2 Kings
Chapter 6
1 The prophet’s sons said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we stay with you is too small for us.”
2 Please let us go to the Jordan River, and let each of us take a piece of wood so we can build ourselves a place to stay. And he replied, “Go ahead.”
3 Someone said, “Please agree and come with your servants.” He replied, “I will go.”
4 He went with them. When they reached the Jordan River, they cut down trees.
5 While someone was cutting a tree, the axe head dropped into the water and he shouted, “Oh no, master! It was borrowed.”
6 The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” He showed him the spot. Then he cut a stick and threw it there, and the iron floated.
7 So he said, “Pick it up yourself.” Then he reached out his hand and took it.
8 The Syrian king fought against Israel and talked with his advisors, saying, “My camp will be in a certain place.”
9 The man of God warned the king of Israel, “Be careful not to go near that place, because the Syrians have come there.”
10 The king of Israel went to the place that the man of God had told him about and warned him about, and he kept himself safe there more than once.
11 So the king of Syria was very upset about this; he called his servants and asked them, “Won’t you tell me who among us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
12 One of his servants said, “No, my king; but Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words you speak in your bedroom.”
13 He said, “Go find out where he is, so I can send someone to get him.” They told him, “He is in Dothan.”
14 So he sent horses, chariots, and a large army there. They arrived at night and surrounded the city.
15 When God’s man’s helper got up early and went outside, he saw an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. The helper said to him, “Oh no, my master! What will we do?”
16 He replied, “Don’t be afraid: we have more on our side than they have on theirs.”
17 Elisha prayed and said, “God, please open his eyes so he can see.” And God opened the young man’s eyes, and he saw the mountain was full of horses and fiery chariots around Elisha.
18 When they got to Elisha, he prayed to God, “Please make these people blind.” So God made them blind, just as Elisha had said.
19 Elisha said to them, “This is not the right way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are looking for.” But he took them to Samaria.
20 When they arrived in Samaria, Elisha said, “God, please let these men see.” And God let them see, and they saw that they were in Samaria.
21 The king of Israel said to Elisha when he saw the men, “My father, should I attack them? Should I attack them?”
22 He replied, “Don’t hurt them. Would you attack those you’ve captured with your sword and bow? Give them food and water so they can eat, drink, and return to their leader.”
23 He made a lot of food for them, and after they ate and drank, he sent them off, and they returned to their leader. So, the Syrian groups did not enter Israel again.
24 After this, Benhadad the king of Syria brought together all his army, and they went and surrounded Samaria.
25 There was a severe famine in Samaria, and they were surrounded. During the siege, a donkey’s head was sold for eighty silver coins, and a small amount of dove manure for five silver coins.
26 As the king of Israel walked along the wall, a woman called out to him, saying, “Help me, my lord, O king.”
27 He said, “If God won’t help you, where can I help you from? The threshing floor or the winepress?”
28 The king asked her, “What’s wrong?” She replied, “This woman told me, ‘Give me your son so we can eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.’”
29 We cooked my son and ate him. The next day I told her, “Give us your son to eat,” but she hid her son.
30 When the king heard what the woman said, he tore his clothes. As he walked along the wall, the people saw that he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes against his skin.
31 He said, “May God punish me even more if Elisha, son of Shaphat, keeps his head today.”
32 Elisha was sitting in his house with the elders when the king sent a man to him. Before the man arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Can you see that this murderer’s son wants to cut off my head? When his messenger arrives, close the door and keep him there. Isn’t the sound of his boss’s footsteps following him?”
33 While he was still talking to them, look, the messenger came to him and said, “Look, this trouble is from God; why should I wait for God any longer?”