1In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years. 2And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin. And he did not depart from them. 3And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben-Hadad the son of Hazael, all their days. 4And Jehoahaz sought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened to him, for He saw the oppression of Israel because the king of Syria oppressed them. 5And the LORD gave Israel a deliverer, so that they went out from under the Syrians. And the children of Israel lived in their tents, as before. 6But they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin, but walked in them. And also the grove in Samaria remained. 7Neither did he leave of the people for Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Syria had destroyed them and had made them like the dust at threshing time. 8And 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 slept with his fathers. And they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoash his son reigned in his place.

10In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria and reigned sixteen years. 11And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, but he walked in them. 12And the rest of the acts of Jehoash, and all that he did, and his might which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 13And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat upon his throne. And Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

14Now Elisha had fallen sick with his illness in which he was to die. And Jehoash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over his face. And he said, "O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen of it!" 15And Elisha said to him, "Take bow and arrows." And he took bow and arrows to himself. 16And he said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand upon the bow." And he placed his hand upon it, then Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands. 17And he said, "Open the window eastward." And he opened. And Elisha said, "Shoot!" And he shot. And he said, "The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria, for you shall strike the Syrians in Aphek until they are destroyed." 18And he said, "Take the arrows." And he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground." And he struck it three times and stopped. 19And the man of God was angry with him, and said, "You should have stricken five or six times then you would have stricken Syria until it was destroyed. But now you shall strike Syria three times."

20Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the first of the year. 21Now it came to pass as they were burying a man, behold, they spied a band of men. And they threw the man into the grave of Elisha. And the man went down and touched the bones of Elisha, and he revived and stood up on his feet.

22And Hazael, the king of Syria, oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23And the LORD was gracious to them, and had pity on them, and had respect to them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And He would not destroy them, nor cast them from His presence as yet.

24And Hazael king of Syria died. And his son Ben-Hadad reigned in his place. 25And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz returned and took out of the hand of Ben- Hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Jehoash struck him three times and recovered the cities of Israel.