The Shunammite’s Land Restored

1Elisha said to the woman whose son he had restored to life,a “Get ready, you and your household, and go and live as a foreigner wherever you can. For the LORD has announced a seven-year famine,b and it has already come to the land.”

2So the woman got ready and did what the man of God said. She and her household lived as foreigners in the land of the Philistines for seven years. 3When the woman returned from the land of the Philistines at the end of seven years,c she went to appeal to the king for her house and field.d

4The king had been speaking to Gehazi,e the attendant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me all the great things Elisha has done.”

5While he was telling the king how Elisha restored the dead son to life, the woman whose son he had restored to life came to appeal to the king for her house and field. So Gehazi said, “My lord the king, this is the woman and this is the son Elisha restored to life.”f

6When the king asked the woman, she told him the story. So the king appointed a court official for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, along with all the income from the field from the day she left the country until now.”

Aram’s King Hazael

7Elisha came to Damascusg while Ben-hadadh king of Aram was sick, and the king was told, “The man of Godi has come here.” 8So the king said to Hazael,j “Take a giftk with you and go meet the man of God. Inquire of the LORD through him, ‘Will I recover from this sickness? ’ ”l

9Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift: 40 camel-loads of all kinds of goods from Damascus. When he came and stood before him, he said, “Your son,m Ben-hadad king of Aram, has sent me to ask you, ‘Will I recover from this sickness? ’ ”

10Elisha told him, “Go say to him, ‘You are sure ton recover.’ But the LORD has shown me that he is sure to die.” 11Then Elisha stared steadily at him until Hazael was ashamed.o

The man of God wept,p 12and Hazael asked, “Why is my lord weeping? ”

He replied, “Because I know the evil you will do to the people of Israel. You will set their fortresses on fire. You will kill their young men with the sword. You will dash their little ones to pieces. You will rip open their pregnant women.”q

13Hazael said, “How could your servant, a mere dog,r do this monstrous thing? ”

Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”s

14Hazael left Elisha and went to his master, who asked him, “What did Elisha say to you? ”

He responded, “He told me you are sure to recover.” 15The next day Hazael took a heavy cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over the king’s face. Ben-hadad died, and Hazael reigned instead of him.

Judah’s King Jehoram

16In the fifth yeart of Israel’s King Joramu son of Ahab, Jehoramv, w son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah, replacing his father.x, y 17He was 32 years old when he became king and reigned eight years in Jerusalem.z 18He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for Ahab’s daughter was his wife. He did what was evil in the LORD’s sight.aa 19The LORD was unwilling to destroy Judah because of His servant David, since He had promised to give a lampab to David and his sons forever.ac

20During Jehoram’s reign, Edom rebelled against Judah’s control and appointed their own king.ad 21So Jehoram crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. Then at night he set out to attack the Edomites who had surrounded him and the chariot commanders, but his troops fled to their tents.ae 22So Edom is still in rebellion against Judah’s control today. Libnahaf also rebelled at that time.

23The rest of the events of Jehoram’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.ag 24Jehoram rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and his son Ahaziah became king in his place.ah

Judah’s King Ahaziah

25In the twelfth year of Israel’s King Joram son of Ahab,ai Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah.aj 26Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king and reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, granddaughter of Israel’s King Omri.ak 27He walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did what was evil in the LORD’s sight like the house of Ahab,al for he was a son-in-law to Ahab’s family.

28Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to fight against Hazaelam king of Aram in Ramoth-gilead,an and the Arameans wounded Joram. 29So King Joram returned to Jezreelao to recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him in Ramoth-gileadap when he fought against Aram’s King Hazael.aq Then Judah’s King Ahaziah son of Jehoram went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab since Joram was ill.