Elisha

15The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came. Go to the desert near Damascus. When you get there, pour oil on Hazael's head to make him king of Syria.

And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

NotePouring oil on someone's head showed that God had picked them for a big job. Damascus was a large city in Syria, a country north of Israel.

16Also pour oil on Jehu son of Nimshi to make him king of Israel. And pour oil on Elisha son of Shaphat, from the town of Abelmeholah, to be a prophet in your place.

And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.

Note"In your place" means Elisha would take over Elijah's job. He would be the next prophet after Elijah.

17Anyone who gets away from Hazael's sword, Jehu will kill. Anyone who gets away from Jehu's sword, Elisha will kill.

And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

18But I have kept seven thousand people in Israel for myself. They have never bowed down to the god Baal. They have never kissed his statue."

Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

NoteBowing down low and kissing a statue was how people worshiped Baal. Seven thousand people had never done that.

19So Elijah left. He found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. Twelve pairs of oxen worked ahead, and Elisha drove the twelfth pair. Elijah walked past him and threw his coat over him.

So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

NoteOxen are big, strong cattle. A plow is a tool they pull to cut the dirt for planting. Twelve pairs of oxen meant Elisha's family owned a lot. Throwing a coat over someone meant "you will take my place."

20Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah. He said, "Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye. Then I will come with you." Elijah said, "Go on back. What have I done to you?"

And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

NoteElijah's answer is short and puzzling, even in the old words. He may mean, "Think about what just happened to you."

21So Elisha went back. He took his pair of oxen and killed them. He used the wooden plow tools as firewood to cook the meat. He gave the food to the people, and they ate it. Then he got up and went with Elijah as his helper.

And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

NoteElisha killed his oxen and burned his plow. That meant he would never go back to farming. First he cooked the meat and shared a goodbye meal with his neighbors.

1God was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah and Elisha were walking away from the town of Gilgal.

And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

NoteA whirlwind is a strong wind that spins around very fast, like a tornado. A prophet was someone who told people what God said. Elisha was Elijah's helper and learned from him. Gilgal was a town in Israel.

2Elijah said, "Please stay here. God has sent me on to Bethel." Elisha said, "As surely as God lives, and as surely as you live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel together.

And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

Note"As surely as God lives" was a strong way of promising. It was like saying, "I really, really mean this." Bethel was another town, a walk away.

3A group of prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha. They asked, "Do you know God is taking your teacher away today?" Elisha said, "Yes, I know. Please stop talking about it."

And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

NoteThe old words call them "the sons of the prophets." They were not really anyone's sons. They were younger men learning to be prophets. The old words "hold ye your peace" just mean "be quiet."

4Then Elijah said, "Elisha, please stay here. God has sent me on to Jericho." Elisha said, "As surely as God lives, and as surely as you live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho.

And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

5The group of prophets at Jericho came to Elisha. They asked, "Do you know God is taking your teacher away today?" He answered, "Yes, I know. Please stop talking about it."

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 from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

6Elijah said, "Please stay here. God has sent me on to the Jordan River." Elisha said again, "As surely as God lives, and as surely as you live, I will not leave you." So the two of them walked on.

And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

NoteThe Jordan was the main river in that land. It was too deep and wide to simply walk through.

7Fifty men from the group of prophets followed them. They stood far away and watched. Elijah and Elisha stood by the Jordan River.

And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

8Elijah took off his coat and rolled it up. He hit the water with it. The water split open, one side to the right and one to the left. The two men walked across on dry ground.

And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

NoteElijah's coat was a big cloak worn over his shoulders. People knew he was a prophet when they saw it.

9After they crossed, Elijah said, "Ask me for something before I am taken away." Elisha said, "Please let me have a double share of your spirit."

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 a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

NoteLong ago, when a father died, his oldest son got twice as much as the other sons. Elisha was asking to be treated like Elijah's oldest son. He wanted to carry on Elijah's work.

10Elijah said, "You have asked for a hard thing. If you see me when I am taken away, you will get it. If you do not see me, you will not."

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.

11They kept walking and talking together. Suddenly a chariot of fire came, pulled by horses of fire. It came between the two men. Then Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.

And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

NoteA chariot is a small cart on wheels, pulled by horses. Soldiers rode in chariots when they went to fight. These ones were made of fire.

12Elisha saw it happen. He cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" Then he could not see Elijah anymore. He grabbed his own clothes and tore them in two, to show his sadness.

And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My 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 rent them in two pieces.

NoteCalling someone "my father" was a warm way to say "my dear teacher." Chariots and horsemen were a country's strongest fighters. Elisha meant Elijah had kept Israel safe like a whole army. Tearing your clothes was how people showed they were very sad.

13Elisha picked up the coat that had fallen off Elijah. He carried it back and stood on the bank of the Jordan River.

He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

14He took Elijah's coat and hit the water with it. He said, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" When he hit the water, it split to the right and to the left. Then Elisha walked across.

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, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

NoteWhen you see LORD in big letters, it stands for God's own special name.

15The group of prophets from Jericho were watching from far away. They said, "Elijah's spirit is resting on Elisha now." They came to meet him and bowed low to the ground.

And when the sons of the prophets which were to 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.

NoteBowing low to the ground was how people showed great respect to someone.

16They said, "We have fifty strong men here. Please let them go look for your teacher. Maybe God's Spirit set him down on a mountain or in a valley." Elisha said, "Do not send them."

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 the 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.

NoteThey thought God's wind might have picked Elijah up and set him down somewhere far away. They wanted to go look for him.

17But they kept asking until he felt embarrassed. So he said, "Send them." They sent fifty men, who looked for three days. They did not find Elijah.

And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.

18Elisha had stayed in Jericho. When the men came back to him, he said, "Did I not tell you not to go?"

And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?

19The men of the city said to Elisha, "Sir, you can see this is a good place to live. But the water is bad, and nothing grows well in the ground."

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.

20Elisha said, "Bring me a new bowl with salt in it." So they brought it to him.

And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.

NoteThe old words say "a new cruse." A cruse was a small clay jar. Salt was used back then to clean things and keep food from going bad.

21He walked out to the spring where the water came up. He threw the salt in. He said, "God says: I have healed this water. It will not bring death or ruin crops anymore."

And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast 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 land.

22The water has been good ever since that day. It happened just the way Elisha said it would.

So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.

NoteThe old words say "unto this day." That means the water was still good when this story was written down, long after it happened.

23Elisha left there and went up to Bethel. As he walked up the road, a group of boys came out of the city. They made fun of him and shouted, "Go on up, baldy! Go on up, baldy!"

And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.

NoteThe old words say "little children," but the word really means big boys or young men. "Go on up" was a mean joke about Elijah going up to heaven. They were telling Elisha to go away too.

24Elisha turned around and looked at them. He asked God to send trouble on them. Two mother bears came out of the woods. They attacked forty-two of the boys.

And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

NoteCursing someone here did not mean saying bad words. It meant asking God to punish them. Real wild bears lived in the woods in that land.

25From there Elisha went to Mount Carmel. Then he went back to the city of Samaria.

And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.

NoteMount Carmel is a tall hill near the sea. Samaria was the big city where Israel's king lived.

9So three kings went together: the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom. They marched a long way around for seven days. Then they ran out of water. There was none for the soldiers or the animals.

So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the 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.

10The king of Israel said, "Oh no! The LORD has brought us three kings here. Now Moab will beat us."

And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!

11But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there a prophet of the LORD here? We could ask the LORD through him." One of the king of Israel's servants said, "Elisha, the son of Shaphat, is here. He was the helper of the prophet Elijah."

But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.

NoteThe King James says Elisha "poured water on the hands of Elijah." That was a servant's job, helping his master wash. A prophet was someone who told people what God said.

12Jehoshaphat said, "The LORD speaks through him." So the three kings went down to see Elisha.

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.

13Elisha said to the king of Israel, "Why come to me? Go ask the prophets your father and mother trusted." The king of Israel said, "No. The LORD brought us three kings here, and Moab will beat us."

And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the 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.

NoteElisha means the prophets who spoke for Baal. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel kept many of them.

14Elisha said, "I serve the living LORD, the God of armies. I would not even look at you. But I care about Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, who is here.

And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.

NoteThe King James calls God "the LORD of hosts." A host meant a huge army, so the name means God is stronger than any army.

15"Now bring me someone who plays music." While the music played, the power of the LORD came on Elisha.

But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.

NoteMusic helped a prophet grow quiet and listen for God. The player used a small harp.

16He said, "The LORD says this: dig this whole valley full of ditches.

And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.

NoteA ditch is a long hole dug in the ground. Water runs into it and stays there.

17The LORD says you will not see any wind or rain. But this valley will fill up with water. You will drink, and so will your cattle and other animals.

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.

NoteIn that dry land, rain almost never fell in summer. Water would come without any storm they could see.

18This is an easy thing for the LORD to do. He will also help you win against the people of Moab.

And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.

19You will take every strong, walled city and every important town. You will cut down every good tree. You will block up every spring of water. You will cover every good field with stones."

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.

NoteArmies ruined farms so the land could not grow food. Stones in a field and blocked springs meant no crops and no water.

20The next morning, at the time when the grain gift was given to God, water came flowing from the direction of Edom. The land filled up with water.

And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

NoteEvery morning, people brought God a gift of grain at the temple. It was about the time we call breakfast.

21The people of Moab had heard that the kings were coming to fight them. So every man who could carry a weapon was called. They stood ready at the border.

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.

22They got up early in the morning. The sun was shining on the water. Across the way, the water looked red as blood to them.

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:

NoteEarly sunlight can make water look orange or red. From far away it looked like blood to them.

23They said, "That is blood! The kings must have fought and killed each other. Come on, Moab, let's go take their things!"

And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.

24But when the Moabites reached Israel's camp, the men of Israel got up and attacked them. The Moabites ran away. Israel chased them and kept fighting them inside their own land.

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.

25They tore down the cities. Each man threw stones on every good field until it was covered. They blocked up all the springs and cut down all the good trees. Only the city of Kir-haraseth still had its walls standing. Men with slings surrounded it and attacked it too.

And they beat down the cities, and on 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 Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.

NoteKir-haraseth was Moab's strongest city, built high up with thick walls. A sling was a leather strap that threw stones very hard.

26The king of Moab saw that the fight was going badly for him. He took seven hundred men with swords to break through to the king of Edom. But they could not get through.

And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not.

27Then he took his oldest son, who would have been king after him. He killed him as an offering on the city wall. There was great anger against Israel. So the armies left Moab and went home to their own land.

Then he 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 returned to their own land.

NoteA burnt offering was a gift burned up for a god. The king of Moab believed his god would help him if he gave his own son.

1A woman came to Elisha, crying. She said, "My husband is dead. You know he served the LORD. Now a man we owe money to is coming. He wants to take my two sons as his slaves."

Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

NoteLong ago, if you owed money and could not pay, the person could take your children. The children had to work for that person until the debt was paid. This woman is asking Elisha for help before that happens. When you see LORD in big letters, it stands for God's own name. Elisha was a prophet. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says.

2Elisha said, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have at home?" She said, "I have nothing at all. I only have one small jar of oil."

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.

NoteThe oil was olive oil. People cooked with it and burned it in lamps. A jar of oil was worth money, like food in your cupboard.

3Elisha said, "Go ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Get a lot of them, not just a few."

Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

NoteJars back then were made of baked clay. Almost every family had some for water, oil, and grain.

4"Then go inside. Shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour the oil into all the jars. Set each full jar aside."

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.

5So she left him and went home. She shut the door behind her and her sons. They kept bringing her jars, and she kept pouring.

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.

6When all the jars were full, she asked her son for one more. He said, "There are no more jars." Then the oil stopped flowing.

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.

7She went and told Elisha, the man of God. He said, "Go sell the oil and pay what you owe. You and your sons can live on the rest."

Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

Note"Man of God" was another way to say prophet. It meant a person who spoke for God.

8One day Elisha went to a town called Shunem. An important woman there asked him to stay and eat. After that, he ate at her house every time he passed by.

And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a 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.

NoteShunem was a small town in Israel. Calling the woman "important" means her family was rich and well known.

9She said to her husband, "I am sure now. The man who keeps coming here is a holy man of God."

And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.

NoteHoly means set apart to belong to God. She was saying Elisha was God's own man.

10"Let us build him a little room on our roof. We can put in a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Then he can stay there when he visits."

Let us make a little chamber, 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.

NoteHouses then had flat roofs, and people used them like an extra room. The lamp was a small clay bowl of oil with a burning string in it.

11One day Elisha came to visit. He went up to his room and lay down.

And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.

12He said to Gehazi, his helper, "Call the woman from Shunem." Gehazi called her, and she came and stood in front of Elisha.

And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.

13Elisha told Gehazi, "Say this to her. You have gone to a lot of trouble for us. What can we do for you? Shall we speak to the king for you? Or to the leader of the army?" She said, "I have a home here among my own people."

And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.

NoteElisha was offering to speak up for her to powerful people. A word from a prophet could help a family a lot.

14Elisha asked, "Then what can we do for her?" Gehazi said, "She has no son, and her husband is old."

And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.

NoteIn those days a son took care of his parents when they got old. A family with no son had no one to look after them later.

15Elisha said, "Call her." So Gehazi called her, and she stood in the doorway.

And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.

16Elisha said, "About this time next year, you will hold your own son." She said, "No, my lord. Please do not lie to me, man of God."

And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.

17But the woman did have a baby. She gave birth to a son the next year, just as Elisha had said.

And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.