10 the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 12 Are not 2Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned 13 and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? 14 °Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was 15 clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take 16 a present of thy servant. But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he 17) refused. And Naaman said, 'If not,

lyet I pray thee let there be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth; for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the (18 LORD. In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant; when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD par19 don thy servant in this thing. And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way. (20) But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared this Naaman 'the' Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take 21 somewhat of him. So Gehazi fol

1 Heb. be thou clean.

Another reading is, Amanah. 3 Heb. blessing.

VERSION OF 1611.

lowed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw lonel running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to 22 meet him, and said, Is all well? And

he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from the hill country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, 23 and two changes of 'raiment'. And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of 'raiment', and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him. 24 And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house and he let the men go, and they departed. 25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither. 26 And he said unto him, "Went not

mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and menservants and maidserv27 ants? The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as

61

snow.

And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee is too 2 strait for us. 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. 3 And he answered, Go ye. And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, 4 I will go. So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they 5 cut down wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water and he cried, and said, Alas, my master! for it was bor6 rowed. 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 made the 7) iron to swim. And he said, Take it up to thee. So he put out his hand, and took it.

8

'Now the king of Syria warred against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and 9 such a place shall be my 'camp. And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the 10 Syrians are coming down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, 11 not once nor twice. And 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 12 of Israel? And one of his servants

said, 'Nay, 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. 13 And he said, Go and see where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, 14 he is in Dothan. Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, (15) and compassed the city about. And

when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, lan' host with horses and chariots was round about the city. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my 16 master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that 17 be with them. 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 18 fire round about Elisha. And when

they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this 3people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. 19 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. And 20 he led them to Samaria. 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 Sa21 maria. And the king of Israel said

unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I 22 smite them? 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, 23 and go to their master. "And he pre

24

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

And

And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged 25 Samaria. 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 kab of dove's 26 dung for five pieces of silver. as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O 27 king. And he said. "If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the threshing!-floor, or 28 out of the winepress? And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to-day, and we will eat my son 29 to-morrow. So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid 30 her son. And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; ('now' he Iwas passing by upon the wall;) and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. 31) Then he said, God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him 32) this day. But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold the door fast against him: is not the sound of his master's feet 33 behind him? And while he yet talked with them, behold, the mes

5 Or, Nay, let the LORD help thee! • Heb. thrust him back with the door.

senger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any 71 longer? And Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD: thus saith the LORD, To-morrow about this time shall a 'measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate 2 of Samaria. Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD 'should' make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

3

Now there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we 4 here until we die? If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but 5 die. And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians and when they were come to the outermost part of the camp of the Syrians', behold, there was no 6 man there. For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the 1 Egyptians, to come upon us. Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp 8 as it was, and fled for their life. "And when these lepers came to the 'outermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and they came 'back', and entered into another tent, and carried thence 9 also, and went and hid it. °Then

they said one to another, We do not well this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, punishment! will overtake us: now therefore come, let us go and tell the king's 10 household. So they came and called

1 Heb. seah.

unto the sporter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but the horses tied, and 'the' asses tied, and the tents as they were. 11 And he called the porters; and they

told it to the king's 'household' with12 in. And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive, and (13 get into the city. And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are consumed :) 14 and let us send and see. They took

therefore two 'chariots with horses; and the king sent after the host of the 15 Syrians, saying, Go and see. And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the 16 king. And the people went out, and spoiled the 'camp of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word 17 of the LORD. And the king appointed the 'captain' on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spake when the king 18 came down to him. And it came to pass, as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of 19 Samaria; and that 'captain' answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? and he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not 20) eat thereof: it came to pass even so unto him; for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.

3 Or, Iporters!

2 Or, lour iniquity' will \find】 us \out]

Or, the porters called

Heb. in it.

81

'Now' Elisha 'had spoken' unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven 2 years. And the woman arose, and did according to the word of the man of God and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land 3 of the Philistines seven years. And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her 4 house and for her land. Now the

king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great 5) things that Elisha hath done.

And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored to life him that was dead, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha re6 stored to life. And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain lofficer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.

7

And Elisha came to Damascus; and Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man 8 of God is come hither. And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this sick9 ness? So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Ben-hadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this 10 sickness!? And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou shalt surely recover; howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely 11 die. And he settled his countenance stedfastly upon him', until he was

1 Or, eunuch

2 Heb. in his hand. 3 Or, landi

4 According to another reading, say,

ashamed and the man of God wept. 12 And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash in pieces' their little ones', and rip up their women 13 with child. And Hazael said, But what is thy servant, which is but a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The

LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt 14 be king over Syria. Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely 15 recover. And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took the coverlet1, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.

16

And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of 17 Judah began to reign. Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years 18 in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife and he did that which was evil in the sight 19) of the LORD. Howbeit the LORD would not destroy Judah, for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give unto him a lamp for his 20 children alway. In his days Edom

revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. 21 Then Joram passed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots and the people fled to their 22 tents. Sol Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, unto this day. Then 'did' Libnah 'revolt! at the same 23 time. And the rest of the acts of

Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chroni24 cles of the kings of Judah? And Joram slept with his fathers, and was

25

buried with his fathers in the city of David and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

1In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah 26 begin to reign. "Two and twenty

years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri 27 king of Israel. And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab: for he was the son in law of (28 the house of Ahab. And he went

with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead: and the Syrians 29 wounded Joram. And king Joram

91

Ireturned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

And Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this 'vial of oil in thine hand, and go 2 to Ramoth-gilead. And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber. 3 Then take the vial of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and 4 flee, and tarry not. "So the young

And

man, even the young man the prophet, 5 went to Ramoth-gilead. And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. Jehu said, Unto which of all us? 6 And he said, To thee, O captain. And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, 7 even over Israel. And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master,

1 See 2 Chr. xxii. 1, &c.

Or, granddaughter See ver. 18.

3 Or, on the bare steps

:

that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at 8 the hand of Jezebel. °For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab every man child', and him that is shut up and 'him that 9 is left at large in Israel. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son 10 of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And 11 he opened the door, and fed. Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord and one said unto him, Is all well? wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? And he said unto them. Ye know the man and what his talk 12 was. And they said, It is false; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee 13 king over Israel. Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew the trumpet', (14 saying, Jehu is king. So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram kept Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of 15) Syria: but king Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If this be your mind', then let none escape 'and' go forth out of the city, to go to tell it 16 in Jezreel. So Jehu rode in a chariot,

and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah 17) was come down to see Joram. Now the watchman stood on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take 'an' horseman, and send to meet them, and 18 let him say, "Is it peace? So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, 19 but he cometh not again. Then he sent out a second on horseback, which

Heb. Jehoram, and in vv. 17, 21,

22, 23, 24.

Or, Is all well?

-IX. 1 children. . box; 3 box; 8 him that