The Siege Lifted

³ Now there were four men with leprosy^[a](A) at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? ⁴ If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”

¹⁵ Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “See, I will make this people eat bitter food^(A) and drink poisoned water.^(B)

⁸ “Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life^(A) and the way of death. ⁹ Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague.^(B) But whoever goes out and surrenders^(C) to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives.^(D)