1 Elisha said, Hear you the word of Yahweh: thus says Yahweh,
Tomorrow 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 the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God,
and said, Behold, if Yahweh should make windows in heaven, might this thing
be? He said, Behold, you shall see it with your eyes, but shall not eat of
it. 3 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance 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 to the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if
they kill us, we shall but die. 5 They rose up in the twilight, to go to
the camp of the Syrians; and when they were come to the outermost part of the
camp of the Syrians, 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, Behold,
the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the
kings of the Egyptians, to come on us. 7 Therefore they arose and fled in
the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their donkeys, even
the camp as it was, and fled for their life. 8 When these lepers came to
the outermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate and drink,
and carried there silver, and gold, and clothing, and went and hid it; and
they came back, and entered into another tent, and carried there also, and
went and hid it. 9 Then they said one to another, We aren’t doing right.
This day is a day of good news, and we hold our peace: if we wait until the
morning light, punishment will overtake us; now therefore come, let us go and
tell the king’s household. 10 So they came and called to 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 the horses tied,
and the donkeys tied, and the tents as they were. 11 He called the
porters; and they told it to the king’s household within. 12 The king
arose in the night, and said to his servants, I will now show you what the
Syrians have done to us. They know that we are 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 take them alive, and get into the city. 13 One
of his servants answered, Please let some take five of the horses that
remain, which are left in the city (behold, they are as all the multitude of
Israel who are left in it; behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel
who are consumed); and let us send and see. 14 They took therefore two
chariots with horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians,
saying, Go and see. 15 They went after them to the Jordan: and, behold,
all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away
in their haste. The messengers returned, and told the king. 16 The people
went out, and plundered the camp 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 Yahweh. 17 The king appointed the captain on
whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trod on
him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spoke when the
king came down to him. 18 It happened, 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 tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria;
19 and that captain answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if
Yahweh should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? and he said,
Behold, you shall see it with your eyes, but shall not eat of it: 20 it
happened even so to him; for the people trod on him in the gate, and he
died.
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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