2 Kings 6
1 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.
And the sons of the prophets said to Elisaie, Behold now, the place wherein we dwell before you is too narrow for us.
2 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.
Let us go, we pray you, to Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and make for ourselves a habitation there.
3 Then said one—Be content, we pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he said—I myself, will go.
And he said, Go. And one of them said gently, Come with your servants. And he said, I will go.
4 So he went with them, —and, 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 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!
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 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.
And the man of God said, Where did it fall? and he showed him the place: and he broke off a stick, and threw it in there, and the iron came to the surface.
7 And he said—Take it up to thee. So he put forth his hand, and took it.
And he said, Take it up to yourself. And he stretched out his hand, and took it.
8 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.
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, therefore, sent unto the king of Israel, saying—Beware of passing by this place, —for, thither, are the Syrians coming down.
And Elisaie sent to the king of Israel, saying, Take heed that you pass not by that place, for the Syrians are hidden there.
10 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
And the king of Israel sent to the place which Elisaie mentioned to him, and saved himself thence not once or twice.
11 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?
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 you not tell me who betrays me to the king of Israel?
12 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.
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 whatever you may say in your bedchamber.
13 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.
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 sent he thither—horses and chariots, and a strong force, —and they came in by night, and encompassed the city.
And he sent there horses, and chariots, and a mighty host: and they came by night, and compassed about the city.
15 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?
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 And he said—Do not fear, —for, more, are, they who are with us, than, they 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 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.
And Elisaie prayed, and said, Lord, open, I pray you, 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 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.
And they came down to him; and he prayed to the Lord, and said, Strike, I pray you, this people with blindness. And he struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisaie.
19 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.
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 you seek. And he led them away to Samaria.
20 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!
And it came to pass when they entered into Samaria, that Elisaie said, Open, I pray you, 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 Then said the king of Israel unto Elisha, when he saw them, —Shall I smite—shall I smite, my father?
And the king of Israel said to Elisaie, when he saw them, Shall I [not] verily strike them, [my] father?
22 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.
And he said, You shall not strike them, unless you would strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow: set bread and water before them, and let them eat and drink, and depart to their master.
23 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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!
And the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, and a woman cried to him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
27 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?
And he said to her, Unless the Lord help you, whence shall I help you? from the corn-floor, or from the wine-press?
28 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.
And the king said to her, What is [the matter] with you? And the woman said to him, This [woman] said to me, Give your son, and we will eat him today, and we will eat my son to-morrow.
29 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.
So we boiled my son, and ate him; and I said to her on the second day, Give your son, and let us eat him: and 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, while yet he was passing by upon the wall, —so the people looked, and lo! sackcloth upon his flesh, within.
And it came to pass, when the king of Israel heard the words of the woman, [that] he tore his garments; and he passed by on the wall, and the people saw sackcloth within upon his flesh.
31 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!
And he said, God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisaie shall stand upon him this day.
32 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?
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 you 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 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?
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?
