Jehoahaz Reigns in Israel

13 In the twenty-third year of (A)Joash[a] the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, (B)Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the (C)sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. He did not [b]depart from them.

Then (D)the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of (E)Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of (F)Ben-Hadad the son of Hazael, all their days. So Jehoahaz (G)pleaded with the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for (H)He saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them. (I)Then 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. Nevertheless they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin, but walked in them; (J)and the [c]wooden image also remained in Samaria. 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 (K)and made them (L)like the dust at threshing.

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? So Jehoahaz [d]rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Then [e]Joash his son reigned in his place.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 13:1 Jehoash, 2 Kin. 12:1–18
  2. 2 Kings 13:2 Lit. turn
  3. 2 Kings 13:6 Heb. Asherah, a Canaanite goddess
  4. 2 Kings 13:9 Died and joined his ancestors
  5. 2 Kings 13:9 Or Jehoash

Jehoahaz King of Israel

13 In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. He did evil(A) in the eyes of the Lord by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, and he did not turn away from them. So the Lord’s anger(B) burned against Israel, and for a long time he kept them under the power(C) of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad(D) his son.

Then Jehoahaz sought(E) the Lord’s favor, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw(F) how severely the king of Aram was oppressing(G) Israel. The Lord provided a deliverer(H) for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before. But they did not turn away from the sins(I) of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; they continued in them. Also, the Asherah pole[a](J) remained standing in Samaria.

Nothing had been left(K) of the army of Jehoahaz except fifty horsemen, ten chariots and ten thousand foot soldiers, for the king of Aram had destroyed the rest and made them like the dust(L) at threshing time.

As for the other events of the reign of Jehoahaz, all he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? Jehoahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoash[b] his son succeeded him as king.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 13:6 That is, a wooden symbol of the goddess Asherah; here and elsewhere in 2 Kings
  2. 2 Kings 13:9 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash; also in verses 12-14 and 25