Elisha Predicts Evil from Hazael

Then Elisha came to (A)Damascus. Now (B)Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, was sick, and it was told to him, saying, “(C)The man of God has come here.” And the king said to (D)Hazael, “(E)Take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and (F)inquire of the Lord by him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’” So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift in his hand, even every kind of good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ loads; and he came and stood before him and said, “(G)Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’” 10 Then Elisha said to him, “(H)Go, say to him, ‘You will certainly recover’; but the (I)Lord has shown me that he will certainly die.” 11 And he [a]stared steadily at him (J)until Hazael was embarrassed, and then (K)the man of God wept. 12 And Hazael said, “Why is my lord weeping?” And he [b]answered, “Because (L)I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel: you will set their fortified cities on fire, you will kill their young men with the sword, their little ones you (M)will smash to pieces, and you will rip up their pregnant women.” 13 Then Hazael said, “But what is your servant—(N)a lowly dog—that he could do this great thing?” And Elisha [c]answered, “(O)The Lord has shown me that you will be king over Aram.” 14 So he left Elisha and came to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he [d]answered, “He told me that (P)you would certainly recover.” 15 But on the following day, he took the [e]cover and dipped it in water, and spread it over his face, (Q)so that he died. And Hazael became king in his place.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 8:11 Lit made his face stand fast and he set
  2. 2 Kings 8:12 Lit said
  3. 2 Kings 8:13 Lit said
  4. 2 Kings 8:14 Lit said
  5. 2 Kings 8:15 I.e., item of woven material

And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.

And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?

So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?

10 And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the Lord hath shewed me that he shall surely die.

11 And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.

12 And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.

13 And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.

14 So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover.

15 And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.

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Afterwards Elisha went to Damascus (the capital of Syria), where King Ben-hadad lay sick. Someone told the king that the prophet had come.

8-9 When the king heard the news, he said to Hazael, “Take a present to the man of God and tell him to ask the Lord whether I will get well again.”

So Hazael took forty camel-loads of the best produce of the land as presents for Elisha and said to him, “Your son Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, has sent me to ask you whether he will recover.”

10 And Elisha replied, “Tell him, ‘Yes.’ But the Lord has shown me that he will surely die!”

11 Elisha stared at Hazael until he became embarrassed, and then Elisha started crying.

12 “What’s the matter, sir?” Hazael asked him.

Elisha replied, “I know the terrible things you will do to the people of Israel: you will burn their forts, kill the young men, dash their babies against the rocks, and rip open the bellies of the pregnant women!”

13 “Am I a dog?” Hazael asked him. “I would never do that sort of thing.”

But Elisha replied, “The Lord has shown me that you are going to be the king of Syria.”

14 When Hazael went back, the king asked him, “What did he tell you?”

And Hazael replied, “He told me that you would recover.”

15 But the next day Hazael took a blanket and dipped it in water and held it over the king’s face until he smothered to death. And Hazael became king instead.

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