2 Reyes 6
Traducción en lenguaje actual
Eliseo y el hacha que cayó al río
6 Un día, los profetas le dijeron a Eliseo:
—Mira, el lugar donde vivimos contigo es demasiado pequeño para nosotros. 2 Déjanos ir al río Jordán, allí tomaremos troncos y nos haremos una casa.
Eliseo les contestó:
—Está bien. Vayan.
3 Entonces uno de los profetas le dijo:
—Ven con nosotros, por favor.
Él contestó:
—Está bien, iré.
4 Así que Eliseo los acompañó, y cuando llegaron al río Jordán cortaron algunos árboles. 5 Mientras uno de los profetas estaba cortando un tronco, se le cayó el hacha al río. Entonces le gritó a Eliseo:
—¡Maestro! ¡Esa hacha no es mía, me la prestaron!
6 Eliseo preguntó:
—¿Dónde cayó?
Cuando le mostró el lugar donde había caído el hacha, Eliseo cortó un palo y lo arrojó allí, haciendo que el hacha flotara, 7 y dijo:
—¡Sácala!
El profeta extendió la mano y tomó el hacha.
Eliseo y el ejército de Siria
8 Cierta vez, el rey de Siria, que estaba en guerra con Israel, reunió a sus oficiales y les indicó en qué lugares planeaba acampar.
9 Pero Eliseo le mandó a decir al rey de Israel dónde iba a acampar el rey de Siria, para que no pasara por allí. 10 Así que el rey de Israel envió a su ejército al lugar que le había indicado Eliseo, y así se salvó en varias oportunidades.
11 El rey de Siria estaba muy confundido por lo que pasaba. Llamó a sus oficiales y les dijo:
—¿Quién de los nuestros está a favor del rey de Israel? ¿Quién le informa lo que pensamos hacer?
12 Uno de sus oficiales contestó:
—Ninguno, Majestad. ¡El profeta de Israel, Eliseo, le informa al rey aun lo que usted habla en lo más privado de su habitación!
13 Entonces el rey de Siria ordenó:
—Vayan y averigüen dónde está Eliseo, para mandar a capturarlo.
Cuando le avisaron al rey que Eliseo estaba en Dotán, 14 envió allí carros, caballos y un gran ejército. Llegaron de noche y rodearon el pueblo.
15 A la mañana siguiente, el sirviente del profeta se despertó temprano. Cuando salió afuera y vio un ejército con carros y caballos que rodeaba la ciudad, le dijo a Eliseo:
—¡Maestro! ¿Qué vamos a hacer?
16 Eliseo le respondió:
—No tengas miedo. ¡Son más los que están con nosotros que los que están con ellos!
17 Luego Eliseo oró y dijo: «Dios, te ruego que lo ayudes a darse cuenta de lo que sucede». Entonces Dios ayudó al sirviente, y éste vio que la montaña estaba llena de caballos y carros de fuego que rodeaban a Eliseo.
18 Cuando los sirios ya se acercaban para atacar a Eliseo, éste oró a Dios diciendo: «Te ruego que esta gente se quede ciega». Y todos los soldados de Siria se quedaron ciegos, tal como Eliseo le había pedido a Dios. 19 Entonces Eliseo les dijo: «Éste no es el camino, ni ésta es la ciudad que ustedes buscan. Síganme y los llevaré a donde está el hombre que buscan».
Eliseo los llevó a Samaria, 20 y tan pronto como entraron allí, Eliseo oró: «Dios, devuélveles la vista». Entonces Dios les devolvió la vista, y ellos se dieron cuenta de que estaban en plena ciudad de Samaria.
21 Cuando el rey de Israel vio al ejército de Siria, le preguntó a Eliseo:
—Señor, ¿los mato? ¿Los mato a todos?
22 Eliseo contestó:
—No los mates. No se debe matar a los prisioneros de guerra. Dales pan para comer y agua para beber, y déjalos regresar a donde está su jefe.
23 Entonces el rey preparó una gran fiesta para ellos. Después que comieron y bebieron, los despidió; entonces ellos volvieron a donde estaba su jefe. A partir de ese día, los sirios no molestaron más a los israelitas.
Hambre en Samaria
24 Tiempo después, Ben-hadad, rey de Siria, reunió a todo su ejército y rodeó a la ciudad de Samaria para atacarla. Nadie podía entrar ni salir, y los alimentos se acabaron. 25 Debido a eso, hubo mucha hambre en Samaria, tanta que la cabeza de un burro se vendía en ochenta monedas de plata, y un cuarto de litro de estiércol de paloma se vendía en cinco monedas de plata.
26 Un día, cuando el rey de Israel paseaba sobre el muro que rodeaba la ciudad, una mujer le gritó:
—¡Majestad, ayúdeme!
27 El rey contestó:
—Si Dios no te ayuda, ¿cómo quieres que te ayude yo? No tengo trigo ni vino para darte. 28 ¿Cuál es tu problema?
La mujer respondió:
—Esta mujer me pidió que primero nos comiéramos a mi hijo, y que al día siguiente nos comeríamos el suyo. 29 Así que cocinamos a mi hijo y nos lo comimos. Al día siguiente le recordé que debíamos comernos a su hijo, pero ella lo ha escondido.
30 Cuando el rey escuchó lo que dijo la mujer, se enojó tanto que rompió su ropa, y como estaba sobre el muro, la gente pudo ver que llevaba puesta ropa áspera. 31 El rey dijo: «¡Hoy mismo le voy a cortar la cabeza a Eliseo, hijo de Safat! ¡Que Dios me castigue si no lo hago!»
32 Eliseo estaba sentado en su casa junto con los líderes del país. Mientras tanto, el rey envió a uno de sus hombres. Antes de que llegara, Eliseo le dijo a los líderes: «El rey es un asesino, y ha mandado a un hombre para que me corte la cabeza. Estén atentos, y cuando ese hombre llegue, cierren la puerta y sosténgala contra él, porque detrás de él viene el rey».
33 Mientras Eliseo estaba hablando con los líderes, el hombre del rey llegó delante de él y dijo:
—Esta desgracia viene de parte de Dios. ¡Ya no puedo esperar que él nos ayude!
2 Kings 6
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Miracle of the Ax Head
6 Now the company of prophets said to Elisha, “As you see, the place where we live under your charge is too small for us.(A) 2 Let us go to the Jordan, and let us collect logs there, one for each of us, and build a place there for us to live.” He answered, “Do so.” 3 Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” And he answered, “I will.” 4 So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5 But as one was felling a log, his ax head fell into the water; he cried out, “Alas, master! It was borrowed.” 6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float.(B) 7 He said, “Pick it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it.
The Aramean Attack Is Thwarted
8 Once when the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he took counsel with his officers. He said, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Take care not to pass this place, for the Arameans are going down there.”(C) 10 The king of Israel sent word to the place of which the man of God spoke. More than once or twice he warned a place[a] so that it was on the alert.
11 The mind of the king of Aram was greatly perturbed because of this; he called his officers and said to them, “Now tell me: Who among us is betraying us to[b] the king of Israel?” 12 Then one of his officers said, “No one, my lord king. It is Elisha, the prophet in Israel, who tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedchamber.” 13 He said, “Go and find where he is; I will send and seize him.” He was told, “He is in Dothan.”(D) 14 So he sent horses and chariots there and a great army; they came by night and surrounded the city.
15 When an attendant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. His servant said, “Alas, master! What shall we do?” 16 He replied, “Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than there are with them.”(E) 17 Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw; the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.(F) 18 When the Arameans[c] came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Strike this people, please, with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.(G) 19 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, open the eyes of these men so that they may see.” The Lord opened their eyes, and they saw that they were inside Samaria.(H) 21 When the king of Israel saw them he said to Elisha, “Father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?”(I) 22 He answered, “No! Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink, and let them go to their master.”(J) 23 So he prepared for them a great feast; after they ate and drank, he sent them on their way, and they went to their master. And the Arameans no longer came raiding into the land of Israel.(K)
Ben-hadad’s Siege of Samaria
24 Some time later King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered his entire army; he marched against Samaria and laid siege to it.(L) 25 As the siege continued, famine in Samaria became so great that a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver and one-fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver. 26 Now as the king of Israel was walking on the city wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help, my lord king!” 27 He said, “If the Lord does not help you, where would my help come from? From the threshing floor or from the winepress?” 28 But then the king asked her, “What is your complaint?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son; we will eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son, and we will eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.”(M) 30 When the king heard the words of the woman he tore his clothes—now since he was walking on the city wall, the people could see that he had sackcloth on his body underneath(N)— 31 and he said, “So may God do to me and more, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat stays on his shoulders today.”(O) 32 So he dispatched a man from his presence.
Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Are you aware that this murderer has sent someone to take off my head? When the messenger comes, see that you shut the door and hold it closed against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”(P) 33 While he was still speaking with them, the king[d] came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the Lord! Why should I hope in the Lord any longer?”(Q)
2 Kings 6
International Standard Version
The Miracle of the Ax Head
6 One day the Guild of Prophets told Elisha, “Notice how the place where we are living is too small for us. 2 Let’s go to the Jordan River,[a] fashion some rafters,[b] and build a place for us so we can live there.”
So he said, “Go!”
3 Someone asked, “Would you be willing to come with your servants?”
“I’m willing,” he replied. 4 So he accompanied them, and when they came to the Jordan River,[c] they cut down some trees.
5 It happened that as one of them was felling a beam, his axe head fell into the water. He cried out, “Oh no! Master! The axe was on loan to me!”
6 The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he was shown the place, he cut off a branch, tossed it there, and made the iron axe head float. 7 Then Elisha said, “Pick it up!” So the young man reached out and picked it[d] up.
The Arameans Attack
8 Eventually the king of Aram went to war against Israel, taking counsel with his advisors and concluding, “In such and such a place I’ll build my encampment.”
9 So the man of God sent a message[e] to the king of Israel, warning him, “Keep an eye on that area, because the Arameans are going to be there!” 10 The king of Israel confirmed the matter[f] about which the man of God had warned him. Having been forewarned, he was able to protect himself there on more than one or two occasions.
11 The king of Aram flew into a rage over this, so he called in his advisors and asked them, “Will you please tell me which of us has joined the king of Israel?”
12 “No, your majesty,” one of his servants said. “Elisha the prophet, who lives in Israel, tells the king of Israel what you talk about in your bedroom!”
13 So the king[g] ordered, “Go and discover where he is, so I may send men[h] to take him into custody.”
Later somebody told him, “Look! He’s in Dothan!”
14 So the king of Aram[i] sent out horses, chariots, and an elite force, and they arrived during the night and surrounded the city. 15 Meanwhile, the attendant to the man of God got up early in the morning and went outside, and there were the elite forces, surrounding the city, accompanied by horses and chariots! So Elisha’s attendant cried out to him, “Oh no! Master! What will we do!?”
16 Elisha[j] replied, “Stop being afraid, because there are more with us than with them!” 17 Then Elisha prayed, asking the Lord, “Please make him able to really see!” And so when the Lord enabled the young man to see, he looked, and there was the mountain, filled with horses and fiery chariots surrounding Elisha!
18 When the army approached him, Elisha spoke to the Lord, asking him, “Lord, I’m asking you please to afflict this group of people with blindness!” So he afflicted them with blindness, just as Elisha had asked.
19 Then Elisha told the army, “This isn’t the way, and this isn’t the city! Follow me, and I’ll bring you to the man you’re seeking.” Then he led them to Samaria. 20 When they arrived in Samaria, Elisha asked the Lord, “Enable them to see again.” So the Lord did so, and there they were—right in the middle of Samaria!
21 When the king of Israel saw Elisha, he asked him, “Shall I execute them, my father?”
22 But he replied, “No! You’re not to kill them! Would you execute those whom you’ve taken captive at the point of a sword or with your bow? Give them food and water so they can eat and drink. Then send them back to their master!” 23 So he prepared a large festival for them, and when they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them back to their master, and marauding gangs of Arameans never came into the territory of Israel again.
Ben-hadad Attacks Samaria
24 Some time later, King Ben-hadad from Aram mustered his army, invaded the land,[k] and attacked Samaria 25 until there was a great famine throughout Samaria. The siege lasted until a donkey’s head cost[l] 80 silver coins[m] and one quarter of a unit[n] of dove’s dung cost[o] five silver coins.[p]
26 While the king of Israel was walking along the city[q] wall, a woman cried out to him. “Help me, your majesty!”[r] she said.
27 He replied, “No! Since the Lord won’t give you victory, how will I be able to deliver you? From the threshing floor? From the wine press?” 28 Then the king asked her, “What’s bothering[s] you?”
She said, “This woman told me, ‘Give up your son, and we’ll eat him today, and we’ll eat my son tomorrow.’” 29 So we boiled my son and ate him. The next day, I told her, ‘Give me your son so we can eat him!’ But she has hidden her son!”
30 When the king heard what the woman said, he ripped his garments as he continued walking along the city[t] wall. As the people watched, all of a sudden they noticed he was wearing sackcloth underneath his clothes, inside next to his flesh! 31 He said, “May God do to me—and more also!—if the head of Shaphat’s son Elisha remains on his shoulders[u] today!”
32 Meanwhile, Elisha was sitting in his house, along with the elders, when the king[v] sent a man to kill him,[w] but before the messenger arrived, Elisha[x] told the elders, “Are you watching how this descendant of murderers has ordered my head be cut off? Look, when the messenger arrives, shut the door and hold it to shut them out! Don’t you hear the sound of his master’s feet right behind him?”
33 While he was still talking with them, the messenger arrived to see him and delivered the king’s message to Elisha,[y] “Look! This evil has come from the Lord! Why should I wait for the Lord anymore?”
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 6:2 The Heb. lacks River
- 2 Kings 6:2 Lit. take a beam
- 2 Kings 6:4 The Heb. lacks River
- 2 Kings 6:7 The Heb. lacks it
- 2 Kings 6:9 The Heb. lacks a message
- 2 Kings 6:10 Lit. Israel sent
- 2 Kings 6:13 Lit. So he
- 2 Kings 6:13 The Heb. lacks men
- 2 Kings 6:14 Lit. So he
- 2 Kings 6:16 Lit. He
- 2 Kings 6:24 The Heb. lacks the land
- 2 Kings 6:25 The Heb. lacks sold
- 2 Kings 6:25 The exact weight or denomination of silver coin is unspecified.
- 2 Kings 6:25 Lit. a kab; a unit of dry weight in volume about 1.5 quarts
- 2 Kings 6:25 The Heb. lacks cost
- 2 Kings 6:25 The exact weight or denomination of silver coin is unspecified.
- 2 Kings 6:26 The Heb. lacks city
- 2 Kings 6:26 Lit me, my lord the king
- 2 Kings 6:28 The Heb. lacks bothering
- 2 Kings 6:30 The Heb. lacks city
- 2 Kings 6:31 Lit. on him
- 2 Kings 6:32 Lit. when he
- 2 Kings 6:32 The Heb. lacks to kill him
- 2 Kings 6:32 Lit. he
- 2 Kings 6:33 Lit. and told him
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