1The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See now, the place where we dwell before you is too small for us.
1以利沙把斧頭浮上來眾先知門徒對以利沙說：“請看，我們在你面前居住的那一個地方，對我們來說實在是太窄小了。
2Please let us go to the Jordan, and every man take a beam from there, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell.” He answered, “Go!”
2請你讓我們到約旦河，每人從那裡取一根木頭，我們要在那裡為自己建造一個地方居住。”以利沙說：“你們去吧！”
3One said, “Please be pleased to go with your servants.” He answered, “I will go.”
3有一個門徒說：“請你和你的僕人們一起去。”他說：“我會去的。”
4So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.
4他就和他們同去。他們到了約旦河，就砍伐樹木。
5But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water. Then he cried, and said, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.”
5有一個門徒砍伐木頭的時候，斧頭掉到水裡去了。他就喊著說：“慘啦！我主啊，這斧頭是借回來的。”
6The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” He showed him the place. He cut down a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron float.
6神人說：“掉在哪裡呢？”於是他把那地點指給他看。他砍了一根木頭，丟在那裡，那斧頭就浮上來了。
7He said, “Take it.” So he put out his hand and took it.
7以利沙說：“你自己拿上來吧。”他就伸手把它拿住了。
8Now the king of Syria was warring against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”
8以利沙洩露亞蘭王的計謀亞蘭王與以色列人打仗，他和他的臣僕商議，說：“我要在某處某處埋伏。”
9The man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you not pass such a place; for the Syrians are coming down there.”
9神人就差派人去見以色列王說：“你要小心，不要經過這個地方，因為亞蘭人在那裡埋伏。”
10The king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once nor twice.
10以色列王派人到那地方，就是神人曾告訴他，警告他的，他就在那裡小心防範；這樣不止一兩次。
11The heart of the king of Syria was very troubled about this. He called his servants, and said to them, “Won’t you show me which of us is for the king of Israel?”
11亞蘭王因為這事心中大感困惑，他召了他的臣僕來，對他們說：“在我們中間有誰幫助以色列王，你們不告訴我嗎？”
12One of his servants said, “No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”
12他的一位臣僕說：“我主我王啊！不是的；只不過是以色列的以利沙先知，把你在你臥室內所說的話，告知了以色列王。”
13He said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” It was told him, saying, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”
13於是王說：“你們去看看他在哪裡，我要派人把他捉住。”有人告訴他說：“看哪！他正在多坍。”
14Therefore he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. They came by night, and surrounded the city.
14亞蘭人圍困多坍他就差派車馬和一大隊軍兵往那裡去，他們在夜間抵達，圍困那城。
15When the servant of the man of God had risen early, and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was around the city. His servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
15神人的侍從清早起來，走出屋子，看見軍隊、車馬圍住了城。神人的僕人對神人說：“慘啦，我主啊！我們怎樣辦才好呢？”
16He answered, “Don’t be afraid; for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
16神人說：“不要懼怕，因為和我們在一起的比和他們在一起的更多。”
17Elisha prayed, and said, “Yahweh, please open his eyes, that he may see.” Yahweh opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha.
17以利沙禱告，說：“耶和華啊！請你打開他的眼睛，使他能看見。”於是耶和華打開了僕人的眼睛，他就看見；看哪！那山上布滿了火馬火車，圍繞著以利沙。
18When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
18亞蘭人下來攻擊以利沙，以利沙就禱告耶和華，說：“求你擊打這民族，使他們瞎眼。”於是耶和華擊打他們，使他們瞎眼，正如以利沙所說的。
19Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” He led them to Samaria.
19以利沙對他們說：“這不是那條路，這邊不是那座城；你們跟著我來，我要把你們領到你們要尋找的人那裡。”於是他把他們領到撒瑪利亞。
20It happened, when they had come into Samaria, that Elisha said, “Yahweh, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” Yahweh opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
20誘敵入京城並善待他們他們進入撒瑪利亞的時候，以利沙就說：“耶和華啊！求你開這些人的眼睛，使他們能看見。”於是耶和華開了他們的眼睛，他們就看見了。看哪！他們竟是在撒瑪利亞城中。
21The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, “My father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?”
21以色列王看見他們，就對以利沙說：“我父啊，我可以擊殺他們嗎？”
22He answered, “You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.”
22以利沙說：“你不可擊殺他們。你可以擊殺你自己用刀用弓擄回來的人嗎？你要在他們面前擺上食物和水，給他們吃喝，然後回到他們的主人那裡去。”
23He prepared great feast for them. When they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. The bands of Syria stopped raiding the land of Israel.
23於是王為他們預備盛大的宴會；他們吃喝完了，王打發他們離去，他們就回到他們的主人那裡去了。從此，亞蘭的軍隊不再侵犯以色列地了。
24It happened after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.
24亞蘭王圍困撒瑪利亞後來，亞蘭王便．哈達徵召他全部的軍隊上來圍困撒瑪利亞。
25There was a great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.
25於是撒瑪利亞發生了極大的饑荒，敵軍繼續包圍，以致一個驢頭要賣九百克銀子，兩百克的鴿子糞也值六十克銀子。
26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!”
26以色列王在城牆上經過時，有一個婦人向他呼求說：“我主我王啊，救救我！”
27He said, “If Yahweh doesn’t help you, from where could I help you? From of the threshing floor, or from the winepress?”
27他說：“如果耶和華不救你，我又從哪裡救你？是從打穀場，或是從榨酒池呢？”
28The king said to her, “What ails you?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’
28王對她說：“到底有甚麼事呢？”她說：“這婦人對我說：‘把你的兒子交出來，今日我們好把他吃了；明天我們可以吃我的兒子。’
29So we boiled my son, and ate him: and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him;’ and she has hidden her son.”
29於是我們把我的兒子煮了，把他吃了。第二日，我對她說：‘把你的兒子交出來，我們好把他吃了。’她卻把她的兒子收藏起來。”
30It happened, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes (now he was passing by on the wall); and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth underneath on his flesh.
30王起誓要殺以利沙王聽見那婦人的話，就撕裂衣服，他當時正在城牆上，人民都看見他；看哪，他裡面貼身穿著的是件麻衣。
31Then he said, “God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stay on him this day.”
31他說：“如果今日沙法的兒子以利沙的頭仍留在他身上，願 神懲罰我，而且加倍懲罰我。”
32But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Then the king sent a man from before him; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Behold, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door shut against him. Isn’t the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”
32那時，以利沙正坐在自己的屋子裡，眾長老也和他坐在一起。王差派一個在他面前侍立的人去，那使者去到以利沙那裡以前，以利沙對眾長老說：“你們看這兇手之子派人來取我的首級。你們留意那使者來到的時候，你們要把門關上，把他擋在門外。他主人的腳步聲不是在他後面嗎？”
33While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, “Behold, this evil is from Yahweh. Why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?”
33他和眾長老還在說話的時候，看哪，王（“王”原文作“使者”）就下到他那裡，說：“看哪，這災禍是從耶和華來的，我為甚麼還仰望耶和華呢？”