2 Kings 6
1 The sons of the prophets told Elisha, “Look, the place 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 with thee is too strait for us.
2 Let's go to the Jordan and each of us can carry one log back. We can build a new place there for us to meet.” “Go ahead,” said Elisha.
Let us go, we pray thee, unto 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 One of them asked, “Please come with your servants.” “I'll come,” he replied.
And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.
4 So he went with them. When they got to the Jordan, they started cutting down trees.
So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.
5 But as one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh no! My master, it was one that was borrowed!” he shouted.
But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
6 “Where did it fall?” the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron axhead float.
And the man of Elohim said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.
7 “Pick it up,” Elisha told the man. So he reached out his hand and picked it up.
Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.
8 The Aramean king was at war with Israel. After consulting with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in this particular place.”
Then the king of Syria warred 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 a warning to the king of Israel: “Watch out if you go near this place, because the Arameans are going to be there.”
And the man of Elohim sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
10 So the king of Israel sent a warning to the place the man of God had indicated. Elisha repeatedly warned the king, so that he was on the alert in those places.
And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of Elohim told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
11 This made the Aramean king really mad. He summoned his officers, demanding an answer: “Tell me, which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?
12 “It's none of us, my lord the king,” one of his officers replied. “It's Elisha, the prophet who lives in Israel—he tells the king of Israel even what you say in your bedroom.”
And one of his servants said, None, my master, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
13 So the king gave the order, “Go and find out where he is so I can send soldiers to capture him.” He was told, “Elisha is in Dothan.”
And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
14 So he sent horses, chariots, and a large army. They came at night and surrounded the town.
Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
15 Early in the morning when the servant of the man of God got up, he went out and saw that an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my master, what are we going to do?” he asked Elisha.
And when the servant of the man of Elohim was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16 Elisha replied, “Don't be afraid, for there are many more who are with us than there are with them!”
And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17 Elisha prayed, saying, “Lord, please open his eyes so he can see.” The Lord opened the servant's eyes, and when he looked he saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
And Elisha prayed, and said, YHWH, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And YHWH 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 army descended on him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto YHWH, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19 Then Elisha went and told them, “This isn't the right road, and this isn't the right town. Follow me, and I'll take you to the man you're looking for.” 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 bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.
20 After they had entered Samaria, Elisha prayed, “Lord, open the eyes of these men that they can see.” The Lord opened their eyes, and they looked around and saw that they were in Samaria.
And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, YHWH, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And YHWH opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
21 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, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
22 “No, don't you kill them!” he replied. “Would you kill prisoners you captured with your own sword or bow? Give them some food and water so that they may eat and drink, and then let them go back to their master.”
And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest 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 to their master.
23 So the king had a great feast prepared for them, and once they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them back to their master. The Aramean raiders did not enter the land of Israel again.
And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
24 Sometime after this Ben-hadad king of Aram called up all his army and went to lay siege to Samaria.
And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
25 So there was a major famine in Samaria. In fact the siege lasted so long that a donkey's head cost eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove's dung cost 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 fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
26 As the king of Israel was walking by on the city wall, a woman called out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”
And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my master, O king.
27 “If the Lord doesn't help you, why would you think I can help you?” the king replied. “I don't have grain from the threshing floor, or wine from the winepress.”
And he said, If YHWH do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?
28 But then he asked her, “What's the problem?” “This woman told me, ‘Give up your son and we'll eat him today, and tomorrow we'll eat my son,’” she answered.
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 cooked my son and we ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we can eat him,’ but she's 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 When the king heard what the woman said he ripped his clothes. As he walked by on the wall, the people saw that he was wearing 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; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.
31 “May God punish me very severely if the head of Elisha, son of Shaphat, remains on his shoulders today!” he declared.
Then he said, Elohim do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.
32 Elisha was sitting in his house with the elders. The king had sent a messenger on ahead, but before he got there, Elisha told the elders, “Can you see how this murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? So, as soon as the messenger arrives, close the door and hold it shut against him. Isn't that the sound of his master's footsteps following 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 mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?
33 While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger arrived. The king said, “This disaster is from 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 he said, Behold, this evil is of YHWH; what should I wait for YHWH any longer?
