THE SECOND BOOK OF
THE KINGS,

2 Kings 6 ©

Elisha makes the axe to swim, v. 1, etc. He discovers the secret plots of the king of Syria, 8. Who seeks to apprehend him in Dothan, 11. But is preserved by the angels, 17. The Syrians are smitten with blindness, brought into Samaria, and from thence sent away in peace, 18. Samaria is besieged, and brought to such extreme want and famine, that two women eat the child of one of them, 24. The king searches for Elisha to put him to death, 31.

1

AND the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we 1dwell with thee is too strait for us.

2

Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and 2take thence every man a 3beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

3

And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.

4

So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.

5

But as one was felling a beam, the 4axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.

6

And the man of God said, Where fell it? And 5he shewed him the place. And 6he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; 7and the iron did swim.

7

Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

8

¶Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In 8such and such a place shall be my camp.

9

And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians 9are come down.

10

And the king of Israel 10sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and 11saved himself there, 12not once nor twice.

11

Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was 13sore 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?

12

And one of his servants said, 14None, 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.

13

¶And 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 15Dothan.

14

Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a 16great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.

15

And when the servant of the man of God 17was 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?

16

And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

17

And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, 18open 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 19of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

18

And when 20they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smitea this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with 21blindness according to the word of Elisha.

19

¶And Elisha said unto them, 22This 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.

20

And 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.

21

And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, 23My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?

22

And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: 24wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set 25bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

23

And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. 26So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

24

¶And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

25

And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of 27silver, and the fourth part of a 28cabb of 29dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.

26

And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.

27

And he said, 30If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? 31out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?

28

And 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.

29

So wec 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.

30

¶And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he 32rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and 33the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

31

Then he said, 34Godd do so and more also to me, 35if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

32

But Elisha sat in his house, and the 36elders sat with 37him; and the king sent 38a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, 39See ye how this son 40of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, 41and hold him fast at the door: 42is not the 43sound of his master's feet behind him?

33

And while he yet talked with 44them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and 45he said, Behold, this 46evil is of the LORD; what 47should I wait for the LORD any longer?