2 Kings 13
A Dead Man Lived When He Touched the Prophet’s Bones
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Jehoahaz King of Israel
13:1In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king in Samaria, for seventeen years.
13:2He did evil in the Lord’s eyes and followed the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin; he did not turn away from them.
13:3The Lord was fiercely angry with Israel, and He gave them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria and into the hand of the son of Ader, Hazael’s son, all those days.
13:4Jehoahaz entreated the Lord’s face, and the Lord listened to him, for He saw Israel’s affliction, because the king of Syria afflicted them.
13:5The Lord gave Israel deliverance, and Israel came out from under Syria’s hand. The Israelites lived in their dwellings as in former days.
13:6Nevertheless, they did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam’s house, who caused Israel to sin; they walked in them. Moreover, the grove stood in Samaria.
13:7For no troops were left to Jehoahaz except fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, because the king of Syria destroyed them, and they made them like dust for trampling.
13:8The rest of Jehoahaz’s deeds, all that he did, and his mighty acts—are these not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
13:9Jehoahaz lay down with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in Samaria. His son Joash became king in his place.
Joash King of Israel
13:10In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Joash son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, for sixteen years.
13:11He did evil in the Lord’s eyes. He did not turn away from every sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin; he walked in them.
13:12The rest of Joash’s deeds, all that he did, and his mighty acts, which he performed with Amaziah king of Judah—are these not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
13:13Joash lay down with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne in Samaria with the sons of Israel.
The Last Sign of Elisha
13:14Elisha fell sick with his sickness, because of which he died. Joash king of Israel came down to him, wept over his face, and said, ‘Father, father! Israel’s chariot and its horseman!’
13:15Elisha said to him, ‘Take a bow and arrows.’ He brought a bow and arrows to him.
13:16He said to the king, ‘Put your hand on the bow.’ Joash put his hand on the bow, and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands.
13:17He said, ‘Open the window toward the east.’ He opened it. Elisha said, ‘Shoot!’ He shot. He said, ‘An arrow of deliverance for the Lord, an arrow of deliverance against Syria! You shall strike Syria at Aphek until it is finished.’
13:18Elisha said to him, ‘Take bows.’ He took them. He said to the king of Israel, ‘Strike the ground.’ The king struck three times and stopped.
13:19The man of God was grieved at him and said, ‘If you had struck five or six times, then you would have struck Syria until it was finished. But now you shall strike Syria three times.’
The Death of Elisha and the Man Revived
13:20Elisha died, and they buried him. Moab’s lightly equipped raiders came into the land when the year came round.
13:21As they were burying the man, suddenly they saw the lightly equipped raider. They threw the man into Elisha’s grave. He went and touched Elisha’s bones, came to life, and stood on his feet.
Israel Delivered from Syria
13:22Hazael afflicted Israel all Jehoahaz’s days.
13:23The Lord had mercy on them, pitied them, and looked toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Lord was unwilling to destroy them and did not cast them from His presence.
13:24Hazael king of Syria died, and his son, the son of Ader, became king in his place.
13:25Joash son of Jehoahaz took back from the son of Ader, Hazael’s son, the towns he had taken in war from his father Jehoahaz. Joash struck him three times and recovered Israel’s towns.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.