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

Now the sons of the men who tell what will happen in the future said to Elisha, “See, the place where we are living under your care is too small for us.

2 l et 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.'

Let us go to the Jordan and each of us cut down a tree there. And let us make a place for us to live there.” So Elisha said, “Go.”

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

Then one of them said, “Be pleased to go with your servants.” And Elisha answered, “I will go.”

4 A nd he goeth with them, and they come in to the Jordan, and cut down the trees,

So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.

5 a nd 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!'

But as one of them was cutting a tree, the ax head fell into the water. The man cried out, “It is bad, sir! The ax belongs to another man, and I was to return it.”

6 A nd 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,

The man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And when he showed him the place, Elisha cut off a stick and threw it in, and the iron came to the top of the water.

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

He said, “Pick it up.” So his servant put out his hand and took it. Syrian Army Loses the Battle

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

Now the king of Syria was fighting a war against Israel. He had a meeting with his servants, and said, “This is the place where I will be staying.”

9 A nd 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;

The man of God sent news to the king of Israel, saying, “Be careful that you do not pass this place. For the Syrians are coming down there.”

10 a nd 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.

The king of Israel sent men to the place where the man of God said there would be danger. So he saved himself there more than once or twice.

11 A nd 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?'

The heart of the king of Syria was angry because of this. He called his servants and said to them, “Will you show me which one of us is helping the king of Israel?”

12 A nd 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.'

And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king. Elisha, the man of God who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you say in your bedroom.”

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

So he said, “Go and see where Elisha is, that I may send men to take him.” And he was told, “See, he is in Dothan.”

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

So the king of Syria sent horses and war-wagons and an army of many soldiers there. They came during the night and gathered around the city.

15 A nd 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?'

The servant of the man of God got up early and went out. And he saw an army with horses and war-wagons around the city. The servant said to Elisha, “It is bad, sir! What should we do?”

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

He answered, “Do not be afraid. For those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

17 A nd 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.

Then 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. He saw that the mountain was full of horses and war-wagons of fire all around Elisha.

18 A nd 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.

When the Syrians came against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, saying, “Make these people blind, I pray.” So the Lord made them blind, as Elisha had said.

19 A nd 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.

Then Elisha said to them, “This is not the way. This is not the city. Follow me and I will bring you to the man you are looking for.” And he brought them to Samaria.

20 A nd 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!

When they had come to Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these men. Let them see.” So the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw. They saw they were in the center of Samaria.

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

When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?”

22 A nd 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.'

He answered, “Do not kill them. Would you kill those you have taken against their will with your sword and bow? Give them bread and water. Let them eat and drink and return to their owner.”

23 A nd 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.

So he made a big supper for them. When they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away. And they went to their owner. The Syrians sent no more small groups of soldiers into the land of Israel. Samaria’s Trouble

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

After this, Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army and went up against Samaria.

25 a nd 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.

There was a time of no food in Samaria. The Syrian army gathered around it, until a donkey’s head sold for eighty pieces of silver. A half cup of dove’s waste sold for five pieces of silver.

26 A nd 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.'

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

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

And he said, “If the Lord does not help you, from where can I help you? From the grain-floor, or from the grape-crusher?”

28 A nd 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;

Then the king said to her, “What is your trouble?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, so we may eat him today. And we will eat my son tomorrow.’

29 a nd 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.'

So we made my son ready to eat over the fire, and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, so we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.”

30 A nd 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.

When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. He was passing by on the wall, and the people looked. They saw that he wore cloth made from hair under his clothes.

31 A nd 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.'

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

32 A nd 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?'

Now Elisha was sitting in his house. And the leaders were sitting with him. The king sent a man, but before the man came to him, Elisha said to the leaders, “Do you see how this son of a killer has sent to take off my head? See, when the king’s man comes, shut the door. Hold the door shut against him. Is not the sound of his owner’s feet behind him?”

33 H e 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?'

While he was still talking with them, the king came down to him and said, “See, this trouble is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”