2 Kings 7

1 Then Elisha said, Give ear to the word of the Lord: the Lord says, Tomorrow, about this time, a measure of good meal will be offered for the price of a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the market-place of Samaria.

Then said Elisha', Hear ye the word of the Lord: Thus hath said the Lord, About this time tomorrow a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

2 Then the captain whose arm was supporting the king said to the man of God, Even if the Lord made windows in heaven, would such a thing be possible? And he said, Your eyes will see it, but you will not have a taste of the food.

Then answered the lord of the king, on whose hand he used to lean, the man of God, and said, Behold, will the Lord make windows in the heavens, that this thing shall be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thy eyes, but thereof shalt thou not eat.

3 Now there were four lepers seated at the doorway into the town: and they said to one another, Why are we waiting here for death?

And there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate: and they said one to another, Why do we remain here until we die?

4 If we say, We will go into the town, there is no food in the town, and we will come to our end there; and if we go on waiting here, death will come to us. Come then, let us give ourselves up to the army of Aram: if they let us go on living, then life will be ours; and if they put us to death, then death will be ours.

If we say, We will enter into the city, then is the famine in the city, and we shall die there; and if we remain here, we die [also]: now therefore come, and let us go over unto the camp of the Syrians; if they will let us live, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

5 So in the half light they got up to go to the tents of Aram; but when they came to the outer line of tents, there was no one there.

And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians; and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was no man there.

6 For the Lord had made the sound of carriages and horses, and the noise of a great army, come to the ears of the Aramaeans, so that they said to one another, Truly, the king of Israel has got the kings of the Hittites and of the Egyptians for a price to make an attack on us.

For the Lord had caused the camp of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, the noise of a large army: and they said one to the other, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

7 So they got up and went in flight, in the half light, without their tents or their horses or their asses or any of their goods; they went in flight, fearing for their lives.

And they were arisen and fled in the twilight, and had left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, the camp as it was, and fled for their life.

8 And when those lepers came to the outer line of tents, they went into one tent, and had food and drink, and took from it silver and gold and clothing, which they put in a secret place; then they came back and went into another tent from which they took more goods, which they put away in a secret place.

And so came these lepers to the uttermost part of the camp, and they went into one tent, and ate and drank, and carried away thence silver, and gold, and garments, and went and hid them; and they returned, and entered into another tent, and carried away [something] thence, and went and hid it.

9 Then they said to one another, We are not doing right. Today is a day of good news, and we say nothing: if we go on waiting here till the morning, punishment will come to us. So let us go and give the news to those of the king's house.

And then they said one to the other, We do not act correctly; this day is a day of good tidings; and if we remain silent, and tarry till the morning-light, we shall incur guilt: now then come, and let us go and tell it at the king's house.

10 So they came in, and, crying out to the door-keepers of the town, they gave them the news, saying, We came to the tents of the Aramaeans, and there was no one there and no voice of man, only the horses and the asses in their places, and the tents as they were.

So they went and called unto one of the gate-keepers of the city, and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, nor the voice of man; but the horses were tied, and the asses were tied, and the tents as they had been.

11 Then the door-keepers, crying out, gave the news to those inside the king's house.

And he called the gate-keepers; and they told it at the king's house within.

12 Then the king got up in the night and said to his servants, This is my idea of what the Aramaeans have done to us. They have knowledge that we are without food; and so they have gone out of their tents, and are waiting secretly in the open country, saying, When they come out of the town, we will take them living and get into the town.

And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I can easily tell you what the Syrians have done to us: they know that we are hungry; and they are therefore gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, If they should come out of the city, we will catch them alive, and enter into the city.

13 And one of his servants said in answer, Send men and let them take five of the horses which we still have in the town; if they keep their lives they will be the same as those of Israel who are still living here; if they come to their death they will be the same as all those of Israel who have gone to destruction: let us send and see.

And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, let it fare with them as with all the multitude of Israel that are left in it, [or] let it fare with them as with all the multitude of Israel that have perished: and let us send out and see.

14 So they took two horsemen; and the king sent them after the army of the Aramaeans, saying, Go and see.

And they took two chariots with horses; and the king sent after the camp of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.

15 And they went after them as far as Jordan; and all the road was covered with clothing and vessels dropped by the Aramaeans in their flight. So those who were sent went back and gave the news to the king.

And they went after them as far as the Jordan; and, lo, the whole way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste: and the messengers returned, and told it to the king.

16 Then the people went out and took the goods from the tents of the Aramaeans. So a measure of good meal was to be had for the price of a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, as the Lord had said.

And the people went out, and plundered the camp of the Syrians: and a seah of fine flour was to be had for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord.

17 And the king gave authority to that captain, on whose arm he was supported, to have control over the doorway into the town; but he was crushed to death there under the feet of the people, as the man of God had said when the king went down to him.

And the king had appointed the lord on whose hand he used to lean to have the charge of the gate; and the people trod him down in the gate, and he died; as the man of God had spoken, which he spoke when the king came down to him.

18 So the words of the man of God came true, which he said to the king: Two measures of barley will be offered for the price of a shekel and a measure of good meal for a shekel, tomorrow about this time in the market-place of Samaria.

And it came to pass as the man of God was speaking to the king, saying, Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, shall be about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria:

19 And that captain said to the man of God, Even if the Lord made windows in heaven, would such a thing be possible? And he said to him, Your eyes will see it, but you will not have a taste of the food.

That the Lord had answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if even the Lord were to make windows in the heavens, would such a thing be? And he had said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thy eyes, but thereof shalt thou not eat.

20 And such was his fate; for he was crushed to death under the feet of the people, in the doorway into the town.

And it happened unto him so; for the people trod him down in the gate, and he died.