1 And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha {Elisha: prophetic successor}, “Behold now, the place {makom: designated assembly} where we are sitting before you is too small for us.”
2 Let us go now to the Jordan and let each man take one beam from there, and let us build for ourselves a place to dwell. And he said, “Go.” {beam: korah – structural timber} {dwell: lashevet – to settle}
3 Then one of them said, “Please be willing {ho’el: show readiness}, and go with your servants {avadeikha: your attendants}.” And he said, “I will go.”
4 And he went with them, and when they came {vayavo’u: arrival} to the Jordan, they began to cut the trees {etzim: large wood}.
5 And it happened, as one was felling the beam {hakorah: building timber}, that the iron fell into the water. And he cried out and said, “Alas, my lord {adoni: master}—for it was borrowed.”
6 And the man of God {ish haElohim: God’s prophet} said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place; then he cut a piece of wood {etz: tree material} and threw it there, and the iron floated.
7 And he said, “Lift {hārem: imperative command} it for yourself.” Then he extended his hand {yado: physical hand} and took it.
8 Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel, and he consulted{vayiva‘ats: strategic counsel} with his servants, saying, “To such-and-such a place{makom: specific location} I will set up my camp.”
9 The man of God {ish haElohim: God’s Prophet} sent a message to the king of Israel, saying, “Be vigilant {hishamer: take heed} not to cross this place, for Aram is descending there.”
10 So the king of Israel sent to the place that the man of God {Elohim, Prophetic Watchman} had told him, and a warning {hizhirah: advance caution} was given, and he warned him, and he kept himself there—not once and not twice.
11 And the heart {lev: inner resolve} of the king of Aram {Aram: ancient Syria} was stirred over this matter, and he summoned his servants and said to them, “Will you not declare to me who from among us is for the king of Israel?”
12 And one of his servants {avad: trusted attendant} said, “No, my lord the king, but Elisha the prophet who is in Israel tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedchamber {mishkav: private resting place}.”
13 And he said, “Go and see where he is so that I may send {eshlach: dispatch} and take him.” And it was told to him, saying, “Behold, he is in Dothan {dotan: ancient fortified city}.”
14 So he sent horses, chariots, and a strong army {chayil: military force} there, and they came at night {laylah: hours of darkness} and surrounded the city.
15 And the attendant {mesharet: faithful attendant} of the man of God {ish haElohim: God’s spokesman} rose early and went out, and behold, an army was surrounding the city with horses and chariotry. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my lord, how shall we do?”
16 And he said, “Do not fear {tira: intense fear}, for those who are with us are more {rabbim: numerical advantage} than those who are with them.”
17 And Elisha prayed and said, “LORD {YHWH, Prayer Listener}, please open his eyes so that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes {einav: spiritual perception} of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha.
18 And as they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD {YHWH, Prayer Answerer} and said, “Please strike this people with blindness {sanverim: dazzling confusion}.” Then He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.
19 And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way {haderekh: traveled route}, and this is not the city. Come after me, and I will lead you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria {Shomronah: capital of Israel}
20 And it happened, as they entered Samaria, that Elisha said, “LORD {YHWH, Divine Revealer} open {pekach: to unveil vision} the eyes of these men so that they may see.” Then the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
21 And the king of Israel said to Elisha, “When he saw them {kiroto: sudden recognition}, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them, my father {avi: honorific address}?”
22 And he said, “You shall not strike {takkeh: prohibitive command} those whom you have taken captive with your sword or with your bow. Would you strike them? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master {adonai: authoritative owner}.”
23 So he prepared a great feast for them, and they ate and drank. Then he sent them, and they went to their master {adon: authority figure}. And the bands of Aram did not come again into the land {erets: national territory} of Israel.
24 After this, it happened that Ben-Hadad {ben-hadad: Aramean ruler}, the king of Aram, gathered all his camp, went up, and besieged {tsarar: blockade attack} Samaria.
25 And it happened that there was a great famine {raav: severe food shortage} in Samaria, and behold, they were besieging {tsarim: military encirclement} it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and a quarter of a kab of doves’ dung for five pieces of silver.
26 And it happened, as the king of Israel was passing on the wall, that a woman cried out {tsaʻaḳāh: urgent plea} to him, saying, “Help, my lord {adoni: respectful address} the king!”
27 And he said, “If the LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Deliverer} does not save you, from where shall I save you? Is it from the threshing floor {goren: grain separation site} or from the winepress?”
28 And the king {melekh: sovereign ruler} said to her, “What is troubling you?” She replied, “This woman {ishah: female resident} said to me, ‘Give your son, and we will eat him today; tomorrow we will eat my son.’”
29 So we boiled {vannevashel: intensive cooking} my son and ate him. Then I said to her on the next day, “Give your son, and we will eat him.” But she hid {vatakhbi: concealed to protect} him.
30 And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his garments {begad: official robes}, and as he passed upon the wall, the people saw—and behold, the sackcloth {sakk: mourning cloth} was upon his flesh from within.
31 And he said, “Thus may God {Elohim, Oath Enforcer} do to me, and thus may He add, if the head {rosh: physical or symbolic source} of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on him today.”
32 But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him; and the king sent a man from before him. But before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer {hamratzakh: violent offender} has sent to remove my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut {sigru: fasten securely} the door and hold him fast at the door. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”
33 While he was still speaking with them, behold, the messenger was coming down to him. And the messenger said, “Behold, this disaster {haraʾah: calamity} is from the LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Judge}; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”