2 Kings, 8

1. Elisha once said to the woman whose son he had restored to life: "Get ready! Leave with your family and settle wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a seven-year famine which is coming upon the land."

1. Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had raised to life, 'Move away with your family, and live where you can in some foreign country, for Yahweh has called up a famine -- it is already coming on the country -- for seven years.'

2. The woman got ready and did as the man of God said, setting out with her family and settling in the land of the Philistines for seven years.

2. The woman hurried to do what the man of God had told her: she set out, she and her family, and for seven years she lived in Philistine territory.

3. At the end of the seven years, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines and went out to the king to claim her house and her field.

3. When the seven years were over, the woman returned from Philistine territory and went to lodge a claim with the king for her house and land.

4. The king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God. "Tell me," he said, "all the great things that Elisha has done."

4. Now the king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God. 'Tell me', he was saying, 'all about the marvels which Elisha did.'

5. Just as he was relating to the king how his master had restored a dead person to life, the very woman whose son Elisha had restored to life came to the king to claim her house and field. "My lord king," Gehazi said, "this is the woman, and this is that son of hers whom Elisha restored to life."

5. Gehazi was just telling the king how Elisha had raised the dead child to life, when the woman whose son Elisha had raised lodged her claim with the king for her house and land. 'My lord king,' Gehazi said, 'this is the very woman, and that is her son whom Elisha raised to life.'

6. The king questioned the woman, and she told him her story. With that the king placed an official at her disposal, saying, "Restore all her property to her, with all that the field produced from the day she left the land until now."

6. The king questioned the woman, who told him the story. The king then delegated one of the officials to her with this order, 'See that all her property is restored to her, and all the revenue from her land from the day she left the country until now.'

7. Elisha came to Damascus at a time when Ben-hadad, king of Aram, lay sick. When he was told that the man of God had come there,

7. Elisha went to Damascus. Ben-Hadad king of Aram was ill, and was told, 'The man of God has come all the way to us.'

8. the king said to Hazael, "Take a gift with you and go call on the man of God. Have him consult the LORD as to whether I shall recover from this sickness."

8. Then the king said to Hazael, 'Take a present with you and go and meet the man of God; consult Yahweh through him, and find out if I shall recover from my illness.'

9. Hazael went to visit him, carrying a present, and with forty camel loads of the best goods of Damascus. On his arrival, he stood before the prophet and said, "Your son Ben-hadad, king of Aram, has sent me to ask you whether he will recover from his sickness."

9. So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him as a present the best that Damascus could offer, a load for forty camels. He arrived and, presenting himself, said, 'Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask you, "Shall I recover from my illness?"

10. "Go and tell him," Elisha answered, "that he will surely recover. However, the LORD has showed me that he will in fact die."

10. Elisha replied, 'Go and tell him, "You might recover," though Yahweh has shown me that he will certainly die.'

11. Then he stared him down until Hazael became ill at ease. The man of God wept,

11. Then the face of the man of God went rigid, and his look grew strangely fixed, and he wept.

12. and Hazael asked, "Why are you weeping, my lord?" Elisha replied, "Because I know the evil that you will inflict upon the Israelites. You will burn their fortresses, you will slay their youth with the sword, you will dash their little children to pieces, you will rip open their pregnant women."

12. 'Why', Hazael asked, 'does my lord weep?' 'Because I know', Elisha replied, 'what harm you will do to the Israelites: you will burn down their fortresses, put their picked warriors to the sword, dash their little children to pieces, disembowel their pregnant women.'

13. Hazael exclaimed, "How can a dog like me, your servant, do anything so important?" "The LORD has showed you to me as king over Aram," replied Elisha.

13. 'But what is your servant?' Hazael said. 'How could this dog achieve anything so great?' 'In a vision from Yahweh,' Elisha replied, 'I have seen you king of Aram.'

14. Hazael left Elisha and returned to his master. "What did Elisha tell you?" asked Ben-hadad. "He told me that you would surely recover," replied Hazael.

14. Leaving Elisha, Hazael went back to his master who asked, 'What did Elisha say to you?' He replied, 'He told me that you might recover.'

15. The next day, however, Hazael took a cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over the king's face, so that he died. And Hazael reigned in his stead.

15. Next day he took a blanket, soaked it in water, and spread it over his face. So died Ben-Hadad, and Hazael succeeded him.

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

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

17. He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

17. He was thirty-two years old when he came to the throne, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem.

18. He conducted himself like the kings of Israel of the line of Ahab, since the sister of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the LORD'S sight.

18. He followed the example of the kings of Israel as the House of Ahab were doing; he had married one of Ahab's daughters; and he did what is displeasing to Yahweh.

19. Even so, the LORD was unwilling to destroy Judah, because of his servant David. For he had promised David that he would leave him a lamp in the LORD'S presence for all time.

19. But Yahweh was unwilling to destroy Judah, because of his servant David, and was faithful to the promise which he had made him to leave him a lamp for ever in his presence.

20. During Jehoram's reign, Edom revolted against the sovereignty of Judah and chose a king of its own.

20. In his time Edom threw off the domination of Judah and set up a king for itself.

21. Thereupon Jehoram with all his chariots crossed over to Zair. He arose by night and broke through the Edomites when they had surrounded him and the commanders of his chariots. Then his army fled homeward.

21. Jehoram crossed to Zair, and with him all the chariots . . . Under cover of dark, he and his chariot commanders broke through the Edomites surrounding him; the people fled to their tents.

22. To this day Edom has been in revolt against the rule of Judah. Libnah also revolted at that time.

22. Even so, Edom threw off the domination of Judah, remaining free to the present day. Libnah also revolted at that time.

23. The rest of the acts of Jehoram, with all that he did, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.

23. The rest of the history of Jehoram, his entire career, is this not recorded in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah?

24. Jehoram rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. His son Ahaziah succeeded him as king.

24. Then Jehoram fell asleep with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David; his son Ahaziah succeeded him.

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

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

26. He was twenty-two years old when he began his reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah; she was daughter of Omri, king of Israel.

26. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he came to the throne, and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah granddaughter of Omri king of Israel.

27. He conducted himself like the house of Ahab, doing evil in the LORD'S sight as they did, since he was related to them by marriage.

27. He followed the example of the House of Ahab and did what is displeasing to Yahweh, as the House of Ahab were doing, to whom he was related by marriage.

28. He joined Joram, son of Ahab, in battle against Hazael, king of Aram, at Ramoth-gilead, where the Arameans wounded Joram.

28. He went with Jehoram son of Ahab to make war on Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth in Gilead, but the Aramaeans wounded Jehoram.

29. King Joram returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah in his battle against Hazael, king of Aram. Then Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to Jezreel to visit him there in his illness.

29. King Jehoram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds which he had received at Ramah, fighting against Hazael king of Aram. Ahaziah son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to Jezreel to visit Jehoram son of Ahab because he was ailing.