2 Kings 6:24-33
Holman Christian Standard Bible
24 Some time later, King Ben-hadad(A) of Aram brought all his military units together and marched up to besiege Samaria. 25 So there was a great famine(B) in Samaria, and they continued the siege against it until a donkey’s head sold for 80 silver shekels,[a] and a cup[b] of dove’s dung[c] sold for five silver shekels.[d](C)
26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “My lord the king, help!”
27 He answered, “If the Lord doesn’t help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?”(D) 28 Then the king asked her, “What’s the matter?”(E)
She said, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son, and we will eat him today. Then we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 So we boiled my son and ate him, and I said to her the next day, ‘Give up your son, and we will eat him,’(F) but she has hidden her son.”
30 When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his clothes.(G) Then, as he was passing by on the wall, the people saw that there was sackcloth(H) under his clothes next to his skin. 31 He announced, “May God punish me and do so severely(I) if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.”
32 Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders(J) were sitting with him. The king sent a man ahead of him, but before the messenger got to him, Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer(K) has sent someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Isn’t the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”
33 While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger[e] came down to him. Then he said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”(L)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Kings 6:25 About 2 pounds of silver
- 2 Kings 6:25 Lit a fourth of a kab
- 2 Kings 6:25 Or seedpods, or wild onions
- 2 Kings 6:25 About 2 ounces of silver
- 2 Kings 6:33 Some emend to king
2 Kings 6:24-33
New Living Translation
Ben-Hadad Besieges Samaria
24 Some time later, however, King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered his entire army and besieged Samaria. 25 As a result, there was a great famine in the city. The siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty pieces of silver, and a cup of dove’s dung sold for five pieces[a] of silver.
26 One day as the king of Israel was walking along the wall of the city, a woman called to him, “Please help me, my lord the king!”
27 He answered, “If the Lord doesn’t help you, what can I do? I have neither food from the threshing floor nor wine from the press to give you.” 28 But then the king asked, “What is the matter?”
She replied, “This woman said to me: ‘Come on, let’s eat your son today, then we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 So we cooked my son and ate him. Then the next day I said to her, ‘Kill your son so we can eat him,’ but she has hidden her son.”
30 When the king heard this, he tore his clothes in despair. And as the king walked along the wall, the people could see that he was wearing burlap under his robe next to his skin. 31 “May God strike me and even kill me if I don’t separate Elisha’s head from his shoulders this very day,” the king vowed.
32 Elisha was sitting in his house with the elders of Israel when the king sent a messenger to summon him. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “A murderer has sent a man to cut off my head. When he arrives, shut the door and keep him out. We will soon hear his master’s steps following him.”
33 While Elisha was still saying this, the messenger arrived. And the king[b] said, “All this misery is from the Lord! Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
