II Kings Chapter 7

II Kings Chapter 7
1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of
the Lord: thus saith the Lord, Tomorrow
this time a measure of fine flour shall be
sold for a shekel, and two measures of
barley for a shekel in the gate of
Samaria.
2 Then a prince, on whose hand the king
leaned, answered the man of God, and
said, Though the Lord would make
windows in the heaven, could this thing
come to pass? And he said, Behold, thou
shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt
not eat thereof.
3 Now 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?
4 If we say, We will enter into the city,
the famine is in the city, and we shall die
there: and if we sit here, we die also.
Now therefore come, and let us fall into
the camp of the Aramites [Syrians]: if
they save our lives, we shall live: and if
they kill us, we are but dead.
5 So they rose up in the twilight, to go to
the camp of the Aramites [Syrians]: and
when they were come to the utmost part
of the camp of the Aramites
[Syrians], lo, there was no man there.
6 For the Lord had caused the camp of
the Aramites [Syrians] to hear a noise of
chariots and a noise of horses, and a
noise of a great army, so that they said
one to another, Behold, the king of Israel
hath hired against us the kings of the
Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians to
come upon us. 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 lives. 8 And when these lepers
came to the utmost part of the camp, they
entered into one tent, and did eat and
drink, and carried thence silver and
gold, and raiment, and went and hid it:
after they returned, and entered into
another tent, and carried thence also, and
went and hid it.
9 Then 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
daylight, some mischief will come upon
us. Now therefore, come, let us go, and
tell the king's household. 10 So they
came, and called unto the porters of the
city, and told them, saying, We came to
the camp of the Aramites [Syrians], and
lo, there was no man there, neither voice
of man, but horses tied and asses tied:
and the tents are as they were.
11 And the porters cried and declared to
the king's house within. 12 Then the king
arose in the night, and said unto his
servants, I will show you now, what the
Aramites [Syrians] have done unto us.
They know that we are a famished;
therefore they are 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.
13 And one of his servants answered,
and said, Let me take now five of the
horses that remain, and are left in the
city, (behold, they are even as all the
multitude of Israel that are left therein:
behold, I say, they are as the multitude
of the Israelites that are consumed) and
we will send to see.
14 So they took two chariots of horses,
and the king sent after the host of the
Aramites [Syrians], saying, Go and see.
15 And they went after them unto Jordan,
and lo, all the way was full of clothes
and vessels which the Aramites
[Syrians] had cast from them in their
haste: and the messengers returned, and
told the king.
16 Then the people went out and spoiled
the camp of the Aramites [Syrians]: so a
measure of fine flour was at a shekel,
and two measures of barley at a shekel
according to the word of the Lord.
17 And the king gave the prince (on
whose hand he leaned) the charge of the
gate, and the people trod upon him in the
gate, and he died, as the man of God had
said, which spake it, when the king came
down to him.
18 And it came to pass, as the man of
God had spoken to the king, saying, Two
measures of barley at a shekel, and a
measure of fine flour shall be at a
shekel, tomorrow about this time in the
gate of Samaria.
19 But the prince had answered the man
of God, and said, Though the Lord
would make windows in the heaven,
could it come so to pass? And he said,
Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes,
but thou shalt not eat thereof. 20 And so
it came unto him: for the people trod
upon him in the gate, and he died.