| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "Please notice that the place where we live under your supervision is too small for us. | 1One day the Guild of Prophets told Elisha, "Notice how the place where we are living is too small for us. |
| 2Please let us go to the Jordan where we can each get a log and can build ourselves a place to live there."" Go," he said. | 2Let's go to the Jordan River, fashion some rafters, and build a place for us so we can live there." So he said, "Go!" |
| 3Then one said, "Please come with your servants."" I'll come," he answered. | 3Someone asked, "Would you be willing to come with your servants?" "I'm willing," he replied. |
| 4So he went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. | 4So he accompanied them, and when they came to the Jordan River, they cut down some trees. |
| 5As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water, and he cried out, "Oh, my master, it was borrowed!" | 5It happened that as one of them was felling a beam, his axe head fell into the water. He cried out, "Oh no! Master! The axe was on loan to me!" |
| 6Then the man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float. | 6The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he was shown the place, he cut off a branch, tossed it there, and made the iron axe head float. |
| 7Then he said, "Pick it up." So he reached out and took it. | 7Then Elisha said, "Pick it up!" So the young man reached out and picked it up. |
| 8When the king of Aram was waging war against Israel, he conferred with his servants, "My camp will be at such and such a place." | 8Eventually the king of Aram went to war against Israel, taking counsel with his advisors and concluding, "In such and such a place I'll build my encampment." |
| 9But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Be careful passing by this place, for the Arameans are going down there." | 9So the man of God sent a message to the king of Israel, warning him, "Keep an eye on that area, because the Arameans are going to be there!" |
| 10Consequently, the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had told him about. The man of God repeatedly warned the king, so the king would be on his guard. | 10The king of Israel confirmed the matter about which the man of God had warned him. Having been forewarned, he was able to protect himself there on more than one or two occasions. |
| 11The king of Aram was enraged because of this matter, and he called his servants and demanded of them, "Tell me, which one of us is for the king of Israel?" | 11The king of Aram flew into a rage over this, so he called in his advisors and asked them, "Will you please tell me which of us has joined the king of Israel?" |
| 12One of his servants said, "No one, my lord the king. Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in your bedroom." | 12"No, your majesty," one of his servants said. "Elisha the prophet, who lives in Israel, tells the king of Israel what you talk about in your bedroom!" |
| 13So the king said, "Go and see where he is, so I can send men to capture him." When he was told, "Elisha is in Dothan," | 13So the king ordered, "Go and discover where he is, so I may send men to take him into custody." Later somebody told him, "Look! He's in Dothan!" |
| 14he sent horses, chariots, and a massive army there. They went by night and surrounded the city. | 14So the king of Aram sent out horses, chariots, and an elite force, and they arrived during the night and surrounded the city. |
| 15When the servant of the man of God got up early and went out, he discovered an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. So he asked Elisha, "Oh, my master, what are we to do?" | 15Meanwhile, the attendant to the man of God got up early in the morning and went outside, and there were the elite forces, surrounding the city, accompanied by horses and chariots! So Elisha's attendant cried out to him, "Oh no! Master! What will we do!?" |
| 16Elisha said, "Don't be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them." | 16Elisha replied, "Stop being afraid, because there are more with us than with them!" |
| 17Then Elisha prayed, " LORD, please open his eyes and let him see." So the LORD opened the servant's eyes. He looked and saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. | 17Then Elisha prayed, asking the LORD, "Please make him able to really see!" And so when the LORD enabled the young man to see, he looked, and there was the mountain, filled with horses and fiery chariots surrounding Elisha! |
| 18When the Arameans came against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Please strike this nation with blindness." So He struck them with blindness, according to Elisha's word. | 18When the army approached him, Elisha spoke to the LORD, asking him, "LORD, I'm asking you please to afflict this group of people with blindness!" So he afflicted them with blindness, just as Elisha had asked. |
| 19Then Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you're looking for." And he led them to Samaria. | 19Then Elisha told the army, "This isn't the way, and this isn't the city! Follow me, and I'll bring you to the man you're seeking. Then he led them to Samaria. |
| 20When they entered Samaria, Elisha said, " LORD, open these men's eyes and let them see." So the LORD opened their eyes. They looked and discovered they were in Samaria. | 20When they arrived in Samaria, Elisha asked the LORD, "Enable them to see again." So the LORD did so, and there they were—right in the middle of Samaria! |
| 21When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "My father, should I kill them? I will kill them." | 21When the king of Israel saw Elisha, he asked him, "Shall I execute them, my father?" |
| 22Elisha replied, "Don't kill them. Do you kill those you have captured with your sword or your bow? Set food and water in front of them so they can eat and drink and go to their master." | 22But he replied, "No! You're not to kill them! Would you execute those whom you've taken captive at the point of a sword or with your bow? Give them food and water so they can eat and drink. Then send them back to their master!" |
| 23So he prepared a great feast for them. When they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. The Aramean raiders did not come into Israel's land again. | 23So he prepared a large festival for them, and when they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them back to their master, and marauding gangs of Arameans never came into the territory of Israel again. |
| 24Some time later, King Ben-hadad of Aram brought all his military units together and marched up to besiege Samaria. | 24Some time later, King Ben-hadad from Aram mustered his army, invaded the land, and attacked Samaria |
| 25So there was a great famine in Samaria, and they continued the siege against it until a donkey's head sold for 80 silver shekels, and a cup of dove's dung sold for five silver shekels. | 25until there was a great famine throughout Samaria. The siege lasted until a donkey's head cost 80 silver coins and one quarter of a unit of dove's dung cost five silver coins. |
| 26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, "My lord the king, help!" | 26While the king of Israel was walking along the city wall, a woman cried out to him. "Help me, your majesty!" she said. |
| 27He answered, "If the LORD doesn't help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?" | 27He replied, "No! Since the LORD won't give you victory, how will I be able to deliver you? From the threshing floor? From the wine press?" |
| 28Then the king asked her, "What's the matter?" She said, "This woman said to me, 'Give up your son, and we will eat him today. Then we will eat my son tomorrow.' | 28Then the king asked her, "What's bothering you?" She said, "This woman told me, 'Give up your son, and we'll eat him today, and we'll eat your son tomorrow.'" |
| 29So we boiled my son and ate him, and I said to her the next day, 'Give up your son, and we will eat him,' but she has hidden her son." | 29So we boiled my son and ate him. The next day, I told her, 'Give me your son so we can eat him!' But she has hidden her son!" |
| 30When the king heard the woman's words, he tore his clothes. Then, as he was passing by on the wall, the people saw that there was sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin. | 30When the king heard what the woman said, he ripped his garments as he continued walking along the city wall. As the people watched, all of a sudden they noticed he was wearing sackcloth underneath his clothes, inside next to his flesh! |
| 31He announced, "May God punish me and do so severely if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today." | 31He said, "May God do to me—and more also!—if the head of Shaphat's son Elisha remains on his shoulders today!" |
| 32Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a man ahead of him, but before the messenger got to him, 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. Isn't the sound of his master's feet behind him?" | 32Meanwhile, Elisha was sitting in his house, along with the elders, when the king sent a man to kill him, but before the messenger arrived, Elisha told the elders, "Are you watching how this descendant of murderers has ordered my head be cut off? Look, when the messenger arrives, shut the door and hold it to shut them out! Don't you hear the sound of his master's feet right behind him?" |
| 33While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, "This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?" | 33While he was still talking with them, the messenger arrived to see him and delivered the king's message to Elisha, "Look! This evil has come from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD anymore?" |
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