“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?” (2 Kings 6:1-33 AV)
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