2 Kings 6

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 The brotherhood of prophets said to Elisha, 'Look, the place where we are living with you is too smal forus.	1 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha: “Behold, the place in which we live before you is too narrow for us.
2 Let us go to the Jordan, then, and each of us cut a beam there, and we will make our living quartersthere.' He replied, 'Go.'	2 Let us go as far as the Jordan, and let us each take from the forest a piece of timber, so that we may build for ourselves a place to live there.” And he said, “Go.”
3 'Be good enough to go with your servants,' one of them said. 'I wil go,' he replied,	3 And one of them said, “Then you, too, should go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.”
4 and went with them. On reaching the Jordan they began cutting down timber.	4 And he went with them. And when they had arrived at the Jordan, they were cutting down wood.
5 But, 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!'	5 Then it happened that, while someone was cutting timber, the iron of the ax fell into the water. And he cried out and said: “Alas, alas, alas, my lord! For this thing was borrowed.”
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.	6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he indicated to him the place. Then he cut off a piece of wood, and he threw it in. And the iron floated up.
7 'Lift it out,' he said; and the man stretched out his hand and took it.	7 And he said, “Take it.” And he extended his hand, and took it.
8 The king of Aram was at war with Israel. He conferred with his officers and said, 'You must attack atsuch and such a place.'	8 Now the king of Syria was fighting against Israel, and he took counsel with his servants, saying, “In this and that place, let us set up an ambush.”
9 Elisha, 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.'	9 And so the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying: “Take care not to pass by that place. For the Syrians are there in ambush.”
10 The 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.	10 And so the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God had told him, and he prevented it. And he preserved himself, concerning that place, not merely once or twice.
11 The 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.'	11 And the heart of the king of Syria was disturbed over this matter. And calling together his servants, he said, “Why have you not revealed to me the one who is betraying me 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.'	12 And one of his servants said: “By no means, my lord the king! Rather it is the prophet Elisha, who is in Israel, who is revealing to the king of Israel every word whatsoever that you will speak in your conclave.”
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.'	13 And he said to them, “Go, and see where he is, so that I may send and capture him.” And they reported to him, saying, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”
14 So he sent horses and chariots there, and a large force; and these, arriving during the night,surrounded the town.	14 Therefore, he sent horses, and chariots, and experienced soldiers to that place. And when they had arrived in the night, they encircled the city.
15 Next 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?'	15 Now the servant of the man of God, arising at first light, went out and saw the army all around the city, with horses and chariots. And he reported it to him, saying: “Alas, alas, alas, my lord! What shall we do?”
16 'Do not be afraid,' he replied, 'for there are more on our side than on theirs.'	16 But he responded: “Do not be afraid. For there are more with us than with them.”
17 And 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.	17 And when Elisha had prayed, he said, “O Lord, open the eyes of this one, so 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, all around Elisha.
18 As 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.	18 Then truly, the enemies descended to him. But Elisha prayed to the Lord, saying: “Strike, I beg you, this people with blindness.” And the Lord struck them, so that they would not see, in accord with the word of Elisha.
19 Then 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.	19 Then Elisha said to them: “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will reveal to you the man whom you are seeking.” Then he led them into Samaria.
20 As 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.	20 And when they had entered into Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these ones, so that they may see.” And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw themselves to be in the midst of Samaria.
21 When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, 'Shal I kil them, father?'	21 And the king of Israel, when he had seen them, said to Elisha, “My father, should I not strike them?”
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.'	22 And he said: “You should not strike them. For you did not capture them with your sword or bow, so that you might strike them. Instead, set bread and water before them, so that they may eat and drink, and then go to their lord.”
23 So 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.	23 And a great preparation of foods was placed before them. And they ate and drank. And he dismissed them. And they went away to their lord. And the robbers of Syria no longer came into the land of Israel.
24 It happened after this that Ben-Hadad king of Aram, mustering his whole army, marched on and laidsiege to Samaria.	24 Now it happened that, after these things, Benhadad, the king of Syria, gathered together his entire army, and he ascended and was besieging Samaria.
25 In 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.	25 And a great famine occurred in Samaria. And it was blockaded for a long time, until the head of a donkey was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and one fourth part of a pint of pigeons’ dung sold for five silver coins.
26 Now as the king was passing along the city wal , a woman shouted, 'Help, my lord king!'	26 And as the king of Israel was passing by the wall, a certain woman cried out to him, saying, “Save me, my lord the king!”
27 'If Yahweh does not help you,' he retorted, 'where can I find help for you? From the threshing-floor?From the winepress?'	27 And he said: “If the Lord does not save you, how am I able to save you? From the grain floor, or from the wine press?” And the king said to her, “What is the matter with you?” And she responded:
28 Then 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."	28 “This woman said to me: ‘Give your son, so that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’
29 So 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.'	29 Therefore, we cooked my son, and we ate him. And I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, so that we may eat him.’ But she concealed her son.”
30 On 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.	30 When the king had heard this, he tore his garments, and he passed along the wall. And all the people saw the haircloth that he had worn underneath, beside his flesh.
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!'	31 And the king said, “May God do these things to me, and may he add these other things, if the head of Elisha, the son of Shaphat, will remain on him this day!”
32 Elisha 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?'	32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And so he sent a man ahead. And before that messenger arrived, he said to the elders: “Do you not know that this son of a murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? Therefore, watch, and when the messenger arrives, close the door. And you shall not permit him to enter. For behold, the sound of his lord’s feet is behind him.”
33 He was stil actually speaking, when the king arrived and said, 'This misery plainly comes fromYahweh. Why should I stil trust in Yahweh?'	33 While he was still speaking to them, the messenger appeared who was sent to him. And he said: “Behold, such a great evil is from the Lord! What more should I expect from the Lord?”