Elisha prophesieth incredible plenty in Samaria.

1 ¶ Then Elishaº said,ºª Hearºª ye the wordº of the LORD;º Thus² saithºª the LORD,º To morrowº about this timeº [shall] a measureº of fine flourº [be sold] for a shekel,º and two measuresº of barleyº for a shekel,º in the gateº of Samaria.º 2 Then a lordº on² whose² handº the kingº leanedºª answeredºª² the manº of God,º and said,ºª Behold,² [if] the LORDº would makeºª windowsº in heaven,º might this² thingº be?² And he said,ºª Behold,² thou shalt seeºª [it] with thine eyes,º but shalt not² eatºª thereof.²²

Four lepers, venturing on the host of the Syrians, bring tidings of their flight.

3 ¶ And there were² fourº leprousºª men¹² at the entering inº of the gate:º and they saidºª oneº to² another,º Why² sitºª we² here² until² we die?ºª 4 If² we say,ºª We will enterºª into the city,º then the famineº [is] in the city,º and we shall dieºª there:² and if² we sit² still¹ª here,² we dieºª also. Now² therefore come,¹ª² and let us fallºª unto² the hostº of the Syrians:º if² they save us alive,ºª we shall live;ºª and if² they killºª us, we shall but die.ºª 5 And they rose upºª in the twilight,º to goºª unto² the campº of the Syrians:º and when they were comeºª to² the uttermost partº of the campº of Syria,º behold,² [there was] no² manº there.² 6 For the Lordº had made² the hostº of the Syriansº to hearºª a noiseº of chariots,º and a noiseº of horses,º [even] the noiseº of a greatº host:º and they saidºª oneº to² another,º Lo,² the kingº of Israelº hath hiredºª against² us² the kingsº of the Hittites,º and the kingsº of the Egyptians,º to comeºª upon² us. 7 Wherefore they aroseºª and fledºª in the twilight,º and leftºª² their tents,º and their horses,º and their asses,º even the campº as² it² [was], and fledºª for² their life.º 8 And when these² lepersºª cameºª to² the uttermost partº of the camp,º they wentºª into² oneº tent,º and did eatºª and drink,ºª and carriedºª thence²² silver,º and gold,º and raiment,º and went¹ª² and hidºª [it]; and came again,ºª and enteredºª into² anotherº tent,º and carriedºª thence²² [also], and went¹ª² and hidºª [it]. 9 Then they saidºª oneº to² another,º We² doºª not² well:² this² dayº [is] a dayº of good tidings,º and we² hold our peace:ºª if we tarryºª till² the morningº light,º some mischiefº will come¹ª upon² us: now² therefore come,¹ª² that we may goºª and tellºª the king'sº household.º 10 So they cameºª and calledºª unto² the porterº of the city:º and they toldºª them, saying,ºª We cameºª to² the campº of the Syrians,º and, behold,² [there was] no² manº there,² neither voiceº of man,º but²² horsesº tied,ºª and assesº tied,ºª and the tentsº as² they² [were]. 11 And he calledºª the porters;º and they toldºª [it] to the king'sº houseº within.º

The king, finding by spies the news to be true, spoileth the tents of the Syrians.

12 ¶ And the kingº aroseºª in the night,º and saidºª unto² his servants,º I will now² shewºª you² what² the Syriansº have doneºª to us. They knowºª that² we² [be] hungry;º therefore are they gone outºª of² the campº to hide¹ª themselves² in the field,º saying,ºª When² they come outºª of² the city,º we shall catchºª them alive,º and getºª into² the city.º 13 And oneº of his servantsº² answeredºª and said,ºª Let [some] take,ºª I pray thee,² fiveº of² the horsesº that remain,ºª which² are leftºª in the city, (behold,² they [are] as all² the multitudeº of Israelº that² are leftºª in it: behold,² [I say], they [are] even as all² the multitudeº of the Israelitesº that² are consumed:)ºª and let us sendºª and see.ºª 14 They tookºª therefore twoº chariotº horses;º and the kingº sentºª afterº the hostº of the Syrians,º saying,ºª Go¹ª² and see.ºª 15 And they went¹ª² afterº them unto² Jordan:º and, lo,² all² the wayº [was] fullº of garmentsº and vessels,º which² the Syriansº had cast awayºª in their haste.ºª And the messengersº returned,ºª and toldºª the king.º 16 And the peopleº went out,ºª and spoiledºª² the tentsº of the Syrians.º So a measureº of fine flourº was² [sold] for a shekel,º and two measuresº of barleyº for a shekel,º according to the wordº of the LORD.º

The lord, who would not believe the prophecy of plenty, having charge of the gate, is trodden to death in the press.

17 ¶ And the kingº appointedºª² the lordº on² whose² handº he leanedºª to have the charge of² the gate:º and the peopleº trode¹ª upon² him in the gate,º and he died,ºª as² the manº of Godº had said,ºª who² spakeºª when the kingº came downºª to² him. 18 And it came to pass² as the manº of Godº had spokenºª to² the king,º saying,ºª Two measuresº of barleyº for a shekel,º and a measureº of fine flourº for a shekel,º shall be² to morrowº about this timeº in the gateº of Samaria:º 19 And that lordº answeredºª² the manº of God,º and said,ºª Now, behold,² [if] the LORDº should makeºª windowsº in heaven,º might such² a thingº be?² And he said,ºª Behold,² thou shalt seeºª it with thine eyes,º but shalt not² eatºª thereof.²² 20 And so² it fell out² unto him: for the peopleº trode¹ª upon² him in the gate,º and he died.ºª