The Unwise Prophesy
While the king of Syria was sick he heard that a famous prophet, an Israelite named Elisha, was visiting nearby. He told his general Hazael to take gifts and ask the man of god whether he would get better. Hazael went to Elisha and said, “King Ben-hadad wants to know if he’ll recover.” Elisha replied, “He’ll recover, but then he’ll die!” And as he spoke these words, Elisha began to weep.
“Why do you weep, my lord?” asked Hazael, and Elisha answered, “Because I know the evil you’ll do to the people of Israel. You’ll burn down their fortresses, and kill their young men; you’ll dash their children against the ground and rip open their pregnant women!” Hazael said, “But how can a mere nobody like me do such great things?” Elisha answered, “The lord has revealed to me that you will be king.”
Hazael returned to his master and told him the good news of his imminent recovery; but the next day when the king was feeling better, Hazael took a thick cloth, dipped it in water and held it over the king’s face until he suffocated. And behold, all that the prophet had foreseen came to pass.
— 2 Kings 8