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Hazael Murders Ben-Hadad

Elisha went to Damascus, the capital of Aram, where King Ben-hadad lay sick. When someone told the king that the man of God had come, the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift to the man of God. Then tell him to ask the Lord, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

So Hazael loaded down forty camels with the finest products of Damascus as a gift for Elisha. He went to him and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

10 And Elisha replied, “Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover.’ But actually the Lord has shown me that he will surely die!” 11 Elisha stared at Hazael[a] with a fixed gaze until Hazael became uneasy.[b] Then the man of God started weeping.

12 “What’s the matter, my lord?” Hazael asked him.

Elisha replied, “I know the terrible things you will do to the people of Israel. You will burn their fortified cities, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women!”

13 Hazael responded, “How could a nobody like me[c] ever accomplish such great things?”

Elisha answered, “The Lord has shown me that you are going to be the king of Aram.”

14 When Hazael left Elisha and went back, the king asked him, “What did Elisha tell you?”

And Hazael replied, “He told me that you will surely recover.”

15 But the next day Hazael took a blanket, soaked it in water, and held it over the king’s face until he died. Then Hazael became the next king of Aram.

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Footnotes

  1. 8:11a Hebrew He stared at him.
  2. 8:11b The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  3. 8:13 Hebrew a dog.

Hazael Murders Ben-hadad

Now Elisha came to (A)Damascus. (B)Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick. And when it was told him, “The man of God has come here,” the king said to (C)Hazael, (D)“Take a present with you and go to meet the man of God, (E)and inquire of the Lord through him, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this sickness?’” So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, all kinds of goods of Damascus, forty camels' loads. When he came and stood before him, he said, (F)“Your son Ben-hadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this sickness?’” 10 And Elisha said to him, (G)“Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover,’ but[a] the Lord has shown me that (H)he shall certainly die.” 11 And he fixed his gaze and stared at him, (I)until he was embarrassed. And the man of God wept. 12 And Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” He answered, “Because I know (J)the evil that you will do to the people of Israel. You will set on fire their fortresses, and you will kill their young men with the sword (K)and dash in pieces their little ones and rip open their pregnant women.” 13 And Hazael said, “What is your servant, (L)who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?” Elisha answered, (M)“The Lord has shown me that you are to be king over Syria.” 14 Then he departed from Elisha and came to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he answered, “He told me (N)that you would certainly recover.” 15 But the next day he took the bed cloth[b] and dipped it in water and spread it over his face, till he died. And Hazael became king in his place.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 8:10 Some manuscripts say, ‘You shall certainly not recover,’ for
  2. 2 Kings 8:15 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain