< 2 Kings 6 >

1 The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "See now, the place where we dwell before you is too small for us.
And the sons of the prophets said to Elisaie, Behold now, the place wherein we dwell before thee is too narrow for us.
2 Please let us go to the Jordan, and every man take a beam from there, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell." He answered, "Go."
Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and make for ourselves a habitation there.
3 One said, "Please be pleased to go with your servants." He answered, "I will go."
And he said, Go. And one of them said gently, Come with thy servants. And he said, I will go.
4 So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.
And he went with them, and they came to Jordan, and began to cut down wood.
5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water. Then he cried, and said, "Alas, my master. For it was borrowed."
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.
6 The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" He showed him the place. He cut down a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron float.
And the man of God said, Where did it fall? and he shewed him the place: and he broke off a stick, and threw it in there, and the iron came to the surface.
7 He said, "Take it." So he put out his hand and took it.
And he said, Take it up to thyself. And he stretched out his hand, and took it.
8 Now the king of Aram was warring against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, "My camp will be in such and such a place."
And the king of Syria was at war with Israel: and he consulted with his servants, saying, I will encamp in such a place.
9 The man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, "Beware that you not pass such a place; for the Arameans are coming down there."
And Elisaie sent to the king of Israel, saying, Take heed that thou pass not by that place, for the Syrians are hidden there.
10 The king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once nor twice.
And the king of Israel sent to the place which Elisaie mentioned to him, and saved himself thence not once or twice.
11 The heart of the king of Aram was very troubled about this. He called his servants, and said to them, "Won't you show me which of us is for the king of Israel?"
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 ye not tell me who betrays me to the king of Israel?
12 One of his servants said, "No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom."
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 whatsoever thou mayest say in thy bedchamber.
13 He said, "Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him." It was told him, saying, "Look, he is in Dothan."
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.
14 Therefore he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. They came by night, and surrounded the city.
And he sent thither horses, and chariots, and a mighty host: and they came by night, and compassed about the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God had risen early, and gone out, look, an army with horses and chariots was around the city. His servant said to him, "Alas, my master. What shall we do?"
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?
16 He answered, "Do not be afraid; for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
And Elisaie said, Fear not, for they who are with us [are] more than they that are with them.
17 Then Elisha prayed and said, "LORD, please open his eyes, that he may see." The LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and look, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha.
And Elisaie prayed, and said, Lord, open, I pray thee, 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.
18 When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, "Please strike this people with blindness." He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
And they came down to him; and he prayed to the Lord, and said, Smite, I pray thee, this people with blindness. And he smote them with blindness, according to the word of Elisaie.
19 Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." He led them to Samaria.
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 ye seek. And he led them away to Samaria.
20 It happened, when they had come into Samaria, that Elisha said, "LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." The LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and look, they were in the midst of Samaria.
And it came to pass when they entered into Samaria, that Elisaie said, Open, I pray thee, 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.
21 The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, "My father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?"
And the king of Israel said to Elisaie, when he saw them, Shall I [not] verily smite them, [my] father?
22 He answered, "You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master."
And he said, Thou shalt not smite them, unless thou wouldest smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow: set bread and water before them, and let them eat and drink, and depart to their master.
23 He prepared great feast for them. When they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. The bands of Aram stopped raiding the land of Israel.
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.
24 It happened after this, that Benhadad king of Aram gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.
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.
25 There was a great famine in Samaria. Look, 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.
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.
26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, "Help, my lord, O king."
And the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, and a woman cried to him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
27 He said, "If the LORD doesn't help you, from where could I help you? From of the threshing floor, or from the winepress?"
And he said to her, Unless the Lord help thee, whence shall I help thee? from the corn-floor, or from the wine-press?
28 The king said to her, "What ails you?" She answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.'
And the king said to her, What is [the matter] with thee? And the woman said to him, This [woman] said to me, Give thy son, and we will 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 next day, 'Give your son, that we may eat him;' and she has hidden her son."
So we boiled my son, and ate him; and I said to her on the second day, Give thy son, and let us eat him: and she has hidden her son.
30 It happened, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes. Now he was passing by on the wall, and the people looked and saw that he had sackcloth against his skin.
And it came to pass, when the king of Israel heard the words of the woman, [that] he rent his garments; and he passed by on the wall, and the people saw sackcloth within upon his flesh.
31 Then he said, "God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stay on him this day."
And he said, God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisaie shall stand upon him this day.
32 But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Then the king sent a man from before him; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, "Do you 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. Isn't the sound of his master's feet behind him?"
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 ye 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?
33 While he was still talking with them, look, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, "Look, this disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"
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?

< 2 Kings 6 >