The

Second Book of the Kings

commonly called

The Fourth Book of the Kings

1 *Then Moab arebelled against Israel bafter the death of Ahab. 2 And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his cupper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, inquire of dBaal-zebub the god of eEkron whether fI shall recover of this disease. 3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah gthe Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of dBaal-zebub the god of eEkron? 4 Now therefore thus saith the Lord, †Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed. 5 And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back? 6 And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of dBaal-zebub the god of eEkron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. 7 And he said unto them, †What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words? 8 And they answered him, He was han hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah gthe Tishbite. 9 Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou iman of God, the king hath said, Come down. 10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then jlet fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. 11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly. 12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And kthe fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. 13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and †fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, lbe precious in thy sight. 14 Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight. 15 And the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king. 16 And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to inquire of dBaal-zebub the god of eEkron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. 17 *So he died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. And ||Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son. 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?

2 And it came to pass, when the Lord would atake up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with bElisha from cGilgal. 2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, dTarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to eBeth-el. And Elisha said unto him, fAs the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el. 3 And gthe sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master hfrom thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to iJericho. And he said, fAs the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. 5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master hfrom thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, fAs the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood †to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. 8 And Elijah took khis mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and mthey were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. 9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let na double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 10 And he said, †Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. 11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared oa chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and pElijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, qMy father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rrent them in two pieces. 13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the †bank of Jordan; 14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, sthey parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. 15 And when the sons of the prophets which were tto view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. 16 And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty †strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure uthe Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up, and cast him upon †some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. 17 And when they urged him xtill he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. 18 And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?

19 And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground †barren. 20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. 21 And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and ycast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren zland. 22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.

23 And he went up from thence unto Beth-el: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth alittle bchildren out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. 24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and ccursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two dchildren of them. 25 And he went from thence to mount eCarmel, and from thence he returned to fSamaria.

3 Now aJehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. 2 *And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the †image of Baal bthat his father had made. 3 Nevertheless he cleaved unto cthe sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, dwhich made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom. 4 And Mesha king of Moab was a esheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand flambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool. 5 But it came to pass, when gAhab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel. 7 *And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: iI am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses. 8 And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom. 9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and kthe king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that †followed them. 10 And the king of Israel said, lAlas! that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab! 11 But mJehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And none of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, owhich poured water on the hands of Elijah. 12 And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. 13 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, pWhat have I to do with thee? qget thee to the prophets of thy father, and to rthe prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab. 14 And Elisha said, sAs the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I tregard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. 15 But now bring me ua minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that wthe hand of the Lord came upon him. 16 And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of xditches. 17 For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts. 18 And this is but ya light thing in the sight of the Lord: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand. 19 And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and †mar every good piece of land with stones. 20 And it came to pass in the morning, when zthe meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

21 And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they †gathered all that were able to †put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border. 22 And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood: 23 And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely †slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil. 24 And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but ||they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country. 25 And they beat down the cities, and aon every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: †only in bKir-haraseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it. 26 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men cthat drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not. 27 Then dhe took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and ereturned to their own land.

4 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of athe sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and bthe creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. 2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. 3 Then he said, Go, cborrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; ||borrow not a few. 4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. 5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. 6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. 7 Then she came and told dthe man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy ||debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

8 And †it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to eShunem, where was fa great woman; and she †constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. 9 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy dman of God, which passeth by us continually. 10 Let us make a little gchamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. 11 And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the gchamber, and lay there. 12 And he said to hGehazi his servant, Call this eShunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. 13 And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been icareful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to kthe captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. 14 And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. 15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. 16 And he said, lAbout this †season, according to the time of life, thou shalt membrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, dthou man of God, ndo not lie unto thine handmaid. 17 And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.

18 And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. 19 And he said unto his father, oMy head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. 20 And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 21 And she went up, and laid him on pthe bed of dthe man of God, and shut qthe door upon him, and went out. 22 And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to dthe man of God, and come again. 23 And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither rnew moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be †well. 24 Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; †slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee. 25 So she went and came unto the man of God to smount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her tafar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that eShunammite: 26 Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well. 27 And when she came to the man of God to uthe hill, she xcaught †him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is †vexed within her: and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. 28 Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? ydid I not say, Do not deceive me? 29 Then he said to Gehazi, zGird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, asalute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and blay my staff upon the face of the child. 30 And the mother of the child said, cAs the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. 31 And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor †hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not dawaked. 32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. 33 He went in therefore, and eshut the door upon them twain, and fprayed unto the Lord. 34 And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he gstretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. 35 Then he returned, and walked in the house †to and fro; and went up, and gstretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36 And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this eShunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. 37 *Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and htook up her son, and went out.

38 And Elisha came again to iGilgal: and there was a kdearth in the land; and lthe sons of the prophets were msitting before him: and he said unto his servant, nSet on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets. 39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. 40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof. 41 But he said, Then bring meal. And ohe cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no †harm in the pot.

42 And there came a man from pBaal-shalisha, and qbrought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and rfull ears of corn ||in the husk thereof. And he said, sGive unto the people, that they may eat. 43 And his tservitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and ushall leave thereof. 44 So he set it before them, and they did eat, and uleft thereof, according to the word of the Lord.