2 Kings 6:24-33 ▼

24 Later King Benhadad of Aram assembled his whole army. They went to Samaria and blockaded it.

25 The shortages caused by the blockade of Samaria became so severe that a donkey's head sold for two pounds of silver and a half-pint of dove manure for two ounces of silver.

26 As the king of Israel was walking on the city wall, a woman cried to him, |Help me, Your Majesty!|

27 He answered, |If the LORD doesn't help you, how can I help you? I can't give you something from the threshing floor or the winepress.|

28 Then the king asked her, |What's the matter?| She answered, |This woman told me, 'Give up your son. Let's eat him today. We'll eat my son tomorrow.'

29 So we boiled my son and ate him. The next day I told her, 'Give up your son. We'll eat him,' but she hid her son.|

30 When the king heard the woman say this, he tore his clothes [in distress]. As he was walking on the city wall, the people saw that he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes.

31 He said, |May God strike me dead if the head of Elisha, son of Shaphat, stays on his [body] today.|

32 Elisha was sitting in his home with the [city's] leaders. The king had sent one of his men ahead of him [to Elisha's house]. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha asked the leaders, |Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to tear off my head? When the messenger comes, close the door. Hold it shut because the king will be following him.|

33 While he was still talking to them, the messenger arrived. He said to Elisha, |This severe famine is from the LORD. Why should I wait any longer for the LORD [to help us]?|