2 Kings 7 – NIV & CCB

New International Version

2 Kings 7:1-20

1Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah7:1 That is, probably about 12 pounds or about 5.5 kilograms of flour; also in verses 16 and 18 of the finest flour will sell for a shekel7:1 That is, about 2/5 ounce or about 12 grams; also in verses 16 and 18 and two seahs7:1 That is, probably about 20 pounds or about 9 kilograms of barley; also in verses 16 and 18 of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.”

2The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?”

“You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!”

The Siege Lifted

3Now there were four men with leprosy7:3 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin; also in verse 8. at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? 4If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”

5At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, 6for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” 7So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.

8The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also.

9Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.”

10So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers and told them, “We went into the Aramean camp and no one was there—not a sound of anyone—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just as they were.” 11The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported within the palace.

12The king got up in the night and said to his officers, “I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving; so they have left the camp to hide in the countryside, thinking, ‘They will surely come out, and then we will take them alive and get into the city.’ ”

13One of his officers answered, “Have some men take five of the horses that are left in the city. Their plight will be like that of all the Israelites left here—yes, they will only be like all these Israelites who are doomed. So let us send them to find out what happened.”

14So they selected two chariots with their horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army. He commanded the drivers, “Go and find out what has happened.” 15They followed them as far as the Jordan, and they found the whole road strewn with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown away in their headlong flight. So the messengers returned and reported to the king. 16Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. So a seah of the finest flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, as the Lord had said.

17Now the king had put the officer on whose arm he leaned in charge of the gate, and the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king came down to his house. 18It happened as the man of God had said to the king: “About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.”

19The officer had said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” The man of God had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!” 20And that is exactly what happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)

列王纪下 7:1-20

1以利沙说:“你们要听耶和华的话,耶和华说,‘明天这个时候,在撒玛利亚城门口,三公斤细面粉只卖十一克银子,六公斤大麦也卖十一克银子。’” 2一个搀扶王的将领对上帝的仆人说:“即使耶和华打开天上的窗户,也不可能发生这样的事!”以利沙说:“你必亲眼看见,却吃不到。”

撒玛利亚城获救

3城门口有四个麻风病人,他们商量说:“我们为什么坐在这里等死呢? 4如果我们进城,城里正闹饥荒,我们会饿死;但我们坐在这里也是死,不如去投靠亚兰军。如果他们不杀我们,我们就能活命;如若不然,死就死吧!” 5傍晚时分,他们动身去亚兰人的营地,到了营地外边,却发现人影全无。 6原来,主使亚兰人听见大队人马和战车的声音。他们以为以色列王雇用了人的诸王和埃及人的诸王来攻营, 7便在傍晚时分撇下帐篷、马和驴,弃营而逃。 8那几个麻风病人到了营地,走进一个帐篷,又吃又喝,把那里的金银和衣服拿走收藏起来,再回来进入另一个帐篷,把财物拿走收藏起来。

9后来,他们彼此说:“我们这样做不对。今天是个报好消息的日子,我们却不作声。若等到天亮,我们会受惩罚的。走,我们给王报信去。” 10他们就去喊城门守卫,对他们说:“我们到了亚兰人的营中,里面不见人影也没有人声,只有拴着的马和驴,帐篷依然在那里。” 11城门守卫就高声宣告消息,有人去禀告王。 12王连夜起来,对臣仆说:“我告诉你们是怎么回事。亚兰人知道我们正闹饥荒,就故意离开军营,埋伏在田野,等我们以色列人出城后,好活捉我们,并攻入城中。”

13一个臣仆说:“不如派人骑着城中仅存的五匹马出去打探一下。反正他们和城中剩下的以色列人一样快要死了。” 14他们预备了两辆马车,王便命人出去追踪亚兰军、查明实情。 15探子一路追到约旦河,沿路看见到处都是亚兰军仓皇逃走时丢弃的衣服和装备,便回去禀告王。 16于是,民众出城抢掠亚兰人的营地。那时,三公斤细面粉只卖十一克银子,六公斤大麦也只卖十一克银子,正如耶和华所言。 17王派那位搀扶他的将领守在城门口维持秩序,那将领却被涌出的人群踩死,应验了上帝的仆人在王去见他时所说的话。 18上帝的仆人曾对王说:“明天这个时候,在撒玛利亚城门口,三公斤细面粉只卖十一克银子,六公斤大麦也只卖十一克银子。”

19但那将领对上帝的仆人说:“即使耶和华打开天上的窗户,也不可能发生这样的事!”上帝的仆人说:“你必亲眼看见,却吃不到。” 20这话果然应验在他身上,他被人群踩死在城门口。