1 ¶ The sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too tight for us.

And sons of the prophet say unto Elisha, `Lo, we pray thee, the place where we are dwelling before thee is too strait for us;

2 L et us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and each one take a beam from there, and let us make us a place there where we may dwell. And he answered, Go.

let us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and we take thence each one beam, and we make for ourselves there a place to dwell there;' and he saith, `Go.'

3 A nd one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy slaves. And he answered, I will go.

And the one saith, `Be pleased, I pray thee, and go with thy servants;' and he saith, `I -- I go.'

4 S o he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down the wood.

And he goeth with them, and they come in to the Jordan, and cut down the trees,

5 B ut as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water, and he cried and said, Alas, master! It was borrowed.

and it cometh to pass, the one is felling the beam, and the iron hath fallen into the water, and he crieth and saith, `Alas! my lord, and it asked!'

6 A nd the man of God said, Where did it fall? And he showed him the place. Then he cut down a stick and cast it in there and caused the iron to swim.

And the man of God saith, `Whither hath it fallen?' and he sheweth him the place, and he cutteth a stick, and casteth thither, and causeth the iron to swim,

7 A nd he said unto him, Take it. And he put out his hand and took it.

and saith, `Raise to thee;' and he putteth forth his hand and taketh it.

8 ¶ Then the king of Syria warred against Israel and took counsel with his slaves, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.

And the king of Aram hath been fighting against Israel, and taketh counsel with his servants, saying, `At such and such a place my encamping.'

9 A nd the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware to not pass through such and such a place, for the Syrians are going there.

And the man of God sendeth unto the king of Israel, saying, `Take heed of passing by this place, for thither are the Aramaeans coming down;

10 T hen the king of Israel sent to the place, which the man of God told him and warned him of and kept himself from there, not once nor twice.

and the king of Israel sendeth unto the place of which the man of God spake to him, and warned him, and he is preserved there not once nor twice.

11 T herefore, the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled over this thing, and he called his slaves and said unto them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?

And the heart of the king of Aram is tossed about concerning this thing, and he calleth unto his servants, and saith unto them, `Do ye not declare to me who of us for the king of Israel?'

12 T hen one of his slaves said, None, my lord, O king, but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

And one of his servants saith, `Nay, my lord, O king, for Elisha the prophet, who in Israel, declareth to the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in the inner part of thy bed-chamber.'

13 ¶ And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and take him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

And he saith, `Go ye and see where he, and I send and take him;' and it is declared to him, saying, `Lo -- in Dothan.'

14 S o he sent horsemen and chariots there and a great host, who came by night and compassed the city about.

And he sendeth thither horses and chariot, and a heavy force, and they come in by night, and go round against the city.

15 A nd when the servant of the man of God was risen early to go forth, behold, a host compassed the city both with horsemen and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! What shall we do?

And the servant of the man of God riseth early, and goeth out, and lo, a force is surrounding the city, and horse and chariot, and his young man saith unto him, `Alas! my lord, how do we do?'

16 A nd he answered, Fear not; for those that are with us are more than those that are with them.

And he saith, `Fear not, for more they who with us than they who with them.'

17 A nd Elisha prayed and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and, behold, the mountain was full of horsemen and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

And Elisha prayeth, and saith, `Jehovah, open, I pray Thee, his eyes, and he doth see;' and Jehovah openeth the eyes of the young man, and he seeth, and lo, the hill is full of horses and chariots of fire, round about Elisha.

18 A nd when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD and said, Smite these people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

And they come down unto it, and Elisha prayeth unto Jehovah, and saith, `Smite, I pray Thee, this nation with blindness;' and He smiteth them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.

19 A nd Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. And he led them to Samaria.

And Elisha saith unto them, `This not the way, nor this the city; come after me, and I lead you unto the man whom ye seek;' and he leadeth them to Samaria.

20 A nd when they came into Samaria, Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

And it cometh to pass, at their coming in to Samaria, that Elisha saith, `Jehovah, open the eyes of these, and they see;' and Jehovah openeth their eyes, and they see, and lo, in the midst of Samaria!

21 A nd the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? Shall I smite them?

And the king of Israel saith unto Elisha, at his seeing them, `Do I smite -- do I smite -- my father?'

22 A nd he answered, Thou shalt not smite them; would thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and return to their master.

And he saith, `Thou dost not smite; those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow art thou smiting? set bread and water before them, and they eat, and drink, and go unto their lord.'

23 A nd he prepared great provision for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

And he prepareth for them great provision, and they eat and drink, and he sendeth them away, and they go unto their lord: and troops of Aram have not added any more to come in to the land of Israel.

24 ¶ And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad, king of Syria, gathered all his host and went up and besieged Samaria.

And it cometh to pass afterwards, that Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathereth all his camp, and goeth up, and layeth siege to Samaria,

25 A nd there was a great famine in Samaria as they besieged it until an ass’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.

and there is a great famine in Samaria, and lo, they are laying siege to it, till the head of an ass is at eighty silverlings, and a forth of the cab of dovesdung at five silverlings.

26 A nd as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, a woman cried unto him, saying, Save me, my lord, O king.

And it cometh to pass, the king of Israel is passing by on the wall, and a woman hath cried unto him, saying, `Save, my lord, O king.'

27 A nd he said, If the LORD does not save thee, from where shall I save thee? Out of the threshingfloor, or out of the winepress?

And he saith, `Jehovah doth not save thee -- whence do I save thee? out of the threshing-floor, or out of the wine-vat?'

28 A nd the king said unto her, What ails thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.

And the king saith to her, `What -- to thee?' and she saith, `This woman said unto me, Give thy son, and we eat him to-day, and my son we eat to-morrow;

29 S o we boiled my son and ate him. And I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son that we may eat him. But she has hid her son.

and we boil my son and eat him, and I say unto her on the next day, Give thy son, and we eat him; and she hideth her son.'

30 A nd when the king heard the words of the woman, he rent his clothes; and he passed by like this upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

And it cometh to pass, at the king's hearing the words of the woman, that he rendeth his garments, and he is passing by on the wall, and the people see, and lo, the sackcloth on his flesh within.

31 T hen he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha, the son of Shaphat, shall remain upon him today.

And he saith, `Thus doth God do to me, and thus He doth add -- if it remain -- the head of Elisha son of Shaphat -- upon him this day.'

32 A nd Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man unto him. But before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door; is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?

And Elisha is sitting in his house, and the elders are sitting with him, and sendeth a man from before him; before the messenger doth come unto him, even he himself said unto the elders, `Have ye seen that this son of the murderer hath sent to turn aside my head? see, at the coming in of the messenger, shut the door, and ye have held him fast at the door, is not the sound of the feet of his lord behind him?'

33 A nd while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him; and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; for what should I wait for the LORD any longer?

He is yet speaking with them, and lo, the messenger is coming down unto him, and he saith, `Lo, this the evil from Jehovah: what -- do I wait for Jehovah any more?'