Christian Standard Bible

King James Bible

1The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "Please notice that the place where we live under your supervision is too small for us.

1And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.

2Please let us go to the Jordan where we can each get a log and can build ourselves a place to live there." "Go," he said.

2Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

3Then one said, "Please come with your servants." "I'll come," he answered.

3And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.

4So he went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.

4So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.

5As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water, and he cried out, "Oh, my master, it was borrowed!"

5But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.

6Then the man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, the man of God cut a piece of wood, threw it there, and made the iron float.

6And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.

7Then he said, "Pick it up." So he reached out and took it.

7Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

8When the king of Aram was waging war against Israel, he conferred with his servants, "My camp will be at such and such a place."

8Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.

9But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Be careful passing by this place, for the Arameans are going down there."

9And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.

10Consequently, the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had told him about. The man of God repeatedly warned the king, so the king would be on his guard.

10And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.

11The king of Aram was enraged because of this matter, and he called his servants and demanded of them, "Tell me, which one of us is for the king of Israel?"

11Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?

12One of his servants said, "No one, my lord the king. Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in your bedroom."

12And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

13So the king said, "Go and see where he is, so I can send men to capture him." When he was told, "Elisha is in Dothan,"

13And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

14he sent horses, chariots, and a massive army there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

14Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.

15When the servant of the man of God got up early and went out, he discovered an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. So he asked Elisha, "Oh, my master, what are we to do?"

15And when the servant 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, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

16Elisha said, "Don't be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them."

16And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

17Then Elisha prayed, "LORD, please open his eyes and let him see." So the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

17And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

18When the Arameans came against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Please strike this nation with blindness." So he struck them with blindness, according to Elisha's word.

18And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

19Then Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you're looking for." And he led them to Samaria.

19And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.

20When they entered Samaria, Elisha said, "LORD, open these men's eyes and let them see." So the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw that they were in the middle of Samaria.

20And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

21When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "Should I kill them, should I kill them, my father?"

21And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?

22Elisha replied, "Don't kill them. Do you kill those you have captured with your sword or your bow? Set food and water in front of them so they can eat and drink and go to their master."

22And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

23So he prepared a big feast for them. When they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. The Aramean raiders did not come into Israel's land again.

23And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

24Some time later, King Ben-hadad of Aram brought all his military units together and marched up and laid siege to Samaria.

24And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

25So there was a severe famine in Samaria, and they continued the siege against it until a donkey's head sold for thirty-four ounces of silver, and a cup of dove's dung sold for two ounces of silver.

25And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.

26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, "My lord the king, help!"

26And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.

27He answered, "If the LORD doesn't help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?"

27And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?

28Then the king asked her, "What's the matter?" She said, "This woman said to me, 'Give up your son, and we will eat him today. Then we will eat my son tomorrow.'

28And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.

29So we boiled my son and ate him, and I said to her the next day, 'Give up your son, and we will eat him,' but she has hidden her son."

29So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.

30When the king heard the woman's words, he tore his clothes. Then, as he was passing by on the wall, the people saw that there was sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin.

30And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

31He announced, "May God punish me and do so severely if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today."

31Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

32Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a man ahead of him, but before the messenger got to him, Elisha said to the elders, "Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to remove my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Isn't the sound of his master's feet behind him?"

32But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer 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 sound of his master's feet behind him?

33While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, "This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"

33And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.