8:12a “Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael.

Hazael then asked, “My master, why are you crying?”

-or-

Hazael asked, “Sir, what makes you weep?”

-or-

Hazael asked Elisha why he was shedding tears.

8:12b “Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied.

The prophet answered, “I know the terrible things you (sing.) will do to the Israelites.

-or-

The man of God responded to him, “⌊I am crying⌋ because I know the evil you will do to ⌊my people,⌋ the people of Israel.

-or-

Elisha answered that he knew the bad/cruel things Hazael would do to the people of Israel.

8:12c “You will set fire to their fortresses,

You (sing.) will burn their fortified cities

-or-

You will have their/⌊our (excl.) ⌋ walled cities burnt down.

-or-

⌊He knew that⌋ Hazael would⌊order/send his men to⌋ burn their strong/great cities.

8:12d kill their young men with the sword,

and kill their young men with the sword.

-or-

You (sing.) will have their/⌊our (excl.) ⌋ young men slaughtered.

-or-

⌊He would ⌋ put their young men to death,

8:12e dash their little ones to pieces,

⌊You will also⌋ smash ⌊the heads of⌋ their little children,

-or-

You (sing.) will also cause their/⌊our (excl.) ⌋ children to be dashed on the ground.

-or-

crush their children,

8:12f and rip open their pregnant women.”

and kill their unborn babies.”

-or-

You will cause ⌊a sword to⌋ cut open the bellies of their pregnant women.”

-or-

and destroy the/their pregnant women and their babies.

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