Elisha Makes an Ax Head Float
1 One day the prophets said to Elisha, “The place where we meet with you is too small. 2 Why don't we build a new meeting place near the Jordan River? Each of us could get some wood, then we could build it.”
“That's a good idea,” Elisha replied, “get started.”
3 “Aren't you going with us?” one of the prophets asked.
“Yes, I'll go,” Elisha answered, 4 and he left with them.
They went to the Jordan River and began chopping down trees. 5 While one of the prophets was working, his ax head fell off and dropped into the water. “Oh!” he shouted. “Sir, I borrowed this ax.”
6 “Where did it fall in?” Elisha asked. The prophet pointed to the place, and Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. The ax head floated to the top of the water.
7 “Now get it,” Elisha told him. And the prophet reached in and grabbed it.
Elisha Stops an Invasion of the Syrian Army
8 Time after time, when the king of Syria was at war against the Israelites, he met with his officers and announced, “I've decided where we will set up camp.”
9 Each time, Elisha would send this warning to the king of Israel: “Don't go near there. That's where the Syrian troops have set up camp.” 10 So the king would warn the Israelite troops in that place to be on guard.
11 The king of Syria was furious when he found out what was happening. He called in his officers and asked, “Which one of you has been telling the king of Israel our plans?”
12 “None of us, Your Majesty,” one of them answered. “It's an Israelite named Elisha. He's a prophet, so he can tell his king everything—even what you say in your own room.”
13 “Find out where he is!” the king ordered. “I'll send soldiers to bring him here.”
They learned that Elisha was in the town of Dothan and reported it to the king. 14 He ordered his best troops to go there with horses and chariots. They marched out during the night and surrounded the town.
15 When Elisha's servant got up the next morning, he saw that Syrian troops had the town surrounded. “Sir, what are we going to do?” he asked.
16 “Don't be afraid,” Elisha answered. “There are more troops on our side than on theirs.” 17 Then he prayed, “Lord, please help him to see.” And the Lord let the servant see that the hill was covered with fiery horses and flaming chariots all around Elisha.
18 As the Syrian army came closer, Elisha prayed, “Lord, make those soldiers blind!” And the Lord blinded them with a bright light.
19 Elisha told the enemy troops, “You've taken the wrong road and are in the wrong town. Follow me. I'll lead you to the man you're looking for.” Elisha led them straight to the capital city of Samaria.
20 When all the soldiers were inside the city, Elisha prayed, “Lord, now let them see again.” The Lord let them see that they were standing in the middle of Samaria.
21 The king of Israel saw them and asked Elisha, “Should I kill them, sir?”
22 “No!” Elisha answered. “You didn't capture these troops in battle, so you have no right to kill them. Instead, give them something to eat and drink and let them return to their leader.”
23 The king ordered a huge meal to be prepared for Syria's army, and when they finished eating, he let them go.
For a while, the Syrian troops stopped invading Israel's territory.
King Benhadad of Syria Attacks Samaria
24 Some time later, King Benhadad of Syria called his entire army together, then they marched to Samaria and attacked. 25 They kept up the attack until there was nothing to eat in the city. In fact, a donkey's head cost 80 pieces of silver, and a small bowl of pigeon droppings cost 5 pieces of silver.
26 One day as the king of Israel was walking along the top of the city wall, a woman shouted to him, “Please, Your Majesty, help me!”
27 “Let the Lord help you!” the king said. “Do you think I have grain or wine to give you?” 28 Then he asked, “What's the matter anyway?”
The woman answered, “Another woman and I were so hungry that we agreed to eat our sons. She said if we ate my son one day, we could eat hers the next day. 29 So yesterday we cooked my son and ate him. But today when I went to her house to eat her son, she had hidden him.”
30 The king tore off his clothes in sorrow, and since he was on top of the city wall, the people saw that he was wearing sackcloth underneath. 31 He said, “I pray that God will punish me terribly, if Elisha's head is still on his shoulders by this time tomorrow.” 32 Then he sent a messenger to Elisha.
Elisha was home at the time, and the important leaders of Israel were meeting with him. Even before the king's messenger arrived, Elisha told the leaders, “That murderer is sending someone to cut off my head. When you see him coming, shut the door and don't let him in. I'm sure the king himself will be right behind him.”
33 Before Elisha finished talking, the messenger came up and said, “The Lord has made all these terrible things happen to us. Why should I think he will help us now?”
Elisab ge ǃōsa ǁgam-i ai ra ǀnarema kai
1 ǀGuitsē gu ge kēbo-aoga Elisab ǃoa ge mî: “Nē ǃkhais sats ǃnaka ge ǁîs ai hâs ge a ǂō. 2 A ge Jordanni ǁga ǃgû, î ge haide sī ǁhāǁnâ tsî ǁanǃkhai-e ombasen.”
Ob ge Elisaba “ǂHanu a” ti ge ǃeream.
3 ǀGuib ǁîgu dib ge saob nîsa a ǂgaoǀkhā bi, ob ge māsen 4 tsî ǁîgu ǀkha ge ǃgû. Jordanni tawa gu ge sī, o gu ge haide ge ǁhāǁnâtsoatsoa. 5 Haisab ra ǁhāǁnâ hîas ge ǀguib di ǃōsa ǁgam-i ǃnâ ge ǁnā. Ob ge ǁîba Elisab ǃoa “ǃGôahesatse, ǀkhupi ta go hâ i ǃōs ge, o mâti ta nî dī?” ti ge mî.
6 “Mâpas go ǁnā?” tib ge Elisaba ge dî bi.
Khoeb ge ǃkhaisa a ǁgau bi, ob ge Elisaba haiba ǁhāǁnâ tsî ǁnāpa ǁgam-i ǃnâ ge aoǂgā, os ge ǃōsa ǁgam-i ai ge ǀnarema. 7 “Ūǂui” tib ge Elisaba a mî, ob ge ǃgamǃgâ tsî ǁîsa ge ūǂui.
Siriaǁîn toroǂnubis ge ra danhe
8 Siriab di gao-aob ge Israeli ǃoagu gere torodī. ǁÎb ge ǂamkhoegu âb ǀkhab ǁnâugu hâ ǃkhaib tawa hâǃkhaib âba ge ǂnaumâi. 9 Ob ge kēbo-aob Elisaba Israeli gao-aoba ge haisiba, îb tā ǁnā ǃkhaib tawa sī, Siriaǁîgu ǁnāpa ǃâuǁgoe bi hâ xui-ao. 10 Ob ge Israeli gao-aoba ǁnā ǃkhais, Elisab go mîba bis di khoena ge ǃkhâikhom, în ǂanbasen. Nē ǃkhais ge ǃnākorobe gere ī.
11 Siriab gao-aob ge nē ǃkhais xa kaise ǂkhîoǃnâ tsî ǂamkhoegu âba ǂgai tsî ǁîga ge dî: “Tarib sago diba Israeli gao-aob ai ra ǀanaǃgâ ge?”
12 Ob ge ǀguib ǁîgu diba ge ǃeream: “ǃGôahesatse, sige di ǀgui tamab ge, xawe kēbo-aob Elisab ge Israeli gao-aoba mîts ra xūna, sa ǁomǃnâ-oms ǃnâ ǀguits ga mî, xawes tsîna ra ǂanǂan.”
13 “Mâpab hâsa ǂanǂui, î ta sī ǃkhō kai bi” tib ge gao-aoba ge mîmā.
Dotans ǃnâb Elisaba hâ ǃkhaisab ge mîbahe, 14 ob ge kai toroǂnubisa, hān tsî torokunidi ǀkha ge sî. ǁÎn ge tsuxuba ǃās tawa sī tsî ǁîsa ge ǃnamiǂgā. 15 Sao ra tsēs ǃnauǁgoagab ge Elisab ǃgāba khâimâ tsîb ge omsa xu a ǂoaxa, o Siriab toroǂnubis, hān tsî torokunidi ǀkha ǃāsa ǃnamiǂgā hâ ǃkhaisa ge mû. Ob ge Elisab tawa sī tsî “Ae, ǃgôahesatse, tare-e da nî dī?” ti ge mî.
16 Ob ge Elisaba “Tā ǃao, sada ǀkha hân, ǁîgu ǀkha hân xa a ǃnāsa xuige” ti ge ǃeream. 17 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge ge ǀgore: “ǃKhūtse, mûra âba khowa re, îb mû ǁkhā.” Ob ge ǃKhūba Elisab ǀgoresa ge ǁnâu-am tsîb ge ǃgāb âba ge mû ǁkhā tsîb ge hān tsî ǀaexa torokunidi tsîna Elisab ǂnamipe hâ ǃhomgu ai ge mû.
18 Siriaǁîgu ge ǁgôaxaǃgâ bi, ob ge Elisaba “ǃKhūtse, nē khoega toxopa ǂgī kai re” ti ge ǀgore. Ob ge ǃKhūba ǁîb ǀgoresa ǁnâu-am tsî ǁîga ge ǂgī kai. 19 Ob ge Elisaba ǁîgu ǁga ge mî: “Nēb ge ǂhanu dao tamaba. Nēs ge ǁîsa go ra ôa ǃā tamasa. Tita sao, o ta ge ǁîba go ra ôa khoeb ǁga nî ǂgaeǂgui go.” Tsîb ge ǁîga Samarias ǁga ge ǂgaeǂgui.
20 Samarias ǃnâ gu ge sī, ob ge Elisaba ge ǀgore: “ǃKhūtse nē khoegu mûde khowa re, î gu mû ǁkhā.” ǃKhūb ge ǀgoresa ge ǁnâu-am tsî gu ge ǁkhawa ge mû ǁkhā, o gu ge Samarias ǃnâ gu hâ ǃkhaisa ge mû.
21 Israeli gao-aob ge ǁîgab ge mûo “ǃGam ta nî ǁîga, ǃgôahesatse, ǃgam ta nî ǁîga?” ti Elisaba ge dî.
22 Ob ge ǁîba “Tā ǁîga ǃgam. ǃKhammi ǃnâts ge ǃkhōsabese ū toroǃkhamaogu tsînats kom ǃgam tamao. ǁÎga ǂû tsî gu nî ā xū-e mā, î ǂûtoa gu kao ǁîgu di gao-aob ǁga sî-oa.” 23 Tsîb ge Israeli gao-aoba ǁîga kai ǂûǁare-e dība, tsî ǂû tsî gu ge ātoas khaoǃgâ Siriab gao-aob ǁga ge sî-oa. ǁNā ǁaeba xu gu ge Siriaǁîga ǁkhawa Israel ǃnâ hā tama ge i.
Siriab toroǂnubis ge Samariasa ra ǃnamiǂgā
24 ǀNî ǃnā-eb ge Siriab gao-aob Benhadada, ǁîb toroǂnubis hoasa ǂgaikhâi tsî Samarias ǁga ǃgû tsî ǁîsa sī ge ǃnamiǂgā. 25 Nē ǃnamiǂgās ge kai ǃâtsūǀkhāb ge Samarias ǃnâ hâ ǃkhaisa ge ǃaroma. ǂÛǀorosib ge kaise ge kai tsîs ge dâukidanasa ǀgui kiloxrammi ǀhaiǀuriba tsî ǂkhari xaparos ǂnabuxauba korodisihûǀa kiloxramgu ǀhaiǀuriba gere ǂgan.
26 Israeli gao-aob ǂnubiǂgoab ai ǃgûgaru, hîa i ge tara-e “Gao-aotse, toxopa hui te re” ti ge ǂgai.
27 Ob ge ǁîba ge dî: “ǃKhūb ga hui si tama io, mâpa xu ta tita nî hui si ǁkhā? ǃHoro-i kas, draibe-i kas hoasa ū ta hâ? 28 Tare ǃgomsi-es ūhâ?”
Os ge ǁîsa ge ǃeream: “Nē taras ge nautsē tita ǃoa ge mî, îm ti ôaba ǂû tsî ǁnās khaoǃgâ sao ra tsē ǁîs diba ǂû. 29 Om ge ti ôaba sâi tsî ge ǂû, xawe sao ra tsēs ai ta ge sa ôaba hā-ū, îm ǁîb tsîna ǂû ti a mî, os ge ǁîs ôaba ge sâu.”
30 Nē ǃkhaisab ge ǁnâu, ob ge gao-aoba saran âba ge ǀkhau tsîn ge ǀgūse ge hâ i khoena, saran âb ǃnakab ǃoab sarana ana hâ ǃkhaisa ge mû. 31 Ob ge ǁîba ge ǂgaiǂui: “Ab Eloba ǃgam te, Safati ôab, Elisab danas ga nētsē ǁhāǁnâhe tama io.” 32 Tsîb ge sîsabeba ge sî, îb Elisaba sī ūhe.
Elisab ge ǂgaeǂgui-aogu ǀkha ǁîb oms ǃnâ ge ǂnôa i. Tsîb ge ǁîba gao-aob sîsabeb noxopa hā tama hîa ǁîga ǃoa ge mî: “Nē ǃgamaob ge ti danasab hā nî ǁhāǁnâga khoeba go sî. ǁÎb ga nēpa a hā, o dao-amsa ǂganam, îb tā ǂgâxa; gao-aob ǂûb ǁîba saoǃgoaxa xuige.”
33 Noxopab ǁîgu ǀkha ra ǃhoa hîab ge gao-aoba hā tsî ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “ǃKhūb ge nē ǂōǂōsiba sida ǂama go hā-ū. Tare-i ǃaroma ta noxopa hui dab nîga ǃKhūba nî ǃâu?”
