2 Kings 13

Jehoahaz Reigns in Israel

1 In the twenty-third year of *2 Kin. 12:1Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, *2 Kin. 10:35Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria, andreigned seventeen years. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the *1 Kin. 12:26–33sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. He did not depart from them.

3 Then *Judg. 2:14the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of *2 Kin. 8:12Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of *Amos 1:4Ben-Hadad the son of Hazael, all their days. 4 So Jehoahaz *(Ps. 78:34)pleaded with the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for *(Ex. 3:7, 9; Judg. 2:18); 2 Kin. 14:26He saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them. 5 *2 Kin. 13:25; 14:25, 27; Neh. 9:27Then the Lord gave Israel a deliverer, so that they escaped from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as before. 6 Nevertheless they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin, but walked in them; *1 Kin. 16:33and the wooden image also remained in Samaria. 7 For He left of the army of Jehoahaz only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers; for the king of Syria had destroyed them *2 Kin. 10:32and made them *(Amos 1:3)like the dust at threshing.

8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 9 So Jehoahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Then Joash his son reigned in his place.

Jehoash Reigns in Israel

10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, andreigned sixteen years. 11 And he did 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 walked in them.

12 *2 Kin. 14:8–15Now the rest of the acts of Joash, *2 Kin. 13:14–19, 25all that he did, and *2 Kin. 14:9; 2 Chr. 25:17–25his 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? 13 So Joash *2 Kin. 14:16rested with his fathers. Then Jeroboam sat on his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

Death of Elisha

14 Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, "O my father, my father, *2 Kin. 2:12the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!"

15 And Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and some arrows." So he took himself a bow and some arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow." So he put his hand onit, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 And he said, "Open the east window"; 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 must strike the Syrians at *1 Kin. 20:26Aphek till you have destroyed them." 18 Then he said, "Take the arrows"; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground"; so he struck three times, and stopped. 19 And the man of God was angry with him, and said, "You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it!*2 Kin. 13:25But now you will strike Syria only three times."

20 Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And the *2 Kin. 3:5; 24:2raiding bands from Moab invaded the land in the spring of the year. 21 So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band ofraiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.

Israel Recaptures Cities from Syria

22 And *2 Kin. 8:12, 13Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 But the Lord was *2 Kin. 14:27gracious to them, had compassion on them, and *(Ex. 2:24, 25)regarded them, *Gen. 13:16, 17; 17:2–7; Ex. 32:13because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not yet destroy them or cast them from His presence.

24 Now Hazael king of Syria died. Then Ben-Hadad his son reigned in his place. 25 And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz recaptured from the hand of Ben-Hadad, the son of Hazael, the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. *2 Kin. 13:18, 19Three times Joash defeated him and recaptured the cities of Israel.