1 Elisha answered, “I have a message for you. The Lord promises that tomorrow here in Samaria, you will be able to buy a large sack of flour or two large sacks of barley for almost nothing.”
2 The chief officer there with the king replied, “I don't believe it! Even if the Lord sent a rainstorm, it couldn't produce that much grain by tomorrow.”
“You will see it happen, but you won't eat any of the food,” Elisha warned him.
The Syrian Army Stops Its Attack
3 About the same time, four men with leprosy were just outside the gate of Samaria. They said to each other, “Why should we sit here, waiting to die? 4 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.” 5-8 That evening the four men got up and left for the Syrian camp.
As they walked toward the camp, the Lord caused the Syrian troops to hear what sounded like the roar of a huge cavalry. The soldiers said to each other, “Listen! The king of Israel must have hired Hittite and Egyptian troops to attack us. Let's get out of here!” So they ran out of their camp that night, leaving their tents and horses and donkeys.
When the four men with leprosy reached the edge of the Syrian camp, no one was there. They walked into one of the tents, where they ate and drank, before carrying off clothes, as well as silver and gold. They hid all this, then walked into another tent; they took what they wanted and hid it too.
9 They said to each other, “This isn't right. Today is a day to celebrate, and we haven't told anyone else what has happened. If we wait until morning, we will be punished. Let's go to the king's palace at once and tell the good news.”
10 They went back to Samaria and shouted up to the guards at the gate, “We've just come from the Syrian army camp, and all the soldiers are gone! The tents are empty, and the horses and donkeys are still tied up. We didn't see or hear anybody.”
11 The guards reported the news to the king's palace. 12 The king got out of bed and said to his officers, “I know what those Syrians are doing. They know we're starving, so they're hiding in the fields, hoping we will go out to look for food. When we do, they can capture us and take over our city.”
13 One of his officers replied, “We have a few horses left—why don't we let some men take five of them and go to the Syrian camp and see what's happening? We're going to die anyway like those who have already died.” 14 They found two chariots, and the king commanded the men to find out what had happened to the Syrian troops.
15 The men rode as far as the Jordan River. All along the way they saw clothes and equipment that the Syrians had thrown away as they escaped. Then they went back to the king and told him what they had seen.
16 At once the people went to the Syrian camp and carried off what was left. They took so much that a large sack of flour and two large sacks of barley sold for almost nothing, just as the Lord had promised.
17 The king of Israel had put his chief officer in charge of the gate, but he died when the people trampled him as they rushed out of the city. 18 Earlier, when the king was at Elisha's house, Elisha had told him that flour or barley would sell for almost nothing. 19 But the officer refused to believe that even the Lord could do that. So Elisha warned him that he would see it happen, but would not eat any of the food. 20 And that's exactly what happened—the officer was trampled to death.
Bads beidzies
1 Bet Elīša teica: “Klausieties Kunga vārdu! Tā saka Kungs: rīt ap šo laiku Samarijas vārtos mērs smalku miltu maksās vienu šekeli un arī divi mēri miežu maksās vienu šekeli.” 2 Tad virsnieks, uz kura rokas balstījās ķēniņš, sacīja Dieva vīram: “Ja arī Kungs taisītu logus debesīs, vai tas varētu notikt?” Elīša sacīja: “Redzi, tu to redzēsi pats savām acīm, bet nebaudīsi!”
3 Pilsētas vārtos bija četri spitālīgi vīri, un tie sacīja viens otram: “Kāpēc mums šeit sēdēt, līdz mirstam? 4 Ja iesim pilsētā, tur ir bads un mēs mirsim, ja paliksim šeit – arī mirsim. Nu tad ejam uz Arāma nometni, ja tie mūs atstās dzīvus, tad dzīvosim, bet, ja nonāvēs, tad mirsim!” 5 Mijkrēslī tie cēlās un gāja uz Arāma nometni. Viņi nonāca līdz Arāma nometnei, un, redzi, tur neviena nebija! 6 Jo Kungs bija licis Arāma nometnē sadzirdēt kararatu, zirgu un liela karaspēka troksni, un tie bija teikuši cits citam: “Palūk, Israēla ķēniņš ir pret mums nolīdzis hetiešu ķēniņu un Ēģiptes ķēniņu, lai tie nāk pret mums!” 7 Mijkrēslī tie bija cēlušies, bēguši un pametuši savas teltis, zirgus un ēzeļus – nometni, kā tā stāvēja, – un bēguši, lai glābtu dzīvību. 8 Kad spitālīgie nonāca nometnē, viņi iegāja kādā teltī. Viņi ēda, dzēra un ņēma no turienes sudrabu, zeltu un drēbes, gāja un noslēpa. Pēc tam tie atgriezās, iegāja citā teltī un ņēma arī no tās, gāja un noslēpa.
9 Tad viņi sacīja viens otram: “Mēs nedarām labi! Šī diena ir labās vēsts diena – ja mēs klusēsim un gaidīsim līdz rītausmai, tad būsim vainīgi. Nāciet, iesim un stāstīsim to ķēniņa namā!” 10 Viņi gāja, sauca pilsētas vārtu sargus un stāstīja: “Mēs bijām Arāma nometnē – tur neviena nav un nedzird cilvēka balsi, tur ir tikai piesieti zirgi un ēzeļi un pamestas teltis.” 11 Un vārtu sargi sauca un pasludināja šo vēsti ķēniņa namā. 12 Ķēniņš piecēlās naktī un sacīja saviem kalpiem: “Es jums teikšu, ko aramieši grib mums darīt! Tie zina, ka mēs esam badā, tādēļ tie ir izgājuši no nometnes un paslēpušies laukā, sacīdami: kad viņi iznāks no pilsētas, mēs viņus sagrābsim dzīvus un iekļūsim pilsētā.” 13 Viens no viņa kalpiem atbildēja: “Lai ņem tos piecus zirgus, kas vēl palikuši, jo tas ir viss, kas atlicis no lielā Israēla pulka, un ar tiem notiks tāpat kā ar visu lielo Israēla pulku, kas ir pagalam. Sūtīsim tos, tad redzēsim!” 14 Tad tie ņēma divus ratus ar zirgiem, un ķēniņš tos sūtīja pakaļ aramiešu karapulkam, sacīdams: “Ejiet un izlūkojiet!”
15 Viņi sekoja tiem līdz Jardānai, un, redzi, viss ceļš bija pilns drēbju un ieroču, ko aramieši bēgot bija pametuši. Un sūtņi atgriezās, lai to pastāstītu ķēniņam. 16 Tad tauta izgāja no pilsētas un izlaupīja aramiešu nometni. Tagad mērs smalku miltu maksāja vienu šekeli un arī divi mēri miežu vienu šekeli, kā Kungs bija teicis. 17 To virsnieku, uz kura rokas ķēniņš bija balstījies, viņš iecēla par vārtu pārraugu. Vārtos tauta viņu samina, un tas mira, kā Dieva vīrs bija teicis, kad ķēniņš bija pie viņa atnācis. 18 Notika tā, kā Dieva vīrs bija teicis ķēniņam: “Rīt ap šo laiku Samarijas vārtos divi mēri miežu maksās vienu šekeli un arī mērs smalku miltu vienu šekeli.” 19 Virsnieks bija atbildējis Dieva vīram: “Ja arī Kungs taisītu logus debesīs, vai tas varētu notikt?” Un viņš bija sacījis: “Redzi, pats savām acīm tu to redzēsi, bet nebaudīsi!” 20 Tā viņam notika, jo tauta to samina vārtos un tas nomira.
