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2 Samuel 16

Amplified Bible, 2015 (AMP)

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¹ He said, "I have been very[3] zealous (impassioned) for the LORD God of hosts (armies) [proclaiming what is rightfully and uniquely His]; for the sons of Israel have abandoned (broken) Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I, only I, am left; and they seek to take away my life."

² So He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD was passing by, and a great and powerful wind was tearing out the mountains and breaking the rocks in pieces before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind, [there was] an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

³ After the earthquake, [there was] a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire, [there was] the sound of a gentle blowing.

⁴ When Elijah heard the sound, he wrapped his face in his mantle (cloak) and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

⁵ He said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts (armies), because the sons of Israel have abandoned (broken) Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I, only I, am left; and they seek to take away my life."

⁶ The LORD[4] said to him, "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram (Syria);

⁷ and you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat of[5] Abel-meholah as prophet in your place.

⁸ It shall come about that Jehu shall put to death whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, and Elisha shall put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.

⁹ Yet I will leave 7,000 [survivors] in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed down to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him."

¹⁰ So Elijah departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his mantle (coat) on him.

¹¹ He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, "Please let me kiss my father and mother [goodbye], then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go on back; for what have I done to [stop] you?"

¹² So Elisha left him and went back. Then he took a pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their meat with the implements of the oxen [as fuel], and gave the meat to the people, and they ate. Then he stood and followed Elijah, and served him.

¹³ Ben-hadad king of Aram (Syria) gathered all his army together; thirty-two kings were [allied] with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria [Israel's capital], and fought against it.

¹⁴ Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab king of Israel; and he said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad:

¹⁵ Your silver and your gold are mine; your wives and your children, even the fairest, also are mine [as conditions of peace].'"

¹⁶ The king of Israel [conceded his defeat and] answered, "By your word, my lord, O king, I am yours, and all that I have."

¹⁷ The messengers returned and said, "Thus says Ben-hadad: 'I indeed sent word to you, saying, "You shall give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children,"

¹⁸ but about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants; and they will take with their hands (confiscate) whatever is desirable in your eyes and carry it away.'"

¹⁹ Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, "Please observe and see how this man is seeking our destruction. For he sent messengers to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I did not refuse him."

²⁰ All the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen or consent [to this additional demand]."

²¹ So he said to Ben-hadad's messengers, "Tell my lord the king, 'Every demand you first sent to your servant I will do, but I cannot do this [additional] thing [as a condition of peace].'" And the messengers left; then they brought him word again.

²² Ben-hadad sent word to him and said, "May the gods do so to me, and more also, if there is enough dust left of Samaria for handfuls for all the [armed] people who follow me."

²³ The king of Israel answered, "Tell him, 'A man who puts on [his armor to go to battle] should not boast like the man who takes it off [after the battle has been won].'"

#	AMP
1	He said, "I have been very[3] zealous (impassioned) for the LORD God of hosts (armies) [proclaiming what is rightfully and uniquely His]; for the sons of Israel have abandoned (broken) Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I, only I, am left; and they seek to take away my life."
2	So He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD was passing by, and a great and powerful wind was tearing out the mountains and breaking the rocks in pieces before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind, [there was] an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
3	After the earthquake, [there was] a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire, [there was] the sound of a gentle blowing.
4	When Elijah heard the sound, he wrapped his face in his mantle (cloak) and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
5	He said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts (armies), because the sons of Israel have abandoned (broken) Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I, only I, am left; and they seek to take away my life."
6	The LORD[4] said to him, "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram (Syria);
7	and you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat of[5] Abel-meholah as prophet in your place.
8	It shall come about that Jehu shall put to death whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, and Elisha shall put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.
9	Yet I will leave 7,000 [survivors] in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed down to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him."
10	So Elijah departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his mantle (coat) on him.
11	He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, "Please let me kiss my father and mother [goodbye], then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go on back; for what have I done to [stop] you?"
12	So Elisha left him and went back. Then he took a pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their meat with the implements of the oxen [as fuel], and gave the meat to the people, and they ate. Then he stood and followed Elijah, and served him.
13	Ben-hadad king of Aram (Syria) gathered all his army together; thirty-two kings were [allied] with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria [Israel's capital], and fought against it.
14	Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab king of Israel; and he said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad:
15	Your silver and your gold are mine; your wives and your children, even the fairest, also are mine [as conditions of peace].'"
16	The king of Israel [conceded his defeat and] answered, "By your word, my lord, O king, I am yours, and all that I have."
17	The messengers returned and said, "Thus says Ben-hadad: 'I indeed sent word to you, saying, "You shall give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children,"
18	but about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants; and they will take with their hands (confiscate) whatever is desirable in your eyes and carry it away.'"
19	Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, "Please observe and see how this man is seeking our destruction. For he sent messengers to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I did not refuse him."
20	All the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen or consent [to this additional demand]."
21	So he said to Ben-hadad's messengers, "Tell my lord the king, 'Every demand you first sent to your servant I will do, but I cannot do this [additional] thing [as a condition of peace].'" And the messengers left; then they brought him word again.
22	Ben-hadad sent word to him and said, "May the gods do so to me, and more also, if there is enough dust left of Samaria for handfuls for all the [armed] people who follow me."
23	The king of Israel answered, "Tell him, 'A man who puts on [his armor to go to battle] should not boast like the man who takes it off [after the battle has been won].'"

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