4 Kings 6

¹And the children of the Prophets said to Eliseus: Behold the place, wherein we dwell before thee is strait for us.

²Let us go as far as Jordan, and take out of the wood every man some timber, that we may build there a place to dwell in. Who said: Go.

³And one of them said: Come therefore thou also with thy servants. He answered: I will come.

⁴And he went with them. And when they were come to Jordan they cut wood.

⁵And it chanced, that when one had cut down timber, the head of the axe fell into the water: and he cried out, and said: Alas alas alas my lord, this same also I did borrow.

⁶And the man of God said: where fell it? And he shewed him the place: he therefore cut off a piece of wood, and cast it thither: and the iron did swim,

⁷and he said: Take it up. Who stretched forth his hand, & took it.

⁸And the king of Syria fought against Israel, & took counsel with his servants, saying: In that and that place let us lay embushments.

⁹Therefore the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying: Beware thou pass not into such a place: because the Syrians are there in embushments.

¹⁰The king of Israel therefore sent to the place, which the man of God had told him, and prevented him, and looked well to himself there not once or twice.

¹¹And the heart of the king of Syria was troubled for this thing. And calling together his servants, he said: Why do you not tell me who is the betrayer of me to the king of Israel?

¹²And one of his servants said: Not so my lord king, but Eliseus the prophet, which is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel all words, whatsoever thou shalt speak in thy privy chamber.

¹³And he said to them: Go, and see where he is: that I may send, and take him. And they told him, saying: Behold in Dothan.

¹⁴He therefore sent thither horses and chariots, and the force of his army: who when they were come in the night, they beset the city.

¹⁵And the servant of the man of God rising early, went out, and saw an army round about the city, and horses and chariots: & he told him, saying: Alas alas alas my lord, what shall we do.

¹⁶But he answered: Fear not: for there are more with us than with them.

¹⁷And when Eliseus had prayed, he said: Lord open the eyes of this man, that he may see. And our Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he beheld: and lo the mountain full of horses, and of fiery chariots round about Eliseus.

¹⁸But the enemies went down to him: moreover Eliseus prayed to our Lord, saying: Strike, I beseech thee, this people with blindness. And our Lord smote them, that they saw not, according to the word of Eliseus.

¹⁹And Eliseus said to them: This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will shew you the man, whom you seek. He therefore led them into Samaria:

²⁰and when they were entered into Samaria, Eliseus said: Lord open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And our Lord opened their eyes, and they saw themselves to be in the midst of Samaria.

²¹And the king of Israel said to Eliseus, when he had seen them: Shall I strike them, my father?

²²And he said: Thou shalt not strike them: for thou didst not take them with thy sword, and thy bow, that thou mayst strike them: but set bread & water before them, that they may eat & drink, and go to their master.

²³And a great preparation of meats was set before them, and they did eat and drink, and he dismissed them, and they went away to their master, & the robbers of Syria came no more into the Land of Israel.

²⁴And it came to pass after these things, Benadad the king of Syria gathered together all his army, & went up, and besieged Samaria.

²⁵And there was a great famine in Samaria: and so long it was besieged, till the head of an ass was sold for four score silver pieces, & the fourth part of a cabe of pigeon's dung, for five silver pieces.

²⁶And when the king of Israel passed by the wall, a certain woman cried out to him, saying: Save me my lord king.

²⁷Who said: No, our Lord save thee: how can I save thee? Of the floor, or of the press? And the king said to her: What aileth thee? Who answered:

²⁸This woman said to me: Give thy son, that we may eat him today, and my son we will eat tomorrow:

²⁹We therefore boiled my son, and did eat him. And I said to her the next day: Give thy son, that we may eat him. Who hath hid her son.

³⁰Which when the king had heard, he rent his garments, and passed by the wall. And all the people saw the hair-cloth, which he wore next upon his flesh.

³¹And the king said: These things do God to me, and these add he, if the head of Eliseus the son of Saphat shall stand upon him this day.

³²But Eliseus sat in his house, & the ancients sat with him. He therefore sent a man before: & before that messenger came, he said to the ancients: Do you know that this murderer's son hath sent to cut off my head? See therefore, when the messenger shall come, shut the door, and suffer him not to enter in: for behold the sound of his master's feet is behind him.

³³Whilst he was yet speaking to them, the messenger appeared, which came to him. And he said: Behold, this so great evil is of our Lord: what shall I look for more of our Lord?