O Now Jehoram the son of Ahab u began to reign over Israel in Sa- maria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. 2And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother; for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, where- with he made Israel to sin; he de- parted not therefrom.
4Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master; and he rendered unto the king of Israel the wool of a hundred thousand lambs, and of a hundred thousand rams. 5But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6And king Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered all Israel. 7And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying: 'The king of Moab hath rebelled against me; wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle?' And he said: 'I will go up; I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.' 8And he said: 'Which way shall we go up?' And he answered: 'The way of the wilderness of Edom.' 9So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days' journey; and there was no water for the host, nor for the beasts that followed them. 10And the king of Israel said: 'Alas! for the LORD hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.' uBut Jehoshaphat said: 'Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?' And one of the king of SECOND KINGS SECOND KINGS Israel's servants answered and said: * Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.' 12 And Jehoshaphat said: 'The word of the LORD is with him.' So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel: 'What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother/ And the king of Israel said unto him. 'Nay; for the LORD hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.' 14And Elisha said: 'As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. 15But now bring me a minstrel/ And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him. 16And he said: 'Thus saith the LORD: Make this valley full of trenches. 17For thus saith the LORD: Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain, yet that valley shall be filled with water; and ye shall drink, both ye and your cattle and your beasts. 18And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD; He will also deliver the Moab- ites into your hand. 19And ye shall smite every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all fountains of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.' 20And it came to pass in the morning, about the time of making the offering, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.
^Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered them- selves together, all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood on the border. MAnd they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moab- ites saw the water some way off as red as blood; Mand they said: 'This is blood: the kings have surely fought together, and they have smitten each man his fellow; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.' 24And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them. And they smote the land, even Moab, mightily. 25And they beat down the eities; and on every good piece of land they cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the fountains of water, and felled all the good trees; until there was left only Kir-hareseth with the stones of the wall thereof; so the slingers encompassed it, and smote it. 28And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew sword, to break through unto the king of Edom; but they could not. 27Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt-offering upon the wall. And there came great wrath upon Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their own land. A Now there cried a certain woman •E of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying: 'Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD; and the creditor is come to take unto him my two children to be bondmen.' 2And Elisha said unto her: 'What shall I do for thee? tell me; what hast thou in the house?' And she said: 'Thy handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.' 3Then he said: 'Go, borrow SECOND KINGS thee vessels abroad of all thy neigh- bours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. 4And thou shalt go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels; and thou shalt set aside that which is full.' cSo she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons; they brought the ves- sels to her, and she poured out. 6And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son: 'Bring me yet a vessel/ And he said unto her: 'There is not a vessel more.' And the oil stayed. 7Then she came and told the man of God. And he said: 'Go, sell the oilr and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy sons of the rest.'
8And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. 9And she said unto her husband: 'Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, that passeth by us continually. 10Let us make, I pray thee, a little chamber on the roof; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick; and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.' uAnd it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the upper chamber and lay there. ^And he said to Gehazi his servant: 'Call this Shunammite.' And when he had called her, she stood before him. ^And he said unto him: -'Say now unto her: Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host?7 And she answered: 'I dwell among mine own people.' 14And he said:!
'What then is to be done for her?' And Gehazi answered: 'Verily she hath no son, and her husband is old.; I5And he said: 'Call her.' And when he had called her, she stood in the door. 16Andhesaid: 'At this season, when the time cometh round, thou shalt embrace a son.' And she said: 'Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thy handmaid.' ^And the woman conceived, and bore a son at that season, when the time came round, as Elisha had said unto her.
18And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. 19And he said unto his father: 'My head, my head.' And he said to his servant: 'Carry him to his mother.' 20And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 21And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. ^And she called unto her husband, and said: 'Send me, I pray thee, one of the servants, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come back.'
nd he said: 'Wherefore wilt thou go to him to-day? it is neither new moon nor sabbath.' And she said: It shall be well.' 24Then she sad- dled an ass, and said to her servant: Drive, and go forward; slacken me not the riding, except I bid thee.' 25So she went, and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel.
And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant: 'Behold, yonder is that Shunammite. 26Run, I pray thee, now to meet her, and say unto her: Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child?' And she an- swered: *It is well.' 27And when she SECOND KINGS SECOND KINGS came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to thrust her away; but the man of God said: 'Let her alone; for her soul is bitter within her; and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.' 28Then she said: 'Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say: Do not deceive me?' 29Then he said to Gehazi • 'Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go thy way; if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not; and lay my staff upon the face of the child.' 30And the mother of the child said: 'As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.' And he arose, and followed her. ^And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore ^he returned to meet him, and told him, saying: 'The child is not awaked.'
^And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and kid upon his bed. ^He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD. MAnd he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands; and he stretched himself upon him; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. S5Then he returned, and walked in the house once to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him; and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. ^And he called Gehazi, and said. 'Call this Shunammite/ So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said: 'Take up thy son.7 ^Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed down to the!
ground; and she took up her son, and went out.
38And Elisha came again to Gilgal; and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sit- ting before him; and he said unto his servant: 'Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.' 39And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered there- of wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pot- tage; for they knew them not. 40So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eat- ing of the pottage, that they cried put, and said: '0 man of God, there is death in the pot.' And they could not eat thereof. ""But he said: 'Then bring meal.' And he cast it into the pot; and he said: 'Pour out for the people, that they may eat.' And there was no harm in the pot.
^And there came a man from Baal- shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of corn in his sack. And he said: 'Give unto the people, that they may eafc.' ^And his servant said: 'How should I set this before a hundred men?' But he said: 'Give the people, that they may eat; for thus saith the LORD: They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.' **Sq he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.
Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and held in esteem, because by him the LORD had given victory unto Aram; he was also a mighty man of valour, but he was a leper. 2And the Arameans d gone out in bands, and had SECOND KINGS brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. 3And she said unto her mistress: 'Would that my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! then would he recover him of his leprosy.7 4And he went in, and told his lord, saying: 'Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of t Israel/ 5And the king of Aram said: 'Go now, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel/ And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. ^ 6And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying: 'And now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have sent Naaman my serv- ant to thee, that thou mayest re- cover him of his leprosy/ 7And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said: 'Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? but consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh an occa- sion against me/ 8And it was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying: 'Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel/ 9So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying: 'Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come back to thee, and thou shalt be clean/ nBut Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said: 'Behold, I thought: He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 12Are not Amanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean?' So he turned, and went away in a rage. wAnd his servants came near, and spoke unto him, and said: 'My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee: Wash, and be clean?' 14Then went he down, and dipped him- self seven times in the Jordan, ac- cording to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came back like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him; and he said: 'Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Is- rael; now therefore, I pray thee, take a present of thy servant/ 16But he said: 'As the LORI) liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none/ And he urged him to take it; but he refused. 17And Naaman said: 'If not, yet I pray thee let there be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth; for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt-offering nor sacri- fice unto other gods, but unto the LORD. 18In this thing the LORD par- don thy servant: when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I prostrate myself in the house of Rimmon, when I prostrate myself in the house of Simmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing/ 19And he said unto him: 'Go _in peace/ So he departed from him some way.
20But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha SECOND KINGS the man of God, said: 'Behold, my master hath spared this Naaman the Aramean, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought; as the LORD liveth, I will surely run after him, and take somewhat of him.' 21So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw one running after him, he alighted from the chariot to meet him, and said: 'Is all well?' ^And he said: 'All is well. My mas- ter hath sent me, saying: Behold, even now there are come to me from the hill-country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of raiment.' ^And Naaman said: 'Be content, take two talents.' And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of raiment, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bore them before him. 24And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and deposited them in the house; and he let the men go, and they departed. 25But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him: 'Whence comest thou, Gehazi?' And he said: ' Thy servant went no whither.' ^And he said unto him: 'Went not 'my heart [with thee], when the man turned back from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and ohveyards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and men-servants and maid- servants? 27The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever.' And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
£{ And the sons of the prophets said u unto Elisha: 'Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee is too strait for us. 2Let us go, we pray they thee, unto the Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell.' And he answered: 'Go ye.' 3And one said: ' Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants.' And he an- swered: 'I will go.' 4So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood. 5But as one was felling a beam, the axe- head fell into the water; and he cned, and said: 'Alas, my master! for it was borrowed.' 6AJnd the man of God said: 'Where fell it?' And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and made the iron to swim. 7And he said: 'Take it up to thee.' So he put out his hand, and took it.
8Now the king of Aram warred against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying: 'In such and such a place shall be my camp.' 9And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying: 'Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Arameans are coming down.' 10And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he guarded himself there, not once nor twice. uAnd the heart of the long of Aram was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them* 'Will ye not tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?' 12And one of his servants said. 'Nay, my lord, 0 king; but Ehsha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bed-chamber.' 13And he said: 'Go and see where he is, that I may send and fetch him.' And it was told him, saying: 'Behold, he is in Dothan/ "Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host; and came by night, and compassed SECOND KINGS the city about. 15And when the serv- ant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, a host with horses and chariots was round about the city. And his servant said unto him: 'Alas, my master! how shall we do?' 16And he answered: 'Fear not: for they that are with us are more than they that are with them/ "And Elisha prayed, and said: 'LORD, I pray Thee, open his eyes, that he may see.' And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw; and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. lsAnd when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said: 'Smite this people, I pray Thee, with blindness/ And He smote them with blindness ac-| cording to the word of Elislra. 19And Elisha said unto them: 'This is not the way, neither is this the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek.' And he led them to Samaria.
20And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said: 'LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.' And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 2lAnd the long of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them: 'My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?' ^And he answered: 'Thou shalt not smite them; hast thou taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow those whom thou wouldest smite? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.' ^And he prepared great provision for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Aram came no more into the land of Israel.
it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Aram gath- ered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. ^And there was a great famine in Samaria; and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. 26And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying: 'Help, my lord, Oking.' 27Andhesaid: 'If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the threshing-floor, or out of the winepress?' 28And the king said unto her: 'What aileth thee?' And she answered: 'This woman said unto me: Give thy son, that we may eat him to-day, and we will eat my son to-morrow. 29So we boiled my son, and did eat him; and I said unto her on the next day: Give thy son, that we may eat him; and she hath hid her son.' 30And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent Ms clothes — now he was passing by upon the wall — and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. 31Then he said: 'God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.'
32But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and tibe king sent a man from before him; but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders: 'See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away my head? look, when the messenger com- eth, shut the door, and hold the door fast against him; is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?' ^And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him; and [the king] said: 'Behold, this evil SECOND KINGS is of the LORD; why should I wait for 1*7 the LORD any longer?' zAndElisha 1 said: ' Hearye the word of theLoRD; 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.7 2Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said: 'Behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might this thing be?' And he said: 'Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.'
3Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said one to another. 'Why sit we here until we die? 4If 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 Arameans; if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.' 6And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Arameans; and when they were come to the outermost part of the camp of the Arameans, behold, there was no man there. 6For the Lord had made the host of the Arameans 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.' 7Wherefore 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. 8Aid when these lepers came to the outermost 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 they came back, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and- hid it.
9Then 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, pun- ishment will overtake us; now there- fore come, let us go and tell the king's household.' 10So they came and called unto the porters of the city; and they told them, saying: 'We came to the camp of the Arameans, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but the horses tied, and the asses tied, and the tents as they were.' "And the porters called, and they told it to the king's household within. 12And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants: 'I will now tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we are 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 take them alive, and get into the city.' 13And 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