2 Kings 13
Expanded Bible
Jehoahaz King of Israel
13 Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria during the twenty-third year Joash son of Ahaziah was king of Judah. Jehoahaz ·ruled [reigned] seventeen years, 2 and he did ·what the Lord said was wrong [L evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. Jehoahaz ·did [followed] the same sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had done. Jeroboam had led Israel to sin, and Jehoahaz did not ·stop doing these same sins [depart/turn away from them]. 3 So the ·Lord was angry with [L Lord’s anger burned/kindled against] Israel and handed them over to Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-Hadad ·for a long time [or repeatedly].
4 Then Jehoahaz ·begged [entreated; prayed to; sought the favor of] the Lord, and the Lord listened to him. The Lord had seen the ·troubles [oppression] of Israel; he saw how ·terribly [severely] the king of Aram was ·treating [oppressing] them. 5 He gave Israel a ·man to save them [rescuer; savior; T deliverer], and they escaped from the ·hand [grip; power] of the Arameans. The ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] then lived in their own ·homes [L tents] as they had before, 6 but they still did not ·stop doing [depart/turn away from] these same sins that the ·family [L house] of Jeroboam had done. He had led Israel to sin, and they ·continued doing those sins [L walked in them]. The Asherah ·idol [pole; C a sacred tree or pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah; 1 Kin. 14:15] also was left standing in Samaria.
7 Nothing was left of Jehoahaz’s army except fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers. The king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like ·chaff [L dust at threshing time].
8 Everything else Jehoahaz did and all his ·victories [achievements; power] ·are [L are they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Israel. 9 Jehoahaz ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoash became king in his place.
Jehoash King of Israel
10 Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria during Joash’s thirty-seventh year as king of Judah. Jehoash ·ruled [reigned] sixteen years, 11 and he did ·what the Lord said was wrong [L evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. He did not ·stop doing [depart/turn away from] the same sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had done. Jeroboam had led Israel to sin, and Jehoash continued to do the same thing. 12 Everything else he did and all his ·victories [achievements; power], including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, ·are [L are they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Israel. 13 Jehoash ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors], and Jeroboam took his place on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
The Death of Elisha
14 At this time Elisha became sick. ·Before he died [or …with the illness of which he would die], Jehoash king of Israel went to Elisha and cried ·for [over] him. Jehoash said, “My father, my father! ·The chariots [or Chariot; C a reference to Elisha as Israel’s defender; cf. 2:12] of Israel and ·their [its] horsemen!”
15 Elisha said to Jehoash, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then Elisha said to him, “Put your hand on the bow.” So Jehoash put his hand on the bow. Then Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 Elisha said, “Open the east window.” So Jehoash opened the window. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and Jehoash shot. Elisha said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram! You will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you ·destroy [make an end of] them.”
18 Elisha said, “Take the arrows.” So Jehoash took them. Then Elisha said to him, “Strike the ground.” So Jehoash struck the ground three times and stopped. 19 The man of God was ·angry [aroused/provoked to anger] with him. “You should have struck five or six times!” Elisha said. “Then you would have struck Aram until you had completely destroyed it. But now you will ·defeat it [L strike down Aram] only three times.”
20 Then Elisha died and was buried.
At that time ·groups [bands] of Moabites would rob the land in the springtime. 21 Once as some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a ·group [band] of Moabites coming. The Israelites threw the dead man into Elisha’s ·grave [tomb]. When the man touched Elisha’s bones, the man ·came back to life [revived] and stood on his feet.
War with Aram
22 During all the days Jehoahaz was king, Hazael king of Aram ·troubled [oppressed] Israel. 23 But the Lord was ·kind [gracious] to the Israelites; he had ·mercy [compassion; pity] on them and helped them because of his ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. To this day he has ·never wanted [been unwilling] to destroy them or ·reject them [banish/cast them from his presence].
24 When Hazael king of Aram died, his son Ben-Hadad became king in his place. 25 During a war Hazael had taken some cities from Jehoahaz, Jehoash’s father. Now Jehoash took back those cities from Hazael’s son Ben-Hadad. He defeated Ben-Hadad three times and ·took back [recovered] the cities of Israel.
2 Kings 13
Amplified Bible
Kings of Israel: Jehoahaz and Joash (Jehoash)
13 In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. 2 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the [idolatrous] sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin; he did not turn from them. 3 So the anger of the Lord was kindled and burned against Israel, and He handed them over time and again to Hazael the king of Aram (Syria), and of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael. 4 But Jehoahaz sought the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them. 5 Then the Lord gave Israel a [a]savior [to rescue them and give them peace], so that they escaped from under the hand of the Arameans; and the sons (descendants) of Israel lived in their tents as before. 6 Yet they did not turn from the [idolatrous] sins of the [royal] house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin; but walked in them. And the Asherah [set up by Ahab] also remained standing in Samaria [Israel’s capital]. 7 For he left to Jehoahaz [king of Israel] an army of no more than fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and 10,000 footmen, for the king of Aram (Ben-hadad) had destroyed them and made them like dust to be trampled. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, everything that he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 9 Jehoahaz slept with his fathers [in death], and they buried him in Samaria; Joash his son became king in his place.
10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, [b]Jehoash (Joash) the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. 11 He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not turn away from all the [idolatrous] sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin; but he walked in them. 12 Now the rest of the acts of Joash, everything that he did, and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 13 Joash slept with his fathers [in death], and Jeroboam [II] sat on his throne. Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
Death of Elisha
14 Now Elisha had become sick with the illness by which he would die. And Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over him and said, “O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!”(A) 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” And he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 And he said, “Open the window to the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” And he shot. And Elisha said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram (Syria); for you will strike the Arameans in Aphek until you have destroyed them.” 18 Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and stopped. 19 So the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Aram until you had destroyed it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times.”
20 Elisha died, and they buried him. Now marauding bands of Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And it happened that as a man was being buried [on an open bier], they saw a marauding band [coming]; and they threw the man into Elisha’s grave. But when the [body of the] man [was being let down and] touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet.
22 Hazael the king of Aram oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them and turned toward them for the sake of [c]His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He was unwilling to destroy them, and did not cast them from His presence until now.(B)
24 Hazael king of Aram (Syria) died; Ben-hadad his son became king in his place. 25 Then Jehoash (Joash) the son of Jehoahaz recovered from Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken from Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times Joash defeated Ben-hadad and recovered the cities of Israel.(C)
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 13:5 Or deliverer.
- 2 Kings 13:10 See note 12:1.
- 2 Kings 13:23 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had been dead a thousand years, yet God’s covenant with them was undiminishingly effective.
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