2 Kings 7

1 Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the LORD says: ‘About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel, and two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel.’”

2 But the officer on whose arm the king leaned answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” replied Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it.”

3 Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, “Why just sit here until we die?

4 If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.”

5 So they arose at twilight and went to the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the outskirts of the camp, there was not a man to be found.

6 For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us.”

7 Thus the Arameans had arisen and fled at twilight, abandoning their tents and horses and donkeys. The camp was intact, and they had run for their lives.

8 When the lepers reached the edge of the camp, they went into a tent to eat and drink. Then they carried off the silver, gold, and clothing, and went and hid them. On returning, they entered another tent, carried off some items from there, and hid them.

9 Finally, they said to one another, “We are not doing what is right. Today is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until morning light, our sin will overtake us. Now, therefore, let us go and tell the king’s household.”

10 So they went and called out to the gatekeepers of the city, saying, “We went to the Aramean camp and no one was there—not a trace—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents were intact.”

11 The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported to the king’s household.

12 So the king got up in the night and said to his servants, “Let me tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving, so they have left the camp to hide in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we will take them alive and enter the city.’”

13 But one of his servants replied, “Please, have scouts take five of the horses that remain in the city. Their plight will be no worse than all the Israelites who are left here. You can see that all the Israelites here are doomed. So let us send them and find out.”

14 Then the scouts took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army, saying, “Go and see.”

15 And they tracked them as far as the Jordan, and indeed, the whole way was littered with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown off in haste. So the scouts returned and told the king.

16 Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. It was then that a seah of fine flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

17 Now the king had appointed the officer on whose arm he leaned to be in charge of the gate, but the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king had come to him.

18 It happened just as the man of God had told the king: “About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel.”

19 And the officer had answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” So Elisha had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!”

20 And that is just what happened to him. The people trampled him in the gateway, and he died.

1 ¶ Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time [shall] a measure of fine flour [be sold] for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, [if] the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see [it] with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

3 ¶ And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?

4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine [is] in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, [there was] no man there.

6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, [even] the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it [was], and fled for their life.

8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid [it]; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence [also], and went and hid [it].

9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day [is] a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.

10 So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, [there was] no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they [were].

11 And he called the porters; and they told [it] to the king's house within.

12 ¶ And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we [be] hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.

13 And one of his servants answered and said, Let [some] take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they [are] as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, [I say], they [are] even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see.

14 They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.

15 And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way [was] full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.

16 And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was [sold] for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.

18 And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:

19 And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, [if] the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

20 And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.

1 And Elisha said, Hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD; To morrow about this time shall a bushel of fine flour be worth a shekel, and two bushels of barley a shekel, under the gate of Samaria.

2 And the knight, upon whose hand the king leaned, answered the man of God, and said, And if the LORD made windows in heaven, how could this be? And he said, Behold, with thine eyes shalt thou see it, and shalt not eat thereof.

3 And there were four lepers at the door of the gate: and one said unto another: Why shall we tarry here until we die?

4 If we would come into the city, there is famine in the city, and we should die there: but if we tarry here, we shall die also. Now therefore let us go and fall to the army of the Syrians. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will be dead.

5 And they rose up early in the morning, that they might come unto the host of the Syrians. And when they were come to the place of the host, behold, there was none there.

6 For the LORD had made the Syrians to hear a shout of chariots of horses, and of great strength, saying one to another, Behold, the king of Israel hath brought against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

7 And they arose and fled early in the morning, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, in the camp, as it was, and fled away with their lives.

8 And when the lepers were come to the place of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and took silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it: and they came again, and entered into another tent, and took out of it, and went and hid it.

9 But one said unto another: Let us not do so! This day is a day of good tidings. If we keep silence, and wait till the morning light, our iniquity shall be found: let us go therefore, and come and tell it unto the king's house.

10 And when they were come, they called at the gate of the city, and told them, saying: We are come to the camp of the Syrians: and, behold, there is none there, neither voice of man, but horses and asses tied, and the tents as they stand.

11 And they called unto the porters, that they should tell it within the king's house.

12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants: Let it be told you how the Syrians deal with us. They know that we are famished, and are gone out of the camp, that they may crouch in the field: and they think, If they go out of the city, we will take them alive, and come into the city.

13 And one of his servants answered and said, Take the five remaining horses that are left in the house, (behold, they are left in the house of all the multitude of Israel, which are all gone,) and let us send and see them.

14 And they took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them after the camp of the Syrians, and said, Go ye, and possess.

15 And when they came after them unto Jordan, behold, the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast off, as they hasted. And when the messengers were returned, they told the king,

16 And the people went out, and spoiled the camp of the Syrians. And the price of a bushel of fine flour was a shekel, and of two bushels of barley a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

17 And the king appointed the knight, upon whose hand he leaned, under the gate. And the people trode him down in the gate: and he died, as the man of God spake, when the king came down unto him.

18 And it came to pass, as the man of God told the king, saying, To morrow about this time shall two bushels of barley be worth a shekel, and a bushel of fine flour a shekel, under the gate of Samaria;

19 And the knight answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD made windows in heaven, how shall it be done? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, and shalt not eat thereof.

20 And it was so with him: for the people trode him down in the gate, and he died.