2 Kings 8

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

1Elisha had helped a woman before. He had brought her son back to life. Elisha told her, "Take your family and move away. Live wherever you can. The LORD is sending a famine, a time with no food. It will last seven years."

2And 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.

2The woman did what the man of God said. She took her family to the land of the Philistines. They lived there for seven years.

3And 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 cry unto the king for her house and for her land.

3After seven years she came back home. She went to ask the king for help. She wanted her house and her land back.

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

4The king was talking with Gehazi, who was Elisha's helper. The king said, "Please tell me all the great things Elisha has done."

5And 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.

5Gehazi was telling how Elisha brought a dead boy back to life. Right then the woman came in. She asked the king for her house and land. Gehazi said, "My king, this is that woman! And this is her son."

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

6The king asked the woman, and she said it was true. So the king told one of his officers, "Give her back everything that was hers. Give her the money from her crops too, from the day she left until now."

7And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.

7Elisha went to the city of Damascus. Benhadad, the king of Syria, was sick there. Someone told the king, "The man of God has come."

8And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?

8The king said to Hazael, "Take a gift to the man of God. Ask him to ask the LORD something for me. Ask if I will get well."

9So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?

9Hazael went to meet Elisha. He brought a gift of the best things from Damascus. It took forty camels to carry it all. He stood before Elisha and said, "Your son Benhadad, king of Syria, sent me. He asks, will he get well?"

10And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die.

10Elisha said, "Go and tell him, 'You will surely get well.' But the LORD has shown me that he will really die."

11And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.

11Elisha stared at Hazael without looking away. Hazael felt uneasy. Then the man of God began to cry.

NoteThe KJV says Hazael "was ashamed." That means he felt uncomfortable under Elisha's long stare, not that he had done something wrong.

12And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because 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.

12Hazael asked, "Why are you crying, sir?" Elisha said, "Because I know the terrible things you will do to Israel. You will burn their strong walled towns. You will kill their young men with swords. You will kill their little children and their pregnant women."

13And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.

13Hazael said, "But I am nobody, like a dog. How could I do such a huge thing?" Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you will be king of Syria."

14So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover.

14Hazael left Elisha and went back to his king. The king asked, "What did Elisha say to you?" Hazael answered, "He told me you will surely get well."

15And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.

15The next day Hazael took a thick cloth. He dipped it in water. He spread it over the king's face, and the king died. Then Hazael became king in his place.

16And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Je hoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.

16Joram, son of Ahab, was king of Israel. In his fifth year, Jehoram became king of Judah. Jehoram was the son of Jehoshaphat.

NoteTwo different kings in this chapter have almost the same name. Joram rules Israel in the north. Jehoram rules Judah in the south.

17Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

17Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for eight years.

18And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

18He lived the way the kings of Israel lived, just like Ahab's family. He had married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil things, and the LORD saw it.

19Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David his servant’s sake, as he promised him to give him alway a light, and to his children.

19Still, the LORD would not destroy Judah. He had promised his servant David to keep a light burning for him and his children always.

Note"A light" here means someone from David's family still ruling as king.

20In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.

20While Jehoram was king, the land of Edom turned against Judah. The people of Edom chose their own king.

21So Joram went over to Zair, 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.

21So Jehoram went to the town of Zair with all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot leaders. He got up at night and attacked them. But his own soldiers ran away to their homes.

22Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.

22So Edom has stayed free from Judah ever since. The town of Libnah turned away at the same time.

23And the 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?

23The other things Jehoram did are written down. They are in the book called the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.

24And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

24Then Jehoram died, like his fathers before him. They buried him with them in the City of David. His son Ahaziah became king in his place.

25In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign.

25Joram, son of Ahab, was king of Israel. In his twelfth year, Ahaziah became king of Judah. Ahaziah was the son of Jehoram.

26Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.

26Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for one year. His mother was named Athaliah. She was a granddaughter of Omri, a king of Israel.

NoteThe KJV calls Athaliah the "daughter" of Omri. In Hebrew that word can also mean granddaughter, which is what it means here.

27And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab: for he was the son in law of the house of Ahab.

27Ahaziah lived the way Ahab's family lived. He did evil things, and the LORD saw it. He had married into Ahab's family.

28And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramothgilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram.

28Ahaziah went with Joram, son of Ahab, to fight a war. They fought Hazael, king of Syria, at a place called Ramothgilead. The Syrians hurt Joram in the battle.

29And king Joram went 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 Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

29King Joram went back to the town of Jezreel to get better. The Syrians had wounded him at Ramah when he fought Hazael. Then Ahaziah, king of Judah, went down to Jezreel to visit Joram, because Joram was hurt.