By April 7, 2008 Read More →

2 Kings 13:10–25

10In the thirty-seventh year of King Joash of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria—for sixteen years. 11He did what was displeasing to the Lord; he did not depart from any of the sins which Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he persisted in them.
12The other events of Joash’s reign, and all his actions, and his exploits in his war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 13Joash slept with his fathers and Jeroboam occupied his throne; Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

14Elisha had been stricken with the illness of which he was to die, and King Joash of Israel went down to see him. He wept over him and cried, “Father, father! Israel’s chariots and horsemen!” 15Elisha said to him, “Get a bow and arrows”; and he brought him a bow and arrows. 16Then he said to the king of Israel, “Grasp the bow!” And when he had grasped it, Elisha put his hands over the king’s hands. 17“Open the window toward the east,” he said; and he opened it. Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he shot. Then he said, “An arrow of victory for the Lord! An arrow of victory over Aram! You shall rout Aram completely at Aphek.” 18He said, “Now pick up the arrows.” And he picked them up. “Strike the ground!” he said to the king of Israel; and he struck three times and stopped. 19The man of God was angry with him and said to him, “If only you had struck five or six times! Then you would have annihilated Aram; as it is, you shall defeat Aram only three times.”
20Elisha died and he was buried. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land at the coming of every year. 21Once a man was being buried, when the people caught sight of such a band; so they threw the corpse into Elisha’s grave and made off. When the [dead] man came in contact with Elisha’s bones, he came to life and stood up.

22King Hazael of Aram had oppressed the Israelites throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. 23But the Lord was gracious and merciful to them, and He turned back to them for the sake of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He refrained from destroying them, and He still did not cast them out from His presence. 24When King Hazael of Aram died, his son Ben-hadad succeeded him as king; 25and then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recovered from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the towns which had been taken from his father Jehoahaz in war. Three times Joash defeated him, and he recovered the towns of Israel.

Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures, (Philadelphia, Jerusalem- Jewish Publication Society) 1985.

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