1And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee is too confined for us. 2Let us go, we pray thee, to the Jordan, and every man take a beam from there, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. 3And one said, Be pleased, I pray thee, to go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. 4So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood. 5But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water. And he cried, and said, Alas, my master! For it was borrowed. 6And the man of God said, Where did it fall? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in there, and made the iron to float. 7And he said, Take it up to thee. So he put out his hand, and took it. 8Now the king of Syria was warring against Israel, and he took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. 9And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou not pass such a place, for the Syrians are coming down there. 10And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of. And he saved himself there, not once nor twice. 11And the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled for this thing, and he called his servants, and said to them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel? 12And one of his servants said, No, my lord, O king, but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel tells the king of Israel the words that thou speak in thy bedchamber. 13And he said, Go and see where he is that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. 14Therefore he sent there horses, and chariots, and a great army. And they came by night, and encompassed the city about. 15And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an army with horses and chariots was round about the city. And his servant said to him, Alas, my master! What shall we do? 16And he answered, Fear not, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. 17And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 18And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. 19And Elisha said to them, This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. And he led them to Samaria. 20And it came to pass, when they came into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see. And LORD opened their eyes, and they saw. And, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 21And the king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? Shall I smite them? 22And he answered, Thou shall not smite them. Would thou smite those whom thou have taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. 23And he prepared great provision for them. And when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel. 24And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up, and besieged Samaria. 25And there was a great famine in Samaria. And, behold, they besieged it until a donkey's head was sold for eighty [pieces] of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five [pieces] of silver. 26And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. 27And he said, If LORD does not help thee, from where shall I help thee? Out of the threshing-floor, or out of the winepress? 28And the king said to her, What troubles thee? And she answered, This woman said to me, Give thy son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow. 29So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day, Give thy son that we may eat him. And she has hid her son. 30And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes (now he was passing by upon the wall). And the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth inside upon his flesh. 31Then 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. 32But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And [the king] sent a man from before him, but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, Do ye see how this son of a murderer has sent to tak 33And while he was yet talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him, and he said, Behold, this evil is of LORD. Why should I wait for LORD any longer?