2 Kings 13

13 ¹ In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. ² He did what was evil in the sight of our Father and followed the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had led Israel into sin; he did not turn away from them. ³ So the anger of our Father burned against Israel, and he gave them again and again into the hand of Hazael king of Aram and into the hand of Ben-Hadad son of Hazael. ⁴ Then Jehoahaz pleaded with our Father, and our Father listened to him, for he saw how the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. ⁵ So our Father provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram, and the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before. ⁶ But they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who had led Israel into sin; they kept walking in them. And the Asherah pole also remained standing in Samaria. ⁷ Nothing was left to Jehoahaz of his army except fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, for the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like dust at threshing time. ⁸ As for the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, all that he did and his power, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ⁹ Then Jehoahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Joash his son became king in his place.

Jehoash Reigns Over Israel

¹⁰ In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. ¹¹ He did what was evil in the sight of our Father; he did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had led Israel into sin, but he walked in them. ¹² As for the rest of the acts of Joash, all that he did, and his power with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ¹³ Then Joash rested with his ancestors, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

The Father's Final Word Through Elisha

¹⁴ Now Elisha had fallen ill with the illness from which he would die. And Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept over him, saying, "My father, my father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!"

¹⁵ Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and arrows." So he took a bow and arrows. ¹⁶ Then he said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow." So he put his hand on it, and Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. ¹⁷ "Open the east window," he said. So he opened it. "Shoot!" said Elisha. And he shot. Then Elisha said, "The arrow of our Father's victory, the arrow of victory over Aram! You will strike down the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed them."

¹⁸ Then he said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. He said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground." So he struck it three times and stopped. ¹⁹ But the man of our Father was angry with him and said, "You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Aram until you destroyed it. But now you will strike Aram only three times."

²⁰ Then Elisha died, and they buried him. Now Moabite raiders used to invade the land every spring.

²¹ Once, as some men were burying a man, they suddenly saw such a raiding band; so they threw the man into Elisha's tomb. And when the man touched Elisha's bones, he came back to life and stood up on his feet.

²² Now Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. ²³ But our Father was gracious to them; his heart went out to them in compassion, and he turned toward them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or to cast them from his presence.

²⁴ Then Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-Hadad his son became king in his place. ²⁵ And Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the cities that Ben-Hadad had taken in war from his father Jehoahaz. Three times Joash defeated him, and so he recovered the cities of Israel.