2 Kings 8

Jehoram Restores the Shunammite’s Land

1Now 1Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go 2with your household, and sojourn wherever you can sojourn; for the 3Lord has called for a famine, and 4it will even come on the land for seven years.” 2So 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. 3At the end of seven years, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went out to 5appeal to the king for her house and for her field. 4Now the king was talking with 6Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please relate to me all the great things that Elisha has done.” 5As he was relating to the king 7how he had restored to life the one who was dead, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life 8appealed 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.” 6When 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

7Then Elisha came to 9Damascus. Now 10Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and it was told him, saying, “11The man of God has come here.” 8The king said to 12Hazael, “13Take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and 14inquire of the Lord by him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’” 9So 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, “15Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’” 10Then Elisha said to him, “16Go, say to him, ‘You will surely recover,’ but the 17Lord has shown me that he will certainly die.” 11He 18fixed his gaze steadily on him 19until he was ashamed, and 20the man of God wept. 12Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” Then he 21answered, “Because 22I 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 23will dash in pieces, and their women with child you will rip up.” 13Then Hazael said, “But what is your servant, 24who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?” And Elisha 25answered, “26The Lord has shown me that you will be king over Aram.” 14So he departed from Elisha and returned to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he 27answered, “He told me that 28you would surely recover.” 15On the following day, he took the cover and dipped it in water and spread it on his face, 29so that he died. And Hazael became king in his place.

Another Jehoram Reigns in Judah

16Now in the fifth year of 30Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then the king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king. 17He was 31thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for 32the daughter of Ahab became his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 19However, the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David His servant, 33since He had 34promised him to give a 35lamp to him through his sons always.

20In his days 36Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. 21Then 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; 37but his 38army fled to their tents. 2239So Edom revolted 40against Judah to this day. Then 41Libnah revolted at the same time. 23The 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

24So Joram slept with his fathers and 42was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and 43Ahaziah his son became king in his place.

2544In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. 2645Ahaziah 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. 2746He 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.

28Then he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against 47Hazael king of Aram at 48Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans 49wounded Joram. 29So 50King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Arameans had 51inflicted on him at 52Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then 53Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick.