2 Kings 7; 2 Kings 8; 2 Kings 9; John 1:1-28

1 Elisha said, "Listen to a message from the Lord. He says, 'About this time tomorrow, you will be able to buy seven quarts of flour for less than half of an ounce of silver. You will also be able to buy 13 quarts of barley for the same price. That's all you will have to pay for those things at the gate of Samaria.' "

2 The king was leaning on an officer's arm. The officer spoke to the man of God. He said, "Suppose the LORD opens the windows of the skies. Suppose he pours food down on us. Even if he does, could what you are saying really happen?" "You will see it with your own eyes," answered Elisha. "But you won't eat any of it!"

3 There were four men who had a skin disease. They were at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. They said to one another, "Why should we stay here until we die?

4 Suppose we say, 'We'll go into the city.' There isn't any food there, and we'll die. But if we stay here, we'll die anyway. So let's go over to Aram's army camp. Let's give ourselves up. If they spare us, we'll live. If they kill us, we'll die."

5 At sunset they got up. They went to Aram's army camp. They arrived at the edge of it. But no one was there.

6 The Lord had caused the soldiers of Aram to hear a noise. It sounded like chariots and horses and a huge army. So the soldiers spoke to one another. They said, "Listen! The king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings. He has paid them to attack us!"

7 So they had gotten up and had run away at sunset. They had left their tents and horses and donkeys behind. They had left the camp as it was. And they had run for their lives.

8 The men who had a skin disease arrived at the edge of the camp. They entered one of the tents. They ate and drank. Then they carried away silver, gold and clothes. They went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent. They took some things from it and hid them also.

9 But then they said to one another, "What we're doing isn't right. This is a day of good news. And we're keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until sunrise, we'll be punished. Let's go at once. Let's report this to the royal palace."

10 So they went. They called out to the people who were guarding the city gates. They told them, "We went into Aram's army camp. No one was there. We didn't hear anyone. The horses and donkeys were still tied up. The tents were left just as they were."

11 The people who guarded the gates shouted the news. It was reported inside the palace.

12 The king of Israel got up in the night. He spoke to his officers. He said, "I'll tell you what the men of Aram have done to us. They know we are very hungry. So they have left the camp to hide in the countryside. They are thinking, 'We are sure they'll come out. Then we'll take them alive. And we'll get into the city.' "

13 One of the king's officers spoke up. He said, "A few horses are still left in the city. Have some men get five of them. They won't be any worse off than all of the other Israelites who are left here. In fact, all of us will soon be dead. So let's send the men to find out what happened."

14 The men chose two chariots and their horses. The king sent them out to look for Aram's army. He commanded the drivers, "Go and find out what has happened."

15 They followed the trail of Aram's soldiers all the way to the Jordan River. They found clothes and supplies all along the road. The soldiers had thrown them down when they ran away. So the men returned. They reported to the king what they had seen.

16 Then the people went out of the city. They took everything of value from Aram's army camp. So seven quarts of flour sold for less than half of an ounce of silver. And 13 quarts of barley sold for the same price. That's exactly what the LORD had said would happen.

17 The king had put an officer in charge of the city gate. He was the officer on whose arm the king leaned. On their way out of the city, the people knocked the officer down. In the entrance of the gate they walked all over him. And he died. That's exactly what the man of God had said would happen. He had said it when the king came down to his house.

18 What the man of God had told the king came true. He had said, "About this time tomorrow, you will be able to buy seven quarts of flour for less than half of an ounce of silver. You will also be able to buy 13 quarts of barley for the same price. That's all you will have to pay for those things at the gate of Samaria."

19 The officer had spoken to the man of God. He had said, "Suppose the LORD opens the windows of the skies. Suppose he pours food down on us. Even if he does, could what you are saying really happen?" The man of God had replied, "You will see it with your own eyes. But you won't eat any of it!"

20 And that's exactly what happened to the officer. On their way out of the city, the people knocked him down. In the entrance of the gate they walked all over him. And he died.

1 Elisha had brought a woman's son back to life. He had said to her, "Go away with your family. Stay for a while anywhere you can. The LORD has decided that there won't be enough food in the land. That will be true for seven years."

2 The woman did just as the man of God told her to. She and her family went away. They stayed in the land of the Philistines for seven years.

3 The seven years passed. Then she came back from the land of the Philistines. She went to the king of Israel. She wanted to beg him to get her house and land back.

4 The king was talking to Gehazi. Gehazi was the servant of the man of God. The king had said, "Tell me about all of the great things Elisha has done."

5 Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had brought a dead boy back to life. Just then the woman came to beg the king to get her house and land back. She was the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life. Gehazi said, "King Joram, this is the woman I've been telling you about. And this is her son. He's the one Elisha brought back to life."

6 The king asked the woman about her house and land. And she told him. Then he appointed an official to look into her case. The king told him, "Give her back everything that belonged to her. That includes all of the money that was earned from her land. It was earned from the day she left the country until now."

7 Elisha went to Damascus. Ben-Hadad was sick. He was king of Aram. The king was told, "The man of God has come all the way up here."

8 Then the king said to Hazael, "Take a gift with you. Go and see the man of God. Ask him for the LORD's advice. Ask him whether I will get well again."

9 Hazael went to see Elisha. He took 40 camels with him as a gift. The camels were loaded with all of the finest goods of Damascus. Hazael went into Elisha's house and stood in front of him. He said, "Ben-Hadad has sent me. He is the king of Aram. He asks, 'Will I get well again?' "

10 Elisha answered, "Go and speak to him. Tell him, 'Yes. You will get well again.' But the LORD has shown me that he will in fact die."

11 Elisha stared at him without looking away. He did it until Hazael felt ashamed. Then the man of God began to sob.

12 "Why are you sobbing?" asked Hazael. "Because I know how much harm you will do to the people of Israel," he answered. "You will set fire to their cities that have high walls around them. You will kill their young men with your sword. You will smash their little children on the ground. You will rip open their pregnant women."

13 Hazael said, "How could I possibly do a thing like that? I'm nothing but a dog. I don't have that kind of power." "You will become king of Aram," Elisha answered. "That's what the LORD has shown me."

14 Then Hazael left Elisha. He returned to his master. Ben-Hadad asked, "What did Elisha say to you?" Hazael replied, "He told me you would get well again."

15 But the next day Hazael got a thick cloth. He soaked it in water. He spread it over the king's face. He held it there until the king died. Then Hazael became the next king after him.

16 Jehoram began to rule as king over Judah. It was in the fifth year that Joram was king of Israel. Joram was the son of Ahab. Jehoram was the son of Jehoshaphat.

17 Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for eight years.

18 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the royal family of Ahab had done. In fact, he got married to a daughter of Ahab. Jehoram did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

19 But the LORD didn't want to destroy Judah. That's because the LORD had made a covenant with his servant David. He had promised to keep the lamp of David's kingdom burning brightly for him and his children after him forever.

20 When Jehoram was king over Judah, Edom refused to remain under Judah's control. They set up their own king.

21 So Jehoram went to Zair. He took all of his chariots with him. The men of Edom surrounded him and his chariot commanders. He got up at night and fought his way out. But his army ran back home.

22 To this very day Edom has refused to remain under Judah's control. At that same time, Libnah also refused to remain under the control of Judah.

23 The other events of Jehoram's rule are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah.

24 Jehoram joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the family tomb in the City of David. His son Ahaziah became the next king after him.

25 Ahaziah began to rule as king over Judah. It was in the 12th year that Joram was king of Israel. Joram was the son of Ahab. Ahaziah was the son of Jehoram.

26 Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for one year. His mother's name was Athaliah. She was a granddaughter of Omri. Omri had been the king of Israel.

27 Ahaziah followed the ways of the royal family of Ahab. Ahaziah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as the family of Ahab had done. That's because he had married into Ahab's family.

28 Ahaziah joined forces with Joram. They went to war against Hazael at Ramoth Gilead. Joram was the son of Ahab. Hazael was king of Aram. The soldiers of Aram wounded King Joram.

29 So he returned to Jezreel to give his wounds time to heal. The soldiers of Aram had wounded him at Ramoth in his battle against Hazael, the king of Aram. Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, went down to Jezreel. He went there to see Joram. That's because Joram had been wounded. Ahaziah was king of Judah. Joram was the son of Ahab.

1 The prophet Elisha sent for a man from the company of the prophets. Elisha said to him, "Tuck your coat into your belt. Take this bottle of olive oil with you. Go to Ramoth Gilead.

2 "When you get there, look for Jehu. He's the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him. Get him away from his companions. Take him into an inside room.

3 Then get the bottle. Pour the oil on his head. Announce to him, 'The LORD says, "I anoint you as king over Israel." ' After that, open the door and run away. Do it quickly!"

4 So the young prophet went to Ramoth Gilead.

5 When he arrived, he found the army officers sitting together. "Commander, I have a message for you," he said. "For which one of us?" asked Jehu. "For you, commander," he replied.

6 Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured the oil on Jehu's head. He announced, "The LORD is the God of Israel. He says, 'I am anointing you as king over my people Israel.

7 You must destroy the royal house of your master Ahab. I will pay them back for spilling the blood of my servants the prophets. I will also pay them back for the blood of all of my servants that Jezebel spilled.

8 The whole house of Ahab will die out. I will cut off every male in Israel who is related to Ahab. It does not matter whether they are slaves or free.

9 " 'I will make Ahab's royal house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. I will make it like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah.

10 Dogs will eat up Jezebel on a piece of land at Jezreel. No one will bury her.' " Then the prophet opened the door and ran away.

11 Jehu went out to where the other officers were. One of them asked him, "Is everything all right? Why did that crazy man come to you?" "You know the man. You know the kinds of things he says," Jehu replied.

12 "That's not true!" they said. "Tell us." Jehu said, "Here is what he told me. He announced, 'The LORD says, "I am anointing you as king over Israel." ' "

13 The officers quickly grabbed their coats. They spread them out under Jehu on the bare steps of the house. Then they blew a trumpet. They shouted, "Jehu is king!"

14 Jehu was the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Jehu made plans against Joram. During that time Joram and Israel's whole army had been guarding Ramoth Gilead. They had been guarding it against Hazael, the king of Aram.

15 But King Joram had returned to Jezreel. He had gone there to give his wounds time to heal. The soldiers of Aram had wounded him in his battle against Hazael, the king of Aram. Jehu said to his men, "Are you really on my side? If you are, don't let anyone sneak out of the city. Don't let them go and tell the news in Jezreel."

16 Then Jehu got into his chariot. He rode off to Jezreel. Joram was resting there. And Ahaziah, the king of Judah, had gone down to see him.

17 A lookout was standing on the roof of the tower in Jezreel. He saw Jehu's troops approaching. So he called out, "I see some troops coming." "Get a horseman," Joram ordered. "Send him to ride out to them. Have him ask, 'Are you coming in peace?' "

18 The horseman rode out to where Jehu was. He said, "The king asks, 'Are you coming in peace?' " "What do you know about peace?" Jehu answered. "Get in line behind me." The lookout reported, "The messenger has reached them. But he isn't coming back."

19 So the king sent out a second horseman. When he came to them, he told them, "The king asks, 'Are you coming in peace?' " Jehu replied, "What do you know about peace? Get in line behind me."

20 The lookout reported, "The second messenger has reached them. But he isn't coming back either. The one driving the chariot drives like Jehu, the son of Nimshi. He's driving like a crazy man."

21 "Get my chariot ready," King Joram ordered. When it was ready, he rode out. Ahaziah, the king of Judah, rode out with him. Each of them was in his own chariot. They both went to meet Jehu. They met him at the piece of land that had belonged to Naboth from Jezreel.

22 When Joram saw Jehu he asked, "Have you come here in peace, Jehu?" "Your mother Jezebel worships statues of gods," Jehu replied. "She also worships evil powers. The evil things she does have spread everywhere. As long as all of that goes on, how can there be peace?"

23 Joram turned around and tried to get away. He called out to Ahaziah. He said, "It's treason, Ahaziah!"

24 Then Jehu shot an arrow at Joram. It hit him between the shoulders. It went through his heart. He sank down slowly in his chariot.

25 Jehu spoke to Bidkar, his chariot officer. He said, "Pick him up. Throw him on the field that belonged to Naboth from Jezreel. Remember how you and I were riding together in chariots behind Joram's father Ahab? It was when the LORD made a prophecy about him. He announced,

26 'Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons. You can be sure that I will make you pay for it on this piece of land.' So pick him up. Throw him on that piece of land. That's what the LORD said would happen."

27 Ahaziah, the king of Judah, saw what had happened. So he tried to get away. He went up the road toward Beth Haggan. Jehu chased him. He shouted, "Kill him too!" Jehu's men wounded Ahaziah in his chariot. It happened on the way up to Gur near Ibleam. But he escaped to Megiddo. And that's where he died.

28 Ahaziah's servants took him to Jerusalem in his chariot. They buried his body in his family tomb in the City of David.

29 Ahaziah had become king of Judah. It was in the 11th year of Joram, the son of Ahab.

30 Jehu went to Jezreel. Jezebel heard about it. So she put makeup on her eyes and fixed her hair. She looked out of a window.

31 Jehu entered the gate below. Then Jezebel said, "You are just like Zimri. You murdered your master. Have you come here in peace?"

32 He looked up at the window. "Who is on my side?" he called out. "Who?" Two or three officials looked down at him.

33 "Throw her down!" Jehu said. So they threw her down. Some of her blood splashed on the wall. Some of it splashed on Jehu's chariot horses as they ran over her.

34 Jehu went inside. He ate and drank. "The LORD put a curse on that woman," he said. "Take proper care of her body. Bury it. After all, she was a king's daughter."

35 So they went out to bury her body. But all they found was her skull, feet and hands.

36 They went back and reported it to Jehu. He told them, "That's what the LORD said would happen. He announced it through his servant Elijah, who was from Tishbe. He said, 'On a piece of land at Jezreel, dogs will eat up Jezebel's body.

37 Her body will be left to rot on that piece of land. So no one will be able to say, "Here's where Jezebel is buried." ' "

1 In the beginning, the Word was already there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 All things were made through him. Nothing that has been made was made without him.

4 Life was in him, and that life was the light for all people.

5 The light shines in the darkness. But the darkness has not understood it.

6 A man came who was sent from God. His name was John.

7 He came to give witness about that light. He gave witness so that all people could believe.

8 John himself was not the light. He came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

10 The Word was in the world that was made through him. But the world did not recognize him.

11 He came to what was his own. But his own people did not accept him.

12 Some people did accept him. They believed in his name. He gave them the right to become children of God.

13 To be a child of God has nothing to do with human parents. Children of God are not born because of human choice or because a husband wants them to be born. They are born because of what God does.

14 The Word became a human being. He made his home with us. We have seen his glory. It is the glory of the one and only Son. He came from the Father. And he was full of grace and truth.

15 John gives witness about him. He cries out and says, "This was the one I was talking about. I said, 'He who comes after me is more important than I am. He is more important because he existed before I was born.' "

16 We have all received one blessing after another. God's grace is not limited.

17 Moses gave us the law. Jesus Christ has given us grace and truth.

18 No one has ever seen God. But God, the one and only Son, is at the Father's side. He has shown us what God is like.

19 The Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask John who he was. John gave witness to them.

20 He did not try to hide the truth. He spoke to them openly. He said, "I am not the Christ."

21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet we've been expecting?" they asked. "No," he answered.

22 They asked one last time, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

23 John replied, using the words of Isaiah the prophet. John said, "I'm the messenger who is calling out in the desert, 'Make the way for the Lord straight.' "(Isaiah 40:3)

24 Some Pharisees who had been sent

25 asked him, "If you are not the Christ, why are you baptizing people? Why are you doing that if you aren't Elijah or the Prophet we've been expecting?"

26 "I baptize people with water," John replied. "But One is standing among you whom you do not know.

27 He is the One who comes after me. I am not good enough to untie his sandals."

28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan River. That was where John was baptizing.