2 Kings 6
Christian Standard Bible
The Floating Ax Head
6 The sons of the prophets(A) said to Elisha, “Please notice that the place where we live under your supervision[a] is too small for us. 2 Please let us go to the Jordan where we can each get a log and can build ourselves a place to live there.”
“Go,” he said.
3 Then one said, “Please come with your servants.”
“I’ll come,” he answered.
4 So he went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Oh, my master, it was borrowed!” (B)
6 Then the man of God(C) asked, “Where did it fall?”
When he showed him the place, the man of God cut a piece of wood, threw it there, and made the iron float.(D) 7 Then he said, “Pick it up.” So he reached out and took it.
The Aramean War
8 When the king of Aram(E) was waging war against Israel, he conferred with his servants, “My camp will be at such and such a place.”
9 But the man of God(F) sent word to the king of Israel: “Be careful passing by this place, for the Arameans are going down there.” 10 Consequently, the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had told him about. The man of God repeatedly[b] warned the king, so the king would be on his guard.
11 The king of Aram was enraged because of this matter, and he called his servants and demanded of them, “Tell me, which one of us is for the king of Israel?”
12 One of his servants said, “No one, my lord the king. Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in your bedroom.”
13 So the king said, “Go and see where he is, so I can send men to capture him.”
When he was told, “Elisha is in Dothan,”(G) 14 he sent horses, chariots, and a massive army there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God got up early and went out, he discovered an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”
16 Elisha said, “Don’t be afraid,(H) for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them.”(I)
17 Then Elisha prayed, “Lord, please open his eyes and let him see.” So the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire(J) all around Elisha.
18 When the Arameans came against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Please strike this nation with blindness.”[c] So he struck them with blindness,(K) according to Elisha’s word. 19 Then Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you’re looking for.” And he led them to Samaria.(L) 20 When they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “Lord, open these men’s eyes and let them see.” So the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw that they were in the middle of Samaria.
21 When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “Should I kill them,(M) should I kill them, my father?”
22 Elisha replied, “Don’t kill them. Do you kill those you have captured with your sword or your bow? Set food and water in front of them so they can eat and drink and go to their master.”(N)
23 So he prepared a big feast for them. When they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. The Aramean raiders(O) did not come into Israel’s land again.
The Siege of Samaria
24 Some time later, King Ben-hadad(P) of Aram brought all his military units together and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. 25 So there was a severe famine(Q) in Samaria, and they continued the siege against it until a donkey’s head sold for thirty-four ounces[d] of silver, and a cup[e] of dove’s dung[f] sold for two ounces[g] of silver.(R)
26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “My lord the king, help!”
27 He answered, “If the Lord doesn’t help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?” (S) 28 Then the king asked her, “What’s the matter?” (T)
She said, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son, and we will eat him today. Then we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 So we boiled my son and ate him, and I said to her the next day, ‘Give up your son, and we will eat him,’(U) but she has hidden her son.”
30 When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his clothes.(V) Then, as he was passing by on the wall, the people saw that there was sackcloth(W) under his clothes next to his skin. 31 He announced, “May God punish me and do so severely(X) if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.”
32 Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders(Y) were sitting with him. The king sent a man ahead of him, but before the messenger got to him, Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer(Z) has sent someone to remove my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Isn’t the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”
33 While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger[h] came down to him. Then he said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?” (AA)
2 Kings 6
Names of God Bible
Elisha and the Floating Ax Head
6 The disciples of the prophets said to Elisha, “The place where we’re staying is too small for us. 2 Let’s go to the Jordan River. Each of us can get some logs and make a place for us to live there.”
Elisha said, “Go ahead.”
3 Then one of the disciples asked, “Won’t you please come with us?”
Elisha answered, “I’ll go.”
4 So he went with them. They came to the Jordan River and began to cut down trees. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the ax head fell into the water. He cried out, “Oh no, master! It was borrowed!”
6 The man of Elohim asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed Elisha the place, Elisha cut off a piece of wood. He threw it into the water at that place and made the ax head float. 7 Elisha said, “Pick it up.” The disciple reached for it and picked it up.
The Aramean Army Is Struck with Blindness
8 Whenever the king of Aram was fighting against Israel, he asked for advice from his officers about where they were to camp.
9 So the man of Elohim would send a message to the king of Israel, “Be careful not to go by that place. The Arameans are hiding there.” 10 Then the king of Israel would send someone to the place that the man of Elohim told him about. Elisha warned them so that they would be on their guard. He did this repeatedly.
11 The king of Aram was very angry about this. He called his officers and asked them, “Won’t you tell me who among us is a spy for the king of Israel?”
12 One of his officers answered, “No one, Your Majesty. Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel everything you say—even what you say in your bedroom.”
13 The king said, “Find out where he is. Then I will send men to capture him.”
The king was told, “He is in Dothan.” 14 So the king sent horses and chariots and a large fighting unit there. They came at night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of Elohim got up in the morning and went outside, he saw troops, horses, and chariots surrounding the city. Elisha’s servant asked, “Master, what should we do?”
16 Elisha answered, “Don’t be afraid. We have more forces on our side than they have on theirs.” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “Yahweh, please open his eyes so that he may see.” Yahweh opened the servant’s eyes and let him see. The mountain around Elisha was full of fiery horses and chariots.
18 As the Arameans came down to get him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, “Please strike these people with blindness.” Yahweh struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked. 19 Elisha told them, “This isn’t the way! This isn’t the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you’re looking for.” So he led them into Samaria. 20 When they came into Samaria, Elisha said, “Yahweh, open the eyes of these men, and let them see.” Yahweh opened their eyes and let them see that they were in the middle of Samaria.
21 When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Master, should I kill them? Should I kill them?”
22 Elisha answered, “Don’t kill them. Do you kill everyone you take captive in combat? Give them food and water. Let them eat and drink. Then let them go back to their master.”
23 So the king prepared a great feast for them. They ate and drank, and then he sent them back to their master. After this, Aramean troops didn’t raid Israel’s territory anymore.
The Aramean Army Blockades Samaria
24 Later King Benhadad of Aram assembled his whole army. They went to Samaria and blockaded it. 25 The shortages caused by the blockade of Samaria became so severe that a donkey’s head sold for two pounds of silver and a half-pint of dove[a] manure for two ounces of silver.
26 As the king of Israel was walking on the city wall, a woman cried to him, “Help me, Your Majesty!”
27 He answered, “If Yahweh doesn’t help you, how can I help you? I can’t give you something from the threshing floor[b] or the winepress.” 28 Then the king asked her, “What’s the matter?”
She answered, “This woman told me, ‘Give up your son. Let’s eat him today. We’ll eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 So we boiled my son and ate him. The next day I told her, ‘Give up your son. We’ll eat him,’ but she hid her son.”
30 When the king heard the woman say this, he tore his clothes in distress. As he was walking on the city wall, the people saw that he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes. 31 He said, “May Elohim strike me dead if the head of Elisha, son of Shaphat, stays on his body today.”
32 Elisha was sitting in his home with the city’s leaders. The king had sent one of his men ahead of him to Elisha’s house. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha asked the leaders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to tear off my head? When the messenger comes, close the door. Hold it shut because the king will be following him.”
33 While he was still talking to them, the messenger arrived. He said to Elisha, “This severe famine is from Yahweh. Why should I wait any longer for Yahweh to help us?”
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 6:25 Or “pigeon.”
- 2 Kings 6:27 A threshing floor is an outdoor area where grain is separated from its husks.
2 Re 6
Conferenza Episcopale Italiana
L'ascia perduta e ritrovata
6 I figli dei profeti dissero a Eliseo: «Ecco, il luogo in cui ci raduniamo alla tua presenza è troppo stretto per noi. 2 Andiamo fino al Giordano; là prenderemo una trave per ciascuno e ci costruiremo una residenza». Quegli rispose: «Andate!». 3 Uno disse: «Degnati di venire anche tu con i tuoi servi». Egli rispose: «Ci verrò». 4 E andò con loro. Giunti al Giordano, tagliarono alcuni alberi. 5 Ora, mentre uno abbatteva un tronco, il ferro dell'ascia gli cadde in acqua. Egli gridò: «Oh, mio signore! Era stato preso in prestito!». 6 L'uomo di Dio domandò: «Dove è caduto?». Gli mostrò il posto. Eliseo, allora, tagliò un legno e lo gettò in quel punto e il ferro venne a galla. 7 Disse: «Prendilo!». Quegli stese la mano e lo prese.
4. GUERRE ARAMEE
Eliseo cattura un intero distaccamento arameo
8 Mentre il re di Aram era in guerra contro Israele, in un consiglio con i suoi ufficiali disse: «In quel tal posto sarà il mio accampamento». 9 L'uomo di Dio mandò a dire al re di Israele: «Guardati dal passare per quel punto, perché là stanno scendendo gli Aramei». 10 Il re di Israele mandò a esplorare il punto indicatogli dall'uomo di Dio. Questi l'avvertiva e il re si metteva in guardia; ciò accadde non una volta o due soltanto. 11 Molto turbato in cuor suo per questo fatto, il re di Aram convocò i suoi ufficiali e disse loro: «Non mi potreste indicare chi dei nostri è per il re di Israele?». 12 Uno degli ufficiali rispose: «No, re mio signore, perché Eliseo profeta di Israele riferisce al re di Israele quanto tu dici nella tua camera da letto». 13 Quegli disse: «Andate, informatevi dove sia costui; io manderò a prenderlo». Gli fu riferito: «Ecco, sta in Dotan». 14 Egli mandò là cavalli, carri e un bel numero di soldati; vi giunsero di notte e circondarono la città.
15 Il giorno dopo, l'uomo di Dio, alzatosi di buon mattino, uscì. Ecco, un esercito circondava la città con cavalli e carri. Il suo servo disse: «Ohimè, mio signore, come faremo?». 16 Quegli rispose: «Non temere, perché i nostri sono più numerosi dei loro». 17 Eliseo pregò così: «Signore, apri i suoi occhi; egli veda». Il Signore aprì gli occhi del servo, che vide. Ecco, il monte era pieno di cavalli e di carri di fuoco intorno a Eliseo.
18 Poiché gli Aramei scendevano verso di lui, Eliseo pregò il Signore: «Oh, colpisci questa gente di cecità!». E il Signore li colpì di cecità secondo la parola di Eliseo. 19 Disse loro Eliseo: «Non è questa la strada e non è questa la città. Seguitemi e io vi condurrò dall'uomo che cercate». Egli li condusse in Samaria. 20 Quando giunsero in Samaria, Eliseo disse: «Signore, apri i loro occhi; essi vedano!». Il Signore aprì i loro occhi ed essi videro. Erano in mezzo a Samaria!
21 Il re di Israele quando li vide, disse a Eliseo: «Li devo uccidere, padre mio?». 22 Quegli rispose: «Non ucciderli. Forse uccidi uno che hai fatto prigioniero con la spada e con l'arco? Piuttosto metti davanti a loro pane e acqua; mangino e bevano, poi se ne vadano dal loro padrone». 23 Fu imbandito loro un gran banchetto. Dopo che ebbero mangiato e bevuto, li congedò ed essi se ne andarono dal loro padrone. Le bande aramee non penetrarono più nel paese di Israele.
La carestia in Samaria assediata
24 Dopo tali cose Ben-Hadàd, re di Aram, radunò tutto il suo esercito e venne ad assediare Samaria. 25 Ci fu una carestia eccezionale in Samaria, mentre l'assedio si faceva più duro, tanto che una testa d'asino si vendeva ottanta sicli d'argento e un quarto di qab di tuberi cinque sicli. 26 Mentre il re di Israele passava sulle mura, una donna gli gridò contro: «Aiuto, mio signore re!». 27 Rispose: «Non ti aiuta neppure il Signore! Come potrei aiutarti io? Forse con il prodotto dell'aia o con quello del torchio?». 28 Il re aggiunse: «Che hai?». Quella rispose: «Questa donna mi ha detto: Dammi tuo figlio; mangiamocelo oggi. Mio figlio ce lo mangeremo domani. 29 Abbiamo cotto mio figlio e ce lo siamo mangiato. Il giorno dopo io le ho detto: Dammi tuo figlio; mangiamocelo, ma essa ha nascosto suo figlio». 30 Quando udì le parole della donna, il re si stracciò le vesti. Mentre egli passava sulle mura, lo vide il popolo; ecco, aveva un sacco di sotto, sulla carne. 31 Egli disse: «Dio mi faccia questo e anche di peggio, se oggi la testa di Eliseo, figlio di Safat, resterà sulle sue spalle».
Eliseo annunzia la fine imminente della prova
32 Eliseo stava seduto in casa; con lui sedevano gli anziani. Il re si fece precedere da un uomo. Prima che arrivasse il messaggero, quegli disse agli anziani: «Avete visto? Quel figlio di assassino ordina che mi si tolga la vita. Fate attenzione! Quando arriva il messaggero, chiudete la porta; tenetelo fermo sulla porta. Forse dietro non si sente il rumore dei piedi del suo padrone?». 33 Stava ancora parlando con loro, quando il re scese da lui e gli disse: «Tu vedi quanto male ci viene dal Signore; che aspetterò più io dal Signore?».
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