Jehoahaz King of Israel
1In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. 2He did evil in the eyes of the Lord by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, and he did not turn away from them. 3So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and for a long time he kept them under the power of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad his son.
4Then Jehoahaz sought the Lord’s favor, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. 5The Lord provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before. 6But they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; they continued in them. Also, the Asherah pole13:6 That is, a wooden symbol of the goddess Asherah; here and elsewhere in 2 Kings remained standing in Samaria.
7Nothing had been left of the army of Jehoahaz except fifty horsemen, ten chariots and ten thousand foot soldiers, for the king of Aram had destroyed the rest and made them like the dust at threshing time.
8As for the other events of the reign of Jehoahaz, all he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 9Jehoahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoash13:9 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash; also in verses 12-14 and 25 his son succeeded him as king.
Jehoash King of Israel
10In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. 11He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he continued in them.
12As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, all he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 13Jehoash rested with his ancestors, and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
14Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!”
15Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 16“Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.
17“Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”
18Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. 19The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”
20Elisha died and was buried.
Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. 21Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.
22Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. 23But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence.
24Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-Hadad his son succeeded him as king. 25Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the towns he had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Three times Jehoash defeated him, and so he recovered the Israelite towns.
Yehowahazi Mfumu ya Israeli
1Mʼchaka cha 23 cha ufumu wa Yowasi mwana wa Ahaziya mfumu ya Yuda, Yehowahazi, mwana wa Yehu anakhala mfumu ya Israeli mu Samariya, ndipo analamulira zaka 17. 2Iye anachita zoyipa pamaso pa Yehova potsatira machimo a Yeroboamu mwana Nebati amene anachimwitsa nawo Israeli ndipo iye sanawaleke machimowo. 3Ndipo Yehova anakwiyira Aisraeli nawayika pansi pa ulamuliro wa Hazaeli mfumu ya Siriya ndi Beni-Hadadi mwana wa Hazaeli masiku awo onse.
4Tsono Yehowahazi anapempha Yehova kuti amuchitire chifundo ndipo Yehova anamva pempho lake chifukwa anaona momwe mfumu ya Aramu inkapsinjira Aisraeli. 5Yehova anapatsa Aisraeli munthu woti awapulumutse ndipo anapulumuka mʼdzanja la Aramu. Choncho Aisraeli anakhala mʼnyumba zawo monga ankachitira kale. 6Komabe Aisraeli sanaleke kuchita machimo a nyumba ya Yeroboamu, amene anachimwitsa nawo Israeli. Iwo anapitirira kuchita machimowo. Ndiponso fano la Asera linakhalabe ku Samariya.
7Yehowahazi sanatsale ndi ankhondo ambiri koma 50 okha okwera pa akavalo, magaleta khumi ndi asilikali oyenda pansi 10,000.
8Ntchito zina za Yehowahazi ndi zonse zimene anachita, kodi sizinalembedwe mʼbuku la mbiri ya mafumu a Israeli? 9Yehowahazi anamwalira ndipo anayikidwa mʼmanda mu Samariya. Ndipo Yowasi mwana wake analowa ufumu mʼmalo mwake.
Yehowasi Mfumu ya Israeli
10Mʼchaka cha 37 cha Yowasi mfumu ya Yuda, Yehowahazi anakhala mfumu ya Israeli mu Samariya, ndipo analamulira zaka 16. 11Iye anachita zoyipa pamaso pa Yehova ndipo sanaleke kuchita tchimo la Yeroboamu mwana wa Nebati limene anachimwitsa nalo Israeli.
12Ntchito zina za Yowasi ndi zonse zimene anachita, kuphatikizapo nkhondo yake ndi Amaziya mfumu ya Yuda, kodi sizinalembedwe mʼbuku la mbiri ya mafumu a Israeli? 13Yowasi anayikidwa mʼmanda pamodzi ndi makolo ake ndipo Yeroboamu mwana wake analowa ufumu mʼmalo mwake. Yowasi anayikidwa mʼmanda mu Samariya pamodzi ndi mafumu a Israeli.
14Tsono Elisa anadwala matenda amene anafa nawo. Yowasi mfumu ya Israeli inapita kukamuona ndipo inamulirira. Iye polira ankanena kuti, “Abambo anga! Abambo anga! Magaleta a Israeli ndi okwerapo ake a Israeli!”
15Elisa anamuwuza kuti, “Tenga uta ndi mivi.” Ndipo anaterodi. 16Elisa anawuza mfumu ya Israeli kuti, “Tenga uta mʼdzanja lako.” Pamene anatenga utawo, Elisa anayika manja ake pa manja a mfumuyo.
17Elisa anamuwuza kuti, “Tsekula zenera.” Ndipo anatsekuladi. Elisa anati, “Ponya muviwo!” Ndipo anaponyadi. Elisa anati, “Muvi wa chigonjetso cha Yehova, muvi wogonjetsera Aaramu! Iwe udzawawononga kwathunthu Aaramu ku Afeki.”
18Kenaka Elisa anati, “Tenga mivi.” Ndipo mfumu inatenga miviyo. Iye anati, “Lasa pansi.” Mfumu inalasa pansi miviyo katatu nʼkuleka. 19Munthu wa Mulungu anapsera mtima mfumuyo ndipo anati, “Ukanalasa pansi kasanu kapena kasanu nʼkamodzi. Pamenepo ukanatha kuwagonjetsa Aaramu ndi kuwawononga kwathunthu. Koma tsopano udzawagonjetsa katatu kokha.”
20Elisa anamwalira ndipo anayikidwa mʼmanda.
Tsono magulu a ankhondo a Amowabu ankabwera kudzalowa ndi kudzathira nkhondo dzikolo nthawi ya dzinja. 21Tsiku lina Aisraeli ena akukayika maliro mʼmanda, mwadzidzidzi anaona gulu lankhondo ndipo munthu womwalirayo anamuponyera mʼmanda a Elisa. Pamene mtembowo unakhudza mafupa a Elisa, munthu wakufayo anatsitsimuka nayimirira.
22Hazaeli mfumu ya Aramu inazunza Aisraeli nthawi yonse ya ulamuliro wa Yehowahazi. 23Koma Yehova anawachitira chifundo Aisraeliwo ndi kukhudzika ndi zomwe zinkawachitikira chifukwa cha pangano lake ndi Abrahamu, Isake ndi Yakobo. Mpaka lero lino Iye sanafune kuwawononga kapena kuwachotsa pamaso pake.
24Hazaeli mfumu ya Aramu inamwalira ndipo mwana wake Beni-Hadadi analowa ufumu mʼmalo mwake. 25Pamenepo Yowasi mwana wa Yehowahazi analandanso kwa Beni-Hadadi mwana wa Hazaeli mizinda yonse imene iye analanda Yehowahazi abambo ake. Yehowasi anagonjetsa Beni-Hadadi katatu ndipo anatenganso mizinda ya Israeli.
