2 Kings 13

13 ¹ In year twenty-three of Joash son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria seventeen years. ² He did evil in our Father's sight and followed the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel to sin; he did not turn from them. ³ So our Father's anger burned against Israel, and he kept handing them to Hazael king of Aram and to Ben-Hadad son of Hazael. ⁴ Jehoahaz pleaded with our Father, and our Father listened, seeing Israel's oppression by the king of Aram. ⁵ So our Father gave Israel a rescuer; they escaped Aram's power and lived in their own homes as before. ⁶ But they kept the sins of Jeroboam's house, who led Israel to sin; they walked in them. The Asherah pole also stayed standing in Samaria. ⁷ He left Jehoahaz only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, for Aram's king had destroyed them like threshing dust. ⁸ The rest of Jehoahaz's acts, all he did, and his power—aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ⁹ Jehoahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. His son Joash reigned in his place.

Jehoash Reigns Over Israel

¹⁰ Year thirty-seven of Judah's king Joash, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became Israel's king in Samaria, reigning sixteen years. ¹¹ He did evil in our Father's sight; he did not turn from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into sin, but continued in them. ¹² The rest of Joash's acts, all he did, his power in fighting Amaziah king of Judah—are they not written in the book of the annals of Israel's kings? ¹³ Joash rested with his ancestors; Jeroboam took his throne. Joash was buried in Samaria with Israel's kings.

The Father's Final Word Through Elisha

¹⁴ Elisha became ill with the illness he would die from. Joash king of Israel went down to him, wept over him, and said, "My father, my father! Israel's chariots and horsemen!"

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

¹⁸ He said, "Take the arrows," and he did. He told Israel's king, "Strike the ground." He struck three times and stopped. ¹⁹ But the man of our Father was angry with him: "You should have struck five or six times; then you would have destroyed Aram. But now you'll strike Aram three times."

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

²¹ As some men were burying a man, they saw a raiding band, so they threw the man into Elisha's tomb. When the dead man touched Elisha's bones, he revived and stood up.

²² Now Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. ²³ But our Father was gracious and compassionate to them, turning toward them for his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. To this day he refuses to destroy them or cast them from his presence.

²⁴ Then Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-Hadad his son became king in his place. ²⁵ Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the cities Ben-Hadad had seized in war from his father Jehoahaz. Three times Joash beat him, recovering Israel's cities.