Elisha turned round and stared at the boys. Then he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Straight away two bears ran out of the woods and ripped to pieces forty-two of the boys.
The first time we tried to bring the chest to Jerusalem, we didn't ask the LORD what he wanted us to do. He was angry with us, because you Levites weren't there to carry the chest.”
Then Moses told Aaron that this was exactly what the LORD had meant when he said: “I demand respect from my priests, and I will be praised by everyone!” Aaron was speechless.
The Lord is going to punish you by making you completely blind for a while.” Suddenly the man's eyes were covered by a dark mist, and he went around trying to get someone to lead him by the hand.
I am writing these things to you before I arrive. This way I won't have to be hard on you when I use the authority that the Lord has given me. I was given this authority, so that I could help you and not destroy you.
During my second visit I warned you that I would punish you and anyone else who doesn't stop sinning. I am far away from you now, but I give you the same warning.
Just look what God has done by making you feel sorry! You sincerely want to prove that you are innocent. You are angry. You are shocked. You are eager to see that justice is done. You have proved that you were completely right in this matter.
The men of the town will stone that son to death, because they must get rid of the evil he brought into the community. Everyone in Israel will be afraid when they hear how he was punished.
Don't you remember what happened when Achan was unfaithful and took some of the things that belonged to God? This made God angry with the entire nation. Achan died because he sinned, but he also caused the death of many others.
At that same moment there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were frightened and praised the God who rules in heaven.