1 The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "Look, the place where we are living under your supervision is too small for us."

And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.

2 Let us go to the Jordan, and let each of us take a log from there, and let us build a place for us to live there. And he said, "Go."

Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

3 Then one of them said, "Please come with your servants." And he answered, "I will go."

And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.

4 So he went with them, and they came to the Jordan and began cutting down trees.

So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.

5 But as one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water. He cried out, "Oh no, my master! It was borrowed!"

But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.

6 The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick, threw it there, and the iron floated.

And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.

7 Then he said, "Lift it out." So the man reached out his hand and took it.

Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

8 Now the king of Aram was waging war against Israel. After consulting with his servants, he said, "I will camp in such-and-such a place."

Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.

9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Be careful not to pass this place, because the Arameans are going down there."

And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.

10 So the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had warned him about. Over time, he was careful there, not just once or twice.

And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.

11 The king of Aram became very upset about this. He called his servants and said to them, "Will you not tell me who among us is on the side of the king of Israel?"

Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?

12 One of his servants said, "No, my lord the king; Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom."

And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

13 So the king said, "Go and see where he is, so I can send men to capture him." When he was told, "He is in Dothan,"

And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

14 So the king sent horses, chariots, and a large army there. They arrived at night and surrounded the city.

Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.

15 When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went out, he saw an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. He said, "Oh no, my master! What shall we do?"

And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

16 Elisha replied, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

17 Then Elisha prayed, "LORD, please open his eyes so that he may see." The LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha.

And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Please strike this army with blindness." So He struck them with blindness, as Elisha had requested.

And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

19 Then Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for." And he led them to Samaria.

And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.

20 When they entered Samaria, Elisha said, "LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see." The LORD opened their eyes, and they looked and realized they were inside Samaria.

And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

21 When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?"

And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?

22 Elisha answered, "Do not kill them. Would you kill those you have captured with your sword or bow? Set food and water before them so they can eat and drink and then return to their master."

And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

23 So he prepared a great feast for them. After they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. And the Aramean raiders stopped coming into Israel’s land.

And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

24 Afterward, Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, gathered his entire army and marched up to lay siege to Samaria.

And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

25 There was a great famine in Samaria, and it lasted until a donkey's head sold for eighty pieces of silver, and a quarter of a kab of dove's dung went for five pieces of silver.

And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.

26 As the king of Israel was walking along the city wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, "Help me, my lord the king!"

And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.

27 He answered, "If the LORD does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?"

And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?

28 Then the king asked her, "What is your problem?" She replied, "This woman said to me, 'Give me your son so we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.'

And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.

29 So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day, I said to her, 'Give me your son so we may eat him,' but she had hidden her son."

So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.

30 When the king heard the woman's words, he tore his clothes. As he was walking on the wall, the people saw that he was wearing sackcloth underneath, next to his skin.

And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

31 He said, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!"

Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, "Do you see how this murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger arrives, shut the door and hold it shut against him. Is not the sound of his master's footsteps behind him?"

But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?

33 While he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. The king said, "This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait any longer for the LORD?"

And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?