Then Joshua rose early in the
morning; and he and all the sons of Israel set out from Shittim and came to
the Jordan, and they lodged there before they crossed. At the end of three days
the officers went through the midst of the camp; and they commanded the people,
saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God with the
Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go
after it. However, there shall be between you and it a distance of about 2,000
cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you
shall go, for you have not passed this way before.”
Then Joshua said to the people,
“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” And
Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross
over ahead of the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went
ahead of the people.
Now the LORD said to Joshua,
“This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all
So when the people set out from
their tents to cross the Jordan with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant
before the people, and when those who carried the ark came into the Jordan,
and the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the
water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest), the
waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap,
a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those which
were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely
cut off. So the people crossed opposite
Elijah said to him, “Elisha,
please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the
LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to
Now fifty men of the sons of
the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, while the two
of them stood by the
When they had crossed over, Elijah
said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And
Elisha said, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” He said,
“You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken
from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.”
As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot
of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went
up by a whirlwind to heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots
of
Now when the sons of the prophets
who were at Jericho opposite him saw him, they said, “The spirit
of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to
the ground before him. They said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants
fifty strong men, please let them go and search for your master; perhaps the
Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some
valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.” But when they urged him until he
was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men; and they searched
three days but did not find him. They returned to him while he was staying at
Jericho; and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”
Then the men of the city said
to Elisha, “Behold now, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees;
but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.” He said, “Bring me a new jar,
and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. He went out to the spring
of water and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘I have purified
these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer.’”
So the waters have been purified to this day, according to the word of Elisha
which he spoke.
Then he went up from there to
Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city
and mocked him and said to him, “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.
Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their
number. He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
Then Jesus arrived from Galilee
at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. But John tried to
prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to
me?” But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in
this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted
Him. After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold,
the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and
lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved
Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
Then Jesus was led up by the
Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted
forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and
said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone,
but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took Him into
the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him,
“If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,
‘He will command His angels concerning You’;
and
‘On their hands they will bear You up,
So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “On the other
hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took Him to
a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their
glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down
and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You
shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” Then the devil left Him;
and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.
Now when Jesus heard that John
had been taken into custody, He withdrew into
Scripture taken from the NEW A
(c) Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977,
1995 by
The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
(www.Lockman.org)