Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, August 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

2 Kings 7:4

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Famine;   Prophecy;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Famine;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Samaria;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Gospel;   Prophet, Prophetess, Prophecy;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Samaria;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Jehoram;   Samaria;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Samaria ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elisha;   Samaria;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Eli'sha;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Jehoiakim;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If we say, ‘Let’s go into the city,’ we will die there because the famine is in the city, but if we sit here, we will also die. So now, come on. Let’s surrender to the Arameans’ camp. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.”
Hebrew Names Version
If 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 to the host of the Aram: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
King James Version
If 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 Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
English Standard Version
If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die."
New Century Version
There is no food in the city. So if we go into the city, we will die there. If we stay here, we will die. So let's go to the Aramean camp. If they let us live, we will live. If they kill us, we die."
New English Translation
If we go into the city, we'll die of starvation, and if we stay here we'll die! So come on, let's defect to the Syrian camp! If they spare us, we'll live; if they kill us—well, we were going to die anyway."
Amplified Bible
"If we say, 'We will enter the city'—then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit still here, we will also die. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans (Syrians). If they let us live, we will live; and if they kill us, we will only die."
New American Standard Bible
"If we say, 'We will enter the city,' then the famine is in the city and we will die there; but if we sit here, we will also die. Now then come, and let's go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, then we will die."
Geneva Bible (1587)
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.
Legacy Standard Bible
If we say, ‘We will enter the city,' then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here, we die also. So now come, and let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they put us to death, we will die."
Contemporary English Version
There's nothing to eat in the city, so we would starve if we went inside. But if we stay out here, we will die for sure. Let's sneak over to the Syrian army camp and surrender. They might kill us, but they might not."
Complete Jewish Bible
If we say, ‘We'll enter the city, then the city has been struck by the famine, so we'll die there. And if we sit still here, we'll also die. So let's go and surrender to the army of Aram; if they spare our lives, we will live; and if they kill us, we'll only die."
Darby Translation
If we say, Let us enter into the city, the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we abide here, we shall die. And now come, let us fall away to the camp of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they put us to death, we shall but die.
Easy-to-Read Version
There is no food in Samaria. If we go into the city, we will die there. If we stay here, we will also die. So let's go to the Aramean camp. If they let us live, we will live. If they kill us, we will just die."
George Lamsa Translation
If we say, We will enter into the city, the famine is severe in the city, and we shall die there; and if we still sit here, we die also. Now therefore come and let us go to the camp of Aram; if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they put us to death, we shall but die.
Good News Translation
It's no use going into the city, because we would starve to death in there; but if we stay here, we'll die also. So let's go to the Syrian camp; the worst they can do is kill us, but maybe they will spare our lives."
Lexham English Bible
If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; but if we sit here, we shall die. So then, come, let us fall into the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we shall live; but if they kill us, then we shall die."
Literal Translation
If we say, We shall go into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. If we sit here, then we shall die. Therefore now, come and we will fall into the camp of Syria. If theykeep us alive, we shall live. And if they killus, then we die.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Though we thoughte to come into the cite, yet is there derth in ye cite, and there shulde we be fayne to dye. And yf we tary here, we must dye also. Let vs go now, and flye vnto the hoost of the Syrians. Yf they let vs lyue, we shall lyue: yf they slaye vs, then are we deed.
American Standard Version
If 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 Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
Bible in Basic English
If we say, We will go into the town, there is no food in the town, and we will come to our end there; and if we go on waiting here, death will come to us. Come then, let us give ourselves up to the army of Aram: if they let us go on living, then life will be ours; and if they put us to death, then death will be ours.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If we say, we will enter into the citie: behold, the dearth is in the citie, and we shal die therin: And if we sit stil here, we dye also. Nowe therfore come, and let vs fall vpon the hoast of the Syrians: If they saue our liues, we shall lyue: If they kill vs, then are we dead.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
If 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.'
King James Version (1611)
If we say, We will enter into the citie, then the famine is in the citie, and wee shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let vs fall vnto the host of the Syrians: if they saue vs aliue, we shall liue; and if they kill vs, we shall but die.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
If we should say, Let us go into the city, then there is famine in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit here, then we shall die. Now then come, and let us fall upon the camp of the Syrians: if they should take us alive, then we shall live; and if they should put us to death, then we shall only die.
English Revised Version
If 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 Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
Berean Standard Bible
If we say, 'Let us go into the city,' we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whether we wolen entre in to the citee, we schulen die for hungur; whether we dwellen here, we schulen die. Therfor come ye, and fle we ouer to the castels of Sirie; if thei schulen spare vs, we schulen lyue; sotheli if thei wolen sle, netheles we schulen die.
Young's Literal Translation
if we have said, We go in to the city, then the famine [is] in the city, and we have died there; and if we have sat here, then we have died; and now, come and we fall unto the camp of Aram; if they keep us alive, we live, and if they put us to death -- we have died.'
Update Bible Version
If 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 to the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
Webster's Bible Translation
If 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 to the army of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
World English Bible
If 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 to the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
New King James Version
If we say, "We will enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die."
New Living Translation
"We will starve if we stay here, but with the famine in the city, we will starve if we go back there. So we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway."
New Life Bible
If we go into the city, there is no food there and we will die. And if we sit here, we will die also. So now come, let us go over to the tents of the Syrians. If they do not kill us, we will live. And if they kill us, we will die there."
New Revised Standard
If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; but if we sit here, we shall also die. Therefore, let us desert to the Aramean camp; if they spare our lives, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If we say - Let us enter into the city, Then, the famine, is in the city, and we shall die there, and, if we remain here, then shall we die. Now, therefore, let us fall away unto the camp of the Syrians, if they save us alive, we shall live, and, if they put us to death, we shall die.
Douay-Rheims Bible
If we will enter into the city, we shall die with the famine: and if we will remain here, we must also die: come therefore, and let us run over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare us, we shall live: but if they kill us, we shall but die.
Revised Standard Version
If we say, 'Let us enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians; if they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If we say, 'We will enter the city,' then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, we will but die."

Contextual Overview

3It happened that four lepers were sitting just outside the city gate. They said to one another, "What are we doing sitting here at death's door? If we enter the famine-struck city we'll die; if we stay here we'll die. So let's take our chances in the camp of Aram and throw ourselves on their mercy. If they receive us we'll live, if they kill us we'll die. We've got nothing to lose." 5So after the sun went down they got up and went to the camp of Aram. When they got to the edge of the camp, surprise! Not a man in the camp! The Master had made the army of Aram hear the sound of horses and a mighty army on the march. They told one another, "The king of Israel hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to attack us!" Panicked, they ran for their lives through the darkness, abandoning tents, horses, donkeys—the whole camp just as it was—running for dear life. These four lepers entered the camp and went into a tent. First they ate and drank. Then they grabbed silver, gold, and clothing, and went off and hid it. They came back, entered another tent, and looted it, again hiding their plunder. 9 Finally they said to one another, "We shouldn't be doing this! This is a day of good news and we're making it into a private party! If we wait around until morning we'll get caught and punished. Come on! Let's go tell the news to the king's palace!" 10 So they went and called out at the city gate, telling what had happened: "We went to the camp of Aram and, surprise!—the place was deserted. Not a soul, not a sound! Horses and donkeys left tethered and tents abandoned just as they were." 11The gatekeepers got the word to the royal palace, giving them the whole story. Roused in the middle of the night, the king told his servants, "Let me tell you what Aram has done. They knew that we were starving, so they left camp and have hid in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we'll capture them alive and take the city.'"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

we will enter: Jeremiah 14:18

let us fall: 1 Chronicles 12:19, Jeremiah 37:13, Jeremiah 37:14

if they save us: Esther 4:16, Jeremiah 8:14, Jonah 3:9, Luke 15:17-19

we shall but die: 2 Samuel 14:14, Hebrews 9:27

Reciprocal: Genesis 43:8 - that we 1 Kings 20:31 - peradventure 2 Kings 6:25 - a great famine 2 Kings 7:3 - Why 2 Kings 7:13 - they are even 1 Chronicles 21:13 - I am in Matthew 8:2 - a leper Luke 15:18 - will arise

Cross-References

Genesis 2:5
At the time God made Earth and Heaven, before any grasses or shrubs had sprouted from the ground— God hadn't yet sent rain on Earth, nor was there anyone around to work the ground (the whole Earth was watered by underground springs)— God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!
Genesis 6:3
Then God said, "I'm not going to breathe life into men and women endlessly. Eventually they're going to die; from now on they can expect a life span of 120 years."
Genesis 6:13
God said to Noah, "It's all over. It's the end of the human race. The violence is everywhere; I'm making a clean sweep.
Genesis 6:17
"I'm going to bring a flood on the Earth that will destroy everything alive under Heaven. Total destruction.
Genesis 7:11
It was the six-hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month that it happened: all the underground springs erupted and all the windows of Heaven were thrown open. Rain poured for forty days and forty nights.
Genesis 7:17
The flood continued forty days and the waters rose and lifted the ship high over the Earth. The waters kept rising, the flood deepened on the Earth, the ship floated on the surface. The flood got worse until all the highest mountains were covered—the high-water mark reached twenty feet above the crest of the mountains. Everything died. Anything that moved—dead. Birds, farm animals, wild animals, the entire teeming exuberance of life—dead. And all people—dead. Every living, breathing creature that lived on dry land died; he wiped out the whole works—people and animals, crawling creatures and flying birds, every last one of them, gone. Only Noah and his company on the ship lived.
Genesis 8:10
He waited seven more days and sent out the dove again. It came back in the evening with a freshly picked olive leaf in its beak. Noah knew that the flood was about finished.
Genesis 8:12
He waited another seven days and sent the dove out a third time. This time it didn't come back.
Psalms 69:28
Strike their names from the list of the living; No rock-carved honor for them among the righteous.
Amos 4:7
"Yes, and I'm the One who stopped the rains three months short of harvest. I'd make it rain on one village but not on another. I'd make it rain on one field but not on another—and that one would dry up. People would stagger from village to village crazed for water and never quenching their thirst. But you never got thirsty for me. You ignored me." God 's Decree.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If we say we will enter into the city,.... Contrary to the law which forbid them:

then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; not being able to obtain food to preserve life:

and if we sit here, we die also; having nothing to eat to support nature:

now therefore let us come, and fall unto the host of the Syrians; put ourselves into their hands, and lie at their mercy:

if they save us alive, we shall live; if they do not put us to death, but give us bread to eat, our lives will be preserved:

and if they kill us, we shall but die; which we must inevitably do, whether we stay here, or go into the city.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile