1以利沙說：「你們要聽耶和華的話，耶和華說，『明天約這時候，在撒瑪利亞城門口，三公斤細麵粉只賣一兩銀子，六公斤大麥也只賣一兩銀子。』」 2一個攙扶王的將領對上帝的僕人說：「即使耶和華打開天上的窗戶，也不可能發生這樣的事！」以利沙說：「你必親眼看見，卻吃不到。」
撒瑪利亞城獲救
3城門口有四個痲瘋病人，他們商量說：「我們為什麼坐在這裡等死呢？ 4如果我們進城，城裡正遭遇饑荒，我們會餓死；但我們坐在這裡也是死，不如去投靠亞蘭軍。如果他們不殺我們，我們就能活命；不然的話，死就死吧！」 5傍晚時分，他們動身去亞蘭人的營地，到了營地外邊，卻發現人影全無。 6原來，主使亞蘭人聽見大隊人馬和戰車的聲音。他們以為以色列王雇用了赫人的諸王和埃及人的諸王來攻營， 7便在傍晚時分撇下帳篷、馬和驢，棄營而逃。 8那幾個痲瘋病人到了營地，走進一個帳篷，又吃又喝，把那裡的金銀和衣服拿走收藏起來，再回來進入另一個帳篷，把財物拿走收藏起來。
9後來，他們彼此說：「我們這樣做不對。今天是個報好消息的日子，我們卻不作聲。如果等到天亮，我們會受懲罰的。走，我們給王報信去！」 10他們就去喊城門守衛，對他們說：「我們到了亞蘭人的營中，裡面不見人影也沒有人聲，只有拴著的馬和驢，帳篷仍在那裡。」 11城門守衛就高聲宣告消息，有人去稟告王。 12王連夜起來，對臣僕說：「我告訴你們是怎麼回事。亞蘭人知道我們正遭遇饑荒，就故意離開軍營，埋伏在田野，等我們以色列人出城後，好活捉我們，並攻入城中。」
13一個臣僕說：「不如派人騎著城中僅存的五匹馬出去打探一下。反正他們和城中剩下的以色列人一樣快要死了。」 14他們預備了兩輛馬車，王便命人出去追蹤亞蘭軍，查明實情。 15探子一路追到約旦河，沿路看見到處都是亞蘭軍倉皇逃走時丟棄的衣服和裝備，便回去稟告王。 16於是，民眾出城搶掠亞蘭人的營地。那時，三公斤細麵粉只賣一兩銀子，六公斤大麥也只賣一兩銀子，正如耶和華所言。 17王派那位攙扶他的將領守在城門口維持秩序，那將領卻被湧出的人群踩死，應驗了上帝的僕人在王去見他時所說的話。 18上帝的僕人曾對王說：「明天約這時候，在撒瑪利亞城門口，三公斤細麵粉只賣一兩銀子，六公斤大麥也只賣一兩銀子。」
19但那將領對上帝的僕人說：「即使耶和華打開天上的窗戶，也不可能發生這樣的事！」上帝的僕人說：「你必親眼看見，卻吃不到。」 20這話果然應驗在他身上，他被人群踩死在城門口。
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.
