5. Gehazi was telling the king about Elisha bringing a dead person back to life. At that same 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 who Elisha brought back to life.”
6. The king asked the woman what she wanted, and she told him. Then the king chose an officer to help her. The king said, “Give to the woman all that belongs to her. And give her all the harvest of her land from the day she left the country until now.”
7. Elisha went to Damascus. King Ben-Hadad of Aram was sick. Someone told Ben-Hadad, “The man of God has come here.”
8. Then the King Ben-Hadad said to Hazael, “Take a gift and go meet the man of God. 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 came to Elisha and said, “Your follower, King Ben-Hadad 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.’ But really the Lord told me, ‘He will die.’”
11. Elisha began to stare. He stared for an embarrassingly long time. Then the man of God began to cry.
12. Hazael said, “Sir, why are you crying?” Elisha answered, “I am crying because I know the bad things you will do to the Israelites. You will burn their strong cities and kill their young men with swords. You will kill their babies and split open their pregnant women.”
13. Hazael said, “I am not a powerful man! How can I do these great things?” Elisha answered, “The Lord showed me that you will be king over Aram.”
14. Then Hazael left Elisha and went to his king. Ben-Hadad said to Hazael, “What did Elisha say to you?” He answered, “Elisha told me that you will live.”
15. But the next day Hazael took a thick cloth and dipped it in water. Then he held it on Ben-Hadad’s face until he died. Then Hazael became the new king.
16. Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah. He began to rule in the fifth year that Joram son of Ahab was king of Israel.