2 Kings 13 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria. He ruled for seventeen years.

He did what was evil in Yahweh's eyes and followed the same failures of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had led Israel into corruption. He never turned away from them.

So Yahweh's anger burned against Israel, and he handed them over to Hazael king of Aram and to Ben-Hadad son of Hazael for a long time.

Then Jehoahaz sought Yahweh's favor, and Yahweh listened to him because he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel.

Yahweh gave Israel a deliverer, and they broke free from Aram's control. After that, the Israelites lived in their own homes again, just like before.

But they still didn't turn away from the failures that the house of Jeroboam had led Israel into. They kept right on with them. The Asherah pole also remained standing in Samaria.

Jehoahaz was left with almost no army at all — just fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers. The king of Aram had destroyed the rest and ground them down like dust on a threshing floor.

As for the rest of what Jehoahaz did — everything he accomplished and his military exploits — they're written in the official records of the kings of Israel.

Jehoahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoash became king after him.

In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria. He ruled for sixteen years.

He did what was evil in Yahweh's eyes. He didn't turn away from any of the failures of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had led Israel into corruption. He kept right on with them.

As for the rest of what Jehoash did — everything he accomplished and his military exploits, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah — they're written in the official records of the kings of Israel.

Jehoash rested with his ancestors, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

Now Elisha had become sick with the illness that would eventually kill him. Jehoash king of Israel went down to visit him, and he wept over him, crying out, "My father! My father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!"

Elisha told him, "Get a bow and some arrows." So he got a bow and arrows.

Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow." When he put his hand on it, Elisha placed his own hands on the king's hands.

Elisha said, "Open the east window." He opened it, and Elisha said, "Shoot!" He shot. Then Elisha declared, "Yahweh's arrow of victory! The arrow of victory over Aram! You will completely defeat the Arameans at Aphek."

Then Elisha said, "Take the arrows." He took them, and Elisha told the king of Israel, "Strike the ground." He struck it three times and stopped.

The man of God was furious with him. "You should have struck five or six times!" he said. "Then you would have completely destroyed Aram. But now you will only defeat them three times."

Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiding parties used to invade the land every spring.

One time, some people were burying a man when they spotted a raiding party coming. They threw the body into Elisha's tomb. The moment the man's body touched Elisha's bones, he came back to life and stood up on his feet.

Now Hazael king of Aram had oppressed Israel throughout the entire reign of Jehoahaz.

But Yahweh was gracious to them. He had compassion on them and turned toward them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was not willing to destroy them, and he has not thrown them out of his presence — even to this day.

When Hazael king of Aram died, his son Ben-Hadad became king after him.

Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the towns that Hazael had captured in war from his father Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated him three times and recovered the Israelite towns.