2 Kings Chapter 8 to 9 : Easy-to-Read Version  | SearchSearch | Next Version | Previous Page | Next Page |

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The King and the Shunammite Woman

8 Elisha talked to the woman whose son he had brought back to life. Elisha said, “You and your family should move to another country. Why? Because the Lord has decided that there will be a time of hunger here. This time of hunger will be in this country for seven years.” 2So 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. 3After the seven years were finished, the woman came back from the land of the Philistines. The woman went to speak with the king. She wanted to ask him to help her get back her house and land. 4The king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God* (Elisha). The king said to Gehazi, “Please tell me all the great things Elisha has done.” 5Gehazi was telling the king about Elisha bringing a dead person back to life. At that 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 that Elisha brought back to life!” 6The king asked the woman what she wanted. And the woman told him. Then the king chose an officer to help the woman. 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

7Elisha went to Damascus. Ben Hadad king of Aram was sick. A person told Ben Hadad, “The man of God* has come here.” 8Then the King Ben Hadad said to Hazael, “Take a gift, and go to meet the man of God.* Ask him to ask the Lord if I will get well from my sickness.” 9So 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 went to Elisha. Hazael said, “Your follower,* Ben Hadad king of Aram, sent me to you. He asks if he will get well from his sickness.” 10Then 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

11Elisha began to stare. He stared until {Hazael} felt embarrassed. Then the man of God* began to cry. 12Hazael 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. You will kill their young men with swords. You will kill their babies. You will split open their pregnant women.” 13Hazael said, I am not a powerful man!* I can’t do these great things!” Elisha answered, “The Lord showed me that you will be king over Aram.” 14Then Hazael left Elisha, and went to his king.* Ben Hadad said to Hazael, “What did Elisha say to you?” Hazael answered, “Elisha told me that you will live.”

Hazael Murders Ben Hadad

15But the next day, Hazael took a thick cloth and dipped it in water. Then he put the cover on Ben Hadad’s face {and smothered him}. Ben Hadad died and Hazael became the new king.

Jehoram Begins His Rule

16Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah. Jehoram began to rule in the fifth year that Joram son of Ahab was king of Israel. 17Jehoram was 32 years old when he began to rule. He ruled eight years in Jerusalem. 18But Jehoram lived like the kings of Israel and did the things that the Lord said were wrong. Jehoram lived like the people from Ahab’s family. Jehoram lived like this because his wife was Ahab’s daughter. 19But the Lord would not destroy Judah because of {the promise to} his servant David. The Lord had promised David that someone from his family would always be king. 20In Jehoram’s time Edom broke away from Judah’s rule. The people of Edom chose a king for themselves. 21Then Jehoram and all his chariots* went to Zair. The Edomite army surrounded them. Jehoram and his officers attacked them and escaped. Jehoram’s soldiers all ran away and went home. 22So 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. 23All the things Jehoram did are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah. 24Jehoram {died and} was buried with his ancestors* in the City of David.* Jehoram’s son Ahaziah became the new king.

Ahaziah Begins His Rule

25Ahaziah son of Jehoram became the king of Judah in the 12th year that Joram son of Ahab was king of Israel. 26Ahaziah 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 Omri, the king of Israel. 27Ahaziah did the things the Lord said were wrong. Ahaziah did many bad things like the people from Ahab’s family. Ahaziah lived like this because his wife was from Ahab’s family.

Joram Is Hurt in the War Against Hazael

28Joram was from Ahab’s family. Ahaziah went with Joram to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram. King Joram went back to Israel so he could get well from those wounds. Joram went to the area of Jezreel. Ahaziah son of Jehoram was the king of Judah. Ahaziah went to Jezreel to see Joram.

man of God Another name for a prophet. man of God Another name for a prophet. follower Literally, “son.” You will live Or possibly, “You will not live.” I … powerful man Literally, “Your servant is only a dog!” king Literally, “master.” chariot(s) A small wagon used in war. ancestors Literally, “fathers.” This means a person’s parents, grandparents, and all the people they are descended from. City of David A part of the city of Jerusalem.


Elisha Tells a Prophet to Anoint Jehu

9 Elisha the prophet called one of the group of prophets.* Elisha said to this man, “Get ready and take this small bottle of oil in your hand. Go to Ramoth Gilead. 2When you arrive there, find Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Then go in and make him get up from among his brothers. Take him to an inner room. 3Take the small bottle of oil and pour the oil on Jehu’s head. Say, ‘This is what the Lord says: I have anointed* you to be the new king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run away. Don’t wait!” 4So this young man, the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead. 5When the young man arrived, {he saw} the captains of the army sitting. The young man said, “Captain, I have a message for you.” Jehu said, “We all {are here.} Which one of us is the message for?” The young man said, “{The message is for} you, captain.” 6Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the young prophet poured the oil on Jehu’s head. The young prophet said to Jehu, “The Lord God of Israel says, ‘I am anointing* you to be the new king over the Lord’s people, Israel. 7You must destroy the family of Ahab your king. In this way I will punish Jezebel for the deaths of my servants, the prophets, and the deaths of all the Lord’s servants that were murdered. 8So all Ahab’s family will die. I will not let any male child in Ahab’s family live. It doesn’t matter if that male child is a slave or a free person in Israel. 9I will make Ahab’s family like the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the family of Baasha son of Ahijah. 10The dogs will eat Jezebel in the area of Jezreel. Jezebel will not be buried.” Then the young prophet opened the door and ran away.

The Servants Announce Jehu as King

11Jehu went back to his king’s officers. One of the officers said to Jehu, “Is everything all right? Why did this crazy man come to you?” Jehu answered the servants, “You know the man and the crazy things he says.” 12The officers said, “No! Tell us the truth. What did he say?” Jehu told the officers the things that the young prophet said. Jehu said, “He said, ‘This is what the Lord says: I have anointed you to be the new king over Israel.’” 13Then each officer quickly took his robe off and put it on the steps in front of Jehu. Then they blew the trumpet and made the announcement, “Jehu is king!”

Jehu Goes to Jezreel

14So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, made plans against Joram. At that time, Joram and the Israelites had been trying to defend Ramoth Gilead from Hazael king of Aram. 15King Joram had fought against Hazael, king of Aram. But the Arameans wounded King Joram, and he went to Jezreel to get well from those injuries. So Jehu told {the officers}, “If you agree {that I am the new king}, then don’t let any person escape from the city to tell the news in Jezreel.” 16Joram was resting in Jezreel. So Jehu got in his chariot* and drove to Jezreel. Ahaziah king of Judah had also come to Jezreel to see Joram. 17A guard was standing on the tower in Jezreel. He saw Jehu’s large group coming. He said, “I see a large group of people!” Joram said, “Send someone on a horse to meet them. Tell this messenger to ask if those people come in peace.” 18So the messenger rode on a horse to meet Jehu. The messenger said, “King Joram says, ‘Do you come in peace?’” Jehu said, “You have nothing to do with peace! Come and follow me.” The guard told Joram, “The messenger went to the group, but he has not come back yet.” 19Then Joram sent out a second messenger on a horse. This man came to Jehu’s group and said, “King Joram says, ‘Peace.* ’” Jehu answered, “You have nothing to do with peace! Come and follow me.” 20The guard told Joram, “The second messenger went to the group, but he has not come back yet. There is a man driving his chariot* like a mad man. He is driving like Jehu son of Nimshi.” 21Joram said, “Get me my chariot!”* So the servant got Joram’s chariot. Both Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah got their chariots* and drove out to meet Jehu. They met Jehu at the property of Naboth from Jezreel. 22Joram saw Jehu and asked, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?” Jehu answered, “There is no peace as long as your mother Jezebel does many acts of prostitution and witchcraft.*” 23Joram turned the horses to run away. Joram said to Ahaziah, “It is a trick, Ahaziah!” 24But Jehu pulled his bow with all his strength and shot Joram in his back.* The arrow went through Joram’s heart. Joram fell dead in his chariot.* 25Jehu said to his chariot driver Bidkar, “Take Joram’s body up and throw it into the field of Naboth from Jezreel. Remember when you and I rode together with Joram’s father Ahab, the Lord said this would happen to him. 26The Lord said, ‘Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and his sons. So I will punish Ahab in this field.’ The Lord said that. So take Joram’s body and throw it into the field, just like the Lord said!” 27Ahaziah king of Judah saw this, and ran away. He tried to escape through the garden house, but Jehu followed him. Jehu had said, “Shoot Ahaziah, too!” Ahaziah was wounded when he was in his chariot on the road to Gur near Ibleam. Ahaziah got as far as Megiddo, but he died there. 28Ahaziah’s servants carried his body in the chariot to Jerusalem. They buried Ahaziah in his tomb with his ancestors* in the City of David.* 29Ahaziah became king over Judah during Joram’s* eleventh year as king of Israel.

The Terrible Death of Jezebel

30Jehu went to Jezreel, and Jezebel heard the news. She put her makeup on and fixed her hair. Then she stood by the window and looked out. 31Jehu entered the city. Jezebel said, “Hello, you Zimri*! Just like him, you killed your master!” 32Jehu looked up at the window. He said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs* looked out {from the window} at Jehu. 33Jehu said {to them}, “Throw Jezebel down!” Then the eunuchs* threw Jezebel down. Some of Jezebel’s blood splashed on the wall and on the horses. The horses walked on Jezebel’s body. 34Jehu went into the house and ate and drank. Then he said, “Now see about this cursed woman. Bury her, because she is a king’s daughter.” 35The men went to bury Jezebel. But they could not find her body. They could only find her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands. 36So the men came back and told Jehu. Then Jehu said, “The Lord told his servant Elijah the Tishbite to give this message. Elijah said: ‘Dogs will eat the body of Jezebel in the area of Jezreel. 37Jezebel’s body will be like dung on the field in the area of Jezreel. People won’t be able to recognize Jezebel’s body!’”

group of prophets Literally, “sons of the prophets.” These people were prophets and people studying to become prophets. anoint(ed) To pour olive oil on a person’s head to show he was chosen by God to be a king, priest, or prophet. chariot(s) A small wagon used in war. Peace A way of saying “hello.” witchcraft Using magic or the power of Satan to do things. in his back Literally, “between his arms.” ancestors Literally, “fathers.” This means a person’s parents, grandparents, and all the people they are descended from. City of David A part of the city of Jerusalem. Joram’s Literally, “Joram son of Ahab.”  Zimri Zimri was the man that killed Elah and the family of Baasha in Israel many years before. Read 1 Kings 16:8–12. eunuchs Men that had their sexual organs removed. Often important officials of the king were eunuchs.

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