2 Kings 8

1 After Elisha caused the son of the woman from Shunem [town] to become alive again, he told her that she should leave with her family and live somewhere else for a while, because Yahweh was going to (send a famine/cause food to become very scarce) in the land. He said that the famine would last for seven years.

Now, Elisha, had spoken unto the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying—Arise, and take thy journey, thou and thy household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn, for Yahweh hath called for a famine, moreover also, it is coming upon the land seven years.

2 So the woman did what Elisha told her to do. She and her family went to live in [the] Philistia [region] for seven years.

So the woman arose, and did according to the word of the man of God, —and took her journey, she and her household, and she sojourned in the land of the Philistines, seven years.

3 After the seven years were ended, they returned to their home. The woman went to the king to request that her house and her land be given back to her.

And it came to pass, at the end of seven years, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines, —and she went forth to make outcry unto the king, concerning her house and concerning her field.

4 When she arrived, the king was talking with Gehazi, Elisha’s servant. The king was saying to him, “Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.”

Now, the king, was speaking unto Gehazi, servant of the man of God, saying, Do recount unto me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.

5 While Gehazi was telling the king that Elisha had caused the son of a woman [from Shunem] to become alive again, that woman came in and requested the king to enable her to get her house and land back again. Gehazi exclaimed, “Your Majesty, this is the woman whose son Elisha caused to become alive again!”

And so it was, just as he was recounting to the king how he had restored the dead to life, lo! the woman whose son he had restored to life, began making outcry unto the king, for her house and for her field. Then said Gehazi, My lord, O king! this, is the woman, and, this, her son, whom, Elisha, restored to life.

6 When the king asked her about it, she told him [that what Gehazi had said was true]. The king summoned one of his officials and said to him, “[I want] everything that this woman possessed previously, including the value of all the crops that have been harvested during these last seven years while she was away from her land, [to] be given back to her.” [So the official did that].

So the king asked the woman, and she recounted it to him, —the king, therefore, appointed her a certain officer, saying—Restore all that was hers, and all the increase of the field, from the day she left the land, even until now.

7 Elisha went to Damascus, [the capital of Syria], when Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, was [very] sick. When someone told the king that Elisha was in Damascus,

And Elisha came into Damascus, when Ben-hadad king of Syria, was sick, —and it was told him, saying, The man of God hath come as far as this place.

8 the king told [one of his officials named] Hazael, “Go and talk to that prophet and take a present/gift with you to give to him. Request him to ask Yahweh if I will recover from my illness.”

So the king said unto Hazael—Take in thy hand a present, and go to meet the man of God, —so shalt thou enquire of Yahweh, from him, saying, Shall I recover from this sickness?

9 So Hazael went to talk with Elisha. He took with him forty camels that were carrying many kinds of goods that were produced in Damascus. When Hazael met him, he said to him, “Your friend Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, sent me to ask you whether [you think] he will recover from his illness.”

So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present in his hand, even every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, —and came, and stood before him, and said—Thy son, Ben-hadad king of Syria, hath sent me unto thee, saying, Shall I recover from this sickness?

10 Elisha said to Hazael, “Go and say to him, ‘Yes, you will certainly not die from this illness,’ but Yahweh has shown me that he will certainly die [before he recovers].”

And Elisha said unto him, Go, say to him, Thou shalt, recover; And yet Yahweh hath shown me, that he will, die.

11 Then Elisha stared at him and had a terrified look on his face. That caused Hazael to feel uneasy/embarrassed. Then [suddenly] Elisha started to cry.

And he settled his countenance, and fixed it until he turned pale, —and the man of God, wept.

12 Hazael said, “Sir, why are you crying?” Elisha replied, “Because [Yahweh has enabled] me [to] know the terrible things that you will do to the people of Israel: You will burn their cities with walls around them, you will kill their fine young men with a sword, you will bash the heads of their children, and you will rip open the bellies of their pregnant women [with a sword].”

Then said Hazael, Why, is my lord, weeping? And he said—Because I know what thou wilt do to the sons of Israel, by way of harm—Their fortresses, thou wilt set on fire, and, their choice young men, with the sword, thou wilt slay, and, their children, thou wilt dash in pieces, and, their women with child, thou wilt rip up.

13 Hazael replied, “I am [as insignificant as] [MET] a dog; (how could I do such things?/I would never do such terrible things!)” [RHQ] Elisha replied, “Yahweh has also revealed to me that you will become the king of Syria.”

And Hazael said, But what is thy servant—the dog—that he should do this great thing? And Elisha said, Yahweh hath shown thee unto me, as king over Syria.

14 Then Hazael left and returned to his master/boss [the king], who asked him, “What did Elisha say?” He replied, “He told me that you would certainly recover.”

So he departed from Elisha, and came in unto his lord, who said to him, What said, Elisha, unto thee? And he said. He told me thou wouldst, recover.

15 But the next day, [while the king was sleeping, ] Hazael took a blanket and soaked it in water. Then he spread it on the king’s face [in order that he could not breathe], and he died. Then Hazael became the king of Syria instead of Ben-Hadad.

But it came to pass on the morrow, that he took the coverlet, and dipped it in water, and spread it over his face, that he died, —and, Hazael, reigned, in his stead.

16 After King Joram, the son of Ahab, had been ruling in Israel for almost five years, Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram became the king of Judah.

Now, in the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, having been king of Judah, Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, began to reign.

17 He was thirty-two years old when he became the king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for eight years.

Thirty-two years old, was he when he began to reign, and, eight years, reigned, he in Jerusalem.

18 His wife was the daughter of King Ahab. And like everyone in Ahab’s family, he continually did the evil things that the previous kings of Israel had done. He did things that Yahweh considered to be evil.

And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as did the house of Ahab, for, a daughter of Ahab, became his wife, —and he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh.

19 But Yahweh did not want to get rid of the people of Judah, because of what he had promised David, who served him [very well]. He had promised David that his descendants [MET] would always rule Judah.

Yet was not Yahweh willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David his servant, —even as he promised him to give him a lamp for his sons all the days.

20 During the time that Jehoram ruled, [the king of] Edom rebelled against Judah, and they appointed their own king.

In his days, did Edom revolt from under the hand of Judah, —and they set over them a king.

21 So Jehoram went with his army and all their chariots to Zair [city near the border of Edom]. There the army of Edom surrounded them. But during the night, Jehoram and the commanders in their chariots were able to get through the enemy lines and escaped. And all his soldiers also fled to their homes.

So Joram passed over to Zair, and all the chariots with him, —and it came to pass that, he, arising by night, smote the Edomites that were round about unto him, and the captains of the chariots, and the people fled to their homes,

22 So after that, Edom was no longer controlled by Judah, and it is still like that. During that same time, the people of Libnah [city] also freed themselves from being controlled by Judah.

Yet did Edom revolt from under the hand of Judah, unto this day, —then, revolted Libnah, at the same time.

23 [If you want to read about] the other things that Jehoram did, they are written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah’.

Now, the rest of the story of Joram, and all that he did, are, they, not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

24 Jehoram died [EUP] and was buried where the other kings of Judah had been buried in [the part of Jerusalem called] ‘The City of David’. Then Jehoram’s son Ahaziah became the king.

And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers, in the city of David, —and, Ahaziah his son, reigned, in his stead.

25 After Ahab’s son Joram has been ruling in Israel for almost twelve years, Jehoram’s son Ahaziah became the king of Judah.

In the twelfth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, did Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah, begin to reign.

26 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he started to rule. He ruled in Jerusalem for [only] one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, [the daughter of King Ahab and] the granddaughter of King Omri of Israel.

Two and twenty years old, was Ahaziah when he began to reign, —and, one year, reigned he in Jerusalem, —and, his mother’s name, was Athaliah, daughter of Omri, king of Israel;

27 King Ahab conducted his life just like the members of Ahab’s family had done. He did things that Yahweh considered to be very evil.

And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, like the house of Ahab, —for, son-in-law of the house of Ahab, was, he.

28 Ahaziah’s army joined the army of King Joram of Israel to fight against the army of King Hazael of Syria. Their armies started fighting at Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region], and the soldiers of Syria wounded Joram.

And he went with Joram son of Ahab, to make war against Hazael king of Syria, in Ramoth-gilead, —and the Syrians wounded Joram.

29 King Joram returned to Jezreel [city] to recover from his wounds. King Ahaziah went to visit him there.

So Joram the king returned to get healed in Jezreel, from the wounds wherewith the Syrians had wounded him in Ramah, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria, —and, Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah, went down to see Joram son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he, was sick.