5. Now Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had brought a dead person back to life. Just then the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came and begged the king for her house and land.Gehazi said, “My master and king, this is the woman. And this is the son Elisha brought back to life.”
6. The king asked the woman, and she told him about it. Then the king chose an officer to help her. The king said, “Give the woman everything that is hers. Give her all the money made from her land from the day she left until now.”
7. Elisha went to Damascus. Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram was sick. Someone told him, “The man of God has come here.”
8. Then the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand and go meet him. Ask the Lord through him if I will get well from my sickness.”
9. So Hazael went to meet Elisha. He took with him a gift. It was 40 camels loaded with every good thing in Damascus. He came and stood before Elisha. Hazael said, “Your son 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 surely get well.’ But the Lord has told me he will really die.”
11. Elisha stared at Hazael until Hazael felt ashamed. Then Elisha cried.
12. Hazael asked, “Why are you crying, master?”Elisha answered, “Because I know what evil you will do to the Israelites. You will burn their strong, walled cities with fire. You will kill their young men with swords. You will throw their babies to the ground. You will split open their pregnant women.”
13. Hazael said, “I, your servant, am only a dog. How could I do such things?”Elisha answered, “The Lord has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”
14. Then Hazael left Elisha and came to his master. Ben-Hadad said to Hazael, “What did Elisha say to you?”Hazael answered, “He told me that you will surely get well.”
15. But the next day Hazael took a blanket and dipped it in water. Then he put it over Ben-Hadad’s face, and he died. So Hazael became king in Ben-Hadad’s place.
16. Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah. This was during Joram’s fifth year as king of Israel. Joram was the son of Ahab.
17. Jehoram was 32 years old when he began to rule. He ruled eight years in Jerusalem.