Once while the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he said to his
officers, "In such and such a place we shall hide and surprise them."
But Elisha, the man of God, sent word to the ruler of Israel, "Take care
that you do not pass that place, for the Arameans are hiding there." So
the ruler of Israel sent soldiers to the place of which the man of God
had told him. Thus he warned him many times, so that he could there be
on his guard.
The king of Aram was very much troubled by this, and he called his
officers and said to them, "Can you not tell me who has betrayed us to
the ruler of Israel?" One of his officers replied, "No one, my lord, O
king, for Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the ruler of Israel the
words that you speak in your bedchamber." The king said, "Go and see
where he is, that I may send and seize him." And they told the king,
"Elisha is now in Dothan."
So the king sent horses and chariots there and a great army. And they
arrived at night and surrounded the city. When the man of God rose early
the next morning and went out, an army with horses and chariots was
about the city; so that his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What
shall we do?" He answered, "Fear not, for they who are with us are more
than they who are with them." And Elisha prayed and said, "Jehovah open
his eyes, that he may see." Then Jehovah opened the eyes of the young
man, and he saw that the highlands around about Elisha were full of
horses and chariots of fire.
When the Arameans came toward him, Elisha prayed to Jehovah, and said,
"Make this people blind." So Jehovah made them blind, as Elisha asked.
Then Elisha said to them, "This is not the way nor the city. Follow me,
and I will bring you to the man whom you seek!" So he led them to
Samaria.
But as soon as they came to Samaria, Elisha said, "O Jehovah, open the
eyes of these men, that they may see." And Jehovah opened their eyes, so
that they could see, and there they were in Samaria. When the ruler of
Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "My father, shall I cut them down?"
Elisha answered, "You shall not cut them down; would you cut down those
whom you have not taken captive with your sword nor with your bow? Set
bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their
master." So he prepared a great feast for them; and when they had had
food and drink, he sent them back to their master. So the robber bands
of Arameans no longer invaded the land of Israel.
Later, Benhadad, king of Aram, gathered all his army and besieged
Samaria. The famine was so severe in Samaria while they were besieging
it, that an ass's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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