2 Kings 13

Jehoahaz's plea and God's response 2 Kings 13:4–7

⁴Verse 4. Jehoahaz begged Yahweh, and Yahweh listened to him; for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. ⁵Verse 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. ⁶Verse 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.) ⁷Verse 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.

Jehoahaz's legacy 2 Kings 13:8–9

⁸Verse 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? ⁹Verse 9. Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria; and Joash his son reigned in his place.

Joash reigns and continues sin 2 Kings 13:10–13

¹⁰Verse 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. ¹¹Verse 11. He did that which was evil in Yahweh’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. ¹²Verse 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? ¹³Verse 13. Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat on his throne. Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

Elisha's prophetic guidance 2 Kings 13:14–19

¹⁴Verse 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!” ¹⁵Verse 15. Elisha said to him, “Take bow and arrows”; and he took bow and arrows for himself. ¹⁶Verse 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. ¹⁷Verse 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.”

¹⁸Verse 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. ¹⁹Verse 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; whereas now you will strike Syria just three times.”

Elisha's death and miracle 2 Kings 13:20–21

²⁰Verse 20. Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. ²¹Verse 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.

Continued oppression and victory 2 Kings 13:22–25

²²Verse 22. Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. ²³Verse 23. But Yahweh was gracious to them, and had compassion on them, and had respect for 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. ²⁴Verse 24. Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his place. ²⁵Verse 25. Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz 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.