The Axe Head Floats

1And the children of the Prophets saide vnto Elisha, Behold, we pray thee, the place where we dwell with thee, is too litle for vs. 2Let vs nowe goe to Iorden, that we may take thence euery man a beame, and make vs a place to dwell in; he answered, Goe. 3And one said, Vouchsafe, I pray thee, to go with thy seruants, and he answered, I will goe. 4So he went with them, & when they came to Iorden, they cut downe wood. 5And as one was felling of a tree, the yron fell into the water: then he cryed, and said, Alas master, it was but borowed. 6And the man of God saide, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. Then he cut downe a piece of wood, and cast in thither, and he caused the yron to swimme. 7Then he saide, Take it vp to thee; he stretched out his hand, and tooke it.

Elisha Captures the Blinded Arameans

8Then the King of Aram warred against Israel, and tooke counsell with his seruants, and said, In such and such a place shalbe my campe. 9Therefore the man of God sent vnto the King of Israel, saying, Beware thou goe not ouer to such a place: for there the Aramites are come downe. 10So the King of Israel sent to the place which the man of God tolde him, and warned him of, and saued himselfe from thence, not once, nor twise.

11And the heart of the King of Aram was troubled for this thing: therefore he called his seruants and saide vnto them, Will ye not shewe me, which of vs bewrayeth our counsel to the king of Israel? 12Then one of his seruants saide, None, my lorde, O King, but Elisha the Prophet that is in Israel, telleth the King of Israel, euen the wordes that thou speakest in thy priuie chamber. 13And he said, Goe, and espie where he is, that I may sende and fetch him; one tolde him, saying, Beholde, he is in Dothan. 14So he sent thither horses, and charets, and a mightie hoste: and they came by night, and compassed the citie.

15And when the seruant of the man of God arose earely to goe out, beholde, an hoste compassed the citie with horses and charets. Then his seruant sayde vnto him, Alas master, howe shall we doe? 16And he answered, Feare not: for they that be with vs, are moe then they that be with them. 17Then Elisha prayed, and saide, Lorde, I beseech thee, open his eyes, that he may see; the Lorde opened the eyes of the seruant, and he looked, and beholde, the mountaine was full of horses and charets of fyre round about Elisha. 18So they came downe to him, but Elisha prayed vnto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindnesse; he smote them with blindnes, according to the worde of Elisha. 19And Elisha said vnto them, This is not the way, neither is this the citie: followe me, and I will leade you to the man whome ye seeke. But he ledde them to Samaria.

20And when they were come to Samaria, Elisha saide, Lorde, open their eyes that they may see; the Lorde opened their eyes, and they saw, & beholde, they were in the mids of Samaria. 21And the King of Israel sayde vnto Elisha when he sawe them, My father, shall I smite them, shall I smite them? 22And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: doest thou not smite them that thou hast taken with thy sworde, and with thy bowe? but set bread and water before them, that they may eate and drinke and goe to their master. 23And he made great preparation for them: & when they had eaten & drunken, he sent them away: and they went to their master. So ye bands of Aram came no more into the land of Israel.

The Siege and Famine of Samaria

24But afterward Ben-hadad King of Aram gathered all his hoste, and went vp, and besieged Samaria. 25So there was a great famine in Samaria: for loe, they besieged it vntill an asses head was at foure score pieces of siluer, and the fourth part of a kab of doues doung at fiue pieces of siluer. 26And as the King of Israel was going vpon the wall, there cryed a woman vnto him, saying, Helpe, my lord, O King. 27And he said, Seeing the Lord doeth not succour thee, howe shoulde I helpe thee with the barne, or with the wine presse? 28Also the King said vnto her, What ayleth thee? And she answered, This woman sayde vnto me, Giue thy sonne, that we may eate him to day, and we will eate my sonne to morowe, 29So we sod my sonne, and did eate him: & I saide to her the day after, Giue thy sonne, that we may eate him, but she hath hid her sonne. 30And when the King had heard the wordes of the woman, he rent his clothes, (& as he went vpon the wall, the people looked, and behold, he had sackecloth within vpon his flesh) 31And he saide, God doe so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the sonne of Shaphat shall stande on him this day.

32(Nowe Elisha sate in his house, and the Elders sate with him.) And the King sent a man before him: but before the messenger came to him, he saide to the Elders, See ye not howe this murtherers sonne hath sent to take away mine head? take heede when the messenger commeth, and shut the doore and handle him roughly at the doore: is not the sounde of his masters feete behinde him? 33While he yet talked with them, beholde, the messenger came downe vnto him, and saide, Behold, this euill commeth of the Lord: should I attende on the Lorde any longer?