The Daily Audio Bible

¹⁸ When the child was grown, he went out one day to his father who was with those gathering grain. ¹⁹ He said to his father, “O, my head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” ²⁰ When he was brought to his mother, he sat on her knees until noon. Then he died. ²¹ She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God. She shut the door behind him, and went out. ²² Then she called to her husband and said, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and return.” ²³ Her husband said, “Why will you go to him today? It is not the time of the new moon or the Day of Rest.” She said, “It will be all right.” ²⁴ Then she put a seat on a donkey and said to her servant, “Drive on. Do not slow down for me unless I tell you.” ²⁵ So she went and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her far away, he said to Gehazi his servant, “See, there is the Shunammite. ²⁶ Run now to meet her. Say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’” And she answered, “It is well.” ²⁷ When she came to the mountain to the man of God, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came near to push her away, but the man of God said, “Let her alone. For her soul is troubled within her. The Lord has hidden it from me. He has not told me.” ²⁸ Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not lie to me’?”

²⁹ Elisha said to Gehazi, “Get ready to travel. Take my walking stick and go. If you meet any man, do not greet him. If anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my stick on the boy’s face.” ³⁰ The mother of the boy said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So Elisha got up and followed her. ³¹ Gehazi went on before them and laid the stick on the boy’s face. But there was no sound or anything to show that the boy was alive. So Gehazi returned to meet Elisha, and told him, “The boy is not awake.” ³² When Elisha came into the house, he saw the boy lying dead on his bed. ³³ So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. ³⁴ He went up and lay on the child. He put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. He spread himself out on him, and the child’s flesh became warm. ³⁵ Then Elisha got up again. He walked from one end of the house to the other. Then he went up and spread himself on the child again. The boy sneezed seven times, and opened his eyes. ³⁶ Elisha called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. When she came to him, he said, “Take up your son.” ³⁷ She came and fell at his feet and put her face to the ground. Then she took up her son and went out.

Elisha and the Pot of Food

³⁸ When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was no food in the land. The sons of the men who tell what will happen in the future were sitting in front of him. Elisha said to his servant, “Put the large pot over the fire and make food ready for the sons of the men who tell what will happen in the future.” ³⁹ One of them went out into the field to gather plants. He found a wild vine, and gathered wild gourds from it. He came and cut them up in the pot of food, not knowing what they were. ⁴⁰ Then they poured it out for the men to eat. As they were eating the food, they cried out, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. ⁴¹ But he said, “Get some grain.” And he threw it into the pot, and said, “Pour it out for the people to eat.” Then there was no danger in the pot.

Elisha Feeds One Hundred Men

⁴² A man came from Baal-shalishah. He brought the man of God a gift of the first-fruits. There were twenty loaves of barley bread and new-grown grain in his bag. Elisha said, “Give them to the people, that they may eat.” ⁴³ But his servant said, “What? Should I put this in front of 100 men?” But Elisha said, “Give them to the people to eat. For the Lord says, ‘They will eat and have some left.’” ⁴⁴ So he put it in front of them. And they ate and had some left, as the word of the Lord had said.

Naaman Is Healed

5 Naaman the captain of the army of the king of Syria was an important man to his king. He was much respected, because by him the Lord had made Syria win in battle. Naaman was a strong man of war, but he had a bad skin disease. ² Now the Syrians had gone out in groups of soldiers, and had taken a little girl from the land of Israel. She served Naaman’s wife. ³ And she said to her owner, “I wish that my owner’s husband were with the man of God who is in Samaria! Then he would heal his bad skin disease.” ⁴ So Naaman went in and told his king, “This is what the girl from the land of Israel said.” ⁵ The king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman went and took with him silver weighing as much as ten men, 6,000 pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothes. ⁶ He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, “I have sent my servant Naaman to you with this letter, that you may heal his bad skin disease.” ⁷ When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive? Is this why this man sends word to me to heal a man’s bad skin disease? Think about it. He wants to start a fight with me.” ⁸ Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes. So he sent word to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me. Then he will know that there is a man of God in Israel.” ⁹ So Naaman came with his horses and his war-wagons, and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. ¹⁰ Elisha sent a man to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times. And your flesh will be made well and you will be clean.” ¹¹ But Naaman was very angry and went away. He said, “I thought he would come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God. I thought he would wave his hand over the place, and heal the bad skin disease. ¹² Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away very angry. ¹³ Then his servants came and said to him, “My father, if the man of God had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash and be clean’?” ¹⁴ So Naaman went down into the Jordan River seven times, as the man of God had told him. And his flesh was made as well as the flesh of a little child. He was clean.

¹⁵ Then Naaman returned to the man of God with all those who were with him. He came and stood in front of Elisha and said, “See, now I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel. So I ask you now to take a gift from your servant.” ¹⁶ But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, before Whom I stand, I will take nothing.” Naaman tried to talk him into taking it, but he would not. ¹⁷ Naaman said, “If not, I ask you, let your servant be given as much dirt as two horses can carry. For your servant will not give burnt gifts or kill animals on the altar in worship to other gods any more. I will only give gifts to the Lord. ¹⁸ But may the Lord forgive your servant for this. My king goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there. He rests on my arm and I put my face to the ground in the house of Rimmon. When I put my face to the ground in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant.” ¹⁹ And Elisha said to him, “Go in peace.” So Naaman went away from him a short way.

Gehazi Wants More

²⁰ But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, thought, “See, my owner has let Naaman the Syrian go without receiving the gift he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” ²¹ So Gehazi went after Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he stepped off the war-wagon to meet him, and said, “Is all well?” ²² Gehazi said, “All is well. My owner has sent me, saying, ‘See, just now two young sons of the men who tell what will happen in the future have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. I ask of you, give them a man’s weight in silver and two changes of clothes.’” ²³ Naaman said, “Be pleased to take silver weighing as much as two men.” And he had him take two bags of silver weighing as much as two men, with two changes of clothes. He gave them to two of his servants. And they carried them before Gehazi. ²⁴ When he came to the hill, Gehazi took them from the servants and put them in the house. Then he sent the men away, and they left. ²⁵ And Gehazi went in and stood in front of his owner. Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant did not leave.” ²⁶ Elisha said to him, “Did I not go with you in spirit when the man turned from his war-wagon to meet you? Was it a time to receive money and clothes and olive fields and grape-fields and sheep and cattle and men servants and women servants? ²⁷ So now the bad skin disease will be upon you and your children forever.” And Gehazi went away from Elisha with a bad skin disease. He was as white as snow.

A Meeting of Church Leaders in Jerusalem

15 Some men came down from the country of Judea and started to teach the Christians. They said, “Unless you go through the religious act of becoming a Jew as Moses taught, you cannot be saved from the punishment of sin.” ² Paul and Barnabas argued with them. Then Paul and Barnabas and some other men were chosen to go up to Jerusalem. They were to talk to the missionaries and church leaders about this teaching. ³ The church sent them on their way. They went through the countries of Phoenicia and Samaria and told how those who were not Jews were turning to God. This made the Christians very happy.

⁴ When they got to Jerusalem, the church and the missionaries and the church leaders were glad to see them. Paul and Barnabas told them what God had done through them.

⁵ Some of the Christians there had been proud religious law-keepers. They got up and said, “Doing the religious act of becoming a Jew and keeping the Law of Moses are two things that must be done.” ⁶ The missionaries and church leaders got together to talk about this. ⁷ After a long time of much talking, Peter got up and said to them, “Brothers, you know in the early days God was pleased to use me to preach the Good News to the people who are not Jews so they might put their trust in Christ. ⁸ God knows the hearts of all men. He showed them they were to have His loving-favor by giving them the Holy Spirit the same as He gave to us. ⁹ He has made no difference between them and us. They had their hearts made clean when they put their trust in Him also. ¹⁰ Why do you test God by putting too heavy a load on the back of the followers? It was too heavy for our fathers or for us to carry. ¹¹ We believe it is by the loving-favor of the Lord Jesus that we are saved. They are saved from the punishment of sin the same way.”

¹² All those who were gathered together said nothing. They listened to Paul and Barnabas who told of the powerful works God had done through them among the people who are not Jews.

God’s Call Is Also for the People Who Are Not Jews

¹³ When they finished speaking, James said, “Brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴ Simon Peter has told how God first visited the people who are not Jews. He was getting a people for Himself. ¹⁵ This agrees with what the early preacher said, ¹⁶ ’After this I will come back and build again the building of David that fell down. Yes, I will build it again from the stones that fell down. I will set it up again. ¹⁷ Then all the nations may look for the Lord, even all the people who are not Jews who are called by My name. The Lord said this. He does all these things. ¹⁸ God has made all His works known from the beginning of time.’ ^(A)

The People Who Are Not Jews Are Not Under the Law

¹⁹ “So we should not trouble these people who are not Jews who are turning to God. ²⁰ We should write to them that they should keep away from everything that is given to gods. They should keep away from sex sins and not eat blood or meat from animals that have been killed in ways against the Law. ²¹ For the Law of Moses has been read in every city from the early days. It has been read in the Jewish places of worship on every Day of Rest.”

²² Then the missionaries and the church leaders and the whole church chose some men from among them. They were to be sent to the city of Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas Barsabbas and Silas. These men were leaders among the Christians.

²³ They sent them with this letter: “The missionaries and church leaders and Christians greet the brothers who are not Jews in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. ²⁴ We have heard that some from our group have troubled you and have put doubt in your minds. They said that you must go through the religious act of becoming a Jew and you must keep the Law of Moses. We did not tell them to say these things. ²⁵ All of us have wanted to send men to you with our much-loved Paul and Barnabas. ²⁶ Their lives have been in danger for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ So now we send Judas and Silas to you. They will tell you the same things. ²⁸ It pleased the Holy Spirit and us to ask you to do nothing more than these things that have to be done. ²⁹ You are to keep away from everything that is given to gods. Do not eat blood or meat from animals that have been killed in ways against the Law. Keep away from sex sins. If you keep yourselves free from these things you will do well. Good-by.”

The Missionaries Go Back to Antioch

³⁰ When the meeting was finished, they went to Antioch. As soon as they gathered the people together, they gave them the letter. ³¹ When they read it, they were glad for the comfort and strength it brought them. ³² Judas and Silas were preachers also. They preached to the Christians and helped them to become stronger in the faith.

³³ They were there for some time. Then they were sent back in peace to the missionaries who had sent them. ³⁴ But Silas thought he should stay there. ³⁵ Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. With the help of many others, they preached and taught the Word of God.

An Evening Prayer

141 I call upon You, O Lord. Hurry to me! Hear my voice when I call to You! ² May my prayer be like special perfume before You. May the lifting up of my hands be like the evening gift given on the altar in worship. ³ O Lord, put a watch over my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips. ⁴ Do not let my heart turn to any sinful thing, to do wrong with men who sin. And do not let me eat their fine food.

⁵ Let those who are right with God punish me and speak strong words to me in kindness. It is oil upon my head. Do not let my head turn away from it. Yet my prayer is always against the sinful works of those who sin. ⁶ When their rulers are thrown down from high rocks, they will hear my words, for they are true. ⁷ Our bones have been spread around the mouth of the grave like the broken ground behind the plow.

⁸ For my eyes are toward You, O God the Lord. In You I have a safe place. Do not leave me without help. ⁹ Keep me from the trap they have set for me. Keep me from the nets of those who do wrong. ¹⁰ Let the sinful fall into their own nets, while I pass by and am safe.

²³ A sinful man receives pay in secret to change the right way into wrong-doing.