2 Kings 7:3

The Siege Lifted

3 Now there were four men with leprosy[a] at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die?

2 Kings 7:3 in Other Translations

KJV
3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
ESV
3 Now there were four men who were lepersat the entrance to the gate. And they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die?
NLT
3 Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. “Why should we sit here waiting to die?” they asked each other.
MSG
3 It happened that four lepers were sitting just outside the city gate. They said to one another, "What are we doing sitting here at death's door?
CSB
3 Four men with skin diseases were at the entrance to the gate. They said to each other, "Why just sit here until we die?

2 Kings 7:3 In-Context

1 Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.”
2 The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!”
3 Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die?
4 If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”
5 At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there,

Cross References 1

  • 1. Leviticus 13:45-46; Numbers 5:1-4

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. The Hebrew for "leprosy" was used for various diseases affecting the skin; also in verse 8.
Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.