elijah by a [h]whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with (R)Elisha from (S)Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “(T)Stay here please, for the Lord has sent me as far as (U)Bethel.” But Elisha said, “(V)As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 Then (W)the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over [i]you today?” And he said, “Yes, I know; be still.”
4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please (X)stay here, for the Lord has sent me to (Y)Jericho.” But he said, “(Z)As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5 (AA)The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “(AB)Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over [j]you today?” And he [k]answered, “Yes, I know; be still.” 6 Then Elijah said to him, “Please (AC)stay here, for the Lord has sent me to (AD)the Jordan.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.
7 Now (AE)fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Elijah (AF)took his mantle and folded it together and (AG)struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please, let a (AH)double portion of your spirit be upon me.” 10 He said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you (AI)see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11 As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared (AJ)a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a [l]whirlwind to heaven. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “(AK)My father, my father, the [m]chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw [n]Elijah no more. Then (AL)he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he also had (AM)struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over.
Elisha Succeeds Elijah
15 Now when (AN)the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him. 16 They said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men, please let them go and search for your master; perhaps (AO)the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.” 17 But when (AP)they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men; and they searched three days but did not find him. 18 They returned to him while he was staying at Jericho; and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”
19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold now, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land [o]is unfruitful.” 20 He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt [p]in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 He went out to the spring of water and (AQ)threw salt [q]in it and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘I have [r]purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or [s]unfruitfulness any longer.’” 22 So the waters have been [t]purified to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.
23 Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city and (AR)mocked him and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!” 24 When he looked behind him and saw them, he (AS)cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of [u]their number. 25 He went from there to (AT)Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
42 As [a]Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these [b]things might be spoken to them the next (A)Sabbath. 43 Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the (B)God-fearing [c](C)proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in (D)the grace of God.
Paul Turns to the Gentiles
44 The next (E)Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of [d]the Lord. 45 But when (F)the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were [e]blaspheming. 46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you (G)first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, (H)we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us,
‘(I)I have placed You as a (J)light for the Gentiles,
That You may [f]bring salvation to the end of the earth.’”
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying (K)the word of [g]the Lord; and as many as (L)had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And (M)the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. 50 But (N)the Jews incited the [h](O)devout women (P)of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their [i]district. 51 But (Q)they shook off the dust of their feet in protest against them and went to (R)Iconium. 52 And the disciples were continually (S)filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Acceptance and Opposition
14 In (T)Iconium (U)they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner (V)that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of (W)Greeks. 2 But (X)the Jews who [j](Y)disbelieved stirred up the [k]minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against (Z)the brethren. 3 Therefore they spent a long time there (AA)speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that [l](AB)signs and wonders be done by their hands. 4 (AC)But the [m]people of the city were divided; and some [n]sided with (AD)the Jews, and some with (AE)the apostles. 5 And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and (AF)the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to (AG)stone them, 6 they became aware of it and fled to the cities of (AH)Lycaonia, (AI)Lystra and (AJ)Derbe, and the surrounding region; 7 and there they continued to (AK)preach the gospel.
God’s Omnipresence and Omniscience.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, You have (A)searched me and known me.
2 You (B)know [a]when I sit down and [b]when I rise up;
You (C)understand my thought from afar.
3 You [c](D)scrutinize my [d]path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
4 [e]Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You (E)know it all.
5 You have (F)enclosed me behind and before,
And (G)laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such (H)knowledge is (I)too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
7 (J)Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 (K)If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in [f]Sheol, behold, (L)You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will (M)lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the (N)darkness will [g]overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even the (O)darkness is not dark [h]to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
(P)Darkness and light are alike to You.
13 For You (Q)formed my [i]inward parts;
You (R)wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for [j]I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
(S)Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My [k](T)frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the (U)depths of the earth;
16 Your (V)eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in (W)Your book were all written
The (X)days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
17 How precious also are Your (Y)thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would (Z)outnumber the sand.
When (AA)I awake, I am still with You.
19 O that You would (AB)slay the wicked, O God;
(AC)Depart from me, therefore, (AD)men of bloodshed.
20 For they (AE)speak [l]against You wickedly,
And Your enemies [m](AF)take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not (AG)hate those who hate You, O Lord?
And do I not (AH)loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.