Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
1The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "Please notice that the place where we live under your supervision is too small for us. | 1One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him, “As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small. |
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’s go down to the Jordan River, where there are plenty of logs. There we can build a new place for us to meet.” “All right,” he told them, “go ahead.” |
3Then one said, "Please come with your servants." "I'll come," he answered. | 3“Please come with us,” someone suggested. “I will,” he said. |
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 began cutting down trees. |
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 of them was cutting a tree, his ax head fell into the river. “Oh, sir!” he cried. “It was a borrowed ax!” |
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. | 6“Where did it fall?” the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. Then the ax head floated to the surface. |
7Then he said, "Pick it up." So he reached out and took it. | 7“Grab it,” Elisha said. And the man reached out and grabbed it. Elisha Traps the Arameans |
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." | 8When the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he would confer with his officers and say, “We will mobilize our forces at such and such a place.” |
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." | 9But immediately Elisha, the man of God, would warn the king of Israel, “Do not go near that place, for the Arameans are planning to mobilize their troops there.” |
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. | 10So the king of Israel would send word to the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he would be on the alert there. |
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?" | 11The king of Aram became very upset over this. He called his officers together and demanded, “Which of you is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?” |
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." | 12“It’s not us, my lord the king,” one of the officers replied. “Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!” |
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," | 13“Go and find out where he is,” the king commanded, “so I can send troops to seize him.” And the report came back: “Elisha is at Dothan.” |
14he sent horses, chariots, and a massive army there. They went by night and surrounded the city. | 14So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. |
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?" | 15When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. |
16Elisha said, "Don't be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them." | 16“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” |
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. | 17Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. |
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. | 18As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please make them blind.” So the LORD struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked. |
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. | 19Then Elisha went out and told them, “You have come the wrong way! This isn’t the right city! Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to the city of 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. | 20As soon as they had entered Samaria, Elisha prayed, “O LORD, now open their eyes and let them see.” So the LORD opened their eyes, and they discovered that they were in the middle of Samaria. |
21When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "Should I kill them, should I kill them, my father?" | 21When the king of Israel saw them, he shouted to Elisha, “My father, should I kill them? Should I kill 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." | 22“Of course not!” Elisha replied. “Do we kill prisoners of war? Give them food and drink and send them home again 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. | 23So the king made a great feast for them and then sent them home to their master. After that, the Aramean raiders stayed away from the land of Israel. Ben-Hadad Besieges Samaria |
24Some time later, King Ben-hadad of Aram brought all his military units together and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. | 24Some time later, however, King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered his entire army 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. | 25As a result, there was a great famine in the city. The siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty pieces of silver, and a cup of dove’s dung sold 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!" | 26One day as the king of Israel was walking along the wall of the city, a woman called to him, “Please help me, my lord the king!” |
27He answered, "If the LORD doesn't help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?" | 27He answered, “If the LORD doesn’t help you, what can I do? I have neither food from the threshing floor nor wine from the press to give you.” |
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.' | 28But then the king asked, “What is the matter?” She replied, “This woman said to me: ‘Come on, let’s eat your son today, then we will eat my son tomorrow.’ |
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 cooked my son and ate him. Then the next day I said to her, ‘Kill your son so we can eat him,’ but she has hidden 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. | 30When the king heard this, he tore his clothes in despair. And as the king walked along the wall, the people could see that he was wearing burlap under his robe next to his skin. |
31He announced, "May God punish me and do so severely if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today." | 31“May God strike me and even kill me if I don’t separate Elisha’s head from his shoulders this very day,” the king vowed. |
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?" | 32Elisha was sitting in his house with the elders of Israel when the king sent a messenger to summon him. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “A murderer has sent a man to cut off my head. When he arrives, shut the door and keep him out. We will soon hear his master’s steps following 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?" | 33While Elisha was still saying this, the messenger arrived. And the king said, “All this misery is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” |
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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