2 Kings 6
1 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please take note that the place where we meet with you is too small for us.
And the sons of the prophets said to Elisaie, Behold now, the place wherein we dwell before you is too narrow for us.
2 Please let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a log so we can build ourselves a place to live there.” “Go,” said Elisha.
Let us go, we pray you, to Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and make for ourselves a habitation there.
3 Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” “I will come,” he replied.
And he said, Go. And one of them said gently, Come with your servants. And he said, I will go.
4 So Elisha went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down some trees.
And he went with them, and they came to Jordan, and began to cut down wood.
5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”
And behold, one was cutting down a beam, and the axe head fell into the water: and he cried out, Alas! master: and it was hidden.
6 “Where did it fall?” asked the man of God. And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float.
And the man of God said, Where did it fall? and he showed him the place: and he broke off a stick, and threw it in there, and the iron came to the surface.
7 “Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it.
And he said, Take it up to yourself. And he stretched out his hand, and took it.
8 Now the king of Aram was at war against Israel. After consulting with his servants, he said, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”
And the king of Syria was at war with Israel: and he consulted with his servants, saying, I will encamp in such a place.
9 Then the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Be careful passing by this place, for the Arameans are going down there.”
And Elisaie sent to the king of Israel, saying, Take heed that you pass not by that place, for the Syrians are hidden there.
10 So the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had pointed out. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.
And the king of Israel sent to the place which Elisaie mentioned to him, and saved himself thence not once or twice.
11 For this reason the king of Aram became enraged and called his servants to demand of them, “Tell me, which one of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
And the mind of the king of Syria was very much disturbed concerning this thing; and he called his servants, and said to them, Will you not tell me who betrays me to the king of Israel?
12 But one of his servants replied, “No one, my lord the king. For Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
And one of his servants said, Nay, my Lord, O king, for Elisaie the prophet that is in Israel reports to the king of Israel all the words whatever you may say in your bedchamber.
13 So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him.” On receiving the report, “Elisha is in Dothan,”
And he said, Go, see where this man [is], and I will send and take him. And they sent word to him, saying, Behold, [he is] in Dothaim.
14 the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city.
And he sent there horses, and chariots, and a mighty host: and they came by night, and compassed about the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”
And the servant of Elisaie rose up early and went out; and, behold, a host compassed the city, and horses and chariots: and the servant said to him, O master, what shall we do?
16 “Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
And Elisaie said, Fear not, for they who are with us [are] more than they that are with them.
17 Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
And Elisaie prayed, and said, Lord, open, I pray you, the eyes of the servant, and let him see. And the Lord opened his eyes, and he saw: and, behold, the mountain [was] full of horses, and there were chariots of fire round about Elisaie.
18 As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.
And they came down to him; and he prayed to the Lord, and said, Strike, I pray you, this people with blindness. And he struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisaie.
19 And Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are seeking.” And he led them to Samaria.
And Elisaie said to them, This [is] not the city, and this [is] not the way: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek. And he led them away to Samaria.
20 When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see.” Then the LORD opened their eyes, and they looked around and discovered that they were in Samaria.
And it came to pass when they entered into Samaria, that Elisaie said, Open, I pray you, O Lord, their eyes, and let them see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
21 And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”
And the king of Israel said to Elisaie, when he saw them, Shall I [not] verily strike them, [my] father?
22 “Do not kill them,” he replied. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and then return to their master.”
And he said, You shall not strike them, unless you would strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow: set bread and water before them, and let them eat and drink, and depart to their master.
23 So the king prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. And the Aramean raiders did not come into the land of Israel again.
And he set before them a great feast, and they ate and drank: and he dismissed them and they departed to their master. And the bands of Syria came no longer into the land of Israel.
24 Some time later, Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army and marched up to besiege Samaria.
And it came to pass after this, that the son of Ader king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
25 So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung sold for five shekels of silver.
And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was [valued] at fifty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung at five pieces of silver.
26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”
And the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, and a woman cried to him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
27 He answered, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?”
And he said to her, Unless the Lord help you, whence shall I help you? from the corn-floor, or from the wine-press?
28 Then the king asked her, “What is the matter?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him, and tomorrow we will eat my son.’
And the king said to her, What is [the matter] with you? And the woman said to him, This [woman] said to me, Give your son, and we will eat him today, and we will eat my son to-morrow.
29 So we boiled my son and ate him, and the next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him.’ But she had hidden her son.”
So we boiled my son, and ate him; and I said to her on the second day, Give your son, and let us eat him: and she has hidden her son.
30 When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. And as he passed by on the wall, the people saw the sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin.
And it came to pass, when the king of Israel heard the words of the woman, [that] he tore his garments; and he passed by on the wall, and the people saw sackcloth within upon his flesh.
31 He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!”
And he said, God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisaie shall stand upon him this day.
32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?”
And Elisaie was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him; and [the king] sent a man before him: before the messenger came to him, he also said to the elders, Do you see that this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? See, as soon as the messenger shall have come, shut the door, and forcibly detain him at the door: [is] not the sound of his master's feet behind him?
33 While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This calamity is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”
While he was yet speaking with them, behold, a messenger came to him: and he said, Behold, this evil [is] of the Lord; why should I wait for the Lord any longer?
