2 Kings 13

1 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.

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.

2 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.

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.

3 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.

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.

4 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.

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.

5 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.

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.

6 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.

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.

7 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.

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.

8 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.

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?

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

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

10 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.

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

11 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.

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.

12 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.

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?

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

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

14 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!”

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!”

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

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

16 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.

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.

17 “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.”

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.”

18 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.

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,

19 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.”

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.”

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

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

21 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.

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.

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

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

23 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.

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.

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

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

25 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.

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.