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2 Kings 6
1599 Geneva Bible
2 Kings 6
1599 Geneva Bible
6 6 Elisha maketh iron to swim above the water. 8 He discloseth the king of Syria’s counsel to the king of Israel, 13 who sending certain to take him, were kept fast in Samaria. 24 Samaria is besieged, and endureth extreme famine.
1 And the children of the Prophets said unto Elisha, Behold, we pray thee, the place where we dwell with thee, is too little for us.
2 Let us now go to Jordan, that we may take thence every man a [a]beam, and make us a place to dwell in. And he answered, Go.
3 And one said, Vouchsafe, I pray thee, to 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 And as one was felling of a tree, the [b]iron fell into the water: then he cried, and said, Alas master, it was but borrowed.
6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. Then he cut down a piece of wood, and cast in thither, and he caused the iron to [c]swim.
7 Then he said, Take it up to thee. And he stretched out his hand, and took it.
8 ¶ Then the king of Aram warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, and said, In [d]such and such a place shall be my camp.
9 Therefore the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware thou go not over to such a place: for there the Aramites are come down.
10 So the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him, and warned him of, and [e]saved himself from thence, not once, nor twice.
11 And the heart of the king of Aram was troubled for this thing: therefore he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not show me, which of us bewrayeth our counsel to the king of Israel?
12 Then one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king, but Elisha the Prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel, even the words that thou speakest in thy [f]privy chamber.
13 And he said, Go, and espy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And one told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
14 ¶ So he sent thither horses, and chariots, and a [g]mighty host: and they came by night, and compassed the city.
15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early to go out, behold, an host compassed the city with horses and chariots. Then his servant said unto him, Alas master, how shall we do?
16 And he answered, [h]Fear not: (A)for they that be with us, are more than they that be with them.
17 Then Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I beseech thee, open his eyes, [i]that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he looked, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
18 So [j]they came down to him, but Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.
19 And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will lead you to the man whom ye seek. But he led [k]them to Samaria.
20 And when they were come to Samaria, Elisha said, Lord, open their eyes 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, [l]My father, shall I smite them, shall I smite them?
22 And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: doest thou not smite them that thou hast taken with thy sword, and with thy bow? but set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.
23 And he made great preparation for them: and when they had eaten and drunken, he sent them away: and they went to their master. So the bands of Aram came [m]no more into the land of Israel.
24 But afterward Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathered all his host, and went up and besieged Samaria.
25 So there was a great famine in Samaria: for lo, they besieged it until an asses head was at four score pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s [n]dung at five pieces of silver.
26 And as the king of Israel was going upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O King.
27 And he said, Seeing the Lord doth not succor thee, how should I help thee with the [o]barn, or with the wine press?
28 Also the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow,
29 (B)So we sod my son, and did eat him: and I said to her the day after, Give thy son, that we may eat him, but she hath hid her son.
30 And when the king had heard the words of the woman, he rent his clothes, (and as he went upon the wall, the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth [p]within [q]upon his flesh)
31 And he said, God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.
32 (Now Elisha sat in his house, and the Elders sat with him.) And the King sent a man before him: but before the messenger came to him, he said to the Elders, See ye not how this [r]murderer’s son hath sent to take away mine head? take heed when the messenger cometh, and shut the door, and handle him roughly at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?
33 While he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him, and said, Behold, this evil cometh of the Lord: [s]should I attend on the Lord any longer?
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 6:2 Or a piece of wood fit to build with.
- 2 Kings 6:5 Or, the axe head.
- 2 Kings 6:6 God wrought this miraculously to confirm the authority of Elisha, to whom he had given such abundance of his Spirit.
- 2 Kings 6:8 Meaning, that he would lie in ambush, and take the Israelites at unawares.
- 2 Kings 6:10 The wicked conspire nothing so craftily, but God can reveal it to his servants, and cause their counsel to be disclosed.
- 2 Kings 6:12 There is nothing so secret that thou canst go about, but he knoweth it, and discovereth it unto his King.
- 2 Kings 6:14 Though it had been nothing in man’s judgment to have taken Elisha, yet the wicked ever doubt, and think they are never able to prepare power enough, though it be but against one or a few.
- 2 Kings 6:16 For he was assured of God’s help, and that millions of Angels camped about the godly to deliver them.
- 2 Kings 6:17 That he may behold how thou hast prepared an army to rescue us.
- 2 Kings 6:18 Meaning, the Syrians his enemies, which came down, thinking themselves sure of him.
- 2 Kings 6:19 Thus he did being led by the Spirit of God, and not because he sought his own revengeance, but only to set forth the glory of God.
- 2 Kings 6:21 The wicked use reverent and grave words toward the servants of God, when they think to have any commodity by them, though in their heart they cannot abide them.
- 2 Kings 6:23 For this gentle entreaty and the miracle wrought by the Prophet, did more prevail for common quietness, than if they had been overcome in battle: for they returned no more at that time to fight against Israel, or in that King’s days.
- 2 Kings 6:25 The Hebrews write, that they burned it in the siege for lack of wood.
- 2 Kings 6:27 Meaning, any kind of vittle, as corn and wine, etc.
- 2 Kings 6:30 Or, under his clothes.
- 2 Kings 6:30 Thus hypocrites when they feel God’s judgments, think to please him with outward ceremonies, whom in prosperity they will not know.
- 2 Kings 6:32 Meaning, Jehoram Ahab’s son, who killed the Prophets, and caused Naboth to be stoned.
- 2 Kings 6:33 So the wicked fall into a rage and desperation, if they find not sudden remedy against their afflictions.
2 Kings 6
New International Version
2 Kings 6
New International Version
An Axhead Floats
6 The company(A) of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to meet.”
And he said, “Go.”
3 Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?”
“I will,” Elisha replied. 4 And he went with them.
They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh no, my lord!” he cried out. “It was borrowed!”
6 The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw(B) it there, and made the iron float. 7 “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.
Elisha Traps Blinded Arameans
8 Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”
9 The man of God sent word to the king(C) of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” 10 So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned(D) the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.
11 This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
12 “None of us, my lord the king(E),” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
13 “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.”(F) 14 Then he sent(G) horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
16 “Don’t be afraid,”(H) the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more(I) than those who are with them.”
17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots(J) of fire all around Elisha.
18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.”(K) So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
19 Elisha told them, “This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to Samaria.
20 After they entered the city, Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of these men so they can see.” Then the Lord opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.
21 When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, my father?(L) Shall I kill them?”
22 “Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured(M) with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.” 23 So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands(N) from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.
Famine in Besieged Samaria
24 Some time later, Ben-Hadad(O) king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege(P) to Samaria. 25 There was a great famine(Q) in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels[a] of silver, and a quarter of a cab[b] of seed pods[c](R) for five shekels.[d]
26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”
27 The king replied, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?” 28 Then he asked her, “What’s the matter?”
She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.’ 29 So we cooked my son and ate(S) him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him,’ but she had hidden him.”
30 When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore(T) his robes. As he went along the wall, the people looked, and they saw that, under his robes, he had sackcloth(U) on his body. 31 He said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!”
32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders(V) were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Don’t you see how this murderer(W) is sending someone to cut off my head?(X) Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it shut against him. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?” 33 While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him.
The king said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait(Y) for the Lord any longer?”
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 6:25 That is, about 2 pounds or about 920 grams
- 2 Kings 6:25 That is, probably about 1/4 pound or about 100 grams
- 2 Kings 6:25 Or of doves’ dung
- 2 Kings 6:25 That is, about 2 ounces or about 58 grams
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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