1Elisha replied, “Listen to a message from the Lord. He says, ‘About this time tomorrow, flour won’t cost very much. Even 12 pounds of the finest flour will cost less than half of an ounce of silver. You will also be able to buy 20 pounds of barley for the same price. That’s all you will have to pay for those things at the gate of Samaria.’ ”
2The king was leaning on an officer’s arm. The officer spoke to the man of God. The officer said, “Suppose the Lord opens the sky and pours down food on us. Even if he does, could what you are saying really happen?”
“You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha. “But you won’t eat any of it!”
The Attack on Samaria Ends
3There were four men who had a skin disease. They were at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. They said to one another, “Why should we stay here until we die? 4Suppose we say, ‘We’ll go into the city.’ There isn’t any food there, and we’ll die. But if we stay here, we’ll die anyway. So let’s go over to Aram’s army camp. Let’s give ourselves up. If they spare us, we’ll live. If they kill us, we’ll die.”
5At sunset they got up and went to Aram’s army camp. They arrived at the edge of it. But no one was there. 6The Lord had caused the soldiers of Aram to hear a noise. It sounded like chariots and horses and a huge army. So the soldiers said to one another, “Listen! The king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings. He has paid them to attack us!” 7So the soldiers of Aram had run away at sunset. They had left their tents and horses and donkeys behind. They had left the camp just as it was. And they had run for their lives.
8The men who had a skin disease arrived at the edge of the camp. They entered one of the tents. They ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes. They went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent. They took some things from it and hid them also.
9But then they said to one another, “What we’re doing isn’t right. This is a day of good news. And we’re keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until sunrise, we’ll be punished. Let’s go at once. Let’s report this to the royal palace.”
10So they went. They called out to the people who were guarding the city gates. They told them, “We went into Aram’s army camp. No one was there. We didn’t hear anyone. The horses and donkeys were still tied up. The tents were left just as they were.” 11The people who guarded the gates shouted the news. It was reported inside the palace.
12The king of Israel got up in the night. He spoke to his officers. He said, “I’ll tell you what the men of Aram have done to us. They know we are very hungry. So they have left the camp to hide in the countryside. They are thinking, ‘We are sure they’ll come out. Then we’ll take them alive. And we’ll get into the city.’ ”
13One of the king’s officers said, “A few horses are still left in the city. Have some men get five of them. Those men won’t be any worse off than all the other Israelites who are left here. In fact, all of us will soon be dead anyway. So let’s send the men to find out what happened.”
14The men chose two chariots and their horses. The king sent them out to look for Aram’s army. He commanded the drivers, “Go and find out what has happened.” 15They followed the trail of Aram’s soldiers all the way to the Jordan River. They found clothes and supplies all along the road. The soldiers had thrown them down when they ran away. So the men who were sent out returned. They reported to the king what they had seen. 16Then the people went out of the city. They took everything of value from Aram’s army camp. So 12 pounds of the finest flour sold for less than half of an ounce of silver. And 20 pounds of barley sold for the same price. That’s exactly what the Lord had said would happen.
17The king had put an officer in charge of the city gate. He was the officer on whose arm the king leaned. On their way out of the city, the people knocked the officer down. In the entrance of the gate he was crushed as they walked on top of him. And so he died. That’s exactly what the man of God had said would happen. He had said it when the king came down to his house. 18What Elisha, the man of God, had told the king came true. Elisha had said, “About this time tomorrow, flour won’t cost very much. Even 12 pounds of the finest flour will cost less than half of an ounce of silver. You will also be able to buy 20 pounds of barley for the same price. That’s all you will have to pay for those things at the gate of Samaria.”
19The officer had spoken to the man of God. The officer had said, “Suppose the Lord opens the sky and pours down food on us. Even if he does, could what you are saying really happen?” The man of God had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes. But you won’t eat any of it!” 20And that’s exactly what happened to the officer. On their way out of the city, the people knocked him down. In the entrance of the gate he was crushed as they walked on top of him. And so he died.
17:1 2Fal 7:16Elisha akasema, “Sikiliza neno la Bwana. Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: Wakati kama huu kesho, kipimo kimoja7:1 Kipimo kimoja cha unga ni sawa na kilo 3. cha unga mzuri kitauzwa kwa shekeli moja ya fedha,7:1 Shekeli moja ya fedha ni sawa na gramu 11. na vibaba viwili vya shayiri kwa shekeli moja ya fedha katika lango la Samaria.”
27:2 Mwa 7:11; Mal 3:10Yule afisa ambaye mfalme alikuwa anauegemea mkono wake akamwambia yule mtu wa Mungu, “Tazama, hata kama Bwana atafungua madirisha ya mbinguni, je, jambo hili litawezekana?”
Elisha akajibu, “Utaona kwa macho yako mwenyewe, lakini wewe hutakula chochote kati ya hivyo!”
Mwisho Wa Kuzingirwa
37:3 Law 13:45-46; Hes 5:1-4Basi kulikuwepo na watu wanne wenye ukoma katika ingilio la lango la mji. Wakaambiana, “Kwa nini tukae hapa mpaka tufe? 4Kama tukisema, ‘Tutaingia mjini,’ mjini kuna njaa, nasi tutakufa humo. Kama tukikaa hapa, tutakufa. Kwa hiyo twende kwenye kambi ya Waaramu na tujisalimishe. Kama wakituacha hai, tutaishi; kama wakituua, basi na tufe.”
5Wakati wa giza la jioni, wakaondoka na kwenda kwenye kambi ya Waaramu. Walipofika mwanzo wa kambi, hapakuwa na mtu, 67:6 Kut 14:24; Yer 46:21kwa kuwa Bwana alilifanya jeshi la Waaramu lisikie sauti kama ya magari ya vita, farasi na jeshi kubwa, kiasi kwamba waliambiana, “Tazama, mfalme wa Israeli ameajiri mfalme wa Wahiti na mfalme wa Wamisri kuja kutushambulia sisi!” 77:7 Za 48:4-6; Mit 28:1Kwa hiyo wakaondoka na kukimbia wakati wa giza la jioni na kuacha mahema yao, farasi wao na punda wao. Wakakimbia kuokoa maisha yao na kuacha kila kitu ndani ya kambi kama kilivyokuwa.
87:8 Isa 33:23Wale watu wenye ukoma walipofika mwanzoni mwa kambi, wakaingia kwenye mojawapo ya mahema. Wakala na kunywa, na kuchukua fedha, dhahabu na nguo, wakaenda kuvificha. Wakarudi na kuingia katika hema jingine, na kuchukua baadhi ya vitu kutoka ndani yake na kuvificha pia.
9Kisha wakaambiana, “Hili tunalolifanya sio jema. Hii ni siku ya habari njema, nasi tunakaa kimya. Kama tukisubiri mpaka mapambazuko, maafa yatatupata. Twendeni mara moja tukatoe habari hizi katika jumba la mfalme.”
10Hivyo wakaenda mjini na kuwaita walinzi wa langoni, wakawaambia, “Tulikwenda katika kambi ya Waaramu lakini hapakuwepo na mtu huko, hata sauti ya mtu yeyote, ila farasi na punda waliofungwa na mahema yaliyoachwa kama yalivyokuwa.” 11Walinzi wa langoni wakatangaza habari ile kwa sauti kuu, na taarifa hii ikatolewa ndani ya jumba la mfalme.
127:12 Yos 8:4Mfalme akaamka usiku na kuwaambia maafisa wake, “Nitawaambia kile Waaramu walichotufanyia. Wanajua kwamba tuna njaa, hivyo wameacha kambi yao ili kujificha mashambani, wakifikiri, ‘Kwa hakika watatoka nje ya mji, nasi tutawakamata wakiwa hai na kuingia ndani ya mji.’ ”
13Mmoja wa maafisa wake akajibu, “Waamuru watu wachache wakawachukue farasi watano kati ya wale waliobaki katika mji. Hatima yao itakuwa kama ya Waisraeli wote walio hapa. Watakuwa tu kama Waisraeli hawa ambao wanangoja kifo. Hivyo tuwatumeni wajue kumetendeka nini.”
14Ndipo wakachagua magari mawili ya vita pamoja na farasi wake, naye mfalme akawatuma wafuatilie jeshi la Waaramu. Akawaamuru waendeshaji akisema, “Nendeni mkaone ni nini kilichotokea.” 15Wakawafuatia hadi Yordani, nao wakakuta barabara yote ikiwa imetapakaa nguo na vyombo vya Waaramu walivyokuwa wamevitupa walipokuwa wanatoroka. Basi wale wajumbe wakarudi na kutoa taarifa kwa mfalme. 167:16 Isa 33:4Kisha watu wakatoka na kuteka nyara kambi ya Waaramu. Kwa hiyo kipimo cha unga mzuri kikauzwa kwa shekeli, na vipimo viwili vya shayiri kwa shekeli, kama vile Bwana alivyokuwa amesema.
177:17 2Fal 7:2Basi mfalme alikuwa amemweka yule afisa ambaye mfalme alikuwa anauegemea mkono wake awe msimamizi wa lango. Nao watu wakamkanyaga walipoingia langoni, naye akafa, kama vile mtu wa Mungu alivyokuwa ametangulia kusema wakati mfalme alipofika nyumbani kwake. 18Ikatokea kama vile mtu wa Mungu alivyokuwa amemwambia mfalme: “Wakati kama huu kesho, kipimo kimoja cha unga mzuri kitauzwa kwa shekeli moja ya fedha, na vibaba viwili vya shayiri kwa shekeli moja ya fedha katika lango la Samaria.”
197:19 2Fal 7:2Yule afisa alikuwa amemwambia yule mtu wa Mungu, “Tazama, hata kama Bwana atafungua madirisha ya mbinguni, je, jambo hili litawezekana?” Naye yule mtu wa Mungu alikuwa amemjibu, “Utaona kwa macho yako mwenyewe, lakini wewe hutakula chochote kati ya hivyo!” 20Ndivyo hasa ilivyotokea kwake, kwa kuwa watu walimkanyaga langoni, naye akafa.
