Chapter 8

Jehoram Restores the Shunammite’s Land

1 Now aElisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go 1with your household, and sojourn wherever you can sojourn; for the bLord has called for a famine, and cit will even come on the land for seven years.”

2 So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God, and she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.

3 At the end of seven years, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went out to 1appeal to the king for her house and for her field.

4 Now the king was talking with aGehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please relate to me all the great things that Elisha has done.”

5 As he was relating to the king ahow he had restored to life the one who was dead, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life 1appealed to the king for her house and for her field. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.”

6 When the king asked the woman, she related it to him. So the king appointed for her a certain officer, saying, “Restore all that was hers and all the produce of the field from the day that she left the land even until now.”

Elisha Predicts Evil from Hazael

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

8 The king said to aHazael, “bTake a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and cinquire of the Lord by him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’ ”

9 So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift 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 recover from this sickness?’ ”

10 Then Elisha said to him, “aGo, say to him, ‘You will surely recover,’ but the bLord has shown me that he will certainly die.”

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

12 Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” Then he 1answered, “Because aI know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel: their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword, and their little ones you bwill dash in pieces, and their women with child you will rip up.”

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

14 So he departed from Elisha and returned to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he 1answered, “He told me that ayou would surely recover.”

15 On the following day, he took the cover and dipped it in water and spread it on his face, aso that he died. And Hazael became king in his place.

Another Jehoram Reigns in Judah

16 Now in the fifth year of aJoram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then the king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king.

17 He was athirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

18 He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for athe daughter of Ahab became his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.

19 However, the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David His servant, asince He had 1promised him to give a 2lamp to him through his sons always.

20 In his days aEdom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.

21 Then Joram crossed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him. And he arose by night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots; abut his 1army fled to their tents.

22 aSo Edom revolted 1against Judah to this day. Then bLibnah revolted at the same time.

23 The rest of the acts of Joram and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

Ahaziah Succeeds Jehoram in Judah

24 So Joram slept with his fathers and awas buried with his fathers in the city of David; and bAhaziah his son became king in his place.

25 aIn the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.

26 aAhaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel.

27 aHe walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab had done, because he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.

28 Then he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against aHazael king of Aram at bRamoth-gilead, and the Arameans 1wounded Joram.

29 So aKing Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Arameans had 1inflicted on him at bRamah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then cAhaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick.