13:14 Now Elisha had a terminal illness. 1 King Joash of Israel went down to visit him. 2 He wept before him and said, “My father, my father! The chariot 3 and horsemen of Israel!” 4 13:15 Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 5 13:16 Then Elisha 6 told the king of Israel, “Aim the bow.” 7 He did so, 8 and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands. 13:17 Elisha 9 said, “Open the east window,” and he did so. 10 Elisha said, “Shoot!” and
he did so. 11 Elisha 12 said, “This arrow symbolizes the victory the Lord will give you over Syria. 13 You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!” 14 13:18 Then Elisha 15 said, “Take the arrows,” and he did so. 16 He told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” He struck the ground three times and stopped. 13:19 The prophet 17 got angry at him and said, “If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria! 18 But now, you will defeat Syria only three times.”
13:20 Elisha died and was buried. 19 Moabite raiding parties invaded 20 the land at the beginning of the year. 21 13:21 One day some men 22 were burying a man when they spotted 23 a raiding party. So they threw the dead man 24 into Elisha’s tomb. When the body 25 touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man 26 came to life and stood on his feet.
13:22 Now King Hazael of Syria oppressed Israel throughout Jehoahaz’s reign. 27 13:23 But the Lord had mercy on them and felt pity for them. 28 He extended his favor to them 29 because of the promise he had made 30 to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has been unwilling to destroy them or remove them from his presence to this very day. 31 13:24 When King Hazael of Syria died, his son Ben Hadad replaced him as king. 13:25 Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash took back from 32 Ben Hadad son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from his father Jehoahaz in war. Joash defeated him three times and recovered the Israelite cities.