1In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years. 2And he did that which was evil in the sight of Yehovah, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel sin; he did not depart from them. 3And the anger of Yehovah was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael, continually. 4And Jehoahaz pleaded with Yehovah, and Yehovah listened to him; for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. 5(And Yehovah gave Israel a savior, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as before. 6Nevertheless they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel sin, but walked in them: and there remained the Asherah also in Samaria.) 7For he did not leave to Jehoahaz of the people more than fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria destroyed them, and made them like the dust in threshing. 8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 9And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his place. 10In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. 11And he did that which was evil in the sight of Yehovah; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel sin; but he walked in them. 12Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 13And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. 14Now Elisha had fallen sick with the sickness of which he died: and Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him, and said, My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen! 15And Elisha said to him, Take bow and arrows; and he took to him bow and arrows. 16And he said to the king of Israel, Put your hand upon the bow; and he put his hand upon it. And Elisha laid his hands upon the king’s hands. 17And he said, Open the window eastward; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot; and he shot. And he said, Yehovah’s arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Syria; for you shall strike the Syrians in Aphek, until you have consumed them. 18And he said, Take the arrows; and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, Strike the ground; and he struck three times, and stopped. 19And the man of God was angry with him, and said, You should have struck five or six times: then you would have struck Syria until you had consumed it; whereas now you shall strike Syria only three times. 20And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. 21And it happened, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band; and they cast the man into the tomb of Elisha: and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet. 22And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23But Yehovah was gracious to them, and had compassion on them, and had respect to them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor did he cast them from his presence as yet. 24And Hazael king of Syria died; and Ben-hadad his son reigned in his place. 25And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times Joash struck him, and recovered the cities of Israel.