1 A nd the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See now, the place where we dwell with you is too small 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 P lease, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell.” So 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 T hen one said, “Please consent to go with your servants.” 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 trees.

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

5 B ut as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, master! For 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 S o the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float.

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 T herefore he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took it. The Blinded Syrians Captured

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

8 N ow the king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”

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 to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down 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 someone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or 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 greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you 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 A nd one of his servants said, “None, 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.”

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 S o he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” And it was told him, saying, “Surely 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 T herefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

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 arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to 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 S o he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who 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, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around 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 S o when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck 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 N ow 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.” But 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 S o it was, when they had come to Samaria, that Elisha said, “ Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and there they were, inside 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 N ow when the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them? ”

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

22 B ut he answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go 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 T hen he prepared a great feast for them; and after they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel. Syria Besieges Samaria in Famine

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 A nd it happened after this that Ben-Hadad king of Syria gathered all his army, 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; and indeed they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and one-fourth of a kab of dove droppings for five shekels 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 T hen, as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, 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 help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or from 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 T hen the king said to her, “What is troubling 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 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 to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden 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 N ow it happened, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes; and as he passed by on the wall, the people looked, and there underneath he had sackcloth on his body.

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 to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on 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 B ut Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man ahead of him, but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent someone 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 was still talking with them, there was the messenger, coming down to him; and then the king said, “Surely this calamity is from the Lord; why 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?'