2 Kings 6 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Axe Head Floats

And the sons^H1121 of the prophets^H5030 said^H559 to Elisha^H477, “Behold^H2009 now^H4994, the place^H4725 before^H6440 you where^H834^H8033 we are living^H3427 is too^H4480 limited^H6862 for us.

2Ki 6:2

2Ki 6:2“Please let us go to the Jordan and each of us take from there a beam, and let us make a place there for ourselves where we may live.” So he said, “Go.”

2Ki 6:3

2Ki 6:3Then one said, “Please be willing to go with your servants.” And he [fn]answered, “I shall go.”

2Ki 6:4

2Ki 6:4So he went with them; and they came to the Jordan and cut down trees.

2Ki 6:5

2Ki 6:5Now it happened that as one was felling a beam, [fn]the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.”

2Ki 6:6

2Ki 6:6Then 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.

2Ki 6:7

2Ki 6:7And he said, “Take it up for yourself.” So he sent forth his hand and took it.

Horses and Chariots of Fire Around Elisha

2Ki 6:8

Now the king^H4428 of Aram^H758 was warring^H3898 against Israel^H3478; and he [fn]counseled^H3289 with his servants^H5650 saying^H559, “In such^H6423 and such^H492 a place^H4725 shall be my camp^H8466.”

2Ki 6:9

2Ki 6:9And the man of God sent word to the king of Israel saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Arameans are coming down there.”

2Ki 6:10

2Ki 6:10And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God had told him; thus he warned him, so that he guarded himself there, [fn]more than once or twice.

2Ki 6:11

Then the heart^H3820 of the king^H4428 of Aram^H758 was enraged^H5590 over^H5921 this^H2088 thing^H1697; and he called^H7121 his servants^H5650 and said^H559 to them, “Will you not tell^H5046 me which^H4310 of us is for the king^H4428 of Israel^H3478?”

2Ki 6:12

2Ki 6:12And one of his servants said, “No, 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.”

2Ki 6:13

2Ki 6:13So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and take him.” And it was told to him, saying, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”

2Ki 6:14

2Ki 6:14So he sent horses and chariots and a heavy military force there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

2Ki 6:15

Then the attendant^H8334 of the man^H376 of God^H430 arose^H6965 early^H7925 and went^H3318 out^H3318, and behold^H2009, a military^H2428 force^H2428 with horses^H5483 and chariots^H7393 was all^H5437 around^H5437 the city^H5892. And his young^H5288 man^H5288 said^H559 to him, “Alas^H162, my master^H113! [fn]What^H351 shall we do^H6213?”

2Ki 6:16

2Ki 6:16So he said, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

2Ki 6:17

2Ki 6:17Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Yahweh, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And Yahweh 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.

2Ki 6:18

2Ki 6:18And they came down to him, and Elisha prayed to Yahweh and said, “Strike this [fn]people with blindness, I pray.” So He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

2Ki 6:19

2Ki 6:19Then Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city; walk after me and I will walk you over to the man whom you seek.” And he walked them over to Samaria.

2Ki 6:20

Now it happened that when they had come^H935 into Samaria^H8111, Elisha^H477 said^H559, “O Yahweh^H3068, open^H6491 the eyes^H5869 of these^H428 men, that they may see^H7200.” So Yahweh^H3068 opened^H6491 their eyes^H5869 and they saw^H7200; and behold^H2009, they were in the midst^H8432 of Samaria^H8111.

2Ki 6:21

2Ki 6:21Then the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, “My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?”

2Ki 6:22

2Ki 6:22And he said, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and walk back to their master.”

2Ki 6:23

2Ki 6:23So he prepared a great 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.

Aram’s Siege of Samaria

2Ki 6:24

Now it happened^H1961 afterwards^H310^H3651, that Ben-hadad^H1130 king^H4428 of Aram^H758 gathered^H6908 all^H3605 his military camp^H4264 and went^H5927 up^H5927 and besieged^H6696^H5921 Samaria^H8111.

2Ki 6:25

2Ki 6:25Now there was a great famine in Samaria. And behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for [fn]eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a [fn]kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver.

2Ki 6:26

2Ki 6:26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Save, my lord, O king!”

2Ki 6:27

2Ki 6:27He said, “[fn]If Yahweh does not save you, from where shall I save you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?”

2Ki 6:28

2Ki 6:28And the king said to her, “What [fn]is the matter with you?” And she said, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’

2Ki 6:29

2Ki 6:29“So 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.”

2Ki 6:30

2Ki 6:30Now it happened that when the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth [fn]beneath on his [fn]body.

2Ki 6:31

2Ki 6:31Then he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat [fn]remains on him today.”

Flour and Barley in Samaria

2Ki 6:32

Now Elisha^H477 was sitting^H3427 in his house^H1004, and the elders^H2205 were sitting^H3427 with him. And the king sent^H7971 a man^H376 from his presence^H6440; but before^H2962 the messenger^H4397 came^H935 to him, he said^H559 to the elders^H2205, “Do you see^H7200 how^H3588 this^H2088 son^H1121 of a murderer^H7523 has sent^H7971 to take^H5493 away^H5493 my head^H7218? Look^H7200, when the messenger^H4397 comes^H935, shut^H5462 the door^H1817 and [fn]hold^H3905 the door^H1817 shut^H3905 against him. Is not the sound^H6963 of his master’s^H113 feet^H7272 behind^H310 him?”

2Ki 6:33

2Ki 6:33While he was still speaking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him and he said, “Behold, this evil is from Yahweh; why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?”