2 Kings 8
Easy-to-Read Version
The King and the Shunammite Woman
8 Elisha talked to the woman whose son he had brought back to life. He said, “You and your family should move to another country, because the Lord has decided that there will be a famine here. It will last for seven years.”
2 So the woman did what the man of God said. She went with her family to stay in the land of the Philistines for seven years. 3 After seven years she returned from the land of the Philistines.
She went to speak with the king to ask him to help her get back her house and land.
4 The king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God. The king said to Gehazi, “Please tell me all the great things Elisha has done.”
5 Gehazi was telling the king about Elisha bringing a dead person back to life. At that same time the woman whose son Elisha brought back to life went to the king. She wanted to ask him to help her get back her house and land. Gehazi said, “My lord and king, this is the woman, and this is the son who Elisha brought back to life.”
6 The king asked the woman what she wanted, and she told him.
Then the king chose an officer to help her. The king said, “Give to the woman all that belongs to her. And give her all the harvest of her land from the day she left the country until now.”
Ben-Hadad Sends Hazael to Elisha
7 Elisha went to Damascus. King Ben-Hadad of Aram was sick. Someone told Ben-Hadad, “The man of God has come here.”
8 Then the King Ben-Hadad said to Hazael, “Take a gift and go meet the man of God. Ask him to ask the Lord if I will get well from my sickness.”
9 So Hazael went to meet Elisha. Hazael brought a gift with him. He brought all kinds of good things from Damascus. It took 40 camels to carry everything. Hazael came to Elisha and said, “Your follower,[a] King Ben-Hadad of Aram, sent me to you. He asks if he will get well from his sickness.”
10 Then Elisha said to Hazael, “Go and tell Ben-Hadad, ‘You will live.’ But really the Lord told me, ‘He will die.’”
Elisha Makes a Prophecy About Hazael
11 Elisha began to stare. He stared for an embarrassingly long time. Then the man of God began to cry. 12 Hazael said, “Sir, why are you crying?”
Elisha answered, “I am crying because I know the bad things you will do to the Israelites. You will burn their strong cities and kill their young men with swords. You will kill their babies and split open their pregnant women.”
13 Hazael said, “I am not a powerful man![b] How can I do these great things?”
Elisha answered, “The Lord showed me that you will be king over Aram.”
14 Then Hazael left Elisha and went to his king.[c] Ben-Hadad said to Hazael, “What did Elisha say to you?”
He answered, “Elisha told me that you will live.”
Hazael Murders Ben-Hadad
15 But the next day Hazael took a thick cloth and dipped it in water. Then he held it on Ben-Hadad’s face until he died. Then Hazael became the new king.
Jehoram Begins His Rule
16 Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah. He began to rule in the fifth year that Joram son of Ahab was king of Israel.[d] 17 Jehoram was 32 years old when he began to rule. He ruled eight years in Jerusalem. 18 But Jehoram lived as the kings of Israel and did what the Lord saw as evil. He lived as the people from Ahab’s family, because his wife was Ahab’s daughter. 19 But the Lord would not destroy Judah because of the promise to his servant David. He had promised David that someone from his family would always be king.
20 In Jehoram’s time Edom broke away from Judah’s rule. The people of Edom chose a king for themselves.
21 Then Jehoram and all his chariots went to Zair. The Edomite army surrounded them, but Jehoram and his officers attacked them and escaped. Jehoram’s soldiers all ran away and went home. 22 So the Edomites broke away from the rule of Judah. And they have been free from the rule of Judah until today.
At the same time Libnah also broke away from Judah’s rule.
23 All the things Jehoram did are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah.
24 Jehoram died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Jehoram’s son Ahaziah became the new king.
Ahaziah Begins His Rule
25 Ahaziah son of Jehoram became the king of Judah in the 12th year that Joram son of Ahab was king of Israel. 26 Ahaziah was 22 years old when he began to rule. He ruled one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah. She was the daughter of King Omri of Israel. 27 Ahaziah did what the Lord said was wrong. He did many bad things, just as the people from Ahab’s family had done. He lived like this because his wife was from Ahab’s family.
Joram Is Hurt in the War Against Hazael
28 Joram was from Ahab’s family. Ahaziah went with Joram to fight against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram. 29 King Joram went back to Israel so that he could get well from those wounds. He went to the area of Jezreel. Ahaziah son of Jehoram was the king of Judah. Ahaziah went to Jezreel to see Joram.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 8:9 follower Literally, “son.”
- 2 Kings 8:13 I … powerful man Literally, “Your servant is only a dog!”
- 2 Kings 8:14 king Literally, “master.”
- 2 Kings 8:16 The standard Hebrew text adds “while Jehoshaphat was still king of Judah.” That is, according to the Hebrew, father and son ruled Judah together for a time.
2 Kings 8
New King James Version
The King Restores the Shunammite’s Land
8 Then Elisha spoke to the woman (A)whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go, you and your household, and stay wherever you can; for the Lord (B)has called for a (C)famine, and furthermore, it will come upon the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman arose and did according to the saying of the man of God, and she went with her household and dwelt in the land of the Philistines seven years.
3 It came to pass, at the end of seven years, that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went to make an appeal to the king for her house and for her land. 4 Then the king talked with (D)Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me, please, all the great things Elisha has done.” 5 Now it happened, as he was telling the king how he had restored the dead to life, that there was the woman whose son he had (E)restored to life, appealing to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” 6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him.
So the king appointed a certain officer for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the land until now.”
Death of Ben-Hadad
7 Then Elisha went to Damascus, and (F)Ben-Hadad king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, “The man of God has come here.” 8 And the king said to (G)Hazael, (H)“Take a present in your hand, and go to meet the man of God, and (I)inquire of the Lord by him, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this disease?’ ” 9 So (J)Hazael went to meet him and took a present with him, of every good thing of Damascus, forty camel-loads; and he came and stood before him, and said, “Your son Ben-Hadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this disease?’ ”
10 And Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover.’ However the Lord has shown me that (K)he will really die.” 11 Then he [a]set his countenance in a stare until he was ashamed; and the man of God (L)wept. 12 And Hazael said, “Why is my lord weeping?”
He answered, “Because I know (M)the evil that you will do to the children of Israel: Their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword; and you (N)will dash their children, and rip open their women with child.”
13 So Hazael said, “But what (O)is your servant—a dog, that he should do this gross thing?”
And Elisha answered, (P)“The Lord has shown me that you will become king over Syria.”
14 Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he answered, “He told me you would surely recover.” 15 But it happened on the next day that he took a thick cloth and dipped it in water, and spread it over his face so that he died; and Hazael reigned in his place.
Jehoram Reigns in Judah(Q)
16 Now (R)in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoshaphat having been king of Judah, (S)Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat began to reign as [b]king of Judah. 17 He was (T)thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for (U)the daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 19 Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah, for the sake of His servant David, (V)as He promised him to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.
20 In his days (W)Edom revolted against Judah’s authority, (X)and made a king over themselves. 21 So [c]Joram went to Zair, and all his chariots with him. Then he rose by night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots; and the troops fled to their tents. 22 Thus Edom has been in revolt against Judah’s authority to this day. (Y)And Libnah revolted at that time.
23 Now 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? 24 So Joram [d]rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then (Z)Ahaziah[e] his son reigned in his place.
Ahaziah Reigns in Judah(AA)
25 In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, began to reign. 26 Ahaziah was (AB)twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel. 27 (AC)And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab, for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab.
28 Now he went (AD)with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at (AE)Ramoth Gilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram. 29 Then (AF)King Joram went back to Jezreel to recover from the wounds which the Syrians had inflicted on him at [f]Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. (AG)And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 8:11 fixed his gaze
- 2 Kings 8:16 Co-regent with his father
- 2 Kings 8:21 Jehoram, v. 16
- 2 Kings 8:24 Died and joined his ancestors
- 2 Kings 8:24 Or Azariah or Jehoahaz
- 2 Kings 8:29 Ramoth, v. 28
2 Kings 8
English Standard Version
The Shunammite's Land Restored
8 Now Elisha had said to the woman (A)whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the Lord (B)has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for (C)seven years.” 2 So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. 3 And at the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to appeal to the king for her house and her land. 4 Now the king was talking with (D)Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.” 5 And while he was telling the king how (E)Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” 6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now.”
Hazael Murders Ben-hadad
7 Now Elisha came to (F)Damascus. (G)Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick. And when it was told him, “The man of God has come here,” 8 the king said to (H)Hazael, (I)“Take a present with you and go to meet the man of God, (J)and inquire of the Lord through him, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this sickness?’” 9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, all kinds of goods of Damascus, forty camels' loads. When he came and stood before him, he said, (K)“Your son Ben-hadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this sickness?’” 10 And Elisha said to him, (L)“Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover,’ but[a] the Lord has shown me that (M)he shall certainly die.” 11 And he fixed his gaze and stared at him, (N)until he was embarrassed. And the man of God wept. 12 And Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” He answered, “Because I know (O)the evil that you will do to the people of Israel. You will set on fire their fortresses, and you will kill their young men with the sword (P)and dash in pieces their little ones and rip open their pregnant women.” 13 And Hazael said, “What is your servant, (Q)who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?” Elisha answered, (R)“The Lord has shown me that you are to be king over Syria.” 14 Then he departed from Elisha and came to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he answered, “He told me (S)that you would certainly recover.” 15 But the next day he took the bed cloth[b] and dipped it in water and spread it over his face, till he died. And Hazael became king in his place.
Jehoram Reigns in Judah
16 In the fifth year of (T)Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah,[c] Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, began to reign. 17 He was (U)thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for (V)the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 19 Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David his servant, (W)since he promised to give (X)a lamp to him and to his sons forever.
20 In his days Edom revolted from the rule of Judah and set up (Y)a king of their own. 21 Then Joram[d] passed over to Zair with all his chariots and rose by night, and he and his chariot commanders struck the Edomites who had surrounded him, but his army (Z)fled home. 22 (AA)So Edom revolted from the rule of Judah to this day. Then (AB)Libnah revolted at the same time. 23 Now 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? 24 So Joram slept with his fathers and was buried (AC)with his fathers in the city of David, and (AD)Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.
Ahaziah Reigns in Judah
25 (AE)In the (AF)twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, began to reign. 26 Ahaziah was (AG)twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah; she was (AH)a granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. 27 He also walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was son-in-law to the house of Ahab.
28 He went with Joram the son of Ahab to make war against (AI)Hazael king of Syria at (AJ)Ramoth-gilead, and the Syrians wounded Joram. 29 (AK)And King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that the Syrians had given him at (AL)Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And (AM)Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 8:10 Some manuscripts say, ‘You shall certainly not recover,’ for
- 2 Kings 8:15 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- 2 Kings 8:16 Septuagint, Syriac lack when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah
- 2 Kings 8:21 Joram (also verses 23, 24) is an alternate spelling of Jehoram (son of Jehoshaphat), mentioned in verses 16, 25, 29
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
