1 Now Elisha had spoken to the woman
whose son he had restored to life, saying,
“Arise, and go, you and your household,
and stay for a while wherever you can; for
Yahweh has called for a famine. It will also
come on the land for seven years.”

2 The woman arose, and did according
to the man of God’s word. She went with
her household, and lived in the land of the
Philistines for seven years.

3 At the end of seven years, the woman
returned from the land of the Philistines.
Then she went out to beg the king for her
house and for her land.

4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi
the servant of the man of God, saying,
“Please tell me all the great things that
Elisha has done.”

5 As he was telling the king how he had
restored to life him who was dead, behold,
the woman whose son he had restored to
life begged the king for her house and for
her land. Gehazi said, “My lord, O king,this
is the woman, and this is her son, whom
Elisha restored to life.”

6 When the king asked the woman, she
told him. So the king appointed to her
a certain officer, saying, “Restore all that
was hers, and allthe fruits ofthefield since
the day that she left the land, even until
now.”

7 Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick. He was
told, “The man of God has come here.”

8 The king said to Hazael, “Take a present
in your hand, and go meet the man of God,
and inquire of Yahweh by him, saying,
‘Will I recover from this sickness?’ ”

9 So Hazael went to meet him and took
a present with him, even of every good
thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden,
and came and stood before him and said,
“Your son Benhadad king of Syria has sent
me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this
sickness?’ ”

10 Elisha said to him, “Go, tell him, ‘You
will surely recover;’ however Yahweh has
shown me that he will surely die.”

11 He settled his gaze steadfastly on him,
until he was ashamed. Then the man of
God wept.

12 Hazael said, “Why do you weep, my
lord?” He answered, “Because I know the evil
that you will do to the children of Israel.
You will set their strongholds on fire, and
you will kill their young men with the
sword, and will dash their little ones in
pieces, and rip up their pregnant women.”

13 Hazael said, “But what is your servant,
who is but a dog, that he could do this great
thing?” Elisha answered, “Yahweh has shown
me that you will 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?” He answered, “He told me that you
would surely recover.”

15 On the next day, he took a thick cloth,
dipped it in water, and spread it on the
king’s face, so that he died. Then Hazael
reigned in his place.