2 Kings 8 - Easy To Read Version Easy To Read Version
2 Kings 8

¹ 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.”

² So the woman did what the man of God [92] said. She went with her family to stay in the land of the Philistines for seven years.

³ After the seven years were finished, the woman came back from the land of the Philistines.

⁴ The king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God [93] (Elisha). The king said to Gehazi, “Please tell me all the great things Elisha has done.”

⁵ Gehazi 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!”

⁶ The king asked the woman what she wanted. And the woman told him.

⁷ Elisha went to Damascus. Ben Hadad king of Aram was sick. A person told Ben Hadad, “The man of God [94] has come here.”

⁸ Then the King Ben Hadad said to Hazael, “Take a gift, and go to meet the man of God. [95] Ask him to ask the Lord if I will get well from my sickness.”

⁹ So 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, [96] Ben Hadad king of Aram, sent me to you. He asks if he will get well from his sickness.”

¹⁰ Then Elisha said to Hazael, “Go and tell Ben Hadad, ‘You will live.’ [97] But really the Lord told me, ‘He will die.’”

¹¹ Elisha began to stare. He stared until {Hazael} felt embarrassed. Then the man of God [98] began to cry.

¹² Hazael said, “Sir, why are you crying?”

¹³ Hazael said, I am not a powerful man! [99] I can’t do these great things!”

¹⁴ Then Hazael left Elisha, and went to his king. [100] Ben Hadad said to Hazael, “What did Elisha say to you?”

¹⁵ But 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.

¹⁶ Jehoram 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.

¹⁷ Jehoram was 32 years old when he began to rule. He ruled eight years in Jerusalem.

¹⁸ But 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.

¹⁹ But 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.

²⁰ In Jehoram’s time Edom broke away from Judah’s rule. The people of Edom chose a king for themselves.

²¹ Then Jehoram and all his chariots [101] 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.

²² So the Edomites broke away from the rule of Judah. And they have been free from the rule of Judah until today.

²³ All the things Jehoram did are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah.

²⁴ Jehoram {died and} was buried with his ancestors [102] in the City of David. [103] Jehoram’s son Ahaziah became the new king.

²⁵ Ahaziah son of Jehoram became the king of Judah in the 12th year that Joram son of Ahab was king of Israel.

²⁶ Ahaziah 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.

²⁷ Ahaziah 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.

²⁸ Joram 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.