书念妇人得回产业

以利沙曾经救活了一位书念妇人的儿子。他对那妇人说:“你和家人要离开这里去别处寄居,因为耶和华已决定使这里遭受七年饥荒。” 那妇人遵照上帝仆人的话,举家迁往非利士,在那里寄居了七年。 七年后,她从非利士返回,去向王请求收回自己的房屋和田地。 那时,王正与上帝仆人的侍者基哈西谈话,让基哈西把以利沙所做的一切大事讲给他听。 基哈西正在向王讲述以利沙如何使死人复活的时候,那位书念妇人刚好进宫求见王,基哈西便说:“我主我王,这就是那妇人,这是她那个被以利沙救活的儿子。” 王问那妇人,她便原原本本地将那件事禀告王。王委派一位臣仆处理她的事情,并吩咐说:“凡属于这妇人的东西,包括从她离开本地直到今天她田地的所有出产,要全部还给她。”

以利沙对哈薛的预言

一天,以利沙到了大马士革。当时亚兰王便·哈达正在生病,他得知上帝的仆人来了, 便对哈薛说:“你带着礼物去见上帝的仆人,请他求问耶和华,看看我这病能否痊愈。” 哈薛用四十头骆驼驮着大马士革的各种美物前去拜见以利沙。到了那里,他站在以利沙面前说:“你儿子亚兰王便·哈达派我来问你,他的病能否痊愈?”

10 以利沙对哈薛说:“你去告诉他,他一定会痊愈。不过,耶和华告诉我他会死。” 11 他目不转睛地盯着哈薛,盯得他很不安。然后,上帝的仆人哭了。 12 哈薛问:“我主为什么哭呢?”以利沙说:“因为我知道你会加害以色列人。你会放火烧他们的堡垒,用刀杀戮他们的壮丁,摔死他们的孩童,剖开他们的孕妇。” 13 哈薛说:“你仆人算什么,不过是一条狗,怎能做这样的大事呢?”以利沙说:“耶和华告诉我,你要做亚兰王。” 14 哈薛辞别以利沙回去了。王问他:“以利沙对你说什么?”他答道:“以利沙告诉我,你一定会痊愈。” 15 第二天,哈薛拿了一床浸透水的被子,蒙在王的脸上,王窒息而死。于是哈薛篡位。

约兰做犹大王

16 以色列王亚哈的儿子约兰执政第五年,犹大王约沙法让位给儿子约兰。 17 约兰三十二岁登基,在耶路撒冷执政八年。 18 他与亚哈家一样步以色列诸王的后尘,因为他娶了亚哈的女儿为妻,做耶和华视为恶的事。 19 但耶和华因祂仆人大卫的缘故而不愿毁灭犹大,因为祂曾应许让大卫的子孙永远做王。 20 约兰执政期间,以东人反叛犹大,自己立王。 21 约兰率领所有战车前往撒益,他和战车长们被以东人包围。他们乘夜出击,突出重围,各自逃回家去。 22 以东人至今仍脱离犹大的统治。立拿人也在那个时候叛变了。

23 约兰其他的事及其一切所作所为都记在犹大列王史上。 24 约兰与祖先同眠后,葬在大卫城他的祖坟里。他儿子亚哈谢继位。

亚哈谢做犹大王

25 以色列王亚哈的儿子约兰执政第十二年,犹大王约兰的儿子亚哈谢登基。 26 他二十二岁登基,在耶路撒冷执政一年。他母亲叫亚她利雅,是以色列王暗利的孙女。 27 亚哈谢是亚哈家的女婿,他步亚哈家的后尘,做耶和华视为恶的事。

28 他联合亚哈的儿子约兰到基列的拉末与亚兰王哈薛交战。约兰受了伤, 29 便回到耶斯列疗伤。犹大王亚哈谢前去探望。

The Shunammite’s Land Restored

Elisha said to the woman whose son he had restored to life,(A) “Get ready, you and your household, and go and live as a foreigner wherever you can. For the Lord has announced a seven-year famine,(B) and it has already come to the land.”

So the woman got ready and did what the man of God said. She and her household lived as foreigners in the land of the Philistines for seven years. When the woman returned from the land of the Philistines at the end of seven years,(C) she went to appeal to the king for her house and field.(D)

The king had been speaking to Gehazi,(E) the attendant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me all the great things Elisha has done.”

While he was telling the king how Elisha restored the dead son to life, the woman whose son he had restored to life came to appeal to the king for her house and field. So Gehazi said, “My lord the king, this is the woman and this is the son Elisha restored to life.”(F)

When the king asked the woman, she told him the story. So the king appointed a court official for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, along with all the income from the field from the day she left the country until now.”

Aram’s King Hazael

Elisha came to Damascus(G) while Ben-hadad(H) king of Aram was sick, and the king was told, “The man of God(I) has come here.” So the king said to Hazael,(J) “Take a gift(K) with you and go meet the man of God. Inquire of the Lord through him, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’”(L)

Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift: 40 camel-loads of all kinds of goods from Damascus. When he came and stood before him, he said, “Your son,(M) Ben-hadad king of Aram, has sent me to ask you, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’”

10 Elisha told him, “Go say to him, ‘You are sure to[a] recover.’ But the Lord has shown me that he is sure to die.” 11 Then Elisha stared steadily at him until Hazael was ashamed.(N)

The man of God wept,(O) 12 and Hazael asked, “Why is my lord weeping?”

He replied, “Because I know the evil you will do to the people of Israel. You will set their fortresses on fire. You will kill their young men with the sword. You will dash their little ones to pieces. You will rip open their pregnant women.”(P)

13 Hazael said, “How could your servant, a mere dog,(Q) do this monstrous thing?”

Elisha answered, “The Lord has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”(R)

14 Hazael left Elisha and went to his master, who asked him, “What did Elisha say to you?”

He responded, “He told me you are sure to recover.” 15 The next day Hazael took a heavy cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over the king’s face. Ben-hadad died, and Hazael reigned instead of him.

Judah’s King Jehoram

16 In the fifth year(S) of Israel’s King Joram(T) son of Ahab, Jehoram[b](U) son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah, replacing his father.[c](V) 17 He was 32 years old when he became king and reigned eight years in Jerusalem.(W) 18 He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for Ahab’s daughter was his wife. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.(X) 19 The Lord was unwilling to destroy Judah because of His servant David, since He had promised to give a lamp(Y) to David and his sons forever.(Z)

20 During Jehoram’s reign, Edom rebelled against Judah’s control and appointed their own king.(AA) 21 So Jehoram crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. Then at night he set out to attack the Edomites who had surrounded him and the chariot commanders, but his troops fled to their tents.(AB) 22 So Edom is still in rebellion against Judah’s control today. Libnah(AC) also rebelled at that time.

23 The rest of the events of Jehoram’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.(AD) 24 Jehoram rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and his son Ahaziah became king in his place.(AE)

Judah’s King Ahaziah

25 In the twelfth year of Israel’s King Joram son of Ahab,(AF) Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah.(AG) 26 Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king and reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, granddaughter of Israel’s King Omri.(AH) 27 He walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did what was evil in the Lord’s sight like the house of Ahab,(AI) for he was a son-in-law to Ahab’s family.

28 Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to fight against Hazael(AJ) king of Aram in Ramoth-gilead,(AK) and the Arameans wounded Joram. 29 So King Joram returned to Jezreel(AL) to recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him in Ramoth-gilead[d] when he fought against Aram’s King Hazael.(AM) Then Judah’s King Ahaziah son of Jehoram went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab since Joram was ill.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 8:10 Alt Hb tradition reads You will not
  2. 2 Kings 8:16 = The Lord is Exalted
  3. 2 Kings 8:16 Lit Judah; Jehoshaphat had been king of Judah
  4. 2 Kings 8:29 Lit Ramah

Elisha Helps a Shunem Woman Get Her Land Back

Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought back to life, “Go away with your family. Stay wherever you can. The Lord has decided to send a famine on this country, and it will last seven years.”

The woman did what the man of God told her. She and her family went to live in Philistine territory for seven years. At the end of seven years, the woman came home from Philistine territory but left again to make an appeal to the king about her house and land.

The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God. He said, “Please tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.” While Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha brought a dead child back to life, the mother ⌞came to⌟ make an appeal to the king about her house and land.

Gehazi said, “Your Majesty, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha brought back to life.”

When the king asked the woman ⌞about this⌟, she told him the story. So the king assigned to her an attendant to whom he said, “Restore all that is hers, including whatever her property produced from the day she left the country until now.”

Elisha Prophesies to Hazael

Elisha went to Damascus. King Benhadad of Aram, who was sick, was told, “The man of God has come here.”

The king told Hazael, “Take a present, and meet the man of God. Ask the Lord through him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’ ”

Hazael went to meet Elisha. He took with him a present and all kinds of goods from Damascus. He had loaded the goods on 40 camels. He stood in front of Elisha and said, “Your humble servant King Benhadad of Aram has sent me to you. He asks whether he will recover from this illness.”

10 Elisha replied, “Tell him that he will get better, although the Lord has shown me that he is actually going to die.” 11 He stared at him until he became embarrassed. Then the man of God began to cry.

12 “Sir, why are you crying?” Hazael asked.

Elisha answered, “I know the evil you will do to the Israelites: You will set their fortresses on fire, kill their best young men, smash their little children, and rip open their pregnant women.”

13 But Hazael asked, “How can a dog like me do such a significant thing?”

Elisha answered, “The Lord has shown me that you will become king of Aram.” 14 Hazael left Elisha and went to his master Benhadad, who asked him what Elisha had said.

Hazael answered, “He told me that you will get better.”

15 But the next day Hazael took a blanket, soaked it in water, and smothered the king with it. Hazael ruled as king in his place.

King Jehoram of Judah(A)

16 Joram (Ahab’s son) was in his fifth year as king of Israel when Jehoram,[a] son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, began to rule. Jehoram ruled while Jehoshaphat was still king of Judah. 17 He was 32 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 8 years in Jerusalem. 18 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as Ahab’s family had done, because his wife was Ahab’s daughter. So he did what the Lord considered evil. 19 But for David’s sake the Lord didn’t want to destroy Judah. The Lord had told David that he would always give him and his descendants a ⌞shining⌟ lamp.

20 During Jehoram’s time Edom rebelled against Judah and chose its own king. 21 Jehoram took all his chariots to attack Zair. The Edomites and their chariot commanders surrounded him, but he got up at night, broke through their lines, and his troops fled home. 22 So Edom rebelled against Judah’s rule and is still independent today. At that time Libnah also rebelled. 23 Isn’t everything else about Jehoram—everything he did—written in the official records of the kings of Judah? 24 Jehoram lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. His son Ahaziah succeeded him as king.

King Ahaziah of Judah(B)

25 Joram (Ahab’s son) was in his twelfth year as king of Israel when Jehoram’s son Ahaziah became king of Judah. 26 Ahaziah was 22 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, the granddaughter of King Omri of Israel. 27 Ahaziah followed the ways of Ahab’s family. He did what the Lord considered evil, as Ahab’s family had done, because he was related to Ahab’s family by marriage.

28 Ahaziah went with Ahab’s son Joram to fight against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. There the Arameans wounded Joram. 29 King Joram returned to Jezreel to let his wounds heal. (He had been wounded by the Arameans at Ramah when he fought against King Hazael of Aram.) Then Jehoram’s son Ahaziah went to Jezreel to see Ahab’s son Joram, who was sick.

Footnotes

  1. 8:16 In the Masoretic Text this king of Judah is also called Joram, a shorter form of Jehoram.