2 Kings Chapter 6
The Floating Ax head
1 The school of the prophets told Elisha,
“There’s not enough room where we’re living. 2 Let us go to the Jordan, and each take a log to build a place there to live.”
“Go ahead.”
3 One of them asked him to come along.
4 He went along to the Jordan, and they started cutting down trees.
5 But as one of them was cutting down a tree for a beam, the axe head fell in the water. He cried out, “Master! I borrowed it!”
6 The man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float.
7 He said, “Pick it up.” He reached out and took it. 2 Kg 6:1-7
Elisha Traps Blinded Arameans
8 The king of Aram was at war with Israel. He advised his officers, “I’m going to camp in such and such a place.” 9 The man of God sent a message to the king of Israel, “Don’t go near that place; the Arameans are coming down there.” 10 The king of Israel sent to where the man of God told him. He warned him more than once, so he guarded himself there.
11 The king of Aram was mad and called his officers, “Who’s been an informant for the king of Israel?”
12 One of the officers said, “No, my lord the king! Elisha the prophet in Israel tells him what you say in your bedroom.”
13 “Go see where he is so I can send and capture him.”
He found out he was in Dothan.
14 The king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a big army and surrounded the city at night.
2 Kg 6:8-14
15 When the man of God’s attendant got up early and went out, an army was circling the city with horses and chariots. He said, “Master! What are we going to do?”
16 “Don’t be afraid. There are more with us than with them. 17 Show him, LORD.”
Yahveh let him see that the mountains all around were full of horses and flaming chariots. 18 When they came down to him, Elisha prayed, “Strike them with blindness.” He did. 19 Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me and I’ll take you to the man you’re looking for.” He took them to Samaria.
20 When they got there, Elisha said, “Yahveh, let them see.” He let them see again that they were in the middle of Samaria. 21 When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “Father! Should I kill them?”
22 “No. Would you kill the ones you’ve taken captive with your sword and bow? Give them bread and water so they can eat and drink and go home to their master.”
23 He prepared a big banquet for them. When they’d eaten, he sent them away. Marauding bands from Aram never came into Israel again. 2 Kg 6:15-23
Severe Famine in Samaria
24 After that, Benhadad, king of Aram, gathered his army, went up, and laid siege to Samaria. 25 There was a severe famine in Samaria, and they laid siege to it till a donkey’s head sold for 2 lbs 80 shekels of silver and a pint ¼ cab of pigeon manure sold for 2 oz 5 shekels of silver.
26 As the king was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help, my lord the king.” 27 He said, “If Yahveh doesn’t help you, where will I help you from? From the threshing floor or the winepress? 28 What’s the matter with you?”
She answered,
“This woman said to me, ‘Give your son so we can eat him today, and we’ll eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 We boiled my son and ate him, and I told her the next day, ‘Give your son so we can eat him’; but she has hidden her son.”
30 When the king heard it, he tore his clothes—he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and he had burlap under his body. 31 Then he said, “God do so to me and more if Elisha’s head remains on him today.” 2 Kg 6:24-31
32 Elisha and the elders were sitting in his house. The king sent a man; but before he got there, Elisha told the elders,
“Do you see how this murderer’s son has sent to take away my head? When the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it shut against him. Isn’t the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”
33 While he was still talking, the messenger came down to him, and he said, “This disaster is from Yahveh. Why should I wait for Yahveh any longer?” 2 Kg 6:32-33