1 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now,
the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.
2 Let
us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us
make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
3 And
one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I
will go.
4 So
he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.
5 But
as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and
said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
6 And
the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut
down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.
7 Therefore
said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand,
and took it.
8 Then
the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants,
saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
9 And
the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not
such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
10 And
the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned
him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
11 Therefore
the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called
his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for
the king of Israel?
12 And
one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in
Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy
bedchamber.
13 And
he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him.
And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
14 Therefore
sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night,
and compassed the city about.
15 And
when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an
host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said
unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16 And
he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more
than they that be with them.
17 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 horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
18 And
when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this
people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according
to the word of Elisha.
19 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. But he led
them to Samaria.
20 And
it came to pass, when they were come into 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, behold, they were in
the midst of Samaria.
21 And
the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
22 And
he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest 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 go to their master.
23 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 And
it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host,
and went up, and besieged Samaria.
25 And
there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an
ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of
silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of
silver.
26 And
as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto
him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
27 And
he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the
barnfloor, or out of the winepress?
28 And
the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto
me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.
29 So
we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give
thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.
30 And
it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his
clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth
within upon his flesh.
31 Then
he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat
shall stand on him this day.
32 But
Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent
a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the
elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head?
look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not
the sound of his master's feet behind him?
33 And
while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he
said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for
the LORD any longer?
