2 Kings 6 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

The Axe Head Recovered

1 Now the sons ^H1121 of the prophets ^H5030 said ^H559 to Elisha ^H477, “Behold ^H2009 now ^H4994, the place ^H4725 [fn]before ^H6440 you where ^H834 H8033 we are living ^H3427 is too ^H4480 cramped ^H6862 for us.

2 Please ^H4994 let us go ^H1980 to the Jordan ^H3383, and let us each ^H376 take ^H3947 from there ^H8033 a beam ^H6982, and let us construct ^H6213 a place ^H4725 there ^H8033 for ourselves, to live ^H3427 there ^H8033.” So he said ^H559, “Go ^H1980.” 3 Then one ^H259 of them said ^H559, “Please ^H4994 agree ^H2974 and go ^H1980 with your servants ^H5650.” And he said ^H559, “I will go ^H1980.” 4 So he went ^H1980 with them; and when they came ^H935 to the Jordan ^H3383, they cut ^H1504 down ^H1504 trees ^H6086. 5 But it happened ^H1961 that as one ^H259 of them was [fn]cutting ^H5307 down ^H5307 a beam ^H6982, [fn]the axe ^H1270 head ^H1270 fell ^H5307 into the water ^H4325; and he cried ^H6817 out ^H6817 and said ^H559, “Oh ^H162, my master ^H113! It was borrowed ^H7592!” 6 Then the man ^H376 of God ^H430 said ^H559, “Where ^H575 did it fall ^H5307?” And when he showed ^H7200 him the place ^H4725, he cut ^H7094 off ^H7094 a stick ^H6086 and threw ^H7993 it in there ^H8033, and made the iron ^H1270 float ^H6687. 7 Then he said ^H559, “Pick ^H7311 it up ^H7311 for yourself.” So he reached ^H7971 out ^H7971 his hand ^H3027 and took ^H3947 it.

The Arameans Plot to Capture Elisha

8 Now the king ^H4428 of Aram ^H758 was making ^H3898 war ^H3898 against Israel ^H3478; and he consulted ^H3289 with his servants ^H5650, saying ^H559, “In such ^H6423 and such ^H492 a place ^H4725 shall be my camp ^H8466.”

9 But the man ^H376 of God ^H430 sent ^H7971 word to the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478, saying ^H559, “Be ^H8104 careful ^H8104 that you do not pass ^H5674 this ^H2088 place ^H4725, because ^H3588 the Arameans ^H758 are coming ^H5185 down ^H5185 there ^H8033.” 10 And the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 sent ^H7971 scouts to the place ^H4725 about which ^H834 the man ^H376 of God ^H430 had told ^H559 him; so he warned ^H2094 him, so that he was on his guard ^H8104 there ^H8033, [fn]more than once ^H259 or twice ^H8147.

11 Now the heart ^H3820 of the king ^H4428 of Aram ^H758 was enraged ^H5590 over ^H5921 this ^H2088 matter ^H1697; and he called ^H7121 his servants ^H5650 and said ^H559 to them, “Will you not tell ^H5046 me which ^H4310 of us is for the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478?” 12 One ^H259 of his servants ^H5650 said ^H559, “No ^H3808, my lord ^H113, the king ^H4428; but Elisha ^H477, the prophet ^H5030 who ^H834 is in Israel ^H3478, tells ^H5046 the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 the words ^H1697 that you speak ^H1696 in your bedroom ^H2315 H4904.” 13 So he said ^H559, “Go ^H1980 and see ^H7200 where ^H351 he is, so that I may send ^H7971 men and take ^H3947 him.” And it was told ^H5046 to him, saying ^H559, “Behold ^H2009, he is in Dothan ^H1886.” 14 So he sent ^H7971 horses ^H5483 and chariots ^H7393 and a substantial ^H3515 army ^H2428 there ^H8033, and they came ^H935 by night ^H3915 and surrounded ^H5362 the city ^H5892.

15 Now when the attendant ^H8334 of the man ^H376 of God ^H430 had risen ^H6965 early ^H7925 and gone ^H3318 out ^H3318, behold ^H2009, an army ^H2428 with horses ^H5483 and chariots ^H7393 was circling ^H5437 the city ^H5892. And his servant ^H5288 said ^H559 to him, “This ^H162 is ^H162 hopeless ^H162, my master ^H113! [fn]What ^H351 are we to do ^H6213?” 16 And he said ^H559, “Do not be ^H3372 afraid ^H3372, for those who ^H834 are with us are [fn]greater ^H7227 than ^H4480 those who ^H834 are with them.” 17 Then Elisha ^H477 prayed ^H6419 and said ^H559, “LORD ^H3068, please ^H4994, open ^H6491 his eyes ^H5869 so that he may see ^H7200.” And the LORD ^H3068 opened ^H6491 the servant’s ^H5288 eyes ^H5869, and he saw ^H7200; and behold ^H2009, the mountain ^H2022 was full ^H4390 of horses ^H5483 and chariots ^H7393 of fire ^H784 all ^H5439 around ^H5439 Elisha ^H477. 18 And when they came ^H3381 down ^H3381 to him, Elisha ^H477 prayed ^H6419 to the LORD ^H3068 and said ^H559, “Please ^H4994 strike ^H5221 this ^H2088 [fn]people ^H1471 with blindness ^H5575.” So He struck ^H5221 them with blindness ^H5575 in accordance with the word ^H1697 of Elisha ^H477. 19 Then Elisha ^H477 said ^H559 to them, “This ^H2088 is not the way ^H1870, nor ^H3808 is this ^H2090 the city ^H5892; follow ^H1980 H310 me and I will bring ^H1980 you to the man ^H376 whom ^H834 you seek ^H1245.” And he brought ^H1980 them to Samaria ^H8111.

20 When they had come ^H935 into Samaria ^H8111, Elisha ^H477 said ^H559, “LORD ^H3068, open ^H6491 the eyes ^H5869 of these ^H428 men, so that they may see ^H7200.” So the LORD ^H3068 opened ^H6491 their eyes ^H5869, and they saw ^H7200; and behold ^H2009, they were in the midst ^H8432 of Samaria ^H8111. 21 Then the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 when he saw ^H7200 them, said ^H559 to Elisha ^H477, “My father ^H1, shall I [fn]kill ^H5221 them? Shall I [fn]kill ^H5221 them?” 22 But he [fn]answered ^H559, “You shall not [fn]kill ^H5221 them. Would you [fn]kill ^H5221 those whom ^H834 you have taken ^H7617 captive ^H7617 with your sword ^H2719 and your bow ^H7198? Set ^H7760 bread ^H3899 and water ^H4325 before ^H6440 them, so that they may eat ^H398 and drink ^H8354, and go ^H1980 to their master ^H113.” 23 So he provided ^H3738 a large ^H1419 feast ^H3740 for them; and when they had eaten ^H398 and drunk ^H8354, he sent ^H7971 them away ^H7971, and they went ^H1980 to their master ^H113. And the marauding ^H1416 bands ^H1416 of Arameans ^H758 did not come ^H935 again ^H5750 H3254 into the land ^H776 of Israel ^H3478.

The Siege of Samaria—Cannibalism

24 Now it came ^H1961 about ^H1961 after ^H310 this ^H3651, that Ben-hadad ^H1130 the king ^H4428 of Aram ^H758 gathered ^H6908 all ^H3605 his army ^H4264, and went ^H5927 up ^H5927 and besieged ^H6696 H5921 Samaria ^H8111.

25 So there was a severe ^H1419 famine ^H7458 in Samaria ^H8111; and behold ^H2009, they kept besieging ^H6696 H5921 it until ^H5704 a donkey’s ^H2543 head ^H7218 was sold for eighty ^H8084 shekels of silver ^H3701, and a fourth ^H7255 of a [fn]kab ^H6894 of dove’s ^H3123 dung ^H1686 for five ^H2568 shekels of silver ^H3701. 26 And as the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 was passing ^H5674 by ^H5674 on the wall ^H2346, a woman ^H802 cried ^H6817 out ^H6817 to him, saying ^H559, “Help ^H3467, my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428!” 27 But he said ^H559, “[fn]If the LORD ^H3068 does not help ^H3467 you, from where ^H370 am I to help ^H3467 you? From the threshing ^H1637 floor ^H1637, or ^H176 from the wine ^H3342 press ^H3342?” 28 Then the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to her, “What ^H4100 [fn]is on your mind?” And she said ^H559, “This ^H2088 woman ^H802 said ^H559 to me, ‘Give ^H5414 your son ^H1121 so that we may eat ^H398 him today ^H3117, and we will eat ^H398 my son ^H1121 tomorrow ^H4279.’ 29 So we cooked ^H1310 my son ^H1121 and ate ^H398 him; and I said ^H559 to her on the next ^H312 day ^H3117, ‘Give ^H5414 your son ^H1121, so that we may eat ^H398 him’; but she has hidden ^H2244 her son ^H1121.” 30 When the king ^H4428 heard ^H8085 the woman’s ^H802 words ^H1697, he tore ^H7167 his clothes ^H899—and he was passing ^H5674 by ^H5674 on the wall ^H2346—and the people ^H5971 looked ^H7200, and behold ^H2009, he had sackcloth ^H8242 [fn]underneath ^H1004 on his [fn]body ^H1320. 31 Then he said ^H559, “May God ^H430 do ^H6213 so ^H3541 to me and more ^H3254 so ^H3541, if ^H518 the head ^H7218 of Elisha ^H477 the son ^H1121 of Shaphat ^H8202 [fn]remains ^H5975 on him today ^H3117.”

32 Now Elisha ^H477 was sitting ^H3427 in his house ^H1004, and the elders ^H2205 were sitting ^H3427 with him. And the king sent ^H7971 a man ^H376 from his presence ^H6440; but before ^H2962 the messenger ^H4397 came ^H935 to him, he said ^H559 to the elders ^H2205, “Do you see ^H7200 how ^H3588 this ^H2088 son ^H1121 of a murderer ^H7523 has sent ^H7971 a man to cut ^H5493 off ^H5493 my head ^H7218? Look ^H7200, when the messenger ^H4397 comes ^H935, shut ^H5462 the door ^H1817 and [fn]hold ^H3905 the door ^H1817 shut ^H3905 against him. Is the sound ^H6963 of his master’s ^H113 feet ^H7272 not behind ^H310 him?” 33 While he was still ^H5750 talking ^H1696 with them, behold ^H2009, the messenger ^H4397 came ^H3381 down ^H3381 to him and he said ^H559, “Behold ^H2009, this ^H2088 evil ^H7451 is from the LORD ^H3068; why ^H4100 should I wait ^H3176 for the LORD ^H3068 any ^H5750 longer ^H5750?”