וֶאֱלִישָׁע דִּבֶּר אֶל־הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱיָה אֶת־בְּנָהּ לֵאמֹר קוּמִי וּלְכִי אַתְּ וּבֵיתֵךְ וְגוּרִי בַּאֲשֶׁר תָּגוּרִי כִּי־קָרָא ה' לָרָעָב וְגַם־בָּא אֶל־הָאָרֶץ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים

Elisha spoke to the Shunamite woman whose house he had frequented, and whose son he had revived, saying: Rise and go, you and your household, and reside wherever you would reside. It is advisable for you to move elsewhere, for the Lord has called for a famine, and it is indeed coming soon to the land for seven years.

וַתָּקָם הָאִשָּׁה וַתַּעַשׂ כִּדְבַר אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וַתֵּלֶךְ הִיא וּבֵיתָהּ וַתָּגָר בְּאֶרֶץ־פְּלִשְׁתִּים שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים

Since she was wealthy, the woman had the means to leave the country and thereby avoid the hardships of the famine. The woman rose and acted in accordance with the word of the man of God. She and her household went and resided in the land of the Philistines for seven years.

וַיְהִי מִקְצֵה שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וַתָּשָׁב הָאִשָּׁה מֵאֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים וַתֵּצֵא לִצְעֹק אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל בֵּיתָהּ וְאֶל־שָׂדָהּ

It was at the end of seven years that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, and in her lengthy absence, her neighbors had made use of her house and field. She came out to cry out to the king about her house and about her land, demanding the return of her property.

וְהַמֶּלֶךְ מְדַבֵּר אֶל־גֵּחֲזִי נַעַר אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים לֵאמֹר סַפְּרָה־נָּא לִי אֵת כָּל־הַגְּדֹלוֹת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה אֱלִישָׁע

At that moment, the king was talking with Gehazi, lad of the man of God, saying: Please tell me about all the great things that Elisha has performed, as you used to be his attendant.

וַיְהִי הוּא מְסַפֵּר לַמֶּלֶךְ אֵת אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱיָה אֶת־הַמֵּת וְהִנֵּה הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱיָה אֶת־בְּנָהּ צֹעֶקֶת אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל־בֵּיתָהּ וְעַל־שָׂדָהּ וַיֹּאמֶר גֵּחֲזִי אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ זֹאת הָאִשָּׁה וְזֶה־בְּנָהּ אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱיָה אֱלִישָׁע

It was as he was telling the king that he, Elisha, had revived the dead, and behold, at that very moment, the woman whose son he had revived came to complain and was crying out to the king for help about her house and about her land. Gehazi said: My lord the king, this is the woman about whom I was just telling you, and this is her son whom Elisha revived.

וַיִּשְׁאַל הַמֶּלֶךְ לָאִשָּׁה וַתְּסַפֶּר־לוֹ וַיִּתֶּן־לָהּ הַמֶּלֶךְ סָרִיס אֶחָד לֵאמֹר הָשֵׁיב אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָהּ וְאֵת כָּל־תְּבוּאֹת הַשָּׂדֶה מִיּוֹם עָזְבָה אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְעַד־עָתָּה

The king asked the woman, and she related it to him, the story of the miracle the prophet had performed and her current plight. The king gave her one official, saying: Return everything that was hers and all the produce of the field from the day that she left the land until now. The man was commanded to ensure that all her property was restored to her, as well as the value of the produce that had grown in her field during her absence.

וַיָּבֹא אֱלִישָׁע דַּמֶּשֶׂק וּבֶן־הֲדַד מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם חֹלֶה וַיֻּגַּד־לוֹ לֵאמֹר בָּא אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים עַד־הֵנָּה

Elisha came to Damascus, and Ben Hadad king of Aram was ill at the time. It was told to him, Ben Hadad, saying: The man of God has come here.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־חֲזָהאֵל קַח בְּיָדְךָ מִנְחָה וְלֵךְ לִקְרַאת אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וְדָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת ה' מֵאוֹתוֹ לֵאמֹר הַאֶחְיֶה מֵחֳלִי זֶה

Since reports of Elisha’s wonders had reached Aram, the king said to Hazael, one of his senior officers, and perhaps the commander of his army: Take a tribute in your hand, as was customary for those who sought the prophet’s assistance, and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord through him, saying: Will I recover from this illness? This was, of course, the foremost question on Ben Hadad’s mind at the time.

וַיֵּלֶךְ חֲזָאֵל לִקְרָאתוֹ וַיִּקַּח מִנְחָה בְיָדוֹ וְכָל־טוּב דַּמֶּשֶׂק מַשָּׂא אַרְבָּעִים גָּמָל וַיָּבֹא וַיַּעֲמֹד לְפָנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר בִּנְךָ בֶן־הֲדַד מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם שְׁלָחַנִי אֵלֶיךָ לֵאמֹר הַאֶחְיֶה מֵחֳלִי זֶה

Hazael went to meet him and took a tribute in his hand, and all the good of Damascus, a burden of forty camels; he came and stood before him and said: Your son, Ben Hadad king of Aram, has sent me to you, saying: Will I recover from this illness? Calling Ben Hadad the prophet’s son was an expression of great respect.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֱלִישָׁע לֵךְ אֱמָר־לוֹ חָיֹה תִחְיֶה וְהִרְאַנִי ה' כִּי־מוֹת יָמוּת

Elisha said to him, Hazael: Go, say to him: You will recover; but I will tell you, Hazael, that in fact the Lord has shown me that he will die.

וַיַּעֲמֵד אֶת־פָּנָיו וַיָּשֶׂם עַד־בֹּשׁ וַיֵּבְךְּ אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים

At that moment, Elisha foresaw that his own people would suffer persecution as a result of the death of Ben Hadad and the crowning of Hazael as king in his place, but he did not wish to expose his feelings. Therefore, he controlled his expression and he kept it. He did not reveal any sign of his distress for a while, until it was awkward for the person across from him. And ultimately, when he could restrain himself no longer, the man of God wept.

וַיֹּאמֶר חֲזָאֵל מַדּוּעַ אֲדֹנִי בֹכֶה וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי יָדַעְתִּי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־תַּעֲשֶׂה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רָעָה מִבְצְרֵיהֶם תְּשַׁלַּח בָּאֵשׁ וּבַחֻרֵיהֶם בַּחֶרֶב תַּהֲרֹג וְעֹלְלֵיהֶם תְּרַטֵּשׁ וְהָרֹתֵיהֶם תְּבַקֵּעַ

Hazael said: Why is my lord weeping? He, Elisha, answered: Because I know the harm that you will do to the children of Israel: You will set their strongholds on fire, you will kill their young men by the sword, you will dismember their babies, and you will split open their pregnant women.

וַיֹּאמֶר חֲזָהאֵל כִּי מָה עַבְדְּךָ הַכֶּלֶב כִּי יַעֲשֶׂה הַדָּבָר הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלִישָׁע הִרְאַנִי ה' אֹתְךָ מֶלֶךְ עַל־אֲרָם

Hazael said: What is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should perform this great matter? I am no more than one of Ben Hadad’s subjects, and yet you say that I will fight and defeat Israel. Elisha answered: The Lord showed me you as king over Aram, and when you will reign, you will do the things I described.

וַיֵּלֶךְ מֵאֵת אֱלִישָׁע וַיָּבֹא אֶל־אֲדֹנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מָה־אָמַר לְךָ אֱלִישָׁע וַיֹּאמֶר אָמַר לִי חָיֹה תִחְיֶה

He departed from Elisha and came back to his master; he, Ben Hadad, said to him: What did Elisha say to you? He said: He said to me that you will recover.

וַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת וַיִּקַּח הַמַּכְבֵּר וַיִּטְבֹּל בַּמַּיִם וַיִּפְרֹשׂ עַל־פָּנָיו וַיָּמֹת וַיִּמְלֹךְ חֲזָהאֵל תַּחְתָּיו

Elisha’s statement not only served to announce the future, but it also became one of the causes of its own fulfillment. After Hazael heard that the king would not recover from his illness and that he would be the next king of Aram, he himself took steps to actualize the prophecy: It was the next day that he, Hazael, took the blanket, dipped it in water, and spread it over his face, the face of Ben Hadad, who was lying on his sickbed. The water on the garment prevented him from being able to breathe, and he died. Hazael did not suffocate Ben Hadad with his own hands, but he brought about his death. Hazael subsequently became king in his place. Thus, Elisha’s prophecy was fulfilled in its entirety.

וּבִשְׁנַת חָמֵשׁ לְיוֹרָם בֶּן־אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה מָלַךְ יְהוֹרָם בֶּן־יְהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה

During the fifth year of Yoram son of Ahav, king of Israel, and Yehoshafat king of Judah, who was friendly with Ahav, Yehoram son of Yehoshafat king of Judah, became king after Yehoshafat’s death.

בֶּן־שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנָה הָיָה בְמָלְכוֹ וּשְׁמֹנֶה שָׁנִים מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם

He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem.

וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בֵּית אַחְאָב כִּי בַּת־אַחְאָב הָיְתָה־לּוֹ לְאִשָּׁה וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה'

Although Yehoram was king over Judah, he followed the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahav had done, for Ahav’s daughter became his wife. As mentioned above, Yehoram’s father Yehoshafat and Ahav maintained close ties. They fought together, and their children even married. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

וְלֹא־אָבָה ה' לְהַשְׁחִית אֶת־יְהוּדָה לְמַעַן דָּוִד עַבְדּוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר־לוֹ לָתֵת לוֹ נִיר וּלְבָנָיו כָּל־הַיָּמִים

But the Lord was unwilling to destroy Judah, although it deserved such a fate, for the sake of David His servant, as He had said to him, giving him royal continuity through his descendants always. God had promised David that his dynasty would last.

בְּיָמָיו פָּשַׁע אֱדוֹם מִתַּחַת יַד־יְהוּדָה וַיַּמְלִכוּ עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ

For many years, the kingdom of Edom had been subjugated to the rule of Judah. However, in his, Yehoram’s, days, Edom rebelled from under the hand of Judah, and they crowned their own king over themselves.

וַיַּעֲבֹר יוֹרָם צָעִירָה וְכָל־הָרֶכֶב עִמּוֹ וַיְהִי־הוּא קָם לַיְלָה וַיַּכֶּה אֶת־אֱדוֹם הַסֹּבֵיב אֵלָיו וְאֵת שָׂרֵי הָרֶכֶב וַיָּנָס הָעָם לְאֹהָלָיו

Then Yoram, Yehoram, crossed to a place called Tza’ir, perhaps another name for Se’ir in the land of Edom, and all his chariots were with him; he arose at night and smote Edom that surrounded him in an ambush with the commanders of the chariots, but the people, the Israelites, fled to their tents. Yehoram was able to escape the battle unharmed, but he did not emerge victorious.

וַיִּפְשַׁע אֱדוֹם מִתַּחַת יַד־יְהוּדָה עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה אָז תִּפְשַׁע לִבְנָה בָּעֵת הַהִיא

Edom rebelled from under the hand of Judah to this day. Yehoram lost control over Edom, which became an enemy of Judah. The Edomites ceased paying taxes to Judah, and the overall security of the Kingdom of Judah was undermined. Furthermore, the Edomites, who lived in the south, could disrupt Judah’s commercial dealings, which reached the area of present-day Eilat. Then Livna also rebelled against Yehoram at that same time, perhaps because they perceived his weakness.

וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי יוֹרָם וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הֲלֹא־הֵם כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה

The rest of the matters of Yoram and everything that he did as king, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

וַיִּשְׁכַּב יוֹרָם עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקָּבֵר עִם־אֲבֹתָיו בְּעִיר דָּוִד וַיִּמְלֹךְ אֲחַזְיָהוּ בְנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו

Yoram lay with his fathers, and he was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Ahazyahu his son reigned in his place.

בִּשְׁנַת שְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה לְיוֹרָם בֶּן־אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל מָלַךְ אֲחַזְיָהוּ בֶן־יְהוֹרָם מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה

During the twelfth year of Yoram son of Ahav, king of Israel, Ahazyahu son of Yehoram, king of Judah, became king.

בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנָה אֲחַזְיָהוּ בְמָלְכוֹ וְשָׁנָה אַחַת מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ עֲתַלְיָהוּ בַּת עָמְרִי מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל

Ahazyahu was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Atalyahu daughter of Omri king of Israel. Atalyahu was actually Ahav’s daughter and Omri’s granddaughter, and she had married Yehoram.

וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ בֵּית אַחְאָב וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה' כְּבֵית אַחְאָב כִּי חֲתַן בֵּית־אַחְאָב הוּא

He followed the way of the house of Ahav and did evil in the eyes of the Lord, like the house of Ahav, as he was the son of a son-in-law of the house of Ahav. He was Ahav’s own grandson. The young kings of Judah relied on the larger and more prominent Kingdom of Israel, and sought to learn from its kings and follow their sinful ways.

וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶת יוֹרָם בֶּן־אַחְאָב לַמִּלְחָמָה עִם־חֲזָאֵל מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם בְּרָמֹת גִּלְעָד וַיַּכּוּ אֲרַמִּים אֶת־יוֹרָם

He went with his uncle, Yoram son of Ahav, to war with Hazael king of Aram at Ramot Gilad. Hazael, who now reigned over Aram, attacked the Kingdom of Israel, thereby fulfilling Elisha’s prophecy. Following a period of tension and minor border skirmishes, a large-scale war broke out. And the Arameans smote Yoram, who had accompanied his army to war.

וַיָּשָׁב יוֹרָם הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהִתְרַפֵּא בְיִזְרְעֶאל מִן־הַמַּכִּים אֲשֶׁר יַכֻּהוּ אֲרַמִּים בָּרָמָה בְּהִלָּחֲמוֹ אֶת־חֲזָהאֵל מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם וַאֲחַזְיָהוּ בֶן־יְהוֹרָם מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה יָרַד לִרְאוֹת אֶת־יוֹרָם בֶּן־אַחְאָב בְּיִזְרְעֶאל כִּי־חֹלֶה הוּא

King Yoram returned to recover in Yizre’el, a city that was used by the kings of Israel for their vacation retreats, in order to rest and recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted upon him at the Rama, when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Yoram’s nephew, Ahazyahu son of Yehoram, king of Judah, went down to see and visit Yoram son of Ahav in Yizre’el because he was hurt.