6

And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?

And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.

And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass"s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove"s dung for five pieces of silver.

And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?

And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.

And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.

And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?

And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.

And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.

Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.

Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.

But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.

So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.

And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.

Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.

And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.

In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Zif:

And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.