Elisha

Elisha
1. The Sons Of The Prophets Search For Elijah For Three Days
2. Elisha Uses Salt To Make The Water Sweet
3. Bad Boys And Bears
4. Jehoram, Ahab's Son, Becomes King Over Israel
5. Elisha Explains How To Win The Battle
6. Elisha Helps A Widow
7. The Shunammite Woman
8. Elisha Raises The Boy From The Dead
9. Death In The Pot
10. Naaman
11. Gehazi Wants Naaman's Gifts
12. The Floating Axe Head
13. Eyes Are Opened
14. Samaria Is Besieged And There Is A Great Famine
15. Elisha Watches Out For The Shunammite Woman
16. Joash Comes To Elisha For Encouragement
17. Elisha Dies

1. The Sons Of The Prophets Search For Elijah For Three Days - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 2:15-18
The sons of the prophets from Jericho were standing on the opposite bank of the Jordan and saw this. They said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." And they came to meet him bowing to the ground before him. They said to him, "There are fifty of us who ask permission to search for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him to some mountain or valley." But Elisha said, "Do not go." But when they kept begging his permission, he said, "Go." Fifty strong men searched for him for three days but found nothing. They returned to Elisha where he was staying in Jericho. He said to them, "Didn't I tell you not to go searching for him?"

2. Elisha Uses Salt To Make The Water Sweet - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 2:19-22
At that time the men of the city said to Elisha, "This city is well situated except for one thing. The water is bad and this makes the area unfruitful." Elisha replied, "Bring me a new jar with salt in it." So they did this. He went out to the spring of water and threw salt in it, and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'I have purified these waters. They shall not produce death or unfruitfulness any longer.'" And so the waters of that spring have been purified to this day, according to the word of Elisha.

3. Bad Boys And Bears - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 2:23-25
Then Elisha went up from there to Bethel. As he traveled, young boys came out from the city and mocked him, saying, "Go up, you baldhead. Go up, you baldhead!" When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Shortly after that two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty two of them. He went on from there to Mount Carmel and then to Samaria.

4. Jehoram, Ahab's Son, Becomes King Over Israel - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 3:1-3
Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. He reigned twelve years. And he did evil in the LORD's sight, though not as bad as his father and mother. He put away the sacred pillars of Baal that his father had made. But he continued to cling to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he had made Israel sin. And Jehoram did not depart from these.

2 Kings 3:4-12
Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder. He used to pay the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against Israel. King Jehoram went out from Samaria and mustered all Israel. Then he sent word to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?" And Jehoshaphat said, "I will go up with you. My people are as your people and my horses as your horses." He asked, "Which way do you want to go up against Moab?" And Jehoram said, "By way of the wilderness of Edom." So the king of Judah went with the king of Israel, who had also invited the king of Edom. They made a seven day circuit. There was no water for the army or the cattle they had brought with them. The king of Israel said, "It seems that the LORD has called us to be given into the hand of the king of Moab." But Jehoshaphat said, "Do we have a prophet of the LORD with us, that he may inquire of the LORD?" One of Jehoram's servants said, "Yes, Elisha the son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on Elijah's hands." Jehoshaphat said, "The word of the LORD is with him." So the king of Israel, the king of Edom and Jehoshaphat went to Elisha.

5. Elisha Explains How To Win The Battle - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 3:13-25
Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What do I have to do with you? Inquire of the prophets of your father and mother." But the king of Israel said, "No, for the LORD has called the three of us kings together to give us into the hand of Moab." Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, before Whom I stand, if it were not for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not be talking with you. Bring me a minstrel." And when the minstrel played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha. Then Elisha said, "Thus says the LORD, 'Make this valley full of trenches.' For the LORD says, 'You shall not see wind or rain, yet the valley will be filled with water. You will have all the water you and your cattle need..' This is a slight thing for the LORD, and He will give the Moabites into your hand. Then you shall strike every fortified city, fell every good tree and stop all the springs of water. You shall also mar the good pieces of land with stones."

So it was that at about the time of the morning sacrifice, water came from Edom and filled the country with water.

All the Moabites heard that the three kings had come against them. Everyone who could put on armor did so, and the older ones were called to stand at the border. The Moabites rose early in the morning and when they saw the sun shining on the water they thought it was blood. They said to each other, "This is surely blood, for the three kings have fought and killed each other. Let us take the spoil." But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites arose and struck them, so that they fled before the three kings who followed after slaughtering them. They destroyed their cities, threw stones on every good piece of ground, stopped all the springs and fell the good trees.

6. Elisha Helps A Widow - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 4:1-7
There was a woman from among the wives of the prophets. She cried out to Elisha, saying, "Your servant my husband is dead. You know that he feared the LORD. The creditor has come to take my two sons to be slaves." Elisha said to her, "What can I do for you? What do you have in your house?" She answered him, "Your servant has nothing except a jar of oil." Then Elisha said, "Borrow as many empty vessels as you can. Do not get just a few. Then shut your door and pour your jar of oil into these vessels, setting them aside when they are full." So she went home and her sons began bringing borrowed empty vessels to her. She filled all of them from her jar of oil. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." But he replied, "There are no more vessels." Then the oil stopped. She came and told the man of God and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt. Then you and your sons can live on the rest."

7. The Shunammite Woman - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 4:8-17
There was a day when Elisha was passing through Shunem. A prominent woman lived there. She persuaded him to eat some food. After that, whenever he passed that way, he stopped for food. She said to her husband, "I perceive that this is a holy man of God. He passes by quite often. Please, let us make a small upper room with a bed, a table, a chair and a lampstand. Then when he comes this way he can have a place to stay."

One day he came and turned in for a rest in the upper chamber. He told his servant Gehazi to call the Shunammite woman. So she came and stood before him. He told Gehazi to say to her, "You have been so kind to us. Is there anything I can do for you? Would you like for me to speak to the king, or the captain of the army?" And she answered, "I live among my own people." So Elisha said, "What then can be done for her?" And Gehazi said, "She has no son and her husband is old." He said, "Call her." When she came she stood in the doorway. Then Elisha said to her, "At this season next year you will embrace a son." She replied, "No, my lord, O man of God, do not give me false hope."

The woman conceived and bore a son at that season the next year, just as Elisha had said.

8. Elisha Raises The Boy From The Dead - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 4:18-37
When the child was grown, the day came when he went out to the field with his father and the reapers. He complained to his father of a headache and the father had a servant carry him home to his mother. When he was brought home, he sat on his mother's lap until noon and then died. She took him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door and went out. Then she called to her husband, saying, "Send me one of the servants and a donkey that I may go to the man of God." He asked her, "Why go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath." But she said, "It will be good for me to do this." Then she saddled a donkey and said to her servant, "Go quickly and do not slow down on my account unless I tell you to."

She came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. He saw her at a distance and told Gehazi that it was the Shunammite woman. He said, "Please run to meet her and ask her if all is well with her, her husband the child?" And she answered, "It is well."

When she came to the hill where the man of God was, she caught hold of his feet. Gehazi came to push her away, but Elisha said, "Let her alone. Something is very wrong and the LORD has not revealed it to me." Then she said, "Did I ask for a son? Didn't I say, do not deceive me?" Then Elisha said to Gehazi, "Prepare to travel quickly. Take my staff and go. Do not stop to talk with anyone. Go and lay my staff on the lad's face." The mother of the boy said, "As the LORD lives, I will not go home without you." So Elisha arose and followed her. Gehazi got there first and laid the staff on the lad's face. There was no sound or response. So he returned to meet Elisha and said to him, "The lad did not awaken." When Elisha came into the house, the boy was laying on his bed dead. So he entered and shut the door behind him and prayed to the LORD. Then he lay on the child and placed his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, and the flesh of the child became warm. Then Elisha got up and walked back and forth before stretching himself once more upon the child. The lad sneezed seven times and then opened his eyes. Elisha called Gehazi and said, "Call the Shunammite woman." And when she had come, he said, "Here is your son. Take him." Then she fell at his feet, bowing to the ground, and took her son and went out.

9. Death In The Pot - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 4:38-44
When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. He was sitting with the sons of the prophets and told his servant to put a large pot on to boil so they could have food to eat. One of them went into the field to gather herbs. He found a wild vine and gathered a lot of wild gourds from it. He sliced them into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were. When it had cooked they served it to the men. As they were eating it they cried out, "O man of God, there is death in the pot." Elisha called for some meal which he threw into the pot and told them to serve it. After that no harm came to anyone.

A man came from Baalshalisha bringing the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh grain in a sack. Elisha said, "Give them to the people to eat." Elisha's attendant said, "What good will this do for a hundred men?" But Elisha said, "Give them to the people that they may eat, for the LORD says, 'They shall eat and have some left over.'" So it was set before them and they ate and some was left over, as the LORD had said.

10. Naaman - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 5:1-19
A man by the name of Naaman was captain of the army of the king of Syria. He was a great and honorable man and a valiant warrior. The LORD had been with him, but he was a leper. The Syrians had brought back captives from Israel and a little maid of Israel waited on Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, "I wish that my master could see the prophet in Samaria. He could cure him of his leprosy." Naaman went to his master and told him what the little girl from Israel had said about the prophet in Samaria. Then the king said, "Go and I will send a letter to the king of Israel with you."

Naaman departed for Israel taking ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten changes of clothes. He brought the letter to the king of Israel. It said, "I have sent Naaman my servant to you that you may cure him of his leprosy." When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God to kill or make alive? Why is he asking me to cure this man's leprosy? I think he is trying to start a quarrel."

When Elisha the man of God heard that the king had torn his clothes, he sent word to him, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Send him to me that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel."

So Naaman came with his chariots and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. Elisha sent a messenger to him saying, "Go wash in the Jordan River seven times and your flesh will be restored and you will be clean." This made Naaman furious. As he went away he said, "I thought he would come out and stand by me while calling on the name of the LORD his God. Then he might wave his hand over the leprosy and cure me of it. Are not Abanah and Pharpar, rivers in Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Why not wash in them and be clean." So he went away in a rage. But his servants approached him, saying, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, wouldn't you have done it? Why not do as he asked you to do?" So Naaman went down to the Jordan and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had said. And then his flesh was restored like that of a little child, and he was clean.

When he returned to the man of God with all his company, he stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no other God in all the earth but the one in Israel. Please take a present from your servant." Elisha answered, "As the LORD lives, before Whom I stand, I will take nothing." And though Naaman urged him, he refused. Naaman said, "If you will not take a gift, please allow your servant to take two mules loaded with earth, for I will no longer offer sacrifices to other gods, but only to the LORD. And may the LORD pardon your servant for accompanying my master when he goes into the house of Rimmon to worship. He needs me to lean on. But I will not be worshipping Rimmon in his house." Elisha said, "Go in peace." So he departed and had gone some distance.

11. Gehazi Wants Naaman's Gifts - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 5:20-27
Then Gehazi, Elisha's servant, said to himself, "Elisha took nothing from the man, but I will run after him and take something." So he ran after Naaman and when the saw him running after him, he got down from his chariot and ask Gehazi, "Is everything all right?" Gehazi said, "All is well. My master sent me to say that two of the young men of the prophets have come from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothes." Naaman said, "Take two talents of silver." he urged him and bound the two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes and gave them to his servants to carry back for him. When he came to the hill near the house, he took the goods, sent the men away and put the things in the house.

Then he went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" And he said, "Your servant went no where." Then Elisha said, "My heart followed you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you. Is this the time to receive money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, or male and female servants? Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever." So Gehazi went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

12. The Floating Axe Head - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 6:1-7
The sons of the prophets told Elisha that their living space was not adequate. They asked permission to go to the Jordon and bring back beams to expand their living quarters. And Elisha gave his blessing. Then one of them said, "Please go with us." And he agreed. When they came to the Jordan they cut down trees. As one of them was felling one of the trees, his axe head fell in the water. He cried out, "Master, this axe was borrowed." Then the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" When he was shown the place, he cut a branch and threw it in the water at that place, and the axe head floated. Then he told the man to take the axe head up out of the water.

13. Eyes Are Opened - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 6:8-23
The king of Syria was at war with Israel. He made strategic plans with his advisors. Afterwards Elisha would send word to the king of Israel telling him what the king of Syria was planning. The king of Israel would send men to the place that God had told him about through Elisha, and thus he would be ready for what the king of Syria had planned. This happened more than once. The king of Syria was angry at what seemed to him to be treason among his counselors. Then one of his servants said, "No, my lord. It is because Elisha the prophet in Israel tells the king of Israel the words you speak in your bedroom." So the king of Syria said, "Find out where he is. I want to capture him." Then he was told, "He is in Dothan." He then sent horses, chariots, and a great army to Dothan. They surrounded the city at night. When the servant of the man of God got up early and went outside, he saw the army with horses and chariots encircling the city. He ran to Elisha and said, "O master, what shall we do?" Elisha answered, "Do not be afraid. Those who are for us are more than those who are with them." Then Elisha prayed to the LORD, saying, "I pray, O LORD, open his eyes that he may see." And the LORD opened the eyes of his servant and he saw the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire. As they came down to take Elisha prisoner, he prayed to the LORD, saying, "Please strike this people with blindness." So the LORD struck the Syrian army with blindness. Then Elisha said to them, "This is not the way. Let me lead you to the man you are seeking." And he brought them to Samaria. When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, "O LORD, open the eyes of these men." So the LORD opened their eyes and they saw that they were in the midst of Samaria. When the king of Israel saw the army of Syria, He said, "My father, Shall I kill them?" Elisha answered, "Do not kill them for they are your captives. Give them bread and water and let them return to their master." So a great feast was prepared. They ate and then went to their master. And the marauding bands of Syrians did not come into the land of Israel any more.

14. Samaria Is Besieged And There Is A Great Famine - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 6:24-33
It was sometime after this that Benhadad king of Syria gathered his hosts and besieged Samaria. Samaria was experiencing a great famine. During the siege it got so that a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, And two and a half pints of dove's dung was sold for five shekels of silver. As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, he heard a woman cry out to him, saying, "Help me, O king!" He said to her, "If the LORD is not helping you, how shall I? What is the matter?" She answered, "This woman said to me, 'Let's eat your son today and tomorrow we will eat my son.' So we boiled my son and ate him. Today, I said to her, 'Give up your son that we may eat. ' But she has hidden him." When the king heard this, he tore his clothes. Then he walked on the wall wearing sackcloth. He said, "May God do so to me and more so, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today."

Now Elisha was sitting in his house with the elders. The king sent a man to kill Elisha. But before he got there, Elisha said, "Do you see how the son of a murderer has sent someone to take away my head? When the messenger comes, his master's steps will not be far behind."

While he was still talking with them, the messenger came to him, and said, "This evil is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer."

2 Kings 7:1-20
Then Elisha said, "Here is what the LORD says: 'At this time tomorrow, in the gate of Samaria, you will be able to buy a measure of flour for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel..'" The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning said to Elisha, "If the LORD should open the windows of heaven, this could not happen." And Elisha answered him, "You will see this happen but you will not eat any of it."

There were four lepers at the entrance of the gate. They said to each other, "Why should we sit here until we die? If we go into the city the famine is there and we will die. If we stay here we will die of the famine. Let us go over to the Syrian camp. Maybe they will have pity on us and give us food. And if they kill us, we will be no worse off that we are here." They got up at twilight and went to the Syrian camp. As they entered the camp, they saw that no one was there. The LORD had caused the Syrian army to hear the sound of chariots and horses, as of a great army. They said to each other, "The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and the Egyptians to come against us." So they arose and fled in the twilight, leaving their tents, horses, donkeys, and everything in the camp just as it was as they fled for their lives. When the lepers entered the outskirts of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank. Then they carried away the silver, gold and clothing and went away to hide them. Then they came to another tent and did the same. Then they said to each other, "We are not doing the right thing. We should not keep silent about this. If we do not let those in the city know about this, we will be punished. Let's go and tell the king's household." So they came to the city gatekeepers, and told them, saying, "We have been in the Syrian camp and the army is gone. The horses and donkeys and the tents are just the way they were before the army left." Their message was relayed to the king. The king arose and said to his servants, "I know what the Syrians are doing. They know we are hungry and they are hiding somewhere away from the camp until they see all of us come out. They plan to capture us alive and then come into the city." One of his servants said, "Please, let some men take five of the remaining horses and go to see. We are all going to die if we remain here." So they took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them to follow after the Syrians. They followed as far as the Jordan. All along the way there was clothing and equipment the Syrians had thrown away in their haste to get away. The messengers returned and told the king. So the people went out of the city and plundered the camp of the Syrians. Then it was that a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, just as the LORD had said.

The king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he had leaned to have charge of the gate. But the people trampled on him in their hurry to go out of the city, and he died just as the man of God had said when the king came to him the previous day. It all happened just as Elisha had said it would. Two measures of barley were sold for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel at the gate of Samaria. The royal officer had answered the man of God, saying, "Even if the LORD opened the windows of heaven, that could not happen." And Elisha had said, "You will see it with your own eyes but not eat any of it." And so it happened to him, for in their hurry to get to the food, the people trampled him to death at the gate.

15. Elisha Watches Out For The Shunammite Woman - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 8:1-6
Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, "Arise, you and your household, and find a place to sojourn, for the LORD has called for a famine that will last seven years." So the woman took his advice and went to live for a while in the land of the Philistines. After seven years the family came back to Israel and she appealed to the king to have her house and field restored to her. The king had been talking with Gehazi about all the great things Elisha had done. As he was telling the king how Elisha had restored to life the son of this particular woman, she showed up to make her appeal to the king. Then Gehazi said, "O king, this is the woman and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life." The king asked the woman to verify everything Gehazi had said. Then he appointed an officer to restore her house and land, and even the produce from the land since she had left to sojourn with the Philistines.

16. Joash Comes To Elisha For Encouragement - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 13:14-19
When Elisha became sick with the illness with which he would die, Joash the king of Israel came to him and wept, saying, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" Elisha said, "Take a bow and some arrows." So Joash took a bow and some arrows. Then Elisha said to the king, "Put your hand on the bow." When he had done this, Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. He said, "Open the east window, " and he opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot!" And he shot. Then Elisha said, "The LORD's arrow of victory over Syria. You will defeat the Syrians at Aphek and destroy them." Then Elisha said, "Take the arrows, " and he took them. And he said, "Strike the ground with them!" And he struck it three times. So the man of God was angry with him and said, "Your should have struck five or six times. Then you would have destroyed Syria. Now you will strike Syria only three times."

17. Elisha Dies - Back to Page Index
2 Kings 13:20-21
Elisha died and was buried. Bands of Moabites were invading the land in the spring of the year. A man was being buried at the same time and when those burying him saw the marauding band, they hastily cast the dead man into the grave where Elisha had been buried. When the dead man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood up.

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