2 Kings 6
New King James Version
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?”
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 6:25 Approximately 1 pint
2 Kings 6
English Standard Version
The Axe Head Recovered
6 Now (A)the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.” And he answered, “Go.” 3 Then one of them said, “Be pleased 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 felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.” 6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, (B)he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. 7 And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it.
Horses and Chariots of Fire
8 Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.” 10 And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice.
11 And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who 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 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in (C)Dothan.” 14 So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, (D)for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please (E)open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of (F)horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” (G)So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. 19 And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria.
20 As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, (H)open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 21 As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, (I)“My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” 22 He answered, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive (J)with your sword and with your bow? (K)Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” 23 So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again (L)on raids into the land of Israel.
Ben-hadad's Siege of Samaria
24 Afterward (M)Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria. 25 And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab[a] of dove's dung for five shekels of silver. 26 Now 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 will not help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?” 28 And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 (N)So we boiled my son and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.” 30 When the king heard the words of the woman, (O)he tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, (P)he had sackcloth beneath on his body— 31 and he said, (Q)“May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.”
32 Elisha was sitting in his house, (R)and the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence, but before the messenger arrived Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this (S)murderer has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?” 33 And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the Lord! (T)Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 6:25 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams; a kab was about 1 quart or 1 liter
2 Kungaboken 6
Swedish New Living Bible (Nya Levande Bibeln)
Elisa får en yxa att flyta
1-2 En dag kom profetlärjungarna och pratade med Elisa. Rummet där du undervisar oss är alldeles för litet, sa de. Kan vi inte bygga ett nytt hus nere vid Jordanfloden, där det finns gott om byggnadsmaterial? Jo, det tycker jag ni ska göra, svarade Elisa.
3 Men kan du inte komma med oss? föreslog någon.Det ska jag göra, svarade han.
4 När de kom ner till Jordan började de fälla träd,
5 men för en av dem lossnade yxan från skaftet och hamnade i floden.Ett sånt elände, ropade han bestört. Jag som hade lånat yxan!
6 Var föll den i någonstans? frågade profeten.Mannen visade honom var yxan hade fallit i, och Elisa skar av en kvist som han kastade i vattnet. Då flöt yxan upp till ytan.
7 Plocka upp den! sa Elisa till honom, och den unge mannen hämtade upp yxan.
Elisa tar en hel armé till fånga
8 En gång när kungen i Aram låg i krig med Israel och gav sina officerare order om var de skulle slå läger nämnde han en viss plats för dem.
9 Omedelbart varnade Elisa kungen i Israel för att närma sig just den platsen. Arameerna planerar att dra samman sina trupper dit, sa han.
10 Kungen skickade då ut en spanare som kunde bekräfta att Elisa hade rätt. Gång på gång varnade Elisa kungen på samma sätt.
11 Kungen i Aram blev irriterad: Vem av er är det som förråder oss? frågade han sina officerare när han sammankallat dem. Vem har informerat kungen i Israel om mina planer?
12 Det är inte någon av oss, svarade en av officerarna. Det är profeten Elisa i Israel. Han kan berätta för sin kung vad du viskar i din sängkammare.
13 Gå då och ta reda på var han finns, så att vi kan gripa honom, utbrast kungen.Elisa är i Dotan, var det då någon som upplyste honom om.
14 En natt skickade därför kungen en trupp med många hästar och vagnar för att omringa staden Dotan.
15 När profetens tjänare steg upp tidigt på morgonen och såg alltsammans blev han orolig.Vad ska vi göra nu? ropade han skräckslagen till Elisa.
16 Var inte rädd! Vår armé är större än deras! svarade Elisa.
17 Sedan bad Elisa: Herre, öppna hans ögon, så att han ser!Då öppnade Herren tjänarens ögon, så att han kunde se hästar och vagnar som av eld överallt på höjderna runt omkring.
18 När fienden drog fram mot dem, bad Elisa: Herre, gör dem blinda! Herren gjorde som Elisa önskade.
19 Då gick Elisa ut till dem och sa: Ni har kommit fel! Det här är inte rätt stad! Följ mig, så ska jag föra er till den man ni söker. Sedan ledde han dem till Samaria.
20 Så snart de kom fram bad Elisa: Herre, öppna deras ögon nu, så att de kan se. Herren gjorde som Elisa ville, och de upptäckte att de var i Israels huvudstad Samaria.
21 När kungen i Israel fick se dem, ropade han till Elisa: Herre, ska jag döda dem? Ska jag döda dem?
22 Gör inte det! svarade Elisa. Brukar vi döda krigsfångar? Ge dem mat och dryck och skicka sedan hem dem igen!
23 Kungen anordnade då en stor fest för dem och skickade sedan hem dem till Aram. Från den stunden blev det slut på deras räder mot Israel.
Arams belägring av Samaria får ett snabbt slut
24 Men någon tid senare mobiliserade Ben-Hadad, kungen i Aram, hela sin armé och belägrade Samaria.
25 Följden blev att det uppstod en svår hungersnöd i staden, och det gick så långt att man betalade 80 siklar silver för ett åsnehuvud och fem siklar för en halv liter duvspillning!
26-30 En dag när kungen i Israel vandrade omkring på stadsmuren, ropade en kvinna åt honom: Hjälp mig, Ers Majestät!Om inte Herren hjälper dig, vad ska då jag kunna göra? svarade han. Logen är tom och vinpressen står stilla. Vad skulle jag kunna göra för dig? Hon svarade: En kvinna här föreslog att vi en dag skulle äta upp min son och sedan hennes nästa dag. Vi tog min son och åt upp honom, men när jag nästa dag bad henne att döda sin son, så gömde hon honom.När kungen hörde detta rev han sönder sina kläder i förtvivlan. Då kunde man genom revorna se att han bar säcktyg närmast kroppen.
31 Gud, du får döda mig, om jag inte avrättar Elisa i dag, sa kungen och svor en ed.
32 Elisa satt i sitt hus och rådgjorde med stadens styresmän, när kungen skickade bud till honom. Men innan budbärarna kom, sa Elisa till de andra: Denne mördare vi har till kung har skickat en man för att döda mig. När han kommer, så stäng dörren och låt honom vänta utanför, för hans herre kommer snart efter.
33 Elisa hann precis säga detta innan budbäraren och sedan även kungen anlände.Det är Herren som har låtit oss drabbas av allt det här, for kungen ut mot Elisa. Hur ska jag kunna räkna med någon hjälp från honom?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
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