New King James Version

Christian Standard Bible

1And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See now, the place where we dwell with you is too small for us.

1The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "Please notice that the place where we live under your supervision is too small for us.

2Please, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell.” So he answered, “Go.”

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.

3Then one said, “Please consent to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.”

3Then one said, "Please come with your servants." "I'll come," he answered.

4So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.

4So he went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.

5But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, master! For it was borrowed.”

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!"

6So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float.

6Then the man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, the man of God cut a piece of wood, threw it there, and made the iron float.

7Therefore he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took it.

7Then he said, "Pick it up." So he reached out and took it.

8Now the king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”

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."

9And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.”

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."

10Then the king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice.

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.

11Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?”

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?"

12And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”

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."

13So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” And it was told him, saying, “Surely he is in Dothan.”

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,"

14Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

14he sent horses, chariots, and a massive army there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

15And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”

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?"

16So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

16Elisha said, "Don't be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them."

17And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

17Then Elisha prayed, "LORD, please open his eyes and let him see." So the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

18So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of 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.

19Now Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, nor is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” But he led them to Samaria.

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.

20So it was, when they had come to Samaria, that Elisha said, “LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and there they were, inside Samaria!

20When they entered Samaria, Elisha said, "LORD, open these men's eyes and let them see." So the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw that they were in the middle of Samaria.

21Now when the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”

21When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "Should I kill them, should I kill them, my father?"

22But he answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.”

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."

23Then he prepared a great feast for them; and after they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel.

23So he prepared a big 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.

24And it happened after this that Ben-Hadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.

24Some time later, King Ben-hadad of Aram brought all his military units together and marched up and laid siege to Samaria.

25And there was a great famine in Samaria; and indeed they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and one-fourth of a kab of dove droppings for five shekels of silver.

25So there was a severe famine in Samaria, and they continued the siege against it until a donkey's head sold for thirty-four ounces of silver, and a cup of dove's dung sold for two ounces of silver.

26Then, as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!”

26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, "My lord the king, help!"

27And he said, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or from the winepress?”

27He answered, "If the LORD doesn't help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?"

28Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’

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.'

29So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.”

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."

30Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes; and as he passed by on the wall, the people looked, and there underneath he had sackcloth on his body.

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.

31Then he said, “God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today!”

31He announced, "May God punish me and do so severely if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today."

32But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man ahead of him, but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent someone to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”

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 remove 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?"

33And while he was still talking with them, there was the messenger, coming down to him; and then the king said, “Surely this calamity is from the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”

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?"

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.