2 Kings 13

1 In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria; 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 He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh and followed the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin; and Jehoahaz did not turn away 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 The anger of Yahweh burned against Israel, and he gave them continually into the hand of Hazael king of Aram and into the hand of Ben Hadad son of Hazael.

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 So Jehoahaz implored Yahweh, and Yahweh listened to him because he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram was oppressing 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 So Yahweh gave Israel a rescuer, and they escaped from the hand of the Arameans, and the people of Israel began to live in their homes as they had before.

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 Nevertheless, they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who caused Israel to sin, and they continued in them; and the Asherah pole 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 The Arameans left Jehoahaz with only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like the chaff at threshing time.

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 As for the other matters concerning Jehoahaz, and all that he did and his power, are they not written in the book of the events 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 So Jehoahaz slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in Samaria. Johoash his son became king in his place.

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

10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, the reign of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz began over Israel in Samaria; he reigned 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 He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh. He did not leave behind any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, by which he had made Israel to sin, but he walked in them.

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 As for the other matters concerning Jehoash, and all that he did, and his might by which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the events 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 Jehoash slept with his ancestors, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. Jehoash 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 Elisha became sick with an illness by which he later died, so Jehoash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over him. He said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen are taking you away!”

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 Elisha said to him, “Pick up a bow and some arrows,” so Joash picked up a bow and some arrows.

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

16 Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow,” so he put his hand on it. Then Elisha laid his hands on 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 Elisha said, “Open the window eastward,” so he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!”, and he shot. Elisha said, “This is Yahweh's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram, for you will attack the Arameans in Aphek until you 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 Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows,” so Joash took them. He said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them,” and he struck the ground three times, then stopped.

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 But the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have hit the ground five or six times. Then you would have attacked Aram until you annihilated it, but now you will attack Aram only three times.”

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 Then Elisha died, and they buried him. Now groups of Moabites invaded 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 As they were burying a certain man, they saw a group of Moabites, so they threw the body into Elisha's grave. As soon as the man touched Elisha's bones, 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 Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.

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

23 But Yahweh was gracious to Israel, and had compassion on them and concern for them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So Yahweh did not destroy them, and he still has not driven them away 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 Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben Hadad his son became king in his place.

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

25 Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben Hadad son of Hazael the cities that had been taken from Jehoahaz his father by war. Jehoash attacked him three times, and he recovered those 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.