An Axhead Floats
1The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to meet.”
And he said, “Go.”
3Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?”
“I will,” Elisha replied. 4And he went with them.
They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. 5As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh no, my lord!” he cried out. “It was borrowed!”
6The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. 7“Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.
Elisha Traps Blinded Arameans
8Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”
9The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” 10So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.
11This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
12“None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
13“Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” 14Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
15When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
16“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
19Elisha told them, “This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to Samaria.
20After they entered the city, Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of these men so they can see.” Then the Lord opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.
21When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?”
22“Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.” 23So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.
Famine in Besieged Samaria
24Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. 25There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels6:25 That is, about 2 pounds or about 920 grams of silver, and a quarter of a cab6:25 That is, probably about 1/4 pound or about 100 grams of seed pods6:25 Or of doves’ dung for five shekels.6:25 That is, about 2 ounces or about 58 grams
26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”
27The king replied, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?” 28Then he asked her, “What’s the matter?”
She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.’ 29So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him,’ but she had hidden him.”
30When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his robes. As he went along the wall, the people looked, and they saw that, under his robes, he had sackcloth on his body. 31He said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!”
32Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Don’t you see how this murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it shut against him. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?” 33While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him.
The king said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”
Abonnuatire A Ɛtɛ Nsuo Ani
1Ɛda bi adiyifoɔ kuo baa Elisa nkyɛn bɛka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ wo ara wohunu no, baabi a yɛne wo hyia ha yi sua. 2Ma yɛnkɔ Asubɔnten Yordan ho a nnua bebree wɔ hɔ. Ɛhɔ deɛ, yɛbɛtumi asi ɛdan foforɔ, ahyia mu wɔ hɔ.”
Ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, monkɔyɛ.”
3Obi kaa nʼadwene sɛ, “Mesrɛ wo, bɛka yɛn ho na yɛnkɔ.”
Ɔkaa sɛ, “Mate yɛbɛkɔ.”
4Ɛberɛ a wɔduruu Yordan ho no, wɔhyɛɛ aseɛ buu nnua. 5Nanso, wɔn mu baako rebu dua no, nʼabonnua hɔn tɔɔ nsuo no mu. Ɔteaam sɛ, “Aa! Me wura, ɛyɛ abonnua a mekɔsrɛeɛ!”
6Onyankopɔn onipa no bisaa sɛ, “Ɛhefa na ɛtɔeɛ?” Ɔkyerɛɛ Elisa baabi ko no, Elisa twaa poma, na ɔto twenee nsuo no mu. Ɛhɔ ara abonnua tire no pagyaa ne ho, bɛtɛɛ nsuo no ani. 7Elisa ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ma so yi.” Na ɔbarima no tenee ne nsa yiiɛ.
Elisa Nsa Ka Aramfoɔ No
8Ɛberɛ a Aramhene ne Israel redi ako no, ɔne ne mpanimfoɔ tuu agyina, kaa sɛ, “Yɛbɛboaboa yɛn akodɔm ano wɔ ha anaa ɛha.”
9Ntɛm pa ara, Onyankopɔn onipa Elisa bɔɔ Israelhene6.9 Israelhene no din de Yoram. kɔkɔ sɛ, “Ntwe mmɛn beaeɛ hɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, Aramfoɔ no reyɛ nhyehyɛeɛ, aboaboa wɔn akodɔm ano wɔ hɔ.” 10Enti Israelhene hwɛɛ beaeɛ a Onyame onipa kyerɛɛ no no. Elisa kɔɔ so bɔɔ ɔhene no kɔkɔ mpɛn pii, na ɛmaa nʼani daa fam wɔ mmeaeɛ a ɛtete saa no ho.
11Aramhene werɛ hoo wɔ asɛm yi ho. Ɔfrɛɛ ne mpanimfoɔ bisaa wɔn sɛ, “Mo mu hwan na ɔyɛ ɔfatwafoɔ no? Hwan na ɔka me nhyehyɛeɛ a mayɛ kyerɛ Israelhene?”
12Mpanimfoɔ no mu baako buaa sɛ, “Me wura, ɛnyɛ yɛn. Elisa a ɔyɛ odiyifoɔ wɔ Israel no na ɔka wo kɔkoamsɛm kyerɛ Israelhene.”
13Ɔhene no hyɛɛ sɛ, “Monkɔhwehwɛ baabi a Elisa wɔ, na yɛbɛsoma akodɔm ama wɔakɔkye no.” Na nkra baeɛ sɛ, “Elisa wɔ Dotan.” 14Enti, anadwo bi, Aramhene somaa akodɔm bebree ne wɔn nteaseɛnam ne wɔn apɔnkɔ kɔtwaa kanko faa kuropɔn no ho. 15Ɛberɛ a Onyankopɔn onipa no ɔsomfoɔ sɔree ahemadakye, sii afikyire no, na akodɔm, apɔnkɔ ne nteaseɛnam atwa hɔ ahyia. Ɔteaam kyerɛɛ Elisa sɛ, “Aa, me wura, ɛdeɛn na yɛnyɛ?”
16Elisa ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Nsuro na yɛwɔ ɛdɔm sene wɔn.”
17Afei, Elisa bɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ, “Ao, Awurade, bue nʼani na ma ɔnhunu adeɛ,” Awurade buee ne ɔsomfoɔ ani, na ɔpagyaa nʼani no, ɔhunuu sɛ Elisa nkyɛn mu a ɛkyerɛ bepɔ no, ogya apɔnkɔ ne nteaseɛnam na ayɛ hɔ ma.
18Ɛberɛ a Aramfoɔ asraadɔm bɔ puaa wɔn no, Elisa bɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ, “Ao, Awurade, mesrɛ wo, ma wɔn ani mfirafira.” Na Awurade yɛɛ deɛ Elisa bisaeɛ no.
19Na Elisa firii adi, kɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Moafa ɛkwan bɔne so aba. Ɛnyɛ kuro a morehwehwɛ no ni. Monni mʼakyi, na mede mo bɛkɔ onipa a morehwehwɛ no no nkyɛn.” Na ɔdii wɔn anim kɔduruu Samaria.
20Na wɔduruu Samaria pɛ, Elisa bɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ, “Ao, Awurade, afei bue wɔn ani, na ma wɔnhunu adeɛ.” Na Awurade yɛeɛ, na wɔhunuu sɛ wɔwɔ Samaria.
21Ɛberɛ a Israelhene hunuu wɔn no, ɔteaam, bisaa Elisa sɛ, “Mʼagya, menkunkum wɔn anaa?”
22Elisa buaa no sɛ, “Dabi. Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛkunkum ɔko mu nnommumfoɔ anaa? Ma wɔn aduane ne nsuo, na ma wɔnsane nkɔ wɔn wura nkyɛn wɔ wɔn kurom.” 23Enti, ɔhene no too wɔn ɛpono kɛseɛ, ma wɔsane kɔɔ wɔn ɔhene nkyɛn wɔ wɔn kurom. Ɛno akyi, Aramfoɔ ntohyɛsofoɔ no twee wɔn ho firii Israel asase ho koraa.
Ben-Hadad Tua Samaria Ano
24Akyire no, Aramhene Ben-Hadad boaboaa nʼakodɔm nyinaa ano, de wɔn kɔtuaa Samaria. 25Ɛbaa saa no, ɛkɔm kɛseɛ baa kuro no mu. Ɛyɛɛ kakra no, na wɔtɔn afunumu ti dwetɛ kilogram baako, ɛnna wɔtɔn aborɔnoma bini kuruwa ma dwetɛ gram aduonum nwɔtwe.
26Ɛda bi a Israelhene nam kuro no ɔfasuo ho no, ɔbaa bi kɔɔ ne nkyɛn kɔsrɛɛ no sɛ, “Me wura ɔhene, mesrɛ wo, boa me.”
27Ɔbuaa no sɛ, “Sɛ Awurade ammoa wo a, ɛdeɛn na mɛtumi ayɛ? Menni aduane anaa nsa a mede bɛma wo.” 28Ɔhene no bisaa no sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn asɛm?”
Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Saa ɔbaa yi kaa sɛ, yɛnwe me babarima da bi, na adeɛ kye a, yɛawe ɔno nso deɛ. 29Enti, yɛnoaa me babarima weeɛ. Afei, adeɛ kyeeɛ no, meka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, ‘Kum wo babarima no ma yɛnwe,’ nanso, na ɔde no akɔsie.”
30Na ɔhene no tee saa asɛm yi, ɔde anibiannasoɔ sunsuanee ne ntadeɛ mu. Na ɔhene no nam ɔfasuo no ho no, nnipa no hunuu sɛ ɔhyɛ ayitadeɛ wɔ nʼase. 31Ɔhene no kaa ntam sɛ, “Sɛ ɛnnɛ mankum Safat babarima Elisa a, Onyankopɔn nku me.”
32Elisa te ne fie a ɔne Israel mpanimfoɔ reyɛ nhyiamu na ɔhene somaa abɔfoɔ kɔfrɛɛ no. Nanso, ansa na abɔfoɔ no rebɛduru no, Elisa ka kyerɛɛ mpanimfoɔ no sɛ, “Owudifoɔ asoma ɔbarima bi sɛ ɔmmɛkum me. Sɛ ɔduru ha a, to ɛpono no mu, na ɔnka akyire. Na ɛrenkyɛre ne wura no bɛdi nʼakyi aba.” 33Elisa gu so rekasa no, ɔbɔfoɔ no baeɛ.
Na ɔhene no kaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ Awurade na ɔde saa ɔhaw yi abrɛ yɛn! Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ mekɔ so twɛn Awurade?”
