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.
1Sinabi ni Eliseo, “Pakinggan mo ang mensahe ng Panginoon: Bukas, sa ganito ring oras, magiging mura ang bilihin sa pamilihan7:1 pamilihan: sa Hebreo, pintuang bayan. Ganito rin sa talatang 18. ng Samaria. Isang pirasong pilak na lang ang halaga ng isang takal na harina at ganoon din ang halaga ng dalawang takal ng sebada.” 2Sinabi ng opisyal na katiwala ng hari, “Kahit na magpaulan pa ang Panginoon hindi magiging ganoon kadami ang ani.” Sumagot si Eliseo, “Makikita mo na mangyayari iyon, pero hindi ka makakakain ng kahit ano.”
Huminto ang mga Arameo sa Paglusob
3May apat na tao na may malubhang sakit sa balat7:3 sakit sa balat: sa ibang salin, ketong. Ang salitang Hebreo nito ay ang tawag sa ibaʼt ibang uri ng sakit sa balat. na nakaupo sa pintuan ng lungsod. Sinabi nila sa isaʼt isa, “Bakit kailangan nating umupo rito hanggang sa mamatay? 4Kung papasok tayo sa lungsod, mamamatay tayo sa gutom at kung mauupo lang tayo rito, mamamatay din tayo. Kaya pumunta na lang tayo sa kampo ng mga Arameo at sumuko. Nasa kanila na kung bubuhayin nila tayo o papatayin.”
5Kaya kinagabihan, pumunta sila sa kampo ng mga Arameo. Pero pagdating nila roon, walang tao. 6Ipinarinig ng Panginoon sa mga sundalo ng Aram ang ingay ng mga karwahe, kabayo at mga sundalo, kaya nasabi nila sa isaʼt isa, “Baka inupahan ng hari ng Israel ang hari ng Heteo at ang hari ng Egipto para lusubin tayo.” 7Kaya tumakas sila nang gabing iyon at iniwanan nila ang mga tolda, kabayo at mga asno nila. Iniwan din nila ang kampo nila at iniligtas ang mga sarili nila.
8Nang dumating sa kampo ang mga taong may malubhang sakit sa balat, isa-isa nilang pinasok ang mga tolda, kumain sila at uminom. Kinuha nila ang mga pilak, ginto at damit, at itinago ang mga ito. 9Sa bandang huli, sinabi nila sa isaʼt isa, “Hindi ito tama. Magandang balita ang nangyari sa araw na ito, kaya hindi natin dapat ilihim. Kung ipagpapabukas pa natin ang pagsasabi nito, tiyak na parurusahan tayo. Pumunta tayo ngayon sa palasyo ng hari at ibalita ang nangyari.”
10Kaya bumalik sila sa lungsod ng Samaria at tinawag ang mga guwardya ng pintuan ng lungsod at sinabi, “Pumunta kami sa kampo ng mga Arameo at walang tao roon, maliban sa mga nakataling kabayo at asno. At naroon pa ang mga kagamitan sa tolda.”
11Kaya isinigaw ng mga tagapagbantay ang balitang ito sa mga tao hanggang sa nakarating ito sa palasyo. 12Bumangon ang hari nang madaling-araw at sinabi sa mga opisyal niya, “Sasabihin ko sa inyo kung ano ang plano ng mga Arameo. Alam nilang nagugutom tayo, kaya iniwan nila ang kampo nila at nagtago sa bukid. Iniisip nila: ‘Kapag umalis ang mga Israelita sa lungsod, huhulihin natin sila ng buhay, pagkatapos papasukin natin ang lungsod nila.’ 13Sumagot ang isa sa mga opisyal niya, ‘Mas mabuti po na magpadala tayo ng mga tao para alamin ang nangyari. Hayaan nating gamitin nila ang limang natirang kabayo. Kung may mangyayari po sa kanila, hindi ito malaking kawalan kaysa manatili sila rito at mamatay rin na kasama natin.’ ”
14Kaya naghanda sila ng dalawang karwahe na may mga kabayo at nagpadala ang hari ng mga tao para alamin kung ano talaga ang nangyari sa mga sundalo ng Aram. 15Nakaabot sila hanggang sa Ilog ng Jordan, at nakita nila sa daan ang mga damit at mga kagamitan na itinapon ng mga Arameo sa pagmamadaling makatakas. Bumalik ang mga inutusan at ibinalita ito sa hari. 16Pagkatapos, lumabas ang mga tao sa bayan at kinuha nila ang mga mahahalagang bagay na naiwan sa kampo ng mga Arameo. Nangyari ang sinabi ng Panginoon na magiging isang pirasong pilak lang ang halaga ng isang takal ng harina at ganoon din ang halaga ng dalawang takal na sebada.
17Pinili ng hari ang pinagkakatiwalaan niyang opisyal para magbantay sa pintuan ng lungsod. Nang magtakbuhan ang mga tao, natumba ang opisyal at natapak-tapakan siya ng mga tao roon sa pintuan, at namatay siya ayon sa sinabi ni Eliseo na lingkod ng Dios nang pumunta ang hari sa kanya. 18Nangyari rin ang sinabi ng lingkod ng Dios sa hari, “Bukas, sa ganito ring oras, magiging mura ang bilihin sa pamilihan ng Samaria. Isang pirasong pilak na lang ang halaga ng isang takal ng harina at ganoon din ang halaga ng dalawang takal ng sebada.” 19Sumagot noon ang opisyal ng hari, “Kahit na magpaulan pa ang Panginoon hindi magiging ganoon kadami ang ani.” Sumagot si Eliseo, “Makikita mo na mangyayari iyon, pero hindi ka makakakain nito.” 20Iyon nga ang nangyari sa opisyal, dahil natapak-tapakan siya ng mga tao na nagsiksikan sa pintuan ng lungsod hanggang sa mamatay siya.
