The Bible, Old and New Testaments, King James Version Part 151

5:15 And he returned to the man of G.o.d, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no G.o.d in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.

5:16 But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

5:17 And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other G.o.ds, but unto the LORD.

5:18 In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to wors.h.i.+p there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.

5:19 And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.

5:20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of G.o.d, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.

5:21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? 5:22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.

5:23 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.

5:24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.

5:25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.

5:26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? 5:27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

6:1 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.

6:2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

6:3 And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.

6:4 So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.

6:5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.

6:6 And the man of G.o.d said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place.

And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.

6:7 Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

6:8 Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.

6:9 And the man of G.o.d sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pa.s.s not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.

6:10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of G.o.d told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.

6:11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? 6:12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

6:13 And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him.

And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

6:14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compa.s.sed the city about.

6:15 And when the servant of the man of G.o.d was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compa.s.sed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 6:16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

6:18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

6:19 And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.

6:20 And it came to pa.s.s, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

6:21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? 6:22 And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

6:23 And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

6:24 And it came to pa.s.s after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

6:25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an a.s.s'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.

6:26 And as the king of Israel was pa.s.sing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.

6:27 And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? 6:28 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.

6:29 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.

6:30 And it came to pa.s.s, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he pa.s.sed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

6:31 Then he said, G.o.d do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

6:32 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? 6:33 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? 7:1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

7:2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of G.o.d, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

7:3 And 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? 7:4 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.

7:5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.

7:6 For the LORD had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hitt.i.tes, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

7:7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their a.s.ses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.

7:8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.

7:9 Then they 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 the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.

7:10 So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and a.s.ses tied, and the tents as they were.

7:11 And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within.