Elisha Makes an Ax Head Float
1 One day the prophets said to Elisha, “The place where we meet with you is too small. 2 Why don't we build a new meeting place near the Jordan River? Each of us could get some wood, then we could build it.”
“That's a good idea,” Elisha replied, “get started.”
3 “Aren't you going with us?” one of the prophets asked.
“Yes, I'll go,” Elisha answered, 4 and he left with them.
They went to the Jordan River and began chopping down trees. 5 While one of the prophets was working, his ax head fell off and dropped into the water. “Oh!” he shouted. “Sir, I borrowed this ax.”
6 “Where did it fall in?” Elisha asked. The prophet pointed to the place, and Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. The ax head floated to the top of the water.
7 “Now get it,” Elisha told him. And the prophet reached in and grabbed it.
Elisha Stops an Invasion of the Syrian Army
8 Time after time, when the king of Syria was at war against the Israelites, he met with his officers and announced, “I've decided where we will set up camp.”
9 Each time, Elisha would send this warning to the king of Israel: “Don't go near there. That's where the Syrian troops have set up camp.” 10 So the king would warn the Israelite troops in that place to be on guard.
11 The king of Syria was furious when he found out what was happening. He called in his officers and asked, “Which one of you has been telling the king of Israel our plans?”
12 “None of us, Your Majesty,” one of them answered. “It's an Israelite named Elisha. He's a prophet, so he can tell his king everything—even what you say in your own room.”
13 “Find out where he is!” the king ordered. “I'll send soldiers to bring him here.”
They learned that Elisha was in the town of Dothan and reported it to the king. 14 He ordered his best troops to go there with horses and chariots. They marched out during the night and surrounded the town.
15 When Elisha's servant got up the next morning, he saw that Syrian troops had the town surrounded. “Sir, what are we going to do?” he asked.
16 “Don't be afraid,” Elisha answered. “There are more troops on our side than on theirs.” 17 Then he prayed, “Lord, please help him to see.” And the Lord let the servant see that the hill was covered with fiery horses and flaming chariots all around Elisha.
18 As the Syrian army came closer, Elisha prayed, “Lord, make those soldiers blind!” And the Lord blinded them with a bright light.
19 Elisha told the enemy troops, “You've taken the wrong road and are in the wrong town. Follow me. I'll lead you to the man you're looking for.” Elisha led them straight to the capital city of Samaria.
20 When all the soldiers were inside the city, Elisha prayed, “Lord, now let them see again.” The Lord let them see that they were standing in the middle of Samaria.
21 The king of Israel saw them and asked Elisha, “Should I kill them, sir?”
22 “No!” Elisha answered. “You didn't capture these troops in battle, so you have no right to kill them. Instead, give them something to eat and drink and let them return to their leader.”
23 The king ordered a huge meal to be prepared for Syria's army, and when they finished eating, he let them go.
For a while, the Syrian troops stopped invading Israel's territory.
King Benhadad of Syria Attacks Samaria
24 Some time later, King Benhadad of Syria called his entire army together, then they marched to Samaria and attacked. 25 They kept up the attack until there was nothing to eat in the city. In fact, a donkey's head cost 80 pieces of silver, and a small bowl of pigeon droppings cost 5 pieces of silver.
26 One day as the king of Israel was walking along the top of the city wall, a woman shouted to him, “Please, Your Majesty, help me!”
27 “Let the Lord help you!” the king said. “Do you think I have grain or wine to give you?” 28 Then he asked, “What's the matter anyway?”
The woman answered, “Another woman and I were so hungry that we agreed to eat our sons. She said if we ate my son one day, we could eat hers the next day. 29 So yesterday we cooked my son and ate him. But today when I went to her house to eat her son, she had hidden him.”
30 The king tore off his clothes in sorrow, and since he was on top of the city wall, the people saw that he was wearing sackcloth underneath. 31 He said, “I pray that God will punish me terribly, if Elisha's head is still on his shoulders by this time tomorrow.” 32 Then he sent a messenger to Elisha.
Elisha was home at the time, and the important leaders of Israel were meeting with him. Even before the king's messenger arrived, Elisha told the leaders, “That murderer is sending someone to cut off my head. When you see him coming, shut the door and don't let him in. I'm sure the king himself will be right behind him.”
33 Before Elisha finished talking, the messenger came up and said, “The Lord has made all these terrible things happen to us. Why should I think he will help us now?”
1 Tad praviešu mācekļi sacīja Elīsam: "Redzi, šī vieta, kur mēs ar tevi esam apmetušies, ir mums par šauru. 2 Dosimies uz Jordānu un ņemsim tur ikkatrs vienu baļķi, un taisīsim tur sev vietu, kur dzīvot." Un viņš atbildēja: "Labi, ejiet!" 3 Bet viens lūdza: "Lūdzu, esi tik labs un nāc saviem kalpiem līdzi!" Un viņš atbildēja: "Labi! Es iešu!" 4 Tad viņš gāja ar tiem, un tie nonāca pie Jordānas un nocirta kokus. 5 Un notika, ka vienam no viņiem, cērtot baļķi, cirvis iekrita ūdenī, un viņš iekliedzās un sauca: "Ak vai, mans kungs! Cirvis bija patapināts!" 6 Bet Dieva vīrs jautāja: "Kur tas iekrita?" Kad viņš bija tam to vietu parādījis, tad Elīsa nogrieza kārti un iemeta to tur. Un cirvis uzpeldēja. 7 Un viņš sacīja: "Izcel to sev ārā!" Un tas izstiepa savu roku un to satvēra. 8 Un Aramas ķēniņš karoja pret Israēlu, un tas apspriedās ar saviem karavadoņiem un sacīja: "Es uzcelšu savu nometni tādā un tādā vietā." 9 Tad Dieva vīrs sūtīja ziņu Israēla ķēniņam un lika viņam sacīt: "Sargies iet šai vietai garām, jo tur ir paslēpušies aramieši!" 10 Un Israēla ķēniņš sūtīja gan uz to vietu, par kuru Dieva vīrs bija tam sacījis un no kuras viņš bija to brīdinājis, un tur paglābās ne vienu un ne divas reizes vien. 11 Aramas ķēniņa sirds bija sašutusi par šo lietu, un viņš aicināja savus karapulku vadoņus un sacīja tiem: "Vai jūs man varat pateikt, kurš no mums ir ar Israēla ķēniņu?" 12 Tad viens no viņa karapulka vadoņiem atbildēja: "Tā nav, mans kungs un ķēniņ! Bet pravietis Elīsa, kas dzīvo Israēlā, pastāsta Israēla ķēniņam tos vārdus, kurus tu runā savā guļamā telpā." 13 Tad viņš pavēlēja: "Ejiet un apskatieties, kur viņš ir, lai es sūtu un lieku viņu sagūstīt!" Kad viņam tika teikts, ka Elīsa atrodas Dotanā, 14 tad viņš uz turieni sūtīja zirgus, ratus un stipru karapulku, un tie atnāca naktī un ielenca pilsētu. 15 Kad Dieva vīra kalpotājs cēlās agri no rīta un izgāja ārā no mājas, redzi, tad karaspēks ar zirgiem un ratiem bija jau pilsētu ielencis, un viņa puisis tam sacīja: "Ak vai, mans kungs! Ko nu darīsim?" 16 Bet viņš atbildēja: "Nebīsties, jo to, kas ir ar mums, ir vairāk nekā to, kas ir pie viņiem." 17 Un Elīsa lūdza Dievu un sacīja: "Kungs, lūdzams, atver viņam acis, ka viņš var redzēt!" Un Tas Kungs atvēra tā puiša acis, ka tas redzēja, un, lūk, kalns bija pilns ugunīgu zirgu un ratu visapkārt ap Elīsu. 18 Kad tie nāca pret viņu, tad Elīsa lūdza To Kungu un sacīja: "Sit šo svešo tautu ar aklību!" Un Viņš tos sita ar aklību, kā Elīsa to bija vēlējies. 19 Tad Elīsa tiem sacīja: "Šis nav īstais ceļš, un šī nav īstā pilsēta; nāciet un sekojiet man, es jūs vedīšu pie tā vīra, kuru jūs meklējat!" Un viņš tos veda uz Samariju. 20 Kad tie nonāca Samarijā, tad Elīsa lūdza: "Kungs, atver viņu acis, ka viņi redz!" Un tad Tas Kungs atvēra viņiem acis, ka tie varēja redzēt, un, lūk, tie atradās jau pašā Samarijas vidū. 21 Kad Israēla ķēniņš viņus ieraudzīja, tad viņš jautāja Elīsam: "Mans tēvs, vai man būs tos bez žēlastības nokaut?" 22 Bet viņš atbildēja: "Nē, to tu nedrīksti darīt! Vai tu gribi nomaitāt šos ļaudis, kurus tu neesi nedz ar savu zobenu, nedz ar savu loku saņēmis gūstā? Cel viņiem priekšā ēdienu un dzērienu, lai viņi ēd un dzer un atgriežas atpakaļ pie sava kunga." 23 Un viņš tiem sarīkoja lielu mielastu, ka tie ēda un dzēra, un viņš tos atlaida, un tie atkal atgriezās pie sava kunga. Pēc tam aramiešu sirotāju pulki vairs nenāca Israēla zemē. 24 Un pēc tam notika, ka Aramas ķēniņš Ben-Hadads sapulcināja visu savu karaspēku, devās kalnup uzbrukumā pret Samariju un aplenca to. 25 Un liels bija bads Samarijā, tā ka aplenkuma laikā ēzeļa galva maksāja astoņdesmit seķeļus sudraba un ceturtdaļa kaba baložu mēslu - piecus sudraba seķeļus. 26 Un notika, kad Israēla ķēniņš gāja un pastaigājās pa mūri, tad kāda sieva kliedza un viņam sacīja: "Palīdzi man, mans kungs un ķēniņ!" 27 Bet viņš atbildēja: "Ja Tas Kungs tev nepalīdz, kā tad lai es tev palīdzu? Ar kādu dāvanu vai nu no klona, vai no vīna spiedes?" 28 Un ķēniņš viņai jautāja: "Kas tev kait?" Tad viņa atbildēja: "Šī sieva man teica: dod savu dēlu, ka to šodien ēdam, bet rītdien ēdīsim manu dēlu! 29 Un mēs izvārījām manu dēlu un to ēdām; bet, kad nākamā dienā es tai sacīju: dod nu tagad savu dēlu, lai to ēdam, - tad viņa savu dēlu paslēpa." 30 Kad ķēniņš dzirdēja šīs sievas vārdus, tad tas saplēsa savas drēbes, pa mūri iedams, un tauta redzēja, ka, lūk, tam apakšā bija maiss uz pašas miesas. 31 Un viņš sacīja: "Lai Dievs man dara tā un vēl vairāk, bet Elīsas, Safata dēla, galva šodien gan vairs nepaliks uz viņa pleciem!" 32 Bet Elīsa pašreiz sēdēja savā namā, un vecaji sēdēja pie viņa. Tad ķēniņš sūtīja kādu vīru no savas puses, bet iekāms šis vēstnesis bija pie tā nonācis, Elīsa sacīja vecajiem: "Vai jūs redzat, ka šis slepkava ir sūtījis, lai man paņemtu manu galvu? Uzmaniet labi! Tiklīdz kā vēstnesis nāks, slēdziet durvis ciet un noturiet tās pret viņu! Vai jau neskan viņa kunga soļi aiz viņa?" 33 Un, kamēr viņš vēl ar tiem runāja, redzi, arī ķēniņš ienāca pie viņa un sacīja: "Redzi, šī nelaime nāk no Tā Kunga - ko tad man vēl gaidīt no Tā Kunga?"
