⁸The king of Syria was at war with Israel. He consulted his officers and chose a place to set up his camp. ⁹But Elisha sent word to the king of Israel, warning him not to go near that place, because the Syrians were waiting in ambush there. ¹⁰So the king of Israel warned the people who lived in that place, and they were on guard. This happened several times.

¹¹The Syrian king became greatly upset over this; he called in his officers and asked them, “Which one of you is on the side of the king of Israel?”

¹²One of them answered, “No one is, Your Majesty. The prophet Elisha tells the king of Israel what you say even in the privacy of your own room.”

¹³“Find out where he is,” the king ordered, “and I will capture him.”

When he was told that Elisha was in Dothan, ¹⁴he sent a large force there with horses and chariots. They reached the town at night and surrounded it. ¹⁵Early the next morning Elisha’s servant got up, went out of the house, and saw the Syrian troops with their horses and chariots surrounding the town. He went back to Elisha and exclaimed, “We are doomed, sir! What shall we do?”

¹⁶“Don’t be afraid,” Elisha answered. “We have more on our side than they have on theirs.” ¹⁷Then he prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord answered his prayer, and Elisha’s servant looked up and saw the hillside covered with horses and chariots of fire all round Elisha.

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