King Jehoahaz of Israel
1 Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in the twenty-third year of Joash's rule in Judah. Jehoahaz ruled 17 years from Samaria 2 and disobeyed the Lord by doing wrong. He never stopped following the example of Jeroboam, who had caused the Israelites to sin.
3 The Lord was angry with the Israelites, so he let King Hazael of Syria and his son Benhadad rule over them for a long time. 4 Jehoahaz prayed to the Lord for help, and the Lord saw how terribly Hazael was treating the Israelites. He answered Jehoahaz 5 by sending Israel a leader who rescued them from the Syrians, and the Israelites lived in peace as they had before. 6-7 But Hazael had defeated Israel's army so badly that Jehoahaz had only 10 chariots, 50 cavalry troops, and 10,000 regular soldiers left in his army.
The Israelites kept sinning and following the example of Jeroboam's family. They did not tear down the sacred poles that had been set up in Samaria for the worship of the goddess Asherah.
8 Everything else Jehoahaz did while he was king, including his brave deeds, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. 9 Jehoahaz died and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoash became king.
King Jehoash of Israel
10 Jehoash became king of Israel in the thirty-seventh year of Joash's rule in Judah, and he ruled 16 years from Samaria. 11 He disobeyed the Lord by doing just like Jeroboam, who had caused the Israelites to sin.
12 Everything else Jehoash did while he was king, including his war against King Amaziah of Judah, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. 13 Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria beside the other Israelite kings. His son Jeroboam then became king.
Elisha the Prophet Dies
14 Some time before the death of King Jehoash, Elisha the prophet was very sick and about to die. Jehoash went in and stood beside him, crying. He said, “Master, what will Israel's chariots and cavalry be able to do without you?”
15-16 “Grab a bow and some arrows,” Elisha told him, “and hold them in your hand.” Jehoash grabbed the bow and arrows and held them. Elisha placed his hand on the king's hand 17 and said, “Open the window facing east.” When it was open, Elisha shouted, “Now shoot!” Jehoash shot an arrow and Elisha said, “That arrow is a sign that the Lord will help you completely defeat the Syrian army at Aphek.”
18 Elisha said, “Pick up the arrows and hit the ground with them.” Jehoash grabbed the arrows and hit the ground three times, then stopped. 19 Elisha became angry with the king and exclaimed, “If you had struck it five or six times, you would completely wipe out the Syrians. Now you will defeat them only three times.”
20 Elisha died and was buried.
Every year in the spring, Moab's leaders sent raiding parties into Israel. 21 Once, while some Israelites were burying a man's body, they saw a group of Moabites. The Israelites quickly threw the body into Elisha's tomb and ran away. As soon as the man's body touched the bones of Elisha, the man came back to life and stood up.
Israel Defeats Syria
22 Israel was under the power of King Hazael of Syria during the entire rule of Jehoahaz. 23 But the Lord was kind to the Israelites and showed them mercy because of his solemn agreement with their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In fact, he has never turned his back on them or let them be completely destroyed.
24 Hazael died, and his son Benhadad then became king of Syria. 25 King Jehoash of Israel attacked and defeated the Syrian army three times. He took back from Benhadad all the towns Hazael had captured in battle from his father Jehoahaz.
1 In the three and twentieth yeere of Ioash the sonne of Ahaziah King of Iudah, Iehoahaz the sonne of Iehu began to reigne ouer Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seuenteene yeere. 2 And he did euil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, which made Israel to sinne, and departed not therefrom. 3 And the Lord was angry with Israel, and deliuered them into the hand of Hazael King of Aram, and into the hand of Ben-hadad the sonne of Hazael, all his dayes. 4 And Iehoahaz besought the Lord, and the Lord heard him: for he saw the trouble of Israel, wherewith the King of Aram troubled them. 5 (And the Lord gaue Israel a deliuerer, so that they came out from vnder the subiection of the Aramites. And the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as before time. 6 Neuerthelesse they departed not from the sinnes of the house of Ieroboam which made Israel sinne, but walked in them. euen the groue also remayned still in Samaria) 7 For he had left of the people to Iehoahaz but fiftie horsemen, and tenne charets, and tenne thousand footemen, because the King of Aram had destroyed them, and made them like dust beaten to pouder. 8 Concerning the rest of the actes of Iehoahaz and all that he did, and his valiant deedes, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 9 And Iehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Ioash his sonne reigned in his steade. 10 In the seuen and thirtieth yere of Ioash King of Iudah began Iehoash the sonne of Iehoahaz to reigne ouer Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteene yeere, 11 And did euil in the sight of the Lord: for he departed not from all the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat that made Israel to sinne, but he walked therein. 12 Concerning the rest of the actes of Ioash and all that he did, and his valiant deedes, and how he fought against Amaziah King of Iudah, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 13 And Ioash slept with his fathers, and Ieroboam sate vpon his seate: and Ioash was buryed in Samaria among the Kings of Israel. 14 When Elisha fell sicke of his sickenesse whereof he dyed, Ioash the King of Israel came downe vnto him, and wept vpon his face, and sayd, O my father, my father, the charet of Israel, and the horsemen of the same. 15 Then Elisha sayde vnto him, Take a bowe and arrowes. And he tooke vnto him bowe and arrowes. 16 And he sayde to the King of Israel, Put thine hand vpon the bowe. And he put his hand vpon it. And Elisha put his hands vpon the Kings hands, 17 And saide, Open the windowe Eastward. And when he had opened it, Elisha said, Shoote. And he shot. And he sayd, Beholde the arrowe of the Lordes deliuerance and the arrowe of deliuerance against Aram: for thou shalt smite the Aramites in Aphek, till thou hast consumed them. 18 Againe he said, Take the arrowes. And he tooke them. And he sayde vnto the King of Israel, Smite the ground. And he smote thrise, and ceased. 19 Then the man of God was angry with him, and sayde, Thou shouldest haue smitten fiue or sixe times, so thou shouldest haue smitten Aram, till thou haddest consumed it, where nowe thou shalt smite Aram but thrise. 20 So Elisha dyed, and they buryed him. And certaine bandes of the Moabites came into the land that yeere. 21 And as they were burying a man, behold, they saw the souldiers: therfore they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha. And when the man was downe, and touched the bones of Elisha, he reuiued and stoode vpon his feete. 22 But Hazael King of Aram vexed Israel all the dayes of Iehoahaz. 23 Therefore the Lord had mercy on them and pitied them, and had respect vnto them because of his couenant with Abraham, Izhak, and Iaakob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from him as yet. 24 So Hazael the King of Aram dyed: and Ben-hadad his sonne reigned in his stead. 25 Therefore Iehoash the sonne of Iehoahaz returned, and tooke out of the hand of Ben-hadad the sonne of Hazael the cities which he had taken away by warre out of the hand of Iehoahaz his father: for three times did Ioash beate him, and restored the cities vnto Israel.