2 Kings 8 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Elisha told the woman whose son he had brought back to life, “You and your family need to pack up and leave, and live where you can somewhere else like a foreigner. For the Lord announced a famine will come to the land and will last seven years.”
1 Now Elisha had spoken to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise, and go, you and your household, and stay for a while wherever you can; for Yahweh has called for a famine. It will also come on the land for seven years.”
2 The woman packed up and did what the man of God had told her. She and her family went and lived as foreigners for seven years in the country of the Philistines.
2 The woman arose, and did according to the man of God’s word. She went with her household, and lived in the land of the Philistines for seven years.
3 When the seven years were over, she came back from the country of the Philistines and went to the king to appeal for the return of her house and lands.
3 At the end of seven years, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines. Then she went out to beg the king for her house and for her land.
4 The king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, asking him, “Please tell me about all the wonderful things Elisha did.”
4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.”
5 It so happened that right then Gehazi was telling the king the story of how Elisha had brought the dead boy back to life when his mother arrived to make her appeal to the king for the return of her house and lands. “My lord the king,” Gehazi called out, “this is the woman, and this is her son that Elisha brought back to life.”
5 As he was telling the king how he had restored to life him who was dead, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life begged the king for her house and for her land. Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.”
6 The king asked the woman about it and she explained the whole story to him. The king gave orders to an official, saying, “Make sure everything that belonged to her is returned to her, together with all the profit from her lands from the day that she left the country until now.”
6 When the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed to her a certain officer, saying, “Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.”
7 Elisha went to Damascus when Ben-hadad king of Aram was ill. The king was informed, “The man of God has arrived in town.”
7 Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick. He was told, “The man of God has come here.”
8 The king ordered Hazael, “Take a gift with you and go and meet the man of God. Ask him to ask the Lord, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”
8 The king said to Hazael, “Take a present in your hand, and go meet the man of God, and inquire of Yahweh by him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’”
9 So Hazael went to meet Elisha. He took with him a gift of all the best things from Damascus—forty camel loads of goods. He came in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad, king of Aram, has sent me to you to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”
9 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, “Your son Benhadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’”
10 “Go and tell him, ‘You will definitely recover.’ But the Lord has shown me that definitely he is going to die,” Elisha replied.
10 Elisha said to him, “Go, tell him, ‘You will surely recover;’ however Yahweh has shown me that he will surely die.”
11 Elisha stared at him for a long time until Hazael became uncomfortable. Then the man of God started to cry.
11 He settled his gaze steadfastly on him, until he was ashamed. Then the man of God wept.
12 “Why are you crying, my lord?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil things you are going to do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set their fortresses on fire, kill their young men with the sword, dash to pieces their little ones, and rip open their pregnant women.”
12 Hazael said, “Why do you weep, my lord?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel. You will set their strongholds on fire, and you will kill their young men with the sword, and will dash their little ones in pieces, and rip up their pregnant women.”
13 “But how could someone like me who's just a ‘dog’ achieve anything like that?” Hazael asked. “The Lord has shown me that you are going to be the king of Aram,” Elisha replied.
13 Hazael said, “But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he could do this great thing?” Elisha answered, “Yahweh has shown me that you will be king over Syria.”
14 Hazael left Elisha and went to his master, who asked him, “What did Elisha tell you?” Hazael replied, “He told me you would definitely recover.”
14 Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” He answered, “He told me that you would surely recover.”
15 But the following day Hazael took the bed cover, soaked it in water, and spread it over the king's face until he died. Then Hazael took over from him as king.
15 On the next day, he took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it on the king’s face, so that he died. Then Hazael reigned in his place.
16 Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, began his reign as king of Judah in the fifth year of the reign of Joram, son of Ahab, king of Israel, while Jehoshaphat was still king of Judah.
16 In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being king of Judah then, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
17 He was thirty-two when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years.
17 He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign. He reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
18 Jehoram followed the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab and did what was evil in the Lord's sight.
18 He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did Ahab’s house, for he married Ahab’s daughter. He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight.
19 But for the sake of David his servant the Lord didn't want to destroy Judah since he had promised him that there would always be a ruler from his descendants, like a lamp forever.
19 However, Yahweh would not destroy Judah, for David his servant’s sake, as he promised him to give to him a lamp for his children always.
20 During Jehoram's time as king, Edom rebelled against Judah's rule and chose their own king.
20 In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.
21 So Jehoram went over to Zair with all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he took action and attacked at night. But his army ran back to their homes.
21 Then Joram crossed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him; and he rose up by night and struck the Edomites who surrounded him with the captains of the chariots; and the people fled to their tents.
22 As a result Edom has been in rebellion against Judah's rule to this day. At the same time Libnah also decided to rebel.
22 So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.
23 The rest of what happened in Jehoram's reign and all that he did are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.
23 The rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
24 Jehoram died and was buried with his forefathers in the City of David. His son Ahaziah succeeded him as king.
24 Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in David’s city; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.
25 Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, became king of Judah in the twelfth year of the reign of Joram, son of Ahab, king of Israel.
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 twenty-two when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for one year. His mother's name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel.
26 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri king of Israel.
27 Ahaziah also followed the evil ways of the family of Ahab, and did what was evil in the Lord's sight as the family of Ahab had done, for he was related to them by marriage.
27 He walked in the way of Ahab’s house and did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, as did Ahab’s house, for he was the son-in-law of Ahab’s house.
28 Ahaziah went with Joram, son of Ahab, to fight against Hazael, king of Aram, at Ramoth-gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram,
28 He went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead, and the Syrians wounded Joram.
29 and he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he'd received in Ramah fighting against Hazael king of Aram. Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went to Jezreel to visit Joram, son of Ahab, because Joram was wounded.
29 King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel from the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Ahaziah
Son of Jehoram and Athaliah, who became king at twenty-two, reigned one year in Jerusalem, walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, visited the wounded Joram at Jezreel, and was…
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 8:24; 2 Kings 8:25; 2 Kings 8:26
Athaliah
A granddaughter of Omri, the wife of Jehoram of Judah and mother of Ahaziah, who after Ahaziah's death annihilated the royal heirs, ruled the land six years, and was put to death…
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 8:26; 2 Kings 11:1; 2 Kings 11:3
Hazael
An Aramean sent by Ben-hadad to Elisha, whom Elisha foretold would be king over Aram; he smothered Ben-hadad, reigned in his place, and defeated Israel throughout its territory.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 19:15; 2 Kings 8:9; 2 Kings 8:15
Joram
A king who married into Ahab's house and led Judah into idolatry.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 8:16-24; 2 Chron. 21; Matt. 1:8
Cross references (29)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Haggai 1:11; 2 Kings 4:31–35; Ruth 1:1; Psalm 105:16; 2 Kings 4:18
- 2 1 Timothy 5:8; 1 Samuel 27:1–3; Judges 3:3
- 3 2 Samuel 14:4; 2 Kings 6:26; Luke 18:3–5; 2 Kings 4:13; Psalm 82:3–4
- 4 2 Kings 5:20–27; 2 Kings 2:14; 2 Kings 4:16–17; Luke 23:8; 2 Kings 5:14
- 5 2 Kings 4:35; Matthew 10:29–30; Ecclesiastes 9:11; Esther 6:11–12; Acts 8:27–40
- 6 Proverbs 16:7; Proverbs 21:1; 2 Samuel 9:7; 2 Kings 9:32; 1 Chronicles 28:1
- 7 1 Kings 11:24; 2 Kings 6:24; 1 Kings 20:1; Isaiah 7:8; 1 Kings 15:18
- 8 2 Kings 1:2; 1 Kings 19:15; 1 Samuel 9:7; Acts 16:30; 2 Kings 5:5
- 9 2 Kings 13:14; 1 Kings 19:15; 2 Kings 16:7; 1 Samuel 25:8; 2 Kings 5:5
- 10 2 Kings 1:4; Amos 8:1; Revelation 22:1; Amos 7:1; Amos 7:4
- 11 Luke 19:41; Romans 9:2; Psalm 119:136; Jeremiah 9:18; Jeremiah 4:19
- 12 Hosea 13:16; Nahum 3:10; 2 Kings 15:16; 2 Kings 12:17; 2 Kings 13:3
- 13 1 Samuel 17:43; 1 Kings 19:15; 2 Samuel 9:8; Psalm 22:20; Micah 2:1
- 14 2 Kings 8:10; Matthew 26:16; 2 Kings 5:25
- 15 2 Kings 8:13; 1 Kings 16:18; 2 Kings 15:25; 2 Kings 15:30; Micah 2:1
- 16 2 Kings 1:17; 2 Kings 3:1; 2 Chronicles 21:1–20; 1 Kings 22:50
- 17 2 Chronicles 21:5–10
- 18 2 Kings 8:26; 2 Kings 3:2–3; Micah 6:16; 2 Chronicles 22:1–4; 1 Kings 21:25
- 19 1 Kings 11:36; 2 Samuel 7:12–13; 2 Samuel 7:15; Luke 1:32–33; Hosea 11:9
- 20 1 Kings 22:47; 2 Kings 3:9; 2 Kings 8:22; 2 Kings 3:27; Genesis 27:40
- 21 2 Samuel 18:17
- 22 Joshua 21:13; 2 Kings 19:8; Genesis 27:40; 2 Chronicles 21:10
- 23 2 Kings 15:6; 1 Kings 14:29; 1 Kings 15:23; 1 Kings 11:41; 2 Chronicles 21:11–20
- 24 2 Chronicles 21:17; 2 Chronicles 22:6; 2 Chronicles 25:23; 2 Chronicles 21:1; 1 Kings 14:31
- 25 2 Kings 9:29; 2 Kings 8:16–17; 2 Chronicles 21:20–22:6
- 26 2 Chronicles 22:2; 2 Kings 11:13–16; 2 Chronicles 22:5–8; 2 Kings 9:21–27; 2 Kings 11:1
- 27 2 Corinthians 6:14–17; Ecclesiastes 7:26; 2 Chronicles 22:3–4; 2 Kings 8:18
- 28 2 Chronicles 22:5; 1 Kings 22:29; 2 Kings 8:12–13; 2 Kings 3:7; 2 Kings 9:15
- 29 2 Kings 9:15–16; 1 Kings 22:34; 2 Kings 8:28; 2 Chronicles 22:5–7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences