The Axe Head Recovered

1 Now ⁿthe sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.” And he answered, “Go.” 3 Then one of them said, “Be pleased to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.” 4 So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5 But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.” 6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, ^ohe cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. 7 And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it.

Horses and Chariots of Fire

8 Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.” 10 And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice.

11 And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?” 12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” 13 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in ^pDothan.” 14 So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, ^qfor those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please ^ropen his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of ^shorses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” ^tSo he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. 19 And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria.

20 As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, ^ropen the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 21 As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, ^u“My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” 22 He answered, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive ^vwith your sword and with your bow? ^wSet bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” 23 So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again ^xon raids into the land of Israel.

Ben-hadad’s Siege of Samaria

24 Afterward ^yBen-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria. 25 And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab¹ of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver. 26 Now as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” 27 And he said, “If the Lord will not help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?” 28 And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 ^zSo we boiled my son and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.” 30 When the king heard the words of the woman, ^ahe tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, ^ahe had sackcloth beneath on his body— 31 and he said, ^b“May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.”

32 Elisha was sitting in his house, ^cand the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence, but before the messenger arrived Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this ^dmurderer has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” 33 And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the Lord! ^eWhy should I wait for the Lord any longer?”

Qualifications for Overseers

1 The saying is ^vtrustworthy: If anyone aspires to ^wthe office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore ^xan overseer¹ must be above reproach, ^ythe husband of one wife,^{2 z}sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, ^ahospitable, ^bable to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but ^cgentle, not quarrelsome, ^dnot a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity ^ekeeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for ^wGod’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may ^fbecome puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by ^goutsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into ^ha snare of the devil.

Qualifications for Deacons

8 ⁱDeacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued,^{3 j}not addicted to much wine, ^knot greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must ^lhold the mystery of the faith with ^ma clear conscience. 10 And ⁿlet them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 ^oTheir wives likewise⁴ must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, ^pfaithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be ^qthe husband of one wife, ^qmanaging their children and their own households well. 13 For ^rthose who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

The Mystery of Godliness

14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet

Aleph

Beth

Gimel

Daniel’s Terrifying Vision of a Man

1 ^bIn the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, ^cwho was named Belteshazzar. And ^dthe word was true, and it was a great conflict.¹ And ^ehe understood the word and ^ehad understanding of the vision.

2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for ^fthree weeks. 3 I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I ^ganoint myself at all, for ^fthe full three weeks. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing ^hon the bank of the great river (ⁱthat is, the Tigris) 5 ^jI lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, ^ka man clothed in linen, ^lwith a belt of fine ^mgold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like ⁿberyl, his face ^olike the appearance of lightning, ^phis eyes like flaming torches, his arms and ^qlegs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and ^qthe sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. 7 ^rAnd I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and ^sno strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed,^{2 t}and I retained no strength. 9 Then I heard the sound of his words, ^uand as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep ^uwith my face to the ground.

10 And behold, ^va hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, ^wman greatly loved, ^xunderstand the words that I speak to you, and ^ystand upright, for ^znow I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, ^a“Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you ^bset your heart to understand and ^bhumbled yourself before your God, ^cyour words have been heard, ^dand I have come because of your words. 13 ^eThe prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me ^ftwenty-one days, but ^gMichael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, 14 ^dand came to make you understand what is to happen to your people ^hin the latter days. For ⁱthe vision is for days yet to come.”

15 When he had spoken to me according to these words, ^jI turned my face toward the ground ^kand was mute. 16 And behold, ^lone in the likeness of the children of man ^mtouched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, “O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and ⁿI retain no strength. 17 How can my lord’s servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.”

18 Again ^lone having the appearance of a man ^mtouched me and strengthened me. 19 And he said, ^o“O man greatly loved, ^pfear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” 20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the ^qprince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of ^rGreece will come. 21 But I will tell you ^swhat is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except ^tMichael, your prince.