2 Reyes 7

1 Entonces Eliseo respondió: “Escucha el mensaje del Señor. Esto es lo que dice el Señor: Mañana a esta hora, un seah de la mejor harina se venderá por un siclo, y dos seahs de cebada se venderán por un siclo en la puerta de Samaria”.

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.’”

2 El oficial que era ayudante del rey le dijo al hombre de Dios: “¡Aunque el Señor abriera ventanas en el cielo no podría suceder lo que tú dices!”. Eliseo respondió: “Lo verás con tus propios ojos, pero no podrás comer nada de eso”.

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!”

3 Aconteció que había cuatro hombres con lepra a la entrada de la puerta de la ciudad. Y se decían unos a otros: “¿Qué ganaremos con quedarnos aquí sentados hasta morir?

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]

4 Si decimos: ‘Vamos a la ciudad’, moriremos a causa del hambre que hay allí; pero si seguimos sentados aquí, también moriremos. Así que vamos, vayamos al campamento de los arameos y entreguémonos a ellos. Si nos dejan vivir, viviremos; si nos matan, moriremos”.

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.”

5 Así que cuando estaba oscureciendo se pusieron en marcha y se dirigieron al campamento de los arameos. Pero cuando llegaron a la entradadel campamento, no había nadie.

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!

6 Esto era porque el Señor había hecho que los arameos oyeran el ruido de carros, caballos, como si fuera un gran ejército que se acercaba. Así que los arameos dijeron: “Seguro que el rey de Israel ha contratado a los reyes de los hititas y de los egipcios para que vengan a atacarnos”.

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!”

7 Entonces saltaron y huyeron por la noche, dejando atrás sus tiendas, sus caballos y sus asnos. De hecho, el campamento quedó tal como estaba cuando huyeron para salvar sus vidas.

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].

8 Cuando los leprosos llegaron a las afueras del campamento, entraron en una tienda, comieron y bebieron. Luego tomaron la plata, el oro y la ropa, y lo escondieron todo. Después volvieron a otra tienda, tomaron algunas cosas de allí y las escondieron.

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.

9 Entonces se dijeron unos a otros: “No está bien lo que estamos haciendo. Este es un día de buenas noticias, y si nos callamos y esperamos hasta que amanezca, seguro nos castigarán. Así que vayamos enseguida a dar aviso en el palacio del rey”.

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!”

10 Entonces fueron y llamaron a los guardianes de la ciudad: “Pasamos por el campamento arameo y no había nadie, ¡ni un ruido de nadie! Sólo había caballos y asnos atados, y las tiendas las dejaron tal como estaban”.

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!”

11 Los porteros dieron la noticia a gritos, y los informes llegaron al palacio real.

The guards shouted the news, and some people [who heard it] went to the palace and reported it there.

12 Entonces el rey se levantó por la noche y dijo a sus oficiales: “Déjenme decirles el truco que los arameos están tratando de hacernos. Saben que nos estamos muriendo de hambre, así que han abandonado el campamento y se han escondido en el campo, pensando que cuando salgan de la ciudad, los agarraremos vivos y podremos entrar en ella”.

[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.”

13 Uno de sus oficiales sugirió: “Que algunos hombres tomen cinco de los caballos que quedan en la ciudad. Lo que les ocurra a ellos será lo mismo que a todos los israelitas que quedan aquí. De cierto, todos los israelitas de aquí están condenados. Enviémoslos a averiguar qué sucede”.

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].”

14 Así que prepararon dos carros con sus caballos, y el rey los envió al campamento arameo, diciéndoles: “Vayan y echen un vistazo”.

So they chose some men and told them to go in a chariot and find out what had happened to the army of Syria.

15 Fueron tras ellos hasta el Jordán, y todo el camino estaba lleno de ropa y objetos que los arameos habían tirado al huir. Los mensajeros regresaron e informaron al rey.

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].

16 Entonces el pueblo salió y saqueó el campamento de los arameos. Así, un seah de la mejor harina se vendió por un siclo, y dos seahs de cebada se vendieron por un siclo, tal como el Señor lo había predicho.

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!

17 El rey había puesto al oficial que era su asistente a cargo de la puerta. En su afán, el pueblo lo pisoteó en la puerta y murió, tal como había dicho el hombre de Dios cuando el rey lo visitó.

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.

18 También se cumplió lo que el hombre de Dios le había dicho al rey cuando le dijo: “Mañana a esta hora un seah de la mejor harina se venderá por un siclo, y dos seahs de cebada se venderán por un siclo en la puerta de Samaria”.

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.

19 También el oficial que era ayudante del rey le había dicho al hombre de Dios: “¡Mira, aunque el Señor abriera ventanas en el cielo no podría suceder lo que tú dices!” Y Eliseo había respondido: “Lo verás con tus propios ojos, pero no podrás comer nada de eso”.

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!”

20 Esto es lo que le sucedió. La gente lo pisoteó en la puerta y murió.

And that is what happened to him. The people [who were rushing out of] the city gate trampled on him, and he died.