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.

The disciples of the prophets pleaded with Elisha, "Look, the place where we live with you is too cramped for us."

Let 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.

Please, let's journey to Jordan, each of us carrying a beam. There, we'll build a home where we can live. And the answer was, "Proceed."

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

One pleaded, "Please, be willing to come along with us, your servants." He responded with a determined nod, "I will accompany you."

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

He joined them willingly. Upon reaching Jordan, they chopped down trees, their hearts heavy yet determined.

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

While chopping wood, the axe's head plunged into the water. Distressed, he cried out, "Oh no, master! It was not mine but borrowed!"

And 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.

The man of faith asked, "Where did it fall?" He was shown the spot. He then chopped a branch and threw it in, and miraculously, the sunken iron floated.

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

He said, "Pick it up for yourself." With a determined reach, he extended his hand and grasped it.

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

The Syrian king, filled with ambition and determination, waged war on Israel. He gathered his advisors, his voice echoing with strategy, "Here, we'll set up our camp."

And 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.

The prophet urgently warned the king of Israel, "Avoid this location, for the Syrians have descended there."

And 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.

The Israeli king, heeding the prophet's repeated warnings, sent word to the exact place he had been warned about and stayed on his guard there, saving himself time and again.

Therefore 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?

The Syrian king was deeply distressed and anxious. He summoned his servants, asking them anxiously, "Can't you tell me who among us is siding with the king of Israel?"

And 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.

One of his aides confessed, "No one, my lord, O king. It's Elisha, the prophet in Israel. He reveals to the king of Israel even the secrets you whisper in your bedroom."

And 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.

He commanded, "Find his location so I can bring him here." Soon, he was informed, "He's in Dothan."

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

And so, he dispatched horses, chariots, and a vast army. Under the cloak of night, they arrived, silently surrounding the city.

And 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?

When the assistant of the holy man woke up early and stepped out, he was shocked to see the city surrounded by an army with horses and chariots. Fearfully, he turned to his master and asked, "What are we going to do?"

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

He reassured, "Don't be afraid. We have more allies than they do."

And 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.

Elisha pleaded with the Lord, "Please, let him see!" God answered his prayer and the young man's eyes were opened. He looked around in awe, seeing the mountain teeming with fiery horses and chariots encircling Elisha.

And 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.

When they approached Elisha, he pleaded with the LORD, "Please, make them blind." And just as Elisha requested, they were struck with blindness.

And 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.

Elisha gently told them, "You're on the wrong path, and this isn't the city you're looking for. Trust me, follow my lead, and I'll guide you to the man you're searching for." Yet, he cunningly led them to Samaria instead.

And 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.

When they arrived in Samaria, Elisha prayed, "God, let these men truly see." God granted his request, and suddenly, they realized they were right in the heart of Samaria.

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

Seeing them, the king of Israel turned to Elisha, his voice trembling with uncertainty, "Father, should I strike them down? Should I?"

And 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.

He responded, "Don't harm them! Would you hurt those you've already defeated? Instead, feed them, let them drink, and send them back to their leader."

And 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.

He generously provided for them. After they had feasted and quenched their thirst, he bid them farewell. They returned to their leader, and the Syrian troops never again trespassed on Israeli soil.

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

Following these events, Benhadad, the Syrian king, rallied his entire army and launched a siege on Samaria.

And 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.

Samaria was gripped by a severe famine. It was so bad that people were desperate, even paying a fortune for a donkey's head and a small amount of bird droppings just to survive.

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

As the king of Israel strolled along the city walls, a desperate woman's plea echoed up to him, "Please, my lord, O king, I need your help!"

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

He asked, "Without God's aid, how can I assist you? From the grain on the farm or the wine from the press?"

And 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.

The king asked her, "What troubles you?" Tearfully, she replied, "This woman suggested a horrifying plan. She said, 'Let's consume your son today, and tomorrow, we'll consume mine.'"

So 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.

In our desperation, we cooked my son and consumed him. The next day, I asked her to offer her son for the same, but she hid him away.

And 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.

When the king heard the woman's words, he was so moved that he tore his clothes in distress. He walked along the wall, and the people saw, to their surprise, he was wearing a sackcloth against his skin.

Then 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.

With a heavy heart, he declared, "May God punish me severely, if Elisha, Shaphat's son, still has his head on his shoulders by the end of today."

But 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?

Elisha was at home, surrounded by the elders, when the king sent a man to him. Before the man arrived, Elisha turned to the elders and said, "Do you see how this son of a killer has sent someone to cut off my head? When the messenger arrives, close the door and don't let him in. Can't you hear his master's footsteps following him?"

And 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?

As he was still speaking, suddenly, a messenger arrived. He declared, "This hardship is from God. Why should I keep waiting for Him?"