The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Kings 06
1 The sons of the prophets said to Elisha,
“See now, the place where we live and
meet with you is too small for us.
2 Please let us go to the Jordan, and each
man take a beam from there, and let’s
make us a place there, where we may live.”
He answered, “Go!”
3 One said, “Please be pleased to go with
your servants.”He answered, “I will go.”
4 So he went with them. When they came
to the Jordan, they cut down wood.
5 But as one was cutting down a tree, the
ax head fell into the water. Then he cried
out and said, “Alas, my master! For it was
borrowed.”
6 The man of God asked, “Where did it
fall?” He showed him the place. He cut
down a stick, threw it in there, and made
the iron float.
7 He said, “Take it.” So he put out his
hand and took it.
8 Now the king of Syria was at war
againstIsrael; and he took counsel with his
servants, saying, “My camp will be in such
and such a place.”
9 The man of God sent to the king of
Israel, saying, “Beware that you not pass
thisplace,for the Syrians are comingdown
there.”
10 The king of Israel sent to the place
which the man of God told him and
warned him of; and he saved himself
there, not once or twice.
11 The king of Syria’sheart was very troubled about this. He called his servants, and
said to them, “Won’t you show me which of
us is for the king of Israel?”
12 One of his servants said, “No, my lord,
O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in
Israel, tells the king ofIsraelthe words that
you speak in your bedroom.”
13 He said, “Go and see where he is, that I
may send and get him.”
He was told, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”
14 Therefore he sent horses, chariots,
and a great army there. They came by
night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God
had risen early and gone out, behold, an
army with horses and chariots was around
the city. His servant said to him, “Alas, my
master! What shall we do?”
16 He answered, “Don’t be afraid, for
those who are with us are more than those
who are with them.”
17 Elisha prayed, and said, “Yahweh,
please open his eyes, that he may see.”
Yahweh opened the young man’s eyes, and
he saw; and behold, the mountain was
full of horses and chariots of fire around
Elisha.
18 When they came down to him, Elisha
prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please strike
this people with blindness.”
He struck them with blindness according to Elisha’s word.
19 Elisha said to them, “This is not the
way, neither is this the city. Follow me,
and I will bring you to the man whom you
seek.” He led them to Samaria.
20 When they had come into Samaria,
Elisha said, “Yahweh, open these men’s
eyes, that they may see.”Yahweh opened their eyes, and they
saw; and behold, they were in the middle
of Samaria.
21 The king of Israel said to Elisha, when
he saw them, “My father, shall I strike
them? Shall I strike them?”
22 He answered, “You shall not strike
them. Would you strike those whom you
have taken captive with your sword and
with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink,
then go to their master.”
23 He prepared a great feast for them.
After they ate and drank, he sent them
away and they went to their master. So the
bands of Syria stopped raiding the land of
Israel.
24 After this, Benhadad king of Syria
gathered all his army, and went up and
besieged Samaria.
25 There was a great famine in Samaria.
Behold, they besieged it until a donkey’s
head was sold for eighty pieces of silver,
and the fourth part of a kab† of dove’s dung
for five pieces of silver.
26 As the king of Israel was passing by
on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying,
“Help, my lord, O king!”
27 He said, “If Yahweh doesn’t help you,
where could I get help for you? From the
threshing floor, or from the wine press?”
28 Then the king asked her, “What is your
problem?”She answered, “This woman said to me,
‘Give your son, that we may eat him today,
and we will eat my son tomorrow.’
29 So we boiled my son and ate him; and
I said to her on the next day, ‘Give up your
son, that we may eat him;’ and she has
hidden her son.”
30 When the king heard the words of
the woman, he tore his clothes. Now he
was passing by on the wall, and the people
looked, and behold, he had sackcloth underneath on his body.
31 Then he said, “God do so to me, and
more also, if the head of Elisha the son of
Shaphat stays on him today.”
32 But Elisha was sitting in his house, and
the elders were sitting with him. Then
the king sent a man from before him; but
before the messenger came to him, he said
to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a
murderer has sent to take away my head?
Behold, when the messenger comes, shut
the door, and hold the door shut against
him. Isn’t the sound of his master’s feet
behind him?”
33 While he was still talking with them,
behold, the messenger came down to him.
Then he said, “Behold, this evil is from
Yahweh. Why should I wait for Yahweh
any longer?”