2 Kings 8

1 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, you and your household; go and live as a foreigner wherever you can. For the LORD has decreed a seven-year famine, and it has already come to the land.”

Now Elisha spoke to the woman, whose son he had caused to live, saying: “Rise up. Go, you and your household, and sojourn in whatever place you can find. For the Lord has called forth a famine, and it shall overwhelm the land for seven years.”

2 So the woman had proceeded to do as the man of God had instructed. And she and her household lived as foreigners for seven years in the land of the Philistines.

And she rose up, and she acted in accord with the word of the man of God. And going with her household, she sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days.

3 At the end of seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to the king to appeal for her house and her land.

And when the seven years had ended, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines. And she departed, so that she might petition the king on behalf of her house and on behalf of her fields.

4 Now the king had been speaking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please relate to me all the great things Elisha has done.”

Now the king was speaking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Describe for me all the great deeds that Elisha has done.”

5 And Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had brought the dead back to life. Just then the woman whose son Elisha had revived came to appeal to the king for her house and her land. So Gehazi said, “My lord the king, this is the woman, and this is the son Elisha restored to life.”

And as he was describing for the king the manner in which he had raised the dead, the woman appeared, whose son he had restored to life, crying out to the king on behalf of her house and on behalf of her fields. And Gehazi said, “My lord the king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha raised up.”

6 When the king asked the woman, she confirmed it. So the king appointed for her an officer, saying, “Restore all that was hers, along with all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the country until now.”

And the king questioned the woman. And she explained it to him. And the king appointed a eunuch to her, saying, “Restore to her all that is hers, with all the proceeds of the fields, from the day that she left the land until the present.”

7 Then Elisha came to Damascus while Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and the king was told, “The man of God has come here.”

Also, Elisha arrived in Damascus, and Benhadad, the king of Syria, was ill. And they reported to him, saying, “The man of God has arrived here.”

8 So the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

And the king said to Hazael: “Take with you gifts. And go to meet the man of God. And consult the Lord through him, saying: ‘Will I be able to escape from this, my infirmity?’”

9 So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift of forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus. And he went in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

And so, Hazael went to meet him, having with him gifts, and all the goods of Damascus, the burdens of forty camels. And when he had stood before him, he said: “Your son, Benhadad, the king of Syria, sent me to you, saying: ‘Will I be able to be healed from this, my infirmity?’”

10 Elisha answered, “Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover.’ But the LORD has shown me that in fact he will die.”

And Elisha said to him: “Go, tell him: ‘You will be healed.’ But the Lord has revealed to me that, dying he shall die.”

11 Elisha fixed his gaze steadily on him until Hazael became uncomfortable. Then the man of God began to weep.

And he stood beside him, and he was so troubled that his face became flushed. And the man of God wept.

12 “Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little ones to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women.”

And Hazael said to him, “Why is my lord weeping?” And he said: “Because I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel. Their fortified cities you will burn with fire. And their young men you will kill with the sword. And you will destroy their little ones, and tear open the pregnant women.”

13 “But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?” said Hazael. And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”

And Hazael said, “But what am I, your servant, a dog, that I would do this great thing?” And Elisha said, “The Lord has revealed to me that you will be the king of Syria.”

14 So Hazael left Elisha and went to his master, who asked him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he replied, “He told me that you would surely recover.”

And when he had departed from Elisha, he went to his lord, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he responded: “He said to me, ‘You shall receive health.’”

15 But the next day Hazael took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over the king’s face. So Ben-hadad died, and Hazael reigned in his place.

And when the next day had arrived, he took a small covering, and poured water on it, and he spread it over his face. And when he died, Hazael reigned in his place.

16 In the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab over Israel, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat succeeded his father as king of Judah.

In the fifth year of Joram, the son of Ahab, the king of Israel, and of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah: Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, reigned as the king of Judah.

17 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.

He was thirty-two years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem.

18 And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD.

And he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had walked. For the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

19 Yet for the sake of His servant David, the LORD was unwilling to destroy Judah, since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.

But the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah, because of David, his servant, just as he had promised him, so that he might grant a light to him and to his sons, for all days.

20 In the days of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah and appointed their own king.

In his days, Idumea drew apart, so as not to be under Judah, and they appointed a king for themselves.

21 So Jehoram crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. When the Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, he rose up and attacked by night. His troops, however, fled to their homes.

And so, Jehoram went to Zair, and all the chariots with him. And he rose up in the night, and he struck down the Idumeans who had surrounded him, and the leaders of the chariots. But the people fled to their tents.

22 So to this day Edom has been in rebellion against the hand of Judah. Likewise, Libnah rebelled at the same time.

And Idumea drew apart, so as not to be under Judah, even to this day. Then Libnah also drew apart, at the same time.

23 As for the rest of the acts of Jehoram, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

Now the rest of the words of Jehoram, and all that he did, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Judah?

24 And Jehoram rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And his son Ahaziah reigned in his place.

And Jehoram slept with his fathers, and he was buried with them in the city of David. And Ahaziah, his son, reigned in his place.

25 In the twelfth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab over Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah.

In the twelfth year of Joram, the son of Ahab, the king of Israel: Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, the king of Judah, reigned.

26 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel.

Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri, the king of Israel.

27 And Ahaziah walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.

And he walked in the ways of the house of Ahab. And he did what is evil before the Lord, just as the house of Ahab did. For he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab.

28 Then Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram.

Also, he went with Joram, the son of Ahab, in order to fight against Hazael, the king of Syria, at Ramoth Gilead. And the Syrians had wounded Joram.

29 So King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded.

And he turned back, so that he might be cured at Jezreel. For the Syrians had wounded him at Ramoth, fighting against Hazael, the king of Syria. Then Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, the king of Judah, descended to visit Joram, the son of Ahab, at Jezreel, because he was sick there.