12 And Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” He answered, “Because I know (A)the evil that you will do to the people of Israel. You will set on fire their fortresses, and you will kill their young men with the sword (B)and dash in pieces their little ones and rip open their pregnant women.” 13 And Hazael said, “What is your servant, (C)who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?” Elisha answered, (D)“The Lord has shown me that you are to 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?” And he answered, “He told me (E)that you would certainly recover.” 15 But the next day he took the bed cloth[a] and dipped it in water and spread it over his face, till he died. And Hazael became king in his place.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 8:15 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

12 “Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael.

“Because I know the harm(A) you will do to the Israelites,” he answered. “You will set fire to their fortified places, kill their young men with the sword, dash(B) their little children(C) to the ground, and rip open(D) their pregnant women.”

13 Hazael said, “How could your servant, a mere dog,(E) accomplish such a feat?”

“The Lord has shown me that you will become king(F) of Aram,” answered Elisha.

14 Then Hazael left Elisha and returned to his master. When Ben-Hadad asked, “What did Elisha say to you?” Hazael replied, “He told me that you would certainly recover.” 15 But the next day he took a thick cloth, soaked it in water and spread it over the king’s face, so that he died.(G) Then Hazael succeeded him as king.

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