9. Hazael went to visit him, carrying a present, and with forty camel loads of the best goods of Damascus. On his arrival, he stood before Elisha and said, “Your son Ben-hadad, king of Aram, has sent me to you to ask, ‘Will I recover from my sickness?’”
10. Elisha answered, “Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover.’ But the Lord has showed me that he will surely die.”
11. Then he stared him down until he became ill at ease. The man of God wept,
12. and Hazael asked, “Why are you weeping, my lord?” Elisha replied, “Because I know the evil that you will inflict upon the Israelites. You will burn their fortresses, you will slay their youth with the sword, you will dash their little children to pieces, you will rip open their pregnant women.”
13. Hazael exclaimed, “How can your servant, a dog like me, do anything so important?” Elisha replied, “The Lord has showed you to me as king over Aram.”
14. Hazael left Elisha and returned to his master, who asked, “What did Elisha tell you?” Hazael replied, “He said, ‘You will surely recover.’”