2 Kings 7:1-9

New American Standard Bible

Elisha Promises Food

7 Then Elisha said, “Listen to the word of the Lord; this is what the Lord says: ‘^(A)About this time tomorrow a ^[a]measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’” ^2 (B)The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning responded to the man of God and said, “^(C)Even if the Lord were to make ^[b]windows in heaven, could this thing happen?” Then he said, “Behold, you are going to see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat ^[c]any of it.”

Four Men with Leprosy Report Arameans’ Flight

³ Now there were four ^(D)leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? ⁴ If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ then the famine is in the city and we will die there; but if we sit here, we will also die. Now then come, and let’s go over to ^(E)the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, then we will die.” ⁵ So they got up at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans; when they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans, behold, there was no one there. ⁶ For ^(F)the Lord had made the army of the Arameans hear a sound of chariots, a sound of horses, that is, the sound of a great army; and they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired ^(G)the kings of the Hittites and ^(H)the kings of the Egyptians against us, to ^[d]attack us!” ⁷ So they ^(I)got up and fled at twilight, and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—indeed the camp itself, just as it was; and they fled for their lives. ⁸ When these men with leprosy came to the outskirts of the camp, they entered one tent and ate and drank, and ^(J)carried from there silver, gold, and clothes, and they went and hid them; then they returned and entered another tent, and carried valuables from there also, and went and hid them.

⁹ Then they said to one another, “We are not doing the right thing. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent about it; if we wait until the morning light, punishment will ^[e]overtake us. Now then come, let’s go and inform the king’s household.”