7 Elisha came to Damascus. Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram was ill, and he was told, “The man of God has come up here.” 8 Then the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand and go meet the man of God. Inquire of Yahweh from him, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this illness?’ ” 9 So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift in his hand of all of the good things of Damascus, a load on each of forty camels, and he came and stood before him. Then he said, “Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this illness?’ ” 10 Elisha said to him, “Go; say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover,’ but Yahweh has shown me that he certainly will die.” 11 Then the man ⌊fixed his gaze and stared at him⌋b until he was ashamed and the man of God cried. 12 Then Hazael asked, “Why is my lord crying?” He said, “Because I know what evil you will do to the ⌊Israelites⌋.c You will ⌊set their fortifications on fire⌋,d and you will kill their young men with the sword. Their little ones you will dash to pieces, and their pregnant women you will rip open!” 13 Then Hazael said, “But how could your servant, who is like a dog, do this great thing?” Elisha said, “Yahweh has shown me that you are to be king over Aram.” 14 So he departed from Elisha and came to his master. He asked him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he said, “He said to me that you will certainly recover.” 15 On the next day, he took the bed cover, dipped it in the water, and spread it over his face so that he died. Then Hazael became king in his place.