2 Kings 8
All 29 verses in the Clear Bible Translation. Tap a verse to compare the KJV and read what it means.
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- 1Then Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, "Arise, take your family, and live wherever you can, for the LORD has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years."
- 2The woman did exactly what the man of God said. She took her household and settled in the land of the Philistines for 7 years.
- 3When the 7 years were over, the woman came back from Philistine territory. She went to the king to beg for the return of her house and her land.
- 4The king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and said, "Tell me all the great things Elisha has done."
- 5As Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored a dead body to life, the woman whose son Elisha had restored to life cried out to the king for her house and land. Gehazi said, 'My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.'
- 6The king questioned the woman, and she confirmed the whole story. So the king assigned an official to her case and ordered, "Give back everything that belongs to her, including all the crops her land produced from the day she left until now."
- 7Elisha traveled to Damascus, where Benhadad king of Syria was sick. When the king was told, "The man of God has come here,"
- 8he said to Hazael, "Take a gift and go meet the man of God. Ask the LORD through him, 'Will I recover from this illness?'"
- 9So Hazael went to meet Elisha, bringing a gift loaded on 40 camels — the finest goods Damascus had to offer. He stood before Elisha and said, "Your son Benhadad, king of Syria, sent me to ask you, 'Will I recover from this illness?'"
- 10Elisha told him, "Go tell him, 'You will certainly recover.' But the LORD has shown me that he will actually die."
- 11Elisha stared at Hazael with a fixed gaze until Hazael was ashamed. Then the man of God began to weep.
- 12Hazael asked, "Why are you crying, my lord?" Elisha answered, "Because I know the terrible things you will do to the people of Israel. You will set their fortresses on fire, slaughter their young men with the sword, smash their children to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women."
- 13Hazael said, "But what, is your servant a dog, that he should do this great thing?" Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you will become king over Syria."
- 14Hazael left Elisha and returned to his master. Benhadad asked him, "What did Elisha say to you?" Hazael answered, "He told me you will certainly recover."
- 15But the next day, Hazael took a thick cloth, soaked it in water, and spread it over his face, so that he died. Then Hazael took the throne in his place.
- 16Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah during the 5th year of King Joram son of Ahab of Israel, while Jehoshaphat was still king of Judah.
- 17Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 8 years.
- 18He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as Ahab's family did, because Ahab's daughter was his wife. He did evil in the sight of the LORD.
- 19Even so, the LORD refused to destroy Judah because of his promise to his servant David, to always provide a light for him and his descendants.
- 20During Jehoram's reign, Edom rebelled against Judah's control and set up their own king.
- 21Joram went to Zair with all his chariots. During the night, he attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him, along with the chariot commanders. Then the people fled to their tents.
- 22So Edom has remained independent from Judah to this day. Libnah also revolted at the same time.
- 23As for 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?
- 24Joram died and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Ahaziah became king after him.
- 25Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah during the 12th year of King Joram son of Ahab of Israel.
- 26Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 1 year. His mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri, king of Israel.
- 27He walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as the house of Ahab did — for he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.
- 28He went with Joram son of Ahab to the war against King Hazael of Syria at Ramothgilead, where the Syrians wounded Joram.
- 29King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Syrians had inflicted on him at Ramah during the battle against King Hazael of Syria. Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to Jezreel to visit Joram, the son of Ahab, because he was sick.