1 T he sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See now, the place where we live and meet 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 each man take a beam from there, and let us make us a place there, where we may live.” 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 O ne said, “Please be pleased to go with your servants.” 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. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.

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 ax head fell into the water. Then he cried, and said, “Alas, my 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 T he man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” He showed him the place. He cut down a stick, threw it in there, and 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 H e said, “Take it.” So he put out his hand and took it.

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

8 N ow the king of Syria was at war against Israel; and he took counsel 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 T he man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you 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 he king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not 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 he king of Syria’s heart was very troubled about this. He called his servants, and said to them, “Won’t you 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 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.”

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 H e said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” He was told, “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 T herefore he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. 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 W hen the servant of the man of God had risen early, and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was around the city. 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 H e answered, “Don’t be afraid; 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 E lisha prayed, and said, “Yahweh, please open his eyes, that he may see.” Yahweh opened the young man’s eyes; and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire 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 W hen they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” He struck them with blindness according to Elijah’s word.

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 E lisha said to them, “This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” 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 W hen they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “Yahweh, open these men’s eyes, that they may see.” Yahweh opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the middle 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 T he king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, “My father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?”

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

22 H e answered, “You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom 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 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 H e prepared great feast for them. When they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria stopped raiding 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 A fter this, Benhadad 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 T here was a great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab 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 s the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried 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 H e said, “If Yahweh doesn’t help you, where could I get help for you? From of the threshing floor, or from the wine press?”

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 he king said to her, “What is your problem?” 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;’ and 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 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 underneath 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 stays 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. Then the king sent a man from before him; 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? Behold, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door shut against him. Isn’t 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 W hile he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, “Behold, this evil is from Yahweh. Why should I wait for Yahweh 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?'