2 Kings, 7

1. Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time [shall] a measure of fine flour [be sold] for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

1. But Elisha answered, "Listen to the word of Yahweh: Tomorrow at this same time, at the gate of Samaria, a measure of flour shall be sold for a piece of silver, and two measures of barley for a piece of silver, too."

2. Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, [if] the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see [it] with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

2. The shield bearer on whose arm the king leaned said to the man of God, "Even if Yahweh opens the windows of heaven for it to rain wheat, how could this thing be?" Elisha answered, "You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it."

3. And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?

3. Four men were at the city gates, outside, at the other side of the wall. They were lepers. And on that day, they said to one another, "Shall we sit here until we die?

4. If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine [is] in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

4. If we decide to enter the city, there we shall die of hunger. But if we stay here, we die as well. So let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare our lives, then we live; and if they kill us, then let us die!"

5. And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, [there was] no man there.

5. They arose as it was getting dark to go to the camp of the Arameans. But when they reached the camp, they found no one there.

6. For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, [even] the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

6. The Lord had let the Arameans hear the noise of chariots and horses, the sound of a great army. And they had thought: "The king of Israel has sent money to the kings of the Hittites and Moshrites to come and attack us."

7. Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it [was], and fled for their life.

7. So they fled as it was getting dark to save themselves, abandoning their tents, their horses, and their asses, leaving the camp just as it was.

8. And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid [it]; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence [also], and went and hid [it].

8. When these lepers reached the camp boundary, they went into a tent. They ate and drank; they took the silver, gold and clothes, and hid them there in the ground. They entered another tent and took whatever they found, and hid them in the same way.

9. Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day [is] a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.

9. Then they thought: "What we are doing is not good. Today is a day of good tidings, and if we keep silent until tomorrow, we shall be guilty. So let us go and tell this to the king's men."

10. So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, [there was] no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they [were].

10. Returning to the city, they called out to the city guards, saying, "We went to the camp of the Arameans but no one was there, not a trace of anyone, only horses and asses tied, and the tents just as they were left."

11. And he called the porters; and they told [it] to the king's house within.

11. The guards cried out the news and it was told within the king's household.

12. And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we [be] hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.

12. The king arose in the night and said to his officials, "The Arameans know that we are hungry. They have left their camp and have hidden in the field, waiting for us to come out of the city that they may take us alive and then get into the city."

13. And one of his servants answered and said, Let [some] take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they [are] as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, [I say], they [are] even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see.

13. One of the officials answered, "Let some men take five of the remaining horses for, at any rate, these are also bound to die of hunger, as are all the people of this city. Dispatch them and see."

14. They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.

14. So they took two chariots and their horses, and the king sent the horsemen after the Arameans.

15. And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way [was] full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.

15. They went as far as the Jordan, and all the way was littered with clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away in their flight. The messengers returned and told this to the king.

16. And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was [sold] for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

16. Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. A measure of flour was sold for a piece of silver and a double measure of barley was also sold for a piece, as Elisha had said.

17. And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.

17. The king had appointed his shield bearer to keep watch at the city gates. But he was crushed right there by the crowd, so that he died,

18. And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:

18. just as Elisha had told him when the king had come down to see him. For when Elisha had said to the king, "Tomorrow at this hour, at the gate of Samaria, two measures of barley as well as a measure of flour shall be sold for a shekel,"

19. And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, [if] the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

19. the shield bearer had said to the man of God, "Even if Yahweh opens the windows of heaven for it to rain down wheat, what you say will not happen." Then Elisha had told him, "You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it."

20. And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.

20. So it happened. The people ran over him and crushed him at the city gates, and there he died.