Elisha’s Final Prophecy and Death

¹⁴ Now Elisha was suffering from the illness from which he would die, and Joash king of Israel went down to him. Then he wept over him and said, “My father! My father! Israel’s chariot and its charioteers!”

¹⁵ Elisha said to him, “Get a bow and arrow.” So he brought a bow and arrow to him.

¹⁶ Then he told the king of Israel, “Take the bow in your hands!” So he took the bow in his hands. Then Elisha put his hand on the king’s hand.

¹⁷ He said, “Open the window to the east.” So he opened it.

Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot.

Then he said, “The arrow of victory for the Lord! The arrow of victory over Aram! You will completely destroy Aram at Aphek!”

¹⁸ Then Elisha said, “Take your arrows.” So he took the arrows.

Then he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” So he struck it three times and then stopped.

¹⁹ Then the man of God was furious with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times! Then you would have completely destroyed Aram. But now, you will defeat Aram only three times.”

²⁰ Then Elisha died, and they buried him.

Now raiders from Moab were coming into the land during the spring. ²¹ While a man was being buried, the people suddenly saw the raiders, so they threw the man into the tomb of Elisha. When the man touched the bones of Elisha, he came to life, and he got up on his feet.