2 Kings chapter .xiij.
¶ In the twenty third year of Iehoas son of Ohoziah king of Iuda, Iehoahaz the son of Iehu was made king over Israel in Samaria, and continued seventeen years.
And he wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD: for he followed the sin of Ieroboam the son of Nabat which made Israel sin, and departed not there from.
Wherefore the LORD was angry with Israel, and delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Siria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael all their days.
But Iehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD heard him. For he had seen the oppression of Israel, how the king of Siria oppressed them.
And therefore the LORD gave Israel a deliverer and they went out from under the hands of the Sirians. And the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as before time.
Nevertheless they departed not from the sin of the house of Ieroboam which made Israel sin, but walked therein. And there remained a grove also in Samaria still:
But there were left of the people to Iehoahaz, but fifty horsemen and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen for the king of Siria had destroyed them and made them like threshed chaff.
The rest of the acts of Iehoahaz, and all he did and his power are written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
And Iehoahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Ioas his son reigned in his stead.
¶ In the thirty seventh year of Iehoas king of Iuda, began Ioas the son of Iehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and continued sixteen years,
and did unhappily in the sight of the LORD and departed in nothing from the sins of Ieroboam the son of Nabat that made Israel sin, but walked therein.
The remnant of the acts of Ioas and all he did, and his power, how he fought with Amaziah king of Iuda, are written in the chronicle book of the kings of Israel.
And when Ioas was laid to rest with his fathers, Ieroboam sat upon his seat. And Ioas was buried in Samaria among the kings of Israel.
When Eliseus was fallen sick of the sickness whereof he died, Ioas king of Israel came to him and wept to him, and said: O father, father the chariot of Israel and the horsemen of the same.
And Eliseus said unto him, bring bow and arrows. And he brought to him bow and arrows.
And he said to the king of Israel: put thine hand upon the bow, and when he had put his hand upon the bow, Eliseus put his hands upon the king's hands.
Then he said, open a window eastward: and he opened. And Eliseus said: shoot, and he shot. And he said: the arrow of help of the LORD, and the arrow of help against the Sirians, for thou shalt beat the Sirians in Aphek till thou have consumed them.
Then he said: take arrows: and he took. Then he said to the king of Israel, smite the ground: and he smote thrice and ceased.
And the man of God was angry with him and said: thou shouldest have smitten five or six times, and then thou hadst smitten the Sirians till thou hadst consumed them: where now thou shalt beat them but thrice.
¶ When Eliseus was dead and buried the soldiers of the Moabites came into the land, the year following.
And it chanced as they were burying a man, that they spied the Soldiers, and therefore cast the man into the sepulchre of Eliseus. And as soon as the man came and touched the bones of Eliseus, he revived and stood up on his feet.
And Hazael oppressed Israel, all the days of Iehoahaz.
But the LORD had mercy on them and pitied them and turned to them because of his appointment made with Abraham, Isaac and Iacob and would not destroy them, either cast them from him as yet.
And when Hazael king of Siria was dead, Benhadad his son reigned in his stead.
And when Ioas the son of Iehoahaz went again and took out of the hand of Benhadad son of Hazael, the cities which he had taken away out of the hands of Iehoahaz his father, with war. And three times did Ioas beat him and brought the cities of Israel again.
Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.