Study Desk

The rest of the Syrian army ran back to Aphek, but the town wall fell and crushed twenty-seven thousand of them. Benhadad also escaped to Aphek and hid in the back room of a house.

About this time the Lord commanded a prophet to say to a friend, "Hit me!" But the friend refused,

But I got busy doing other things, and the prisoner escaped." Ahab answered, "You will be punished just as you have said."

The prophet said, "The Lord told you to kill Benhadad, but you let him go. Now you will die in his place, and your people will die in place of his people."

But first, let's ask the Lord ."

But Jehoshaphat said, "Just to make sure, is there another of the Lord 's prophets we can ask?"

"We could ask Micaiah son of Imlah," Ahab said. "But I hate Micaiah. He always has bad news for me." "Don't say that!" Jehoshaphat replied.

Tell them to put him in prison and to give him nothing but bread and water until I come back safely."

Before they went into battle, Ahab said, "Jehoshaphat, I'll disguise myself, but you wear your royal robe." Then Ahab disguised himself and went into battle.

So when they saw Jehoshaphat in his robe, they thought he was Ahab and started to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat shouted out to them,

Jehoshaphat obeyed the Lord , just as his father Asa had done, and during his rule he was at peace with the king of Israel. He got rid of the rest of the prostitutes from the local shrines, but he did not destroy the shrines, and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices. Everything else Jehoshaphat did while he was king, including his brave deeds and military victories, is written in The History of the Kings of Judah.

Jehoshaphat had seagoing ships built to sail to Ophir for gold. But they were wrecked at Ezion-Geber and never sailed.

Ahaziah son of Ahab offered to let his sailors go with Jehoshaphat's sailors, but Jehoshaphat refused.

Ahaziah died, just as the Lord had said. But since Ahaziah had no sons, Joram his brother then became king. This happened in the second year that Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat was king of Judah.

Elijah said to Elisha, "The Lord wants me to go to Bethel, but you must stay here." Elisha replied, "I swear by the living Lord and by your own life that I will stay with you no matter what!" And he went with Elijah to Bethel.

A group of prophets who lived there asked Elisha, "Do you know that today the Lord is going to take away your master?" "Yes, I do," Elisha answered. "But don't remind me of it."

Elijah then said, "Elisha, now the Lord wants me to go to Jericho, but you must stay here." Elisha replied, "I swear by the living Lord and by your own life, that I will stay with you no matter what!" And he went with Elijah to Jericho.

A group of prophets who lived there asked Elisha, "Do you know that today the Lord is going to take away your master?" "Yes, I do," Elisha answered. "But don't remind me of it."

Elijah then said to Elisha, "Now the Lord wants me to go to the Jordan River, but you must stay here." Elisha replied, "I swear by the living Lord and by your own life that I will never leave you!" So the two of them walked on together.

They kept begging until he was embarrassed to say no. He finally agreed, and the prophets sent the men out. They looked three days for Elijah but never found him.