2 Kings, 6

1. The brotherhood of prophets said to Elisha, 'Look, the place where we are living with you is too small for us.

1. Now the sons of the prophets said to Eli'sha, "See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us.

2. Let us go to the Jordan, then, and each of us cut a beam there, and we will make our living quarters there.' He replied, 'Go.'

2. Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there." And he answered, "Go."

3. 'Be good enough to go with your servants,' one of them said. 'I will go,' he replied,

3. Then one of them said, "Be pleased to go with your servants." And he answered, "I will go."

4. and went with them. On reaching the Jordan they began cutting down timber.

4. So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.

5. But, as one of them was felling his beam, the iron axehead fell into the water. 'Alas, my lord,' he exclaimed, 'and it was a borrowed one too!'

5. But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water; and he cried out, "Alas, my master! It was borrowed."

6. 'Where did it fall?' the man of God asked; and he showed him the spot. Then, cutting a stick, Elisha threw it in at that point and made the iron axehead float.

6. Then the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick, and threw it in there, and made the iron float.

7. 'Lift it out,' he said; and the man stretched out his hand and took it.

7. And he said, "Take it up." So he reached out his hand and took it.

8. The king of Aram was at war with Israel. He conferred with his officers and said, 'You must attack at such and such a place.'

8. Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, "At such and such a place shall be my camp."

9. Elisha, however, sent word to the king of Israel, 'Be on your guard about such and such a place, because the Aramaeans are going to attack it.'

9. But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, "Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there."

10. The king of Israel accordingly sent men to the place which Elisha had named. And he kept warning the king, and the king stayed on the alert; and this happened more than once or twice.

10. And the king of Israel sent to the place of which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice.

11. The king of Aram grew very much disturbed over this. He summoned his officers, and said, 'Tell me which of you is betraying us to the king of Israel.'

11. And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, "Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?"

12. 'No one, my lord king,' one of his officers replied. 'It is Elisha, the prophet in Israel. The words you utter in your bedchamber, he reveals to the king of Israel.'

12. And one of his servants said, "None, my lord, O king; but Eli'sha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedchamber."

13. 'Go and find out where he is,' the king said, 'so that I can send people to capture him.' Word was brought to him, 'He is now in Dothan.'

13. And he said, "Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him." It was told him, "Behold, he is in Dothan."

14. So he sent horses and chariots there, and a large force; and these, arriving during the night, surrounded the town.

14. So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army; and they came by night, and surrounded the city.

15. Next day, Elisha got up early and went out; and there surrounding the town was an armed force with horses and chariots. 'Oh, my lord,' his servant said, 'what are we to do?'

15. When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was round about the city. And the servant said, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?"

16. 'Do not be afraid,' he replied, 'for there are more on our side than on theirs.'

16. He said, "Fear not, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

17. And Elisha prayed. 'Yahweh,' he said, 'open his eyes and make him see.' Yahweh opened the servant's eyes, and he saw the mountain covered in fiery horses and chariots surrounding Elisha.

17. Then Eli'sha prayed, and said, "O LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see." So 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 Eli'sha.

18. As the Aramaeans came down towards him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, 'I beg you to strike these people sun-blind.' And, at Elisha's word, he struck them sun-blind.

18. And when the Syrians came down against him, Eli'sha prayed to the LORD, and said, "Strike this people, I pray thee, with blindness." So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Eli'sha.

19. Then Elisha said to them, 'This is not the road, nor is this the town. Follow me; I shall lead you to the man you are looking for.' But he led them to Samaria.

19. And Eli'sha said to them, "This is not the way, and this is not the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." And he led them to Sama'ria.

20. As they entered Samaria, Elisha said, 'Yahweh, open these people's eyes, and let them see.' Yahweh opened their eyes and they saw; they were inside Samaria.

20. As soon as they entered Sama'ria, Eli'sha said, "O LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." So the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and lo, they were in the midst of Sama'ria.

21. When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, 'Shall I kill them, father?'

21. When the king of Israel saw them he said to Eli'sha, "My father, shall I slay them? Shall I slay them?"

22. 'Do not kill them,' he replied. 'Do you kill your own prisoners with sword and bow? Offer them food and water, so that they can eat and drink, and then let them go back to their master.'

22. He answered, "You shall not slay them. Would you slay 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."

23. So the king provided a great feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them off and they went back to their master. Aramaean raiding parties never invaded the territory of Israel again.

23. So he prepared for them a great feast; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians came no more on raids into the land of Israel.

24. It happened after this that Ben-Hadad king of Aram, mustering his whole army, marched on and laid siege to Samaria.

24. Afterward Ben-ha'dad king of Syria mustered his entire army, and went up, and besieged Sama'ria.

25. In Samaria there was great famine, and so strict was the siege that the head of a donkey sold for eighty shekels of silver, and one quarter-kab of wild onions for five shekels of silver.

25. And there was a great famine in Sama'ria, as they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five shekels of silver.

26. Now as the king was passing along the city wall, a woman shouted, 'Help, my lord king!'

26. Now as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, "Help, my lord, O king!"

27. 'If Yahweh does not help you,' he retorted, 'where can I find help for you? From the threshing-floor? From the winepress?'

27. And he said, "If the LORD will not help you, whence shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?"

28. Then the king asked, 'What is the matter?' 'This woman here', she answered, 'said to me, "Give up your son; we will eat him today, and eat my son tomorrow."

28. And the king asked her, "What is your trouble?" She answered, "This woman said to me, `Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.'

29. So we cooked my son and ate him. Next day, I said to her, "Give up your son for us to eat." But she has hidden her son.'

29. So we boiled my son, and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, `Give your son, that we may eat him'; but she has hidden her son."

30. On hearing the woman's words, the king tore his clothes; the king was walking on the wall, and the people saw that underneath he was wearing sackcloth next his body.

30. When the king heard the words of the woman he rent his clothes -- now he was passing by upon the wall -- and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath upon his body --

31. 'May God bring unnameable ills on me, and worse ills, too,' he said, 'if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!'

31. and he said, "May God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Eli'sha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today."

32. Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead but, before the man arrived, Elisha had said to the elders, 'Do you see how this son of a murderer has given orders to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door; hold the door against him. Isn't that the sound of his master's step behind him?'

32. Eli'sha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence; but before the messenger arrived Eli'sha said to the elders, "Do you see how this murderer has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?"

33. He was still actually speaking, when the king arrived and said, 'This misery plainly comes from Yahweh. Why should I still trust in Yahweh?'

33. And while he was still speaking with them, the king came down to him and said, "This trouble is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"