The Recovery of the Ax Head
1 One day the group of prophets that Elisha was in charge of complained to him, “The place where we live is too small! 2 Give us permission to go to the Jordan and cut down some trees, so that we can build a place to live.”
“All right,” Elisha answered.
3 One of them urged him to go with them; he agreed, 4 and they set out together. When they arrived at the Jordan, they began to work. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, suddenly his iron ax head fell in the water. “What shall I do, sir?” he exclaimed to Elisha. “It was a borrowed ax!”
6 “Where did it fall?” Elisha asked.
The man showed him the place, and Elisha cut off a stick, threw it in the water, and made the ax head float. 7 “Take it out,” he ordered, and the man reached down and picked it up.
The Syrian Army Is Defeated
8 The king of Syria was at war with Israel. He consulted his officers and chose a place to set up his camp. 9 But Elisha sent word to the king of Israel, warning him not to go near that place, because the Syrians were waiting in ambush there. 10 So the king of Israel warned the people who lived in that place, and they were on guard. This happened several times.
11 The Syrian king became greatly upset over this; he called in his officers and asked them, “Which one of you is on the side of the king of Israel?”
12 One of them answered, “No one is, Your Majesty. The prophet Elisha tells the king of Israel what you say even in the privacy of your own room.”
13 “Find out where he is,” the king ordered, “and I will capture him.”
When he was told that Elisha was in Dothan, 14 he sent a large force there with horses and chariots. They reached the town at night and surrounded it. 15 Early the next morning Elisha's servant got up, went out of the house, and saw the Syrian troops with their horses and chariots surrounding the town. He went back to Elisha and exclaimed, “We are doomed, sir! What shall we do?”
16 “Don't be afraid,” Elisha answered. “We have more on our side than they have on theirs.” 17 Then he prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord answered his prayer, and Elisha's servant looked up and saw the hillside covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18 When the Syrians attacked, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, strike these men blind!” The Lord answered his prayer and struck them blind. 19 Then Elisha went to them and said, “You are on the wrong road; this is not the town you are looking for. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are after.” And he led them to Samaria.
20 As soon as they had entered the city, Elisha prayed, “Open their eyes, Lord, and let them see.” The Lord answered his prayer; he restored their sight, and they saw that they were inside Samaria.
21 When the king of Israel saw the Syrians, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, sir? Shall I kill them?”
22 “No,” he answered. “Not even soldiers you had captured in combat would you put to death. Give them something to eat and drink, and let them return to their king.” 23 So the king of Israel provided a great feast for them; and after they had eaten and drunk, he sent them back to the king of Syria. From then on the Syrians stopped raiding the land of Israel.
The Siege of Samaria
24 Some time later King Benhadad of Syria led his entire army against Israel and laid siege to the city of Samaria. 25 As a result of the siege the food shortage in the city was so severe that a donkey's head cost eighty pieces of silver, and half a pound of dove's dung cost five pieces of silver.
26 The king of Israel was walking by on the city wall when a woman cried out, “Help me, Your Majesty!”
27 He replied, “If the Lord won't help you, what help can I provide? Do I have any wheat or wine? 28 What's your trouble?”
She answered, “The other day this woman here suggested that we eat my child, and then eat her child the next day. 29 So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I told her that we would eat her son, but she had hidden him!”
30 Hearing this, the king tore his clothes in dismay, and the people who were close to the wall could see that he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes. 31 He exclaimed, “May God strike me dead if Elisha is not beheaded before the day is over!” 32 And he sent a messenger to get Elisha.
Meanwhile Elisha was at home with some elders who were visiting him. Before the king's messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “That murderer is sending someone to kill me! Now, when he gets here, shut the door and don't let him come in. The king himself will be right behind him.” 33 He had hardly finished saying this, when the king arrived and said, “It's the Lord who has brought this trouble on us! Why should I wait any longer for him to do something?”
1 And the children of the Prophets saide vnto Elisha, Behold, we pray thee, the place where we dwell with thee, is too litle for vs. 2 Let vs nowe goe to Iorden, that we may take thence euery man a beame, and make vs a place to dwell in. And he answered, Goe. 3 And one said, Vouchsafe, I pray thee, to go with thy seruants, and he answered, I will goe. 4 So he went with them, and when they came to Iorden, they cut downe wood. 5 And as one was felling of a tree, the yron fell into the water: then he cryed, and said, Alas master, it was but borowed. 6 And the man of God saide, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. Then he cut downe a piece of wood, and cast in thither, and he caused the yron to swimme. 7 Then he saide, Take it vp to thee. And he stretched out his hand, and tooke it. 8 Then the King of Aram warred against Israel, and tooke counsell with his seruants, and said, In such and such a place shalbe my campe. 9 Therefore the man of God sent vnto the King of Israel, saying, Beware thou goe not ouer to such a place: for there the Aramites are come downe. 10 So the King of Israel sent to the place which the man of God tolde him, and warned him of, and saued himselfe from thence, not once, nor twise. 11 And the heart of the King of Aram was troubled for this thing: therefore he called his seruants and saide vnto them, Will ye not shewe me, which of vs bewrayeth our counsel to the king of Israel? 12 Then one of his seruants saide, None, my lorde, O King, but Elisha the Prophet that is in Israel, telleth the King of Israel, euen the wordes that thou speakest in thy priuie chamber. 13 And he said, Goe, and espie where he is, that I may sende and fetch him. And one tolde him, saying, Beholde, he is in Dothan. 14 So he sent thither horses, and charets, and a mightie hoste: and they came by night, and compassed the citie. 15 And when the seruant of the man of God arose earely to goe out, beholde, an hoste compassed the citie with horses and charets. Then his seruant sayde vnto him, Alas master, howe shall we doe? 16 And he answered, Feare not: for they that be with vs, are moe then they that be with them. 17 Then Elisha prayed, and saide, Lord, I beseech thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the seruant, and he looked, and beholde, the mountaine was full of horses and charets of fyre round about Elisha. 18 So they came downe to him, but Elisha prayed vnto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindnesse. And he smote them with blindnes, according to the worde of Elisha. 19 And Elisha said vnto them, This is not the way, neither is this the citie: follow me, and I will leade you to the man whome ye seeke. But he ledde them to Samaria. 20 And when they were come to Samaria, Elisha saide, Lord, open their eyes that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw, and beholde, they were in the mids of Samaria. 21 And the King of Israel sayde vnto Elisha when he sawe them, My father, shall I smite them, shall I smite them? 22 And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: doest thou not smite them that thou hast taken with thy sworde, and with thy bowe? but set bread and water before them, that they may eate and drinke and goe to their master. 23 And he made great preparation for them: and when they had eaten and drunken, he sent them away: and they went to their master. So ye bands of Aram came no more into the land of Israel. 24 But afterward Ben-hadad King of Aram gathered all his hoste, and went vp, and besieged Samaria. 25 So there was a great famine in Samaria: for loe, they besieged it vntill an asses head was at foure score pieces of siluer, and the fourth part of a kab of doues doung at fiue pieces of siluer. 26 And as the King of Israel was going vpon the wall, there cryed a woman vnto him, saying, Helpe, my lord, O King. 27 And he said, Seeing the Lord doeth not succour thee, howe shoulde I helpe thee with the barne, or with the wine presse? 28 Also the King said vnto her, What ayleth thee? And she answered, This woman sayde vnto me, Giue thy sonne, that we may eate him to day, and we will eate my sonne to morowe, 29 So we sod my sonne, and did eate him: and I saide to her the day after, Giue thy sonne, that we may eate him, but she hath hid her sonne. 30 And when the King had heard the wordes of the woman, he rent his clothes, (and as he went vpon the wall, the people looked, and behold, he had sackecloth within vpon his flesh) 31 And he saide, God doe so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the sonne of Shaphat shall stande on him this day. 32 (Nowe Elisha sate in his house, and the Elders sate with him.) And the King sent a man before him: but before the messenger came to him, he saide to the Elders, See ye not howe this murtherers sonne hath sent to take away mine head? take heede when the messenger commeth, and shut the doore and handle him roughly at the doore: is not the sounde of his masters feete behinde him? 33 While he yet talked with them, beholde, the messenger came downe vnto him, and saide, Behold, this euill commeth of the Lord: should I attende on the Lord any longer?