Study Desk

Then Elisha came to ^(C1)Damascus. Now ^(C2)Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, was sick, and it was told to him, saying, "^(C3)The man of God has come here."

And the king said to ^(C1)Hazael, "^(C2)Take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and ^(C3)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, "^(C1)Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, 'Will I recover from this sickness?'"

Then Elisha said to him, "^(C1)Go, say to him, 'You will certainly recover'; but the ^(C2)LORD has shown me that he will certainly die."

And he ^(F1)stared steadily at him ^(C1)until Hazael was embarrassed, and then ^(C2)the man of God wept.

And Hazael said, "Why is my lord weeping?" And he ^(F1)answered, "Because ^(C1)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 ^(C2)will smash to pieces, and you will rip up their pregnant women."

Then Hazael said, "But what is your servant—^(C1)a lowly dog—that he could do this great thing?" And Elisha ^(F1)answered, "^(C2)The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram."

So he left Elisha and came to his master, who said to him, "What did Elisha say to you?" And he ^(F1)answered, "He told me that ^(C1)you would certainly recover."

But on the following day, he took the ^(F1)cover and dipped it in water, and spread it over his face, ^(C1)so that he died. And Hazael became king in his place.