2 Kings 6
American Standard Version
6 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee is too strait for us. 2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. 3 And one said, Be pleased, I pray thee, to go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. 4 So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood. 5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water; and he cried, and said, Alas, my master! for it was borrowed. 6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and [a]made the iron to swim. 7 And he said, Take it up to thee. So he put out his hand, and took it.
8 Now the king of Syria was warring against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my [b]camp. 9 And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are coming down. 10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once nor twice. 11 And the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel? 12 And one of his servants said, Nay, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. 13 And he said, Go and see where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. 15 And when the [c]servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, a host with horses and chariots was round about the city. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 16 And he answered, Fear not; for they that are with us are more than they that are with them. 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Jehovah, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And Jehovah opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto Jehovah, and said, Smite this [d]people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. 19 And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. And he led them to Samaria.
20 And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, Jehovah, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And Jehovah opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? 22 And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. 23 And he prepared great provision for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
24 And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. 25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore [e]pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five [f]pieces of silver. 26 And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. 27 And he said, [g]If Jehovah do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the threshing-floor, or out of the winepress? 28 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to-day, and we will eat my son to-morrow. 29 So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him; and she hath hid her son. 30 And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes (now he was passing by upon the wall); and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. 31 Then he said, God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.
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 ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away my head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and [h]hold the door fast against him: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him? 33 And while he was yet talking with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of Jehovah; why should I wait for Jehovah any longer?
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 6:6 Or, the iron did swim
- 2 Kings 6:8 Or, encamping
- 2 Kings 6:15 Or, minister
- 2 Kings 6:18 Hebrew nation.
- 2 Kings 6:25 Or, shekels
- 2 Kings 6:25 Or, shekels
- 2 Kings 6:27 Or, Nay, let Jehovah help thee!
- 2 Kings 6:32 Hebrew thrust him back with the door.
2 Reyes 6
Dios Habla Hoy
El milagro del hacha
6 Un día, los profetas dijeron a Eliseo:
—Mira, el lugar donde vivimos contigo es demasiado estrecho para nosotros. 2 Permítenos ir al río Jordán y tomar cada uno de nosotros un tronco, para construir allí un lugar donde vivir.
—Vayan, pues —respondió Eliseo.
3 —Por favor, acompáñanos —dijo uno de ellos.
—Muy bien, los acompañaré —contestó él.
4 Y Eliseo fue con ellos hasta el Jordán, y allí se pusieron a cortar árboles. 5 Pero ocurrió que, al cortar uno un tronco, el hacha se le cayó al agua. Entonces gritó:
—¡Ay, maestro! ¡Esa hacha era prestada!
6 —¿Dónde cayó? —le preguntó el profeta.
El otro señaló el lugar. Entonces Eliseo cortó un palo, lo arrojó allí e hizo que el hacha saliera a flote.
7 —Recógela —ordenó Eliseo.
El otro extendió la mano y recogió el hacha.
Eliseo y los sirios
8 El rey de Siria estaba en guerra con Israel, y en un consejo que celebró con sus oficiales, dijo en qué lugares planeaba acampar. 9 Entonces Eliseo mandó decir al rey de Israel que procurara no pasar por aquellos lugares, porque los sirios iban hacia allá. 10 De esa manera el rey de Israel envió su ejército al lugar que el profeta le había dicho al prevenirlo, y así se salvó en varias ocasiones.
11 El rey de Siria estaba muy confuso por ese motivo, así que llamó a sus oficiales y les dijo:
—¡Díganme quién de los nuestros está de parte del rey de Israel!
12 Uno de ellos contestó:
—Nadie, Majestad. Pero Eliseo, el profeta que está en Israel, le hace saber al rey de Israel todo lo que Su Majestad dice incluso en la intimidad de su dormitorio.
13 Entonces el rey de Siria ordenó:
—Averigüen dónde está, para que envíe yo unos hombres a que lo capturen.
Cuando le dijeron que estaba en Dotán, 14 envió un destacamento de caballería, y carros de combate, y mucha infantería, que llegaron de noche a Dotán y rodearon la ciudad. 15 A la mañana siguiente se levantó el criado de Eliseo, y al salir vio aquel ejército que rodeaba la ciudad con caballería y carros de combate; entonces fue a decirle a Eliseo:
—Y ahora, maestro, ¿qué vamos a hacer?
16 Eliseo le respondió:
—No tengas miedo, porque son más los que están con nosotros que los que están con ellos.
17 Y oró Eliseo al Señor, diciendo: «Te ruego, Señor, que abras sus ojos, para que vea.» El Señor abrió entonces los ojos del criado, y éste vio que la montaña estaba llena de caballería y de carros de fuego alrededor de Eliseo.
18 Cuando ya los sirios iban a atacarlo, Eliseo rogó al Señor: «Te pido que dejes ciega a esta gente.»
Y el Señor los dejó ciegos, conforme a la petición de Eliseo. 19 Entonces Eliseo les dijo:
—Éste no es el camino, ni es ésta la ciudad que buscan. Síganme, y yo los llevaré hasta el hombre que buscan.
Y los llevó a Samaria. 20 Al llegar allí, Eliseo hizo esta oración: «Ahora, Señor, ábreles los ojos, para que puedan ver.» Entonces ellos vieron que estaban dentro de Samaria. 21 Y cuando el rey de Israel los vio, preguntó a Eliseo:
—¿Los mato, padre mío, los mato?
22 Pero Eliseo respondió:
—No, no los mates. ¿Acaso acostumbras matar a quienes has hecho prisioneros con tu espada y con tu arco? Dales de comer y beber, y luego devuélvelos a su señor.
23 Se les hizo entonces una gran fiesta, y comieron y bebieron. Luego el rey los despidió, y ellos volvieron a su señor. Desde entonces los sirios dejaron de hacer correrías en territorio israelita.
Eliseo y el sitio de Samaria
24 Después de esto, Ben-hadad, rey de Siria, reunió todo su ejército y fue y rodeó a Samaria para atacarla. 25 Hubo entonces gran hambre en Samaria, pues el cerco fue tan cerrado que una cabeza de asno llegó a costar ochenta monedas de plata, y un cuarto de litro de estiércol de paloma, cinco monedas de plata.
26 Un día, el rey de Israel pasaba sobre la muralla, y una mujer le gritó:
—¡Majestad, ayúdeme!
27 El rey respondió:
—Si el Señor no te ayuda, ¿cómo quieres que lo haga yo? ¿Acaso puedo darte trigo, o vino? 28 ¿Qué es lo que te pasa?
Ella contestó:
—Esta mujer me dijo que entregara mi hijo para que nos lo comiéramos hoy, y que mañana nos comeríamos el suyo. 29 Entonces guisamos a mi hijo, y nos lo comimos. Al día siguiente yo le dije que entregara a su hijo para que nos lo comiéramos, pero ella lo ha escondido.
30 Al escuchar el rey lo que esa mujer decía, se rasgó las ropas en señal de furor. Como estaba sobre la muralla, la gente vio que sobre la piel vestía ropas ásperas. 31 Y el rey exclamó: «¡Que Dios me castigue duramente si este mismo día no le corto la cabeza a Eliseo, el hijo de Safat!»
32 Eliseo estaba en su casa, sentado con los ancianos. Mientras tanto, el rey había enviado a uno de sus hombres. Pero antes de que el enviado del rey llegara, Eliseo dijo a los ancianos:
—Vean cómo este hijo de un asesino ha enviado a alguien a cortarme la cabeza. Pero pongan atención, y cuando llegue su enviado cierren la puerta y sosténganla contra él, pues detrás de él se oyen los pasos de su amo.
33 Aún estaba hablando con ellos, cuando el mensajero llegó ante Eliseo y dijo:
—Ya que esta desgracia nos la ha enviado el Señor, ¿qué más puedo esperar de él?
2 Kings 6
New International Version
An Axhead Floats
6 The company(A) of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to meet.”
And he said, “Go.”
3 Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?”
“I will,” Elisha replied. 4 And he went with them.
They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh no, my lord!” he cried out. “It was borrowed!”
6 The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw(B) it there, and made the iron float. 7 “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.
Elisha Traps Blinded Arameans
8 Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”
9 The man of God sent word to the king(C) of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” 10 So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned(D) the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.
11 This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
12 “None of us, my lord the king(E),” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
13 “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.”(F) 14 Then he sent(G) horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
16 “Don’t be afraid,”(H) the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more(I) than those who are with them.”
17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots(J) of fire all around Elisha.
18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.”(K) So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
19 Elisha told them, “This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to Samaria.
20 After they entered the city, Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of these men so they can see.” Then the Lord opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.
21 When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, my father?(L) Shall I kill them?”
22 “Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured(M) with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.” 23 So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands(N) from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.
Famine in Besieged Samaria
24 Some time later, Ben-Hadad(O) king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege(P) to Samaria. 25 There was a great famine(Q) in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels[a] of silver, and a quarter of a cab[b] of seed pods[c](R) for five shekels.[d]
26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”
27 The king replied, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?” 28 Then he asked her, “What’s the matter?”
She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.’ 29 So we cooked my son and ate(S) him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him,’ but she had hidden him.”
30 When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore(T) his robes. As he went along the wall, the people looked, and they saw that, under his robes, he had sackcloth(U) on his body. 31 He said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!”
32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders(V) were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Don’t you see how this murderer(W) is sending someone to cut off my head?(X) Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it shut against him. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?” 33 While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him.
The king said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait(Y) for the Lord any longer?”
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 6:25 That is, about 2 pounds or about 920 grams
- 2 Kings 6:25 That is, probably about 1/4 pound or about 100 grams
- 2 Kings 6:25 Or of doves’ dung
- 2 Kings 6:25 That is, about 2 ounces or about 58 grams
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