2 Kings 6:8–23

The Arameans Plot to Capture Elisha

⁸Now the king of Aram was warring against Israel; and he ¹counseled with his servants saying, “In such and such a place shall be my camp.”

^9aThe man of God sent word to the king of Israel saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Arameans are coming down there.”

¹⁰The king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God had told him; thus he warned him, so that he guarded himself there, ¹more than once or twice.

¹¹Now the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?”

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.”

¹³So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and take him.” And it was told him, saying, “Behold, he is in ^aDothan.”

¹⁴He sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

¹⁵Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! ¹What shall we do?”

¹⁶So he ¹answered, “^aDo not fear, for ^bthose who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

¹⁷Then Elisha prayed and said, “^aO Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of ^bhorses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

¹⁸When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Strike this ¹people with blindness, I pray.” So He ^astruck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

¹⁹Then Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, nor is this the city; follow me and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he brought them to Samaria.

²⁰When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “O ^aLord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

²¹Then the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, “^aMy father, shall I ¹kill them? Shall I kill them?”

²²He ¹answered, “You shall not ²kill them. Would you ^akill those you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? ^bSet bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.”

²³So he prepared a great feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk he sent them away, and they went to their master. And ^athe marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel.