| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 1And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. | 1The company of the prophets said to Elisha, "Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. |
| 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. | 2Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to meet." And he said, "Go." |
| 3And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. | 3Then one of them said, "Won't you please come with your servants?" "I will," Elisha replied. |
| 4So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. | 4And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. |
| 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. | 5As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. "Oh no, my lord!" he cried out. "It was borrowed!" |
| 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. | 6The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. |
| 7Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it. | 7"Lift it out," he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it. |
| 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. | 8Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, "I will set up my camp in such and such a place." |
| 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. | 9The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there." |
| 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. | 10So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. |
| 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? | 11This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, "Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?" |
| 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. | 12"None of us, my lord the king," said one of his officers, "but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom." |
| 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. | 13"Go, find out where he is," the king ordered, "so I can send men and capture him." The report came back: "He is in Dothan." |
| 14Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. | 14Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. |
| 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? | 15When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?" the servant asked. |
| 16And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. | 16"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." |
| 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. | 17And Elisha prayed, "Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. |
| 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. | 18As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Strike this army with blindness." So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked. |
| 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. | 19Elisha told them, "This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for." And he led them to 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. | 20After they entered the city, Elisha said, "LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see." Then the LORD opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria. |
| 21And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? | 21When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, "Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?" |
| 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. | 22"Do not kill them," he answered. "Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master." |
| 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. | 23So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel's territory. |
| 24And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. | 24Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. |
| 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. | 25There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey's head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels. |
| 26And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. | 26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, "Help me, my lord the king!" |
| 27And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? | 27The king replied, "If the LORD does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?" |
| 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. | 28Then he asked her, "What's the matter?" She answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we'll eat my 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. | 29So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, 'Give up your son so we may eat him,' but she had hidden him." |
| 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. | 30When the king heard the woman's words, he tore his robes. As he went along the wall, the people looked, and they saw that, under his robes, he had sackcloth on his body. |
| 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. | 31He said, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!" |
| 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? | 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, "Don't you see how this murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it shut against him. Is not the sound of his master's footsteps behind him?" |
| 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? | 33While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him. The king said, "This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?" |
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