2 Kings 13

In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.

1Joash son of Ahaziah was king of Judah. In Joash's twenty-third year as king, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel. He ruled from the city of Samaria for seventeen years.

2And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

2Jehoahaz did what the LORD said was wrong. He kept doing the same sins as King Jeroboam son of Nebat. Jeroboam had led Israel into sin. Jehoahaz never turned away from those sins.

3And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all their days.

3So the LORD became angry with Israel. He let Hazael, the king of Syria, beat them. Hazael's son Ben-hadad beat them too. This kept happening again and again.

4And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.

4Then Jehoahaz begged the LORD to help. The LORD listened to him. He saw how badly the king of Syria was hurting Israel.

5(And the LORD gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.

5The LORD sent someone to save Israel. They got away from the power of the Syrians. Then the people of Israel lived safe in their own homes again, like before.

6Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.)

6But they still did not stop the sins of Jeroboam's family. They kept on doing them. The tall wooden pole for a false god still stood in Samaria.

NoteThe KJV says "grove." It means a tall wooden pole set up to worship a false god named Asherah.

7Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.

7Jehoahaz had almost no army left. He had only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand soldiers on foot. The king of Syria had wiped out the rest. He crushed them like dust.

8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

8The other things Jehoahaz did, and how strong he was, are all written down. They are in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

9And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead.

9Jehoahaz died like the fathers before him. They buried him in Samaria. His son Joash became king after him.

Note"Slept with his fathers" is an old way of saying he died, like the men in his family before him.

10In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years.

10In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel. He ruled in Samaria for sixteen years.

NoteJehoash and Joash are two forms of one name. The king of Israel in this verse is the same man called Joash later on. A different man named Joash was king of Judah.

11And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin: but he walked therein.

11He did what the LORD said was wrong. He did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat. Jeroboam had led Israel into sin, and Jehoash kept doing the same.

12And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

12The other things Joash did are all written down. That includes how strong he was in his war against Amaziah king of Judah. It is in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

13And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

13Joash died like the fathers before him, and his son Jeroboam took his throne. Joash was buried in Samaria with the other kings of Israel.

14Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.

14Elisha the prophet got sick. This was the sickness he would die from. Joash the king of Israel came to see him and cried over him. He said, "My father, my father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!"

15And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows.

15Elisha said to him, "Get a bow and some arrows." So the king got a bow and some arrows.

16And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands.

16Then Elisha said to the king, "Put your hand on the bow." The king put his hand on it. Then Elisha put his own hands on the king's hands.

17And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.

17Elisha said, "Open the window that faces east." The king opened it. Elisha said, "Shoot!" So he shot. Elisha said, "That is the LORD's arrow of victory over Syria. You will beat the Syrians at Aphek until they are finished."

18And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed.

18Then Elisha said, "Pick up the arrows." The king picked them up. Elisha said, "Hit the ground with them." The king hit the ground three times and stopped.

19And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.

19Elisha, the man of God, was angry with him. He said, "You should have hit the ground five or six times. Then you would have beaten Syria until it was finished. Now you will beat Syria only three times."

20And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.

20Then Elisha died, and they buried him. Every spring, groups of Moabite raiders came into the land.

21And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.

21One day some men were burying a dead man. Suddenly they saw a band of raiders coming. So they threw the body into Elisha's grave. When it touched Elisha's bones, the man came back to life and stood up.

22But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.

22Hazael the king of Syria kept hurting Israel the whole time Jehoahaz was king.

23And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.

23But the LORD was kind to Israel and felt sorry for them. He turned toward them because of his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He would not destroy them or send them away from him.

24So Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead.

24Then Hazael the king of Syria died. His son Ben-hadad became king after him.

25And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel.

25Hazael had taken some towns from Jehoahaz in war. Now Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took those towns back from Ben-hadad. Joash beat him three times and won the cities of Israel back.