1And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha , Behold now , the place where we dwell before thee is too strait for us . 2Let us go , we pray thee , unto the 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 . 3And one said, Be pleased , I pray thee , to go with thy servants . And he answered, I will go . 4So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan , they cut down wood . 5But as one was felling a beam , the axe-head fell into the water ; and he cried , and said, Alas, my master! for it was borrowed . 6And the man of God said, Where fell it ? And he showed him the place . And he cut down a stick , and cast it in thither , and made the iron to swim . 7And he said, Take it up to thee . So he put out his hand , and took it .
Elisha and the Aramean Army
8Now the king of Syria was warring against Israel ; and he took counsel with his servants , saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp . 9And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel , saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place ; for thither the Syrians are coming down . 10And 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 nor twice . 11And 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 show me which of us is for the king of Israel ? 12And one of his servants said , Nay , 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 . 13And he said, Go and see where he is , that I may send and fetch him . And it was told him , saying, Behold , he is in Dothan . 14Therefore sent he thither horses , and chariots , and a great host : and they came by night , and compassed the city about . 15And when the servant of the man of God was risen early , and gone forth , behold , a host with horses and chariots was round about the city . And his servant said unto him , Alas, my master! how shall we do ? 16And he answered, Fear not ; for they that are with us are more than they that are with them . 17And Elisha prayed , and said, Jehovah , I pray thee , open his eyes , that he may see . And Jehovah 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. 18And when they came down to him , Elisha prayed unto Jehovah , and said , Smite this people , I pray thee , with blindness . And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. 19And 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 . And he led them to Samaria . 20And it came to pass , when they were come into Samaria , that Elisha said, Jehovah , open the eyes of these men, that they may see . And Jehovah opened their eyes , and they saw ; and , behold , they were in the midst of Samaria . 21And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them , My father, shall I smite them ? shall I smite them ? 22And 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. 23And he prepared great provision for them ; and when they had eaten and drunk , he sent them away , and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel .
The Siege of Samaria
24And it came to pass after this , that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his host , and went up , and besieged Samaria . 25And 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 kab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver . 26And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall , there cried a woman unto him , saying, Help , my lord, O king . 27And he said, If Jehovah do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the threshing-floor, or out of the winepress ? 28And 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. 29So 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 . 30And it came to pass , when the king heard the words of the woman , that he rent his clothes ( now he was passing by upon the wall ); and the people looked , and , behold , he had sackcloth within upon his flesh . 31Then he said, God do so to me , and more also , if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day . 32But Elisha was sitting in his house , and the elders were sitting 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 my head ? look , when the messenger cometh, shut the door , and hold the door fast against him : is not the sound of his master ’s feet behind him ? 33And while he was yet talking with them , behold , the messenger came down unto him : and he said , Behold , this evil is of Jehovah ; why should I wait for Jehovah any longer ?