1
Then Elishasaid, "Listen to the word of the LORD; thussays the LORD, 'Tomorrow about this time a measure of fineflour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.' "
2
The royalofficer on whosehand the king was leaninganswered the man of God and said, "Behold, if the LORD should makewindows in heaven, could thisthing be?" Then he said, "Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it."
4
"If we say, 'We will enter the city,' then the famine is in the city and we will diethere; and if we sithere, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us goover to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, we will but die."
6
For the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots and a sound of horses, even the sound of a greatarmy, so that they said to oneanother, "Behold, the king of Israel has hiredagainst us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us."
7
Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their donkeys, even the campjust as it was, and fled for their life.
8
When theseleperscame to the outskirts of the camp, they enteredonetent and ate and drank, and carried from theresilver and gold and clothes, and went and hid them; and they returned and enteredanothertent and carried from there also, and went and hid them.
9
Then they said to oneanother, "We are not doingright. Thisday is a day of good news, but we are keepingsilent; if we waituntilmorninglight, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king'shousehold."
10
So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and they told them, saying, "We came to the camp of the Arameans, and behold, there was noonethere, nor the voice of man, only* the horsestied and the donkeystied, and the tentsjust as they were."
12
Then the kingarose in the night and said to his servants, "I will nowtell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone from the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, 'When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and get into the city.' "
13
One of his servantssaid, "Please, let some men takefive of the horses which remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israelwho are left in it; behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israelwho have already perished, so let us send and see."
15
They wentafter them to the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of clothes and equipmentwhich the Arameans had thrownaway in their haste. Then the messengersreturned and told the king.
16
So the peoplewent out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. Then a measure of fineflour was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.
17
Now the kingappointed the royalofficer on whosehand he leaned to havecharge of the gate; but the peopletrampled on him at the gate, and he diedjust as the man of God had said, whospoke when the kingcamedown to him.
18
It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, "Two measures of barley for a shekel and a measure of fineflour for a shekel, will be sold tomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria."
19
Then the royalofficeranswered the man of God and said, "Now behold, if the LORD should makewindows in heaven, could such a thing be?" And he said, "Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it."