2 Kings 7:5-20 ▼

5 And they arose in the twilight to go in to the camp of Aram, and they came in to the outskirts of the camp of Aram. And behold, not a man was there.

6 For the Lord had caused the army of Aram to hear the noise of chariot and the noise of horse, the noise of a great force. And they said one to another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against us.”

7 And they arose and fled in the twilight, and they abandoned their tents and their horses and their donkeys—the camp as it was—and they fled for their life.

8 And these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, and they went into one tent and ate, and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them. And they turned back and entered into another tent and lifted up from there, and went and hid it.

9 And they said one to another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. And if we wait until the light of the morning, then punishment will find us. And now come and let us go and declare it to the house of the king.”

10 And they went and called to the gatekeepers of the city and declared to them, saying, “We went to the camp of Aram, and behold, there was not a man or the sound of man, but only the tied horse and tied donkey and the tents as they were.”

11 And the gatekeepers called out, and they told it to the house of the king within.

12 And the king arose in the night and said to his servants, “Let me declare, please, to you? what Aram has done to us. They know that we are hungry; and they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive and enter into the city.’”

13 And one of his servants answered and said, “Then let them take, please, five of the remaining horses, which are left in the city. Behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel who are left in it—indeed, like all the multitude of Israel left from those who are consumed. And let us send them and see.”

14 And they took two chariot horses, and the king sent them in the direction of the camp of Aram, saying, “Go and see.”

15 And they went after them to the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of garments and vessels that Aram had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned and told the king.

16 And the people went out and plundered the tents of Aram. And there was a seah of fine flour for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of YHWH.

17 And the king had appointed the officer on whom his hand leaned to be over the gate, and the people trampled him in the gate and he died, as the man of God had said who spoke when the king came down to him.

18 And it came to pass according to the speaking of the man of God to the king, saying, “Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, will be about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria.”

19 And that officer had answered the man of God and said, “And behold, if YHWH should make windows in the heavens, could this word come to pass?” And he had said, “Behold, you shall see it with your eyes, and from there you shall not eat.”

20 And so it came to pass to him thus, and the people trampled him in the gate, and he died.