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Gideon; Man of Doubt, Man of Fear, Man of Faith?

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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 ch17" data-usfm="1KI.17">
 <div class="label">17</div><div class="s1">Elijah Announces a Great Drought</div><div class="p"> 1Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe#17:1 Or Tishbite, of the settlers in Gilead, said to Ahab, &#8220;As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Elijah Fed by Ravens</div><div class="p"> 2Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: 3&#8220;Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.</div><div class="s1">Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath</div><div class="p"> 7Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9&#8220;Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.&#8221; 10So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, &#8220;Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?&#8221; 11As she was going to get it, he called, &#8220;And bring me, please, a piece of bread.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12&#8220;As surely as the Lord your God lives,&#8221; she replied, &#8220;I don&#8217;t have any bread&#8212;only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it&#8212;and die.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13Elijah said to her, &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: &#8216;The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.</div><div class="p"> 17Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18She said to Elijah, &#8220;What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19&#8220;Give me your son,&#8221; Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20Then he cried out to the Lord, &#8220;Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?&#8221; 21Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, &#8220;Lord my God, let this boy&#8217;s life return to him!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22The Lord heard Elijah&#8217;s cry, and the boy&#8217;s life returned to him, and he lived. 23Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, &#8220;Look, your son is alive!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24Then the woman said to Elijah, &#8220;Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1KI">
 <div class="chapter ch18" data-usfm="1KI.18">
 <div class="label">18</div><div class="s1">Elijah and Obadiah</div><div class="p"> 1After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: &#8220;Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.&#8221; 2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.</div><div class="p">Now the famine was severe in Samaria, 3and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, his palace administrator. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord. 4While Jezebel was killing off the Lord&#8217;s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.) 5Ahab had said to Obadiah, &#8220;Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals.&#8221; 6So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another.</div><div class="p"> 7As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, &#8220;Is it really you, my lord Elijah?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8&#8220;Yes,&#8221; he replied. &#8220;Go tell your master, &#8216;Elijah is here.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 9&#8220;What have I done wrong,&#8221; asked Obadiah, &#8220;that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? 10As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. 11But now you tell me to go to my master and say, &#8216;Elijah is here.&#8217; 12I don&#8217;t know where the Spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn&#8217;t find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the Lord since my youth. 13Haven&#8217;t you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord&#8217;s prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. 14And now you tell me to go to my master and say, &#8216;Elijah is here.&#8217; He will kill me!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15Elijah said, &#8220;As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Elijah on Mount Carmel</div><div class="p"> 16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17When he saw Elijah, he said to him, &#8220;Is that you, you troubler of Israel?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18&#8220;I have not made trouble for Israel,&#8221; Elijah replied. &#8220;But you and your father&#8217;s family have. You have abandoned the Lord&#8217;s commands and have followed the Baals. 19Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel&#8217;s table.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21Elijah went before the people and said, &#8220;How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.&#8221;</div><div class="p">But the people said nothing.</div><div class="p"> 22Then Elijah said to them, &#8220;I am the only one of the Lord&#8217;s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23Get two bulls for us. Let Baal&#8217;s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire&#8212;he is God.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Then all the people said, &#8220;What you say is good.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 25Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, &#8220;Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.&#8221; 26So they took the bull given them and prepared it.</div><div class="p">Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. &#8220;Baal, answer us!&#8221; they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.</div><div class="p"> 27At noon Elijah began to taunt them. &#8220;Shout louder!&#8221; he said. &#8220;Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.&#8221; 28So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.</div><div class="p"> 30Then Elijah said to all the people, &#8220;Come here to me.&#8221; They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. 31Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, &#8220;Your name shall be Israel.&#8221; 32With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs#18:32 That is, probably about 24 pounds or about 11 kilograms of seed. 33He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, &#8220;Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 34&#8220;Do it again,&#8221; he said, and they did it again.</div><div class="p">&#8220;Do it a third time,&#8221; he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.</div><div class="p"> 36At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: &#8220;Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 38Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.</div><div class="p"> 39When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, &#8220;The Lord&#8212;he is God! The Lord&#8212;he is God!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 40Then Elijah commanded them, &#8220;Seize the prophets of Baal. Don&#8217;t let anyone get away!&#8221; They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.</div><div class="p"> 41And Elijah said to Ahab, &#8220;Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.&#8221; 42So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.</div><div class="p"> 43&#8220;Go and look toward the sea,&#8221; he told his servant. And he went up and looked.</div><div class="p">&#8220;There is nothing there,&#8221; he said.</div><div class="p">Seven times Elijah said, &#8220;Go back.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 44The seventh time the servant reported, &#8220;A cloud as small as a man&#8217;s hand is rising from the sea.&#8221;</div><div class="p">So Elijah said, &#8220;Go and tell Ahab, &#8216;Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 45Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1KI">
 <div class="chapter ch19" data-usfm="1KI.19">
 <div class="label">19</div><div class="s1">Elijah Flees to Horeb</div><div class="p"> 1Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, &#8220;May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3Elijah was afraid#19:3 Or Elijah saw and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4while he himself went a day&#8217;s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. &#8220;I have had enough, Lord,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.&#8221; 5Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.</div><div class="p">All at once an angel touched him and said, &#8220;Get up and eat.&#8221; 6He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.</div><div class="p"> 7The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, &#8220;Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.&#8221; 8So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9There he went into a cave and spent the night.</div><div class="s1">The Lord Appears to Elijah</div><div class="p">And the word of the Lord came to him: &#8220;What are you doing here, Elijah?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10He replied, &#8220;I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11The Lord said, &#8220;Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.</div><div class="p">Then a voice said to him, &#8220;What are you doing here, Elijah?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14He replied, &#8220;I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15The Lord said to him, &#8220;Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel&#8212;all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Call of Elisha</div><div class="p"> 19So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. &#8220;Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,&#8221; he said, &#8220;and then I will come with you.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Go back,&#8221; Elijah replied. &#8220;What have I done to you?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.</div>
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 <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 bk2CH">
 <div class="chapter ch18" data-usfm="2CH.18">
 <div class="label">18</div><div class="s1">Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab</div><div class="p"> 1Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. 2Some years later he went down to see Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead. 3Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, &#8220;Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?&#8221;</div><div class="p">Jehoshaphat replied, &#8220;I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war.&#8221; 4But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, &#8220;First seek the counsel of the Lord.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5So the king of Israel brought together the prophets&#8212;four hundred men&#8212;and asked them, &#8220;Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Go,&#8221; they answered, &#8220;for God will give it into the king&#8217;s hand.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6But Jehoshaphat asked, &#8220;Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, &#8220;There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;The king should not say such a thing,&#8221; Jehoshaphat replied.</div><div class="p"> 8So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, &#8220;Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 9Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. 10Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, &#8220;This is what the Lord says: &#8216;With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. &#8220;Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,&#8221; they said, &#8220;for the Lord will give it into the king&#8217;s hand.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, &#8220;Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13But Micaiah said, &#8220;As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what my God says.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14When he arrived, the king asked him, &#8220;Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Attack and be victorious,&#8221; he answered, &#8220;for they will be given into your hand.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15The king said to him, &#8220;How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16Then Micaiah answered, &#8220;I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, &#8216;These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, &#8220;Didn&#8217;t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18Micaiah continued, &#8220;Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing on his right and on his left. 19And the Lord said, &#8216;Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?&#8217;</div><div class="p">&#8220;One suggested this, and another that. 20Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, &#8216;I will entice him.&#8217;</div><div class="p">&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;By what means?&#8217; the Lord asked.</div><div class="p"> 21&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,&#8217; he said.</div><div class="p">&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;You will succeed in enticing him,&#8217; said the Lord. &#8216;Go and do it.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 22&#8220;So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. &#8220;Which way did the spirit from#18:23 Or Spirit of the Lord go when he went from me to speak to you?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p"> 24Micaiah replied, &#8220;You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 25The king of Israel then ordered, &#8220;Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king&#8217;s son, 26and say, &#8216;This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 27Micaiah declared, &#8220;If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.&#8221; Then he added, &#8220;Mark my words, all you people!&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Ahab Killed at Ramoth Gilead</div><div class="p"> 28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 29The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, &#8220;I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.&#8221; So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.</div><div class="p"> 30Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, &#8220;Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.&#8221; 31When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, &#8220;This is the king of Israel.&#8221; So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him, 32for when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.</div><div class="p"> 33But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the breastplate and the scale armor. The king told the chariot driver, &#8220;Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I&#8217;ve been wounded.&#8221; 34All day long the battle raged, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then at sunset he died.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2CH">
 <div class="chapter ch19" data-usfm="2CH.19">
 <div class="label">19</div><div class="p"> 1When Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem, 2Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to the king, &#8220;Should you help the wicked and love#19:2 Or and make alliances with those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the wrath of the Lord is on you. 3There is, however, some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges</div><div class="p"> 4Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 5He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah. 6He told them, &#8220;Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for mere mortals but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. 7Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8In Jerusalem also, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites, priests and heads of Israelite families to administer the law of the Lord and to settle disputes. And they lived in Jerusalem. 9He gave them these orders: &#8220;You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord. 10In every case that comes before you from your people who live in the cities&#8212;whether bloodshed or other concerns of the law, commands, decrees or regulations&#8212;you are to warn them not to sin against the Lord; otherwise his wrath will come on you and your people. Do this, and you will not sin.</div><div class="p"> 11&#8220;Amariah the chief priest will be over you in any matter concerning the Lord, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the tribe of Judah, will be over you in any matter concerning the king, and the Levites will serve as officials before you. Act with courage, and may the Lord be with those who do well.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2CH">
 <div class="chapter ch20" data-usfm="2CH.20">
 <div class="label">20</div><div class="s1">Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon</div><div class="p"> 1After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites#20:1 Some Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew Ammonites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.</div><div class="p"> 2Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, &#8220;A vast army is coming against you from Edom,#20:2 One Hebrew manuscript; most Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate Aram from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar&#8221; (that is, En Gedi). 3Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.</div><div class="p"> 5Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard 6and said:</div><div class="pm">&#8220;Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9&#8216;If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.&#8217;</div><div class="pm"> 10&#8220;But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 14Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.</div><div class="p"> 15He said: &#8220;Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: &#8216;Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God&#8217;s. 16Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. 19Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.</div><div class="p"> 20Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, &#8220;Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.&#8221; 21After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his#20:21 Or him with the splendor of holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Give thanks to the Lord,</div><div class="q2">for his love endures forever.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.</div><div class="p"> 24When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing#20:25 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts corpses and also articles of value&#8212;more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. 26On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the Lord. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah#20:26 Berakah means praise. to this day.</div><div class="p"> 27Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. 28They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the Lord with harps and lyres and trumpets.</div><div class="p"> 29The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.</div><div class="s1">The End of Jehoshaphat&#8217;s Reign</div><div class="p"> 31So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother&#8217;s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. 32He followed the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 33The high places, however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.</div><div class="p"> 34The other events of Jehoshaphat&#8217;s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the annals of Jehu son of Hanani, which are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.</div><div class="p"> 35Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, whose ways were wicked. 36He agreed with him to construct a fleet of trading ships.#20:36 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish After these were built at Ezion Geber, 37Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, &#8220;Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.&#8221; The ships were wrecked and were not able to set sail to trade.#20:37 Hebrew sail for Tarshish</div>
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