Kings IV 6
1 And the sons of the prophets said to Elisaie, Behold now, the place wherein we dwell before you is too narrow for us.
And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha: 'Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee is too strait for us.
2 Let us go, we pray you, to Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and make for ourselves a habitation there.
Let us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell.' And he answered: 'Go ye.'
3 And he said, Go. And one of them said gently, Come with your servants. And he said, I will go.
And one said: 'Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants.' And he answered: 'I will go.'
4 And he went with them, and they came to Jordan, and began to cut down wood.
So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.
5 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.
But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water; and he cried, and said: 'Alas, my master! for it was borrowed.'
6 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.
And the man of God said: 'Where fell it?' And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and made the iron to swim.
7 And he said, Take it up to yourself. And he stretched out his hand, and took it.
And he said: 'Take it up to thee.' So he put out his hand, and took it.
8 And the king of Syria was at war with Israel: and he consulted with his servants, saying, I will encamp in such a place.
Now the king of Aram warred against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying: 'In such and such a place shall be my camp.'
9 And Elisaie sent to the king of Israel, saying, Take heed that you pass not by that place, for the Syrians are hidden there.
And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying: 'Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Arameans are coming down.'
10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which Elisaie mentioned to him, and saved himself thence not once or twice.
And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he guarded himself there, not once nor twice.
11 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?
And the heart of the king of Aram was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them: 'Will ye not tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?'
12 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.
And one of his servants said: 'Nay, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bed-chamber.'
13 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.
And he said: 'Go and see where he is, that I may send and fetch him.' And it was told him, saying: 'Behold, he is in Dothan.'
14 And he sent there horses, and chariots, and a mighty host: and they came by night, and compassed about the city.
Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host; and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
15 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?
And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, a host with horses and chariots was round about the city. And his servant said unto him: 'Alas, my master! how shall we do?'
16 And Elisaie said, Fear not, for they who are with us [are] more than they that are with them.
And he answered: 'Fear not: for they that are with us are more than they that are with them.'
17 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.
And Elisha prayed, and said: 'LORD, I pray Thee, open 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 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.
And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said: 'Smite this people, I pray Thee, with blindness.' And He smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19 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.
And Elisha said unto them: 'This is not the way, neither is this the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek.' And he led them to Samaria.
20 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.
And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said: 'LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.' And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
21 And the king of Israel said to Elisaie, when he saw them, Shall I [not] verily strike them, [my] father?
And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them: 'My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?'
22 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.
And he answered: 'Thou shalt not smite them; hast thou taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow those whom thou wouldest smite? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.'
23 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.
And he prepared great provision for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Aram came no more into the land of Israel.
24 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.
And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
25 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.
And there was a great famine in Samaria; and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
26 And the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, and a woman cried to him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying: 'Help, my lord, O king.'
27 And he said to her, Unless the Lord help you, whence shall I help you? from the corn-floor, or from the wine-press?
And he said: 'If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the threshingfloor, or out of the winepress?'
28 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.
And the king said unto her: 'What aileth thee?' And she answered: 'This woman said unto me: Give thy son, that we may eat him to-day, and we will eat my son to-morrow.
29 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.
So we boiled my son, and did eat him; and I said unto her on the next day: Give thy son, that we may eat him; and she hath hid her son.'
30 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.
And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes — now he was passing by upon the wall — and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.
31 And he said, God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisaie shall stand upon him this day.
Then he said: 'God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.'
32 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?
But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him; but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders: 'See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away my head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold the door fast against him; is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?'
33 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?
And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him; and the king said: 'Behold, this evil is of the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?'
