1And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, this place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2Let us go to the Jordan, and let each man take a beam, and let us build us a place there, where we may meet.” And Elisha answered, “Go.” 3And one said, “Will you not go with us.” And Elisha answered, “I will go.” 4So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down trees. 5But as one was felling a tree, the axe head fell into the water; and he cried, “Alas, master! It was borrowed!” 6And the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. And Elisha cut down a stick, and threw it in there; and the iron axe head floated. 7Then Elisha said, “Grab it.” And he reached down and took it.

8Then the king of Syria waged war against Israel; and after conferring with his officers, he said, “I shall assemble my forces at such and such a place.” 9And then Elisha, the man of God, would send a warning to the king of Israel, “Beware of going to that place; for that is where the Syrians are.” 10And then the king of Israel would avoid the place that the man of God had warned him of, and many times he avoided the places where the Syrians were. 11So that the pattern of Israel time and again eluding capture frustrated and enraged the king of Syria; and he called his officers, and said, “Tell me which of you is working for the king of Israel!” 12And one of his officers said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words that you speak in your bedchamber.”

13And the king said, “Go and find out where Elisha is, so I can send men to seize him.” And it was reported that Elisha was in Dothan. 14And so he sent horses, chariots, and a large force there; arriving at night, and surrounded the city. 15And when Elisha’s servant rose and went out early in the morning, he found the city surrounded with horses, chariots, and soldiers. And he told Elisha, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16And Elisha said, “Fear not; for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17And Elisha prayed, “LORD, open his eyes, so that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

18And when the enemy came toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, “Strike these people, I pray You, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. 19And Elisha told them, “This is not the road, nor is this the city you are looking for; follow me, and I will take you to the man you seek.” But he led them to Samaria. 20And when they arrived at Samaria, Elisha said, “LORD, open their eyes that they may see.” And the LORD opened their eyes, and they discovered that they were in the middle of Samaria. 21And when King Jehoram of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them (the Syrians)? Shall I kill them?” 22And Elisha answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those you have captured with your sword or your bow? Give them food and water to eat and drink, and let them return to their master (Ben-hadad).” 23And so Jehoram prepared a great feast for them. And when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. After that, the bands of Syria never came to raid the land of Israel.

24Some time later, King Ben-hadad of Syria gathered all his army, and came up, and besieged Samaria. 25And the siege caused a great famine in Samaria; until a donkey's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab (cab) of dove's droppings (dung) sold for five pieces of silver.

26And as King Jehoram was inspecting his defenses along the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help, my lord, O king.” 27And he said, “If the LORD does not help you, how can I help you? I have neither food from the threshing floor, nor wine from the winepress?” 28Then the king asked her, “What is the matter?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ And she has hidden her son.” 30And when the king heard those words of the woman, he tore his clothes; and walked along the wall, and the people saw that he had sackcloth beneath his robes. 31Then he said, “God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha, son of Shaphat, shall remain on his shoulders today.”

32But Elisha was sitting in his house, with the elders sitting around him. And the king sent a messenger to summon him; and before the messenger arrived, Elisha told the elders, “This son of a murderer has sent someone to cut off my head. When he arrives, keep and hold the door closed; we will soon hear his master's footsteps behind him.” 33And while he was telling them this, the messenger arrived, followed by the king. And the king said, “This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait any longer for the LORD?” (before I behead Elisha and surrender to the Syrians)