2 Kings 7

1 Elisha said, "Hear the word of YHWH. Thus says YHWH, '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.'"

And Elisaie said, Hear you the word of the Lord; Thus says the Lord, As at this time, to-morrow a measure of fine flour [shall be sold] for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gates of Samaria.

2 Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, "Look, if YHWH made windows in heaven, could this thing be?" He said, "Look, you shall see it with your eyes, but shall not eat of it."

And the officer on whose hand the king rested, answered Elisaie, and said, Behold, [if] the Lord shall make flood-gates in heaven, might this thing be? and Elisaie said, Behold, you shall see with your eyes, but shall not eat thereof.

3 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?

And there were four leprous men by the gate of the city: and one said to his neighbor, Why sit we here until we die?

4 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."

If we should say, Let us go into the city, then [there is] famine in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit here, then we shall die. Now then come, and let us fall upon the camp of the Syrians: if they should take us alive, then we shall live; and if they should put us to death, then we shall [only] die.

5 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.

And they rose up while it was yet night, to go into the camp of Syria; and they came into a part of the camp of Syria, and behold, there [was] no man there.

6 For YHWH 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.

For the Lord had made the army of Syria to hear a sound of chariots, and a sound of horses, [even] the sound of a great host: and [each] man said to his fellow, Now has the king of Israel hired against us the kings of the Chettites, and the kings of Egypt, to come against us.

7 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.

And they arose and fled while it was yet dark, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses in the camp, as they were, and fled for their lives.

8 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.

And these lepers entered a little way into the camp, and went into one tent, and ate and drank, and took thence silver, and gold, and raiment; and they went and returned thence, and entered into another tent, and took thence, and went and hid [the spoil].

9 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."

And [one] man said to his neighbor, We are not doing [well] thus: this day is a day of glad tidings, and we hold our peace, and are waiting till the morning light, and shall find mischief: now them come, and let us go into [the city], and report to the house of the king.

10 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."

So they went and cried toward the gate of the city, and reported to them, saying, We went into the camp of Syria, and, behold, there is not there a man, nor voice of man, only horses tied and asses, and their tents as they were.

11 The gatekeepers called out, and it was reported to the king's household within.

And the porters cried aloud, and reported to the house of the king within.

12 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.'"

And the king rose up by night, and said to his servants, I will now tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They knew that we are hungry; and they have gone forth from the camp and hidden themselves in the field, saying, They will come out of the city, and we shall catch them alive, and go into the city.

13 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."

And one of his servants answered and said, Let them now take five of the horses that were left, which were left here; behold, they are the number left to all the multitude of Israel; and we will send there and see.

14 They took therefore two chariots with horses; and the king sent after the army of the Arameans, saying, "Go and see."

So they took two horsemen; and the king of Israel sent after the king of Syria, saying, Go, and see.

15 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.

And they went after them even to Jordan: and, behold, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their panic. and the messengers returned, and brought word to the king.

16 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 YHWH.

And the people went out, and plundered the camp of Syria: and a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord, and two measures of barley for a shekel.

17 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.

And the king appointed the officer on whose hand the king leaned [to have charge] over the gate: and the people trampled on him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God [had] said, who spoke when the messenger came down to him.

18 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";

So it came to pass as Elisaie had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley [shall be sold] for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel; and it shall be as at this time to-morrow in the gate of Samaria.

19 and that captain answered the man of God, and said, "Now, look, if YHWH 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."

And the officer answered Elisaie, and said, Behold, [if] the Lord makes flood-gates in heaven, shall this thing be? and Elisaie said, Behold, you shall see [it] with your eyes, but you shall not eat thereof.

20 It happened like that to him; for the people trod on him in the gate, and he died.

And it was so: for the people trampled on him in the gate, and he died.