| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1In the twenty-third year of the reign of Judah's King Joash son of Ahaziah, Jehu's son Jehoahaz became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for seventeen years. | 1During the twenty-third year of the reign of Ahaziah's son Joash, king of Judah, Jehu's son Jehoahaz began his seventeen year reign in Samaria over Israel. |
| 2He did evil in the sight of the LORD. He continued in the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who had encouraged Israel to sin; he did not repudiate those sins. | 2He did what the LORD considered to be evil, after the pattern of Nebat's son Jeroboam. By doing so, he caused Israel to sin, and he never changed course from it. |
| 3The LORD was furious with Israel and handed them over to King Hazael of Syria and to Hazael's son Ben Hadad for many years. | 3As a result, the LORD's wrath flared up against Israel, so he handed them over to domination by king Hazael of Aram and later into constant domination by Hazael's son Ben-hadad. |
| 4Jehoahaz asked for the LORD's mercy and the LORD responded favorably, for he saw that Israel was oppressed by the king of Syria. | 4But Jehoahaz sought the LORD, and the LORD paid attention to him, because the LORD had been watching the oppression that Israel was enduring from the king of Aram. |
| 5The LORD provided a deliverer for Israel and they were freed from Syria's power. The Israelites once more lived in security. | 5The LORD provided Israel with a deliverer, so they escaped the Aramean oppression while the descendants of Israel lived in tents as they had formerly. |
| 6But they did not repudiate the sinful ways of the family of Jeroboam, who encouraged Israel to sin; they continued in those sins. There was even an Asherah pole standing in Samaria. | 6Nevertheless, they did not change course away from the sins of Jeroboam's household, by which he caused Israel to sin, but continued on that same course, with Asherah poles remaining in place in Samaria. |
| 7Jehoahaz had no army left except for fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers. The king of Syria had destroyed his troops and trampled on them like dust. | 7For the Aramean king had left only 50 cavalry, ten chariots, and 10,000 soldiers out of the army belonging to Jehoahaz, because the king of Aram had destroyed the others, making them like chaff left over after threshing. |
| 8The rest of the events of Jehoahaz's reign, including all his accomplishments and successes, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. | 8Now the rest of the activities of Jehoahaz, including everything he did and his grandeur, are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not? |
| 9Jehoahaz passed away and was buried in Samaria. His son Joash replaced him as king. | 9So Jehoahaz died, as did his ancestors, and he was buried in Samaria while his son Joash replaced him as king. |
| 10In the thirty-seventh year of King Joash's reign over Judah, Jehoahaz's son Jehoash became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for sixteen years. | 10During the thirty-seventh year of the reign of king Joash of Judah, Jehoahaz's son Jehoash began a sixteen year reign as king over Israel in Samaria. |
| 11He did evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not repudiate the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin; he continued in those sins. | 11He practiced what the LORD considered to be evil, not changing course from all of the sins practiced by Nebat's son Jeroboam by which he caused Israel to sin. Instead, he continued on that same course. |
| 12The rest of the events of Joash's reign, including all his accomplishments and his successful war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. | 12The rest of Joash's activities, including everything he did and the vehemence with which he fought against king Amaziah of Judah are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not? |
| 13Joash passed away and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. | 13So Joash died, as did his ancestors, and Jeroboam assumed his throne after Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. |
| 14Now Elisha had a terminal illness. King Joash of Israel went down to visit him. He wept before him and said, "My father, my father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!" | 14When Elisha fell ill with the sickness from which he was about to die, king Joash of Israel came down to see him, wept in his presence, and told him, "My father, Israel's chariots and horsemen!" |
| 15Elisha told him, "Take a bow and some arrows," and he did so. | 15Elisha told him, "Pick up a bow and some arrows." So he picked up a bow and some arrows. |
| 16Then Elisha told the king of Israel, "Aim the bow." He did so, and Elisha placed his hands on the king's hands. | 16Then Elisha told Israel's king, "Draw the bow!" As he did so, Elisha laid his hands on top of the king's hands |
| 17Elisha said, "Open the east window," and he did so. Elisha said, "Shoot!" and he did so. Elisha said, "This arrow symbolizes the victory the LORD will give you over Syria. You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!" | 17and ordered him, "Open a window that faces east." So he did so. Elisha ordered him, "Shoot!" So he shot. Then Elisha said, "This is the LORD's arrow of victory—the victory arrow against Aram, because you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you will have utterly finished them off." |
| 18Then Elisha said, "Take the arrows," and he did so. He told the king of Israel, "Strike the ground!" He struck the ground three times and stopped. | 18After this Elisha said, "Pick up the arrows." So the king picked them up. Then Elisha told the king of Israel, "Strike the ground!" So he struck it three times and then stood still. |
| 19The prophet got angry at him and said, "If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria! But now, you will defeat Syria only three times." | 19At this, the man of God became angry at him and told him, "You should have struck five or six times! Then you would have attacked Aram until you would have destroyed it! But as it is now, you'll defeat Aram only three times!" |
| 20Elisha died and was buried. Moabite raiding parties invaded the land at the beginning of the year. | 20Later, Elisha died and was buried. Now at that time, various Moabite marauders had been invading the land each spring. |
| 21One day some men were burying a man when they spotted a raiding party. So they threw the dead man into Elisha's tomb. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the dead man came to life and stood on his feet. | 21One day while some Israelis were burying a man, they saw some marauders, so they threw the man into Elisha's grave. But when the man fell against Elisha's remains, he revived and rose to his feet. |
| 22Now King Hazael of Syria oppressed Israel throughout Jehoahaz's reign. | 22Meanwhile, king Hazael of Aram had been oppressing Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz, |
| 23But the LORD had mercy on them and felt pity for them. He extended his favor to them because of the promise he had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has been unwilling to destroy them or remove them from his presence to this very day. | 23but the LORD showed grace to them, displayed his compassion toward them, and turned to them due to his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He would not destroy them or evict them from his presence up until that time. |
| 24When King Hazael of Syria died, his son Ben Hadad replaced him as king. | 24After king Hazael of Aram died, his son Ben-hadad replaced him as king. |
| 25Jehoahaz's son Jehoash took back from Ben Hadad son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from his father Jehoahaz in war. Joash defeated him three times and recovered the Israelite cities. | 25At that time, Jehoahaz's son Jehoash recaptured from Hazael's son Ben-hadad the cities that Hazael had captured through warfare from the control of Jehoahaz, Jehoash's father. Joash defeated and recovered cities of Israel from Ben-hadad three times. |
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