2 Kings 6:8-23

International Standard Version

The Arameans Attack

⁸ Eventually the king of Aram went to war against Israel, taking counsel with his advisors and concluding, “In such and such a place I’ll build my encampment.”

⁹ So the man of God sent a message^[a] to the king of Israel, warning him, “Keep an eye on that area, because the Arameans are going to be there!” ¹⁰ The king of Israel confirmed the matter^[b] about which the man of God had warned him. Having been forewarned, he was able to protect himself there on more than one or two occasions.

¹¹ The king of Aram flew into a rage over this, so he called in his advisors and asked them, “Will you please tell me which of us has joined the king of Israel?”

¹² “No, your majesty,” one of his servants said. “Elisha the prophet, who lives in Israel, tells the king of Israel what you talk about in your bedroom!”

¹³ So the king^[c] ordered, “Go and discover where he is, so I may send men^[d] to take him into custody.”

Later somebody told him, “Look! He’s in Dothan!”

¹⁴ So the king of Aram^[e] sent out horses, chariots, and an elite force, and they arrived during the night and surrounded the city. ¹⁵ Meanwhile, the attendant to the man of God got up early in the morning and went outside, and there were the elite forces, surrounding the city, accompanied by horses and chariots! So Elisha’s attendant cried out to him, “Oh no! Master! What will we do!?”

¹⁶ Elisha^[f] replied, “Stop being afraid, because there are more with us than with them!” ¹⁷ Then Elisha prayed, asking the Lord, “Please make him able to really see!” And so when the Lord enabled the young man to see, he looked, and there was the mountain, filled with horses and fiery chariots surrounding Elisha!

¹⁸ When the army approached him, Elisha spoke to the Lord, asking him, “Lord, I’m asking you please to afflict this group of people with blindness!” So he afflicted them with blindness, just as Elisha had asked.

¹⁹ Then Elisha told the army, “This isn’t the way, and this isn’t the city! Follow me, and I’ll bring you to the man you’re seeking.” Then he led them to Samaria. ²⁰ When they arrived in Samaria, Elisha asked the Lord, “Enable them to see again.” So the Lord did so, and there they were—right in the middle of Samaria!

²¹ When the king of Israel saw Elisha, he asked him, “Shall I execute them, my father?”

²² But he replied, “No! You’re not to kill them! Would you execute those whom you’ve taken captive at the point of a sword or with your bow? Give them food and water so they can eat and drink. Then send them back to their master!” ²³ So he prepared a large festival for them, and when they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them back to their master, and marauding gangs of Arameans never came into the territory of Israel again.