The Recovery of the Ax Head
1 One day the group of prophets that Elisha was in charge of complained to him, “The place where we live is too small! 2 Give us permission to go to the Jordan and cut down some trees, so that we can build a place to live.”
“All right,” Elisha answered.
3 One of them urged him to go with them; he agreed, 4 and they set out together. When they arrived at the Jordan, they began to work. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, suddenly his iron ax head fell in the water. “What shall I do, sir?” he exclaimed to Elisha. “It was a borrowed ax!”
6 “Where did it fall?” Elisha asked.
The man showed him the place, and Elisha cut off a stick, threw it in the water, and made the ax head float. 7 “Take it out,” he ordered, and the man reached down and picked it up.
The Syrian Army Is Defeated
8 The king of Syria was at war with Israel. He consulted his officers and chose a place to set up his camp. 9 But Elisha sent word to the king of Israel, warning him not to go near that place, because the Syrians were waiting in ambush there. 10 So the king of Israel warned the people who lived in that place, and they were on guard. This happened several times.
11 The Syrian king became greatly upset over this; he called in his officers and asked them, “Which one of you is on the side of the king of Israel?”
12 One of them answered, “No one is, Your Majesty. The prophet Elisha tells the king of Israel what you say even in the privacy of your own room.”
13 “Find out where he is,” the king ordered, “and I will capture him.”
When he was told that Elisha was in Dothan, 14 he sent a large force there with horses and chariots. They reached the town at night and surrounded it. 15 Early the next morning Elisha's servant got up, went out of the house, and saw the Syrian troops with their horses and chariots surrounding the town. He went back to Elisha and exclaimed, “We are doomed, sir! What shall we do?”
16 “Don't be afraid,” Elisha answered. “We have more on our side than they have on theirs.” 17 Then he prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord answered his prayer, and Elisha's servant looked up and saw the hillside covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18 When the Syrians attacked, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, strike these men blind!” The Lord answered his prayer and struck them blind. 19 Then Elisha went to them and said, “You are on the wrong road; this is not the town you are looking for. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are after.” And he led them to Samaria.
20 As soon as they had entered the city, Elisha prayed, “Open their eyes, Lord, and let them see.” The Lord answered his prayer; he restored their sight, and they saw that they were inside Samaria.
21 When the king of Israel saw the Syrians, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, sir? Shall I kill them?”
22 “No,” he answered. “Not even soldiers you had captured in combat would you put to death. Give them something to eat and drink, and let them return to their king.” 23 So the king of Israel provided a great feast for them; and after they had eaten and drunk, he sent them back to the king of Syria. From then on the Syrians stopped raiding the land of Israel.
The Siege of Samaria
24 Some time later King Benhadad of Syria led his entire army against Israel and laid siege to the city of Samaria. 25 As a result of the siege the food shortage in the city was so severe that a donkey's head cost eighty pieces of silver, and half a pound of dove's dung cost five pieces of silver.
26 The king of Israel was walking by on the city wall when a woman cried out, “Help me, Your Majesty!”
27 He replied, “If the Lord won't help you, what help can I provide? Do I have any wheat or wine? 28 What's your trouble?”
She answered, “The other day this woman here suggested that we eat my child, and then eat her child the next day. 29 So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I told her that we would eat her son, but she had hidden him!”
30 Hearing this, the king tore his clothes in dismay, and the people who were close to the wall could see that he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes. 31 He exclaimed, “May God strike me dead if Elisha is not beheaded before the day is over!” 32 And he sent a messenger to get Elisha.
Meanwhile Elisha was at home with some elders who were visiting him. Before the king's messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “That murderer is sending someone to kill me! Now, when he gets here, shut the door and don't let him come in. The king himself will be right behind him.” 33 He had hardly finished saying this, when the king arrived and said, “It's the Lord who has brought this trouble on us! Why should I wait any longer for him to do something?”
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?"
