2 Kings 6

The Floating Ax Head

1 And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, See now, the place where we dwell with you is too small for us.2 Please, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell. So he answered, Go.3 Then one said, Please consent to go with your servants.4 So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.5 But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, Alas, master! For it was borrowed.6 So the man of God said, Where did it fall? And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float.7 Therefore he said, Pick it up for yourself. So he reached out his hand and took it.

The Blinded Syrians Captured

8 Now the king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, My camp will be in such and such a place.9 And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.10 Then the king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice.11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?12 And one of his servants said, None, 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 get him. And it was told him, saying, Surely he is in Dothan.14 Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, Alas, my master! What shall we do?16 So he answered, Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see. Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.18 So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, Strike this people, I pray, with blindness. And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.19 Now Elisha said to them, This is not the way, nor is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek. But he led them to Samaria.20 So it was, when they had come to 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 there they were, inside Samaria!21 Now when the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them? 22 But he answered, You shall not kill them. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.23 Then he prepared a great feast for them; and after they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel.

Syria Besieges Samaria in Famine

24 And it happened after this that Ben-Hadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.25 And there was a great famine in Samaria; and indeed they besieged it until a donkeys head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and one-fourth of a kab of dove droppings for five shekels of silver.26 Then, as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, Help, my lord, O king!27 And he said, If the Lord does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or from the winepress?28 Then the king said to her, What is troubling you?29 So 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, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes; and as he passed by on the wall, the people looked, and there underneath he had sackcloth on his body.31 Then he said, God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today!32 But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man ahead of him, but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent someone to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door. Is not the sound of his masters feet behind him?33 And while he was still talking with them, there was the messenger, coming down to him; and then the king said, Surely this calamity is from the Lord; why should I wait for the Lord any longer?

2 KINGS 6

Elisha Makes //an Ax Head Float

1 One day the prophets said to Elisha, “The place where we meet with you is too small.

2 Why don't we build a new meeting place near the Jordan River? Each of us could get some wood, then we could build it.”
“That's a good idea,” Elisha replied, “get started.”

3 “Aren't you going with us?” one of the prophets asked.
“Yes, I'll go,” Elisha answered,

4 and he left with them.
They went to the Jordan River and began chopping down trees.

5 While one of the prophets was working, his ax head fell off and dropped into the water. “Oh!” he shouted. “Sir, I borrowed this ax.”

6 “Where did it fall in?” Elisha asked. The prophet pointed to the place, and Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. The ax head floated to the top of the water.

7 “Now get it,” Elisha told him. And the prophet reached in and grabbed it.

Elisha Stops an Invasion //of the Syrian Army

8 Time after time, when the king of Syria was at war against the Israelites, he met with his officers and announced, “I've decided where we will set up camp.”
9 Each time, Elishat would send this warning to the king of Israel: “Don't go near there. That's where the Syrian troops have set up camp.”t

10 So the king would warn the Israelite troops in that place to be on guard.

11 The king of Syria was furious when he found out what was happening. He called in his officers and asked, “Which one of you has been telling the king of Israel our plans?”

12 “None of us, Your Majesty,” one of them answered. “It's an Israelite named Elisha. He's a prophet, so he can tell his king everything—even what you say in your own room.”

13 “Find out where he is!” the king ordered. “I'll send soldiers to bring him here.”
They learned that Elisha was in the town of Dothant and reported it to the king.

14 He ordered his best troops to go there with horses and chariots. They marched out during the night and surrounded the town.

15 When Elisha's servant got up the next morning, he saw that Syrian troops had the town surrounded. “Sir, what are we going to do?” he asked.
16 “Don't be afraid,” Elisha answered. “There are more troops on our side than on theirs.”

17 Then he prayed, “[Lord], please help him to see.” And the [Lord] let the servant see that the hillt was covered with fiery horses and flaming chariots all around Elisha.

18 As the Syrian army came closer, Elisha prayed, “[Lord], make those soldiers blind!” And the [Lord] blinded them with a bright light.

19 Elisha told the enemy troops, “You've taken the wrong road and are in the wrong town. Follow me. I'll lead you to the man you're looking for.” Elisha led them straight to the capital city of Samaria.

20 When all the soldiers were inside the city, Elisha prayed, “[Lord], now let them see again.” The [Lord] let them see that they were standing in the middle of Samaria.

21 The king of Israel saw them and asked Elisha, “Should I kill them, sir?”

22 “No!” Elisha answered. “You didn't capture these troops in battle, so you have no right to kill them. Instead, give them something to eat and drink and let them return to their leader.”

23 The king ordered a huge meal to be prepared for Syria's army, and when they finished eating, he let them go.
For a while, the Syrian troops stopped invading Israel's territory.

King Benhadad of Syria //Attacks Samaria

25 They kept up the attack until there was nothing to eat in the city. In fact, a donkey's head cost 80 pieces of silver, and a small bowl of pigeon droppingst cost 5 pieces of silver.

26 One day as the king of Israelt was walking along the top of the city wall, a woman shouted to him, “Please, Your Majesty, help me!”
27 “Let the [Lord] help you!” the king said. “Do you think I have grain or wine to give you?”

28 Then he asked, “What's the matter anyway?”
The woman answered, “Another woman and I were so hungry that we agreed to eat our sons. She said if we ate my son one day, we could eat hers the next day.

29 t So yesterday we cooked my son and ate him. But today when I went to her house to eat her son, she had hidden him.”
30 The king tore off his clothes in sorrow, and since he was on top of the city wall, the people saw that he was wearing sackcloth underneath. 31 He said, “I pray that God will punish me terribly, if Elisha's head is still on his shoulders by this time tomorrow.”

32 Then he sent a messenger to Elisha.
Elisha was home at the time, and the important leaders of Israel were meeting with him. Even before the king's messenger arrived, Elisha told the leaders, “That murderert is sending someone to cut off my head. When you see him coming, shut the door and don't let him in. I'm sure the king himself will be right behind him.”
33 Before Elisha finished talking, the messengert came up and said, “The [Lord] has made all these terrible things happen to us. Why should I think he will help us now?”