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.