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But it came to pass, after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered together all his host, - and came up and laid siege against Samaria.

And there came to be, a great famine, in Samaria, and lo! they continued the siege against it, - until an ass's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and one pint of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.

And so it was that, as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman, made outcry unto him, saying - Save, my lord, O king!

And he said - If Yahweh do not save thee, whence should I save thee? out of the threshing-floor or out of the wine-press?

And the king said to her - What aileth thee? And she said - This woman, said unto me - Give thy son, that we may eat him, to-day, and, my son, will we eat to-morrow.

So we cooked my son, and did eat him, - and I said unto her, on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him; But she had hid her son.

And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes, while yet he was passing by upon the wall, - so the people looked, and lo! sackcloth upon his flesh, within.

And he said - So, let God do to me, and, so, let him add, - if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remain on him, to-day!

Now, Elisha, being seated in his house, and, the elders, seated with him, - when he had sent a man from before him, ere yet the messenger could come in unto him, he himself, said unto the elders - Do ye see how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away my head? See! when the messenger is coming in, close ye the door, and press him back with the door, is not the sound of his lord's feet behind him?

While yet he was speaking with them, lo! the messenger, coming down unto him, - and he said, - Lo! this, is a calamity from Yahweh, why should I wait for Yahweh, any longer?