The Floating Ax Head
1And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See now, the place where we dwell with you is too small for us.2Please, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell.”
So he answered, “Go.”
3Then one said, “Please consent to go with your servants.”
And he answered, “I will go.”4So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.5But as one was cutting down a tree, the ironax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, master! For it was borrowed.”
6So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threwit in there; and he made the iron float.7Therefore he said, “Pickit up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took it.
The Blinded Syrians Captured
8Now the king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, “My campwill be in such and such a place.”9And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.”10Then the king of Israel sentsomeone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice.
11Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of usis for the king of Israel?”
12And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet whois in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”
13So he said, “Go and see where heis, that I may send and get him.”
And it was told him, saying, “Surelyhe is in Dothan.”
14Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.15And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
16So he answered, “Do not fear, for those whoare with usare more than those whoare with them.”17And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then theLord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountainwas full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.18So whenthe Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to theLord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19Now Elisha said to them, “Thisis not the way, noris this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” But he led them to Samaria.
20So it was, when they had come to Samaria, that Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of thesemen, that they may see.” And theLord opened their eyes, and they saw; and therethey were, inside Samaria!
21Now when the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I killthem? Shall I killthem?”
22But he answered, “You shall not killthem. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.”23Then he prepared a great feast for them; and after they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syrianraiders came no more into the land of Israel.
Syria Besieges Samaria in Famine
24And it happened after this that Ben-Hadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.25And there was a great famine in Samaria; and indeed they besieged it until a donkey’s head wassold for eightyshekels of silver, and one-fourth of a[a]kab of dove droppings for fiveshekels of silver.
26Then, as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!”
27And he said, “If theLord does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or from the winepress?”28Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you?”
And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’29So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.”
30Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes; and as he passed by on the wall, the people looked, and there underneathhe had sackcloth on his body.31Then he said, “God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today!”
32But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Andthe king sent a man ahead of him, but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent someone to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door.Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”33And while he was still talking with them, there was the messenger, coming down to him; and thenthe king said, “Surely this calamityis from theLord; why should I wait for theLord any longer?”
