Study Desk

And Elijah said to him, "Elisha, please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho." But he said, "As surely as the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho.

And Elijah said to him, "Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." But he said, "As surely as the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on.

When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask me what I should do for you before I am taken from you." And Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me."

He said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so."

Then they said to him, "Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men; please let them go and search for your master, in case the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some valley." But he said, "You shall not send anyone."

Yet when they urged him until he was ashamed to refuse, he said, "Send them." So they sent fifty men; and they searched for three days, but did not find him.

Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned for twelve years.

He did evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and his mother; for he removed the memorial stone of Baal which his father had made.

So King Jehoram left Samaria for battle at that time and mustered all Israel.

So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they made a circuit of seven days' journey. But there was no water for the army or for the cattle that followed them.

Then the king of Israel said, "It is hopeless! For the LORD has called these three kings to hand them over to Moab!"

Now Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What business do you have with me? Go to your father's prophets and your mother's prophets." But the king of Israel said to him, "No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to hand them over to Moab."

"For the LORD says this: 'You will not see wind, nor will you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you will drink, you, your livestock, and your other animals.

When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not.

So Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil."

Then he said, "Go, borrow containers elsewhere for yourself, empty containers from all your neighbors—do not get too few.

"Please, let's make a little walled upper room, and let's set up a bed for him there, and a table, a chair, and a lampstand; then it shall be, when he comes to us, that he can turn in there."

And he said to him, "Say now to her, 'Behold, you have taken trouble for us with all this care; what can I do for you? Would you like me to speak for you to the king or to the commander of the army?'" But she answered, "I live among my own people."

So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "It is a fact that she has no son, and her husband is old."

Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Drive the donkey and go on; do not slow down the pace for me unless I tell you."