Holy Bible
(King James Version)
Second
Kings: Chapter 6
1. AND the sons of the
prophets said unto Elisha, Behold, now, the place where we dwell with
thee is too strait for us.
2. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a
beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he
answered, go ye.
3. And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants.
And he answered, I will go.
4. So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut
down wood.
5. But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and
he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
6. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the
place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did
swim.
7. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand,
and took it.
8. Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with
his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
9. And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that
thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
10. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told
him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
11. Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this
thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew
me which of us is for the king of Israel?
12. And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the
prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that
thou speakest in thy bed chamber.
13. And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him.
And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
14. Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host:
and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
15. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone
forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots.
And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16. And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than
they that be with them.
17. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that
he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he
saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire
round about Elisha.
18. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and
said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them
with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19. And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the
city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But
he led them to Samaria.
20. And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha
said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the
LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the
midst of Samaria.
21. And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My
father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
22. And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite
those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set
bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to
their master.
23. And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten
and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So
the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
24. And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria
gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
25. And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged
it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the
fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
26. And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried
a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
27. And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee?
out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?"
28. And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she
answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him
to-day, and we will eat my son to-morrow.
29. So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on
the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her
son.
30. And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman,
that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people
looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.
31. Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha
the son of Sha-phat shall stand on him this day.
32. But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the
king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he
said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take
away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold
him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?
33. And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down
unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what
should I wait for the LORD any longer?
May 8 Daily reading
schedule.. go to Luke 24
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Art by: Penny Parker. Visit her site HERE
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