| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. | 1Some of the prophets said to Elisha, "Look, the place where we meet with you is too cramped for us. |
| 2Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.” And he answered, “Go.” | 2Let's go to the Jordan. Each of us will get a log from there and we will build a meeting place for ourselves there." He said, "Go." |
| 3Then one of them said, “Be pleased to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.” | 3One of them said, "Please come along with your servants." He replied, "All right, I'll come." |
| 4So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. | 4So he went with them. When they arrived at the Jordan, they started cutting down trees. |
| 5But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.” | 5As one of them was felling a log, the ax head dropped into the water. He shouted, "Oh no, my master! It was borrowed!" |
| 6Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. | 6The prophet asked, "Where did it drop in?" When he showed him the spot, Elisha cut off a branch, threw it in at that spot, and made the ax head float. |
| 7And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it. | 7He said, "Lift it out." So he reached out his hand and grabbed it. |
| 8Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” | 8Now the king of Syria was at war with Israel. He consulted his advisers, who said, "Invade at such and such a place." |
| 9But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.” | 9But the prophet sent this message to the king of Israel, "Make sure you don't pass through this place because Syria is invading there." |
| 10And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice. | 10So the king of Israel sent a message to the place the prophet had pointed out, warning it to be on its guard. This happened on several occasions. |
| 11And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?” | 11This made the king of Syria upset. So he summoned his advisers and said to them, "One of us must be helping the king of Israel." |
| 12And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” | 12One of his advisers said, "No, my master, O king. The prophet Elisha who lives in Israel keeps telling the king of Israel the things you say in your bedroom." |
| 13And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” | 13The king ordered, "Go, find out where he is, so I can send some men to capture him." The king was told, "He is in Dothan." |
| 14So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city. | 14So he sent horses and chariots there, along with a good-sized army. They arrived during the night and surrounded the city. |
| 15When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” | 15The prophet's attendant got up early in the morning. When he went outside there was an army surrounding the city, along with horses and chariots. He said to Elisha, "Oh no, my master! What will we do?" |
| 16He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” | 16He replied, "Don't be afraid, for our side outnumbers them." |
| 17Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD 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. | 17Then Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he can see." The LORD opened the servant's eyes and he saw that the hill was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. |
| 18And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. | 18As they approached him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Strike these people with blindness." The LORD struck them with blindness as Elisha requested. |
| 19And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria. | 19Then Elisha said to them, "This is not the right road or city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you're looking for." He led them to Samaria. |
| 20As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the LORD opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. | 20When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, "O LORD, open their eyes, so they can see." The LORD opened their eyes and they saw that they were in the middle of Samaria. |
| 21As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” | 21When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, "Should I strike them down, my master?" |
| 22He answered, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” | 22He replied, "Do not strike them down! You did not capture them with your sword or bow, so what gives you the right to strike them down? Give them some food and water, so they can eat and drink and then go back to their master." |
| 23So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel. | 23So he threw a big banquet for them and they ate and drank. Then he sent them back to their master. After that no Syrian raiding parties again invaded the land of Israel. |
| 24Afterward Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria. | 24Later King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled his entire army and attacked and besieged Samaria. |
| 25And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver. | 25Samaria's food supply ran out. They laid siege to it so long that a donkey's head was selling for eighty shekels of silver and a quarter of a kab of dove's droppings for five shekels of silver. |
| 26Now as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” | 26While the king of Israel was passing by on the city wall, a woman shouted to him, "Help us, my master, O king!" |
| 27And he said, “If the LORD will not help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?” | 27He replied, "No, let the LORD help you. How can I help you? The threshing floor and winepress are empty." |
| 28And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ | 28Then the king asked her, "What's your problem?" She answered, "This woman said to me, 'Hand over your son; we'll eat him today and then eat my son tomorrow.' |
| 29So we boiled my son and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.” | 29So we boiled my son and ate him. Then I said to her the next day, 'Hand over your son and we'll eat him.' But she hid her son!" |
| 30When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body— | 30When the king heard what the woman said, he tore his clothes. As he was passing by on the wall, the people could see he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes. |
| 31and he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.” | 31Then he said, "May God judge me severely if Elisha son of Shaphat still has his head by the end of the day!" |
| 32Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence, but before the messenger arrived Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” | 32Now Elisha was sitting in his house with the community leaders. The king sent a messenger on ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the leaders, "Do you realize this assassin intends to cut off my head?" Look, when the messenger arrives, shut the door and lean against it. His master will certainly be right behind him." |
| 33And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” | 33He was still talking to them when the messenger approached and said, "Look, the LORD is responsible for this disaster! Why should I continue to wait for the LORD to help?" |
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