8
1 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
the LORD 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
word. She went
with her household,
and lived in
the land of the
Philistines for
seven years.
3 At
the end of
seven years, the
woman returned
from the land
of the Philistines.
Then she went out
to beg the king
for her house
and for her
land.
4 Now
the king was
talking with
Gehazi the servant
of the man
of God, saying, “Please
tell me all
the great things
that Elisha has
done.”
5 As
he was telling
the king how
he had restored
to life him
who was dead,
behold, the woman
whose son he
had restored to
life begged the
king for her
house and for
her land.
Gehazi said, “My lord,
O king, this
is the woman,
and this is
her son, whom
Elisha restored to
life.”
6 When
the king asked
the woman, she
told him. So
the king appointed
to her a certain
officer, saying, “Restore
all that was hers,
and all the
fruits of the
field since the
day that she
left the land,
even until now.”
7 Elisha
came to Damascus;
and Benhadad the
king of Syria was
sick. He was
told, “The man
of God has come
here.”
8 The
king said to
Hazael, “Take a
present in your
hand, and go
meet the man
of God, and
inquire of the
LORD by him,
saying, ‘Will I
recover from this
sickness?’ ”
9 So
Hazael went to
meet him and
took a present
with him, even of
every good thing
of Damascus, forty
camels’ burden,
and came and
stood before him
and said, “Your
son Benhadad king
of Syria has sent
me to you, saying,
‘Will I recover
from this
sickness?’ ”
10 Elisha said
to him, “Go,
tell him, ‘You
will surely
recover;’ however
the LORD has
shown me that
he will surely
die.”
11 He
settled his
gaze steadfastly on
him, until he
was ashamed. Then
the man of God
wept.
12 Hazael said,
“Why do you
weep, my lord?”
He answered, “Because
I know the
evil that you
will do to
the children of
Israel. You will
set their
strongholds on fire,
and you will
kill their young
men with the
sword, and will
dash their little
ones in pieces,
and rip up
their pregnant
women.”
13 Hazael
said, “But what
is your servant,
who is but
a dog, that
he could do
this great thing?”
Elisha answered, “The
LORD has shown
me that you
will be king
over Syria.”
14 Then
he departed from
Elisha, and came
to his master,
who said to him,
“What did
Elisha say to you?”
He answered, “He told
me that you
would surely
recover.”
15 On
the next day,
he took a thick
cloth, dipped it
in water, and
spread it on
the king’s face,
so that he
died. Then Hazael
reigned in his
place.
16 In
the fifth year
of Joram the
son of Ahab king
of Israel,
Jehoshaphat being
king of Judah
then, Jehoram the
son of Jehoshaphat
king of Judah
began to reign.
17 He
was thirty-two
years old when
he began to
reign. He reigned
eight years in
Jerusalem.
18 He
walked in the
way of the
kings of Israel,
as did Ahab’s
house, for
he married Ahab’s daughter.
He did that
which was evil
in the LORD’s
sight.
19 However,
the LORD would
not destroy Judah,
for David his
servant’s sake, as
he promised him
to give to
him a lamp
for his children
always.
20 In
his days Edom
revolted from
under the hand
of Judah, and
made a king
over themselves.
21 Then
Joram crossed over
to Zair, and
all his chariots
with him; and
he rose up
by night and
struck the Edomites
who surrounded him
with the captains
of the chariots;
and the people
fled to
their tents.
22 So Edom
revolted from
under the hand
of Judah to
this day. Then
Libnah revolted at
the same time.
23 The
rest of the
acts of Joram,
and all that
he did, aren’t
they written in
the book of
the chronicles of
the kings of
Judah?
24 Joram
slept with
his fathers, and
was buried with
his fathers in
David’s city;
and Ahaziah his
son reigned in
his place.
25 In
the twelfth year
of Joram the
son of Ahab king
of Israel, Ahaziah
the son of
Jehoram king of
Judah began to
reign.
26 Ahaziah was
twenty-two years
old when he
began to reign;
and he reigned
one year in
Jerusalem. His mother’s
name was Athaliah
the daughter of
Omri king of
Israel.
27 He
walked in the
way of Ahab’s
house and did
that which was
evil in the
LORD’s sight, as
did Ahab’s house,
for he was
the son-in-law
of Ahab’s house.
28 He
went with Joram
the son of Ahab
to war against
Hazael king
of Syria at Ramoth
Gilead, and
the Syrians wounded
Joram.
29 King
Joram returned to
be healed in
Jezreel from the
wounds which
the Syrians had
given him at
Ramah, when he
fought against
Hazael king
of Syria. Ahaziah the
son of Jehoram,
king of Judah,
went down to
see Joram the
son of Ahab in
Jezreel, because
he was sick.