Chapter 13
Reign of Jehoahaz of Israel. 1 Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, became the king over Israel in Samaria in the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, the king of Judah. He reigned for seventeen years.
2 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, following the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. He did not turn away from them. 3 The Lord’s anger blazed against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of Hazael, the king of Aram, and into the hands of Ben-hadad, the son of Hazael, throughout his entire reign.
4 Jehoahaz then pleaded with the Lord, and the Lord listened to him for he observed the suffering of Israel which was being oppressed by the king of Aram. 5 The Lord gave Israel a deliverer, and they escaped from under the hand of the Arameans. The Israelites were able to live in their own homes as they had before.
6 But they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam who caused Israel to sin. They continued to walk in them. An Asherah continued to stand in Samaria.
7 There was nothing left to Jehoahaz’s men except for fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen. The king of Aram had destroyed the rest of them, making them like the dust that lies on the threshing floor.
8 As for the rest of the deeds of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and all his achievements, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
9 Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and he was buried in Samaria. Jehoash his son, reigned in his stead.
10 Reign of Jehoash of Israel. Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the thirty-seventh year of the reign of Joash, the king of Judah, and he reigned for sixteen years.
11 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin, but he walked in them.
12 As for the rest of the deeds of Jehoash, what he did, his achievements, and how he fought against Amaziah, the king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
13 Jehoash slept with his fathers, and then Jeroboam sat upon his throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
14 Elisha’s Final Prophecy. Now Elisha had fallen sick with the illness from which he died. Jehoash, the king of Israel, went down to visit him and wept over him. He cried out, “My father! My father![a] The chariots and horsemen of Israel!”
15 Elisha said, “Bring a bow and arrows,” so he brought a bow and arrows. 16 He said to the king of Israel, “Take the bow in your hands,” so he took the bow in his hands. Elisha then put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 He said, “Open the east window,” and he opened it. Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. He said, “The arrow of the deliverance of the Lord! The arrow of the deliverance from Aram! You will wipe out the Aramean in Aphek, totally devouring them.”
18 Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. He said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and then stopped.
19 The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck it five or six times. Then you would have defeated Aram until it was consumed. As it is now, you will only defeat it three times.”
20 Elisha then died and was buried.
Now Moabite raiders used to raid the land during the spring. 21 Once while some people were burying a man, they spotted a band of raiders, and they cast the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the man’s body touched Elisha’s bones, he came back to life and stood up on his feet.
22 Hazael, the king of Aram, oppressed Israel all throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. 23 But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion upon them and showed respect to them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Up to the present he had not yet destroyed them nor had he cast them out of his presence.
24 Hazael, the king of Aram, then died, and Ben-hadad, his son, reigned in his stead.
25 Then Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, recaptured from the hands of Ben-hadad, the son of Hazael, the cities that he had taken from the hands of his father Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated him three times, and he recaptured the cities of Israel.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 13:14 My father! My father!: Jehoash’s lament on Elisha’s passing is reminiscent of Elisha’s words on the death of Elijah. Jehoash was mistaken in holding Elisha responsible for Israel’s well-being instead of giving the acclamation to the Lord.