The Axe Head Floats

1And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Behold now, the place where we are dwelling there to your face is too tight for us. 2Let us go, please, to the Jordan, and let take from there each man one beam, and let us make to us there a place where we may dwell there.”

And he answered, “Go.”

3And the one said, “Be resolved, please, and go with your servants.”

And he answered, “I will go.”

4And he went with them, and they came to the Jordan, and they cut down the trees. 5And it came to pass, the one was cutting down a tree and the iron fell into the water. And he cried out and said, “Alas, master! And it was borrowed.”

6And the man of God said, “Where did it fall?”

And he showed him the place, and he cut off a stick and threw it in there; and the iron he made float.

7And he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” And he stretched out his hand, and he took it.

Elisha Captures the Blinded Arameans

8And the king of Aram had been making war against Israel, and he counseled with his servants, saying, “In such and such a place My camp will be.”

9And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware of passing over this place. For there Aram is coming down.”

10And the king of Israel sent one to the place of which the man of God had told him; and he warned him, and he was watchful there—not once and not twice. 11And the heart of the king of Aram was greatly troubled by this thing, and he called to his servants and said to them, “Will you⁺ not show to me who of us is for the king of Israel?”

12And one of his servants said, “None, my lord the king, but Elisha the prophet, who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”

13And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.”

And it was told to him, saying, “Behold, in Dothan.” 14And he sent there horses and chariot and a great army, and they came by night and went around against the city.

15And the servant of the man of God rising, arose early, and he went out, and there was an army surrounding the city, and horse and chariot. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”

16And he answered, “Fear not, for more are those who are with us than those who are with them.”

17And Elisha prayed and said, “O YHWH, open, please, his eyes, that he may see.”

And YHWH opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

18And they came down to him, and Elisha prayed to YHWH and said, “Strike, please, this people with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

19And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, nor is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you⁺ to the man whom you⁺ seek.” And he led them to Samaria.

20And it came to pass, when they came to Samaria, that Elisha said, “O YHWH, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.”

And YHWH opened their eyes, and they saw. And behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

21And the king of Israel said to Elisha at his seeing them, “Shall I strike? Shall I strike, My father?”

22And he answered, “You shall not strike. Those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow, would you kill? Set food and water before their faces, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.”

23And he prepared for them a great feast, and they ate and drank, and he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands from Aram added not again to come into the land of Israel.

The Siege and Famine of Samaria

24And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his camp, and he went up and laid siege against Samaria.

25And there was a great famine in Samaria. And behold, they lay siege against it until the head of a donkey was sold for eighty shekels of silver,† and a forth of a cab of dove’s dung† for five shekels of silver.†

26And it came to pass that the king of Israel passing by on the wall, and a woman cried out to him, saying, “Save me, my lord the king.”

27And he said, “YHWH does not save you—from where do I save you? From the threshing floor or from the winepress?” 28And the king said to her, “What is troubling you?”

And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him today, and my son we will eat tomorrow.’ 29And 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.”

30And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes; and as he passed by on the wall, the people looked, and behold, sackcloth was on his flesh within. 31And he said, “Thus may God do to me, and thus He does add, if remains the head of Elisha son of Shaphat on him today.”

32And Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And he sent a man ahead of him, but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you⁺ see how this son of a murderer has sent someone to take away my head? Look, at the coming in of the messenger, shut the door and hold him fast at the door. Is there not the sound of the feet of his master behind him?”

33And while he was speaking with them, behold, the messenger was coming down to him, and he said, “Behold, this evil is from YHWH. Why should I wait for YHWH any longer?”