Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria ain the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, though not like his father and his mother; and ahe took away the sacred pillar of Baal bwhich his father had made. 3 Nevertheless, ahe clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, bwhich he made Israel sin; he did not turn away from them. 4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder and aused to pay the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. 5 But it happened that awhen Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 And King Jehoram went out of Samaria 1at that time and mustered all Israel. 7 Then he went and sent word to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” And he said, “I will go up; aI am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 8 And he said, “Which way shall we go up?” And he 1answered, “The way of the wilderness of Edom.” 9 So athe king of Israel went with bthe king of Judah and cthe king of Edom; and they went around on a seven days’ journey, and there was no water for the camp or for the cattle that 1followed them. 10 Then the king of Israel said, “Alas! For Yahweh has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” 11 But Jehoshaphat said, “aIs there not a prophet of Yahweh here, that we may inquire of Yahweh by him?” And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, “bElisha the son of Shaphat is here, cwho used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.” 12 And Jehoshaphat said, “The word of Yahweh is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. 13 Now Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do I have to do with you? aGo to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” And the king of Israel said to him, “No, for Yahweh has called these three kings together to give them into the hand of Moab.” 14 And Elisha said, “aAs Yahweh of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you. 15 So now abring me a musician.” And it came about, when the musician played, that bthe hand of Yahweh came upon him. 16 And he said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’ 17 For thus says Yahweh, ‘You shall not see wind nor shall you see rain; yet that valley ashall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, both you and your livestock and your cattle. 18 And this is but a alight thing in the sight of Yahweh; He will also give the Moabites into your hand. 19 aThen you shall strike every fortified city and every choice city, and fell every good tree and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.’” 20 Then it happened in the morning aabout the time of offering the sacrifice, that behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. 21 Now all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. And they summoned all who were able to 1put on armor and older, and they stood on the border. 22 Then they rose early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. 23 Then they said, “This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and they have struck down one another. So now, Moab, to the spoil!” 24 So they came to the camp of Israel. And the Israelites arose and struck the Moabites. So they fled before them; and they went forward 1into the land, striking down the Moabites. 25 aThus they 1tore down the cities; and each one threw a stone on every piece of good land and filled it. And they stopped all the springs of water and felled all the good trees, until in bKir-hareseth they let its stones remain; however, the slingers went about it and struck it. 26 Then the king of Moab saw that the battle was too strong for him, so he took with him 700 men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not. 27 So he took his oldest son, who was to reign in his place, and aoffered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And there came great wrath against Israel, and they set out from him and returned to their own land.
The Widow’s Oil
Now a certain woman of the wives of athe sons of the prophets cried out to 1Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared Yahweh; and bthe creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 2 And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your servant-woman has nothing in the house except aa jar of oil.” 3 Then he said, “Go, ask for vessels for yourself, from those outside, from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few. 4 And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full.” 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing the vessels to her and she poured. 6 Now it happened that when athe vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not one vessel more.” And the oil stopped. 7 Then she came and told athe man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest.”
The Shunammite Woman Will Bear a Son
8 Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to aShunem, where there was a 1prominent woman, and she prevailed upon him to eat 2food. Now it happened, as often as he passed by, that he turned in there to eat 2food. 9 And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I know that this is a holy aman of God passing by us continually. 10 Please, let us amake a little walled upper chamber and let us set a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; and it will be, when he comes to us, that he can turn in there.” 11 Now it happened that one day he came there and turned in to the upper chamber, and there he 1lay down. 12 Then he said to aGehazi his young man, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Behold, you have been 1careful for us with all this 2care; what can I do for you? Would you be spoken for to the king or to the commander of the army?’” And she 3answered, “I live among my own people.” 14 So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi 1answered, “Truly she has no son, and her husband is old.” 15 And he said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 Then he said, “aAt this season 1next year you will embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God, bdo not lie to your servant-woman.” 17 Then the woman conceived and bore a son at that season 1the next year, as Elisha had said to her.
A Dead Boy Opens His Eyes
18 Then the child was grown. And the day came that he went out to his father to the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, “My head, my head.” And he said to 1his young man, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 Then he carried him and brought him to his mother, and he sat on her knees until noon, and then died. 21 Then she went up and alaid him on the bed of bthe man of God and shut the door behind him and went out. 22 And she called to her husband and said, “Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and return.” 23 And he said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither anew moon nor sabbath.” And she said, “It is well.” 24 Then she saddled a donkey and said to her young man, “Drive and go; do not hold back the pace of the ride for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she went and came to the man of God to aMount Carmel. Now it happened that when the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi his young man, “Behold, 1there is the Shunammite. 26 Please run now to meet her and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’” And she 1answered, “It is well.” 27 Then she came to the man of God ato the hill and took hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away; but the man of God said, “Let her alone, for her soul is bitter within her; and Yahweh has hidden it from me and has not told me.” 28 Then she said, “Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, ‘aDo not deceive me’?” 29 Then he said to Gehazi, “aGird up your loins and btake my staff in your hand, and go; if you meet anyone, do not 1cgreet him, and if anyone 1greets you, do not answer him; and dlay my staff on the boy’s face.” 30 But the mother of the boy said, “aAs Yahweh lives and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” And he arose and followed her. 31 Now Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or 1response. So he returned to meet him and told him, saying, “The boy ahas not awakened.” 32 Then Elisha came into the house, and behold, the boy was dead and laid on his bed. 33 So he entered and ashut the door behind them both and prayed to Yahweh. 34 And ahe went up and lay on the child and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, and he stretched himself on him; and the flesh of the child became warm. 35 Then he returned and walked in the house once back and forth, and went up and astretched himself on him; and the boy sneezed seven times and the boy opened his eyes. 36 Then he called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. Then she came in to him, and he said, “Take up your son.” 37 Then she came in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground, and ashe took up her son and went out.
The Death in the Stew
38 Now Elisha returned to aGilgal, and there was ba famine in the land. 1As cthe sons of the prophets dwere sitting before him, he said to his young man, “ePut on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” 39 Then one went out into the field to gather herbs and found a wild vine and gathered from it wild gourds filling his cloak and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, for they did not know what they were.40 So they poured it out for the men to eat. And it happened that as they were eating of the stew, they cried out and said, “O man of God, there is adeath in the pot.” And they were unable to eat. 41 But he said, “Now bring flour.” aHe threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people that they may eat.” Then there was no harm in the pot. 42 Now a man came from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And he said, “aGive them to the people that they may eat.” 43 And his attendant said, “What, awill I give this before one hundred men?” But he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat, for thus says Yahweh, ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’” 44 So he gave it before them, and they ate and ahad some left over, according to the word of Yahweh.
Naaman Cleansed from Leprosy
Now aNaaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man 1with his master, and 2highly respected, because by him Yahweh had given salvation to Aram. The man was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Arameans had gone out ain marauding bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she 1waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 And she said to her mistress, “I wish that my master were before the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 Then 1Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus spoke the girl who is from the land of Israel.” 5 Then the king of Aram said, “Go 1now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he went and atook in his hand 2ten talents of silver and 3six thousand shekels of gold and ten bchanges of clothes. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying,
“So now as this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
7 Now it happened that when the king of Israel read the letter, ahe tore his clothes and said, “bAm I God, to put to death and to make alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? But cknow now, and see how he is seeking 1a quarrel against me.” 8 Now it happened when Elisha athe man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent word to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Now let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “aGo and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.” 11 But Naaman was furious and went away and said, “Behold, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.’ 12 Are not 1Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and awent away in wrath. 13 aThen his servants approached and spoke to him and said, “bMy father, had the prophet spoken with you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and ahis flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy and bhe was clean.
Gehazi’s Leprosy
15 Then he returned to the man of God 1with all his camp, and came and stood before him, and said, “Behold now, aI know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so now please btake a blessing from your servant.” 16 But he said, “aAs Yahweh lives, before whom I stand, bI will take nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 17 So Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant at least be given two mules’ load of aearth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to Yahweh. 18 In this matter may Yahweh pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and ahe leans on my hand and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, Yahweh pardon your servant in this matter.” 19 And he said to him, “aGo in peace.” So he went from him some distance. 20 Then aGehazi, the young man of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, 1by not receiving from his hands what he brought. bAs Yahweh lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” 21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. And Naaman saw one running after him, so he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all at peace?” 22 And he said, “aAll is at peace. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from bthe hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and ctwo changes of clothes.’” 23 Then Naaman said, “aBe pleased to take two talents.” And he urged him and bound two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes and gave them to two of his young men; and they carried them before him. 24 So he came to the 1hill, and he took them from their hand and adeposited them in the house. Then he sent the men away, and they departed. 25 But he came in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “aYour servant went nowhere.” 26 Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? aIs it a time to receive money and to receive clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and male and female slaves? 27 Thus the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your seed forever.” So he went out from his presence aa leper as white as snow.
The Axe Head Floats
And athe sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Behold now, the place before you where we are living is too limited for us. 2 Please let us go to the Jordan and each of us take from there a beam, and let us make a place there for ourselves where we may live.” So he said, “Go.” 3 Then one said, “Please be willing to go with your servants.” And he 1answered, “I shall go.” 4 So he went with them; and they came to the Jordan and cut down trees. 5 Now it happened that as one was felling a beam, 1the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.” 6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And when he showed him the place, ahe cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. 7 And he said, “Take it up for yourself.” So he sent forth his hand and took it.
Horses and Chariots of Fire Around Elisha
8 Now the king of Aram was warring against Israel; and he 1counseled with his servants saying, “In such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 aAnd the man of God sent word to the king of Israel saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Arameans are coming down there.” 10 And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God had told him; thus he warned him, so that he guarded himself there, 1more than once or twice. 11 Then the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?” 12 And 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 you speak in your bedroom.” 13 So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and take him.” And it was told to him, saying, “Behold, he is in aDothan.” 14 So he sent horses and chariots and a heavy military force there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 Then the attendant of the man of God arose early and went out, and behold, a military force with horses and chariots was all around the city. And his young man said to him, “Alas, my master! 1What shall we do?” 16 So he said, “aDo not fear, for bthose who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “aO Yahweh, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And Yahweh opened the eyes of the young man and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of bhorses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 And they came down to him, and Elisha prayed to Yahweh and said, “Strike this 1people with blindness, I pray.” So He astruck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. 19 Then Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city; walk after me and I will walk you over to the man whom you seek.” And he walked them over to Samaria. 20 Now it happened that when they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “O aYahweh, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So Yahweh opened their eyes and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 21 Then the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, “aMy father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” 22 And he said, “You shall not strike them down. Would you astrike down those you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? bSet bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and walk back to their master.” 23 So he prepared a great feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And athe marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel.
Aram’s Siege of Samaria
24 Now it happened afterwards, that aBen-hadad king of Aram gathered all his military camp and went up and besieged Samaria. 25 Now there was a great afamine in Samaria. And behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for 1eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a 2kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver. 26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Save, my lord, O king!” 27 He said, “1If Yahweh does not save you, from where shall I save you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?” 28 And the king said to her, “aWhat 1is the matter with you?” And she said, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 aSo 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.” 30 Now it happened that when the king heard the words of the woman, ahe tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth 1beneath on his 2body. 31 Then he said, “May aGod do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat 1remains on him today.”
Flour and Barley in Samaria
32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and athe elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man from his presence; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you bsee how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and 1hold the door shut against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” 33 While he was still speaking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him and he said, “aBehold, this evil is from Yahweh; why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?” Then Elisha said, “Listen to the word of Yahweh; thus says Yahweh, ‘aAbout this time tomorrow a 1seah of fine flour will be sold for a 2shekel, and two 1seahs of barley for a 2shekel, in the gate of Samaria.’” 2 aAnd the royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God and said, “Behold, bif Yahweh should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” Then he said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat 1of it.”
Lepers Report the Arameans’ Flight
3 Now there were four aleprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why do we sit here until we die? 4 If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here, we die also. So now come, and let us 1go over to athe camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they put us to death, we will die.” 5 So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans. Then they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans, but behold, there was no one there. 6 Now athe Lord had caused the camp of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots and a sound of horses, even the sound of a great military force, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us bthe kings of the Hittites and cthe kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.” 7 Therefore they aarose and fled in the twilight, and forsook their tents and their horses and their donkeys, even the camp just as it was, and fled for their life. 8 So these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp and entered one tent and ate and drank. Then they acarried from there silver and gold and clothes, and they went and hid them; and they returned and entered another tent and carried from there also and went and hid them. 9 Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will 1overtake us. So now, come, let us go and tell the king’s household.” 10 So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and they told them, saying, “We came to the camp of the Arameans, and behold, there was no one there, nor the voice of man, only the horses tied and the donkeys tied, and the tents just as they were.” 11 And the gatekeepers called and told it within the king’s household. 12 Then the king arose in the night and said to his servants, “I will now tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that awe are hungry; therefore they have gone from the camp bto hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and get into the city.’” 13 And one of his servants answered and said, “Please, let some men take five of the remaining horses, which remain 1in the city. Behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who remain in it; behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who have already come to an end, so let us send and see.” 14 They took therefore two chariots with horses, and the king sent after the camp of the Arameans, saying, “Go and see.”
Plundering the Arameans
15 Then they went after them to the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away in their haste. Then the messengers returned and told the king. 16 So the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. Then a 1seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two 1seahs of barley for a shekel, aaccording to the word of Yahweh. 17 Now the king appointed athe royal officer on whose hand he leaned 1to have charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died just as the man of God had spoken, bwho spoke when the king came down to him. 18 So it happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “aTwo 1seahs of barley for a shekel and a 1seah of fine flour for a shekel will be sold tomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria.” 19 And the royal officer had answered the man of God and said, “Now behold, aif Yahweh should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he had said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat 1of it.” 20 And so it happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died.