< 2 Kings 7 >
1 And Eliseus said: Hear ye the word of the Lord: Thus saith the Lord: Tomorrow about this time a bushel of fine hour shall be sold for a stater, and two bushels of barley for a stater, in the gate of Samaria.
Elisha said, "Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD, 'Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.'"
2 Then one of the lords, upon whose hand the king leaned, answering the man of God, said: If the Lord should make flood-gates in heaven, can that possibly be which thou sayest? And he said: Thou shalt see it with thy eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, "Look, if the LORD made windows in heaven, could this thing be?" He said, "Look, you shall see it with your eyes, but shall not eat of it."
3 Now there were four lepers, at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another: What mean we to stay here till we die?
Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate. And they said to one another, "Why do we sit here until we die?
4 If we will enter into the city, we shall die with the famine: and if we will remain here, we must also die: come, therefore, and let us run over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare us, we shall live: but if they kill us, we shall but die.
If we say, 'We will enter into the city,' then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. If we sit still here, we also die. Now therefore come, and let us surrender to the army of the Arameans. If they save us alive, we will live; and if they kill us, we will only die."
5 So they arose in the evening, to go to the Syrian camp, And when they were come to the first part of the camp of the Syrians, they found no man there.
They rose up in the twilight, to go to the camp of the Arameans. When they had come to the outermost part of the camp of the Arameans, look, there was no man there.
6 For the Lord had made them hear, in the camp of Syria, the noise of chariots, and of horses, and of a very great army, and they said one to another: Behold the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hethites, and of the Egyptians, and they are come upon us.
For the LORD had made the army of the Arameans to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great army: and they said one to another, Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come on us.
7 Wherefore they arose, and fled away in the dark, and left their tents, and their horses and asses in the camp, and fled, desiring to save their lives.
Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their donkeys, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.
8 So when these lepers were come to the beginning of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate and drank: and they took from thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went, and hid it: and they came again, and went into another tent, and carried from thence in like manner, and hid it.
When these lepers came to the outermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate and drink, and carried there silver, and gold, and clothing, and went and hid it. Then they came back, and entered into another tent, and carried there also, and went and hid it.
9 Then they said one to another: We do not well: for this is a day of good tidings. If we hold our peace, and do not tell it till the morning, we shall be charged with a crime: come, let us go and tell it in the king’s court.
Then they said one to another, "We aren't doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we keep silent. If we wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king's household."
10 So they came to the gate of the city, and told them, saying: We went to the camp of the Syrians, and we found no man there, but horses, and asses tied, and the tents standing.
So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city; and they told them, saying, "We came to the camp of the Arameans, and, look, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but the horses tied, and the donkeys tied, and the tents as they were."
11 Then the guards of the gate went, and told it within the king’s palace.
The gatekeepers called out, and it was reported to the king's household within.
12 And he arose in the night and said to his servants: I tell you what the Syrians have done to us: They know that we suffer great famine, and therefore they are gone out of the camp, and lie hid in the fields, saying: When they come out of the city we shall take them alive, and then we may get into the city.
The king arose in the night, and said to his servants, "I will now show you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we are hungry. Therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, 'When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive, and get into the city.'"
13 And one of his servants answered: Let us take the five horses that are remaining in the city (because there are no more in the whole multitude of Israel, for the rest are consumed, ) and let us send and see.
And one of his servants answered, "Please let some take five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city. Look, they are like the whole multitude of Israel who have already perished. Let us send and see."
14 They brought therefore two horses, and the king sent into the camp of the Syrians, saying: Go, and see.
They took therefore two chariots with horses; and the king sent after the army of the Arameans, saying, "Go and see."
15 And they went after them as far as the Jordan: and behold all the way was full of garments, and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their fright, and the messengers returned and told the king.
They went after them to the Jordan; and look, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Arameans had cast away in their haste. The messengers returned, and told the king.
16 And the people going out pillaged the camp of the Syrians: and a bushel of fine flour was sold for a stater, and two bushels of barley for a stater, according to the word of the Lord.
The people went out, and plundered the camp of the Arameans. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.
17 And the king appointed that lord on whose hand he leaned, to stand at the gate: and the people trod upon him in the entrance of the gate; and he died, as the man of God had said, when the king came down to him.
The king appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to be in charge of the gate: and the people trod on him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.
18 And it came to pass according to the word of the man of God, which he spoke to the king, when he said: Two bushels of barley shall be for a stater, and a bushel of fine flour for a stater, at this very time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria.
It happened, as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, "Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria";
19 When that lord answered the man of God, and said: Although the Lord should make flood-gates in heaven, could this come to pass which thou sayest? And he said to him: Thou shalt see with thy eyes, and shalt not eat thereof.
and that captain answered the man of God, and said, "Now, look, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be?" and he said, "Look, you shall see it with your eyes, but shall not eat of it."
20 And so it fell out to him as it was foretold, and the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died.
It happened like that to him; for the people trod on him in the gate, and he died.