1Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria. It was in the 23rd year of the rule of Joash, the king of Judah. Jehoahaz ruled for 17 years. Joash was the son of Ahaziah. Jehoahaz was the son of Jehu.2Jehoahaz did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD. He committed the sins Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had committed. Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit those same sins. Jehoahaz didn’t turn away from them.3So the LORD was very angry with Israel. For a long time he kept them under the power of Hazael, the king of Aram. The LORD also kept them under the power of his son Ben-Hadad.4Then Jehoahaz asked the LORD for help. The LORD listened to him. The LORD saw how badly the king of Aram was treating Israel.5The LORD provided someone to save Israel. And they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes, just as they had before.6But the people didn’t turn away from the sins of the royal house of Jeroboam. He had caused Israel to commit those same sins. The people continued to commit them. And the pole used to worship the female god named Asherah remained standing in Samaria.7The army of Jehoahaz had almost nothing left. All it had was 50 horsemen, 10 chariots and 10,000 soldiers on foot. The king of Aram had destroyed the rest of them. He had made them like dust at threshing time.8The other events of the rule of Jehoahaz are written down. Everything he did and accomplished is written in the official records of the kings of Israel.9Jehoahaz joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried in Samaria. Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash became the next king after him.
Jehoash king of Israel
10Jehoash became king of Israel in Samaria. It was in the 37th year that Joash was king of Judah. Jehoash ruled for 16 years. He was the son of Jehoahaz.11Jehoash did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD. Jehoash didn’t turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit those same sins. And Jehoash continued to commit them.12The other events of the rule of Jehoash are written down. That includes his war against Amaziah, the king of Judah. Everything he did and accomplished is written in the official records of the kings of Israel.13Jehoash joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried in the royal tombs in Samaria. Jeroboam became the next king on Israel’s throne after him.14Elisha had been suffering from a disease. Later he would die from it. Jehoash, the king of Israel, went down to see him. Jehoash wept over him. ‘My father!’ he cried. ‘You are like a father to me! You, Elisha, are the true chariots and horsemen of Israel!’15Elisha said to Jehoash, ‘Get a bow and some arrows.’ So he did.16‘Hold the bow in your hands,’ Elisha said to the king of Israel. So Jehoash took hold of the bow. Then Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.17‘Open the east window,’ Elisha said. So he did. ‘Shoot!’ Elisha said. So he shot. ‘That’s the LORD’s arrow!’ Elisha announced. ‘It means you will win the battle over Aram! You will completely destroy the men of Aram at Aphek.’18Elisha continued, ‘Get some arrows.’ So the king did. Elisha told him, ‘Strike the ground.’ Jehoash struck it three times. Then he stopped.19The man of God was angry with him. He said, ‘You should have struck the ground five or six times. Then you would have won the war over Aram. You would have completely destroyed them. But now you will win only three battles over them.’20Elisha died and was buried. Some robbers from Moab used to enter the country of Israel every spring.21One day some Israelites were burying a man. Suddenly they saw a group of robbers. So they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. The body touched Elisha’s bones. When it did, the man came back to life again. He stood up on his feet.22Hazael, the king of Aram, treated Israel badly. He did it the whole time Jehoahaz was king.23But the LORD helped Israel. He was tender and kind to them. He showed concern for them. He did all these things because of the covenant he had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he hasn’t been willing to destroy Israel. And he hasn’t driven them out of his land.24Hazael, the king of Aram, died. His son Ben-Hadad became the next king after him.25Then Jehoash won back some towns from Ben-Hadad, the son of Hazael. Ben-Hadad had captured them in battle from Jehoahaz, the father of Jehoash. Jehoash won three battles over Ben-Hadad. So Jehoash won back the Israelite towns.
2 Kings 13
English Standard Version
Jehoahaz Reigns in Israel
1In 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 he reigned seventeen years.2He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from them. (1Ki 14:16)3And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them continually into the hand of Hazael king of Syria and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael. (Jud 2:14; 1Ki 19:17; 2Ki 8:12; 2Ki 13:24)4Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. (Ex 3:7; Ex 3:9; Ex 32:11; 2Ki 14:26; Ps 78:34)5(Therefore the Lord gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians, and the people of Israel lived in their homes as formerly. (Jud 3:9; 2Sa 18:17; Ne 9:27)6Nevertheless, they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin, but walked[1] in them; and the Asherah also remained in Samaria.) (1Ki 16:33; 2Ki 13:2)7For there was not left to Jehoahaz an army of more than fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Syria had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing. (Am 1:3)8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?9So Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Joash his son reigned in his place.
Jehoash Reigns in Israel
10In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash[2] the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years.11He also did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin, but he walked in them. (2Ki 13:2)12Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, and the might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? (2Ki 13:14; 2Ki 13:25; 2Ki 14:8; 2Ki 14:15)13So Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
The Death of Elisha
14Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” (2Ki 2:12)15And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows.16Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow,” and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands.17And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. And he said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.” (1Ki 20:26)18And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped.19Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.” (De 33:1; 2Ki 13:25)20So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. (2Ki 1:1; 2Ki 3:7; 2Ki 24:2)21And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.22Now Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. (2Ki 8:12)23But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now. (Ex 2:24; Ex 32:13; 2Ki 14:27)24When Hazael king of Syria died, Ben-hadad his son became king in his place.25Then Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again from Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from Jehoahaz his father in war. Three times Joash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel. (2Ki 10:32; 2Ki 13:18; 2Ki 14:25; Am 1:4)