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And the sons of the prophetssaiduntoElisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.
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Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every manabeam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
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And onesaid, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.
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So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut downwood.
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But as one was felling a beam, the axe head[a]fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas,master! for it was borrowed.
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And the man of Godsaid, Wherefell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.
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Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.
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Then the king of Syriawarred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants,saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.[b]
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And the man of Godsent unto the king of Israel,saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
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And the king of Israelsent to the place which the man of Godtold him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
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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?
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And one of his servantssaid, None, my lord,[c] O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel,telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber*.
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And he said, Go and spywhere he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
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Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great[d]host: and they came by night, and compassed the cityabout.
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And when the servant[e] of the man of God was risenearly, and gone forth, behold, an hostcompassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servantsaid unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
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And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
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And Elishaprayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORDopened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round aboutElisha.
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And when they came down to him, Elishaprayed 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.
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And Elishasaid unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city:follow[f]* me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.
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And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elishasaid, LORD,open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORDopened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
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And the king of Israelsaid unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
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And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow?setbread and waterbefore them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
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And he preparedgreatprovision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syriacame no more into the land of Israel.
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And it came to pass after this, that Benhadadking of Syriagathered all his host, and went up, and besiegedSamaria.
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And there was a greatfamine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass'shead was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung*forfive pieces of silver.
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And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
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And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?
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And the kingsaid unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This womansaid unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.
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So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next[g]day,Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.
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And it came to pass, when the kingheard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the peoplelooked, and, behold, he had sackclothwithin upon his flesh.
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Then he said, Goddo so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.
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But Elishasat in his house, and the elderssat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messengercame 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 messengercometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master'sfeetbehind him?
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And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?