The Shunammite's Land Restored
Study note
Elisha had warned the woman from Shunem whose son he had raised from the dead to leave Israel because a seven-year famine was coming. She lived in the land of the Philistines during the famine. When she returned, she went to the king to ask for her house and land back. At that very moment, Gehazi was telling the king about Elisha's miracles, including raising this woman's son. When she arrived, Gehazi said, 'This is the woman!' The king immediately ordered that all her property be restored.
1 Earlier, Elisha had warned the woman whose son he brought back to life, "Move your family somewhere else for a while. The Lord has decided to send a seven-year famine on this land." Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.
2 She did what Elisha said. She packed up her household and lived in Philistine territory for seven years. And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.
3 After the seven years ended, she came back and went to the king to ask for her house and farmland to be returned. And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.
4 At that moment, the king happened to be talking with Gehazi, Elisha's servant. The king had asked, "Tell me all the amazing things Elisha has done." And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.
5 Just as Gehazi was describing how Elisha had brought a dead boy back to life, in walked the very woman whose son it was! She had come to beg the king for her property. Gehazi exclaimed, "My lord king, this is the woman I was telling you about! And this is her son -- the one Elisha brought back to life!" And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.
6 The king asked the woman about it, and she told him the whole story. Then he chose an official to handle her case. He ordered, "Give back everything that belongs to her. That includes all the income her land has earned since the day she left." And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.
Hazael Murders the King of Syria
Study note
Elisha traveled to Damascus, the capital of Syria. King Ben-hadad was sick and sent his servant Hazael with an enormous gift to ask whether he would recover. Elisha gave a strange answer: the king could recover from his illness, but God had shown Elisha that the king would still die. Then Elisha stared at Hazael and wept, because he foresaw the terrible things Hazael would do to Israel. The next day, Hazael murdered Ben-hadad by smothering him with a wet cloth and became king of Syria.
7 Elisha traveled to Damascus, the capital of Syria. King Ben-hadad was sick at the time, and when someone told him, "The man of God is here in the city," And Elisha came to Damascus; and Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.
8 the king told Hazael, "Take along a gift and go meet the man of God. Ask the Lord through him if I will survive this illness." And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
9 Hazael went to meet Elisha. He loaded forty camels with the finest goods from Damascus as a gift. He stood before Elisha and said, "Your son, King Ben-hadad of Syria, wants to know: 'Will I get well from this sickness?'" So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Ben-hadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
10 Elisha answered, "Go tell him he will get better. But the Lord has shown me that he is going to die." And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die.
11 Elisha stared at Hazael for so long that Hazael felt uneasy. Then Elisha began to cry. And he settled his countenance steadfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.
12 Hazael asked, "Why are you crying, sir?" Elisha explained, "Because I can see the horrible things you will do to the people of Israel. You will burn down their fortresses, slaughter their young men, and kill their babies." And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.
13 Hazael protested, "I am nobody special! How could I ever do something that awful?" Elisha answered, "The Lord has revealed to me that you will be king of Syria." And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.
14 Hazael went back to his master. Ben-hadad asked, "What did Elisha tell you?" Hazael replied, "He said you will definitely get better." So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover.
15 The very next day, Hazael soaked a thick cloth in water and pressed it over the king's face until he stopped breathing. Then Hazael took the throne. And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.
Wicked Kings in Judah
Study note
Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah. He was married to a daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and he followed the wicked ways of the kings of Israel. Yet God did not destroy Judah because of his promise to King David that his family line would always have a king. During Jehoram's reign, Edom and the city of Libnah both revolted against Judah's control.
16 Joram son of Ahab ruled Israel for five years. Jehoshaphat was still Judah's king. Then Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah. And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
17 He was thirty-two when he became king and ruled in Jerusalem for eight years. Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
18 He lived the same way the kings of Israel did, just like Ahab's family, because he had married one of Ahab's daughters. He did what the Lord considered evil. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.
19 Still, the Lord chose not to destroy Judah. He had made a promise to his servant David that someone from David's family line would always rule as a guiding light for his people. Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give him alway a light, and to his children.
20 While Jehoram was king, Edom broke away from Judah's control and crowned their own king. In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.
21 Jehoram marched to Zair with all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded his forces, but he launched a nighttime attack and broke through. Even so, his own troops scattered and fled home. So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled into their tents.
22 Edom has remained independent from Judah ever since. Around the same time, the city of Libnah also broke away. Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.
23 The rest of what Jehoram did is written in the official history of Judah's kings. And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
24 When Jehoram died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Ahaziah became the next king. And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.
Ahaziah King of Judah
Study note
Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. His mother was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri, a wicked king of Israel. Ahaziah followed the evil ways of the house of Ahab because he was related to them by marriage. He joined King Joram of Israel in a battle against Hazael, king of Syria, at Ramoth-gilead. When Joram was wounded, he went to the city of Jezreel to recover, and Ahaziah went to visit him there.
25 In the twelfth year of King Joram of Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign.
26 Ahaziah was twenty-two when he became king. He ruled for just one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri of Israel. Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.
27 He lived the way Ahab's family had lived and did what the Lord considered evil, just like them. He was connected to Ahab's family through marriage. And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab: for he was the son in law of the house of Ahab.
28 He joined King Joram of Israel in a battle against King Hazael of Syria at Ramoth-gilead. The Syrians wounded Joram. And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramoth-gilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram.
29 King Joram went back to the city of Jezreel to heal from his battle wounds. King Ahaziah of Judah traveled to Jezreel to check on him while he was recovering. And king Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.