2 Kings 8 - Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

The King and the Shunammite Woman

8 Elisha talked to the woman whose son he had brought back to life. He said, “You and your family should move to another country, because the Lord has decided that there will be a famine here. It will last for seven years.”

2 So the woman did what the man of God said. She went with her family to stay in the land of the Philistines for seven years. 3 After seven years she returned from the land of the Philistines.

She went to speak with the king to ask him to help her get back her house and land.

4 The king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God. The king said to Gehazi, “Please tell me all the great things Elisha has done.”

5 Gehazi was telling the king about Elisha bringing a dead person back to life. At that same time the woman whose son Elisha brought back to life went to the king. She wanted to ask him to help her get back her house and land. Gehazi said, “My lord and king, this is the woman, and this is the son who Elisha brought back to life.”

6 The king asked the woman what she wanted, and she told him.

Then the king chose an officer to help her. The king said, “Give to the woman all that belongs to her. And give her all the harvest of her land from the day she left the country until now.”

Ben-Hadad Sends Hazael to Elisha

7 Elisha went to Damascus. King Ben-Hadad of Aram was sick. Someone told Ben-Hadad, “The man of God has come here.”

8 Then the King Ben-Hadad said to Hazael, “Take a gift and go meet the man of God. Ask him to ask the Lord if I will get well from my sickness.”

9 So Hazael went to meet Elisha. Hazael brought a gift with him. He brought all kinds of good things from Damascus. It took 40 camels to carry everything. Hazael came to Elisha and said, “Your follower,[a] King Ben-Hadad of Aram, sent me to you. He asks if he will get well from his sickness.”

10 Then Elisha said to Hazael, “Go and tell Ben-Hadad, ‘You will live.’ But really the Lord told me, ‘He will die.’”

Elisha Makes a Prophecy About Hazael

11 Elisha began to stare. He stared for an embarrassingly long time. Then the man of God began to cry. 12 Hazael said, “Sir, why are you crying?”

Elisha answered, “I am crying because I know the bad things you will do to the Israelites. You will burn their strong cities and kill their young men with swords. You will kill their babies and split open their pregnant women.”

13 Hazael said, “I am not a powerful man![b] How can I do these great things?”

Elisha answered, “The Lord showed me that you will be king over Aram.”

14 Then Hazael left Elisha and went to his king.[c] Ben-Hadad said to Hazael, “What did Elisha say to you?”

He answered, “Elisha told me that you will live.”

Hazael Murders Ben-Hadad

15 But the next day Hazael took a thick cloth and dipped it in water. Then he held it on Ben-Hadad’s face until he died. Then Hazael became the new king.

Jehoram Begins His Rule

16 Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah. He began to rule in the fifth year that Joram son of Ahab was king of Israel.[d] 17 Jehoram was 32 years old when he began to rule. He ruled eight years in Jerusalem. 18 But Jehoram lived as the kings of Israel and did what the Lord saw as evil. He lived as the people from Ahab’s family, because his wife was Ahab’s daughter. 19 But the Lord would not destroy Judah because of the promise to his servant David. He had promised David that someone from his family would always be king.

20 In Jehoram’s time Edom broke away from Judah’s rule. The people of Edom chose a king for themselves.

21 Then Jehoram and all his chariots went to Zair. The Edomite army surrounded them, but Jehoram and his officers attacked them and escaped. Jehoram’s soldiers all ran away and went home. 22 So the Edomites broke away from the rule of Judah. And they have been free from the rule of Judah until today.

At the same time Libnah also broke away from Judah’s rule.

23 All the things Jehoram did are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah.

24 Jehoram died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Jehoram’s son Ahaziah became the new king.

Ahaziah Begins His Rule

25 Ahaziah son of Jehoram became the king of Judah in the 12th year that Joram son of Ahab was king of Israel. 26 Ahaziah was 22 years old when he began to rule. He ruled one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah. She was the daughter of King Omri of Israel. 27 Ahaziah did what the Lord said was wrong. He did many bad things, just as the people from Ahab’s family had done. He lived like this because his wife was from Ahab’s family.

Joram Is Hurt in the War Against Hazael

28 Joram was from Ahab’s family. Ahaziah went with Joram to fight against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram. 29 King Joram went back to Israel so that he could get well from those wounds. He went to the area of Jezreel. Ahaziah son of Jehoram was the king of Judah. Ahaziah went to Jezreel to see Joram.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 8:9 follower Literally, “son.”
  2. 2 Kings 8:13 I … powerful man Literally, “Your servant is only a dog!”
  3. 2 Kings 8:14 king Literally, “master.”
  4. 2 Kings 8:16 The standard Hebrew text adds “while Jehoshaphat was still king of Judah.” That is, according to the Hebrew, father and son ruled Judah together for a time.

You Might Also Like:

2 Kings 8 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

8 And Elisha spake unto the woman whose son he had revived, saying, `Rise and go, thou and thy household, and sojourn where thou dost sojourn, for Jehovah hath called for a famine, and also, it is coming unto the land seven years.' 2 And the woman riseth, and doth according to the word of the man of...
Read More

2 Kings 8 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

8 Forsooth Elisha spake to the woman, whose son he made to live, and said, Rise thou, and go, both thou and thine house, and go in pilgrimage/and make pilgrimage, wherever thou shalt find it best; for the Lord shall call hunger, and it shall come upon the land seven years. (For Elisha spoke to the w...
Read More

2 Kings 8 - World English Bible (WEB)

8 Now Elisha had spoken to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise, and go, you and your household, and stay for a while wherever you can; for Yahweh has called for a famine. It will also come on the land for seven years.” 2 The woman arose, and did according to the man of God’s ...
Read More

2 Kings 8 - The Voice (VOICE)

8 Elisha went and warned the mother of the boy whom he had brought back to life.Elisha: Get up and gather together your family and servants. Travel as far away from here as you can, and live as a resident alien. The Eternal is going to cause a great famine in the land for the next seven years. 2 The...
Read More

2 Kings 8 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

The Shunammite’s Land Restored8 Now Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life saying, “Arise and go with your household, and stay wherever you can stay, because Adonai has called for a famine—indeed it has already come—on the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman arose and did acc...
Read More

2 Kings 8 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Shunammite Woman’s Land Restored8 Now Eli′sha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can; for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman arose, and did accor...
Read More

2 Kings 8 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Shunammite Woman’s Land Restored8 Now Eli′sha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can; for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman arose, and did accor...
Read More

2 Kings 8 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

The Shunammite Woman’s Land Restored8 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Get up and go with your household, and settle wherever you can; for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come on the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman got up and did according to ...
Read More

2 Kings 8 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Shunammite Woman’s Land Restored8 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, ‘Get up and go with your household, and settle wherever you can; for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come on the land for seven years.’ 2 So the woman got up and did according to ...
Read More

2 Kings 8 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Shunammite Woman’s Land Restored8 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Get up and go with your household and settle wherever you can, for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come on the land for seven years.”(A)2 So the woman got up and did according to ...
Read More

2 Kings 8 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Woman from Shunem Returns Home8 Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought back to life, “Take your family and move to some other place, for the Lord has called for a famine on Israel that will last for seven years.” 2 So the woman did as the man of God instructed. She took her family an...
Read More

2 Kings 8 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Shunammite’s Land Given Back8 Now Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had brought back to life. He said, “Get ready and go with those of your house. Stay in whatever country you can. For the Lord has called for a time of no food. It will come upon the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman go...
Read More

2 Kings 8 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The King Restores the Shunammite’s Land8 Then Elisha spoke to the woman (A)whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go, you and your household, and stay wherever you can; for the Lord (B)has called for a (C)famine, and furthermore, it will come upon the land for seven years.” 2 So the ...
Read More

2 Kings 8 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The Shunammite’s land restored8 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, ‘Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the Lord has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.’ 2 The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She...
Read More

2 Kings 8 - New International Version (NIV)

The Shunammite’s Land Restored8 Now Elisha had said to the woman(A) whose son he had restored to life, “Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the Lord has decreed a famine(B) in the land that will last seven years.”(C) 2 The woman proceeded to do as the man of God s...
Read More

2 Kings 8 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Woman From Shunem Gets Her Land Back8 Elisha had brought a woman’s son back to life. He had said to her, “Go away with your family. Stay for a while anywhere you can. The Lord has decided that there won’t be enough food in the land. That will be true for seven years.” 2 The woman did just as th...
Read More

2 Kings 8 - New English Translation (NET)

Elisha Again Helps the Shunammite Woman8 Now Elisha advised the woman whose son he had brought back to life, “You and your family should go and live somewhere else for a while,[a] for the Lord has decreed that a famine will overtake the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman did as the prophet said....
Read More