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 unto Elisha', Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee 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 thee, as far as the Jordan, and take thence every man one beam, and let us prepare for us there a place to dwell therein. And he said, Go.
3 Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” “I will come,” he replied.
And one said, Give thy assent, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he said, I will indeed go.
4 So Elisha went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down some trees.
So he went with them; and they came to the Jordan, and they cut down trees.
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!”
But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, my Lord! it was also borrowed.
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 cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and he caused the iron to swim.
7 “Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it.
And then said he, Lift it up to thee. 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 made war against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
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 the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not that place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
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 the man of God had told him and warned him of, and he took care of himself there: not once nor 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?”
Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sorely troubled concerning this thing; and he called for his servants, and said unto them, Can ye not tell me who of us is for 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, Not so, my Lord, O king; but Elisha', the prophet that is in Israel, can tell unto the king of Israel the words that thou mayest speak in thy sleeping-chamber.
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 and see where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told unto him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
14 the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city.
And he sent thither horses, and chariots, and a strong army: and they came by night, and surrounded 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 the man of God rose early, and went forth, when, behold, an army compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how 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 he said, Fear not: for those that are with us are more than those 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 Elisha' prayed, and said, O Lord, open, I pray thee, his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man: and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha'.
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 when they came down to him, Elisha' prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite, I pray thee, this people with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha'.
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 Elisha' said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will lead you to the man whom ye wish to seek. And he led them thus 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 were come into Samaria, that Elisha' said, Lord, open the eyes of these, that they may 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 unto Elisha', when he saw them, Shall I smite them? Shall I smite 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.”
But he said, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldst thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go [back] 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 prepared for them a great meal; and they ate and drank, and he sent them away, and they went [back] to their master. And the predatory bands of Syria came no more 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 Ben-hadad the king of Syria assembled all his camp, 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 sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for 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 it happened as the king of Israel was passing along upon the wall, that a woman cried unto 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, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? shall it be out of the threshing-floor, or out of 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 unto her, What aileth thee? And she said, This woman said unto me, Give up thy son, that we may eat him today, and my son we will eat tomorrow.
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; but when I said unto her on the next day, Give up thy son, that we may eat him: she hid 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 heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes, as he was passing along upon the wall: and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth beneath 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!”
Then said he, May God do so unto me and continue so yet farther, if the head of Elisha' the son of Shaphat shall remain on 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?”
But Elisha' was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him; and he sent a man from before him; but before the messenger could yet come to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of the murderer hath sent to remove my head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him back with 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?”
And while he was yet speaking with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord; what shall I hope for in the Lord any longer?
