1In the twenty-third year of Joash, son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, began to rule over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for seventeen years.
2He did what was evil in Yahweh's sight and continued in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which had caused Israel to sin. He did not turn away from them.
3Yahweh's anger burned against Israel, and he constantly handed them over to Hazael, king of Syria, and to Benhadad, son of Hazael.
4Jehoahaz pleaded with Yahweh, and Yahweh listened to him, because he saw how the king of Syria was oppressing Israel.
5(Yahweh gave Israel a rescuer, so they escaped from the Syrians' power. Then the people of Israel lived in their homes as before.
6Nevertheless, they did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam's family, which he had caused Israel to commit, but continued in them. The Asherah pole also remained in Samaria.)
7For Jehoahaz was left with no more than fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, because the king of Syria had destroyed them, crushing them like dust on a threshing floor.
8Do not the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, appear in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
9Jehoahaz died and was buried in Samaria, and his son Joash became king in his place.
10In the thirty-seventh year of Judah's King Joash, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz began to rule over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for sixteen years.
11He did what Yahweh considered evil. He did not turn away from all the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which had caused Israel to sin; instead, he continued in those sins.
12The rest of the events of Joash's reign, including all his accomplishments and how he bravely fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
13Joash died and was buried with his ancestors, and Jeroboam took his place as king. Joash was buried in Samaria with the other kings of Israel.
14Elisha became ill with the sickness that would lead to his death. Joash, the king of Israel, went to visit him, wept over him, and said, "My father, my father! You are like the chariots and horsemen of Israel!"
15Elisha told him, "Get a bow and arrows." So he got a bow and arrows.
16Elisha said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow." The king did so, and Elisha placed his own hands on the king's hands.
17Elisha said, "Open the window facing east." The king opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot!" And the king shot an arrow. Elisha declared, "This is Yahweh's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria. You will defeat the Syrians in Aphek until they are completely destroyed."
18Then Elisha said, "Pick up the arrows." The king picked them up. Elisha told the king of Israel, "Strike the ground with them." The king struck the ground three times and then stopped.
19The man of God became angry with him and said, "You should have struck the ground five or six times! Then you would have completely defeated Syria. But now, you will only defeat Syria three times."
20Elisha died and was buried. Every spring, raiding parties of Moabites would invade the land.
21Once, as some people were burying a man, they suddenly saw a band of raiders. So, they quickly threw the body into Elisha's tomb. As soon as the body touched Elisha's bones, the man came back to life and stood on his feet.
22Throughout his reign, Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel.
23But Yahweh was gracious to them and had compassion on them. He showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was unwilling to destroy them and had not yet banished them from his presence.
24Hazael king of Syria died, and his son Benhadad became king in his place.
25Jehoash son of Jehoahaz regained from Benhadad son of Hazael the cities that Hazael had taken from Jehoahaz, his father, in battle. Joash defeated Benhadad three times and recovered the cities of Israel.