Stories of Strength Through Pain in the Bible

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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1KI">
 <div class="chapter ch19" data-usfm="1KI.19">
 <div class="label">19</div><div class="s1">Elijah Flees to Horeb</div><div class="p">1Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, &#8220;May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.&#8221;</div><div class="p">3Elijah was afraid#19:3 Or Elijah saw and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4while he himself went a day&#8217;s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. &#8220;I have had enough, Lord,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.&#8221; 5Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.</div><div class="p">All at once an angel touched him and said, &#8220;Get up and eat.&#8221; 6He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.</div><div class="p">7The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, &#8220;Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.&#8221; 8So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9There he went into a cave and spent the night.</div><div class="s1">The Lord Appears to Elijah</div><div class="p">And the word of the Lord came to him: &#8220;What are you doing here, Elijah?&#8221;</div><div class="p">10He replied, &#8220;I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.&#8221;</div><div class="p">11The Lord said, &#8220;Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.</div><div class="p">Then a voice said to him, &#8220;What are you doing here, Elijah?&#8221;</div><div class="p">14He replied, &#8220;I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.&#8221;</div><div class="p">15The Lord said to him, &#8220;Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel&#8212;all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Call of Elisha</div><div class="p">19So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. &#8220;Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,&#8221; he said, &#8220;and then I will come with you.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Go back,&#8221; Elijah replied. &#8220;What have I done to you?&#8221;</div><div class="p">21So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1KI">
 <div class="chapter ch20" data-usfm="1KI.20">
 <div class="label">20</div><div class="s1">Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria</div><div class="p">1Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it. 2He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, &#8220;This is what Ben-Hadad says: 3&#8216;Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">4The king of Israel answered, &#8220;Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours.&#8221;</div><div class="p">5The messengers came again and said, &#8220;This is what Ben-Hadad says: &#8216;I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. 6But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">7The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, &#8220;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.&#8221;</div><div class="p">8The elders and the people all answered, &#8220;Don&#8217;t listen to him or agree to his demands.&#8221;</div><div class="p">9So he replied to Ben-Hadad&#8217;s messengers, &#8220;Tell my lord the king, &#8216;Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221; They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad.</div><div class="p">10Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: &#8220;May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.&#8221;</div><div class="p">11The king of Israel answered, &#8220;Tell him: &#8216;One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">12Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents,#20:12 Or in Sukkoth; also in verse 16 and he ordered his men: &#8220;Prepare to attack.&#8221; So they prepared to attack the city.</div><div class="s1">Ahab Defeats Ben-Hadad</div><div class="p">13Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, &#8220;This is what the Lord says: &#8216;Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the Lord.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">14&#8220;But who will do this?&#8221; asked Ahab.</div><div class="p">The prophet replied, &#8220;This is what the Lord says: &#8216;The junior officers under the provincial commanders will do it.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;And who will start the battle?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p">The prophet answered, &#8220;You will.&#8221;</div><div class="p">15So Ahab summoned the 232 junior officers under the provincial commanders. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all. 16They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. 17The junior officers under the provincial commanders went out first.</div><div class="p">Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, &#8220;Men are advancing from Samaria.&#8221;</div><div class="p">18He said, &#8220;If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive.&#8221;</div><div class="p">19The junior officers under the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them 20and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. 21The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.</div><div class="p">22Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, &#8220;Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again.&#8221;</div><div class="p">23Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, &#8220;Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. 24Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. 25You must also raise an army like the one you lost&#8212;horse for horse and chariot for chariot&#8212;so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they.&#8221; He agreed with them and acted accordingly.</div><div class="p">26The next spring Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. 27When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.</div><div class="p">28The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, &#8220;This is what the Lord says: &#8216;Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">29For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. 30The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room.</div><div class="p">31His officials said to him, &#8220;Look, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.&#8221;</div><div class="p">32Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, &#8220;Your servant Ben-Hadad says: &#8216;Please let me live.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">The king answered, &#8220;Is he still alive? He is my brother.&#8221;</div><div class="p">33The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. &#8220;Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!&#8221; they said.</div><div class="p">&#8220;Go and get him,&#8221; the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot.</div><div class="p">34&#8220;I will return the cities my father took from your father,&#8221; Ben-Hadad offered. &#8220;You may set up your own market areas in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Ahab said, &#8220;On the basis of a treaty I will set you free.&#8221; So he made a treaty with him, and let him go.</div><div class="s1">A Prophet Condemns Ahab</div><div class="p">35By the word of the Lord one of the company of the prophets said to his companion, &#8220;Strike me with your weapon,&#8221; but he refused.</div><div class="p">36So the prophet said, &#8220;Because you have not obeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.&#8221; And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him.</div><div class="p">37The prophet found another man and said, &#8220;Strike me, please.&#8221; So the man struck him and wounded him. 38Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes. 39As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, &#8220;Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, &#8216;Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent#20:39 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms of silver.&#8217; 40While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;That is your sentence,&#8221; the king of Israel said. &#8220;You have pronounced it yourself.&#8221;</div><div class="p">41Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. 42He said to the king, &#8220;This is what the Lord says: &#8216;You have set free a man I had determined should die.#20:42 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221; 43Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1KI">
 <div class="chapter ch21" data-usfm="1KI.21">
 <div class="label">21</div><div class="s1">Naboth&#8217;s Vineyard</div><div class="p">1Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2Ahab said to Naboth, &#8220;Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.&#8221;</div><div class="p">3But Naboth replied, &#8220;The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.&#8221;</div><div class="p">4So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, &#8220;I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.&#8221; He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.</div><div class="p">5His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, &#8220;Why are you so sullen? Why won&#8217;t you eat?&#8221;</div><div class="p">6He answered her, &#8220;Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, &#8216;Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.&#8217; But he said, &#8216;I will not give you my vineyard.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">7Jezebel his wife said, &#8220;Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I&#8217;ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.&#8221;</div><div class="p">8So she wrote letters in Ahab&#8217;s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth&#8217;s city with him. 9In those letters she wrote:</div><div class="pm">&#8220;Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.&#8221;</div><div class="p">11So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth&#8217;s city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. 12They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 13Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, &#8220;Naboth has cursed both God and the king.&#8221; So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. 14Then they sent word to Jezebel: &#8220;Naboth has been stoned to death.&#8221;</div><div class="p">15As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, &#8220;Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.&#8221; 16When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth&#8217;s vineyard.</div><div class="p">17Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18&#8220;Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth&#8217;s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19Say to him, &#8216;This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?&#8217; Then say to him, &#8216;This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth&#8217;s blood, dogs will lick up your blood&#8212;yes, yours!&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">20Ahab said to Elijah, &#8220;So you have found me, my enemy!&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;I have found you,&#8221; he answered, &#8220;because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. 21He says, &#8216;I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel&#8212;slave or free.#21:21 Or Israel&#8212;every ruler or leader 22I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.&#8217;</div><div class="p">23&#8220;And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: &#8216;Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of#21:23 Most Hebrew manuscripts; a few Hebrew manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 9:26) the plot of ground at Jezreel.&#8217;</div><div class="p">24&#8220;Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country.&#8221;</div><div class="p">25(There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 26He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.)</div><div class="p">27When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.</div><div class="p">28Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29&#8220;Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkHEB">
 <div class="chapter ch10" data-usfm="HEB.10.23">
 <div class="p">23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. </div>
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