2 Kings 6

Elisha Warns the King of Israel 2 Kings 6:8–14

⁸Verse 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.” ⁹Verse 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.” ¹⁰Verse 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. ¹¹Verse 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?”

¹²Verse 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.” ¹³Verse 13. He said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” He was told, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” ¹⁴Verse 14. Therefore he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. They came by night, and surrounded the city.

Elisha's Servant Sees God's Protection 2 Kings 6:15–23

¹⁵Verse 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?” ¹⁶Verse 16. He answered, “Don’t be afraid; for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” ¹⁷Verse 17. Elisha prayed, and said, “Yahweh, please open his eyes, that he may see.” Yahweh opened the young man’s eyes; and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha. ¹⁸Verse 18. When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” He struck them with blindness according to Elishah’s word.

¹⁹Verse 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. ²⁰Verse 20. When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “Yahweh, open these men’s eyes, that they may see.” Yahweh opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the middle of Samaria. ²¹Verse 21. The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, “My father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?” ²²Verse 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, and go to their master.”

²³Verse 23. He prepared a great feast for them. When they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria stopped raiding the land of Israel.

The Siege of Samaria and Desperation 2 Kings 6:24–30

²⁴Verse 24. After this, Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria. ²⁵Verse 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. ²⁶Verse 26. As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” ²⁷Verse 27. He said, “If Yahweh doesn’t help you, where could I get help for you? From of the threshing floor, or from the wine press?” ²⁸Verse 28. The king said to 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.’

²⁹Verse 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;’ and she has hidden her son.” ³⁰Verse 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.

The King's Despair and Elisha's Response 2 Kings 6:31–33

³¹Verse 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.” ³²Verse 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?” ³³Verse 33. While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, “Behold, this evil is from Yahweh. Why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?”