2 Kings 6
1 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha', Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee is too narrow for us.
The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “The place where we live with you is too small for us all.
2 Let us go, we pray thee, as far as the Jordan, and take thence every man one beam, and let us prepare for us there a place to dwell therein. And he said, Go.
Please let us go to the Jordan, and let every man cut down a tree there, and let us build us a place there where we may live.” Elisha answered, “You may go ahead.”
3 And one said, Give thy assent, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he said, I will indeed go.
One of them said, “Please go with your servants.” Elisha answered, “I will go.”
4 So he went with them; and they came to the Jordan, and they cut down trees.
So he went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down trees.
5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, my Lord! it was also borrowed.
But as one was chopping, the ax head fell into the water; he cried out and said, “Oh no, my master, it was borrowed!”
6 And the man of God said, Where did it fall? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and he caused the iron to swim.
So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” The man showed Elisha the place. He then cut off a stick, threw it in the water, and made the iron float.
7 And then said he, Lift it up to thee. And he stretched out his hand, and took it.
Elisha said, “Pick it up.” So the man reached out his hand and grabbed it.
8 And the king of Syria made war against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
Now the king of Aram was waging war against Israel. He consulted with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”
9 And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not that place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
So the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Be careful not to pass that place, for the Arameans are going down there.”
10 And the king of Israel sent to the place, which the man of God had told him and warned him of, and he took care of himself there: not once nor twice.
The king of Israel sent a message to the place about which the man of God had spoken and warned him. More than once or twice, when the king went there, he was on his guard.
11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sorely troubled concerning this thing; and he called for his servants, and said unto them, Can ye not tell me who of us is for the king of Israel?
The king of Aram was enraged about these warnings, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not tell me who among us is for the king of Israel?”
12 And one of his servants said, Not so, my Lord, O king; but Elisha', the prophet that is in Israel, can tell unto the king of Israel the words that thou mayest speak in thy sleeping-chamber.
So one of his servants said, “No, my master, king, for Elisha the prophet in Israel tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your own bedroom!”
13 And he said, Go and see where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told unto him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
The king replied, “Go and see where Elisha is so I may send men and capture him.” It was told him, “See, he is in Dothan.”
14 And he sent thither horses, and chariots, and a strong army: and they came by night, and surrounded the city.
So the king sent to Dothan horses, chariots, and a large army. They came by night and surrounded the city.
15 And the servant of the man of God rose early, and went forth, when, behold, an army compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
When the servant of the man of God had risen early and gone outside, behold, a large army with horses and chariots surrounded the city. His servant said to him, “Oh, my master! What will we do?”
16 And he said, Fear not: for those that are with us are more than those that are with them.
Elisha answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 And Elisha' prayed, and said, O Lord, open, I pray thee, 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'.
Elisha prayed and said, “Yahweh, I beg that you will open his eyes that he may see.” Then Yahweh opened the servant's eyes, and he saw. Behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha!
18 And when they came down to him, Elisha' prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite, I pray thee, this people with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha'.
When the Arameans came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh and said, “Strike these people blind, I ask you.” So Yahweh made them blind, just as Elisha had asked.
19 And Elisha' said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will lead you to the man whom ye wish to seek. And he led them thus to Samaria.
Then Elisha told the Arameans, “This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you are looking for.” Then he led them to Samaria.
20 And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha' said, Lord, open the eyes of these, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw, and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
It came about that when they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “Yahweh, open the eyes of these men that they may see.” Yahweh opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the middle of the city of Samaria.
21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha', when he saw them, Shall I smite them? Shall I smite them, my father?
The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, “My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?”
22 But he said, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldst 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 [back] to their master.
Elisha answered, “You must not kill them. Would you kill those whom you had taken captive with your sword and bow? Put bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.”
23 And he prepared for them a great meal; and they ate and drank, and he sent them away, and they went [back] to their master. And the predatory bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
So the king prepared much food for them, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went back to their master. Those bands of Aramean soldiers did not return for a long time into the land of Israel.
24 And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad the king of Syria assembled all his camp, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
Later after this Ben Hadad king of Aram gathered all his army and attacked Samaria and besieged it.
25 And there was a great famine in Samaria; and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
So there was a great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it until a donkey's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
26 And it happened as the king of Israel was passing along upon the wall, that a woman cried unto him, saying, Help, my Lord, O king.
As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, “Help, my master, king.”
27 And he said, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? shall it be out of the threshing-floor, or out of the wine-press?
He said, “If Yahweh does not help you, how can I help you? Is there anything coming from the threshing floor or winepress?”
28 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she said, This woman said unto me, Give up thy son, that we may eat him today, and my son we will eat tomorrow.
The king continued, “What is troubling you?” She answered, “This woman said to me, 'Give your son so that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.'”
29 So we boiled my son, and ate him; but when I said unto her on the next day, Give up thy son, that we may eat him: she hid her son.
So we boiled my son and ate him, and I said to her on the next day, “Give your son that we may eat him, but she has hidden her son.”
30 And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes, as he was passing along upon the wall: and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth beneath upon his flesh.
So when the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes (now he was passing by on the wall), and the people looked and saw that he had sackcloth underneath, against his skin.
31 Then said he, May God do so unto me and continue so yet farther, if the head of Elisha' the son of Shaphat shall remain on him this day.
Then he said, “May God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on him today.”
32 But Elisha' was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him; and he sent a man from before him; but before the messenger could yet come to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of the murderer hath sent to remove my head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him back with the door: is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?
But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a man from before him, but when the messenger came to Elisha, he said to the elders, “See how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door shut against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?”
33 And while he was yet speaking with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord; what shall I hope for in the Lord any longer?
While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. The king had said, “Behold, this trouble comes from Yahweh. Why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?”
