2 Kings 13

1 In the twenty-third year of Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, the king of Judah, Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, reigned over Israel, in Samaria, for seventeen years.

In the twenty-third year of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, became king over Israel in Samaria, ruling for seventeen years.

2 And he did evil before the Lord. And he followed the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. And he did not turn aside from these.

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, copying the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, which he did and made Israel do; he did not keep himself from them.

3 And the fury of the Lord was enraged against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael, the king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad, the son of Hazael, during all the days.

So the wrath of the Lord was burning against Israel, and he gave them up into the power of Hazael, king of Aram, and into the power of Ben-hadad, the son of Hazael, again and again.

4 But Jehoahaz petitioned the face of the Lord, and the Lord heeded him. For he saw the anguish of Israel, because the king of Syria had oppressed them.

Then Jehoahaz made prayer to the Lord, and the Lord gave ear to him, for he saw how cruelly Israel was crushed by the king of Aram.

5 And the Lord gave a savior to Israel. And they were freed from the hand of the king of Syria. And the sons of Israel lived in their tabernacles, just as yesterday and the day before.

(And the Lord gave Israel a saviour, so that they became free from the hands of the Aramaeans; and the children of Israel were living in their tents as in the past.

6 Yet truly, they did not withdraw from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who had caused Israel to sin. Instead, they walked by them. And there was even a sacred grove still remaining in Samaria.

But still they did not give up the sin of Jeroboam, which he made Israel do, but went on with it; and there was an image of Asherah in Samaria.)

7 And there was left to Jehoahaz from the people nothing but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers. For the king of Syria had killed them, and he had reduced them to become like dust on a threshing floor.

For out of all his army, Jehoahaz had only fifty horsemen and ten carriages and ten thousand footmen; the king of Aram had given them up to destruction, crushing them like dust.

8 But the rest of the words of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his strength, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all he did, and his great power, are they not recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Israel?

9 And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Joash, his son, reigned in his place.

And Jehoahaz went to rest with his fathers, and was put into the earth in Samaria; and Joash his son became king in his place.

10 In the thirty-seventh year of Jehoash, the king of Judah, Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, reigned over Israel, in Samaria, for sixteen years.

In the thirty-seventh year of the rule of Joash, king of Judah, Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, became king over Israel in Samaria, ruling for sixteen years.

11 And he did what is evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not turn aside from all the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. Instead, he walked by them.

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, not turning away from the sin of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, which he did and made Israel do, but he went on with it.

12 But the rest of the words of Joash, and all that he did, and his strength, the manner in which he fought against Amaziah, the king of Judah, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?

Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all he did, and the force with which he went to war against Amaziah, king of Judah, are they not recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Israel?

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

And Joash went to rest with his fathers and Jeroboam took his place as king; and Joash was put into the earth in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

14 Now Elisha was sick of the infirmity from which he also died. And Joash, the king of Israel, descended to him. And he was weeping before him, and saying: “My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and its driver!”

Now Elisha became ill with the disease which was the cause of his death: and Joash, king of Israel, came down to him, and weeping over him said, My father, my father, the war-carriages of Israel and its horsemen!

15 And Elisha said to him, “Bring a bow and arrows.” And when he had brought a bow and arrows to him,

Then Elisha said to him, Take bow and arrows: and he took bow and arrows.

16 he said to the king of Israel, “Place your hand upon the bow.” And when he had placed his hand, Elisha placed his own hands over the hands of the king.

And he said to the king of Israel, Put your hand on the bow: and he put his hand on it; and Elisha put his hands on the king's hands.

17 And he said, “Open the window toward the east.” And when he had opened it, Elisha said, “Shoot an arrow.” And he shot it. And Elisha said: “It is the arrow of the salvation of the Lord, and the arrow of salvation against Syria. And you shall strike the Syrians at Aphek, until you consume them.”

Then he said; Let the window be open to the east: and he got it open. Then Elisha said, Let the arrow go; and he let it go. And he said, The Lord's arrow of salvation, of salvation over Aram; for you will overcome the Aramaeans in Aphek and put an end to them.

18 And he said, “Take the arrows.” And when he had taken them, he then said to him, “Strike an arrow against the ground.” And when he had struck three times, and he had stood still,

And he said, Take the arrows: and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, Send them down into the earth; and he did so three times and no more.

19 the man of God became angry against him. And he said: “If you had struck five or six or seven times, you would have struck down Syria, even until it was consumed. But now you will strike it three times.”

Then the man of God was angry with him and said, If you had done it five or six times, then you would have overcome Aram completely; but now you will only overcome them three times.

20 Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And the robbers from Moab came into the land in the same year.

And death came to Elisha and they put his body into the earth. Now in the spring of the year, armed bands of Moabites frequently came, overrunning the land.

21 But certain ones who were burying a man saw the robbers, and they cast the dead body into the sepulcher of Elisha. But when it had touched the bones of Elisha, the man revived, and he stood upon his feet.

And while they were putting a dead man into the earth, they saw a band coming; and they put the man quickly into the place where Elisha's body was; and the dead man, on touching Elisha's bones, came to life again, and got up on his feet.

22 Now Hazael, the king of Syria, afflicted Israel during all the days of Jehoahaz.

And Israel was crushed under the power of Hazael, king of Aram, all the days of Jehoahaz.

23 But the Lord took pity on them, and he returned to them, because of his covenant, which he had made with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. And he was not willing to destroy them, nor to cast them out completely, even to the present time.

But the Lord was kind to them and had pity on them, caring for them, because of his agreement with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; he would not put them to destruction or send them away from before his face till now.

24 Then Hazael, the king of Syria, died. And Benhadad, his son, reigned in his place.

Then Hazael, king of Aram, came to his end; and Ben-hadad his son became king in his place.

25 Now Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, by a just war, took the cities from the hand of Benhadad, the son of Hazael, which he had taken from the hand of Jehoahaz, his father. Joash struck him three times, and he restored the cities to Israel.

And Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, took again from Ben-hadad, the son of Hazael, the towns which he had taken from Jehoahaz his father in war. Three times Jehoash overcame him and got back the towns of Israel.