每日聖經故事 BLC Daily Bible Stories

耶戶寫信給耶斯列首領

1 亞哈有七十個兒子在撒馬利亞。耶戶寫信送到撒馬利亞，通知耶斯列的首領，就是長老和教養亞哈眾子的人，說： 2「你們那裏既有你們主人的眾子和車馬、器械、堅固城， 3接了這信，就可以在你們主人的眾子中選擇一個賢能合宜的，使他坐他父親的位，你們也可以為你們主人的家爭戰。」 4他們卻甚懼怕，彼此說：「二王在他面前尚且站立不住，我們怎能站得住呢？」 5家宰、邑宰，和長老，並教養眾子的人，打發人去見耶戶，說：「我們是你的僕人，凡你所吩咐我們的都必遵行，我們不立誰作王，你看怎樣好就怎樣行。」

亞哈眾子被殺

6 耶戶又給他們寫信說：「你們若歸順我，聽從我的話，明日這時候，要將你們主人眾子的首級帶到耶斯列來見我。」那時王的兒子七十人都住在教養他們那城中的尊貴人家裏。 7信一到，他們就把王的七十個兒子殺了，將首級裝在筐裏，送到在耶斯列的耶戶那裏。 8有使者來告訴耶戶說：「他們將王眾子的首級送來了。」耶戶說：「將首級在城門口堆作兩堆，擱到明日。」 9次日早晨，耶戶出來，站着對眾民說：「你們都是公義的，我背叛我主人，將他殺了；這些人卻是誰殺的呢？ 10由此可知，耶和華指着亞哈家所說的話一句沒有落空，因為耶和華藉他僕人以利亞所說的話都成就了。」 11凡亞哈家在耶斯列所剩下的人和他的大臣、密友、祭司，耶戶盡都殺了，沒有留下一個。

亞哈謝的兄弟被殺

12 耶戶起身往撒馬利亞去。在路上、牧人剪羊毛之處， 13遇見猶大王亞哈謝的弟兄，問他們說：「你們是誰？」回答說：「我們是亞哈謝的弟兄，現在下去要問王和太后的眾子安。」 14耶戶吩咐說：「活捉他們！」跟從的人就活捉了他們，將他們殺在剪羊毛之處的坑邊，共四十二人，沒有留下一個。

亞哈家剩下的人被殺

15 耶戶從那裏前行，恰遇利甲的兒子約拿達來迎接他，耶戶問他安，對他說：「你誠心待我像我誠心待你嗎？」約拿達回答說：「是。」耶戶說：「若是這樣，你向我伸手」，他就伸手；耶戶拉他上車。 16耶戶說：「你和我同去，看我為耶和華怎樣熱心」；於是請他坐在車上， 17到了撒馬利亞，就把撒馬利亞的亞哈家剩下的人都殺了，直到滅盡，正如耶和華對以利亞所說的。

拜巴力的人被殺

18 耶戶招聚眾民，對他們說：「亞哈事奉巴力還冷淡，耶戶卻更熱心。 19現在我要給巴力獻大祭。應當叫巴力的眾先知和一切拜巴力的人，並巴力的眾祭司，都到我這裏來，不可缺少一個；凡不來的必不得活。」耶戶這樣行，是用詭計要殺盡拜巴力的人。 20耶戶說：「要為巴力宣告嚴肅會！」於是宣告了。 21耶戶差人走遍以色列地；凡拜巴力的人都來齊了，沒有一個不來的。他們進了巴力廟，巴力廟中從前邊直到後邊都滿了人。 22耶戶吩咐掌管禮服的人說：「拿出禮服來，給一切拜巴力的人穿。」他就拿出禮服來給了他們。 23耶戶和利甲的兒子約拿達進了巴力廟，對拜巴力的人說：「你們察看察看，在你們這裏不可有耶和華的僕人，只可容留拜巴力的人。」 24耶戶和約拿達進去，獻平安祭和燔祭。

耶戶先安派八十人在廟外，吩咐說：「我將這些人交在你們手中，若有一人脫逃，誰放的必叫他償命！」 25耶戶獻完了燔祭，就出來吩咐護衛兵和眾軍長說：「你們進去殺他們，不容一人出來！」護衛兵和軍長就用刀殺他們，將屍首拋出去，便到巴力廟的城去了， 26將巴力廟中的柱像都拿出來燒了； 27毀壞了巴力柱像，拆毀了巴力廟作為廁所，直到今日。

28這樣，耶戶在以色列中滅了巴力。 29只是耶戶不離開尼八的兒子耶羅波安使以色列人陷在罪裏的那罪，就是拜伯特利和但的金牛犢。 30耶和華對耶戶說：「因你辦好我眼中看為正的事，照我的心意待亞哈家，你的子孫必接續你坐以色列的國位，直到四代。」 31只是耶戶不盡心遵守耶和華－以色列神的律法，不離開耶羅波安使以色列人陷在罪裏的那罪。

耶戶去世

32在那些日子，耶和華才割裂以色列國，使哈薛攻擊以色列的境界， 33乃是約旦河東、基列全地，從靠近亞嫩谷邊的亞羅珥起，就是基列和巴珊的迦得人、呂便人、瑪拿西人之地。 34耶戶其餘的事，凡他所行的和他的勇力都寫在以色列諸王記上。 35耶戶與他列祖同睡，葬在撒馬利亞；他兒子約哈斯接續他作王。 36耶戶在撒馬利亞作以色列王二十八年。

Ahab’s Family Killed

1Now there were in Samaria seventy sons of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders and to the guardians of Ahab’s children. He said, 2“You have your master’s sons with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons. Now as soon as this letter reaches you, 3choose the best and most worthy of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne. Then fight for your master’s house.”

4But they were terrified and said, “If two kings could not resist him, how can we?”

5So the palace administrator, the city governor, the elders and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servants and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best.”

6Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”

Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them. 7When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. 8When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the princes.”

Then Jehu ordered, “Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.”

9The next morning Jehu went out. He stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? 10Know, then, that not a word the Lord has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The Lord has done what he announced through his servant Elijah.” 11So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.

12Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria. At Beth Eked of the Shepherds, 13he met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?”

They said, “We are relatives of Ahaziah, and we have come down to greet the families of the king and of the queen mother.”

14“Take them alive!” he ordered. So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth Eked—forty-two of them. He left no survivor.

15After he left there, he came upon Jehonadab son of Rekab, who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, “Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?”

“I am,” Jehonadab answered.

“If so,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.” So he did, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot. 16Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.” Then he had him ride along in his chariot.

17When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab’s family; he destroyed them, according to the word of the Lord spoken to Elijah.

Servants of Baal Killed

18Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.

20Jehu said, “Call an assembly in honor of Baal.” So they proclaimed it. 21Then he sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; not one stayed away. They crowded into the temple of Baal until it was full from one end to the other. 22And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring robes for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them.

23Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rekab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look around and see that no one who serves the Lord is here with you—only servants of Baal.” 24So they went in to make sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had posted eighty men outside with this warning: “If one of you lets an

以色列王約蘭被殺

14這樣，寧示的孫子、約沙法的兒子耶戶背叛約蘭。先是約蘭和以色列眾人因為亞蘭王哈薛的緣故，把守基列的拉末； 15但約蘭王回到耶斯列，醫治與亞蘭王哈薛打仗所受的傷。耶戶說：「若合你們的意思，就不容人逃出城往耶斯列報信去。」 16於是耶戶坐車往耶斯列去，因為約蘭病臥在那裏。猶大王亞哈謝已經下去看望他。

17有一個守望的人站在耶斯列的樓上，看見耶戶帶着一羣人來，就說：「我看見一羣人。」約蘭說：「打發一個騎馬的去迎接他們，問說：平安不平安？」 18騎馬的就去迎接耶戶，說：「王問說，平安不平安？」耶戶說：「平安不平安與你何干？你轉在我後頭吧！」守望的人又說：「使者到了他們那裏，卻不回來。」 19王又打發一個騎馬的去。這人到了他們那裏，說：「王問說，平安不平安？」耶戶說：「平安不平安與你何干？你轉在我後頭吧！」 20守望的人又說：「他到了他們那裏，也不回來；車趕得甚猛，像寧示的孫子耶戶的趕法。」

21 約蘭吩咐說：「套車！」人就給他套車。以色列王約蘭和猶大王亞哈謝各坐自己的車出去迎接耶戶，在耶斯列人拿伯的田那裏遇見他。 22約蘭見耶戶就說：「耶戶啊，平安嗎？」耶戶說：「你母親耶洗別的淫行邪術這樣多，焉能平安呢？」 23約蘭就轉車逃跑，對亞哈謝說：「亞哈謝啊，反了！」 24耶戶開滿了弓，射中約蘭的脊背，箭從心窩穿出，約蘭就仆倒在車上。 25耶戶對他的軍長畢甲說：「你把他拋在耶斯列人拿伯的田間。你當追想，你我一同坐車跟隨他父亞哈的時候，耶和華對亞哈所說的預言， 26說：『我昨日看見拿伯的血和他眾子的血，我必在這塊田上報應你。』這是耶和華說的，現在你要照着耶和華的話，把他拋在這田間。」

猶大王亞哈謝被殺

27 猶大王亞哈謝見這光景，就從園亭之路逃跑。耶戶追趕他，說：「把這人也殺在車上。」到了靠近以伯蓮的姑珥坡上擊傷了他。他逃到米吉多，就死在那裏。 28他的臣僕用車將他的屍首送到耶路撒冷，葬在大衛城他自己的墳墓裏，與他列祖同葬。

29 亞哈謝登基作猶大王的時候，是在亞哈的兒子約蘭第十一年。

耶洗別王后被殺

30 耶戶到了耶斯列；耶洗別聽見就擦粉、梳頭，從窗戶裏往外觀看。 31耶戶進門的時候，耶洗別說：「殺主人的心利啊，平安嗎？」 32耶戶擡頭向窗戶觀看，說：「誰順從我？」有兩三個太監從窗戶往外看他。 33耶戶說：「把她扔下來！」他們就把她扔下來。她的血濺在牆上和馬上；於是把她踐踏了。 34耶戶進去，吃了喝了，吩咐說：「你們把這被咒詛的婦人葬埋了，因為她是王的女兒。」 35他們就去葬埋她，只尋得她的頭骨和腳，並手掌。 36他們回去告訴耶戶，耶戶說：「這正應驗耶和華藉他僕人提斯比人以利亞所說的話，說：『在耶斯列田間，狗必吃耶洗別的肉； 37耶洗別的屍首必在耶斯列田間如同糞土，甚至人不能說這是耶洗別。』」

Jehu Kills Joram and Ahaziah

14So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth Gilead against Hazael king of Aram, 15but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him in the battle with Hazael king of Aram.) Jehu said, “If you desire to make me king, don’t let anyone slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel.” 16Then he got into his chariot and rode to Jezreel, because Joram was resting there and Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see him.

17When the lookout standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, he called out, “I see some troops coming.”

“Get a horseman,” Joram ordered. “Send him to meet them and ask, ‘Do you come in peace?’ ”

18The horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king says: ‘Do you come in peace?’ ”

“What do you have to do with peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.”

The lookout reported, “The messenger has reached them, but he isn’t coming back.”

19So the king sent out a second horseman. When he came to them he said, “This is what the king says: ‘Do you come in peace?’ ”

Jehu replied, “What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me.”

20The lookout reported, “He has reached them, but he isn’t coming back either. The driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi—he drives like a maniac.”

21“Hitch up my chariot,” Joram ordered. And when it was hitched up, Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah rode out, each in his own chariot, to meet Jehu. They met him at the plot of ground that had belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. 22When Joram saw Jehu he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?”

“How can there be peace,” Jehu replied, “as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”

23Joram turned about and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!”

24Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart and he slumped down in his chariot. 25Jehu said to Bidkar, his chariot officer, “Pick him up and throw him on the field that belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember how you and I were riding together in chariots behind Ahab his father when the Lord spoke this prophecy against him: 26‘Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, declares the Lord, and I will surely make you pay for it on this plot of ground, declares the Lord.’ Now then, pick him up and throw him on that plot, in accordance with the word of the Lord.”

27When Ahaziah king of Judah saw what had happened, he fled up the road to Beth Haggan. Jehu chased him, shouting, “Kill him too!” They wounded him in his chariot on the way up to Gur near Ibleam, but he escaped to Megiddo and died there. 28His servants took him by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his ancestors in his tomb in the City of David. 29(In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king of Judah.)

Jezebel Killed

30Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she put on eye makeup, arranged her hair and looked out of a window. 31As Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, you Zimri, you murderer of your master?”

32He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him. 33“Throw her down!” Jehu said. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot.

34Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of that cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.” 35But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. 36They went back and told Jehu, who said, “This is the word of the Lord that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel’s flesh. 37Jezebel’s body will be like dung on the ground in the plot at Jezreel, so that no one will be abl

耶戶被膏立為以色列王

1先知以利沙叫了一個先知門徒來，吩咐他說：「你束上腰，手拿這瓶膏油往基列的拉末去。 2到了那裏，要尋找寧示的孫子、約沙法的兒子耶戶，使他從同僚中起來，帶他進嚴密的屋子， 3將瓶裏的膏油倒在他頭上，說：『耶和華如此說：我膏你作以色列王。』說完了，就開門逃跑，不要遲延。」

4於是那少年先知往基列的拉末去了。 5到了那裏，看見眾軍長都坐着，就說：「將軍哪，我有話對你說。」耶戶說：「我們眾人裏，你要對哪一個說呢？」回答說：「將軍哪，我要對你說。」 6耶戶就起來，進了屋子，少年人將膏油倒在他頭上，對他說：「耶和華－以色列的神如此說：『我膏你作耶和華民以色列的王。 7你要擊殺你主人亞哈的全家，我好在耶洗別身上伸我僕人眾先知和耶和華一切僕人流血的冤。 8亞哈全家必都滅亡，凡屬亞哈的男丁，無論是困住的、自由的，我必從以色列中剪除， 9使亞哈的家像尼八兒子耶羅波安的家，又像亞希雅兒子巴沙的家。 10耶洗別必在耶斯列田裏被狗所吃，無人葬埋。』」說完了，少年人就開門逃跑了。

11 耶戶出來，回到他主人的臣僕那裏，有一人問他說：「平安嗎？這狂妄的人來見你有甚麼事呢？」回答說：「你們認得那人，也知道他說甚麼。」 12他們說：「這是假話，你據實地告訴我們。」回答說：「他如此如此對我說。他說：『耶和華如此說：我膏你作以色列王。』」 13他們就急忙各將自己的衣服鋪在上層臺階，使耶戶坐在其上；他們吹角，說：「耶戶作王了！」

Jehu Anointed King of Israel

1The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take this flask of olive oil with you and go to Ramoth Gilead. 2When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room. 3Then take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare, ‘This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run; don’t delay!”

4So the young prophet went to Ramoth Gilead. 5When he arrived, he found the army officers sitting together. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said.

“For which of us?” asked Jehu.

“For you, commander,” he replied.

6Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured the oil on Jehu’s head and declared, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the Lord’s people Israel. 7You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the Lord’s servants shed by Jezebel. 8The whole house of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. 9I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah. 10As for Jezebel, dogs will devour her on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and no one will bury her.’ ” Then he opened the door and ran.

11When Jehu went out to his fellow officers, one of them asked him, “Is everything all right? Why did this maniac come to you?”

“You know the man and the sort of things he says,” Jehu replied.

12“That’s not true!” they said. “Tell us.”

Jehu said, “Here is what he told me: ‘This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ ”

13They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”

書念的婦人回原住地

1 以利沙曾對所救活之子的那婦人說：「你和你的全家要起身往你可住的地方去住，因為耶和華命饑荒降在這地七年。」 2婦人就起身，照神人的話帶着全家往非利士地去，住了七年。 3七年完了，那婦人從非利士地回來，就出去為自己的房屋田地哀告王。 4那時王正與神人的僕人基哈西說：「請你將以利沙所行的一切大事告訴我。」 5基哈西告訴王以利沙如何使死人復活，恰巧以利沙所救活、她兒子的那婦人為自己的房屋田地來哀告王。基哈西說：「我主我王，這就是那婦人，這是她的兒子，就是以利沙所救活的。」 6王問那婦人，她就把那事告訴王。於是王為她派一個太監，說：「凡屬這婦人的都還給她，自從她離開本地直到今日，她田地的出產也都還給她。」

以利沙和便‧哈達王

7 以利沙來到大馬士革，亞蘭王便‧哈達正患病。有人告訴王說：「神人來到這裏了。」 8王就吩咐哈薛說：「你帶着禮物去見神人，託他求問耶和華，我這病能好不能好？」 9於是哈薛用四十個駱駝，馱着大馬士革的各樣美物為禮物，去見以利沙。到了他那裏，站在他面前，說：「你兒子亞蘭王便‧哈達打發我來見你，他問說：『我這病能好不能好？』」 10以利沙對哈薛說：「你回去告訴他說，這病必能好；但耶和華指示我，他必要死。」 11神人定睛看着哈薛，甚至他慚愧。神人就哭了； 12哈薛說：「我主為甚麼哭？」回答說：「因為我知道你必苦害以色列人，用火焚燒他們的保障，用刀殺死他們的壯丁，摔死他們的嬰孩，剖開他們的孕婦。」 13哈薛說：「你僕人算甚麼，不過是一條狗，焉能行這大事呢？」以利沙回答說：「耶和華指示我，你必作亞蘭王。」 14哈薛離開以利沙，回去見他的主人。主人問他說：「以利沙對你說甚麼？」回答說：「他告訴我你必能好。」 15次日，哈薛拿被窩浸在水中，蒙住王的臉，王就死了。於是哈薛篡了他的位。

Elisha Again Helps the Shunammite Woman

1 Now Elisha advised the woman whose son he had brought back to life, “You and your family should go and live somewhere else for a while, for the Lord has decreed that a famine will overtake the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman did as the prophet said. She and her family went and lived in the land of the Philistines for seven years. 3 After seven years the woman returned from the land of the Philistines and went to ask the king to give her back her house and field. 4 Now the king was talking to Gehazi, the prophet’s servant, and said, “Tell me all the great things which Elisha has done.” 5 While Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had brought the dead back to life, the woman whose son he had brought back to life came to ask the king for her house and field. Gehazi said, “My master, O king, this is the very woman and this is her son whom Elisha brought back to life!” 6 The king asked the woman about it, and she gave him the details. The king assigned a eunuch to take care of her request and ordered him, “Give her back everything she owns, as well as the amount of crops her field produced from the day she left the land until now.”

Elisha Meets with Hazael

7 Elisha traveled to Damascus while King Ben Hadad of Syria was sick. The king was told, “The prophet has come here.” 8 So the king told Hazael, “Take a gift and go visit the prophet. Request from him an oracle from the Lord. Ask him, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’” 9 So Hazael went to visit Elisha. He took along a gift, as well as forty camel loads of all the fine things of Damascus. When he arrived, he stood before him and said, “Your son, King Ben Hadad of Syria, has sent me to you with this question, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’” 10 Elisha said to him, “Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover,’ but the Lord has revealed to me that he will surely die.” 11 Elisha just stared at him until Hazael became uncomfortable. Then the prophet started crying. 12 Hazael asked, “Why are you crying, my master?” He replied, “Because I know the trouble you will cause the Israelites. You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, smash their children to bits, and rip open their pregnant women.” 13 Hazael said, “How could your servant, who is as insignificant as a dog, accomplish this great military victory?” Elisha answered, “The Lord has revealed to me that you will be the king of Syria.” 14 He left Elisha and went to his master. Ben Hadad asked him, “What did Elisha tell you?” Hazael replied, “He told me you would surely recover.” 15 The next day Hazael took a piece of cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over Ben Hadad’s face until he died. Then Hazael replaced him as king.

亞蘭軍棄營逃命

3在城門那裏有四個長大痲瘋的人，他們彼此說：「我們為何坐在這裏等死呢？ 4我們若說，進城去吧！城裏有饑荒，必死在那裏；若在這裏坐着不動，也必是死。來吧，我們去投降亞蘭人的軍隊，他們若留我們的活命，就活着；若殺我們，就死了吧！」 5黃昏的時候，他們起來往亞蘭人的營盤去；到了營邊，不見一人在那裏。 6因為主使亞蘭人的軍隊聽見車馬的聲音，是大軍的聲音；他們就彼此說：「這必是以色列王賄買赫人的諸王和埃及人的諸王來攻擊我們。」 7所以，在黃昏的時候他們起來逃跑，撇下帳棚、馬、驢，營盤照舊，只顧逃命。 8那些長大痲瘋的到了營邊，進了帳棚，吃了喝了，且從其中拿出金銀和衣服來，去收藏了；回來又進了一座帳棚，從其中拿出財物來去收藏了。

9那時，他們彼此說：「我們所做的不好！今日是有好信息的日子，我們竟不作聲！若等到天亮，罪必臨到我們。來吧，我們與王家報信去！」 10他們就去叫守城門的，告訴他們說：「我們到了亞蘭人的營，不見一人在那裏，也無人聲，只有拴着的馬和驢，帳棚都照舊。」 11守城門的叫了眾守門的人來，他們就進去與王家報信。 12王夜間起來，對臣僕說：「我告訴你們亞蘭人向我們如何行。他們知道我們飢餓，所以離營，埋伏在田野，說：『以色列人出城的時候，我們就活捉他們，得以進城。』」 13有一個臣僕對王說：「我們不如用城裏剩下之馬中的五匹馬（馬和城裏剩下的以色列人都是一樣，快要滅絕），打發人去窺探。」 14於是取了兩輛車和馬，王差人去追尋亞蘭軍，說：「你們去窺探窺探。」 15他們就追尋到約旦河，看見滿道上都是亞蘭人急跑時丟棄的衣服器具，使者就回來報告王。

16眾人就出去，擄掠亞蘭人的營盤。於是一細亞細麵賣銀一舍客勒，二細亞大麥也賣銀一舍客勒，正如耶和華所說的。 17王派攙扶他的那軍長在城門口彈壓，眾人在那裏將他踐踏，他就死了，正如神人在王下來見他的時候所說的。 18神人曾對王說：「明日約到這時候，在撒馬利亞城門口，二細亞大麥要賣銀一舍客勒，一細亞細麵也要賣銀一舍客勒。」 19那軍長對神人說：「即便耶和華使天開了窗戶，也不能有這事。」神人說：「你必親眼看見，卻不得吃。」 20這話果然應驗在他身上；因為眾人在城門口將他踐踏，他就死了。

3 Now four men with a skin disease were sitting at the entrance of the city gate. They said to one another, “Why are we just sitting here waiting to die? 4 If we go into the city, we’ll die of starvation, and if we stay here we’ll die! So come on, let’s defect to the Syrian camp! If they spare us, we’ll live; if they kill us – well, we were going to die anyway.” 5 So they started toward the Syrian camp at dusk. When they reached the edge of the Syrian camp, there was no one there. 6 The Lord had caused the Syrian camp to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a large army. Then they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has paid the kings of the Hittites and Egypt to attack us!” 7 So they got up and fled at dusk, leaving behind their tents, horses, and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives. 8 When the men with a skin disease reached the edge of the camp, they entered a tent and had a meal. They also took some silver, gold, and clothes and went and hid it all. Then they went back and entered another tent. They looted it and went and hid what they had taken. 9 Then they said to one another, “It’s not right what we’re doing! This is a day to celebrate, but we haven’t told anyone. If we wait until dawn, we’ll be punished. So come on, let’s go and inform the royal palace.” 10 So they went and called out to the gatekeepers of the city. They told them, “We entered the Syrian camp and there was no one there. We didn’t even hear a man’s voice. But the horses and donkeys are still tied up, and the tents remain up.” 11 The gatekeepers relayed the news to the royal palace.

12 The king got up in the night and said to his advisers, “I will tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know we are starving, so they left the camp and hid in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and enter the city.’” 13 One of his advisers replied, “Pick some men and have them take five of the horses that are left in the city. (Even if they are killed, their fate will be no different than that of all the Israelite people – we’re all going to die!) Let’s send them out so we can know for sure what’s going on.” 14 So they picked two horsemen and the king sent them out to track the Syrian army. He ordered them, “Go and find out what’s going on.” 15 So they tracked them as far as the Jordan. The road was filled with clothes and equipment that the Syrians had discarded in their haste. The scouts went back and told the king. 16 Then the people went out and looted the Syrian camp. A seah of finely milled flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, just as the Lord had said they would.

17 Now the king had placed the officer who was his right-hand man at the city gate. When the people rushed out, they trampled him to death in the gate. This fulfilled the prophet’s word which he had spoken when the king tried to arrest him. 18 The prophet told the king, “Two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel, and a seah of finely milled flour for a shekel; this will happen about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria.” 19 But the officer replied to the prophet, “Look, even if the Lord made it rain by opening holes in the sky, could this happen so soon?” Elisha said, “Look, you will see it happen with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of the food!” 20 This is exactly what happened to him. The people trampled him to death in the city gate.