Study Desk

Elisha told his servant, "Now say to her, ‘Look, you have done your best to take care of us. What can we do for you? Do you want us to speak to the king for you, or to the captain of the army?'" She answered, "I am fine living here among my own people."

Elisha said to Gehazi, "What can we do for her?" He answered, "I know! She does not have a son, and her husband is old."

Then she said, "Sir, I never asked for a son. I told you, ‘Don't trick me!'"

Elisha went to Gilgal again. There was a famine in the land. The group of prophets was sitting in front of Elisha. Elisha said to his servant, "Put the large pot on the fire, and make some soup for the group of prophets."

Then they poured some of the soup for the men to eat. But when they began to eat the soup, they shouted out, "Man of God! There's poison in the pot!" The food tasted like poison, so they could not eat that food.

But Elisha said, "Bring some flour." He threw the flour into the pot. Then he said, "Pour the soup for the people so that they can eat." And there was nothing wrong with the soup.

When the king of Israel had read the letter, he tore his clothes to show he was sad and upset. He said, "Am I God? I don't have the power over life and death. So why did the king of Aram send a man sick with leprosy for me to heal? Think about it, and you will see that it is a trick. The king of Aram is trying to start a fight."

Then Naaman said, "If you will not accept this gift, at least do this for me. Let me have enough dirt from Israel to fill the baskets on two of my mules. I ask this because I will never again offer any burnt offering or sacrifice to any other gods. I will offer sacrifices only to the Lord !

And I pray that the Lord will forgive me for this: When my master goes to the temple of Rimmon to worship that false god, he will want to lean on me for support. So I must bow down in the temple of Rimmon. I ask the Lord now to forgive me when that happens."

Naaman said, "Please, take 150 pounds." He persuaded Gehazi to take the silver. Naaman put 150 pounds of silver in two bags and took two changes of clothes. Then he gave these things to two of his servants. The servants carried these things for Gehazi.

The group of prophets said to Elisha, "We are staying in that place over there, but it is too small for us.

The king of Aram was very upset about this. He called his army officers and said to them, "Tell me who is spying for the king of Israel."

Elisha said, "Don't be afraid. The army that fights for us is larger than the army that fights for Aram."

Elisha said to the Aramean army, "This is not the right way. This is not the right city. Follow me. I will lead you to the man you are looking for." Then Elisha led them to Samaria.

So the king prepared a big meal for the Aramean army. After they ate and drank, he sent them back home to their leader. The Arameans did not send any more soldiers into the land of Israel to make raids.

The soldiers would not let people bring food into the city, so there was a time of terrible hunger in Samaria. It was so bad in Samaria that a donkey's head was sold for 80 pieces of silver and one pint of dove's dung sold for five pieces of silver.

While Elisha was still talking with the elders, the messenger came to him. This was the message: "This trouble has come from the Lord . Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?"

Elisha said, "Listen to the message from the Lord ! The Lord says, ‘About this time tomorrow, there will be plenty of food, and it will be cheap again. A person will be able to buy a basket of fine flour or two baskets of barley for only one shekel in the marketplace by the city gates of Samaria.'"

The Arameans ran away early that evening. They left everything behind. They left their tents, horses, and donkeys and ran for their lives.

Then the people ran out to the Aramean camp and took valuable things from there. So it happened just as the Lord had said. A person could buy a basket of fine flour or two baskets of barley for only one shekel.