2 Kings 8:7-15

Modern English Version

Ben-Hadad Is Murdered

⁷ Then Elisha came to Damascus while Ben-Hadad the king of Aram was ill, and he was told, “The man of God has come here.” 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, saying, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’ ”

⁹ So Hazael went to meet him and took a present with him, all sorts of good things from Damascus, forty camel loads. He came and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, asking, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’ ”

¹⁰ And Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You will certainly recover,’ but the Lord has shown me that he will certainly die.” ¹¹ Hazael stared at him until he was ashamed. Then the man of God wept.

¹² Hazael said, “Why are you weeping, my lord?”

He said, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel. You will set their fortresses on fire. You will kill their young men with the sword. You will smash their children and rip open their pregnant women.”

¹³ Hazael said, “What? Is your servant a dog that he should do this great thing?”

And Elisha said, “The Lord has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”

¹⁴ Then he left Elisha and went to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he said, “He told me that you would surely recover.” ¹⁵ But the next day he took a blanket, dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died. And Hazael reigned in his place.