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The Miracle of the Ax Head

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) 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.” Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” And he answered, “I will.” So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was felling a log, his ax head fell into the water; he cried out, “Alas, master! It was borrowed.” 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) He said, “Pick it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it.

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An ax head floats

The members of the group of prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we now live under your authority is too small for us. Let’s go to the Jordan River and each get a log from there. Then we can make a place to live there.”

Elisha said, “Do it!”

One of them said, “Please come with us, your servants.”

Elisha said, “Okay, I’ll go.” So he went with them. They came to the Jordan River and began cutting down trees. One of them was cutting down a tree when his ax head fell into the water. He cried out, “Oh, no! Master, it was a borrowed ax!”

The man of God said, “Where did it fall?” He showed Elisha the place. Elisha then cut a piece of wood, threw it into the river there, and the ax head floated up. “Lift it out,” Elisha said. So the man then reached out and grabbed it.

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