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Venerdi, 29 marzo 2024 - Santi Simplicio e Costantino ( Letture di oggi)

2 Kings 6


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1The brotherhood of prophets said to Elisha, 'Look, the place where we are living with you is too smal forus.2Let us go to the Jordan, then, and each of us cut a beam there, and we will make our living quartersthere.' He replied, 'Go.'3'Be good enough to go with your servants,' one of them said. 'I wil go,' he replied,4and went with them. On reaching the Jordan they began cutting down timber.5But, as one of them was felling his beam, the iron axehead fel into the water. 'Alas, my lord,' heexclaimed, 'and it was a borrowed one too!'6'Where did it fal ?' the man of God asked; and he showed him the spot. Then, cutting a stick, Elisha threw it in at that point and made the iron axehead float.7'Lift it out,' he said; and the man stretched out his hand and took it.8The king of Aram was at war with Israel. He conferred with his officers and said, 'You must attack atsuch and such a place.'9Elisha, however, sent word to the king of Israel, 'Be on your guard about such and such a place,because the Aramaeans are going to attack it.'10The king of Israel accordingly sent men to the place which Elisha had named. And he kept warning theking, and the king stayed on the alert; and this happened more than once or twice.11The king of Aram grew very much disturbed over this. He summoned his officers, and said, 'Tel mewhich of you is betraying us to the king of Israel.'12'No one, my lord king,' one of his officers replied. 'It is Elisha, the prophet in Israel. The words you utterin your bedchamber, he reveals to the king of Israel.'13'Go and find out where he is,' the king said, 'so that I can send people to capture him.' Word wasbrought to him, 'He is now in Dothan.'14So he sent horses and chariots there, and a large force; and these, arriving during the night,surrounded the town.15Next day, Elisha got up early and went out; and there surrounding the town was an armed force withhorses and chariots. 'Oh, my lord,' his servant said, 'what are we to do?'16'Do not be afraid,' he replied, 'for there are more on our side than on theirs.'17And Elisha prayed. 'Yahweh,' he said, 'open his eyes and make him see.' Yahweh opened theservant's eyes, and he saw the mountain covered in fiery horses and chariots surrounding Elisha.18As the Aramaeans came down towards him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, 'I beg you to strike these peoplesun-blind.' And, at Elisha's word, he struck them sun-blind.19Then Elisha said to them, 'This is not the road, nor is this the town. Follow me; I shal lead you to theman you are looking for.' But he led them to Samaria.20As they entered Samaria, Elisha said, 'Yahweh, open these people's eyes, and let them see.' Yahwehopened their eyes and they saw; they were inside Samaria.21When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, 'Shal I kil them, father?'22'Do not kil them,' he replied. 'Do you kil your own prisoners with sword and bow? Offer them food andwater, so that they can eat and drink, and then let them go back to their master.'23So the king provided a great feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them off andthey went back to their master. Aramaean raiding parties never invaded the territory of Israel again.24It happened after this that Ben-Hadad king of Aram, mustering his whole army, marched on and laidsiege to Samaria.25In Samaria there was great famine, and so strict was the siege that the head of a donkey sold foreighty shekels of silver, and one quarter-kab of wild onions for five shekels of silver.26Now as the king was passing along the city wal , a woman shouted, 'Help, my lord king!'27'If Yahweh does not help you,' he retorted, 'where can I find help for you? From the threshing-floor?From the winepress?'28Then the king asked, 'What is the matter?' 'This woman here', she answered, 'said to me, "Give upyour son; we will eat him today, and eat my son tomorrow."29So we cooked my son and ate him. Next day, I said to her, "Give up your son for us to eat." But shehas hidden her son.'30On hearing the woman's words, the king tore his clothes; the king was walking on the wal , and thepeople saw that underneath he was wearing sackcloth next his body.31'May God bring unnameable ills on me, and worse il s, too,' he said, 'if the head of Elisha son ofShaphat remains on his shoulders today!'32Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger aheadbut, before the man arrived, Elisha had said to the elders, 'Do you see how this son of a murderer has givenorders to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door; hold the door against him. Isn't thatthe sound of his master's step behind him?'33He was stil actually speaking, when the king arrived and said, 'This misery plainly comes fromYahweh. Why should I stil trust in Yahweh?'