CHAPTER 13
In the twenty-third
year
of the reign
of Joash
son
of Ahaziah
over Judah,
Jehoahaz
son
of Jehu
became king
of
Israel,
and he reigned in Samaria
seventeen
years.
And he did
evil
in the sight
of the LORD
and followed
the sins
that
Jeroboam
son
of Nebat
had caused Israel
to commit;
he did not
turn away
from them.
So the anger
of the LORD
burned
against Israel,
and He delivered them
continually
into the hands
of Hazael
king
of Aram
and his
son
Ben-hadad.
Then Jehoahaz
sought
the favor
of the LORD,
and the LORD
listened
to him
because
He saw
the oppression
that the king
of Aram
had inflicted
on Israel.
So the LORD
gave
Israel
a deliverer,
and they escaped
the power
of the Arameans.
Then the people
of Israel
lived
in their own homes
as they had before.
Nevertheless,
they did not
turn away
from the sins
that
the house
of Jeroboam
had caused Israel
to commit,
but they continued to walk in them.
The Asherah
even
remained standing
in Samaria.
Jehoahaz
had no
army
left,
except
fifty
horsemen,
ten
chariots,
and ten
thousand
foot soldiers,
because
the king
of Aram
had destroyed them
and made them
like the dust
at threshing.
As for the rest
of the acts
of Jehoahaz,
along with all
his accomplishments
and his might,
are they not written
in the Book
of the Chronicles
of the Kings
of Israel?
And Jehoahaz
rested
with
his fathers
and was buried
in Samaria.
And his son
Jehoash
became king
in his place.
In the thirty-seventh
year
of the reign
of Joash
over Judah,
Jehoash
son
of Jehoahaz
became king
of
Israel
in Samaria,
and he reigned sixteen
years.
And he did
evil
in the sight
of the LORD
and did not
turn away
from all
the sins
that
Jeroboam
son
of Nebat
had caused Israel
to commit,
but he walked in them.
As for the rest
of the acts
of Jehoash,
along with all
his accomplishments
and his might,
including his war
against
Amaziah
king
of Judah,
are they not written
in the Book
of the Chronicles
of the Kings
of Israel?
And Jehoash
rested
with
his fathers,
and Jeroboam
succeeded him
on
the throne.
Jehoash
was buried
in Samaria
with
the kings
of Israel.
When Elisha
had fallen sick
with the illness
from which
he would die,
Jehoash
king
of Israel
came down
to him
and wept
over
him,
saying,
“My father,
my father,
the chariots
and horsemen
of Israel!”
Then Elisha said
to the king
of Israel,
“Put
your hand
on
the bow.”
So the king put
his hand on the bow,
and Elisha
put
his hands
on
the king’s
hands.
“Open
the east
window,”
said Elisha.
So he opened it
and Elisha
said,
“Shoot!”
So he shot.
Then Elisha declared,
“This is the LORD’s
arrow
of victory,
the arrow
of victory
over Aram,
for you shall strike
the Arameans
in Aphek
until
you have put an end to them.”
Then Elisha said,
“Take
the arrows!”
So he took them,
and Elisha said
to the king
of Israel,
“Strike
the ground!”
So he struck
the ground three
times
and stopped.
But the man
of God
was angry
with
him and said,
“You should have struck
the ground five
or
six
times.
Then
you would have struck down
Aram
until
you had put an end to it.
But now
you will strike down
Aram
only three
times.”
Once,
as the Israelites
were burying
a man,
suddenly
they saw
a band of raiders,
so they threw
the man's body
into Elisha’s
tomb.
And when he touched
the bones
of Elisha,
the man
was revived
and stood
up on his feet.
But the LORD
was gracious to them
and had compassion on them,
and He turned
toward them
because of
His covenant
with
Abraham,
Isaac,
and Jacob.
And to this day,
He has been unwilling
to destroy them
or
cast them
from
His presence.
Then Jehoash
son
of Jehoahaz
took
back
from
Ben-hadad
son
of Hazael
the cities
that
Hazael had taken
in battle
from
his father
Jehoahaz.
Jehoash
defeated
Ben-hadad three
times,
and so recovered
the cities
of Israel.