2 Kings 8
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Shunammite Woman’s Land Restored
8 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Get up and go with your household and settle wherever you can, for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come on the land for seven years.”(A) 2 So the woman got up and did according to the word of the man of God; she went with her household and settled in the land of the Philistines seven years. 3 At the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she set out to appeal to the king for her house and her land. 4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.”(B) 5 While he was telling the king how Elisha had restored a dead person to life, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. Gehazi said, “My lord king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life.”(C) 6 When the king questioned the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, together with all the revenue of the fields from the day that she left the land until now.”
Death of Ben-hadad
7 Elisha went to Damascus while King Ben-hadad of Aram was ill. When it was told him, “The man of God has come here,”(D) 8 the king said to Hazael, “Take a present with you and go to meet the man of God. Inquire of the Lord through him, whether I shall recover from this illness.”(E) 9 So Hazael went to meet him, taking a present with him, all kinds of goods of Damascus, forty camel loads. When he entered and stood before him, he said, “Your son King Ben-hadad of Aram has sent me to you, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this illness?’ ” 10 Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover,’ but the Lord has shown me that he shall certainly die.”(F) 11 He fixed his gaze and stared at him to the point of embarrassment. Then the man of God wept. 12 Hazael asked, “Why does my lord weep?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the people of Israel; you will set their fortresses on fire; you will kill their young men with the sword, dash in pieces their little ones, and rip up their pregnant women.”(G) 13 Hazael said, “What is your servant, who is a mere dog, that he should do this great thing?” Elisha answered, “The Lord has shown me that you are to be king over Aram.”(H) 14 Then he left Elisha and went to his master Ben-hadad,[a] who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he answered, “He told me that you would certainly recover.” 15 But the next day he took the bedcover and dipped it in water and spread it over the king’s face, until he died. And Hazael succeeded him.(I)
Jehoram Reigns over Judah
16 In the fifth year of King Joram son of Ahab of Israel,[b] Jehoram son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah began to reign.(J) 17 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.(K) 18 He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.(L) 19 Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah, for the sake of his servant David, since he had promised to give a lamp to him and to his descendants forever.(M)
20 In his days Edom revolted against the rule of Judah and set up a king of their own.(N) 21 Then Joram crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. He set out by night and attacked the Edomites and their chariot commanders who had surrounded him,[c] but his army fled home.(O) 22 So Edom has been in revolt against the rule of Judah to this day. Libnah also revolted at the same time.(P) 23 Now the rest of the acts of Joram and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? 24 So Joram slept with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of David; his son Ahaziah succeeded him.(Q)
Ahaziah Reigns over Judah
25 In the twelfth year of King Joram son of Ahab of Israel, Ahaziah son of King Jehoram of Judah began to reign.(R) 26 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri of Israel. 27 He also walked in the way of the house of Ahab, doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was son-in-law to the house of Ahab.
28 He went with Joram son of Ahab to wage war against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, where the Arameans wounded Joram.(S) 29 King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah, when he fought against King Hazael of Aram. King Ahaziah son of Jehoram of Judah went down to see Joram son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was wounded.(T)
2 Kings 8
Christian Standard Bible
The Shunammite’s Land Restored
8 Elisha said to the woman whose son he had restored to life,(A) “Get ready, you and your household, and go live as a resident alien wherever you can. For the Lord has announced a seven-year famine,(B) and it has already come to the land.”
2 So the woman got ready and did what the man of God said. She and her household lived as resident aliens in the land of the Philistines for seven years. 3 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)
4 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.”
5 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)
6 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
7 Elisha came to Damascus(G) while King Ben-hadad(H) of Aram was sick, and the king was told, “The man of God(I) has come here.” 8 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)
9 Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift: forty camel-loads of all the finest products of Damascus. When he came and stood before him, he said, “Your son,(M) King Ben-hadad 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 he stared steadily at him until he 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 children to pieces. You will rip open their pregnant women.”(P)
13 Hazael said, “How could your servant, a mere dog,(Q) do such a mighty deed?”
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 in his place.
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 thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.(W) 18 He walked in the ways 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 For the sake of his servant David, the Lord was unwilling to destroy Judah, since he had promised to give a lamp[d](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 ancestors and was buried with his ancestors 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 twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, granddaughter of Israel’s King Omri.(AH) 27 He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did what was evil in the Lord’s sight like the house of Ahab,(AI) for his father had married into[e] the house of Ahab.
28 Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to fight against King Hazael(AJ) 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[f] 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.
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