SECOND KINGS

 

2 Kings Chapter 13

1 ¶ In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.

2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he led Israel to commit; he did not depart from them.

3 And the anger of the LORD was kindled 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 their reigns.

4 And Jehoahaz pleaded with the LORD, and the LORD heard him: because he saw how the king of Syria was oppressing Israel.

5 (And the LORD gave Israel a savior, so that they were freed from the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel lived in their homes again, as they had done before.

6 Nevertheless they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who led Israel to sin, but continued in them: and the sacred grove also remained in Samaria.)

7 Nor did Benhadad leave to Jehoahaz an army of more than fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand infantrymen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like dust to be trampled.

8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the records 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 stead.

10 ¶ In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Joash the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned for sixteen years.

11 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin: but he continued in them.

12 And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the records of the kings of Israel?

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

14 Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die. And Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him, saying, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and its horsemen.

15 Elisha said to him, Get a bow and some arrows. So he got a bow and some arrows.

16 And he said to the king of Israel, Draw the bow. And he drew the bow: and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.

17 And he said, Open the window to the east. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD’S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for you shall defeat the Syrians at Aphek, until you have destroyed them.

18 And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, Strike them on the ground. And he struck them three times, and stopped.

19 And the man of God was angry with him, and said, You should have struck them five or six times; then you would have struck Syria until you destroyed it: whereas now you will only defeat Syria three times.

20 ¶ Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And bands of Moabites invaded the land in the spring of the next year.

21 And as they were burying a man, they saw such a band coming; and they hurriedly put the man into the Elisha’s tomb: and when the man was lowered, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.

22 Now Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.

23 But the LORD was gracious to them, and had compassion on them, and returned to them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, and he has not yet banished them from his presence.

24 So Hazael the king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead.

25 And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took back from Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities, that he had taken from Jehoahaz his father by war. Joash defeated him three times, and recovered the cities of Israel.