| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See now, the place where we dwell 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, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell.” So he answered, “Go.” | 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 said, “Please consent to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.” | 3One of them said, "Please come along with your servants." He replied, "All right, I'll come." |
| 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 started cutting down trees. |
| 5But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, master! For 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!" |
| 6So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he 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. |
| 7Therefore he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he 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 Syria was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, “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." |
| 9And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming 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." |
| 10Then the king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice. | 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. |
| 11Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of us is for 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." |
| 12And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that 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 he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” And it was told him, saying, “Surely he 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." |
| 14Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came 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. |
| 15And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we 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?" |
| 16So he answered, “Do not fear, 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." |
| 17And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was 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. |
| 18So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And 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. |
| 19Now Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, nor is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” But 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. |
| 20So it was, when they had come to 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 there they were, inside 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. |
| 21Now when the king of Israel saw them, he said to 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?" |
| 22But he answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go 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." |
| 23Then he prepared a great feast for them; and after they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel. | 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. |
| 24And it happened after this that Ben-Hadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria. | 24Later King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled his entire army and attacked and besieged Samaria. |
| 25And there was a great famine in Samaria; and indeed they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and one-fourth of a kab of dove droppings 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. |
| 26Then, as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” | 26While the king of Israel was passing by on the city wall, a woman shouted to him, "Help us, my master, O king!" |
| 27And he said, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or from 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 said to her, “What is troubling you?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ | 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 I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has 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!" |
| 30Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes; and as he passed by on the wall, the people looked, and there underneath he had sackcloth on his body. | 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. |
| 31Then he said, “God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today!” | 31Then he said, "May God judge me severely if Elisha son of Shaphat still has his head by the end of the day!" |
| 32But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man ahead of him, but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent someone to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, 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 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." |
| 33And while he was still talking with them, there was the messenger, coming down to him; and then the king said, “Surely 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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