[1] In the twenty-third year of Jo'ash the son of Ahazi'ah, king of Judah,
Jeho'ahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Sama'ria, and he
reigned seventeen years. [2] He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD,
and followed the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, which he made Israel
to sin; he did not depart from them. [3] And the anger of the LORD was
kindled against Israel, and he gave them continually into the hand of
Haz'ael king of Syria and into the hand of Ben-ha'dad the son of Haz'ael.
[4] Then Jeho'ahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened to him; for he
saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. [5]
(Therefore the LORD gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from the
hand of the Syrians; and the people of Israel dwelt in their homes as
formerly. [6] Nevertheless they did not depart from the sins of the house
of Jerobo'am, which he made Israel to sin, but walked in them; and the
Ashe'rah also remained in Sama'ria.) [7] For there was not left to
Jeho'ahaz an army of more than fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten
thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them and made them
like the dust at threshing. [8] Now the rest of the acts of Jeho'ahaz and
all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the
Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? [9] So Jeho'ahaz slept with his fathers,
and they buried him in Sama'ria; and Jo'ash his son reigned in his stead.
[10] In the thirty-seventh year of Jo'ash king of Judah Jeho'ash the son of
Jeho'ahaz began to reign over Israel in Sama'ria, and he reigned sixteen
years. [11] He also did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not
depart from all the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, which he made
Israel to sin, but he walked in them. [12] Now the rest of the acts of
Jo'ash, and all that he did, and the might with which he fought against
Amazi'ah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles
of the Kings of Israel? [13] So Jo'ash slept with his fathers, and
Jerobo'am sat upon his throne; and Jo'ash was buried in Sama'ria with the
kings of Israel. [14] Now when Eli'sha had fallen sick with the illness of
which he was to die, Jo'ash king of Israel went down to him, and wept
before him, crying, "My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its
horsemen!" [15] And Eli'sha said to him, "Take a bow and arrows"; so he
took a bow and arrows. [16] Then he said to the king of Israel, "Draw the
bow"; and he drew it. And Eli'sha laid his hands upon the king's hands.
[17] And he said, "Open the window eastward"; and he opened it. Then
Eli'sha said, "Shoot"; and he shot. And he said, "The LORD's arrow of
victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians
in Aphek until you have made an end of them." [18] And he said, "Take the
arrows"; and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the
ground with them"; and he struck three times, and stopped. [19] Then the
man of God was angry with him, and said, "You should have struck five or
six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end
of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times." [20] So
Eli'sha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the
land in the spring of the year. [21] And as a man was being buried, lo, a
marauding band was seen and the man was cast into the grave of Eli'sha; and
as soon as the man touched the bones of Eli'sha, he revived, and stood on
his feet. [22] Now Haz'ael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of
Jeho'ahaz. [23] 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 would not destroy them; nor has he cast them from his
presence until now. [24] When Haz'ael king of Syria died, Ben-ha'dad his
son became king in his stead. [25] Then Jeho'ash the son of Jeho'ahaz took
again from Ben-ha'dad the son of Haz'ael the cities which he had taken from
Jeho'ahaz his father in war. Three times Jo'ash defeated him and recovered
the cities of Israel.
