THE SECOND BOOK OF
THE KINGS,
2 Kings 7 ©
Elisha prophesies incredible plenty to the Samaritans, and likewise the death of a lord, who would not believe this prophesy, v. 1, etc. Four lepers visit the camp of the Syrians, where they find no man, 3. The Syrians, being hasted away by God, 6. The lepers report this in the city, 8. The truth whereof is enquired after, 12. The matter appearing to be so, Elisha’s prophecy is fulfilled, 16.
THEN Elisha 1said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a 2measurea of fine flour be sold for a 3shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.
Then a 4lord on whose hand the king 5leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make 6windows in heaven, 7might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
¶And there were four leprous men atb the 8entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
If we 9say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
And they rose up in the 10twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the 11uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.
For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a 12noisec of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said 13one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings 14of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.
Wherefore they arose and fled in the 15twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp 16as it was, and fled for their 17life.
And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.
Then they said 18one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some 19mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.
So they came and called unto 20the porter of the city: and they told 21them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.
And 22he called 23the porters; and they told it to the king's house within.
¶And the king arose in the night, and said unto his 24servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.
And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left 25in the city, (behold, 26they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see.
They took therefore two 27chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.
And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and 28vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their 29haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.
And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measured of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.
¶And the king appointed the lord 30on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the 31gate: and the 32people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.
And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, 33Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:
And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make 34windows in heaven, 35might such a thing be? And 36he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.