² At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman’s wife as a maid.

²³ So the king made a great feast for them and then sent them home to their master. After that, the Aramean raiders stayed away from the land of Israel.

²⁰ Then Elisha died and was buried.

Groups of Moabite raiders used to invade the land each spring.

¹⁷ Three raiding parties soon left the camp of the Philistines. One went north toward Ophrah in the land of Shual, ¹⁸ another went west to Beth-horon, and the third moved toward the border above the valley of Zeboim near the wilderness.

³⁴ So Abimelech and all his men went by night and split into four groups, stationing themselves around Shechem.