¶ And the sons¹ of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place² where we dwell with thee is too strait for us³.

Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence⁴ every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

And one said, Be content⁵, I pray thee, and go with thy⁶ servants. And he answered, I will go.

So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood⁷.

But as one was felling a beam, the axe head⁸ fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master⁹! for it was borrowed¹⁰.

And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down¹¹ a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron¹² did swim.

Therefore said he, Take it up¹³ to thee. And he put out¹⁴ his hand, and took it.

¶ Then the king¹⁵ of Syria warred against Israel, and took¹⁶ counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp¹⁷.

And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware¹⁸ that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians¹⁹ are come down.

¶ And the king of Israel sent to the place²⁰ which the man of God told him and warned him²¹ of, and saved²² himself there, not once nor twice.

Therefore²³ the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not²⁴ shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?

And one of his servants said, None,²⁵ my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth²⁶ the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

¶ And he said, Go and spy where²⁸ he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan²⁹.

Therefore sent he thither horses³⁰, and chariots, and a great³¹ host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.

And when the servant³² of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas³³, my master! how shall we do?

And he answered, Fear not:³⁴ for they that be³⁵ with us are more than they that be with them.

And Elisha prayed³⁶, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes³⁷, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses³⁸ and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people³⁹, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me,⁴⁰ and I will bring⁴¹ you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.

¶ And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes⁴² of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened⁴³ their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father⁴⁴, shall⁴⁵ I smite them? shall I smite them?

And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest⁴⁶ thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword⁴⁷ and with thy bow? set bread⁴⁸ and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

And he prepared⁴⁹ great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands⁵⁰ of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

¶ And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered⁵¹ all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

And there was a great famine⁵² in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head⁵³ was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung⁵⁴ for five pieces of silver.

And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord⁵⁵, O king.

And he said, If the LORD⁵⁶ do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?

And the king said unto her, What aileth thee?⁵⁷ And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son⁵⁸, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.

So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next⁵⁹ day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.

¶ And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes⁶⁰; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

Then he said, God do so⁶¹ and more also to me, if the head⁶² of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders⁶³ sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger⁶⁴ came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how⁶⁵ this son of a murderer⁶⁶ hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound⁶⁷ of his master's feet behind him?

And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD⁶⁸; what should I wait for the⁶⁹ LORD any longer?