Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and male and female servants? 27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave to thee, and to thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
CHAP. 6.
1 And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too small for us.
2 Let us go, we pray thee, to Jordan, and take from there every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
3 And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.
4 So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.
5 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. [1]
6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in there; and made the axe head float.
7 Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.
8 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. [2]
9 And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for there the Syrians have come down.
10 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.
11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said to them, Will ye 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 that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. [3]
13 And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and bring him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
14 Therefore he sent there horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and surrounded the city. [4]
15 And when the servant of the man of God had risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host surrounded the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? [5]
16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that are with us are more than they that are with them.
17 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 around Elisha.
18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19 And Elisha said to 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. [6]
20 And it came to pass, when they had 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.
21 And the king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them ? shall I smite them ?
22 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.
23 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.
24 And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.
26 And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman to him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
27 And he said, If the LORD doth not help thee, how shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? [7]
28 And the king said to her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said to me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.
29 So we boiled my son, and ate him: and I said to her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son. [8]
30 And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and,
