Jehoash

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.

In 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.

NoteJoash and Jehoash are two ways of saying the same name. Two different kings had that name. One ruled Judah and one ruled Israel.

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.

And 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.

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.

And 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?

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

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

NoteThis Jeroboam is a new king, the son of Joash. He is not the same Jeroboam from verse 2. Families often gave babies the names of famous people.

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!"

Now 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.

NoteThe king called Elisha "the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof." He meant Elisha kept the country safe like a whole army. He said "my father" because he loved him like family.

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

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

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.

And 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.

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."

And 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.

NoteSyria's land was toward the east. So the king shot the arrow that way. Shooting it was a sign that Israel would win. Aphek was a town where the two armies fought.

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.

And 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.

NoteHitting the ground with the arrows was a sign too. Each hit stood for one win over Syria.

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."

And 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.

Note"Man of God" is another way of saying prophet. It means someone who spoke God's words to people.

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

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

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.

And 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.

NoteAbraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived long before this. All of Israel came from their family. God had promised them long ago to care for their family.

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

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

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.

And 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.

8Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the king of Israel. Jehoash was the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. Amaziah said, "Come, let us look each other in the face."

Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.

Note"Let us look each other in the face" meant "let us fight a battle." It was a challenge, not a friendly visit.

9Jehoash king of Israel sent this answer to Amaziah king of Judah. "A small prickly thistle in Lebanon sent word to a tall cedar tree. It said, 'Give your daughter to my son to marry.' Then a wild animal came by and trampled the thistle flat.

And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.

NoteA thistle is a small weed with sharp prickles. A cedar is a huge, tall tree. Jehoash was saying that Amaziah was small and he himself was big.

10"You really did beat Edom, and now you feel proud. Be glad about that and stay home. Why start trouble that will hurt you? You will fall, and Judah will fall with you."

Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

11But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel marched out. The two kings faced each other at Beth-shemesh, a town in Judah.

But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

12Judah lost the battle to Israel. Every man of Judah ran away home.

And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents.

13At Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah. Amaziah was the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem. He broke down four hundred cubits of the city wall. That was the part from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate.

And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

NoteA cubit was about as long as a grown-up's arm below the elbow. Four hundred cubits is about as long as two soccer fields.

14He took all the gold and silver. He took all the dishes and tools in the LORD's house. He took the riches in the king's palace too. He also took some people away as hostages. Then he went back to Samaria.

And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

NoteHostages are people taken away and kept by an enemy. They are held so their country will do as it is told. Samaria was the main city of Israel, where its king lived.

15The other things Jehoash did, and how strong he was, are written down. So is his war with Amaziah king of Judah. You can read it in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

NoteThe chronicles were record books that kings kept. Those books are lost now, so we cannot read them.

16Jehoash slept with his fathers. He was buried in Samaria with the other kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam became king after him.

And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.

Note"Slept with his fathers" is an old way of saying he died. "His fathers" means his family who lived before him.

17Then Amaziah king of Judah talked it over with his advisors. He sent a message to Joash king of Israel, son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu. The message said, "Come, let us meet face to face."

Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us see one another in the face.

Note"Let us see one another in the face" did not mean a friendly visit. It was a dare to meet in battle.

18Joash king of Israel sent an answer to Amaziah king of Judah. He said, "A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar tree in Lebanon. The thistle said, 'Give your daughter to my son to marry.' Then a wild animal in Lebanon walked by and stepped on the thistle."

And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.

NoteA thistle is a small weed with prickles. A cedar is a giant tree. Joash was saying, "You are small and I am big."

19"You say you have beaten Edom. Now your heart is proud, and you like to boast. Stay home. Why stir up trouble that will hurt you? You will fall, and Judah will fall with you."

Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; and thine heart lifteth thee up to boast: abide now at home; why shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

20But Amaziah would not listen. This came from God. God would hand Judah over to their enemies, because they had turned to the gods of Edom.

But Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom.

21So Joash king of Israel marched out. He and Amaziah king of Judah met face to face. They met at Beth-shemesh, a town that belonged to Judah.

So Joash the king of Israel went up; and they saw one another in the face, both he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

22Judah lost the battle to Israel. Every man ran away to his own home.

And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent.

23At Beth-shemesh, Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, son of Joash, son of Jehoahaz. Joash brought him to Jerusalem. He broke down the city wall from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. That part of the wall was four hundred cubits long.

And Joash the king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Bethshemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

NoteA cubit is the length of a grown-up's arm from elbow to fingertips, about eighteen inches. Four hundred cubits is about two city blocks.

24He took all the gold and silver. He took all the dishes and tools kept in God's house with Obed-edom. He took the riches from the king's palace, and he took people as hostages. Then he went back to Samaria.

And he took all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obededom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

NoteGod's house was the temple in Jerusalem, the special building where people worshiped God. Obed-edom's family looked after the things kept there. Hostages are people taken away and held, so the other king will not fight again.