Eliſha maketh yrõ to ſwimme aboue the water. 8 He diſcloſeth the King of Syrias coumſel to the King of Iſraél. 13 Who ſending certeine to take him, were kept faſt in Samaria. 24 Samaria is beſieged and endureth extreme famine.

1.ANd the childrẽ of the Prophetes ſaid vnto Eliſhá, Beholde, we pray thee, the place where we dwel with thee, is to litle for vs.

2.Let vs now go to Iordén, that we may take thence euerie man a ^abeame, and make vs a place to dwel in. And he anſwered, Go.

3.And one ſaid, vouchſafe, I pray thee, to go with thy ſeruants. And he anſwered, I wil go.

4.So he went with them, and when they came to Iordén, they cut downe wood.

5.And as one was felling of a tre, the ^"yron fel into the water: thẽ he cryed, & ſaid, Alas maſter, it was but borowed.

6.And the man of God ſaid, Where fel it? And he ſhewed him the place. Then he cut downe a piece of wood, and caſt in thether, and he cauſed the yron to ^bſwimme.

7.Then he ſaid, Take it vp to thee. And he ſtretched out his hand, and toke it.

8.Then the King of Arám warred againſt Iſraél and toke counſel with his ſeruants, and ſaid, In ^cſuche and ſuche a place ſhal be my campe.

9.Therefore the man of God ſent vnto the King of Iſraél, ſaying, Beware thou go not ouer to ſuche a place: for there the Aramites are come downe.

10.So the King of Iſraél ſent to the place which the man of God tolde him, & warned him of, and ^dſaued him ſelfe from thence, not once, nor twiſe.

11.And the heart of the King of Arám was troubled for this thing: therefore he called his ſeruants and ſaid vnto them, Wil ye not ſhew me, which of vs bewrayeth our counſel to the King of Iſraél?

12.Then one of his ſeruants ſaid, None, my lord, ô King, but Eliſhá the Prophet that is in Iſraél, telleth the King of Iſraél, euen the wordes that thou ſpeakeſt in thy ^epriuie chamber.

13.And he ſaid, Go, and eſpie where he is, that I may ſend and fetch him. And one tolde him, ſayĩg, Beholde, he is in Dothán.

14.¶ So he ſent thether horſes, and charets, and a ^fmightie hoſte: and they came by night, and compaſſed the citie.

15.And when the ſeruant of the mã of God aroſe earely to go out, beholde, an hoſte compaſſed the citie with horſes and charets. Then his ſeruant ſaid vnto him, Alas maſter, how ſhal we do?

16.And he anſwered, ^gFeare not: for they that be with vs, are mo then they that be with them.

17.Then Eliſhá prayed, & ſaid, Lord, I beſeche thee, opẽ his eyes, ^hthat he may ſee. And the Lord opened the eyes of the ſeruãt, & he loked, & beholde, the mountaine was ful of horſes & charets of fyre round about Eliſhá.

18.So ⁱthey came downe to him, but Eliſhá prayed vnto the Lord, & ſaid, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindnes. And he ſmote them with blindenes, according to the worde of Eliſhá.

19.And Eliſhá ſaid vnto them, This is not the way, nether is this the citie: followe him. me, and I wil lead you to the man whome ye ſeke. But he ^kled them to Samaria.

20.And when they were come to Samaria, Eliſhá ſaid, Lord, opẽ their eyes that they may ſe. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they ſawe, and beholde, they were in the middes of Samaria.

21.And the King of Iſraél ſaid vnto Eliſhá when he ſawe them, ^lMy father, ſhal I ſmite them, ſhal I ſmite them?

22.And he anſwered, Thou ſhalt not ſmite them: doeſt thou not ſmite them that thou haſt taken with thy ſworde, & with thy bowe? but ſet bread and water before thẽ, that they may eat and drinke and go to their maſter.

23.And he made great preparacion for thẽ: & whẽ they had eaten & dronken, he ſent them away: and they went to their maſter. So the bands of Arám came ^mnomore into the land of Iſraél.

24.But afterwarde Ben-hadád King of Arám gathered all his hoſte, and went vp, & beſieged Samaria.

25.So there was a great famine in Samaria: for lo, they beſieged it vntil an aſſes head was at foure ſcore pieces of ſiluer, and the fourth parte of a kab of dooues ⁿdoung at fiue pieces of ſiluer.

26.And as the King of Iſraél was going vpon the wall, there cryed a woman vnto him, ſaying, Helpe, my lord, ô King.

27.And he ſaid, Seing the Lord doeth not ſuccour thee, how ſhulde I helpe thee with the ^"barne, or with the wine preſſe?

28.Alſo y^e King ſaid vnto her, What aileth thee? And ſhe anſwered, This woman ſaid vnto me, Giue thy ſonne, that we may eat him to day, and we wil eat my ſonne tomorowe.

29.^*So we ſod my ſonne, and did eat him: and I ſaid to her the day after, Giue thy ſonne, that we may eat him, but ſhe hathe hid her ſonne.

30.And whẽ the King had heard y^e wordes of the woman, he rent his clothes, (and as he went vpon the wall, the people loked, and beholde, he had ſackecloth ^pwithin ^ovpon his fleſh)

31.And he ſaid, God do ſo to me and more alſo, if the head of Eliſhá the ſonne of Shaphát ſhal ſtand on him this day.

32.(Now Eliſhá ſate in his houſe, and the Elders ſate with him) And the King ſent a man before him: but before the meſſenger came to him, he ſaid to the Elders, Se ye not how this ^qmurtherers ſonne hathe ſent to take away mine head? take hede when the meſſenger commeth, & ſhut the dore, and hãdle him roughly at the dore: is not the ſound of his maſters fete behind him?

33.While he yet talked with thẽ, beholde, the meſſenger came downe vnto him, & ſaid, Beholde, this euil cõmeth of y^e Lord: ^rſhulde I attend on the Lord any longer?

2 Kings 6

Notes