Through the Bible – Day 125

₃₃Baasha son of Ahijah became king of Israel in Asa's third year as king of Judah, and he ruled twenty-four years from Tirzah. ₃₄Baasha also disobeyed the LORD by acting like Jeroboam, who had caused the Israelites to sin.

₁The LORD sent Jehu son of Hanani to say to Baasha:

_5-7Baasha made the LORD very angry, and that's why the LORD gave Jehu this message for Baasha and his family. Baasha constantly disobeyed the LORD by following Jeroboam's sinful example—but even worse, he killed everyone in Jeroboam's family!

Everything else Baasha did while he was king, including his brave deeds, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. Baasha died and was buried in Tirzah, and his son Elah became king.

₈Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel after Asa had been king of Judah for twenty-five years, and he ruled from Tirzah for two years.

₉Zimri commanded half of Elah's chariots, and he made plans to kill Elah.

One day, Elah was in Tirzah, getting drunk at the home of Arza, his prime minister, ₁₀when Zimri went there and killed Elah. So Zimri became king in the twenty-seventh year of Asa's rule in Judah.

₁₁As soon as Zimri became king, he killed everyone in Baasha's family. Not one man or boy in his family was left alive—even his close friends were killed. ₁₂Baasha's family was completely wiped out, just as the LORD's prophet Jehu had warned. ₁₃Baasha and Elah sinned and caused the Israelites to sin, and they made the LORD angry by worshipping idols.

₁₄Everything else Elah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.

_15-16Zimri became king of Israel in Asa's twenty-seventh year as king of Judah, but he ruled only seven days from Tirzah.

Israel's army was camped near Gibbethon in Philistia under the command of Omri. The soldiers heard that Zimri had killed Elah, and they made Omri their king that same day. ₁₇At once, Omri and his army marched to Tirzah and attacked. ₁₈When Zimri saw that the town was captured, he ran into the strongest part of the palace and killed himself by setting it on fire. ₁₉Zimri had disobeyed the LORD by following the evil example of Jeroboam, who had caused the Israelites to sin.

₂₀Everything else Zimri did while he was king, including his rebellion against Elah, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.

₂₁After Zimri died, some of the Israelites wanted Tibni son of Ginath to be king, but others wanted Omri. ₂₂Omri's followers were stronger than Tibni's, so Tibni was killed, and Omri became king of Israel ₂₃in the thirty-first year of Asa's rule in Judah.

Omri ruled Israel for twelve years. The first six years he ruled from Tirzah, ₂₄then he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for six thousand pieces of silver. He built a town there and named it Samaria, after Shemer who had owned the hill.

₂₅Omri did more evil things than any king before him. ₂₆He acted just like Jeroboam and made the LORD God of Israel angry by causing the Israelites to sin and to worship idols.

₂₇Everything else Omri did while he was king, including his brave deeds, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ₂₈Omri died and was buried in Samaria, and his son Ahab became king.

₂₉Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa's rule in Judah, and he ruled twenty-two years from Samaria.

₃₀Ahab did more things to disobey the LORD than any king before him. ₃₁He acted just like Jeroboam. Even worse, he married Jezebel the daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon and started worshipping Baal. ₃₂Ahab built an altar and temple for Baal in Samaria ₃₃and set up a sacred pole for worshipping the goddess Asherah. Ahab did more to make the LORD God of Israel angry than any king of Israel before him.

₃₄While Ahab was king, a man from Bethel named Hiel rebuilt the town of Jericho. But while Hiel was laying the foundation for the town wall, his eldest son Abiram died. And while he was finishing the gates, his youngest son Segub died. This happened just as the LORD had told Joshua to say many years ago.

₁Elijah was a prophet from Tishbe in Gilead. One day he went to King Ahab and said, “I'm a servant of the living LORD, the God of Israel. And I swear in his name that it won't rain until I say so. There won't even be any dew on the ground.”

₂Later, the LORD said to Elijah, ₃“Leave and go across the River Jordan so you can hide near Cherith Brook. ₄You can drink water from the brook, and eat the food I've told the ravens to bring you.”

₅Elijah obeyed the LORD and went to live near Cherith Brook. ₆Ravens brought him bread and meat twice a day, and he drank water from the brook. ₇But after a while, it dried up because there was no rain.

₈The LORD told Elijah, ₉“Go to the town of Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I've told a widow in that town to give you food.”

₁₀When Elijah came near the town gate of Zarephath, he saw a widow gathering sticks for a fire. “Would you please bring me a cup of water?” he asked. ₁₁As she left to get it, he asked, “Would you also please bring me a piece of bread?”

₁₂The widow answered, “In the name of the living LORD your God, I swear that I don't have any bread. All I have is a handful of flour and a little olive oil. I'm on my way home now with these few sticks to cook what I have for my son and me. After that, we will starve to death.”

₁₃Elijah said, “Everything will be fine. Do what you said. Go home and prepare something for yourself and your son. But first, please make a small piece of bread and bring it to me. ₁₄The LORD God of Israel has promised that your jar of flour won't run out and your bottle of oil won't dry up before he sends rain for the crops.”

₁₅The widow went home and did exactly what Elijah had told her. She and Elijah and her family had enough food for a long time. ₁₆The LORD kept the promise that his prophet Elijah had made, and she did not run out of flour or oil.

₁₇Several days later, the son of the woman who owned the house got sick, and he kept getting worse, until finally he died.

₁₈The woman shouted at Elijah, “What have I done to you? I thought you were God's prophet. Did you come here to cause the death of my son as a reminder that I've sinned against God?”

₁₉“Bring me your son,” Elijah said. Then he took the boy from her arms and carried him upstairs to the room where he was staying. Elijah laid the boy on his bed ₂₀and prayed, “LORD God, why did you do such a terrible thing to this woman? She's letting me stay here, and now you've let her son die.” ₂₁Elijah stretched himself out over the boy three times, while praying, “LORD God, bring this boy back to life!”

₂₂The LORD answered Elijah's prayer, and the boy started breathing again. ₂₃Elijah picked him up and carried him downstairs. He gave the boy to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive.”

₂₄“You are God's prophet!” the woman replied. “Now I know that you really do speak for the LORD.”

₂₄The apostles got into an argument about which one of them was the greatest. ₂₅So Jesus told them:

₃₁Jesus said, “Simon, listen to me! Satan has demanded the right to test each one of you, as a farmer does when he separates wheat from the husks. ₃₂But Simon, I have prayed that your faith will be strong. And when you have come back to me, help the others.”

₃₃Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to jail and even to die with you.”

₃₄Jesus replied, “Peter, I tell you that before a cock crows tomorrow morning, you will say three times that you don't know me.”

₃₅Jesus asked his disciples, “When I sent you out without a money bag or a travelling bag or sandals, did you need anything?”

“No!” they answered.

₃₆Jesus told them, “But now, if you have a money bag, take it with you. Also take a travelling bag, and if you don't have a sword, sell some of your clothes and buy one. ₃₇Do this because the Scriptures say, ‘He was considered a criminal.’ This was written about me, and it will soon come true.”

₃₈The disciples said, “Lord, here are two swords!”

“Enough of that!” Jesus replied.

₃₉Jesus went out to the Mount of Olives, as he often did, and his disciples went with him. ₄₀When they got there, he told them, “Pray that you won't be tested.”

₄₁Jesus walked on a little way before he knelt down and prayed, ₄₂“Father, if you will, please don't make me suffer by making me drink from this cup. But do what you want, and not what I want.”

₄₃Then an angel from heaven came to help him. ₄₄Jesus was in great pain and prayed so sincerely that his sweat fell to the ground like drops of blood.

₄₅Jesus got up from praying and went over to his disciples. They were asleep and worn out from being so sad. ₄₆He said to them, “Why are you asleep? Wake up and pray that you won't be tested.”