2 Kings 8:7–13

Elisha Weeps over Hazael’s Evil

⁷Then Elisha came to ^aDamascus. Now ^bBen-hadad king of Aram was sick, and it was told to him, saying, “^cThe man of God has come here.”

⁸And the king said to ^aHazael, “^bTake a present in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and ^cinquire of Yahweh by him, saying, ‘Will I be restored to life from this sickness?’”

⁹So Hazael went to meet him and took a present in his hand, even every kind of good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ loads; and he came and stood before him and said, “^aYour son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I be restored to life from this sickness?’”

¹⁰Then Elisha said to him, “^aGo, say to him, ‘You will surely be restored to life,’ but ^bYahweh has shown me that he will certainly die.”

¹¹And he ¹fixed his gaze steadily on him ^auntil he was ashamed, and ^bthe man of God wept.

¹²Then Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” Then he said, “Because ^aI know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel: their fortifications you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword, and their infants you ^bwill dash in pieces, and their pregnant women you will rip up.”

¹³Then Hazael said, “But what is your servant, ^awho is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?” And Elisha ¹answered, “^bYahweh has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”