The Recovery of the Ax Head
1 One day the group of prophets that Elisha was in charge of complained to him, “The place where we live is too small! 2 Give us permission to go to the Jordan and cut down some trees, so that we can build a place to live.”
“All right,” Elisha answered.
3 One of them urged him to go with them; he agreed, 4 and they set out together. When they arrived at the Jordan, they began to work. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, suddenly his iron ax head fell in the water. “What shall I do, sir?” he exclaimed to Elisha. “It was a borrowed ax!”
6 “Where did it fall?” Elisha asked.
The man showed him the place, and Elisha cut off a stick, threw it in the water, and made the ax head float. 7 “Take it out,” he ordered, and the man reached down and picked it up.
The Syrian Army Is Defeated
8 The king of Syria was at war with Israel. He consulted his officers and chose a place to set up his camp. 9 But Elisha sent word to the king of Israel, warning him not to go near that place, because the Syrians were waiting in ambush there. 10 So the king of Israel warned the people who lived in that place, and they were on guard. This happened several times.
11 The 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?”
12 One 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, 14 he sent a large force there with horses and chariots. They reached the town at night and surrounded it. 15 Early 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.” 17 Then 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 around Elisha.
18 When the Syrians attacked, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, strike these men blind!” The Lord answered his prayer and struck them blind. 19 Then Elisha went to them and said, “You are on the wrong road; this is not the town you are looking for. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are after.” And he led them to Samaria.
20 As soon as they had entered the city, Elisha prayed, “Open their eyes, Lord, and let them see.” The Lord answered his prayer; he restored their sight, and they saw that they were inside Samaria.
21 When the king of Israel saw the Syrians, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, sir? Shall I kill them?”
22 “No,” he answered. “Not even soldiers you had captured in combat would you put to death. Give them something to eat and drink, and let them return to their king.” 23 So the king of Israel provided a great feast for them; and after they had eaten and drunk, he sent them back to the king of Syria. From then on the Syrians stopped raiding the land of Israel.
The Siege of Samaria
24 Some time later King Benhadad of Syria led his entire army against Israel and laid siege to the city of Samaria. 25 As a result of the siege the food shortage in the city was so severe that a donkey's head cost eighty pieces of silver, and half a pound of dove's dung cost five pieces of silver.
26 The king of Israel was walking by on the city wall when a woman cried out, “Help me, Your Majesty!”
27 He replied, “If the Lord won't help you, what help can I provide? Do I have any wheat or wine? 28 What's your trouble?”
She answered, “The other day this woman here suggested that we eat my child, and then eat her child the next day. 29 So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I told her that we would eat her son, but she had hidden him!”
30 Hearing this, the king tore his clothes in dismay, and the people who were close to the wall could see that he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes. 31 He exclaimed, “May God strike me dead if Elisha is not beheaded before the day is over!” 32 And he sent a messenger to get Elisha.
Meanwhile Elisha was at home with some elders who were visiting him. Before the king's messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “That murderer is sending someone to kill me! Now, when he gets here, shut the door and don't let him come in. The king himself will be right behind him.” 33 He had hardly finished saying this, when the king arrived and said, “It's the Lord who has brought this trouble on us! Why should I wait any longer for him to do something?”
Okutendeza kwekuva
1 Eyuva rimwe okambumba kovaprofete ku ka ri kehi yondjeverero ya Elisa ke mu unaunina nake tja: “Poṋa pu twa tura opaṱiṱi tjinene! 2 Tu esa tu yende kOjordan okukakonda omiti tjiva kutja tu tunge poṋa pu matu tura.”
Elisa wa zira a tja: “Osemba!”
3 Umwe wawo we mu ningira kutja a yende puna wo; eye wa itavera, 4 nowo otji va ya pamwe. Nu tji ve ya kOjordan, otji va uta okuungura. 5 Umwe wawo ngunda ama ke omuti, kamanga ekuva re ra hukuka nari wire momeva. Eye wa ravaera ku Elisa na tja: “Hi tjite vi, muhona? Ekuva ndi ra yazemwa!”
6 Elisa wa pura na tja: “Ra wire pi?”
Omurumendu we mu raisira poṋa pu ra wira; nu Elisa wa konda okati ne ke yumbu momeva na tjiti kutja ekuva ri tendeze. 7 Elisa wa rakiza na tja: “Nana ekuva momeva!” Nomurumendu we ri kambura ne ri nana.
Otjimbumba tjOvasirie tjovita matji haverwa
8 Ombara ya Sirie ya ri novita kuna Israel. Oyo ya pura kovahongore vayo nai toorora oruveze pu mai ziki ozondanda zayo. 9 Nungwari Elisa wa hinda ombuze kombara ya Israel okuironga kutja ai ha i popezu nopoṋa mbo, orondu Ovasirie aave i undjire mbo motutatwa. 10 Ombara ya Israel otji ya ronga ovarumendu, mba tura moṋa mo, nowo ave tjevere. Ihi tja tjitwa povikando ovingi.
11 Ombara ya Sirie ya nyengwa otjiṋa hi tjinene, oyo ya isana ovahongore vayo nai ve pura ai tja: “Owaṋi pu eṋe ngu ri komunda wombara yOvaisrael?”
12 Umwe wawo wa zira a tja: “Kape na umwe, muhona ombara! Nungwari omuprofete Elisa ongu raera ombara ya Israel nandarire imbi mbi u rihungirira metuwo roye omuini.”
13 Ombara ya rakiza nai tja: “Konḓononeye koṋa ke ri, nami me kemukambura.”
Oyo tji ya raerwa kutja Elisa u ri mOdotan, 14 otji ya hinda otjimbumba otjinene koṋa ngo noukambe nomatemba wovita. Owo va kavaza kotjihuro ouṱuku nave tji kovere. 15 Menyunguhuka rependukirwa omukarere wa Elisa wa penduka, a piti mondjuwo na munu otjimbumba tjOvasirie tjovita noukambe nomatemba wawo wovita ava kovere otjihuro. Eye wa yaruka ku Elisa na ravaere a tja: “Owee ku eṱe, muhona! Matu tjiti vi?”
16 Elisa wa zira a tja: “O tira! Tu novandu ovengi komunda wetu pu wo.” 17 Elisa wa kumba na tja: “Muhona paturura omeho womukarere wandje kutja a mune!” Muhona wa zuvira ongumbiro ye, nomukarere wa Elisa wa yera omeho na munu ondundu ndje ura noukambe nomatemba wovita womuriro mbya kovere Elisa.
18 NOvasirie tji va rauka okurwisa Elisa, eye wa kumba na tja: “Muhona, poṱuparisa ovarumendu mba!” Muhona wa zuvira ongumbiro ye ne ve poṱuparisa. 19 Tjazumba Elisa otja ya ku wo na tja: “Eṋe mu ri mondjira yoposyo; otjihuro hi katjo tji mamu paha. Ndji kongorereye, nami me mu twara komurumendu ngu mamu paha.” Neye we ve hongorera kOsamaria.
20 Nowo tji va hita motjihuro, Elisa wa kumba na tja: “Paturura omeho wawo, Muhona, kutja ve mune.” Muhona wa zuvira ongumbiro ye; eye wa paturura omeho wawo, nowo va muna kutja ve ri moukoto wa Samaria.
21 Ombara ya Israel tji ya muna Ovasirie otji ya pura ku Elisa nai tja: “Hi ve zepe, muhona? Hi ve zepe?”
22 Elisa wa zira na tja: “Kako! Nandarire ovarwe wovita imba mbu mwa huura amu zepa ko. Ve peye otjiṋa okurya nokunwa, nu ve eseye kutja ve yaruke kombara ya Sirie.” 23 Ombara ya Israel otji ye ve zepera omukandi omunene; nowo tji va za nokurya nokunwa, otji ye ve hinda ve yaruke kombara ya Sirie. Okuzambo Ovasirie otji va isa okurwisa ehi rOvaisrael.
Omakoverero wa Samaria
24 Kombunda yanao Benhadad, ombara ya Sirie, wa hongorera otjimbumba tje atjihe tjovita okukarwisa Ovaisrael na kakovera otjihuro tja Samaria. 25 Mena romakoverero nga ondjara motjihuro ya rira onḓeu tjinene, nga otjiuru tjokasino tjaa tji randwa kovimariva ovisilveri omirongo hambondatu, nozoseu ozograma omayovi yevari aaze randwa kovimariva ovisilveri vitano.
26 Ombara ya Israel ngunda amai ryanga korumbo rwotjihuro, otji pa ravaera omukazendu na tja: “Ndji vatera, muhona ombara!”
27 Ombara ya zira nai tja: “Muhona tje hi nokukuvatera, ami me ku vatere na tjike? Onovikurya poo onomavinu? 28 U noumba watjike?”
Omukazendu wa zira na tja: “Eyuva rimwe omukazendu ngwi wa hungira kutja tu rye okanatje kandje, tjazumba mependukirwa tu rye inga oke. 29 Otji twa tereka okanatje kandje natu ri. Mependukirwa otji mbe mu raera kutja tu rye inga oke okazandu; nungwari eye we ke horeka!”
30 Ombara tji ya zuva otjiṋa hi, ya nyondorora ozombanda zayo; novandu, mba ri popezu norumbo va muna kutja oyo ya zara ovipiriko kehi yozombanda zayo. 31 Oyo ya ura nai tja: “Ndjambi nge ndji zepe, Elisa tje ha konderwe otjiuru eyuva ngunda ari hiya hita!” 32 Ombara ya hinda omutumwa okukaeta Elisa.
Elisa tjandje wa ri ponganda puna ovanene tjiva mbe ere okumuvarura. Omuhindwa wombara ngunda e hiya vaza, Elisa wa tja nai kovanene: “Omuzepe ngo wa hindi omundu okundjizepa. Nambano eye tje ya mba, pateye omuvero, namu mu yandjere ko kutja a hite. Indji ombara oini i ri popezu kombunda ye.” 33 Elisa ngunda e hiya mana okuhungira omambo nga, ombara ye ya nai tja: “Muhona ongwa eta oumba mbwi kombanda yetu! Me uhara ame undjire tjike orure kutja Muhona a tjite otjiṋa?”
