2 Kings 13–14

Israel’s King Jehoahaz

13In the twenty-third year of Judah’s King Joash ^hson of Ahaziah, Jehoahaz ⁱson of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned 17 years. ²He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and followed the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them. ^j3So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel, ^kand He surrendered them to the power of Hazael ^lking of Aram and his son Ben-hadad ^mduring their reigns.

⁴Then Jehoahaz sought the Lord’s favor, and the Lord heard him, for He saw the oppression the king of Aram inflicted on Israel. ⁿ⁵Therefore, the Lord gave Israel a deliverer, ^oand they escaped from the power of the Arameans. Then the people of Israel dwelt in their tents as before, ⁶but they didn’t turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. Jehoahaz walked in them, ^pand the Asherah pole also remained standing in Samaria. ⁷Jehoahaz did not have an army left, except for 50 horsemen, 10 chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers, because the king of Aram had destroyed them, ^qmaking them like dust at threshing. ^r

⁸The rest of the events of Jehoahaz’s reign, along with all his accomplishments and his might, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings. ^s9Jehoahaz rested with his fathers, and he was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoash ^tbecame king in his place.

Israel’s King Jehoash

¹⁰In the thirty-seventh year of Judah’s King Joash, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned 16 years. ¹¹He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit, but he walked in them. ^u

¹²The rest of the events of Jehoash’s reign, along with all his accomplishments and the power he had to wage war against Judah’s King Amaziah, ^vare written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings. ¹³Jehoash rested with his fathers, and Jeroboam ^wsat on his throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

Elisha’s Death

¹⁴When Elisha became sick with the illness that he died from, Jehoash king of Israel went down and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” ^x

¹⁵Elisha responded, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he got a bow and arrows. ^y16Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So the king put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. ¹⁷Elisha said, “Open the east window.” So he opened it. Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. ^zThen Elisha said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, yes, the arrow of victory over Aram. You are to strike down the Arameans in Aphek ^auntil you have put an end to them.”

¹⁸Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!” So he took them. Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” So he struck the ground three times and stopped. ¹⁹The man of God ^bwas 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 them, but now you will only strike down Aram three times.” ²⁰Then Elisha died and was buried. ^c

Now Moabite raiders ^dused to come into the land in the spring of the year. ²¹Once, as the Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a raiding party, so they threw the man into Elisha’s tomb. When he touched Elisha’s bones, the man revived and stood up! ^e

God’s Mercy on Israel

²²Hazael ^fking of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz, ²³but the Lord was gracious to them, had compassion on them, ^gand turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ^hHe was not willing to destroy them. Even now He has not banished them from His presence. ⁱ

²⁴King Hazael of Aram died, and his son Ben-hadad ^jbecame king in his place. ²⁵Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the cities that Hazael had taken in war from Jehoash’s father Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times and recovered the cities of Israel. ^k

Judah’s King Amaziah

14In ^lthe second year of Israel’s King Jehoash ^mnson of Jehoahaz, ^oAmaziah ^pson of Joash became king of Judah. ²He was 25 years old when he became king and reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan ^qand was from Jerusalem. ³He did what was right in the Lord’s sight, but not like his ancestor David. He did everything his father Joash had done. ^r4Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. ^s

⁵As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah killed his servants who had murdered his father the king. ^t6However, he did not put the children of the murderers to death, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses where the Lord commanded, “Fathers must not be put to death because of children, and children must not be put to death because of fathers; instead, each one will be put to death for his own sin.” ^u

⁷Amaziah killed 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. ^vHe took Sela ^win battle and called it Joktheel, ^xwhich is its name to this very day. ⁸Amaziah then sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us meet face to face.” ^y

⁹King Jehoash of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle that was in Lebanon once sent a message to the cedar ^zthat was in Lebanon, ^asaying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. ¹⁰You have indeed defeated Edom, and you have become overconfident. ^bEnjoy your glory and stay at home. Why should you stir up such trouble that you fall—you and Judah with you?”

¹¹But Amaziah would not listen, so King Jehoash of Israel advanced. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced off at Beth-shemesh ^cthat belongs to Judah. ¹²Judah was routed before Israel, and everyone fled to his own tent. ^d13King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah’s King Amaziah son of Joash, ^eson of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down 200 yards ^fof Jerusalem’s wall from the Ephraim Gate ^gto the Corner Gate. ^h14He took all the gold and silver, all the articles found in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the king’s palace, and some hostages. ⁱThen he returned to Samaria.

Jehoash’s Death

¹⁵The rest of the events of Jehoash’s reign, along with his accomplishments, his might, and how he waged war against Amaziah king of Judah, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings. ^j16Jehoash rested with his fathers, and he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam became king in his place.

Amaziah’s Death

¹⁷Judah’s King Amaziah son of Joash lived 15 years after the death of Israel’s King Jehoash son of Jehoahaz. ^k18The rest of the events of Amaziah’s reign are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings. ^l19A conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, ^mand he fled to Lachish. ⁿHowever, men were sent after him to Lachish, and they put him to death there. ²⁰They carried him back ^oon horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. ^p

²¹Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, ^qrwho was 16 years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. ²²He rebuilt Elath ^stand restored it to Judah after Amaziah the king rested with his fathers.

Israel’s King Jeroboam

²³In the fifteenth year of Judah’s King Amaziah son of Joash, Jeroboam ^uson of Jehoash ^vbecame king of Israel in Samaria and reigned 41 years. ²⁴He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He did not turn away from all the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. ^w

²⁵He restored Israel’s border ^xfrom Lebo-hamath ^yas far as the Sea of the Arabah, ^zaccording to the word the Lord, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant, the prophet Jonah ^ason of Amittai from Gath-hepher. ^b26For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter. ^cThere was no one to help Israel, neither bond nor free. ²⁷However, the Lord had not said He would blot out the name of Israel under heaven, ^dso He delivered ^ethem by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash. ^f

²⁸The rest of the events of Jeroboam’s reign—along with all his accomplishments, the power he had to wage war, and how he recovered for Israel Damascus ^gand Hamath, ^hwhich had belonged to Judah ⁱ—are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings. ^j29Jeroboam rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel. His son Zechariah became king in his place. ^k