Study Desk

Now it came about after this, that Ben-hadad the king of Aram gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.

And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

So there was a severe famine in Samaria; and behold, they kept besieging it until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove's dung for five shekels of silver.

And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.

And as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, "Help, my lord the king!"

And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.

But he said, "If the LORD does not help you, from where am I to help you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?"

And he said, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?

Then the king said to her, "What is on your mind?" And she said, "This woman said to me, 'Give your son so that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.'

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

"So we cooked my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, 'Give your son, so that we may eat him'; but she has hidden her son."

So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.

When the king heard the woman's words, he tore his clothes—and he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth underneath on his body.

And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

Then he said, "May God do so to me and more so, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today."

Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man from his presence; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, "Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent a man to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door shut against him. Is the sound of his master's feet not behind him?"

But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?

While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him and he said, "Behold, this evil is from the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"

And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord ; what should I wait for the Lord any longer?