1
Then Elishasaid, "Listen to the word of the LORD ; thussays the LORD, '1Tomorrow about this time a ameasure of fineflour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.' "
22The royalofficer on whosehand the king was leaninganswered the man of God and said, "Behold, 3if 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 eatbof it."
3
Now there were four4leprousmen at the entrance of the gate ; and they said to oneanother, "Why do we sithereuntil we die ?
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 cgoover to 5the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live ; and if they kill us, we will but die."
5
They arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans ; when they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans, behold, there was noonethere.
6
For 6the 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 7the kings of the Hittites and 8the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us."
7
Therefore they 9arose 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 10carried 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 dovertake 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."
11
The gatekeeperscalled and told it within the king'shousehold.
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 11we are hungry ; therefore they have gone from the camp12to hide themselves in the field, saying, 'When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and get into the city.' "
13One of his servantssaid, "Please, let some men takefive of the horses which remain, which are leftein 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."
14
They took therefore twochariots with horses, and the kingsentafter the army of the Arameans, saying, "Go 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 fmeasure of fineflour was sold for a shekel and two gmeasures of barley for a shekel, 13according to the word of the LORD.
17
Now the kingappointed14the royalofficer on whosehand he leanedhto havecharge of the gate ; but the peopletrampled on him at the gate, and he diedjust as the man of God had said, 15whospoke when the kingcamedown to him.
18
It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, "16Two imeasures of barley for a shekel and a jmeasure 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, 17if 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 eatkof it."
20
And so it happened to him, for the peopletrampled on him at the gate and he died.
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