2 Kings / Jehoash of Israel and Elisha’s Final Acts

Jehoash of Israel and Elisha’s Final Acts

2 Kings 13:10-25

Chapter 13

¹⁰ In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Joash son of Jehoahaz reigned over Israel in Samaria for sixteen years. ¹¹ He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. He did not turn from all the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin by them. In them he walked. ¹² The rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, including his might with which he fought with Amaziah king of Judah—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ¹³ Joash lay down with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. Joash was buried in Shimron with the kings of Israel. ¹⁴ And Elisha was sick with the sickness by which he would die. And Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept over his face and said, "My father, my father, chariot of Israel and its horsemen." ¹⁵ Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and arrows." And he took a bow and arrows for him. ¹⁶ And he said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow." And he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. ¹⁷ And he said, "Open the window eastward," and he opened it. And Elisha said, "Shoot," and he shot. And he said, "The LORD's arrow of salvation, and an arrow of salvation against Aram! And you will strike Aram at Aphek until completion." ¹⁸ And he said, "Take the arrows." And he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the earth." And he struck three times and stopped. ¹⁹ The man of God was angry with him and said, "To strike five or six times—then you would have struck Aram until completion; but now three times you will strike Aram." ²⁰ Elisha died, and they buried him. Moabite bands would come into the land every year. ²¹ And it happened that as they were burying a man, behold, they saw the band. And they threw the man into Elisha's grave, and he went and touched Elisha's bones, and he lived and stood up on his feet. ²² Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. ²³ The LORD was gracious to them and had compassion on them and turned to them on account of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was not willing to destroy them and did not cast them away from his presence until now. ²⁴ And Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-hadad his son reigned in his place. ²⁵ And Joash son of Jehoahaz returned and took the cities from the hand of Ben-hadad son of Hazael, which he had taken from the hand of Jehoahaz his father in war. Three times Joash struck him and returned the cities of Israel.