THE SECOND BOOK OF
THE KINGS,

2 Kings 8 ©

The Shunammite, having left the land because of the famine, returns home by Elisha’s advice, v. 1. etc. And has her whole estate restored to her by the king’s command, 4. Elisha foretells the death of Benhadad, 7. And Hazael’s reign over Syria, 12. Jehoram becomes king after Jehoshaphat, 16. He forsakes the Lord, 18. Wherefore the Edomites revolt from him, and likewise those of Libnah, 20. He dies, and Ahaziah becomes king in his stead, 24. He entertains friendship with Joram the king of Israel, 28.

1

THEN spake Elisha unto the woman, whose sona he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine 1household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD 2hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.

2

And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.

3

And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to 3cry unto the king for her house and for her land.

4

And the king talked with 4Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all 5the great things that Elisha hath done.

5

And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.

6

And when the king 6asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain 7officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.

7

¶And Elisha came to 8Damascus; and Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.

8

And the king said unto Hazael, 9Take a present 10in thine hand, andb go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I 11recover of this disease?

9

So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of 12every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, 13Thy son Ben-hadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?

10

And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, 14Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall 15surely die.

11

And 16he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was 17ashamed: and the man of God 18wept.

12

And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Becausec I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.

13

And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant 19a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, 20The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.

14

So he departed from Elisha, and came to his 21master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that 22thou shouldest surely recover.

15

And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on 23his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.

16

¶And ind the 24fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, 25Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.

17

Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

18

And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the 26daughter of Ahab was his wife: and 27he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

19

Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah 28for David his servant's sake, ase he promised him to give him 29alway a 30light, and to his children.

20

¶Inf his days Edom 31revolted from under 32the hand of Judah, and made a 33king over themselves.

21

So Joram went over to 34Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled into their tents.

22

Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah 35unto this day. Then 36Libnah revolted at the same time.

23

And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written 37in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

24

And Joramg38slept with his fathers, and was 39buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

25

¶In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziahh the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin 40to reign.

26

Two and twenty years 41old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; andi he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the 42daughter of Omri king of Israel.

27

And he 43walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did 44evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab: for he was the 45son in law of the house of Ahab.

28

¶And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramoth-gilead; and the Syrians 46wounded Joram.

29

And king Joram wentj back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziahk the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.