2 Kings

找回斧子的头

1先知门徒对以利沙说：「看哪，我们同你所住的地方过于窄小，

2求你容我们往约旦河去，各人从那里取一根木料建造房屋居住。」他说：「你们去吧！」

3有一人说：「求你与仆人同去。」回答说：「我可以去。」

4于是以利沙与他们同去。到了约旦河，就砍伐树木。

5有一人砍树的时候，斧头掉在水里，他就呼叫说：「哀哉！我主啊，这斧子是借的。」

6神人问说：「掉在哪里了？」他将那地方指给以利沙看。以利沙砍了一根木头，抛在水里，斧头就漂上来了。

7以利沙说：「拿起来吧！」那人就伸手拿起来了。

亚兰军败于以色列人

8亚兰王与以色列人争战，和他的臣仆商议说：「我要在某处某处安营。」

9神人打发人去见以色列王，说：「你要谨慎，不要从某处经过，因为亚兰人从那里下来了。」

10以色列王差人去窥探神人所告诉所警戒他去的地方，就防备未受其害，不止一两次。

11亚兰王因这事心里惊疑，召了臣仆来，对他们说：「我们这里有谁帮助以色列王，你们不指给我吗？」

12有一个臣仆说：「我主，我王！无人帮助他，只有以色列中的先知以利沙，将王在卧房所说的话告诉以色列王了。」

13王说：「你们去探他在哪里，我好打发人去捉拿他。」有人告诉王说：「他在多坍。」

14王就打发车马和大军往那里去，夜间到了，围困那城。

15神人的仆人清早起来出去，看见车马军兵围困了城。仆人对神人说：「哀哉！我主啊，我们怎样行才好呢？」

16神人说：「不要惧怕！与我们同在的比与他们同在的更多。」

17以利沙祷告说：「耶和华啊，求你开这少年人的眼目，使他能看见。」耶和华开他的眼目，他就看见满山有火车火马围绕以利沙。

18敌人下到以利沙那里，以利沙祷告耶和华说：「求你使这些人的眼目昏迷。」耶和华就照以利沙的话，使他们的眼目昏迷。

19以利沙对他们说：「这不是那道，也不是那城；你们跟我去，我必领你们到所寻找的人那里。」于是领他们到了撒马利亚。

20他们进了撒马利亚，以利沙祷告说：「耶和华啊，求你开这些人的眼目，使他们能看见。」耶和华开他们的眼目，他们就看见了，不料，是在撒马利亚的城中。

21以色列王见了他们，就问以利沙说：「我父啊，我可以击杀他们吗？」

22回答说：「不可击杀他们！就是你用刀用弓掳来的，岂可击杀他们吗？当在他们面前设摆饮食，使他们吃喝回到他们的主人那里。」

23王就为他们预备了许多食物；他们吃喝完了，打发他们回到他们主人那里。从此，亚兰军不再犯以色列境了。

围困撒马利亚

24此后，亚兰王便·哈达聚集他的全军，上来围困撒马利亚。

25于是撒马利亚被围困，有饥荒，甚至一个驴头值银八十舍客勒，二升鸽子粪值银五舍客勒。

26一日，以色列王在城上经过，有一个妇人向他呼叫说：「我主，我王啊！求你帮助。」

27王说：「耶和华不帮助你，我从何处帮助你？是从禾场，是从酒榨呢？」

28王问妇人说：「你有什么苦处？」她回答说：「这妇人对我说：『将你的儿子取来，我们今日可以吃，明日可以吃我的儿子。』

29我们就煮了我的儿子吃了。次日我对她说：『要将你的儿子取来，我们可以吃。』她却将她的儿子藏起来了。」

30王听见妇人的话，就撕裂衣服；（王在城上经过）百姓看见王贴身穿着麻衣。

31王说：「我今日若容沙法的儿子以利沙的头仍在他项上，愿 神重重地降罚与我！」

32那时，以利沙正坐在家中，长老也与他同坐。王打发一个伺候他的人去；他还没有到，以利沙对长老说：「你们看这凶手之子，打发人来斩我的头；你们看着使者来到，就关上门，用门将他推出去。在他后头不是有他主人脚步的响声吗？」

33正说话的时候，使者来到，王也到了，说：「这灾祸是从耶和华那里来的，我何必再仰望耶和华呢？」

The Axe Head Floats

1Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please take note that the place where we meet with you is too small for us.

2Please let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a log so we can build ourselves a place to live there.” “Go,” said Elisha.

3Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” “I will come,” he replied.

4So Elisha went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down some trees.

5As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”

6“Where did it fall?” asked the man of God. And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float.

7“Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it.

Elisha Captures the Blinded Arameans

8Now the king of Aram was at war against Israel. After consulting with his servants, he said, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”

9Then the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Be careful not to pass by this place, for the Arameans are going down there.”

10So the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had pointed out. Time and againElisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.

11For this reason the king of Aram became enraged and called his servants to demand of them, “Tell me, which one of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”

12But one of his servants replied, “No one, my lord the king. For Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”

13So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him.” On receiving the report, “Elisha is in Dothan,”

14the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city.

15When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, behold, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”

16“Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

17Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

18As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.

19And Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are seeking.” And he led them to Samaria.

20When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see.” Then the LORD opened their eyes, and they looked around and discovered that they were in Samaria.

21And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”

22“Do not kill them,” he replied. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and then return to their master.”

23So the king prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. And the Aramean raiders did not come into the land of Israel again.

The Siege and Famine of Samaria

24Some time later, Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army and marched up to besiege Samaria.

25So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver,and a quarter cab of dove’s dungsold for five shekels of silver.

26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”

27He answered, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?”

28Then the king asked her, “What is the matter?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him, and tomorrow we will eat my son.’

29So we boiled my son and ate him, and the next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him.’ But she had hidden her son.”

30When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. And as he passed by on the wall, the people saw the sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin.

31He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!”

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, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?”

33While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This calamity is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”