2 Kings (Douay: 4 Kings) 6

¹ The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See now, the place where we live and meet with you is too small for us.

² Please let us go to the Jordan, and each man take a beam from there, and let’s make us a place there, where we may live.” He answered, “Go!”

³ One said, “Please be pleased to go with your servants.” He answered, “I will go.”

⁴ So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.

⁵ But as one was cutting down a tree, the ax head fell into the water. Then he cried out and said, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.”

⁶ The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” He showed him the place. He cut down a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron float.

⁷ He said, “Take it.” So he put out his hand and took it.

⁸ Now the king of Syria was at war against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”

⁹ The man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.”

¹⁰ The king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once or twice.

¹¹ The king of Syria’s heart was very troubled about this. He called his servants, and said to them, “Won’t you show me which of us is for the king of Israel?”

¹² One of his servants said, “No, 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 He said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” He was told, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”

¹⁴ Therefore he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. They came by night and surrounded the city.

¹⁵ When the servant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was around the city. His servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”

¹⁶ He answered, “Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

¹⁷ Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, please open his eyes, that he may see.” the LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha.

¹⁸ When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” He struck them with blindness according to Elisha’s word.

¹⁹ 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 you seek.” He led them to Samaria.

²⁰ When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “LORD, open these men’s eyes, that they may see.” The LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the middle of Samaria.

²¹ The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, “My father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?”

²² He answered, “You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, then go to their master.”

²³ He prepared a great feast for them. After they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria stopped raiding the land of Israel.

²⁴ After this, Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.

²⁵ There was a great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.

²⁶ As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!”

²⁷ He said, “If the LORD doesn’t help you, where could I get help for you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?”

²⁸ Then the king asked her, “What is your problem?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’

²⁹ So we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him;’ and she has hidden her son.”

³⁰ When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. Now he was passing by on the wall, and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth underneath on his body.

³¹ Then he said, “God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat stays on him today.”

³² But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Then the king sent a man from before him; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Behold, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door shut against him. Isn’t the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”

³³ While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, “Behold, this evil is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”

¹ AAnd the sons of the prophets said to Eliseus: Behold, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.

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

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

⁴ So he went with them. And when they were come to the Jordan, they cut down wood.

⁵ And it happened, as one was felling some timber, that the head of the ax fell into the water: and he cried out, and said: Alas, alas, alas, my lord, for this same was borrowed.

⁶ And the man of God said: Where did it fall? and he shewed him the place: Then he cut off a piece of wood, and cast it in thither: and the iron swam.

⁷ And he said: Take it up. And he put out his hand, and took it.

⁸ And the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying: In such and such a place, let us lay an ambush.

⁹ And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying: Beware that thou pass not to such a place: for the Syrians are there in ambush.

¹⁰ And the king of Israel, sent to the place which the man of God had told him, and prevented him, and looked well to himself there not once nor twice.

¹¹ And 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 it is that betrays me to the king of Israel?

¹² And one of his servants said: No one, my lord, O king: but Eliseus, the prophet, that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel all the words, that thou speakest in thy privy chamber.

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

¹⁴ Therefore, he sent thither horses, and chariots, and the strength of an army: and they came by night, and beset the city.

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

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

¹⁷ And Eliseus prayed, and said: Lord, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses, and chariots of fire round about Eliseus.

¹⁸ And the enemies came down to him: but Eliseus prayed to the Lord, saying: Strike, I beseech thee, this people with blindness: and the Lord struck them with blindness, according to the word of Eliseus.

¹⁹ And 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. So he led them into Samaria.

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

²¹ And the king of Israel said to Eliseus, when he saw them: My father, shall I kill them?

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

²³ And a great provision of meats was set before them, and they ate and drank; and he let them go: and they went away to their master: and the robbers of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

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

²⁵ And there was a great famine in Samaria: and so long did the siege continue, till the head of an ass was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cabe of pigeons’ dung, for five pieces of silver.

²⁶ And as the king of Israel was passing by the wall, a certain woman cried out to him, saying: Save me, my lord, O king.

²⁷ And he said: If the Lord doth not save thee, how can I save thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? And the king said to her: What aileth thee? And she answered:

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

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.

³⁰ When the king heard this, he rent his garments, and passed by upon the wall. And all the people saw the haircloth which he wore within next to his flesh.

³¹ And the king said: May God do so and so to me, and may he add more, if the head of Eliseus, the son of Saphat, shall stand on him this day.

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

³³ While he was yet speaking to them, the messenger appeared, who was coming to him. And he said: Behold, so great an evil is from the Lord: what shall I look for more from the Lord?