The Axe Head Floats 1 DBY And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee is too strait 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 DBY Let us go, we pray thee, to the Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he said, Go. 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 DBY And one said, Consent, I pray thee, to go 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 DBY And he went with them. And they came to the Jordan and cut down the trees. BSB BSB: So Elisha went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down some trees.
5 DBY And it came to pass as one was felling a beam, that the iron fell into the water; and he cried and said, Alas, master, and it was borrowed! 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 DBY And the man of God said, Where did it fall? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and made the iron to swim. 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 DBY And he said, Take it up to thee. And he put 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 DBY And the king of Syria warred against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. 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 DBY And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place, for thither the Syrians are come down. 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 DBY And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and he was on his guard there. That took place not once, nor 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 DBY And the heart of the king of Syria was troubled because of this thing; and he called his servants, and said to them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for 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 DBY And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that thou speakest 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 DBY And he said, Go and see where he is, and I will send and fetch him. And it was told him saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. 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 DBY And he sent thither horses and chariots, and a great host, and they came by night and surrounded 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 DBY And when the attendant of the man of God rose early and went forth, behold, an army surrounded the city, with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, Alas, my master! how 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 DBY And he said, Fear not, for they that 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 DBY And Elisha prayed and said, Jehovah, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And Jehovah 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. 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 DBY And they came down to him; and Elisha prayed to Jehovah and said, Smite this nation, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. 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 DBY 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 ye seek. And he led them 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 DBY And it came to pass when they entered into Samaria, that Elisha said, Jehovah, open the eyes of these men that they may see. And Jehovah 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 DBY And the king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite? shall I smite them ? BSB BSB: And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”
22 DBY And he said, Thou shalt not smite them : wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go 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 DBY And he prepared a great repast for them, and they ate and drank; and he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more 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 DBY And it came to pass after this that Ben-Hadad 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 DBY And there was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was worth eighty silver-pieces, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung five silver-pieces. 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 DBY And it came to pass as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman 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 DBY And he said, If Jehovah do not help thee, whence should I help thee? Out of the threshing-floor, or out of the winepress? 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 DBY And the king said to her, What aileth thee? And she said, This woman said to me, Give thy son, that we may 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 DBY And we boiled my son, and ate him: and I said to her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may 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 DBY And it came to pass when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his garments; and he was passing by upon the wall, and the people looked, and behold, he had 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 DBY And he said, God do so, and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall remain on 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 DBY And Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him. And the king sent a man before him. Before the messenger came to him, he himself said to the elders, Do ye see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? See, when the messenger comes; shut the door, and keep him off with 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 DBY And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, Behold, this evil is of Jehovah: why should I wait for Jehovah 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?”
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