| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please take note that the place where we meet with you 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. |
| 2Please let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a log so we can build ourselves a place to live there.” “Go,” said Elisha. | 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, “Please come with your servants.” “I will come,” he replied. | 3One of them said, "Please come along with your servants." He replied, "All right, I'll come." |
| 4So Elisha went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down some trees. | 4So he went with them. When they arrived at the Jordan, they started cutting down trees. |
| 5As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “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!" |
| 6“Where did it fall?” asked the man of God. And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it 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. |
| 7“Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it. | 7He said, "Lift it out." So he reached out his hand and grabbed it. |
| 8Now the king of Aram was at war against Israel. After consulting with his servants, he said, “My camp will be in such and such a place.” | 8Now the king of Syria was at war with Israel. He consulted his advisers, who said, "Invade at such and such a place." |
| 9Then the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Be careful passing by this place, for the Arameans 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." |
| 10So the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had pointed out. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. | 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. |
| 11For this reason the king of Aram became enraged and called his servants to demand of them, “Tell me, which one of us is on the side of 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." |
| 12But one of his servants replied, “No one, my lord the king. For Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words 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." |
| 13So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him.” On receiving the report, “Elisha 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." |
| 14the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there 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 got up and went out early in the morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to 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?" |
| 16“Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “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, “O LORD, please open his eyes 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. | 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. |
| 18As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word 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 told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are seeking.” 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. |
| 20When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see.” Then the LORD opened their eyes, and they looked around and discovered that they were in 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. |
| 21And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?” | 21When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, "Should I strike them down, my master?" |
| 22“Do not kill them,” he replied. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and then return 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 the king prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. And the Aramean raiders did not come into the land of Israel again. | 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. |
| 24Some time later, Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army and marched up to besiege Samaria. | 24Later King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled his entire army and attacked and besieged Samaria. |
| 25So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung sold 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. |
| 26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!” | 26While the king of Israel was passing by on the city wall, a woman shouted to him, "Help us, my master, O king!" |
| 27He answered, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?” | 27He replied, "No, let the LORD help you. How can I help you? The threshing floor and winepress are empty." |
| 28Then the king asked her, “What is the matter?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him, and tomorrow we will eat my son.’ | 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 the next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him.’ But she had 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. And as he passed by on the wall, the people saw the sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin. | 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. |
| 31He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!” | 31Then he said, "May God judge me severely if Elisha son of Shaphat still has his head by the end of the day!" |
| 32Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps 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." |
| 33While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This calamity 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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