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the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash son of Amaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. 2 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them. 3 So the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Aram, and into the hand of Ben-hadad son of Hazael during the reign of these kings.
4 Then Jehoahaz sought the Lord’s favour, and the Lord listened to him, for He saw how severely Israel suffered under the oppression of the king of Aram. 5 So the Lord gave Israel a deliverer, and they escaped from the oppressive power of the Arameans. Then the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before. 6 Yet they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, but they persisted in them. Even the Asherah pole remained standing in Samaria.
7 Almost nothing remained of the army of Jehoahaz, only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen, because the king of Aram had destroyed Israel’s army, and made them like the dust at threshing.
8 As for the other events of the reign of Jehoahaz, all that he did, and his accomplishments, are they not written about in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel? 9 So Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Jehoash succeeded him as king.
10 In the thirty-seventh year of the reign of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. 11 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, but he walked in them.
12 As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, all that he did, his accomplishments, and the power he wielded in his war with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written about in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel? 13 Jehoash rested with his fathers, and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
14 Now Elisha had fallen sick with the illness from which he died, and Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him. He wept over him and cried, “O my father, my father! The chariots of Israel and their horsemen!”
15 Elisha said to him, “Get a bow and some arrows.” So he brought him a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Take the bow in your hands.” When he had picked up the bow, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.
17 Then he said, “Open the east window,” and he opened it. Elisha said, “Shoot!” so he shot. Then Elisha said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram! You are to strike down the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed them.”
18 Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” So he struck three times and stopped. 19 The man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times! Then you would have struck down Aram until you destroyed them. But now you will only strike down Aram three times.”
20 Then Elisha died and was buried.
Now marauding bands of Moabite raiders used to invade the country every spring. 21 Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a marauding band, so they threw the man into Elisha’s tomb. When the body of the dead man touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood on his feet.
22 Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. 23 But the Lord was gracious to Israel and had compassion on them. He turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He would not destroy them. Even now He has not banished them from His presence.
24 Hazael king of Aram died, and his son Ben-hadad succeeded him as king. 25 Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured the cities from Ben-hadad son of Hazael that Hazael had taken war from his father Jehoahaz. Three times Jehoash defeated him, and he recovered the cities of Israel.