Elisha Prophesies Hope For Relief

1 Elisha replied, "Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord says, 'About this time tomorrow a seah of finely milled flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.'"

1 Then Elisha said, “Listen to the word of the Lord; thus says the Lord, ‘(A)Tomorrow about this time a (a)measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.’”

1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow 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.

1 Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord says: ‘About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, six quarts(a) of fine meal will sell for a shekel(b) and 12 quarts(c) of barley will sell for a shekel.’”(d)(A)

1 So Elisha responded, "Listen to this message from the LORD! "This is what the LORD says: "At about this time tomorrow, in Samaria's city gate, a seah of finely ground flour will sell for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel."'"

2 An officer who was the king's right-hand man responded to the prophet, "Look, even if the Lord made it rain by opening holes in the sky, could this happen so soon?" Elisha said, "Look, you will see it happen with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of the food!"

2 (B)The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God and said, “Behold, (C)if the Lord should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” Then he said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat (b)of it.”

2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

2 Then the captain, the king’s right-hand man,(B) responded to the man of God,(C) “Look, even if the Lord were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?”(D)Elisha announced, “You will in fact see it with your own eyes, but you won’t eat any of it.”(E)

2 But the royal attendant on whom the king depended responded to the man of God: "Look here! Even if the LORD were to open a window in the sky, how could this happen?" He replied, "No, you look! You'll see it with your eyes, but you won't eat any of it!"

Four Lepers Report The Departure Of The Arameans

3 Now four men with a skin disease were sitting at the entrance of the city gate. They said to one another, "Why are we just sitting here waiting to die?

3 Now there were four (D)leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why do we sit here until we die?

3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?

3 Four men with a skin disease(F) were at the entrance to the gate. They said to each other, “Why just sit here until we die?

3 Now there happened to be four lepers who were at that very moment at the entrance to the city gate. As they were talking with one another, they said, "Why are we sitting here waiting to die?

4 If we go into the city, we'll die of starvation, and if we stay here we'll die! So come on, let's defect to the Syrian camp! If they spare us, we'll live; if they kill us -- well, we were going to die anyway."

4 If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us (c)go over to (E)the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, we will but 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 unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

4 If we say, ‘Let’s go into the city,’ we will die there because the famine is in the city, but if we sit here, we will also die. So now, come on. Let’s go to the Arameans’ camp.(G) If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.”

4 If we tell ourselves, "Let's remain in the city,' we'll die there since there's famine in the city. But if we sit here, we'll die, too. So let's go over to the Arameans! If they spare our lives, we'll live, and if they kill us"we're dying anyway!"

5 So they started toward the Syrian camp at dusk. When they reached the edge of the Syrian camp, there was no one there.

5 They arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans; when they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans, behold, there was no one there.

5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.

5 So the diseased men got up at twilight to go to the Arameans’ camp. When they came to the camp’s edge, they discovered that there was not a single man there,

5 So they got up at dusk and went out to the Aramean encampment. But when they arrived at the outskirts of the Aramean encampment, there was no one there!

6 The Lord had caused the Syrian camp to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a large army. Then they said to one another, "Look, the king of Israel has paid the kings of the Hittites and Egypt to attack us!"

6 For (F)the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots and a sound of horses, even the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us (G)the kings of the Hittites and (H)the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.”

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, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

6 for the Lord(e) had caused the Aramean camp to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army.(H) The Arameans had said to each other, “The king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites(I) and the kings of Egypt(J) to attack us.”

6 The LORD had made the Aramean army hear the sounds of chariots, horses, and a large army, so they told one another, "Look! The king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and the Egyptians to come attack us!"

7 So they got up and fled at dusk, leaving behind their tents, horses, and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.

7 Therefore they (I)arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their donkeys, even the camp just as it was, and fled for their life.

7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.

7 So they had gotten up and fled(K) at twilight, abandoning their tents, horses, and donkeys. The camp was intact, and they had fled for their lives.

7 So the Arameans got up and ran away in the gathering darkness. They left behind their tents, horses, and donkeys just as they were and fled for their lives!

8 When the men with a skin disease reached the edge of the camp, they entered a tent and had a meal. They also took some silver, gold, and clothes and went and hid it all. Then they went back and entered another tent. They looted it and went and hid what they had taken.

8 When these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they entered one tent and ate and drank, and (J)carried from there silver and gold and clothes, and went and hid them; and they returned and entered another tent and carried from there also, and went and hid them.

8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.

8 When these men came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent to eat and drink. Then they picked up the silver, gold, and clothing and went off and hid them. They came back and entered another tent, picked things up, and hid them.(L)

8 When the lepers arrived at the outskirts of the encampment, they entered one tent and ate and drank. Then they carried off from there some silver, gold, and clothes, and went out and hid them. After this, they returned, entered another tent, raided it, and went and hid all of that, too!

9 Then they said to one another, "It's not right what we're doing! This is a day to celebrate, but we haven't told anyone. If we wait until dawn, we'll be punished. So come on, let's go and inform the royal palace."

9 Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will (d)overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king’s household.”

9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.

9 Then they said to each other, “We’re not doing what is right. Today is a day of good news.(M) If we are silent and wait until morning light, our sin will catch up with us. Let’s go tell the king’s household.”

9 But then they told each other, "We're not doing the right thing. This is a day of good news, but if we keep quiet until morning, we're sure to be punished! So let's leave and go tell the king's household!"

10 So they went and called out to the gatekeepers of the city. They told them, "We entered the Syrian camp and there was no one there. We didn't even hear a man's voice. But the horses and donkeys are still tied up, and the tents remain up."

10 So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and they told them, saying, “We came to the camp of the Arameans, and behold, there was no one there, nor the voice of man, only the horses tied and the donkeys tied, and the tents just as they were.”

10 So they came and called unto 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 horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.

10 The diseased men went and called to the city’s gatekeepers and told them, “We went to the Aramean camp and no one was there—no human sounds. There was nothing but tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents were intact.”

10 So they left, called out to the city gatekeepers, and reported to them: "We went out to the Aramean encampment, and there was nobody there! Not even the sound of men only horses and donkeys tied up, and tents left just as they were!"

11 The gatekeepers relayed the news to the royal palace.

11 The gatekeepers called and told it within the king’s household.

11 And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within.

11 The gatekeepers called out, and the news was reported to the king’s household.

11 The gatekeepers announced the report to the king's attendants,

12 The king got up in the night and said to his advisers, "I will tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know we are starving, so they left the camp and hid in the field, thinking, 'When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and enter the city.'"

12 Then the king arose in the night and said to his servants, “I will now tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that (K)we are hungry; therefore they have gone from the camp (L)to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and get into the city.’”

12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be 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 catch them alive, and get into the city.

12 So the king got up in the night and said to his servants, “Let me tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving,(N) so they have left the camp to hide in the open country, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we will take them alive and go into the city.’”(O)

12 so the king got up in the middle of the night and ordered his servants: "Let me explain what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we're hungry, so they've left their encampment to conceal themselves in the surrounding fields. They're telling themselves, "When they come out of the city, we'll capture them alive and enter the city!'"

13 One of his advisers replied, "Pick some men and have them take five of the horses that are left in the city. (Even if they are killed, their fate will be no different than that of all the Israelite people -- we're all going to die!) Let's send them out so we can know for sure what's going on."

13 One of his servants said, “Please, let some men take five of the horses which remain, which are left (e)in the city. Behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it; behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who have already perished, so let us send and see.”

13 And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see.

13 But one of his servants responded, “Please, let messengers take five of the horses that are left in the city. Their fate is like the entire Israelite community who will die,(f) so let’s send them and see.”

13 One of his attendants suggested, "Please, let's take five of the remaining horses, since those who remain here will end up like the rest of Israel, which has already died, and we'll send them out to look."

14 So they picked two horsemen and the king sent them out to track the Syrian army. He ordered them, "Go and find out what's going on."

14 They took therefore two chariots with horses, and the king sent after the army of the Arameans, saying, “Go and see.”

14 They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.

14 The messengers took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army, saying, “Go and see.”

14 So they took two chariots and horses, and the king sent them out after the Aramean army with the orders, "Go and look!"

15 So they tracked them as far as the Jordan. The road was filled with clothes and equipment that the Syrians had discarded in their haste. The scouts went back and told the king.

15 They went after them to the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away in their haste. Then the messengers returned and told the king.

15 And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.

15 So they followed them as far as the Jordan. They saw that the whole way was littered with clothes and equipment the Arameans had thrown off in their haste. The messengers returned and told the king.

15 They went out in the direction of the Jordan River, and the entire roadway was strewn with clothes and equipment that the Arameans had abandoned in their haste to leave! So the messengers returned and reported to the king.

Prophecy Fulfilled

16 Then the people went out and looted the Syrian camp. A seah of finely milled flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, just as the Lord had said they would.

16 So the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. Then a (f)measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two (g)measures of barley for a shekel, (M)according to the word of the Lord.

16 And the people went out, and spoiled the tents 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 the LORD.

16 Then the people went out and plundered the Aramean camp.(P)It was then that six quarts(g) of fine meal sold for a shekel(h) and 12 quarts(i) of barley sold for a shekel,(j) according to the word of the Lord.(Q)

16 At this, the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. At that time, a seah of finely ground flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, in accordance with the LORD's message.

17 Now the king had placed the officer who was his right-hand man at the city gate. When the people rushed out, they trampled him to death in the gate. This fulfilled the prophet's word which he had spoken when the king tried to arrest him.

17 Now the king appointed (N)the royal officer on whose hand he leaned (h)to have charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died just as the man of God had said, (O)who spoke when the king came down to him.

17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.

17 The king had appointed the captain, his right-hand man,(R) to be in charge of the gate, but the people trampled him in the gateway. He died, just as the man of God had predicted when the king came to him.

17 Meanwhile, the king appointed the same royal attendant on whom he depended to take control of the city gate, but the people trampled him to death in the gate, just as the man of God had told the king when the king came down to him.

18 The prophet told the king, "Two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel, and a seah of finely milled flour for a shekel; this will happen about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria."

18 It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “(P)Two (i)measures of barley for a shekel and a (j)measure of fine flour for a shekel, will be sold tomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria.”

18 And it came to pass 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 to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:

18 When the man of God had said to the king, “About this time tomorrow 12 quarts(k) of barley will sell for a shekel(l) and six quarts(m) of fine meal will sell for a shekel(n) at the gate of Samaria,”

18 It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king: "At about this time tomorrow, in Samaria's city gate, a seah of finely ground flour will sell for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel."

19 But the officer replied to the prophet, "Look, even if the Lord made it rain by opening holes in the sky, could this happen so soon?" Elisha said, "Look, you will see it happen with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of the food!"

19 Then the royal officer answered the man of God and said, “Now behold, (Q)if the Lord should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat (k)of it.”

19 And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

19 this captain had answered the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” Elisha had said, “You will in fact see it with your own eyes, but you won’t eat any of it.”(S)

19 But the royal attendant on whom the king depended responded to the man of God: "Look here! Even if the LORD were to make a window in the sky, how could this happen?" He replied, "No, you look! You'll see it with your eyes, but you won't eat any of it!"

20 This is exactly what happened to him. The people trampled him to death in the city gate.

20 And so it happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died.

20 And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.

20 This is what happened to him: the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died.

20 And so it happened to him, because the people trampled him in the city gate and he died.

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