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¹ AND the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, Behold now, this place wherein we dwell with you is too small for us.² Let us go to the Jordan and cut from there every man a beam, and let us make a place for us to dwell there. And he said, Go.³ And one of them answered and said, If you please, go with your servants. And he answered, I will go.⁴ So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.⁵ But as one of them was felling a beam, the axehead fell into the water; and he cried and said, I beseech you, my lord! it was borrowed by your servant.⁶ And the prophet of God said to him, Where did it fall? And he showed him the place. And he cut off a stick and thrust it in there; and it stuck in the hole of the axehead.⁷ And he said, Take it up to you. And he put out his hand and took it.

⁸ Then the king of Aram warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall we lie in wait.⁹ And the prophet of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, Beware that you do not pass this place; for the Arameans are lying in wait.¹⁰ And the king of Israel sent to the place of which the prophet of God told him and warned him about it, not once nor twice.¹¹ Therefore the heart of the king of Aram was sore 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?¹² And one of his servants answered, and said, None of us, my lord 0 king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the thing that you plan in your bedchamber.

¹³ And he said, Go and see where he is, that I may send and take him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.¹⁴ Therefore he sent there horsemen and chariots and a great army; and they came by night and surrounded the city.¹⁵ And when the servant of the prophet of God arose early and went out, behold, an army surrounded the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, Alas, my master! what shall we do?¹⁶ And he said to him, Fear not; for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.¹⁷ And Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, O LORD, 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.¹⁸ And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, Smite this people with dimness of vision. And he smote them with dimness according to the word of Elisha.¹⁹ And Elisha said to them, This is not the way, neither is this the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek. But he led them to Samaria.²⁰ And when they were come into Samaria, Elisha said, O 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.²¹ And the king of Israel said to Elisha when he saw them, My father, shall I slay them? Shall I slay them?²² And he answered, You shall not slay them; would you slay 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.²³ So he prepared for them a great banquet; and when they had eaten and drunk, they went to their master. So the raiders of Aram came no more across the border of Israel.

²⁴ land it came to pass after this, that Bar-hadad king of Aram gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria and fought against it.²⁵ And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until an asss head was sold for eighty pieces of silver and the fourth part of a cab of doves dung for five pieces of silver.²⁶ And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman to him, saying, Help me, my lord, O king.²⁷ And he said to her, Let the LORD help you; whence shall I help you? Out of the threshing floor or out of the wine press?²⁸ And the king said to her, What troubles you? And she said to him, This woman said to me, Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.²⁹ So we cooked my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, Give your son, that we may eat him; but she had hidden her son.³⁰ And when the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes as he walked upon the wall, and the people looked, and behold, he was wearing sackcloth within upon his flesh.³¹ Then he said, May God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall remain on him this day.³² But Elisha was sitting in his house and the elders were sitting with him; and the king sent a messenger; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and push him outside, because the sound of his masters feet is behind him.³³ And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came to him; and he said, Behold, this evil is from the LORD; why should I pray to the LORD any longer?