Elisha, giving leave to the young prophets to enlarge their dwellings, causeth iron to swim.

1 ¶ And the sonsº of the prophetsº saidºª unto¹² Elisha,º Behold² now,² the placeº where²² we² dwellºª with² thee is too straitº for² us. 2 Let us go,¹ª² we pray thee,² unto² Jordan,º and takeºª thence²² every manº aº beam,º and let us makeºª us a placeº there,² where² we may dwell.ºª And he answered,ºª Go¹ª² ye. 3 And oneº said,ºª Be content,ºª I pray thee,² and go¹ª² with² thy servants.º And he answered,ºª I² will go.¹ª² 4 So he went¹ª² with² them. And when they cameºª to Jordan,º they cut downºª wood.º 5 But as oneº was² fellingºª a beam,º the axe headº fellºª into² the water:º and he cried,ºª and said,ºª Alas,º master!º for it² was borrowed.ºª 6 And the manº of Godº said,ºª Whereº fellºª it? And he shewedºª him² the place.º And he cut downºª a stick,º and castºª [it] in thither;² and the ironº did swim.ºª 7 Therefore saidºª he, Take [it] upºª to thee. And he put outºª his hand,º and tookºª it.

He discloseth the king of Samaria's counsel.

8 ¶ Then the kingº of Syriaº warredºª against Israel,º and took counselºª with² his servants,º saying,ºª In² such¹ and suchº² a placeº [shall be] my camp.º 9 And the manº of Godº sentºª unto² the kingº of Israel,º saying,ºª Bewareºª that thou pass¹ª not²² suchº a place;º for² thither² the Syriansº are come down.º 10 And the kingº of Israelº sentºª to² the placeº which² the manº of Godº toldºª him and warnedºª him of, and saved¹ª himself² there,² not² onceº nor² twice.º 11 Therefore the heartº of the kingº of Syriaº was sore troubledºª for² this² thing;º and he calledºª² his servants,º and saidºª unto² them, Will ye not² shewºª me which² of²² us [is] for² the kingº of Israel?º 12 And oneº of his servantsº² said,ºª None,² my lord,º O king:º but² Elisha,º the prophetº that² [is] in Israel,º tellethºª the kingº of Israelº² the wordsº that² thou speakestºª in thy bedchamber.ºº

The army, which was sent to Dothan to apprehend Elisha, is smitten with blindness.

13 ¶ And he said,ºª Go¹ª² and spyºª whereº he² [is], that I may sendºª and fetchºª him. And it was toldºª him, saying,ºª Behold,² [he is] in Dothan.º 14 Therefore sentºª he thither² horses,º and chariots,º and a greatº host:º and they cameºª by night,º and compassedºª² the cityº about.¹ª 15 And when the servantºª of the manº of Godº was risenºª early,ºª and gone forth,ºª behold,² an hostº compassedºª² the cityº both with horsesº and chariots.º And his servantº saidºª unto² him, Alas,º my master!º how² shall we do?ºª 16 And he answered,ºª Fearºª not:² for² they that² [be] with² us [are] moreº than they that²² [be] with² them. 17 And Elishaº prayed,ºª and said,ºª LORD,º I pray thee,² openºª² his eyes,º that he may see.ºª And the LORDº openedºª² the eyesº of the young man;º and he saw:ºª and, behold,² the mountainº [was] fullºª of horsesº and chariotsº of fireº round aboutº Elisha.º 18 And when they came downºª to² him, Elishaº prayedºª unto² the LORD,º and said,ºª Smiteºª² this² people,º I pray thee,² with blindness.º And he smoteºª them with blindnessº according to the wordº of Elisha.º

Being brought into Samaria, they are dismissed in peace.

19 ¶ And Elishaº saidºª unto² them, This² [is] not² the way,º neither² [is] thisº the city:º followº¹ª² me, and I will bring¹ª² you to² the manº whom² ye seek.ºª But he led¹ª² them to Samaria.º 20 And it came to pass,² when they were comeºª into Samaria,º that Elishaº said,ºª LORD,º openºª² the eyesº of these² [men], that they may see.ºª And the LORDº openedºª² their eyes,º and they saw;ºª and, behold,² [they were] in the midstº of Samaria.º 21 And the kingº of Israelº saidºª unto² Elisha,º when he sawºª them, My father,º shall I smiteºª [them]? shall I smiteºª [them]? 22 And he answered,ºª Thou shalt not² smiteºª [them]: wouldest thou² smiteºª those whom² thou hast taken captiveºª with thy swordº and with thy bow?º setºª breadº and waterº beforeº them, that they may eatºª and drink,ºª and go¹ª² to² their master.º 23 And he preparedºª greatº provisionº for them: and when they had eatenºª and drunk,ºª he sent them away,ºª and they went¹ª² to² their master.º So the bandsº of Syriaº cameºª no² moreºª² into the landº of Israel.º

The famine in Samaria causeth women to eat their own children.

24 ¶ And it came to pass² after² this,¹² that Benhadadº kingº of Syriaº gatheredºª² all² his host,º and went up,ºª and besiegedºª² Samaria.º 25 And there was² a greatº famineº in Samaria:º and, behold,² they besiegedºª² it, until² an ass'sº headº was² [sold] for fourscoreº [pieces] of silver,º and the fourth partº of a cabº of dove's dungºª¹¹ for fiveº [pieces] of silver.º 26 And as the kingº of Israelº was² passing byºª upon² the wall,º there criedºª a womanº unto² him, saying,ºª Help,ºª my lord,º O king.º 27 And he said,ºª If the LORDº do not² helpºª thee, whenceº² shall I helpºª thee? out of² the barnfloor,º or² out of² the winepress?º 28 And the kingº saidºª unto her, What² aileth thee? And she answered,ºª This² womanº saidºª unto² me, Giveºª² thy son,º that we may eatºª him to day,º and we will eatºª my sonº to morrow.º 29 So we boiledºª² my son,º and did eatºª him: and I saidºª unto² her on the nextº day,º Giveºª² thy son,º that we may eatºª him: and she hath hidºª² her son.º

The king sendeth to slay Elisha.

30 ¶ And it came to pass,² when the kingº heardºª² the wordsº of the woman,º that he rentºª² his clothes;º and he² passed byºª upon² the wall,º and the peopleº looked,ºª and, behold,² [he had] sackclothº withinº² upon² his flesh.º 31 Then he said,ºª Godº doºª so² and moreºª also² to me, if² the headº of Elishaº the sonº of Shaphatº shall standºª on² him this day.º 32 But Elishaº satºª in his house,º and the eldersº satºª with² him; and [the king] sentºª a manº from beforeº² him: but ere² the messengerº cameºª to² him, he² saidºª to² the elders,º Seeºª ye how² this² sonº of a murdererºª hath sentºª to take awayºª² mine head?º look,ºª when the messengerº cometh,ºª shutºª the door,º and hold him fastºª² at the door:º [is] not² the soundº of his master'sº feetº behindº him? 33 And while he yet² talkedºª with² them, behold,² the messengerº came downºª unto² him: and he said,ºª Behold,² this² evilº [is] of²² the LORD;º what² should I waitºª for the LORDº any longer?²