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, —See, we pray thee, the place wherein we sit before 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, as far as the Jordan, and fetch from thence every man a single beam, and let us make us a place wherein we may sit. And he said—Go ye.
3 One of them asked, “Please come with your servants.” “I'll come,” he replied.
Then said one—Be content, we pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he said—I myself, 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 the 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.
And it came to pass, as one was felling a branch, that, the axe-head, fell into the water, so he made outcry and said—Alas! my lord, 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 God said—Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a piece of wood 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.
And he said—Take it up to thee. So he put forth 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.”
Now, the king of Syria, was making war against Israel, —so he took counsel with his servants, saying—In such and such a place, shall be my encampment.
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.”
The man of God, therefore, sent unto the king of Israel, saying—Beware of passing by this place, —for, thither, are the Syrians coming 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.
So the king of Israel sent unto the place whereof the man of God had spoken to him and warned him, and was on his guard 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?”
Then was the heart of the king of Syria disquieted concerning this thing, —and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not tell me, who of our men are 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.”
Then said one of his servants, None, my lord O king, —but, Elisha, the prophet, who is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words which thou speakest in thy bed-chamber.
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 see where he is, that I may send and take him. And it was told him, saying—Lo! 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 strong force, —and they came in by night, and encompassed the city.
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 attendant of the man of God arose early and went forth, lo! a force surrounding the city, with horses and chariots. Then said his young man unto him—Alas! my lord, what 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 said—Do not fear, —for, more, are, they who are with us, than, they who are 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.
Then prayed Elisha, and said, O Yahweh! open, I beseech thee, his eyes, that he may see. And Yahweh opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and lo! 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 Yahweh, and said—Smite, I beseech thee, this people, with sudden blindness. And he smote them with sudden 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.
Then Elisha said unto them—This, is not the way, neither is, this, the city, follow me, that I may lead you unto the man, whom ye would secure! So 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 had entered Samaria, that Elisha said, O Yahweh! open the eyes of these men, that they may see! And Yahweh opened their eyes, and they saw, and lo! 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?”
Then said the king of Israel unto Elisha, when he saw them, —Shall I smite—shall I smite, my father?
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 said—Thou shalt not smite. Them whom thou hadst taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow, wouldst, thou, have been smiting? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go their way unto their lord.
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 made for them a great feast, and, when they had eaten and drunk, he let them go, and they went their way unto their lord. So then, troops of Syrians came again, 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.
But it came to pass, after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered together all his host, —and came up and laid siege against 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 came to be, a great famine, in Samaria, and lo! they continued the siege against it, —until an ass’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and one pint 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 so it was that, as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman, made outcry unto him, saying—Save, my lord, 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 Yahweh do not save thee, whence should I save thee? out of the threshing-floor or out of the wine-press?
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 to her—What aileth thee? And she said—This woman, said unto me—Give thy son, that we may eat him, to-day, and, my son, will we eat 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 cooked my son, and did eat him, —and I said unto her, on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him; But she had 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, while yet he was passing by upon the wall, —so the people looked, and lo! sackcloth upon his flesh, within.
31 “May God punish me very severely if the head of Elisha, son of Shaphat, remains on his shoulders today!” he declared.
And he said—So, let God do to me, and, so, let him add, —if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remain on him, to-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?”
Now, Elisha, being seated in his house, and, the elders, seated with him, —when he had sent a man from before him, ere yet the messenger could come in unto him, he himself, said unto the elders—Do ye see how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away my head? See! when the messenger is coming in, close ye the door, and press him back with the door, is not the sound of his lord’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?”
While yet he was speaking with them, lo! the messenger, coming down unto him, —and he said, —Lo! this, is a calamity from Yahweh, why should I wait for Yahweh, any longer?
