Kings IV 13

1 In the twenty-third year of Joas son of Ochozias king of Juda began Joachaz the son of Ju to reign in Samaria, [and he reigned] seventeen years.

Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, became king of Israel in the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash, son of Ahaziah, king of Judah. He reigned in Samaria for seventeen years.

2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked after the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who led Israel to sin; he departed not from them.

He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, and followed the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat, had made Israel commit; he did not end them.

3 And the Lord was very angry with Israel, and delivered them into the hand of Azael king of Syria, and into the hand of the son of Ader son of Azael, all their days.

So the Lord was angry with Israel, and he repeatedly allowed them to be defeated by Hazael, king of Aram, and his son Ben-hadad.

4 And Joachaz besought the Lord, and the Lord hearkened to him, for he saw the affliction of Israel, because the king of Syria afflicted them.

Jehoahaz asked the Lord for help, and the Lord responded to his request because he saw how badly the king of Aram was treating Israel.

5 And the Lord gave deliverance to Israel, and they escaped from under the hand of Syria: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as heretofore.

The Lord gave Israel someone who would save them so they no longer were under Aramean rule. Then the Israelites were able to go back to living in safety as before.

6 Only they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who led Israel to sin: they walked in them—moreover the grove also remained in Samaria.

Even so they did not end the sins that the house of Jeroboam had made Israel commit—they continued to follow them. The Asherah idol still stood in Samaria.

7 Whereas there was not left any army to Joachaz, except fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand infantry: for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and they made them as dust for trampling.

All that was left of Jehoahaz's army were fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand soldiers, for the king of Aram had destroyed the rest, turning them into dust like that when grain is threshed.

8 And the rest of the acts of Joachaz, and all that he did, and his mighty acts [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

The rest of what happened in Jehoahaz's reign, all he did, and his great achievements are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

9 And Joachaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria: and Joas his son reigned in his stead.

Jehoahaz died and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoash succeeded him as king.

10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joas king of Juda, Joas the son of Joachaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria sixteen years.

Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz, became king of Israel in Samaria in the thirty-seventh year of the reign of King Joash of Judah, and he reigned for sixteen years.

11 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord; he departed not from all the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who led Israel to sin: he walked in it.

He did what was evil in the Lord's sight and did not end all the sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had made Israel commit—he continued to follow them.

12 And the rest of the acts of Joas, and all that he did, and his mighty acts which he performed together with Amessias king of Juda, [are] not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

The rest of what happened in Jehoash's reign, all he did, and his great achievements such as his war against Amaziah, king of Judah, are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

13 And Joas slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat upon his throne, and he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

Jehoash died, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

14 Now Elisaie was sick of his sickness, whereof he died: and Joas king of Israel went down to him, and wept over his face, and said, [My] father, [my] father, the chariot of Israel, and the horseman thereof!

Elisha had become ill with a disease that would eventually kill him. Jehoash, king of Israel, went to visit him, and wept over him, saying, “My father, my father, the chariots and the horsemen of Israel!”

15 And Elisaie said to him, Take bow and arrows. And he took to himself a bow and arrows.

Elisha told him, “Find a bow and some arrows.” So Jehoash found a bow and some arrows.

16 And he said to the king, Put thy hand on the bow. And Joas put his hand upon [it]: and Elisaie put his hands upon the king's hands.

Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Pick up the bow.” So the king picked up the bow. Elisha placed his hands on the king's hands.

17 And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. And Elisaie said, Shoot. And he shot. And [Elisaie] said, The arrow of the Lord's deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; and thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphec until thou have consumed them.

“Open the east window,” he told him. So the king opened it and Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he fired an arrow. Then Elisha explained, “This is the Lord's victory arrow representing the arrow of victory over the Arameans. You will attack the Arameans in Aphek and finish them off.”

18 And Elisaie said to him, Take bow and arrows. And he took them. And [he] said to the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And the king smote three times, and stayed.

Then Elisha said, “Pick up the arrows!” So he picked them up. Elisha told the king of Israel, “Hit the ground with them!” He hit the ground three times, and then stopped.

19 And the man of God was grieved at him, and said, If thou hadst smitten five or six times, then thou shouldest have smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed them; but now thou shalt smite Syria [only] thrice.

The man of God got angry with him, telling him, “You should have hit the ground five or six times. Then you would have attacked the Arameans until you had completely destroyed them. But now you will only attack the Arameans three times.”

20 And Elisaie died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites came into the land, at the beginning of the year.

Elisha died and was buried. Raiders from the country of Moab used to invade Israel every spring.

21 And it came to pass as they were burying a man, that behold, they saw a band [of men], and they cast the man into the grave of Elisaie: and as soon as he touched the bones of Elisaie, he revived and stood up on his feet.

On time some Israelites were burying a man when suddenly they saw some raiders coming, so they quickly threw the man into Elisha's tomb. As soon as he touched Elisha's bones, the man came back to life and stood up.

22 And Azael greatly afflicted Israel all the days of Joachaz.

Hazael, king of Aram, caused problems for Israel through all Jehoahaz's reign.

23 And the Lord had mercy and compassion upon them, and had respect to them because of his covenant with Abraam, and Isaac, and Jacob; and the Lord would not destroy them, and did not cast them out from his presence.

But the Lord graciously helped them and was kind to them. He looked after them because of his agreement with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Even to this day he's been unwilling to destroy them or to throw them out of his presence.

24 And Azael king of Syria died, and the son of Ader his son reigned in his stead.

When Hazael, king of Aram, died, his son Ben-hadad succeeded him as king.

25 And Joas the son of Joachaz returned, and took the cities out of the hand of the son of Ader the son of Azael, which he had taken out of the hand of Joachaz his father in the war: thrice did Joas smite him, and he recovered the cities of Israel.

Then Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz, recovered from Ben-hadad son of Hazael, the towns that Hazael had captured from his father Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times, and so recaptured the Israelite towns.