15 And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

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15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael(A) king over Aram.

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And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.

And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?

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, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?

10 And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the Lord hath shewed me that he shall surely die.

11 And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.

12 And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.

13 And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.

14 So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover.

15 And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.

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Hazael Murders Ben-Hadad

Elisha went to Damascus,(A) and Ben-Hadad(B) king of Aram was ill. When the king was told, “The man of God has come all the way up here,” he said to Hazael,(C) “Take a gift(D) with you and go to meet the man of God. Consult(E) the Lord through him; ask him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him as a gift forty camel-loads of all the finest wares of Damascus. He went in and stood before him, and said, “Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

10 Elisha answered, “Go and say to him, ‘You will certainly recover.’(F) Nevertheless,[a] the Lord has revealed to me that he will in fact die.” 11 He stared at him with a fixed gaze until Hazael was embarrassed.(G) Then the man of God began to weep.(H)

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

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

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

“The Lord has shown me that you will become king(N) 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.(O) Then Hazael succeeded him as king.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 8:10 The Hebrew may also be read Go and say, ‘You will certainly not recover,’ for.

But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad.

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I will send fire(A) on the house of Hazael(B)
    that will consume the fortresses(C) of Ben-Hadad.(D)

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Thus saith the Lord to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,

And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;

And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters;

I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.

And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.

And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:

10 For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.

11 But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the Lord; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.

12 I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

13 Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

14 Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

15 For I have not sent them, saith the Lord, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.

16 Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the Lord's house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

17 Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?

18 But if they be prophets, and if the word of the Lord be with them, let them now make intercession to the Lord of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.

19 For thus saith the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city.

20 Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;

21 Yea, thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem;

22 They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the Lord; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.

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This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke(A) out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. Then send(B) word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon,(C) Tyre and Sidon(D) through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. Give them a message for their masters and say, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: With my great power and outstretched arm(E) I made(F) the earth and its people and the animals(G) that are on it, and I give(H) it to anyone I please. Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant(I) Nebuchadnezzar(J) king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him.(K) All nations will serve(L) him and his son and his grandson until the time(M) for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate(N) him.

“‘“If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish(O) that nation with the sword,(P) famine(Q) and plague,(R) declares the Lord, until I destroy it by his hand. So do not listen to your prophets,(S) your diviners,(T) your interpreters of dreams,(U) your mediums(V) or your sorcerers(W) who tell you, ‘You will not serve(X) the king of Babylon.’ 10 They prophesy lies(Y) to you that will only serve to remove(Z) you far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish. 11 But if any nation will bow its neck under the yoke(AA) of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let that nation remain in its own land to till it and to live(AB) there, declares the Lord.”’”

12 I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, “Bow your neck under the yoke(AC) of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live.(AD) 13 Why will you and your people die(AE) by the sword, famine and plague(AF) with which the Lord has threatened any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 Do not listen(AG) to the words of the prophets(AH) who say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying lies(AI) to you. 15 ‘I have not sent(AJ) them,’ declares the Lord. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name.(AK) Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish,(AL) both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.’”

16 Then I said to the priests and all these people, “This is what the Lord says: Do not listen to the prophets who say, ‘Very soon now the articles(AM) from the Lord’s house will be brought back from Babylon.’ They are prophesying lies to you. 17 Do not listen(AN) to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live.(AO) Why should this city become a ruin? 18 If they are prophets and have the word of the Lord, let them plead(AP) with the Lord Almighty that the articles remaining in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem not be taken to Babylon. 19 For this is what the Lord Almighty says about the pillars, the bronze Sea,(AQ) the movable stands and the other articles(AR) that are left in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away when he carried(AS) Jehoiachin[a](AT) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— 21 yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about the things that are left in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem: 22 ‘They will be taken(AU) to Babylon and there they will remain until the day(AV) I come for them,’ declares the Lord. ‘Then I will bring(AW) them back and restore them to this place.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 27:20 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant of Jehoiachin

10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

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10 See, today I appoint you over nations(A) and kingdoms to uproot(B) and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”(C)

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45 Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

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45 “This is what the Lord says to his anointed,(A)
    to Cyrus,(B) whose right hand I take hold(C) of
to subdue nations(D) before him
    and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
    so that gates will not be shut:

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14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram had kept Ramothgilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria.

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Jehu Kills Joram and Ahaziah(A)

14 So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth Gilead(B) against Hazael king of Aram,

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28 And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramothgilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram.

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28 Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead.(A) The Arameans wounded Joram;

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15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

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15 During the night Abram divided his men(A) to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.(B)

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And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

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and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus,(A) so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way,(B) whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.(C)

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