The Floating Ax Head

6 And ^(A)the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See now, the place where we dwell with you is too small for us. ² Please, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell.”

So he answered, “Go.”

³ Then one said, ^(B)“Please consent to go with your servants.”

And he answered, “I will go.” ⁴ So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. ⁵ But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, master! For it was ^(C)borrowed.”

⁶ So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. So ^(D)he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float. ⁷ Therefore he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took it.

The Blinded Syrians Captured

⁸ Now the ^(E)king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.” ⁹ And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.” ¹⁰ Then the king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice.

¹¹ Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?”

¹² And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”

¹³ So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.”

And it was told him, saying, “Surely he is in ^(F)Dothan.”

¹⁴ Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. ¹⁵ And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”

¹⁶ So he answered, ^(G)“Do not fear, for ^(H)those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” ¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord ^(I)opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of ^(J)horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. ¹⁸ So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And ^(K)He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

¹⁹ Now Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, nor is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” But he led them to Samaria.

²⁰ So it was, when they had come to 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 there they were, inside Samaria!

²¹ Now when the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My ^(L)father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”

²² But he answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? ^(M)Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” ²³ Then he prepared a great feast for them; and after they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So ^(N)the bands of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel.

Syria Besieges Samaria in Famine

²⁴ And it happened after this that ^(O)Ben-Hadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria. ²⁵ And there was a great ^(P)famine in Samaria; and indeed they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and one-fourth of a ^[a]kab of dove droppings for five shekels of silver.

²⁶ Then, as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!”

²⁷ And he said, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or from the winepress?” ²⁸ Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you?”

And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ ²⁹ So ^(Q)we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.”

³⁰ Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he ^(R)tore his clothes; and as he passed by on the wall, the people looked, and there underneath he had sackcloth on his body. ³¹ Then he said, ^(S)“God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today!”

³² But Elisha was sitting in his house, and ^(T)the elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man ahead of him, but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, ^(U)“Do you see how this son of ^(V)a murderer has sent someone to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” ³³ And while he was still talking with them, there was the messenger, coming down to him; and then the king said, “Surely this calamity is from the Lord; ^(W)why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”

The Syrians Flee

7 Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ^(X)‘Tomorrow about this time a ^[b]seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’ ”

^2 (Y)So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, ^(Z)if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?”

And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

13 Now ^(A)before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that ^(B)His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He ^(C)loved them to the end.

² And ^[a]supper being ended, ^(D)the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, ³ Jesus, knowing ^(E)that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He ^(F)had come from God and ^(G)was going to God, ^4 (H)rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. ⁵ After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. ⁶ Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, ^(I)“Lord, are You washing my feet?”

⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you ^(J)do not understand now, ^(K)but you will know after this.”

⁸ Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”

Jesus answered him, ^(L)“If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

⁹ Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and ^(M)you are clean, but not all of you.” ¹¹ For ^(N)He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”

¹² So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you ^[b]know what I have done to you? ^13 (O)You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. ^14 (P)If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, ^(Q)you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For ^(R)I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. ^16 (S)Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. ^17 (T)If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Jesus Identifies His Betrayer^(U)

¹⁸ “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the ^(V)Scripture may be fulfilled, ^(W)‘He who eats ^[c]bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’ ^19 (X)Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He. ^20 (Y)Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

^21 (Z)When Jesus had said these things, ^(AA)He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(AB)one of you will betray Me.” ²² Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.

²³ Now ^(AC)there was ^[d]leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. ²⁴ Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.

²⁵ Then, leaning ^[e]back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to ^(AD)Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. ^27 (AE)Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” ²⁸ But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. ²⁹ For some thought, because ^(AF)Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.

³⁰ Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.

The New Commandment

³¹ So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, ^(AG)“Now the Son of Man is glorified, and ^(AH)God is glorified in Him. ³² If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and ^(AI)glorify Him immediately. ³³ Little children, I shall be with you a ^(AJ)little while longer. You will seek Me; ^(AK)and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. ^34 (AL)A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ^35 (AM)By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

³⁶ Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?”

Jesus answered him, “Where I ^(AN)am going you cannot follow Me now, but ^(AO)you shall follow Me afterward.”

³⁷ Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will ^(AP)lay down my life for Your sake.”

³⁸ Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not ^(AQ)crow till you have denied Me three times.