The Second Book of the Kings

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 7 -

Then Elisha saide, Heare ye the worde of the Lord: thus saith the Lord, To morowe this time a measure of fine floure shalbe solde for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria.

Then a prince, on whose hande the King leaned, answered the man of God, and saide, Though the Lord would make windowes in the heauen, could this thing come to passe? And he said, Beholde, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eate thereof.

The Syrians Flee

Nowe there were foure leprous men at the entring in of the gate: and they saide one to an other, Why sitte we here vntill we die?

If we say, We will enter into the citie, the famine is in the citie, and we shall die there: and if we sit here, we dye also. Nowe therefore come, and let vs fall into the campe of the Aramites: if they saue our liues, we shall liue: and if they kill vs, we are but dead.

So they rose vp in the twilight, to goe to the campe of the Aramites: and when they were come to the vtmost part of the campe of the Aramites, loe, there was no man there.

For the Lord had caused the campe of the Aramites to heare a noyse of charets and a noise of horses, and a noise of a great armie, so that they sayde one to another, Beholde, the King of Israel hath hired against vs the Kings of the Hittites, and the Kings of the Egyptians to come vpon vs.

Wherefore they arose, and fled in the twilight, and left their tentes and their horses, and their asses, euen the campe as it was, and fledde for their liues.

And when these lepers came to the vtmost part of the campe, they entred into one tent, and did eate and drinke, and caryed thence siluer and golde, and raiment, and went and hid it: after they returned, and entred into another tent, and caryed thence also, and went and hid it.

Then saide one to another, We doe not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we holde our peace. if we tary till day light, some mischiefe will come vpon vs. Nowe therefore, come, let vs goe, and tell the Kings housholde.

So they came, and called vnto the porters of the citie, and tolde them, saying, We came to the campe of the Aramites, and loe, there was no man there, neither voyce of man, but horses tyed and asses tyed: and the tents are as they were.

And the porters cryed and declared to the Kings house within.

Then the King arose in the night, and saide vnto his seruants, I wil shew you now, what the Aramites haue done vnto vs. They know that we are affamished, therefore they are gone out of the campe to hide them selues in the fielde, saying, When they come out of the citie, we shall catch them aliue, and get into the citie.

And one of his seruants answered, and said, Let me take now fiue of the horses that remaine, and are left in the citie, (behold, they are euen as all the multitude of Israel that are left therein: beholde, I say, they are as the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed) and we wil send to see.

So they tooke two charets of horses, and the King sent after the hoste of the Aramites, saying, Goe and see.

And they went after them vnto Iorden, and loe, all the way was full of clothes and vessels which the Aramites had cast from them in their hast: and the messengers returned, and told ye King.

Elisha’s Prophecy Fulfilled

Then the people went out and spoyled the campe of the Aramites: so a measure of fine floure was at a shekel, and two measures of barley at a shekel according to the word of the Lord.

And the King gaue the prince (on whose hande he leaned) the charge of the gate, and the people trode vpon him in the gate, and he dyed, as the man of God had saide, which spake it, when the King came downe to him.

And it came to passe, as the man of God had spoken to the King, saying, Two measures of barley at a shekel, and a measure of fine floure shall be at a shekel, to morowe about this time in the gate of Samaria.

But the prince had answered the man of God, and saide, Though the Lord would make windowes in the heauen, coulde it come so to passe? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eate thereof.

And so it came vnto him: for the people trode vpon him in the gate, and he dyed.

Elisha said, “Hear the LORD’s word. The LORD says, ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah(a) of fine flour will be sold for a shekel,(b) and two seahs of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.’”

Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, “Behold, if the LORD made windows in heaven, could this thing be?” He said, “Behold, you will see it with your eyes, but will not eat of it.”

The Syrians Flee

Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate. They said to one another, “Why do we sit here until we die?

If we say, ‘We will enter into the city,’ then the famine is in the city, and we will die there. If we sit still here, we also die. Now therefore come, and let’s surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they save us alive, we will live; and if they kill us, we will only die.”

They rose up in the twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. When they had come to the outermost part of the camp of the Syrians, behold, no man was there.

For the Lord(c) had made the army of the Syrians to hear the sound of chariots and the sound of horses, even the noise of a great army; and they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us.”

Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.

When these lepers came to the outermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate and drank, then carried away silver, gold, and clothing and went and hid it. Then they came back, and entered into another tent and carried things from there also, and went and hid them.

Then they said to one another, “We aren’t doing right. Today is a day of good news, and we keep silent. If we wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let’s go and tell the king’s household.”

So they came and called to the city gatekeepers; and they told them, “We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, not even a man’s voice, but the horses tied, and the donkeys tied, and the tents as they were.”

Then the gatekeepers called out and told it to the king’s household within.

The king arose in the night, and said to his servants, “I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry. Therefore they have 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.’”

One of his servants answered, “Please let some people take five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they are like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it. Behold, they are like all the multitude of Israel who are consumed. Let’s send and see.”

Therefore they took two chariots with horses; and the king sent them out to the Syrian army, saying, “Go and see.”

They went after them to the Jordan; and behold, all the path was full of garments and equipment which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. The messengers returned and told the king.

Elisha’s Prophecy Fulfilled

The people went out and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a seah(d) of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel,(e) according to the LORD’s word.

The king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to be in charge of the gate; and the people trampled over him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.

It happened as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two seahs

(f)

of barley for a shekel,(g) and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria;”

and that captain answered the man of God, and said, “Now, behold, if the LORD made windows in heaven, might such a thing be?” and he said, “Behold, you will see it with your eyes, but will not eat of it.”

It happened like that to him, for the people trampled over him in the gate, and he died.

Footnotes

(a)7:1 1 seah is about 7 liters or 1.9 gallons or 0.8 pecks

(b)7:1 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces. In this context, it was probably a silver coin weighing that much.

(d)7:16 1 seah is about 7 liters or 1.9 gallons or 0.8 pecks

(e)7:16 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces. In this context, it was probably a silver coin weighing that much.

(f)7:18 1 seah is about 7 liters or 1.9 gallons or 0.8 pecks

(g)7:18 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces. In this context, it was probably a silver coin weighing that much.