Elisha Weeps over Hazael’s Evil

⁷ Then Elisha came to ^(A)Damascus. Now ^(B)Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and it was told to him, saying, “^(C)The man of God has come here.” ⁸ And the king said to ^(D)Hazael, “^(E)Take a present in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and ^(F)inquire of Yahweh by him, saying, ‘Will I be restored to life from this sickness?’” ⁹ So Hazael went to meet him and took a present in his hand, even every kind of good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ loads; and he came and stood before him and said, “^(G)Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I be restored to life from this sickness?’” ¹⁰ Then Elisha said to him, “^(H)Go, say to him, ‘You will surely be restored to life,’ but ^(I)Yahweh has shown me that he will certainly die.” ¹¹ And he ^[a]fixed his gaze steadily on him ^(J)until he was ashamed, and ^(K)the man of God wept. ¹² Then Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” Then he said, “Because ^(L)I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel: their fortifications you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword, and their infants you ^(M)will dash in pieces, and their pregnant women you will rip up.” ¹³ Then Hazael said, “But what is your servant, ^(N)who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?” And Elisha ^[b]answered, “^(O)Yahweh has shown me that you will be king over Aram.” ¹⁴ So he went from Elisha and came to his master. And he said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he said, “He said to me that ^(P)you would surely be restored to life.” ¹⁵ Now it happened that on the following day, he took the cover and dipped it in water and spread it on his face; ^(Q)so he died. And Hazael became king in his place.