CHAPTER 7
Then Elisha
said,
“Hear
the word
of the LORD!
This is what
the LORD
says:
‘About this time
tomorrow
at the gate
of Samaria,
a seah
of fine flour will sell
for a shekel,
and two seahs
of barley
will sell for a shekel.’”
But the officer
on
whose arm
the king
leaned
answered
the man
of God,
“Look,
even if the LORD
were to make
windows
in heaven,
could this
really happen?”
“You will see it
with your own eyes,”
replied Elisha,
“but you will not eat
any of it.”
Now there were four
men
with leprosy
at the entrance
to the gate,
and they said
to
one
another,
“Why
just sit
here
until
we die?
If
we say,
‘Let us go into
the city,’
we will die
there
from the famine
in the city;
but if
we sit
here,
we will also die.
So come now,
let us go over
to
the camp
of the Arameans.
If
they let us live,
we will live;
if
they kill us,
we will die."
So they arose
at twilight
and went
to
the camp
of the Arameans.
But when they came
to
the outskirts
of the camp,
there was not
a man
to be found.
For the LORD
had caused the Arameans
to hear
the sound
of chariots,
horses,
and a great
army,
so that they said
to
each
other,
“Look,
the king
of Israel
must have hired
the kings
of the Hittites
and
Egyptians
to attack
us."
Thus the Arameans had arisen
and fled
at twilight,
abandoning
their tents
and
horses
and
donkeys.
The camp was intact,
and they had run
for
their lives.
When the
lepers
reached
the edge
of the camp,
they went
into
a
tent
to eat
and drink.
Then they carried off
the silver,
gold,
and clothing,
and went
and hid them.
On returning,
they entered
another
tent,
carried off some items
from there,
and hid them.
Finally, they said
to
one
another,
“We are
not
doing
what is right.
Today
is a day
of good news.
If we
are silent
and wait
until
morning
light,
our sin
will overtake us.
Now, therefore,
let us go
and tell
the king's
household."
So they went
and called out
to
the gatekeepers
of the city,
saying,
“We went
to
the Aramean
camp
and no
one was
there—
not a trace—
only
tethered
horses
and donkeys,
and the tents
were intact.”
So the king
got up
in the night
and said
to
his servants,
“Let me tell
you
what
the Arameans
have done to us.
They know
we
are starving,
so they have left
the camp
to hide
in the field,
thinking,
‘When
they come out
of
the city,
we will take them
alive
and enter
the city.'"
But one
of
his servants
replied,
“Please,
have scouts take
five
of the horses
that
remain
in the city.
Their plight
will be no worse than all
the Israelites
who
are left
here.
You can see
that
all the Israelites
here
are doomed.
So let us send them
and find out."
Then the scouts took
two
chariots
with horses,
and the king
sent
them after
the Aramean
army,
saying,
“Go
and see.”
And they tracked
them as
far as the Jordan,
and indeed,
the whole
way
was littered with
the clothing
and equipment
the Arameans
had thrown off
in haste.
So the scouts
returned
and told
the king.
Then the people
went out
and plundered
the camp
of the Arameans.
It was then that
a seah
of fine flour
sold for a shekel,
and two seahs
of barley
sold for a shekel,
according to the word
of the LORD.
Now the king
had appointed
the officer
on
whose arm
he leaned
to be in charge of
the gate,
but the people
trampled him
in the gateway,
and he died,
just as
the man
of God
had foretold
when the king
had come
to him.
It happened
just as the man
of God
had told
the king:
“About this time
tomorrow
at the gate
of Samaria,
two seahs
of barley
will sell for a shekel,
and a seah
of fine flour
will sell
for a shekel.”
And the officer
had answered
the man
of God,
“Look,
even if the LORD
were to make
windows
in heaven,
could this
really happen?”
So Elisha had replied,
“You will see it
with your own eyes,
but you will not
eat
any of it.”