| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1The company of the prophets said to Elisha, "Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. | 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. |
| 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." | 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. |
| 3Then one of them said, "Won't you please come with your servants?" "I will," Elisha replied. | 3Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” “I will come,” he replied. |
| 4And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. | 4So Elisha went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down some trees. |
| 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!" | 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!” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 7"Lift it out," he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it. | 7“Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it. |
| 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." | 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.” |
| 9The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there." | 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.” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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?" | 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?” |
| 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." | 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.” |
| 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." | 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,” |
| 14Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. | 14the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city. |
| 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. | 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?” |
| 16"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." | 16“Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 21When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, "Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?" | 21And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?” |
| 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." | 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.” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 24Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. | 24Some time later, Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army and marched up to besiege Samaria. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, "Help me, my lord the king!" | 26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!” |
| 27The king replied, "If the LORD does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?" | 27He answered, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?” |
| 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.' | 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.’ |
| 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." | 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.” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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!" | 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!” |
| 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?" | 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?” |
| 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?" | 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?” |
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