Ben-hadad Attacks Samaria

²⁴ Some time later, King Ben-hadad from Aram mustered his army, invaded the land,^[a] and attacked Samaria ²⁵ until there was a great famine throughout Samaria. The siege lasted until a donkey’s head cost^[b] 80 silver coins^[c] and one quarter of a unit^[d] of dove’s dung cost^[e] five silver coins.^[f]

²⁶ While the king of Israel was walking along the city^[g] wall, a woman cried out to him. “Help me, your majesty!”^[h] 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^[i] 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^[j] 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^[k] today!”

³² Meanwhile, Elisha was sitting in his house, along with the elders, when the king^[l] sent a man to kill him,^[m] but before the messenger arrived, Elisha^[n] 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,^[o] “Look! This evil has come from the Lord! Why should I wait for the Lord anymore?”