2 Kings 13
New King James Version
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. 2 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.
3 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. 4 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. 5 (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. 6 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. 7 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.
8 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? 9 So Jehoahaz [d]rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Then [e]Joash his son reigned in his place.
Jehoash Reigns in Israel
10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, [f]Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. 11 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, but walked in them.
12 (M)Now the rest of the acts of Joash, (N)all that he did, and (O)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 So Joash (P)rested[g] with his fathers. Then Jeroboam sat on his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
Death of Elisha
14 Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, “O my father, my father, (Q)the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!”
15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and some arrows.” So he took himself a bow and some arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 And he said, “Open the east window”; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot”; and he shot. And he said, “The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at (R)Aphek till you have destroyed them.” 18 Then he said, “Take the arrows”; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”; so he struck three times, and stopped. 19 And the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! (S)But now you will strike Syria only three times.”
20 Then Elisha [h]died, and they buried him. And the (T)raiding bands from Moab invaded the land in the spring of the year. 21 So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.
Israel Recaptures Cities from Syria
22 And (U)Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 But the Lord was (V)gracious to them, had compassion on them, and (W)regarded them, (X)because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not yet destroy them or cast them from His presence.
24 Now Hazael king of Syria died. Then Ben-Hadad his son reigned in his place. 25 And [i]Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz recaptured from the hand of Ben-Hadad, the son of Hazael, the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. (Y)Three times Joash defeated him and recaptured the cities of Israel.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 13:1 Jehoash, 2 Kin. 12:1–18
- 2 Kings 13:2 Lit. turn
- 2 Kings 13:6 Heb. Asherah, a Canaanite goddess
- 2 Kings 13:9 Died and joined his ancestors
- 2 Kings 13:9 Or Jehoash
- 2 Kings 13:10 Joash, v. 9
- 2 Kings 13:13 Died and joined his ancestors
- 2 Kings 13:20 Having prophesied at least 55 years
- 2 Kings 13:25 Joash, vv. 12–14, 25
2 Kings 13
21st Century King James Version
13 In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.
2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
3 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael all their days.
4 And Jehoahaz besought the Lord, and the Lord hearkened unto him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.
5 (And the Lord gave Israel a savior, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as before.
6 Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein; and there remained the Asherah poles also in Samaria.)
7 Neither did He leave to Jehoahaz of the people but fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.
8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
9 And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; they buried him in Samaria, and Jehoash his son reigned in his stead.
10 In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years.
11 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. He departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, but he walked therein.
12 And the rest of the acts of Jehoash and all that he did, and his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
13 And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat upon his throne. And Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
14 Now Elisha had fallen sick with his sickness whereof he died. And Jehoash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, “O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof!”
15 And Elisha said unto him, “Take bow and arrows.” And he took unto him a bow and arrows.
16 And he said to the king of Israel, “Put thine hand upon the bow.” And he put his hand upon it, and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands.
17 And he said, “Open the window eastward.” And he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot.” And he shot. And he said, “The arrow of the Lord’S deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria, for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek till thou have consumed them.”
18 And he said, “Take the arrows.” And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, “Smite upon the ground.” And he smote thrice, and ceased.
19 And the man of God was wroth with him and said, “Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times. Then had thou smitten Syria till thou had consumed it, whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.”
20 And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.
21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulcher of Elisha. And when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood up on his feet.
22 But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
23 And the Lord was gracious unto them and had compassion on them and had respect unto them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast He them from His presence as yet.
24 So Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead.
25 And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took back out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Jehoash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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