Now athe sons of the prophets
said
to Elisha
, "Behold
now
, the place
before
you where
we are living
is too
limited
for us.
"Please let us go
to the Jordan
and each
of us take
from there
a beam
, and let us make
a place
there
for ourselves where
we may live
." So he said
, "Go
."
Then one said
, "Please
be willing
to go
with your servants
." And he 1answered
, "I shall go
."
So he went with them; and when they came
to the Jordan
, they cut
down
trees
.
But as one was felling
a beam
, 1the axe
head
fell
into the water
; and he cried
out and said
, "Alas
, my master
! For it was borrowed
."
Then the man of God
said
, "Where
did it fall
?" And when he showed
him the place
, ahe cut
off
a stick
and threw
it in there
, and made the iron
float
.
He said, "Take
it up for yourself." So he put
out his hand
and took
it.
Now the king of Aram
was warring
against Israel
; and he 1counseled
with his servants
saying
, "In such
and such
a place
shall be my camp
."
aThe man of God
sent
word to the king
of Israel
saying
, "Beware
that you do not pass
this
place
, for the Arameans
are coming
down
there
."
The king of Israel
sent
to the place
about which
the man
of God
had told
him; thus he warned
him, so that he guarded
himself there
, 1more than once
or twice
.
Now the heart of the king
of Aram
was enraged
over
this
thing
; and he called
his servants
and said
to them, "Will you tell
me which
of us is for the king
of Israel
?"
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
."
So he said, "Go
and see
where
he is, that I may send
and take
him." And it was told
him, saying
, "Behold
, he is in aDothan
."
He sent horses
and chariots
and a great
army
there
, and they came
by night
and surrounded
the city
.
Now when the attendant of the man
of God
had risen
early
and gone
out, behold
, an army
with horses
and chariots
was circling
the city
. And his servant
said
to him, "Alas
, my master
! 1What
shall we do
?"
So he 1answered, " aDo not fear
, for bthose who
are with us are more
than
those who
are with them."
Then Elisha prayed
and said
, " aO LORD
, I pray
, open
his eyes
that he may see
." And the LORD
opened
the servant's
eyes
and he saw
; and behold
, the mountain
was full
of bhorses
and chariots
of fire
all
around
Elisha
.
When they came down
to him, Elisha
prayed
to the LORD
and said
, "Strike
this
1people
with blindness
, I pray
." So He astruck
them with blindness
according to the word
of Elisha
.
Then Elisha said
to them, "This
is not the way
, nor
is this
the city
; follow
me and I will bring
you to the man
whom
you seek
." And he brought
them to Samaria
.
When they had come into Samaria
, Elisha
said
, "O aLORD
, open
the eyes
of these
men, that they may see
." So the LORD
opened
their eyes
and they saw
; and behold
, they were in the midst
of Samaria
.
Then the king of Israel
when he saw
them, said
to Elisha
, " aMy father
, shall I 1kill
them? Shall I 1kill
them?"
He 1answered, "You shall not 2kill
them. Would you 2 akill
those you have taken
captive
with your sword
and with your bow
? bSet
bread
and water
before
them, that they may eat
and drink
and go
to their master
."
So he prepared a great
feast
for them; and when they had eaten
and drunk
he sent
them away
, and they went
to their master
. And athe marauding
bands
of Arameans
did
not come
again
into the land
of Israel
.
Now it came about after
this
, that aBen-hadad
king
of Aram
gathered
all
his army
and went
up and besieged
Samaria
.
There was a great afamine
in Samaria
; and behold
, they besieged
it, until
a donkey's
head
was sold
for eighty
shekels of silver
, and a fourth
of a 1kab
of dove's
dung
for five
shekels of silver
.
As the king of Israel
was passing
by on the wall
a woman
cried
out to him, saying
, "Help
, my lord
, O king
!"
He said, " 1If the LORD
does not help
you, from where
shall I help
you? From the threshing
floor
, or
from the wine
press
?"
And the king said
to her, " aWhat
1is the matter with you?" And she 2answered
, "This
woman
said
to me, `Give
your son
that we may eat
him today
, and we will eat
my son
tomorrow
.'
" aSo we boiled my son
and ate
him; and I said
to her on the next
day
, `Give
your son
, that we may eat
him'; but she has hidden
her son
."
When the king heard
the words
of the woman
, ahe tore
his clothes
--now he was passing
by on the wall
--and the people
looked
, and behold
, he had sackcloth
1beneath
on his 2body
.
Then he said, "May aGod
do
so
to me and more
also
, if
the head
of Elisha
the son
of Shaphat
1remains
on him today
."
Now Elisha was sitting
in his house
, and athe elders
were sitting
with him. And the king sent
a man
from his presence
; but before
the messenger
came
to him, he said
to the elders
, "Do you bsee
how
this
son
of a murderer
has sent
to take
away
my head
? Look
, when the messenger
comes
, shut
the door
and 1hold
the door
shut
against him. Is not the sound
of his master's
feet
behind
him?"
While he was still talking
with them, behold
, the messenger
came
down
to him and he said
, " aBehold
, this
evil
is from the LORD
; why
should I wait
for the LORD
any
longer
?"