2 Kings 13

1 In the thre and twentithe yeer of Joas, sone of Ocozie, kyng of Juda, Joachaz, sone of Hieu, regnede on Israel, in Samarie seuentene yeer.

After Joash had been ruling Judah for almost 23 years, Jehu’s son Jehoahaz became the king of Israel. He ruled in Samaria [city] for 17 years.

2 And he dide yuel bifor the Lord, and he suede the synnes of Jeroboam, sone of Nabath, that made Israel to do synne; and he bowide not awei fro tho.

He did many things that Yahweh considered to be evil and committed the same kind of sins that Jeroboam had committed, sins which led the people of Israel to sin. He did not stop committing those sins.

3 And the strong veniaunce of the Lord was wrooth ayens Israel, and he bitook hem in to the hondis of Azael, kyng of Sirie, and in the hond of Benadab, sone of Asael, in alle daies.

So Yahweh became very angry with the Israeli people, and he allowed the army of King Hazael of Syria and his son Ben-Hadad to defeat the Israelis many times.

4 Forsothe Joachaz bisouyte the face of the Lord, and the Lord herde hym; for he siy the anguysch of Israel, for the kyng of Sirie hadde al to brokun hem.

Then Jehoahaz prayed to Yahweh [for help], and Yahweh heeded him, because he saw that the army of the king of Syria was oppressing the Israelis.

5 And the Lord yaf a sauyour to Israel, and he was delyuered fro the hond of the kyng of Sirie; and the sones of Israel dwelliden in her tabernaclis, as yistirdai and the thridde dai ago.

Yahweh sent a leader to Israel, who enabled them to be freed from being controlled by Syria. After that, the Israeli people lived peacefully as they had done previously.

6 Netheles thei departiden not fro the synnes of the hows of Jeroboam, that made Israel to do synne; thei yeden in tho synnes; sotheli also the wode dwellide in Samarie.

But they still continued to commit the same kind of sins that Jeroboam and his family had committed and which led the Israelis to [also] sin. And the statue of the goddess Asherah remained in Samaria.

7 And to Joacham weren not left of the puple, no but fyue hundrid kniytis, and ten charis, and ten thousynde of foot men; for the kyng of Sirie hadde slayn hem, and hadde dryue hem as in to poudur in the threischyng of a cornfloor.

Jehoahaz had only 50 men who rode on horses and ten chariots and 10,000 other soldiers, because the army of Syria had killed all the rest, trampling them like people walk on dirt.

8 Forsothe the residue of wordis of Joachaz, and alle thingis whiche he dide, and the strength of hym, whether these ben not wrytun in the book of wordis of daies of the kyngis of Israel?

[If you want to read about] [RHQ] everything else that Jehoahaz did, you can read about it in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.

9 And Joachaz slepte with hise fadris, and thei birieden hym in Samarie; and Joas, his sone, regnyde for hym.

Jehoahaz died [EUP] and was buried in Samaria. Then his son Jehoash became the king.

10 In the seuenthe and threttithe yeer of Joas, king of Juda, Joas, sone of Joachaz, regnede on Israel in Samarie sixtene yeer.

Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, started to rule in Israel after King Joash had been ruling in Judah for 23 years. Jehoash ruled in Samaria for 17 years.

11 And he dide that, that is yuel in the siyt of the Lord; for he bowide not awei fro alle the synnes of Jeroboam, sone of Nabath, that made Israel to do synne; he yede in tho synnes.

He did many things that Yahweh considered to be evil. He refused to turn away from worshiping idols, which was the sin that [many years earlier King] Jeroboam had told the Israeli people to commit.

12 Forsothe the residue of wordis of Joas, and alle thingis whiche he dide, but also his strengthe, hou he fauyt ayens Amasie, kyng of Juda, whether these ben not writun in the book of wordis of daies of the kyngis of Israel?

The other things that happened while Jehoash was king and all the things that he did are written in the book called ‘The Account of What the Kings of Israel Did’. In that account they wrote about Jehoash’s [army’s] victories, and their war with [the army of] King Amaziah of Judah.

13 And Joas slepte with hise fadris; forsothe Jeroboam sat on his trone. Sotheli Joas was biried in Samarie with the kyngis of Israel.

When Jehoash died, he was buried in Samaria where the [other] kings of Israel were buried. Then his son Jeroboam became king.

14 Forsothe Elisee was sijk in sikenesse, bi which and he was deed; and Joas, kyng of Israel, yede doun to hym, and wepte bifor hym, and seide, My fadir! my fadir! the chare of Israel, and the charietere therof!

Elisha became very ill. Just before he died, King Jehoash went to Elisha and cried in front of him. [Saying the same words that Elisha had said when Elijah was taken to heaven], he said, “My father/master! My father/master! The chariots of us Israeli people and their drivers [are taking my master away]!”

15 And Elisee seide to hym, Brynge thou a bouwe and arowis. And whanne he hadde brouyte to Elisee a bouwe and arowis,

Elisha said to him, “Bring to me a bow and some arrows!” So the king did that.

16 he seide to the kyng of Israel, Set thin hond on the bouwe. And whanne he hadde set his hond, Elisee settide his hondis on the hondis of the

Then Elisha told the king to put his hands on the bow [and prepare to shoot some arrows]. And then Elisha put his own hands on the king’s hands.

17 kyng, and seide, Opene thou the eest wyndow. And whanne he hadde openyd, Elisee seide, Schete thou an arewe; and he schete. And Elisee seide, It is an arewe of helthe of the Lord, and an arowe of helthe ayens Sirie; and thou schalt smyte Sirie in Affeth, til thou waste it.

Then Elisha told him, “[Have someone] open that window toward the east.” So they opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” So the king did. Then Elisha said, “That is the arrow that [indicates that your army] will defeat the Syrian army. Your army will completely defeat their [army] at Aphek [town].”

18 And Elisee seide, Take awei the arowis. And whanne he hadde take awei, Elisee seide eft to him, Smyte thou the erthe with a dart. And whanne he hadde smyte thre tymes,

Then Elisha said, “Pick up the other arrows and strike the ground with them!” So the king picked up the arrows and struck the ground three times.

19 and hadde stonde, the man of God was wrooth ayens hym, and seide, If thou haddist smyte fyue sithis, ether sixe sithis, ethir seuen sithis, thou schuldist haue smyte Sirie `til to the endyng; now forsothe thou schalt smyte it thre sithis.

But Elisha was angry with him. He exclaimed, “You should have struck the ground five or six times! If you had done that, your army would have defeated the Syrian [army] until they were completely wiped out! But now, [because you struck the ground only three times, ] your army will defeat them only three times!”

20 Therfor Elisee was deed, and thei birieden hym. And the theuys of Moab camen in to the lond in that yeer.

Then Elisha died and was buried. Groups of raiders from Moab came to Israel each year during (spring/the time when the cold season was ending).

21 Forsothe sum men birieden a man, and thei siyen the theues, and thei castiden forth the deed bodi in the sepulcre of Elisee; and whanne it hadde touchid the bonys of Elisee, the man lyuede ayen, and stood on his feet.

One year, when some Israeli people were burying a man’s body, they saw a group of those raiders. [They were afraid, ] so quickly they threw that man’s body into the tomb where Elisha [had been buried, and they ran away]. But as soon as the man’s body touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man became alive again and jumped up!

22 Therfor Azael, kyng of Sirie, turmentide Israel in alle the daies of Joachaz.

King Hazael of Syria [sent soldiers to] oppress the Israeli people all during the years that Jehoahaz [ruled Judah].

23 And the Lord hadde merci on hem, and turnede ayen to hem for his couenaunt, which he hadde with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he nolde distrie hem, nether cast awei outirli, til in to present tyme.

But Yahweh was very kind [DOU] to the Israeli people. He helped them because of the agreement that he had made with [their ancestors] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He did not get rid of the Israelis, and he still has not rejected them.

24 Forsothe Azael, kyng of Sirie, diede; and Benadad, his sone, regnede for hym.

When Hazael the king of Syria died, his son Ben-Hadad became the king.

25 Forsothe Joas, sone of Joachas, took awei citees fro the hond of Benadad, sone of Asael, which he hadde take bi the riyt of batel fro the hoond of Joachaz, his fadir; Joas smoot hym thre tymes, and he yeldide the citees of Israel.

[The army of] King Jehoash of Israel defeated [the army of] King Ben-Hadad three times, and recaptured the cities that Ben-Hadad’s army had captured during the time that Jehoash’s father Jehoahaz was ruling Israel.