1 N ow the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Behold now, the place before you where we are living is too limited for us.

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

2 P lease 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.”

Let 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.

3 T hen one said, “Please be willing to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I shall go.”

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

4 S o he went with them; and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.

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

5 B ut as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.”

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

6 T hen the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there, and made the iron float.

And 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.

7 H e said, “Take it up for yourself.” So he put out his hand and took it. The Arameans Plot to Capture Elisha

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

8 N ow the king of Aram was warring against Israel; and he counseled with his servants saying, “In such and such a place shall be my camp.”

¶ 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.

9 T he 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.”

And 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.

10 T he 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, more than once or twice.

Then 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.

11 N ow 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?”

Therefore, 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?

12 O ne 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.”

Then 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.

13 S o 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 Dothan.”

¶ 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.

14 H e sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

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

15 N ow 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! What shall we do?”

And 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?

16 S o he answered, “ Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

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

17 T hen Elisha prayed and said, “ O 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 horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

And 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.

18 W hen they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Strike this people with blindness, I pray.” So He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

And 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.

19 T hen 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.

And 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.

20 W hen they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, 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.

And 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.

21 T hen the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, “ My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”

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

22 H e answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.”

And 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.

23 S o 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 the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel. The Siege of Samaria—Cannibalism

And 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.

24 N ow it came about after this, that Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his army and went up and besieged Samaria.

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

25 T here was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver.

And 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.

26 A s the king of Israel was passing by on the wall a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!”

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

27 H e said, “ If the Lord does not help you, from where shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?”

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

28 A nd the king said to her, “ What is the matter with you?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’

And 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.

29 S o 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.”

So 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.

30 W hen the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body.

And 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.

31 T hen he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today.”

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

32 N ow Elisha was sitting in his house, and the 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 see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door shut against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”

And 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?

33 W hile he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him and he said, “ Behold, this evil is from the Lord; why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”

And 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?