2 Kings 6

And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.

1The men who studied with Elisha came to him. They were prophets, men who told people what God said. They said, "The place where we meet with you is too small."

2Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

2"Please let us go to the Jordan River. Each of us can cut a log there. Then we can build a place to live." Elisha said, "Go."

3And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.

3One of them said, "Please come with us, your servants." Elisha answered, "I will come."

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

4So Elisha went with them. They came to the Jordan River and began cutting down trees.

5But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.

5One man was cutting a tree. The iron axe head slipped off and fell in the water. He cried out, "Oh no, master! That axe was borrowed!"

6And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.

6Elisha, the man of God, asked, "Where did it fall?" The man showed him the spot. Elisha cut a stick and threw it in. The iron axe head floated up.

7Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

7Elisha said, "Lift it out." The man reached out his hand and took it.

8Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.

8The king of Syria was at war with Israel. He talked it over with his officers. He said, "I will set up my camp in this place."

9And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.

9Elisha, the man of God, sent word to the king of Israel. He said, "Do not go near that place. The Syrian army is coming down there."

10And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.

10So the king of Israel sent word to the place Elisha had named. He kept watch there. Elisha warned him this way again and again, and the king stayed safe.

11Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?

11This made the king of Syria very upset. He called his officers together. He asked, "Which one of you is helping the king of Israel?"

12And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

12One officer said, "None of us, my lord the king. Elisha is a prophet in Israel. He tells the king of Israel even what you say in your bedroom."

13And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

13The king said, "Go find out where he is. Then I can send men to catch him." Someone told him, "Elisha is in Dothan."

14Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.

14So the king sent horses, chariots, and a large army there. They came at night and surrounded the city.

15And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

15Early in the morning, Elisha's servant got up and went outside. He saw an army with horses and chariots all around the city. He said, "Oh no, my master! What are we going to do?"

16And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

16Elisha answered, "Do not be afraid. There are more on our side than on theirs."

17And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the 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.

17Elisha prayed, "LORD, please open his eyes so he can see." The LORD opened the young man's eyes. He saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

18And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

18The Syrians came down toward Elisha. He prayed, "LORD, please make these men blind." The LORD made them blind, just as Elisha had asked.

19And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.

19Elisha said to them, "This is not the road. This is not the city. Follow me. I will take you to the man you want." He led them to Samaria.

20And it came to pass, when they were come into 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, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

20When they were inside Samaria, Elisha prayed, "LORD, open their eyes so they can see." The LORD opened their eyes. They looked around and saw they were inside Samaria.

21And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?

21The king of Israel saw them. He said to Elisha, "My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?"

22And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast 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.

22Elisha said, "Do not kill them. You would not kill men you caught with your own sword and bow. Set food and water in front of them. Let them eat and drink, then go home to their king."

23And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

23So the king made a big meal for them. They ate and drank, and he sent them away. They went back to their king. After that, Syrian raiders stopped coming into Israel.

24And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

24Some time later, Ben-hadad, king of Syria, gathered his whole army. He marched up and surrounded the city of Samaria.

25And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.

25Food ran out in Samaria, and the people were starving. The army stayed around the city so long that a donkey's head cost eighty pieces of silver. A small cup of dove droppings cost five pieces of silver.

NoteThese prices were huge for food no one would normally eat. A "cab" was a small measure, about the size of a big cup. The prices show how badly the people were starving.

26And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.

26The king of Israel was walking along the top of the city wall. A woman called out to him, "Help me, my lord the king!"

27And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?

27He said, "If the LORD does not help you, how can I help you? I have no grain and no wine left to give."

NoteThe KJV says "barnfloor" and "winepress." Those were the places where grain and grape juice were stored. The king means both places are empty.

28And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.

28The king asked her, "What is wrong?" She said, "This woman told me, 'Give me your son. We will eat him today. Tomorrow we will eat my son.'"

29So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.

29"So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said, 'Give me your son so we can eat him.' But she had hidden her son."

30And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

30When the king heard her words, he tore his clothes in sorrow. As he walked on the wall, the people saw rough cloth under his clothes. He wore it against his skin to show his grief.

31Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

31Then the king said, "May God punish me, and worse, if Elisha son of Shaphat still has his head today."

32But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, 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 with the town leaders. The king sent a man ahead to him. Before the man arrived, Elisha told the leaders, "This murderer has sent someone to cut off my head. When the man comes, shut the door and hold it shut. His master is coming right behind him."

33And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?

33While Elisha was still talking, the messenger came down to him. The king said, "This trouble comes from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"

NoteThe KJV word "evil" here means disaster or trouble, not wickedness.