2 Kings 6:4-29
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 6
4So he went with them; and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5But it happened that as one of them was cutting down a beam, the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, 'Oh, my master! It was borrowed!' 6Then the man of God said, 'Where did it fall?' And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there, and made the iron float. 7Then he said, 'Pick it up for yourself.' So he reached out his hand and took it.
8Now the king of Aram was making war against Israel; and he consulted 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, saying, 'Be careful that you do not pass this place, because the Arameans are coming down there.'
10And the king of Israel sent scouts to the place about which the man of God had told him; so he warned him, so that he was on his guard there, more than once or twice.
11Now the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this matter; and he called his servants and said to them, 'Will you not tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?'
12One of his servants said, 'No, my lord, the king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.'
13So he said, 'Go and see where he is, so that I may send men and take him.' And it was told to him, saying, 'Behold, he is in Dothan.'
14So he sent horses and chariots and a substantial army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.
15Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, 'This is hopeless, my master! What are we to do?'
16And he said, 'Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are greater than those who are with them.'
17Then Elisha prayed and said, 'Lord, please, open his eyes so that he may see.' And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, 'Please strike this people with blindness.' So He struck them with blindness in accordance with the word of Elisha.
19Then 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.' And he brought them to Samaria.
20When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, 'Lord, open the eyes of these men, so that they may see.' So the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
21Then the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, 'My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?'
22But he answered, 'You shall not kill them. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set bread and water before them, so that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.'
23So he provided a large feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel.
24Now it came about after this, that Ben-hadad the king of Aram gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.
25So there was a severe famine in Samaria; and behold, they kept besieging it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver.
26And as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, 'Help, my lord the king!'
27But he said, 'If the Lord does not help you, from where am I to help you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?'
28Then the king said to her, 'What is on your mind?' And she said, 'This woman said to me, ‘Give your son so that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’
29So we cooked my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, so that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.'
King James Version
Chapter 6
4So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. 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. 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. 7Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put 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. 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. 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. 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? 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. 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. 14Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
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?
16And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be 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.
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.
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.
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.
21And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite 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.
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.
24And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged 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.
26And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O 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?
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 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.
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 6
4So he went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they cut 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!"
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.
7Then he said, "Pick it up." So he reached out and took it.
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."
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.
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,"
14he sent horses, chariots, and a massive army there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
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.
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.
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.
24Some time later, King Ben-hadad of Aram brought all his military units together and marched up and laid siege to 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.
New Living Translation
Chapter 6
4So he went with them. When they arrived at the Jordan, they began cutting down trees. 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!'
6Where 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.
7Grab it,' Elisha said. And the man reached out and grabbed it.
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.'
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.
13Go 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.'
14So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city.
16Don’t be afraid!' Elisha told him. 'For there are more on our side than on theirs!'
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.
English Standard Version
Chapter 6
4So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, "Alas, my master! It was borrowed." 6Then the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. 7And he said, "Take it up." So he reached out his hand and took it.
8Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, "At such and such a place shall be my camp."
9But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, "Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there."
10And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice.
11And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, "Will you not show me who of us is for 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."
13And he said, "Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him." It was told him, "Behold, he is in Dothan."
14So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city.
15When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?"
16He said, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
17Then Elisha prayed and said, "O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see." So 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.
18And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, "Please strike this people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha.
19And Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." And he led them to Samaria.
20As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, "O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
21As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?"
22He answered, "You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master."
23So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel.
24Afterward Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria.
25And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey 's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove 's dung for five shekels of silver.
26Now as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, "Help, my lord, O king!"
27And he said, "If the Lord will not help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?"
28And the king asked her, "What is your trouble?" She answered, "This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’
29So we boiled my son and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her son."
New International Version
Chapter 6
4And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down 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!"
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.
7"Lift it out," he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.
9The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Beware of passing that place, because 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.
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."
14Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
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."
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.
New King James Version
Chapter 6
4So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut 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.”
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.
7Therefore he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took 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.”
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.”
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.
14Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by 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?”
16So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with 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.
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.
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.”
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.
24And it happened after this that Ben-Hadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up 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.
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.’
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.”
