Study Desk

When Elisha ^[f]became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over ^[g]him and said, "^(l)My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!"

Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and arrows." So he ^[h]took a bow and arrows.

Then he said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow." And he put his hand on it, then Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands.

He said, "Open the window toward the east," and he opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot!" And he shot. And he said, "The Lord's arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will ^[i]defeat the Arameans at ^(m)Aphek until you have ^[j]destroyed them."

Then he said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground," and he struck it three times and ^[k]stopped.

So ⁽ⁿ⁾the man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you would have ^[l]destroyed it. But now you shall strike Aram ^(o)only three times."

Elisha died, and they buried him. Now ^(p)the bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year.

As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man ^[m]touched the bones of Elisha he ^(q)revived and stood up on his feet.

Now ^(r)Hazael king of Aram had oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.

But the ^(s) Lord was gracious to them and ^(t)had compassion on them and turned to them because of ^(u)His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them or cast them from His presence until now.

When Hazael king of Aram died, Ben-hadad his son became king in his place.

Then ^(v)Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again from the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken in war from the hand of Jehoahaz his father. ^(w)Three times Joash ^[n]defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel.