2 Kings 6

The Axe Head Recovered

1Now 1the sonsH1121 of the prophetsH5030 saidH559 to ElishaH477, “BeholdH2009 nowH4994, the placeH4725 2beforeH6440 you whereH834H8033 we are livingH3427 is tooH4480 crampedH6862 for us. 2PleaseH4994 let us goH1980 to the JordanH3383, and let us eachH376 takeH3947 from thereH8033 a beamH6982, and let us constructH6213 a placeH4725 thereH8033 for ourselves, to liveH3427 thereH8033.” So he saidH559, “GoH1980.” 3Then oneH259 of them saidH559, “PleaseH4994 agreeH2974 and goH1980 with your servantsH5650.” And he saidH559, “I will goH1980.” 4So he wentH1980 with them; and when they cameH935 to the JordanH3383, they cutH1504 downH1504 treesH6086. 5But it happenedH1961 that as oneH259 of them was 3cuttingH5307 downH5307 a beamH6982, 4the axeH1270 headH1270 fellH5307 into the waterH4325; and he criedH6817 outH6817 and saidH559, “OhH162, my masterH113! It was borrowedH7592!” 6Then the manH376 of GodH430 saidH559, “WhereH575 did it fallH5307?” And when he showedH7200 him the placeH4725, 5he cutH7094 offH7094 a stickH6086 and threwH7993 it in thereH8033, and made the ironH1270 floatH6687. 7Then he saidH559, “PickH7311 it upH7311 for yourself.” So he reachedH7971 outH7971 his handH3027 and tookH3947 it.

The Arameans Plot to Capture Elisha

8Now the kingH4428 of AramH758 was makingH3898 warH3898 against IsraelH3478; and he consultedH3289 with his servantsH5650, sayingH559, “In suchH6423 and suchH492 a placeH4725 shall be my campH8466.” 9But 6the manH376 of GodH430 sentH7971 word to the kingH4428 of IsraelH3478, sayingH559, “BeH8104 carefulH8104 that you do not passH5674 thisH2088 placeH4725, becauseH3588 the ArameansH758 are comingH5185 downH5185 thereH8033.” 10And the kingH4428 of IsraelH3478 sentH7971 scouts to the placeH4725 about whichH834 the manH376 of GodH430 had toldH559 him; so he warnedH2094 him, so that he was on his guardH8104 thereH8033, 7more than onceH259 or twiceH8147.

11Now the heartH3820 of the kingH4428 of AramH758 was enragedH5590 overH5921 thisH2088 matterH1697; and he calledH7121 his servantsH5650 and saidH559 to them, “Will you not tellH5046 me whichH4310 of us is for the kingH4428 of IsraelH3478?” 12OneH259 of his servantsH5650 saidH559, “NoH3808, my lordH113, the kingH4428; but ElishaH477, the prophetH5030 whoH834 is in IsraelH3478, tellsH5046 the kingH4428 of IsraelH3478 the wordsH1697 that you speakH1696 in your bedroomH2315H4904.” 13So he saidH559, “GoH1980 and seeH7200 whereH351 he is, so that I may sendH7971 men and takeH3947 him.” And it was toldH5046 to him, sayingH559, “BeholdH2009, he is in 8DothanH1886.” 14So he sentH7971 horsesH5483 and chariotsH7393 and a substantialH3515 armyH2428 thereH8033, and they cameH935 by nightH3915 and surroundedH5362 the cityH5892.

15Now when the attendantH8334 of the manH376 of GodH430 had risenH6965 earlyH7925 and goneH3318 outH3318, beholdH2009, an armyH2428 with horsesH5483 and chariotsH7393 was circlingH5437 the cityH5892. And his servantH5288 saidH559 to him, “ThisH162 isH162 hopelessH162, my masterH113! 9WhatH351 are we to doH6213?” 16And he saidH559, “10Do not beH3372 afraidH3372, for 11those whoH834 are with us are 12greaterH7227 thanH4480 those whoH834 are with them.” 17Then ElishaH477 prayedH6419 and saidH559, “13LordH3068, pleaseH4994, openH6491 his eyesH5869 so that he may seeH7200.” And the LordH3068 openedH6491 the servant’sH5288 eyesH5869, and he sawH7200; and beholdH2009, the mountainH2022 was fullH4390 of 14horsesH5483 and chariotsH7393 of fireH784 allH5439 aroundH5439 ElishaH477. 18And when they cameH3381 downH3381 to him, ElishaH477 prayedH6419 to the LordH3068 and saidH559, “PleaseH4994 strikeH5221 thisH2088 15peopleH1471 with blindnessH5575.” So He 16struckH5221 them with blindnessH5575 in accordance with the wordH1697 of ElishaH477. 19Then ElishaH477 saidH559 to them, “ThisH2088 is not the wayH1870, norH3808 is thisH2090 the cityH5892; followH1980H310 me and I will bringH1980 you to the manH376 whomH834 you seekH1245.” And he broughtH1980 them to SamariaH8111.

20When they had comeH935 into SamariaH8111, ElishaH477 saidH559, “17LordH3068, openH6491 the eyesH5869 of theseH428 men, so that they may seeH7200.” So the LordH3068 openedH6491 their eyesH5869, and they sawH7200; and beholdH2009, they were in the midstH8432 of SamariaH8111. 21Then the kingH4428 of IsraelH3478 when he sawH7200 them, saidH559 to ElishaH477, “18My fatherH1, shall I 19killH5221 them? Shall I 20killH5221 them?” 22But he 21answeredH559, “You shall not 22killH5221 them. Would you 2324killH5221 those whomH834 you have takenH7617 captiveH7617 with your swordH2719 and your bowH7198? 25SetH7760 breadH3899 and waterH4325 beforeH6440 them, so that they may eatH398 and drinkH8354, and goH1980 to their masterH113.” 23So he providedH3738 a largeH1419 feastH3740 for them; and when they had eatenH398 and drunkH8354, he sentH7971 them awayH7971, and they wentH1980 to their masterH113. And 26the maraudingH1416 bandsH1416 of ArameansH758 did not comeH935 againH5750H3254 into the landH776 of IsraelH3478.

The Siege of Samaria--Cannibalism

24Now it cameH1961 aboutH1961 afterH310 thisH3651, that 27Ben-hadadH1130 the kingH4428 of AramH758 gatheredH6908 allH3605 his armyH4264, and wentH5927 upH5927 and besiegedH6696H5921 SamariaH8111. 25So there was a severeH1419 28famineH7458 in SamariaH8111; and beholdH2009, they kept besiegingH6696H5921 it untilH5704 a donkey’sH2543 headH7218 was sold for eightyH8084 shekels of silverH3701, and a fourthH7255 of a 29kabH6894 of dove’sH3123 dungH1686 for fiveH2568 shekels of silverH3701. 26And as the kingH4428 of IsraelH3478 was passingH5674 byH5674 on the wallH2346, a womanH802 criedH6817 outH6817 to him, sayingH559, “HelpH3467, my lordH113 the kingH4428!” 27But he saidH559, “30If the LordH3068 does not helpH3467 you, from whereH370 am I to helpH3467 you? From the threshingH1637 floorH1637, orH176 from the wineH3342 pressH3342?” 28Then the kingH4428 saidH559 to her, “31WhatH4100 32is on your mind?” And she saidH559, “ThisH2088 womanH802 saidH559 to me, ‘GiveH5414 your sonH1121 so that we may eatH398 him todayH3117, and we will eatH398 my sonH1121 tomorrowH4279.’ 2933So we cookedH1310 my sonH1121 and ateH398 him; and I saidH559 to her on the nextH312 dayH3117, ‘GiveH5414 your sonH1121, so that we may eatH398 him’; but she has hiddenH2244 her sonH1121.” 30When the kingH4428 heardH8085 the woman’sH802 wordsH1697, 34he toreH7167 his clothesH899--and he was passingH5674 byH5674 on the wallH2346--and the peopleH5971 lookedH7200, and beholdH2009, he had sackclothH8242 35underneathH1004 on his 36bodyH1320. 31Then he saidH559, “May 37GodH430 doH6213 soH3541 to me and moreH3254 soH3541, ifH518 the headH7218 of ElishaH477 the sonH1121 of ShaphatH8202 38remainsH5975 on him todayH3117.”

32Now ElishaH477 was sittingH3427 in his houseH1004, and 39the eldersH2205 were sittingH3427 with him. And the king sentH7971 a manH376 from his presenceH6440; but beforeH2962 the messengerH4397 cameH935 to him, he saidH559 to the eldersH2205, “Do you 40seeH7200 howH3588 thisH2088 sonH1121 of a murdererH7523 has sentH7971 a man to cutH5493 offH5493 my headH7218? LookH7200, when the messengerH4397 comesH935, shutH5462 the doorH1817 and 41holdH3905 the doorH1817 shutH3905 against him. Is the soundH6963 of his master’sH113 feetH7272 not behindH310 him?” 33While he was stillH5750 talkingH1696 with them, beholdH2009, the messengerH4397 cameH3381 downH3381 to him and he saidH559, “42BeholdH2009, thisH2088 evilH7463 is from the LordH3068; whyH4100 should I waitH3176 for the LordH3068 anyH5750 longerH5750?”