The Axe Head Floats 1 Brenton And the sons of the prophets said to Elisaie, Behold now, the place wherein we dwell before thee is too narrow for us. BSB BSB: Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please take note that the place where we meet with you is too small for us.
2 Brenton Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and make for ourselves a habitation there. BSB BSB: Please let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a log so we can build ourselves a place to live there.” “Go,” said Elisha.
3 Brenton And he said, Go. And one of them said gently, Come with thy servants. And he said, I will go. BSB BSB: Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” “I will come,” he replied.
4 Brenton And he went with them, and they came to Jordan, and began to cut down wood. BSB BSB: So Elisha went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down some trees.
5 Brenton And behold, one was cutting down a beam, and the axe head fell into the water: and he cried out, Alas! master: and it was hidden. BSB BSB: As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”
6 Brenton And the man of God said, Where did it fall? and he shewed him the place: and he broke off a stick, and threw it in there, and the iron came to the surface. BSB BSB: “Where did it fall?” asked the man of God. And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float.
7 Brenton And he said, Take it up to thyself. And he stretched out his hand, and took it. BSB BSB: “Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it.
Elisha Captures the Blinded Arameans 8 Brenton And the king of Syria was at war with Israel: and he consulted with his servants, saying, I will encamp in such a place. BSB BSB: Now the king of Aram was at war against Israel. After consulting with his servants, he said, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”
9 Brenton And Elisaie sent to the king of Israel, saying, Take heed that thou pass not by that place, for the Syrians are hidden there. BSB BSB: Then the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Be careful not to pass by this place, for the Arameans are going down there.”
10 Brenton And the king of Israel sent to the place which Elisaie mentioned to him, and saved himself thence not once or twice. BSB BSB: So the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had pointed out. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.
11 Brenton And the mind of the king of Syria was very much disturbed concerning this thing; and he called his servants, and said to them, Will ye not tell me who betrays me to the king of Israel? BSB BSB: For this reason the king of Aram became enraged and called his servants to demand of them, “Tell me, which one of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
12 Brenton And one of his servants said, Nay, my Lord, O king, for Elisaie the prophet that is in Israel reports to the king of Israel all the words whatsoever thou mayest say in thy bedchamber. BSB BSB: But one of his servants replied, “No one, my lord the king. For Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
13 Brenton And he said, Go, see where this man is , and I will send and take him. And they sent word to him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothaim. BSB BSB: So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him.” On receiving the report, “Elisha is in Dothan,”
14 Brenton And he sent thither horses, and chariots, and a mighty host: and they came by night, and compassed about the city. BSB BSB: the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city.
15 Brenton And the servant of Elisaie rose up early and went out; and, behold, a host compassed the city, and horses and chariots: and the servant said to him, O master, what shall we do? BSB BSB: When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, behold, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”
16 Brenton And Elisaie said, Fear not, for they who are with us are more than they that are with them. BSB BSB: “Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 Brenton And Elisaie prayed, and said, Lord, open, I pray thee, the eyes of the servant, and let him see. And the Lord opened his eyes, and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses, and there were chariots of fire round about Elisaie. BSB BSB: Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18 Brenton And they came down to him; and he prayed to the Lord, and said, Smite, I pray thee, this people with blindness. And he smote them with blindness, according to the word of Elisaie. BSB BSB: As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.
19 Brenton And Elisaie said to them, This is not the city, and this is not the way: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. And he led them away to Samaria. BSB BSB: And Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are seeking.” And he led them to Samaria.
20 Brenton And it came to pass when they entered into Samaria, that Elisaie said, Open, I pray thee, O Lord, their eyes, and let them see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. BSB BSB: When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see.” Then the LORD opened their eyes, and they looked around and discovered that they were in Samaria.
21 Brenton And the king of Israel said to Elisaie, when he saw them, Shall I not verily smite them, my father? BSB BSB: And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”
22 Brenton And he said, Thou shalt not smite them, unless thou wouldest smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow: set bread and water before them, and let them eat and drink, and depart to their master. BSB BSB: “Do not kill them,” he replied. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and then return to their master.”
23 Brenton And he set before them a great feast, and they ate and drank: and he dismissed them, and they departed to their master. And the bands of Syria came no longer into the land of Israel. BSB BSB: So the king prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. And the Aramean raiders did not come into the land of Israel again.
The Siege and Famine of Samaria 24 Brenton And it came to pass after this, that the son of Ader king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up, and besieged Samaria. BSB BSB: Some time later, Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army and marched up to besiege Samaria.
25 Brenton And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was valued at fifty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung at five pieces of silver. BSB BSB: So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung sold for five shekels of silver.
26 Brenton And the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, and a woman cried to him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. BSB BSB: As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”
27 Brenton And he said to her, Unless the Lord help thee, whence shall I help thee? from the corn-floor, or from the wine-press? BSB BSB: He answered, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?”
28 Brenton And the king said to her, What is the matter with thee? And the woman said to him, This woman said to me, Give thy son, and we will eat him to-day, and we will eat my son to-morrow. BSB BSB: Then the king asked her, “What is the matter?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him, and tomorrow we will eat my son.’
29 Brenton So we boiled my son, and ate him; and I said to her on the second day, Give thy son, and let us eat him: and she has hidden her son. BSB BSB: So we boiled my son and ate him, and the next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him.’ But she had hidden her son.”
30 Brenton And it came to pass, when the king of Israel heard the words of the woman, that he rent his garments; and he passed by on the wall, and the people saw sackcloth within upon his flesh. BSB BSB: When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. And as he passed by on the wall, the people saw the sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin.
31 Brenton And he said, God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisaie shall stand upon him this day. BSB BSB: He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!”
32 Brenton And Elisaie was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him; and the king sent a man before him: before the messenger came to him, he also said to the elders, Do ye see that this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? See, as soon as the messenger shall have come, shut the door, and forcibly detain him at the door: is not the sound of his master's feet behind him? BSB BSB: Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?”
33 Brenton While he was yet speaking with them, behold, a messenger came to him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord; why should I wait for the Lord any longer? BSB BSB: While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This calamity is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.