And the sons of the prophets
said
unto
Elisha
, Behold now, the place
where we dwell
with thee is too strait
for us.
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.
And one said
, Be content
, I pray thee, and go
with thy servants
. And he answered
, I will go
.
So he went with them. And when they came
to Jordan
, they cut down
wood
.
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
.
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
.
Therefore said he, Take it up
to thee. And he put out
his hand
, and took
it.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
?
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
.
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
.
Therefore sent he thither horses
, and chariots
, and a great
host
: and they came
by night
, and compassed
the city
about
.
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
?
And he answered, Fear
not: for they that be with us are more
than they that be with them.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
And the king of Israel
said
unto Elisha
, when he saw
them, My father
, shall I smite
them ? shall I smite
them ?
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
.
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
.
And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad
king
of Syria
gathered
all his host
, and went up
, and besieged
Samaria
.
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
.
And as the king of Israel
was passing by
upon the wall
, there cried
a woman
unto him, saying
, Help
, my lord
, O king
.
And he said, If the LORD
do not help
thee, whence
shall I help
thee? out of the barnfloor
, or out of the winepress
?
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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?
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?