Chapter 8

Then spake¹⁴ Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life,⁵² saying,² Arise,³ and go³ thou and thine household, and sojourn³ wheresoever thou canst sojourn:⁴ for the LORD hath called¹ for a famine; and it shall also come¹ upon the land seven years.

And the woman arose,⁴ and did⁴ after the saying of the man of God: and she went⁴ with her household, and sojourned⁴ in the land of the Philistines seven years.

And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned⁴ out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth⁴ to cry² unto the king for her house and for her land.

And the king talked¹⁸ with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying,² Tell¹⁶ me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.¹

And it came to pass, as he was telling¹⁸ the king how he had restored a dead⁵ body to life,⁵² that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life,⁵² cried⁶ to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said,⁴ My lord, O king, this [is] the woman, and this [is] her son, whom Elisha restored to life.⁵²

And when the king asked⁴ the woman, she told¹⁷ him. So the king appointed⁴ unto her a certain officer, saying,² Restore⁵⁴ all that [was] hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left² the land, even until now.

And Elisha came⁴ to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick;⁶ and it was told⁹³ him, saying,² The man of God is come¹ hither.

And the king said⁴ unto Hazael, Take³ a present in thine hand, and go,³ meet² the man of God, and enquire¹ of the LORD by him, saying,² Shall I recover⁴ of this disease?

So Hazael went⁴ to meet² him, and took⁴ a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came⁴ and stood⁴ before him, and said,⁴ Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent¹ me to thee, saying,² Shall I recover⁴ of this disease?

And Elisha said⁴ unto him, Go,³ say³ unto him, Thou mayest certainly² recover:⁴ howbeit the LORD hath shewed⁵² me that he shall surely² die.⁴

And he settled⁵⁵ his countenance stedfastly,⁴ until he was ashamed:² and the man of God wept.⁴

And Hazael said,⁴ Why weepeth⁶ my lord? And he answered,⁴ Because I know¹ the evil that thou wilt do⁴ unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set¹⁷ on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay⁴ with the sword, and wilt dash¹⁷ their children, and rip up¹⁷ their women with child.

And Hazael said,⁴ But what, [is] thy servant a dog, that he should do⁴ this great thing? And Elisha answered,⁴ The LORD hath shewed⁵² me that thou [shalt be] king over Syria.

So he departed⁴ from Elisha, and came⁴ to his master; who said⁴ to him, What said¹ Elisha to thee? And he answered,⁴ He told¹ me [that] thou shouldest surely² recover.⁴

And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took⁴ a thick cloth, and dipped⁴ [it] in water, and spread⁴ [it] on his face, so that he died:⁴ and Hazael reigned⁴ in his stead.

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.¹

Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign;² and he reigned¹ eight years in Jerusalem.

And he walked⁴ in the way of the kings of Israel, as did¹ the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did⁴ evil in the sight of the LORD.

Yet the LORD would¹ not destroy⁵³ Judah for David his servant's sake, as he promised¹ him to give² him alway ³¹¹⁷ a light, [and] to his children.

In his days Edom revolted¹ from under the hand of Judah, and made⁵⁵ a king over themselves.

So Joram went over⁴ to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose¹ by night, and smote⁵⁵ the Edomites which compassed⁶ him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled⁴ into their tents.

Yet Edom revolted⁴ from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then Libnah revolted⁴ at the same time.

And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did,¹ [are] they not written⁷ in the book of the chronicles ³¹¹⁷ of the kings of Judah?

And Joram slept⁴ with his fathers, and was buried¹¹ with his fathers in the city of David: and Ahaziah his son reigned⁴ in his stead.

In the twelfth ⁶²⁴⁰ year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign.¹

Two and twenty years old [was] Ahaziah when he began to reign;² and he reigned¹ one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.

And he walked⁴ in the way of the house of Ahab, and did⁴ 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.

And he went⁴ with Joram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramothgilead; ¹⁵⁶⁸ and the Syrians wounded⁵⁵ Joram.

And king Joram went back⁴ to be healed⁹⁹ in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given⁵⁵ him at Ramah, when he fought⁹ against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down¹ to see² Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.⁶