Open English Translation 2KI Chapter 13

13 In the twenty-third year of Ahazyah’s son Yoash reigning over Yehudah, Yehu’s son Yehoahaz became king over Israel and reigned seventeen years from Shomron (Samaria). 2 He did what Yahweh had said was evil and he imitated the customs of Nebat’s son Yarave’am who had caused Israel to sin—Yehoahaz didn’t end them. 3 So Yahweh got angry with Israel and he allowed them to be defeated by Aram’s King Haza’el and his son Ben-Hadad throughout Yehoahaz’s reign. 4 Then Yehoahaz prayed to Yahweh for help, and Yahweh listened to him because he saw how much Israel was being oppressed by the Aramean king. 5 So Yahweh sent a saviour to Israel, and they were able to stand up against the Arameans, and only then were the Israelis were able to live peacefully again from day to day. 6 Despite that, they didn’t stop imitating the sins of Yarave’am’s family who caused Israel to sin—no, Yehoahaz kept doing them, and even the Asherah pole remained standing in Shomron.

7 The Aramean king had thoroughly destroyed much of Israel’s forces only leaving fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers for Yehoahaz.

8 Everything else that Yehoahaz said and did, including his great achievements, is written in the book of the events of the kings of Israel. 9 Then Yehoahaz died and was buried in Shomron, and his son Yehoash replaced him as king.

10 In the thirty-seventh year of King Yoash reigning over Yehudah, Yehoahaz’s son Yehoash became king over Israel and reigned sixteen years from Shomron (Samaria). 11 He did what Yahweh had said was evil and and he imitated the customs of Nebat’s son Yarave’am who had caused Israel to sin—Yehoash didn’t end them. 12 Everything else that Yehoash said and did, including his great achievements fighting along with Yehudah’s King Amatsyah, is written in the book of the events of the kings of Israel. 13 Then Yehoash died and was buried in Shomron with the former kings of Israel, and his son Yarave’am replaced him on the throne.

14 Meanwhile Elisha had been sick and heading for his last days, so Israel’s king Yehoash had been to see him, and cried as he stood in front of him and said, “My father, my father, the Israel’s chariot and its horsemen!”[fn]

15 Then Elisha had told him, “Bring a bow and arrows.” So he’d brought them, 16 and he’d told Israel’s king, “Grab the bow ready to draw.” So he did that, and then Elisha put his hands over the king’s hands. 17 Then he said, “Open that window facing east.” The king opened it and Elisha said, “Shoot.” So he shot the arrow and Elisha said, “That’s an arrow of victory for Yahweh and an arrow of victory against Aram. You will thoroughly defeat Aram at Afek.” 18 Then he continued, “Take the rest of the arrows.” Israel’s king took them, and Elisha told him, “Strike the ground with them.” So he banged the arrows on the ground three times. 19 But the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have bashed them five or six times, then you would have bashed Aram up completely, but now you’ll defeat them three times.”

20 Then Elisha died and was buried.

Every year in the spring, bands of Moabites would make raids on Israel, 21 and once there was a group of Israelis burying a man. When they saw the raiding party, they quickly threw the body into Elisha’s tomb, and when it touched his bones, the man came back to life and stood up.

22 Aram’s King Haza’el oppressed Israel all through Yehoahaz’s reign, 23 but Yahweh showed favour to the Israelis and felt compassionate towards them. Because of his agreement with Abraham, Yitshak, and Yacob, he didn’t want to destroy them, and he hasn’t tossed them out even to this day.

24 When Aram’s King Haza’el died, his son Ben-Hadad replaced him as king. 25 Then Yehoahaz’s son Yehoash attacked Aram three times, and he took back the cities from Haza’el’s son Ben-Hadad that had been taken in the war in his father Yehoahaz’s time.