WELS Through my Bible in Three Years

John 1:35-51 (EHV)

35 The next day, John was standing there again with two of his disciples. 36 When John saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look! The Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

38 When Jesus turned around and saw them following him, he asked, “What are you looking for?”

They said to him, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

39 He told them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying. They stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour. [1]

40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his own brother Simon and say to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is translated “the Christ”). [2] 42 He brought him to Jesus.

Looking at him, Jesus said, “You are Simon, son of Jonah. [3] You will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”). [4]

43 The next day, Jesus wanted to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter.

45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

46 Nathanael said to him, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”

“Come and see!” Philip told him.

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Truly, here is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?”

Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

50 Jesus replied, “You believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that!” 51 Then he added, “Amen, Amen, [5] I tell you: [6] You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

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John 1:19-34 (EHV)

19 This is the testimony John gave when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites [1] to ask him, “Who are you?”

20 He confessed and did not deny. He confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

21 And they asked him, “Who are you then? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

“No,” he answered.

22 Then they asked him, “Who are you? Tell us so we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ [2] just as Isaiah the prophet said.”

24 They had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 So they asked John, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”

26 “I baptize with water,” John answered. “Among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one coming after me, [3] whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”

28 These things happened in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘The one coming after me outranks me because he existed before me.’ 31 I myself did not know who he was, but I came baptizing with water so that he would be revealed to Israel.”

32 John also testified, “I saw the Spirit descend like a dove from heaven and remain on him. 33 I myself did not recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this myself and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

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John 1:1-18 (EHV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him everything was made, and without him not one thing was made that has been made. 4 In him was [1] life, and the life was the light of mankind. 5 The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome [2] it.

6 There was a man, sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as an eyewitness to testify about the light so that everyone would believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

9 The real light that shines on everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to what was his own, yet his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They were born, not of blood, or of the desire of the flesh, or of a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and dwelled [3] among us. We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 John testified about him. He cried out, “This was the one I spoke about when I said, ‘The one coming after me outranks me because he existed before me.’” 16 For [4] out of his fullness we have all received grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only-begotten Son, [5] who is close to the Father’s side, has made him known.

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

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1 Kings 22 (EHV)

1 Three years went by without any warfare between Aram and Israel. 2 In the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel.

3 The king of Israel said to his officials, “Don’t you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us? But we have done nothing to take it from the king of Aram.” 4 Then he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you come with me to wage war at Ramoth Gilead?”

Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am like you. My people are like your people. My horses are like your horses.”

5 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the word of the Lord.”

6 So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and he said to them, “Should I go up to make war at Ramoth Gilead or should I refrain?”

They said, “Go up, for the Lord [1] will give it into the hand of the king.”

7 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here who can inquire of the Lord for us?”

8 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is one man who could inquire of the Lord for us, but I hate him because he does not prophesy anything good about me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not talk like that.”

9 So the king of Israel summoned one of his court officials and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah here.”

10 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were seated, each on his own throne, arrayed in their robes. They were sitting by the threshing floor at the entrance to the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying before them.

11 Zedekiah son of Kena’anah had made iron horns for himself, and he said, “This is what the Lord says. With these you will gore Aram to death.” 12 All the prophets were prophesying in this same way: “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and triumph, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”

13 The messenger who was sent to summon Micaiah said to him, “Pay attention to the words of the prophets. With one mouth they are promising good things to the king. Let your words be like the words of one of them and say something good.”

14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, whatever the Lord says to me, that is what I will say.”

15 Then he came to the king, and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go up to make war on Ramoth Gilead, or should we refrain?”

He answered him, “Go up and triumph, for the Lord will give them into the hand of the king.”

16 Then the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear that you will tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

17 Then Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘They have no masters. Each one should return to his home in peace.’”

18 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he does not prophesy anything good about me, but only bad?”

19 Then Micaiah said:

Now hear this word from the Lord.

I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the whole army of heaven was standing around him, on his right and on his left.

20 Then the Lord said, “Who will entice Ahab so that he goes up and falls at Ramoth Gilead?”

One spirit said this. Another one said that. 21 Finally a spirit came and stood before the Lord and said, “I will entice him.”

The Lord said to him, “How?”

22 He said, “I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.”

Then the Lord said, “You will entice him successfully. Go and do it.”

23 Now look! The Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouths of all these prophets of yours, for the Lord has decreed disaster for you.

24 Then Zedekiah son of Kena’anah came up and struck Micaiah on his cheek and said, “Where is this pathway on which the spirit of the Lord has traveled from me to speak to you?”

25 Micaiah said, “Listen to me. You will see it on the day you go into the inner room to hide.”

26 Then the king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon, the administrator of the city, and to Joash son of the king. 27 Then say, ‘This is what the king says. Put this man in prison and feed him nothing more than bread and water until I come back safely.’”

28 Then Micaiah said, “If you ever come back safely, then the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he said, “Hear this, you people, all of you!”

29 Then the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.

30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself when I go into the battle, but you wear your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

31 The king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone small or great, but only against the king of Israel.”

32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “That is the king of Israel!” They turned to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried for help.

33 When the chariot commanders realized that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him. 34 But a man shot an arrow at random and struck the king of Israel in the seam between two parts of his armor.

So Ahab said to his chariot driver, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, because I have been wounded.”

35 The battle went on all that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing Aram. He died in the evening, and the blood from his wound ran down onto the floor of the chariot. 36 Then, as the sun was going down, a cry went up through the army: “Every man to his own city and every man to his own land!”

37 So the king died, and they brought him to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. 38 They washed the chariot at the pool of Samaria, and dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes bathed there, in fulfillment of the word which the Lord had spoken.

39 As for the rest of Ahab’s acts and everything he did, and the ivory house he built, and all the cities he built, are they not written in the annals of the kings of Israel? 40 Ahab rested with his fathers. Then his son Ahaziah became king in his place.

41 Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. The name of his mother was Azubel daughter of Shilhi.

43 Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa. He did not turn from them. He did what is right in the eyes of the Lord. But the high places were not removed. The people were still sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. 44 Jehoshaphat was at peace with the king of Israel. [2]

45 As for the rest of Jehoshaphat’s acts, the mighty deeds which he did, and the wars he fought, are they not written in the annals of the kings of Judah?

46 He removed from the land the rest of the male shrine prostitutes who remained from the days of his father Asa. 47 There was no king in Edom, but rather a governor represented the king.

48 Jehoshaphat constructed trading ships [3] to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set out, because the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber. [4] 49 Then Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in ships,” but Jehoshaphat was not willing.

50 Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David. Then his son Jehoram became king in his place.

51 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. He ruled over Israel for two years. 52 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and walked in the ways of his father and in the ways of his mother and in the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. 53 He served Baal and bowed down to him, and he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger in all the same ways that his father did.

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

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1 Kings 21 (EHV)

1 Some time passed after these events.

Naboth from Jezre’el had a vineyard in Jezre’el, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard so I can use it as a vegetable garden, because it is beside my house, and I will give you a better vineyard in exchange. Or if you prefer, I will give you the purchase price in silver.”

3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “May I be cursed by the Lord, if I were to give you the inheritance from my fathers.”

4 Ahab went to his house sullen and angry because of what Naboth from Jezre’el had said to him, for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” Ahab lay down on his bed and turned his face away and would not eat anything.

5 Then his wife Jezebel came to him and said, “Why is your spirit so sullen, and why don’t you eat?”

6 Then he told her, “I said to Naboth from Jezre’el, ‘Sell your vineyard to me, or if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”

7 Then his wife Jezebel said to him, “Are you now acting like the king over Israel? Get up! Eat something, and cheer up. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth from Jezre’el.”

8 Then Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal. She sent the letters to the elders and nobles who were living in the city with Naboth. 9 She wrote in the letters, “Proclaim a fast and then seat Naboth at the head of the people. 10 Seat two wicked, worthless men opposite him and have them testify, ‘You cursed God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”

11 The men of the city—the elders and the nobles who lived there—did exactly as Jezebel had commanded them, exactly as she had written in the letters she had sent them. 12 They proclaimed a fast and then seated Naboth at the head of the people. 13 They brought two wicked, worthless men and seated them opposite him. The wicked men testified against Naboth before the people, “Naboth cursed God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. 14 Then they sent word to Jezebel, “Naboth has been stoned to death.”

15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Go and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth from Jezre’el, which he refused to sell to you, because Naboth is no longer alive but dead.” 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he went and took possession of the vineyard of Naboth from Jezre’el.

17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah from Tishbe:

18 Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. Right now he is in Naboth’s vineyard because he has gone down to take possession of it.

19 You are to tell him: This is what the Lord says. Have you committed murder and seized this man’s property?

Then you will say to him: This is what the Lord says. In the place where dogs licked Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick your blood also.

20 Then Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?”

Elijah said, “I have found you, because you sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, who says, 21 ‘I am bringing disaster against you, and I will burn you up. I will cut off from Ahab in Israel all those who urinate against the wall, [1] both bound and free. [2] 22 I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Ba’asha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and caused Israel to sin.’

23 “Concerning Jezebel the Lord says, ‘Dogs will eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezre’el.’ 24 The dead who belong to Ahab in the city the dogs will eat, and the dead in the country the birds of the air will eat.”

25 There had never been anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, incited by his wife Jezebel. 26 He committed obscene acts by following filthy idols, like everything that the Amorites had done, for which the Lord drove them out before the people of Israel. 27 But when Ahab heard these words, he cried out and tore his clothes. He put on sackcloth and fasted. He slept in sackcloth and went around in a subdued manner.

28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah from Tishbe, saying, 29 “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring this disaster during his days, but during the days of his son I will bring disaster upon his house.”

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

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1 Kings 20 (EHV)

1 Then Ben Hadad king of Aram, along with thirty-two kings, mobilized his whole army with their horses and chariots. He went up and laid siege to Samaria and fought against it. 2 He sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel in the city, 3 who said to him, “This is what Ben Hadad says. Your silver and your gold are mine. The best of your wives and your children are mine.”

4 The king of Israel answered, “Just as you have said, my lord the king, I and all that I own are yours.”

5 The messengers came a second time and said, “This is what Ben Hadad says. I did indeed send word to you, saying, ‘You must give me your silver and your gold and your wives and your children.’ 6 So at this time tomorrow, I will send my servants to you, and they will search your palace and the houses of your officials, and they will gather up everything that you value and take it away.”

7 The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land. “See how this man is looking for trouble. When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him.”

8 All the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen and do not agree to this!”

9 So he told Ben Hadad’s messengers, “Say this to your lord the king. Everything which you demanded of your servant the first time, I will do, but this thing I cannot do.” So the messengers brought his message back to the king.

10 Then Ben Hadad sent word to him: “May the gods punish me severely and even double it, if the dust left from Samaria will be enough to give a handful to each of those who follow me.”

11 The king of Israel answered, “Tell him that someone who is putting his armor on should not boast like someone who is taking it off.”

12 When he heard this message, Ben Hadad and his kings were in their tents drinking. He said to his servants, “Get ready!” and they took up positions against the city.

13 But then, at that time, a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord says. Do you see all of this huge horde? [1] Look, I am giving it into your hands today. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

14 Then Ahab said, “Through whom will this happen?”

The prophet answered, “This is what the Lord says. It will be through the young officers from the provinces.”

He said, “Who will start the battle?”

He said, “You will.”

15 So Ahab inspected the young officers from the provinces and found that there were two hundred thirty-two. After inspecting them he inspected the whole army. The Israelites numbered seven thousand men. 16 They marched out at noon while Ben Hadad was getting drunk in his tent, along with the thirty-two kings who were supporting him. 17 So the young officers from the provinces marched out first. Ben Hadad sent out scouts, who told him, “Men are marching out of Samaria!”

18 Ben Hadad said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive! Even if they have come out for war, take them alive!” 19 But when the young officers from the provinces and the army that was with them marched out, 20 each of them killed his opponent. Then the Arameans fled, and Israel pursued them. Ben Hadad king of Aram fled on a horse with his charioteers. [2]

21 The king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots. He inflicted a great defeat on Aram.

22 Afterward the prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him, “Strengthen your position and consider carefully what you should do, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you.”

23 The king of Aram’s officials said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they defeated us. But if we fight them on the plain, we will certainly defeat them. 24 Now do this. Remove the kings from their positions as field commanders, and replace them with military officers. 25 Then raise an army like the army you lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then if we fight them on the plain, we will certainly defeat them.” The king listened to them and did what they recommended.

26 When spring came, Ben Hadad mobilized the army of Aram and went up to Aphek to wage war against Israel. 27 The Israelites also were mobilized and given provisions, and they went out to confront the Arameans. The Israelites camped across from them, like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans filled the land.

28 Then the man of God approached and said to the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says. Because the Arameans said, ‘The Lord is a god of the hills, but not a god of the valleys,’ I will give all of this huge horde into your hands. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

29 So they camped opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day the battle was joined by both armies. The Israelites struck down the Arameans—one hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day. 30 The survivors fled to the city of Aphek, and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the survivors. Ben Hadad also fled and went into the city, to an inner room.

31 Then his officials said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. So let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads and go out to the king of Israel. Maybe he will spare your life.”

32 So they wrapped sackcloth around their waists and put ropes on their heads, and they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant, Ben Hadad, says, ‘Please spare my life.’”

Ahab said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” [3]

33 The men took this as a good omen, so they quickly latched on to what he said and responded, “Ben Hadad is your brother.”

Then Ahab said, “Go get him.” So Ben Hadad came out to him, and Ahab brought him up into his chariot.

34 Ben Hadad said to him, “I will return the cities that my father took from your father, and you may put your own trading centers in Damascus, just as my father put them in Samaria.”

Then Ahab said, “Under these terms, I release you.” So he made a treaty [4] with Ben Hadad and let him go.

35 Then by the word of the Lord one of the sons of the prophets [5] said to his neighbor, “Strike me, please.” But the man refused to strike him. 36 So he said to him, “Because you did not listen to the voice of the Lord, when you leave me, a lion will kill you.” When he left him, a lion found him and killed him.

37 Then he found another man and said, “Strike me, please.” The man struck him and wounded him. 38 The prophet went and stood before the king at the road and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.

39 When the king was passing by, the prophet shouted to the king, “Your servant went out in the middle of the battle. Then someone brought a man to me and said, ‘Guard this man. If you can’t account for him, then it will be your life for his life, or you will have to pay a talent of silver.’ 40 But while your servant was busy doing this and that, all of a sudden the man was gone!”

Then the king of Israel said to him, “That is your sentence. You have pronounced it on yourself.”

41 Then he quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.

42 He said to the king, “This is what the Lord says. Because you set a man free, whom I had devoted to destruction, it will be your life for his life and your people for his people.” 43 The king of Israel headed for his palace sullen and angry, and he arrived in Samaria.

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

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1 Kings 19 (EHV)

1 Then Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done, including the fact that he had killed all their prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to say to Elijah, “May the gods punish me severely and even double it, if by this time tomorrow I have not made your life like one of theirs.”

3 Elijah was afraid, [1] and he ran for his life. He went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and he left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. There he sat down under a broom tree, where he prayed that he would die. He said, “I’ve had enough, Lord. Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 Then he lay down and went to sleep under the broom tree.

Suddenly an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”

6 Then he looked around, and near his head there was a loaf of bread baking on coals and a jar of water, so he ate and drank, and then he lay down again.

7 Then the angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, because the journey is too much for you.”

8 So he got up and ate and drank. Then, with the strength gained from that food, he walked for forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 He came to a cave and spent the night there.

Then the word of the Lord suddenly came to him, saying, “Why are you here, Elijah?”

10 He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of Armies, but the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant. They have torn down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking to take my life.”

11 Then the Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is passing by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains and shattered rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.

After the wind came an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

12 After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.

After the fire there was a soft, whispering voice.

13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak, and he went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Then a voice came to him and said, “Why are you here, Elijah?”

14 He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of Armies, but the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant. They have torn down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking to take my life.”

15 Then the Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came and go to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you get there, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16 You will also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah as prophet in your place. 17 Whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill, and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 But I have preserved in Israel seven thousand whose knees have not bent to Baal and whose lips have not kissed him.”

19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. Elisha was doing the plowing with twelve teams of oxen in front of him, and he himself was driving the twelfth team. Elijah crossed over to him and threw his cloak over him. 20 Then Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah. He said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother good-bye! Then I will follow you.”

Then Elijah said, “Go back! For what have I done to you?”

21 So Elisha turned back from following him. Then he took the team of oxen and slaughtered them. Using the equipment from the oxen as fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he got up, followed Elijah, and served him.

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

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1 Kings 17 – 18 (EHV)

1 Elijah from Tishbe, one of the settlers in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the Lord lives, the God of Israel before whom I stand, there will be no dew or rain during the coming years, except at my word.”

2 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 3 “Leave this place and turn east. Hide yourself by the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the stream, and I will command the ravens to provide for you there.”

5 So Elijah went and did just as the Lord had said. He lived in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening, and he drank from the stream.

7 After some time the stream dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Get up! Go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there. I have commanded a woman there, a widow, to provide for you.”

10 So he got up and went to Zarephath. He came to the city gate, and there he saw a widow gathering sticks. He called to her and said, “Please give me a little water in a jar, so that I can have something to drink.”

11 When she went to get it, he called to her, “Please bring me a piece of bread.”

12 She said, “As surely as the Lord your God lives, I have no food except a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a pitcher. See, I am gathering a couple of sticks so that I can go and prepare it for myself and my son, so that we can eat it and then die.”

13 Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid. Go and do just as you said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from the flour and bring it out to me. Then go and make another for you and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says. The jar of flour will not run out and the pitcher of oil will not become empty until the day the Lord sends rain to water the surface of the ground.”

15 So she went and did exactly as Elijah said. He and she, as well as her household, were able to eat for many days. 16 The jar of flour did not run out, and the pitcher of oil did not become empty, just as the Lord had said through Elijah.

17 After these events, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. The illness became worse until he stopped breathing.

18 Then she said to Elijah, “What is the issue between us, man of God? Have you come to remind me of my sins and to kill my son?”

19 He said to her, “Bring your son to me.” Then he took him and carried him to the upstairs room where he was living, and he laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, have you sent tragedy on this woman with whom I am staying by killing her son?”

21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times, and he cried out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, let this boy’s soul [1] return to his body!” 22 The Lord listened to Elijah’s voice, and the boy’s soul returned to his body, and he came to life. 23 Then Elijah took the boy and brought him down to the house from his upstairs room, and he gave him to his mother.

Elijah said, “See, your son is alive!”

24 The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is true.”

1 After a long time, the word of the Lord came to Elijah. (It was during the third year.) He said, “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain to water the surface of the ground.” 2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.

Now the drought was severe in Samaria. 3 Ahab had summoned his servant Obadiah, the palace administrator. Obadiah was devoted to serving [2] the Lord. 4 When Jezebel was exterminating the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and kept them hidden in two caves, fifty in each cave, and he provided food and water for them.

5 Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs and all the streams. Maybe we will find enough grass so that we can keep the horses and mules alive, and we will not have to slaughter the cattle.” 6 In order to cover the whole land, they divided it between the two of them. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

7 While Obadiah was on the way, Elijah suddenly met him. Obadiah recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Is that you, my lord Elijah?”

8 Elijah answered him, “Yes, it is. Go and tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’”

9 But Obadiah said, “How have I sinned that you would hand your servant over to Ahab for him to kill me? 10 As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is no country or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ then he made that kingdom and nation swear that they could not find you. 11 But now you are telling me, ‘Go, tell your master that Elijah is here.’ 12 As soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you to some place I do not know. When I go to tell Ahab and he then does not find you, he will kill me, even though your servant has been devoted to the Lord since my youth.

13 “Has my lord not been told what I did when Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I kept one hundred of the prophets of the Lord hidden in two caves, fifty in each, and I provided food and water for them. 14 But now you are saying, ‘Go and tell your master that Elijah is here.’”

15 But Elijah said to him, “As surely as the Lord of Armies lives, before whom I stand, I will present myself to him today.” 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and he informed him. Then Ahab came to meet Elijah.

17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, the one who brings trouble on Israel?”

18 Elijah said, “It is not I who have brought trouble on Israel, but rather you and your father’s house, because you abandoned the Lord’s commandments and followed the Baals. 19 But now gather all Israel before me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 20 So Ahab sent word to all the people of Israel, and he assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.

21 Then Elijah said to all the people, “How long will you stagger around on two crutches? If the Lord is God, follow him. If Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a single word.

22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only one left of the Lord’s prophets, but the prophets of Baal total four hundred fifty men. 23 Provide two bulls for us. Let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it up and place it on the firewood, but they are not to light the fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the firewood, but I will not light the fire. 24 Then you will call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers with fire, he is God.”

All the people said, “This proposal is good.”

25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull, and you go first because there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god. But do not light the fire.”

26 So they took the bull which had been given to them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, “Baal! Answer us!” But there was not a sound. No one answered. So they staggered [3] around the altar which they had made.

27 When noon came, Elijah mocked them: “Shout louder! He is a god, isn’t he? He may be deep in thought or busy or on a journey. Perhaps he is asleep and will wake up!” 28 So they cried out with a loud voice, and according to their practice they cut themselves with daggers and spears until their blood flowed. 29 After noon, they kept up a prophetic frenzy until the time of the evening sacrifice, but there was no sound. No one answered. There was no response.

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” So they came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come and had proclaimed, “Your name shall be Israel.” 32 He built the stones into an altar in the name of the Lord. Around it he made a trench big enough to hold about twenty-five pounds [4] of seed. 33 He arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood.

Then he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the sacrifice and on the wood.” 34 Then he said, “Do it again.” So they did it again. Then he said, “Do it a third time.” So they did it a third time. 35 The water flowed all around the altar. It even filled the trench.

36 When the time of the evening sacrifice had arrived, Elijah the prophet stood up and said, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and that I have done all these things by your word. 37 Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you are turning their hearts back to you.”

38 Fire from the Lord fell on the sacrifice and on the wood, the stones, and the dirt. It even licked up the water in the trench. 39 When all the people saw this, they fell on their knees and said, “The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God!”

40 Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one of them escape!” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon River and slaughtered them there.

41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for I hear the sound of a heavy rainstorm.” 42 So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. He bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. 43 He said to his servant, “Go up and look toward the sea.”

So his servant went up and looked, and he said, “There is nothing.”

But seven times Elijah told him, “Go again.”

44 On the seventh time the servant said, “There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.”

Then Elijah said to him, “Go up and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down so that the rain does not stop you.’”

45 Meanwhile, the skies got dark with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab got into his chariot and went to Jezre’el. 46 But the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he hiked up his garments around his waist and ran ahead of Ahab until he came to Jezre’el.

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

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1 Kings 16:8-34 (EHV)

8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Ba’asha became king over Israel in Tirzah for two years. 9 But his officer Zimri, the commander of half his chariots, conspired against him while Elah was in Tirzah getting drunk at the house of Arza, the palace administrator of Tirzah. 10 Zimri came in and struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and he became king in his place.

11 When Zimri became king, as soon as he was seated on the throne, he struck down the entire house of Ba’asha. He did not leave for him anyone who urinates against the wall, [1] neither relatives nor friends. 12 So Zimri exterminated the entire house of Ba’asha according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke to Ba’asha through the prophet Jehu. 13 He did this because of all the sins which Ba’asha and his son Elah committed and which they caused Israel to commit. They provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger with their useless idols. 14 As for the rest of Elah’s acts and everything he did, are they not written in the annals of the kings of Israel?

15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned as king in Tirzah for seven days. The army was laying siege to Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. 16 The army which was laying siege heard the report that Zimri had conspired against the king and had already struck him down. So in the camp on that day all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel. 17 Then Omri and all Israel went up from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. 18 When Zimri saw that the city had fallen, he went into the fortified part of the palace, and he burned it down on himself. So he died 19 because of the sin he committed by doing evil in the eyes of the Lord by walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in the sin which he had caused Israel to commit. 20 As for the rest of Zimri’s acts and the conspiracy he led, are they not written in the annals of the kings of Israel?

21 Then the people of Israel were divided. Half of the people supported making Tibni son of Ginath king. Half supported Omri. 22 But the people who were for Omri were stronger than the people who were for Tibni son of Ginath, so Tibni died, and Omri became king.

23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel for twelve years. He ruled for six years in Tirzah. 24 Then he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents [2] of silver. He built up the hill, and he named the city he built after Shemer, the owner of the hill of Samaria. [3]

25 Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He committed more evil than all those who had gone before him. 26 He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in the sin which he caused Israel to commit, provoking the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger with his useless idols. 27 As for the rest of Omri’s acts, the things he did, and the mighty deeds he accomplished, are they not written in the annals of the kings of Israel? 28 Omri rested with his fathers, and he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Ahab became king in his place.

29 Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah. Ahab son of Omri ruled over Israel in Samaria for twenty-two years. 30 Ahab son of Omri committed more evil in the eyes of the Lord than all those who had gone before him. 31 He considered it a trivial thing to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat. He married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians. He served Baal and bowed down to him. 32 He erected an altar to Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab made an Asherah pole and did even more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who had gone before him.

34 In the days of Ahab, Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, he laid its foundations, and at the cost of his youngest son Segub, he set up its gates. This fulfilled the word of the Lord which he had spoken through Joshua son of Nun.

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

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1 Kings 15:1 – 16:7 (EHV)

1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam [1] became king over Judah. 2 He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Ma’akah, granddaughter of Abishalom. [2] 3 He walked in all the sins which his father had practiced before him, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord as the heart of his grandfather David had been. 4 But for the sake of David, the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up his son after him and by making Jerusalem strong. 5 He did this because David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and he did not turn from all that the Lord commanded all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

6 There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. 7 As for the rest of Abijam’s acts and everything he did, are they not written in the annals of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8 Abijam rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then his son Asa became king in his place.

9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa king of Judah became king. 10 He ruled for forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother’s [3] name was Ma’akah granddaughter of Abishalom. 11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord as his father David had done. 12 He drove the male shrine prostitutes out of the land, and he removed all the filthy idols which his fathers had made. 13 In addition, he also removed his grandmother Ma’akah from being queen mother because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. Asa cut down her obscene image and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 14 But the high places were not removed. Nevertheless, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his days. 15 He brought silver and gold and vessels and utensils into the House of the Lord as dedicated offerings for himself and his father.

16 There was war between Asa and Ba’asha king of Israel throughout all their days. 17 Ba’asha king of Israel attacked Judah, and he fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. 18 So Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the House of the Lord and the treasuries of the king’s palace, and he gave them to his officials. Then King Asa sent them to Ben Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion king of Aram, who was living in Damascus. 19 He said, “There should be a treaty between you and me as there was between my father and your father. Look, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Come, break your treaty with Ba’asha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.”

20 Ben Hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his army against the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Ma’akah, and all of Kinneret, as well as all the land of Naphtali. 21 When Ba’asha heard about this, he stopped fortifying Ramah, and he stayed in Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa summoned all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timber with which Ba’asha had been building, and King Asa used them to fortify Geba in Benjamin and Mizpah.

23 As for all the rest of Asa’s acts and all his mighty deeds and everything else he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the annals of the kings of Judah? But in his old age his feet became diseased. 24 Asa rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then his son Jehoshaphat became king in his place.

25 Nadab son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah. He ruled over Israel for two years. 26 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He walked in the ways of his father and in the sin which he had caused Israel to commit. 27 Ba’asha son of Ahijah from the house of Issachar conspired against him and struck him down in Gibbethon, which belongs to the Philistines. (Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.) 28 Ba’asha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and became king in his place.

29 When Ba’asha became king, he struck down the whole house of Jeroboam, until it was exterminated according to the word of the Lord, which he had spoken through his servant Ahijah from Shiloh. For Jeroboam’s house he did not spare anyone who breathed, 30 because of the sins which Jeroboam committed and which he caused Israel to commit when he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger.

31 As for the rest of Nadab’s acts and everything he did, are they not written in the annals of the kings of Israel? 32 There was war between Asa and Ba’asha king of Israel all their days. 33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Ba’asha son of Ahijah became king over all Israel in Tirzah and reigned for twenty-four years. 34 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord by walking in the way of Jeroboam and in the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

1 Then this word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani against Ba’asha: 2 “I raised you up from the dust and appointed you leader over my people Israel, but you have walked in the ways of Jeroboam, and you have caused my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sin. 3 Look! I am about to burn up Ba’asha and his house. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat. 4 The dogs will eat those who belong to Ba’asha who die in the city, and the birds of the air will eat those who die in the country.”

5 As for the rest of Ba’asha’s acts and everything he did and his mighty deeds, are they not written in the annals of the kings of Israel? 6 Ba’asha rested with his fathers, and he was buried in Tirzah. Then his son Elah became king in his place.

7 The word of the Lord had come against Ba’asha and his house through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani, because of all the evil which he had done in the eyes of the Lord, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands by becoming like the house of Jeroboam, and also because he had struck down Jeroboam.

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

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