Elisha Predicts Partial Victory for Joash

¹⁴ When Elisha fell ill with the sickness from which he was about to die, King Joash of Israel came down to see^[a] him, wept in his presence, and told him, “My father, Israel’s chariots and cavalry!”

¹⁵ Elisha told him, “Pick up a bow and some arrows.” So he picked up a bow and some arrows.

¹⁶ Then Elisha told Israel’s king, “Draw the bow!” As he did so, Elisha laid his hands on top of the king’s hands ¹⁷ and ordered him, “Open a window that faces east.” So he did so.

Elisha ordered him, “Shoot!” So he shot.

Then Elisha said, “This is the Lord’s arrow of victory—the victory arrow against Aram, because you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you will have utterly finished them off.”

¹⁸ After this Elisha said, “Pick up the arrows.” So the king picked them up.

Then Elisha told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” So he struck it three times and then stood still.

¹⁹ At this, the man of God became angry at him and told him, “You should have struck five or six times! Then you would have attacked Aram until you would have destroyed it! But as it is now, you’ll defeat Aram only three times!”

The Death of Elisha

²⁰ Later, Elisha died and was buried. Now at that time, various Moabite marauders had been invading the land each spring. ²¹ One day while some Israelis^[b] were burying a man, they saw some marauders, so they threw the man into Elisha’s grave. But when the man fell against Elisha’s remains,^[c] he revived and rose to his feet.