1 Toe sê El¡sa: Hoor die woord van die HERE! So spreek die HERE: M"re omtrent sulke tyd sal 'n maat fynmeel 'n sikkel, en twee mate gars 'n sikkel kos in die poort van Samar¡a.
2 Maar die adjudant op wie se arm die koning geleun het, antwoord die man van God en sê: Al maak die HERE ook vensters in die hemel, sou dit kan gebeur? En hy sê: Kyk, jy sal dit met jou oë sien, maar nie daarvan eet nie.
3 En daar was vier melaatse manne by die ingang van die poort; hulle het die een vir die ander gesê: Wat bly ons hier totdat ons sterwe?
4 As ons sê: Laat ons in die stad ingaan -- aangesien daar hongersnood in die stad is -- sal ons daar sterwe; en as ons hier bly, sal ons sterwe; kom dan nou en laat ons oorloop na die laer van die Arameërs. As hulle ons laat lewe, dan bly ons lewe; en as hulle ons doodmaak, dan sterwe ons.
5 En hulle het klaargemaak in die aandskemer om in die laer van die Arameërs in te gaan; maar toe hulle aan die buitekant van die laer van die Arameërs kom, was daar niemand nie.
6 Want die HERE het die leër van die Arameërs 'n gedruis van waens en 'n gedruis van perde, 'n gedruis van 'n groot leërmag laat hoor, sodat hulle die een vir die ander gesê het: Kyk, die koning van Israel het die konings van die Hetiete en die konings van die Egiptenaars teen ons gehuur om ons te oorval.
7 Daarom het hulle in die skemer klaargemaak en gevlug, maar hulle tente en perde en esels, die laer soos dit was, in die steek gelaat; en hulle het vir hul lewe gevlug.
8 En toe daardie melaatse manne by die kant van die laer kom, het hulle een tent binnegegaan en geëet en gedrink en daar silwer en goud en klere uit weggeneem en dit gaan begrawe. Daarna het hulle teruggekom en 'n ander tent binnegegaan en ook daaruit weggeneem en dit gaan begrawe.
9 Toe sê hulle die een vir die ander: Ons doen nie reg nie. Hierdie dag is 'n dag van goeie boodskap, en ons bly stil! As ons vertoef tot die môrelig toe, dan sal ons skuldig staan. Kom dan nou, laat ons gaan en dit in die huis van die koning vertel.
10 En hulle het gekom en na die poortwagters van die stad geroep en aan hulle berig gebring en gesê: Ons het by die laer van die Arameërs gekom, maar kyk, daar was niemand en geen mens se stem nie, maar net vasgemaakte perde en vasgemaakte esels en tente net soos dit was.
11 En die poortwagters het geroep en dit binne-in die huis van die koning vertel.
12 Toe staan die koning in die nag op en sê aan sy dienaars: Laat ek julle vertel wat die Arameërs aan ons gedoen het. Hulle weet dat ons honger ly; daarom het hulle uit die laer getrek om hulle in die veld weg te steek, en gesê: As hulle uit die stad uittrek, sal ons hulle lewendig vang en in die stad inkom.
13 Maar een van sy dienaars antwoord en sê: Laat hulle dan tog vyf van die perde wat hier oorgebly het, neem -- kyk, hulle is soos die hele menigte van Israel wat hier oor is; kyk, hulle is soos die hele menigte van Israel wat omgekom het -- laat ons die dan stuur en sien.
14 Hulle neem toe twee strydwaens met perde; en die koning het agter die leër van die Arameërs aan gestuur en gesê: Gaan kyk.
15 En hulle het agter hulle aan gegaan tot by die Jordaan; en kyk, die hele pad was vol klere en voorwerpe wat die Arameërs in hulle oorhaastige vlug weggegooi het. Daarop draai die boodskappers om en deel dit aan die koning mee.
16 Toe gaan die volk uit om die laer van die Arameërs te plunder; en 'n maat fynmeel het 'n sikkel gekos, en twee mate gars 'n sikkel, volgens die woord van die HERE.
17 En die koning het die adjudant op wie se arm hy geleun het, oor die poort aangestel; maar die volk het hom in die poort vertrap, sodat hy gesterf het volgens die woord van die man van God, deur hom uitgespreek toe die koning na hom afgekom het.
18 Want toe die man van God met die koning gespreek en gesê het: M"re omtrent sulke tyd sal twee mate gars 'n sikkel, en 'n maat fynmeel 'n sikkel werd wees in die poort van Samar¡a --
19 het die adjudant die man van God geantwoord en gesê: Al maak die HERE ook vensters in die hemel, sou so iets kan gebeur? En hy het gesê: Kyk, jy sal dit met jou oë sien, maar nie daarvan eet nie.
20 En so het dit met hom gegaan -- die mense het hom in die poort vertrap, sodat hy gesterf het
1 Then Elisha said, Give ear to the word of the Lord: the Lord says, Tomorrow, about this time, a measure of good meal will be offered for the price of a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the market-place of Samaria.
2 Then the captain whose arm was supporting the king said to the man of God, Even if the Lord made windows in heaven, would such a thing be possible? And he said, Your eyes will see it, but you will not have a taste of the food.
3 Now there were four lepers seated at the doorway into the town: and they said to one another, Why are we waiting here for death?
4 If we say, We will go into the town, there is no food in the town, and we will come to our end there; and if we go on waiting here, death will come to us. Come then, let us give ourselves up to the army of Aram: if they let us go on living, then life will be ours; and if they put us to death, then death will be ours.
5 So in the half light they got up to go to the tents of Aram; but when they came to the outer line of tents, there was no one there.
6 For the Lord had made the sound of carriages and horses, and the noise of a great army, come to the ears of the Aramaeans, so that they said to one another, Truly, the king of Israel has got the kings of the Hittites and of the Egyptians for a price to make an attack on us.
7 So they got up and went in flight, in the half light, without their tents or their horses or their asses or any of their goods; they went in flight, fearing for their lives.
8 And when those lepers came to the outer line of tents, they went into one tent, and had food and drink, and took from it silver and gold and clothing, which they put in a secret place; then they came back and went into another tent from which they took more goods, which they put away in a secret place.
9 Then they said to one another, We are not doing right. Today is a day of good news, and we say nothing: if we go on waiting here till the morning, punishment will come to us. So let us go and give the news to those of the king's house.
10 So they came in, and, crying out to the door-keepers of the town, they gave them the news, saying, We came to the tents of the Aramaeans, and there was no one there and no voice of man, only the horses and the asses in their places, and the tents as they were.
11 Then the door-keepers, crying out, gave the news to those inside the king's house.
12 Then the king got up in the night and said to his servants, This is my idea of what the Aramaeans have done to us. They have knowledge that we are without food; and so they have gone out of their tents, and are waiting secretly in the open country, saying, When they come out of the town, we will take them living and get into the town.
13 And one of his servants said in answer, Send men and let them take five of the horses which we still have in the town; if they keep their lives they will be the same as those of Israel who are still living here; if they come to their death they will be the same as all those of Israel who have gone to destruction: let us send and see.
14 So they took two horsemen; and the king sent them after the army of the Aramaeans, saying, Go and see.
15 And they went after them as far as Jordan; and all the road was covered with clothing and vessels dropped by the Aramaeans in their flight. So those who were sent went back and gave the news to the king.
16 Then the people went out and took the goods from the tents of the Aramaeans. So a measure of good meal was to be had for the price of a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, as the Lord had said.
17 And the king gave authority to that captain, on whose arm he was supported, to have control over the doorway into the town; but he was crushed to death there under the feet of the people, as the man of God had said when the king went down to him.
18 So the words of the man of God came true, which he said to the king: Two measures of barley will be offered for the price of a shekel and a measure of good meal for a shekel, tomorrow about this time in the market-place of Samaria.
19 And that captain said to the man of God, Even if the Lord made windows in heaven, would such a thing be possible? And he said to him, Your eyes will see it, but you will not have a taste of the food.
20 And such was his fate; for he was crushed to death under the feet of the people, in the doorway into the town.