< 2 Kings 7 >

1 Elisha replied to the king, “Listen to what Yahweh says: ‘He says that by this time tomorrow, at the marketplace here in Samaria, you will be able to buy (ten pounds/five kg.) of fine wheat or (20 pounds/ten kg.) of barley for [only] one piece of silver.’”
وَقَالَ أَلِيشَعُ: «ٱسْمَعُوا كَلَامَ ٱلرَّبِّ. هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ: فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا ٱلْوَقْتِ غَدًا تَكُونُ كَيْلَةُ ٱلدَّقِيقِ بِشَاقِلٍ، وَكَيْلَتَا ٱلشَّعِيرِ بِشَاقِلٍ فِي بَابِ ٱلسَّامِرَةِ».١
2 The king’s officer said to Elijah, “That cannot happen! Even if Yahweh himself would open the windows of the sky [and send grain down to us], that certainly could not [RHQ] happen!” Elisha replied, “[Because you said that, ] you [SYN] will see it happen, but you will not be able to eat any of the food!”
وَإِنَّ جُنْدِيًّا لِلْمَلِكِ كَانَ يَسْتَنِدُ عَلَى يَدِهِ أَجَابَ رَجُلَ ٱللهِ وَقَالَ: «هُوَذَا ٱلرَّبُّ يَصْنَعُ كُوًى فِي ٱلسَّمَاءِ! هَلْ يَكُونُ هَذَا ٱلْأَمْرُ؟» فَقَالَ: «إِنَّكَ تَرَى بِعَيْنَيْكَ، وَلَكِنْ لَا تَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ».٢
3 That day there were four men who had (leprosy/a dreaded skin disease) who were sitting outside the gate of Samaria [city. They said to each other, “(Why should we] wait here until we die?/[It is ridiculous for us to] wait here until we die.) [RHQ]
وَكَانَ أَرْبَعَةُ رِجَالٍ بُرْصٍ عِنْدَ مَدْخَلِ ٱلْبَابِ، فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمْ لِصَاحِبِهِ: «لِمَاذَا نَحْنُ جَالِسُونَ هُنَا حَتَّى نَمُوتَ؟٣
4 If we go into the city, we will die there, because there is no food there. If we remain sitting here, we will die here. So let’s go to where the army of Syria has set up their tents. If they kill us, we will die. But if they allow us to remain alive, we will not die.”
إِذَا قُلْنَا نَدْخُلُ ٱلْمَدِينَةَ، فَٱلْجُوعُ فِي ٱلْمَدِينَةِ فَنَمُوتُ فِيهَا. وَإِذَا جَلَسْنَا هُنَا نَمُوتُ. فَٱلْآنَ هَلُمَّ نَسْقُطْ إِلَى مَحَلَّةِ ٱلْأَرَامِيِّينَ، فَإِنِ اِسْتَحْيَوْنَا حَيِينَا، وَإِنْ قَتَلُونَا مُتْنَا».٤
5 So when it was getting dark, those four men went to the camp where the army of Syria had set up their tents. But when they reached the camp, they saw that there was no one there!
فَقَامُوا فِي ٱلْعِشَاءِ لِيَذْهَبُوا إِلَى مَحَلَّةِ ٱلْأَرَامِيِّينَ. فَجَاءُوا إِلَى آخِرِ مَحَلَّةِ ٱلْأَرَامِيِّينَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ هُنَاكَ أَحَدٌ.٥
6 What had happened was that Yahweh had caused the army of Syria to hear something that sounded like a large army marching with chariots and horses. So they said to each other, “Listen! The king of Israel has hired the kings of Egypt and the Heth people-group [and their armies], and they have come to attack us!”
فَإِنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ أَسْمَعَ جَيْشَ ٱلْأَرَامِيِّينَ صَوْتَ مَرْكَبَاتٍ وَصَوْتَ خَيْلٍ، صَوْتَ جَيْشٍ عَظِيمٍ. فَقَالُوا ٱلْوَاحِدُ لِأَخِيهِ: «هُوَذَا مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ قَدِ ٱسْتَأْجَرَ ضِدَّنَا مُلُوكَ ٱلْحِثِّيِّينَ وَمُلُوكَ ٱلْمِصْرِيِّينَ لِيَأْتُوا عَلَيْنَا».٦
7 So they all ran away that evening and left their tents and their horses and donkeys there, because [they were afraid that] they would be killed [if they stayed there].
فَقَامُوا وَهَرَبُوا فِي ٱلْعِشَاءِ وَتَرَكُوا خِيَامَهُمْ وَخَيْلَهُمْ وَحَمِيرَهُمُ، ٱلْمَحَلَّةَ كَمَا هِيَ، وَهَرَبُوا لِأَجْلِ نَجَاةِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ.٧
8 When those four lepers came to the edge of the area where the soldiers of Syria had set up their tents, they went into one tent, [and saw all the things that had been left there]. So they ate and drank what was there, and they took the silver and the gold and clothes. Then they went [outside the tent] and hid those things. Then they entered another tent, and took things from there, and then went outside and hid them, also.
وَجَاءَ هَؤُلَاءِ ٱلْبُرْصُ إِلَى آخِرِ ٱلْمَحَلَّةِ وَدَخَلُوا خَيْمَةً وَاحِدَةً، فَأَكَلُوا وَشَرِبُوا وَحَمَلُوا مِنْهَا فِضَّةً وَذَهَبًا وَثِيَابًا وَمَضَوْا وَطَمَرُوهَا. ثُمَّ رَجَعُوا وَدَخَلُوا خَيْمَةً أُخْرَى وَحَمَلُوا مِنْهَا وَمَضَوْا وَطَمَرُوا.٨
9 But then they said to each other, “We are not doing what is right. We have good news [to tell others] today. If we do not tell it to anyone now, and if we wait until morning to tell it, we will certainly be punished [by Yahweh]. So let’s go right now to the palace and tell it to the king’s officials!”
ثُمَّ قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ: «لَسْنَا عَامِلِينَ حَسَنًا. هَذَا ٱلْيَوْمُ هُوَ يَوْمُ بِشَارَةٍ وَنَحْنُ سَاكِتُونَ، فَإِنِ ٱنْتَظَرْنَا إِلَى ضَوْءِ ٱلصَّبَاحِ يُصَادِفُنَا شَرٌّ. فَهَلُمَّ ٱلْآنَ نَدْخُلْ وَنُخْبِرْ بَيْتَ ٱلْمَلِكِ».٩
10 So they went to the guards at the city gates and called out to them, “We went to where the army of Syria had set up their tents, but we did not see or hear anyone there. Their horses and donkeys were still tied up, but their tents were all deserted/abandoned!”
فَجَاءُوا وَدَعَوْا بَوَّابَ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَأَخْبَرُوهُ قَائِلِينَ: «إِنَّنَا دَخَلْنَا مَحَلَّةَ ٱلْأَرَامِيِّينَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ هُنَاكَ أَحَدٌ وَلَا صَوْتُ إِنْسَانٍ، وَلَكِنْ خَيْلٌ مَرْبُوطَةٌ وَحَمِيرٌ مَرْبُوطَةٌ وَخِيَامٌ كَمَا هِيَ».١٠
11 The guards shouted the news, and some people [who heard it] went to the palace and reported it there.
فَدَعَا ٱلْبَوَّابِينَ فَأَخْبَرُوا بَيْتَ ٱلْمَلِكِ دَاخِلًا.١١
12 [When] the king [heard it, he] got up out of his bed and said to his officials, “I will tell you what the army of Syria is planning to do. They know that we have no food here, so they have left their tents and are hiding in the fields. They think that we will leave the city [to find some food], and then they will capture us and capture the city.”
فَقَامَ ٱلْمَلِكُ لَيْلًا وَقَالَ لِعَبِيدِهِ: «لَأُخْبِرَنَّكُمْ مَا فَعَلَ لَنَا ٱلْأَرَامِيُّونَ. عَلِمُوا أَنَّنَا جِيَاعٌ فَخَرَجُوا مِنَ ٱلْمَحَلَّةِ لِيَخْتَبِئُوا فِي حَقْلٍ قَائِلِينَ: إِذَا خَرَجُوا مِنَ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ قَبَضْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَحْيَاءً وَدَخَلْنَا ٱلْمَدِينَةَ».١٢
13 But one of his officials said, “Many of our Israeli people have already died [from (hunger/not having anything to eat]). If those of us who are still alive all stay here, we also will die anyway. So let’s send some men with five of our horses that are still alive to go and see [what has really happened].”
فَأَجَابَ وَاحِدٌ مِنْ عَبِيدِهِ وَقَالَ: «فَلْيَأْخُذُوا خَمْسَةً مِنَ ٱلْخَيْلِ ٱلْبَاقِيَةِ ٱلَّتِي بَقِيَتْ فِيهَا. هِيَ نَظِيرُ كُلِّ جُمْهُورِ إِسْرَائِيلَ ٱلَّذِينَ بَقَوْا بِهَا، أَوْ هِيَ نَظِيرُ كُلِّ جُمْهُورِ إِسْرَائِيلَ ٱلَّذِينَ فَنَوْا. فَنُرْسِلُ وَنَرَى».١٣
14 So they chose some men and told them to go in a chariot and find out what had happened to the army of Syria.
فَأَخَذُوا مَرْكَبَتَيْ خَيْلٍ. وَأَرْسَلَ ٱلْمَلِكُ وَرَاءَ جَيْشِ ٱلْأَرَامِيِّينَ قَائِلًا: «ٱذْهَبُوا وَٱنْظُرُوا».١٤
15 They went as far as the Jordan [River]. All along the road they saw clothes and equipment that the soldiers from Syria had thrown away while they were running away very quickly. So the men returned to the king and reported [what they had seen].
فَٱنْطَلَقُوا وَرَاءَهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْأُرْدُنِّ، وَإِذَا كُلُّ ٱلطَّرِيقِ مَلآنٌ ثِيَابًا وَآنِيَةً قَدْ طَرَحَهَا ٱلْأَرَامِيُّونَ مِنْ عَجَلَتِهِمْ. فَرَجَعَ ٱلرُّسُلُ وَأَخْبَرُوا ٱلْمَلِكَ.١٥
16 Then many of the people of Samaria also went [out of the city and went] to where the army of Syria had previously set up their tents. They entered all the tents and took everything. [So there was now plenty of everything!] As a result people could buy ten pounds of fine wheat or 20 pounds of barley for only one piece of silver, which was what Yahweh had said would happen!
فَخَرَجَ ٱلشَّعْبُ وَنَهَبُوا مَحَلَّةَ ٱلْأَرَامِيِّينَ. فَكَانَتْ كَيْلَةُ ٱلدَّقِيقِ بِشَاقِلٍ، وَكَيْلَتَا ٱلشَّعِيرِ بِشَاقِلٍ حَسَبَ كَلَامِ ٱلرَّبِّ.١٦
17 The king of Israel had appointed the officer who was his assistant to supervise what was happening at the marketplace. But as he was standing near the gate, all the people [who were rushing outside the city] trampled on him, and he died, which was what Elisha had said would happen to him when Elisha previously went to talk to the king.
وَأَقَامَ ٱلْمَلِكُ عَلَى ٱلْبَابِ ٱلْجُنْدِيَّ ٱلَّذِي كَانَ يَسْتَنِدُ عَلَى يَدِهِ، فَدَاسَهُ ٱلشَّعْبُ فِي ٱلْبَابِ، فَمَاتَ كَمَا قَالَ رَجُلُ ٱللهِ ٱلَّذِي تَكَلَّمَ عِنْدَ نُزُولِ ٱلْمَلِكِ إِلَيْهِ.١٧
18 Elisha had told him that by the next day there would be plenty of food, with the result that anyone could buy ten pounds of fine wheat or 20 pounds of barley for only one piece of silver.
فَإِنَّهُ لَمَّا تَكَلَّمَ رَجُلُ ٱللهِ إِلَى ٱلْمَلِكِ قَائِلًا: «كَيْلَتَا شَعِيرٍ بِشَاقِلٍ وَكَيْلَةُ دَقِيقٍ بِشَاقِلٍ تَكُونُ فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا ٱلْوَقْتِ غَدًا فِي بَابِ ٱلسَّامِرَةِ»١٨
19 And the officer had answered, “That certainly cannot [RHQ] happen! Even if Yahweh himself would open the sky and send down some grain, that could not happen.” And Elisha had replied, “[Because you said that, ] you [SYN] will see it happen, but you will not be able to eat any of the food!”
وَأَجَابَ ٱلْجُنْدِيُّ رَجُلَ ٱللهِ وَقَالَ: «هُوَذَا ٱلرَّبُّ يَصْنَعُ كُوًى فِي ٱلسَّمَاءِ! هَلْ يَكُونُ مِثْلَ هَذَا ٱلْأَمْرِ؟» قَالَ: «إِنَّكَ تَرَى بِعَيْنَيْكَ وَلَكِنَّكَ لَا تَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ».١٩
20 And that is what happened to him. The people [who were rushing out of] the city gate trampled on him, and he died.
فَكَانَ لَهُ كَذَلِكَ. دَاسَهُ ٱلشَّعْبُ فِي ٱلْبَابِ فَمَاتَ.٢٠

< 2 Kings 7 >