
TORAH
NEVI'IM
KETUVIM
II - Chapter 8
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1Elisha had said to the woman whose son he revived, “Leave immediately with your family and go sojourn somewhere else; for Hashem has decreed a seven-year famine upon the land, and it has already begun.”
אוֶאֱלִישָׁע דִּבֶּר אֶל־הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱיָה אֶת־בְּנָהּ לֵאמֹר קוּמִי וּלְכִי אתי [אַתְּ] וּבֵיתֵךְ וְגוּרִי בַּאֲשֶׁר תָּגוּרִי כִּי־קָרָא יְהֹוָה לָרָעָב וְגַם־בָּא אֶל־הָאָרֶץ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים׃
2The woman had done as the man of Hashem had spoken; she left with her family and sojourned in the land of the Philistines for seven years.
בוַתָּקָם הָאִשָּׁה וַתַּעַשׂ כִּדְבַר אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וַתֵּלֶךְ הִיא וּבֵיתָהּ וַתָּגָר בְּאֶרֶץ־פְּלִשְׁתִּים שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים׃
3At the end of the seven years, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines and went to the king to complain about her house and farm.
גוַיְהִי מִקְצֵה שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וַתָּשָׁב הָאִשָּׁה מֵאֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים וַתֵּצֵא לִצְעֹק אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־בֵּיתָהּ וְאֶל־שָׂדָהּ׃
4Now the king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of Hashem, and he said, “Tell me all the wonderful things that Elisha has done.”
דוְהַמֶּלֶךְ מְדַבֵּר אֶל־גֵּחֲזִי נַעַר אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים לֵאמֹר סַפְּרָה־נָּא לִי אֵת כָּל־הַגְּדֹלוֹת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה אֱלִישָׁע׃
5While he was telling the king how [Elisha] had revived a dead person, in came the woman whose son he had revived, complaining to the king about her house and farm. “My lord king,” said Gehazi, “this is the woman and this is her son whom Elisha revived.”
הוַיְהִי 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׃
6The king questioned the woman, and she told him [the story]; so the king assigned a eunuch to her and instructed him: “Restore all her property, and all the revenue from her farm from the time she left the country until now.”
ווַיִּשְׁאַל 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׃
7Elisha arrived in Damascus at a time when King Ben-hadad of Aram was ill. The king* was told, “The man of Hashem is on his way here,”
זוַיָּבֹא אֱלִישָׁע דַּמֶּשֶׂק וּבֶן־הֲדַד מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם חֹלֶה וַיֻּגַּד־לוֹ לֵאמֹר בָּא אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים עַד־הֵנָּה׃
8and he said to Hazael, “Take a gift with you and go meet the man of Hashem, and through him inquire of Hashem: Will I recover from this illness?”
חוַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־חֲזָהאֵל קַח בְּיָדְךָ מִנְחָה וְלֵךְ לִקְרַאת אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וְדָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה מֵאוֹתוֹ לֵאמֹר הַאֶחְיֶה מֵחֳלִי זֶה׃
9Hazael went to meet him, taking with him as a gift forty camel-loads of all the bounty of Damascus. He came and stood before him and said, “Your son, King Ben-hadad of Aram, has sent me to you to ask: Will I recover from this illness?”
טוַיֵּלֶךְ 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׃
10Elisha said to him, “Go and say to him, ‘You will recover.' However, Hashem has revealed to me that he will die.”
יוַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֱלִישָׁע לֵךְ אֱמָר־לא [לוֹ] חָיֹה תִחְיֶה וְהִרְאַנִי יְהֹוָה כִּי־מוֹת יָמוּת׃
11The man of Hashem kept his face expressionless for a long time; and then he wept.
יאוַיַּעֲמֵד אֶת־פָּנָיו וַיָּשֶׂם עַד־בֹּשׁ וַיֵּבְךְּ אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים׃
12“Why does my lord weep?” asked Hazael. “Because I know,” he replied, “what harm you will do to B'nei Yisrael: you will set their fortresses on fire, put their young men to the sword, dash their little ones in pieces, and rip open their pregnant women.”
יבוַיֹּאמֶר חֲזָאֵל מַדּוּעַ אֲדֹנִי בֹכֶה וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי־יָדַעְתִּי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־תַּעֲשֶׂה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רָעָה מִבְצְרֵיהֶם תְּשַׁלַּח בָּאֵשׁ וּבַחֻרֵיהֶם בַּחֶרֶב תַּהֲרֹג וְעֹלְלֵיהֶם תְּרַטֵּשׁ וְהָרֹתֵיהֶם תְּבַקֵּעַ׃
13“But how,” asked Hazael, “can your servant, who is a mere dog, perform such a mighty deed?” Elisha replied, “Hashem has shown me a vision of you as king of Aram.”
יגוַיֹּאמֶר חֲזָהאֵל כִּי מָה עַבְדְּךָ הַכֶּלֶב כִּי יַעֲשֶׂה הַדָּבָר הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלִישָׁע הִרְאַנִי יְהֹוָה אֹתְךָ מֶלֶךְ עַל־אֲרָם׃
14He left Elisha and returned to his master, who asked him, “What did Elisha say to you?” He replied, “He told me that you would recover.”
ידוַיֵּלֶךְ מֵאֵת אֱלִישָׁע וַיָּבֹא אֶל־אֲדֹנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מָה־אָמַר לְךָ אֱלִישָׁע וַיֹּאמֶר אָמַר לִי חָיֹה תִחְיֶה׃
15The next day, [Hazael] took a piece of netting, dipped it in water, and spread it over his face. So [Ben-hadad] died, and Hazael succeeded him as king.
טווַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת וַיִּקַּח הַמַּכְבֵּר וַיִּטְבֹּל בַּמַּיִם וַיִּפְרֹשׂ עַל־פָּנָיו וַיָּמֹת וַיִּמְלֹךְ חֲזָהאֵל תַּחְתָּיו׃
16In the fifth year of King Yoram son of Achav of Yisrael—Yehoshafat had been king of Yehuda—Yoram son of King Yehoshafat of Yehuda became king.
טזוּבִשְׁנַת חָמֵשׁ לְיוֹרָם בֶּן־אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה מָלַךְ יְהוֹרָם בֶּן־יְהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה׃
17He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Yerushalayim eight years.
יזבֶּן־שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנָה הָיָה בְמָלְכוֹ וּשְׁמֹנֶה שנה [שָׁנִים] מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם׃
18He followed the practices of the kings of Yisrael—whatever the House of Achav did, for he had married a daughter of Achav—and he did what was displeasing to Hashem.
יחוַיֵּלֶךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בֵּית אַחְאָב כִּי בַּת־אַחְאָב הָיְתָה־לּוֹ לְאִשָּׁה וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה׃
19However, Hashem refrained from destroying Yehuda, for the sake of His servant David, in accordance with His promise to maintain a lamp for his descendants for all time.
v'-lo a-VAH a-do-NAI l'-hash-KHEET et y'-hu-DAH l-MA-an da-VID av-DO ka-a-SHER a-mar LO la-TAYT LO NEER l'-va-NAV kol ha-ya-MEEM
יטוְלֹא־אָבָה יְהֹוָה לְהַשְׁחִית אֶת־יְהוּדָה לְמַעַן דָּוִד עַבְדּוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר־לוֹ לָתֵת לוֹ נִיר לְבָנָיו כָּל־הַיָּמִים׃
8:19 To maintain a lamp for his descendants for all time
Hashem is not yet ready to destroy Yehuda, due to the promise that He had made to King David to give him an eternal kingdom. The Hebrew word used for ‘kingdom’ in this verse is nir (ניר), which can also mean a ‘light’ or a ‘lamp,’ from the word ner (נר), which means ‘candle.’ The kingdom of David is intended to give eternal light to the entire Nation of Israel, and by extension the entire world. Even in the absence of a kingdom, the knowledge that Hashem will eventually return the monarchy to David through the Mashiach is a source of light and hope to all.
20During his reign, the Edomites rebelled against Yehuda's rule and set up a king of their own.
כבְּיָמָיו פָּשַׁע אֱדוֹם מִתַּחַת יַד־יְהוּדָה וַיַּמְלִכוּ עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ׃
21Yoram crossed over to Zair with all his chariotry. He arose by night and attacked the Edomites, who were surrounding him and the chariot commanders; but his troops fled to their homes.
כאוַיַּעֲבֹר יוֹרָם צָעִירָה וְכָל־הָרֶכֶב עִמּוֹ וַיְהִי־הוּא קָם לַיְלָה וַיַּכֶּה אֶת־אֱדוֹם הַסֹּבֵיב אֵלָיו וְאֵת שָׂרֵי הָרֶכֶב וַיָּנָס הָעָם לְאֹהָלָיו׃
22Thus Edom fell away from Yehuda, as is still the case. Libnah likewise fell away at that time.
כבוַיִּפְשַׁע אֱדוֹם מִתַּחַת יַד־יְהוּדָה עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה אָז תִּפְשַׁע לִבְנָה בָּעֵת הַהִיא׃
23The other events of Yoram's reign, and all his actions, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Yehuda.
כגוְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי יוֹרָם וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הֲלוֹא־הֵם כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה׃
24Yoram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the City of David; his son Achazyahu succeeded him as king.
כדוַיִּשְׁכַּב יוֹרָם עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקָּבֵר עִם־אֲבֹתָיו בְּעִיר דָּוִד וַיִּמְלֹךְ אֲחַזְיָהוּ בְנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו׃
25In the twelfth year of King Yoram son of Achav of Yisrael, Achazyahu son of Yoram became king of Yehuda.
כהבִּשְׁנַת שְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה לְיוֹרָם בֶּן־אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל מָלַךְ אֲחַזְיָהוּ בֶן־יְהוֹרָם מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה׃
26Achazyahu was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Yerushalayim one year; his mother's name was Atalya daughter of King Omri of Yisrael.
כובֶּן־עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנָה אֲחַזְיָהוּ בְמָלְכוֹ וְשָׁנָה אַחַת מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ עֲתַלְיָהוּ בַּת־עָמְרִי מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
27He walked in the ways of the House of Achav and did what was displeasing to Hashem, like the House of Achav, for he was related by marriage to the House of Achav.
כזוַיֵּלֶךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ בֵּית אַחְאָב וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה כְּבֵית אַחְאָב כִּי חֲתַן בֵּית־אַחְאָב הוּא׃
28He marched with Yoram son of Achav to battle against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, but the Arameans wounded Yoram.
כחוַיֵּלֶךְ אֶת־יוֹרָם בֶּן־אַחְאָב לַמִּלְחָמָה עִם־חֲזָהאֵל מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם בְּרָמֹת גִּלְעָד וַיַּכּוּ אֲרַמִּים אֶת־יוֹרָם׃
29King Yoram retired to Yizrael to recover from the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted upon him at Rama, when he fought against King Hazael of Aram. And King Achazyahu son of Yoram of Yehuda went down to Yizrael to visit Yoram son of Achav while he was ill.
כטוַיָּשָׁב 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׃