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1 | And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the
place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. |
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2 | Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every
man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may
dwell. And he answered, Go ye. |
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3 | And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy
servants. And he answered, I will go. |
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4 | So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut
down wood. |
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5 | But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the
water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was
borrowed. |
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6 | And the man of God said, Where fell 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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7 | Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his
hand, and took it. |
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8 | Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel
with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be
my camp. |
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9 | And the man of God sent 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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10 | And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God
told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once
nor twice. |
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11 | 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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12 | And one of his servants said, None, my lord, 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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13 | And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch
him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. |
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14 | Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great
host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. |
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15 | And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and
gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with
horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my
master! how shall we do? |
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16 | And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more
than they that be with them. |
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17 | And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes,
that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young
man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses
and chariots of fire round about Elisha. |
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18 | And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed 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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19 | And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is
this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom
ye seek. But he led them to Samaria. |
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20 | And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that
Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may
see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and,
behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. |
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21 | And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My
father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? |
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22 | And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou
smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and
with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may
eat and drink, and go to their master. |
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23 | And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had
eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their
master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of
Israel. |
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24 | And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria
gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. |
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25 | And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they
besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces
of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for
five pieces of silver. |
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26 | 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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27 | 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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28 | And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she
answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may
eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow. |
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29 | So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on
the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath
hid her son. |
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30 | And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the
woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the
wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth
within upon his flesh. |
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31 | Then he said, God do 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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32 | But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and
the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger
came 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
messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the
door: is not the sound of his master's feet behind him? |
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33 | 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? |
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