Then a lettercameto him from Elijahthe prophetsaying,"Thussaysthe LORDGodof your fatherDavid,'Becauseyou have not walkedin the waysof Jehoshaphatyour fatherand the waysof Asakingof Judah,
Asadidwhatwas rightin the sightof the LORD,like Davidhis father.
Now Elijahthe Tishbite,who was of the settlersof Gilead,saidto Ahab,"As the LORD,the Godof Israellives,beforewhomI stand,surelythere shall be neitherdewnor raintheseyears,exceptby my word."
He walkedin allthe wayof Asahis father;he did not turnasidefrom it, doingrightin the sightof the LORD.However,the highplaceswere not takenaway;the peoplestillsacrificedand burntincenseon the highplaces.
And it cameabout when the LORDwas about to takeup Elijahby a whirlwindto heaven,that Elijahwentwith Elishafrom Gilgal.
As they were goingalong and talking,behold,[there appeared] a chariotof fireand horsesof firewhich separatedthe twoof them. And Elijahwentup by a whirlwindto heaven.
So Abijahsleptwith his fathers,and they buriedhim in the cityof David,and his sonAsabecamekingin his place.The landwas undisturbedfor tenyearsduring his days.
"Takea scrolland writeon it allthe wordswhichI have spokento you concerningIsraeland concerningJudah,and concerningallthe nations,from the dayI [first] spoketo you, from the daysof Josiah,even to thisday.
When Jehudihad readthreeor fourcolumns,[the king] cutit with a scribe'sknifeand threw[it] into the firethat was in the brazier,untilallthe scrollwas consumedin the firethat was in the brazier.
Suddenlythe fingersof a man'shandemergedand began writingoppositethe lampstandon the plasterof the wallof the king'spalace,and the kingsawthe backof the handthat did the writing.
