The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Kings 13
1 In the twenty-third year of Joash the
sonof Ahaziah, king ofJudah,Jehoahaz the
son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in
Samaria for seventeen years.
2 He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s
sight, and followed the sins of Jeroboam
the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. He didn’t depart from it.
3 Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel,
and he delivered them into the hand of
Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of
Benhadad the son of Hazael, continually.
4 Jehoahaz begged Yahweh, and Yahweh
listened to him; for he saw the oppression
of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed
them.
5 (Yahweh gave Israel a savior, so that
they went out from under the hand of the
Syrians; and the children of Israel lived in
their tents as before.
6 Nevertheless they didn’t depart from
the sins of the house of Jeroboam, with
which he made Israel to sin, but walked in
them; and the Asherah also remained in
Samaria.)
7 For he didn’t leave to Jehoahaz of the
people any more than fifty horsemen, and
ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen;
for the king of Syria destroyed them and
made them like the dust in threshing.
8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz,
and all that he did, and his might, aren’t
they written in the book of the chronicles
of the kings of Israel?
9 Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and
they buried him in Samaria; and Joash his
son reigned in his place.
10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash
king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz
began to reign over Israel in Samaria for
sixteen years.
11 He did that which was evil inYahweh’s
sight. He didn’t depart from all the sins of
Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he
made Israel to sin; but he walked in them.
12 Now the rest of the acts of Joash,
and all that he did, and his might with
which he fought against Amaziah king of
Judah, aren’t they written in the book of
the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
13 Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat on his throne. Joash was buried
in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
14 Now Elisha became sick with the illness of which he died; and Joash the king
of Israel came down to him, and wept over
him, and said, “My father, my father, the
chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”
15 Elisha said to him, “Take bow and
arrows;” and he took bow and arrows for
himself.
16 He said to the king of Israel, “Put your
hand on the bow;” and he put his hand
on it. Elisha laid his hands on the king’s
hands.
17 He said, “Open the window eastward;”
and he opened it. Then Elisha said,
“Shoot!” and he shot. He said, “Yahweh’s
arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory
over Syria; for you will strike the Syrians
in Aphek until you have consumed them.”
18 He said, “Take the arrows;” and he
took them. He said to the king of Israel,
“Strike the ground;” and he struck three
times, and stopped.
19 The man of God was angry with him,
and said, “You should have struck five or
six times. Then you would have struck
Syria until you had consumed it, but now
you will strike Syria just three times.”
20 Elisha died, and they buried him.
Now the bands of the Moabites invaded
the land at the coming in of the year.
21 As they were burying a man, behold,
they saw a band of raiders; and they threw
the man into Elisha’s tomb. As soon as the
man touched Elisha’s bones, he revived,
and stood up on his feet.
22 Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel
all the days of Jehoahaz.
23 But Yahweh was gracious to them,
and had compassion on them, and favored
them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not
destroy them and he didn’t cast them from
his presence as yet.
24 Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his place.
25 Jehoashthe sonofJehoahaz took again
out of the hand of Benhadad the son of
Hazael the cities which he had taken out
of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war.
Joash struck him three times, and recovered the cities of Israel.