1In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria, reigning seventeen years.
2He did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh and walked after the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.
3So the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel, and he gave them into the hand of Hazael king of Aram and into the hand of Ben-hadad son of Hazael all their days.
4But Jehoahaz sought the favor of Yahweh, and Yahweh listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them.
5So Yahweh gave Israel a deliverer, and they went out from under the hand of Aram, and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as before.
6Nevertheless they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he caused Israel to commit; in them he walked. And the Asherah also stood in Samaria.
7For he had left Jehoahaz no army except fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, for the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like the dust for threshing.
8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
9And Jehoahaz lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria; and Joash his son became king in his place.
10In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, reigning sixteen years.
11He did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh; he did not turn away from all the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he caused Israel to commit; in them he walked.
12Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might, how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
13And Joash lay down with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne; and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
14Now Elisha had fallen ill with the illness of which he would die. And Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept over his face and said, “My father, my father! The chariotry of Israel and its horsemen!”
15And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows,” and he took a bow and arrows to himself.
16Then he said to the king of Israel, “Set your hand to the bow,” and he set his hand; and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands.
17And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. And he said, “An arrow of victory for Yahweh, and an arrow of victory against Aram! You shall strike Aram at Aphek until you have finished them.”
18Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck three times and stopped.
19And the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Aram until you finished it. But now you will strike Aram only three times.”
20And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moab used to come into the land at the turn of the year.
21And it happened, as they were burying a man, that behold, they saw the raiding band, and they threw the man into Elisha’s tomb. When the man went down and touched Elisha’s bones, he revived and stood up on his feet.
22Now Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
23But Yahweh was gracious to them and had compassion on them and turned toward them, for the sake of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he was not willing to destroy them, and he did not cast them from his presence until now.
24And Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-hadad his son became king in his place.
25Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took back the cities from the hand of Ben-hadad son of Hazael which he had taken from the hand of Jehoahaz his father in war. Three times Joash struck him and recovered the cities of Israel.
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