1   And the children of the prophetes sayd to Eliseus: Behold the place, wherin we dwel before thee is streite for vs.

2   Let vs goe as far as Iordan, and take out of the wood euerie man some timber, that we may build there a place to dwel in. Who said: Goe.

3   And one of them sayd: Come therfore thou also with thy seruantes. He answered: I wil

Of Isr. Ioram. Eliseus. come.

4   And he went with them. And when they were come to Iordan they cut wood.

5   And it chanced, that when one had cut downe timber, the head of the axe fel into the water: and he cried out, and said: Alas alas alas my lord, this same also I ^note did borow.

6   And the man of God sayd: where fel it? and he shewed him the place: he therfore cut of a pece of wood, and cast it thither: and the yron did swimme,

7   and he said: Take it vp. Who stretched forth his hand, and tooke it.

8   And the king of Syria fought against Israel, and tooke counsel with his seruantes, saying: In that and that place let vs lay embushementes.

9   Therfore the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying: Beware thou passe not into such a place: because the Syrians are there in embushementes.

10   The king of Israel therfore sent to the place, which the man of God had told him, and preuented him, and looked wel to him self there not once or twise.

11   And the hart of the king of Syria was trubled for this thing. And calling together his seruantes, he sayd: Why doe you not tel me who is the betraier of me to the king of Israel?

12   And one of his seruantes sayd: Not so my lord king, but Eliseus the prophet, which is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel al wordes, whatsoeuer thou shalt speake in thy priuy chamber.

13   And he sayd to them: Goe, and see where he is: that I may send, and take him. And they told him, saying: Behold in Dothan.

14   He therfore sent thither horses and chariotes, and the force of his armie: who when they were come in the night, they besette the citie.

15   And the seruant of the man of God rising early, went out, and saw an armie round about the citie, and horses and chariotes: and he told him, saying: Alas alas alas my lord, what shal we doe.

16   But he answered: Feare not: for there are more with vs then with them.

17   And when Eliseus had prayed, he sayd: Lord open the eies of this man, that he may see. And our Lord opened the eies of the seruant, and ^note he behold: and loe and mountaine ful of horses, and of firie chariotes round about Eliseus.

18   But the enemies went downe to him: moreouer Eliseus prayed to our Lord, saying: Strike, I besech thee, this people with blindenesse. And our Lord smote them, that they saw not, according to the word of Eliseus.

19   And Eliseus sayd to them: This is not the way neither is this the citie: folow me, & I wil shew you the man, whom you seeke. He therfore led them into Samaria:

20   and when they

of Isr. Ioram. Eliseus. were entered into Samaria, Eliseus said: Lord open the eies of these men, that they may see. And our Lord opened their eies, and they saw them selues to be in the middes of Samaria.

21   And the king of Israel said to Eliseus, when he had sene them: Shal I strike them, my father?

22   And he said: Thou shalt not strike them: for thou didst not take them with thy sword, and thy bow, that thou mayst strike them: but ^note set bread and water before them, that they may eate and drinke, and goe to their maister.

23   And a great preparation of meates was sette before them, and they did eate and drinke, and he dismissed them, and they went away to their maister, and the robbers of Syria came no more into the Land of Israel.

24   And it came to passe after these thinges, Benadad the king of Syria gathered together al his armie, and went vp, and besieged Samaria.

25   And there was a great famine in Samaria: and so long it was besieged, til the head of an asse was sold for foure score siluer peeces, & the fourth part of a cabe of pigeons dung, for fiue siluer peeces.

26   And when the king of Israel passed by the wall, a certayne woman cried out to him, saying: Saue me my lord king.

27   Who sayd: No, our Lord saue thee: how can I saue thee? of the floore, or of the presse? And the king sayd to her: What ayleth thee? Who answered:

28   This woman sayd to me: Geue thy sonne, that we may eate him to day, & my sonne we wil eate to morrow.

29   We therfore boyled my sonne, and did eate him. And I sayd to her the next day: Geue thy sonne, that we may eate him. Who hath hid her sonne.

30   Which when the king had heard, he rent his garmentes, and passed by the wal. And al the people saw the hearecloth, which he ware next vpon his flesh.

31   And the king sayd: These thinges doe God to me, and these adde he, if the head of Eliseus the sonne of Saphat shal stand vpon him this day.

32   But Eliseus sate in his house, and the ancientes sate with him. He therfore sent a man before: and before that messenger came, he sayd to the ancientes: Doe you know that this murderers sonne hath sent to cut of my head? See therfore, when the messenger shal come, shut the doore, and suffer him not to enter in: for behold the sound of his maisters feete is behinde him.

33   Whiles he was yet speaking to them, the messenger appeared, which came to him. And he sayd: Behold, this so great euil is of our Lord: what shal I looke for more of our Lord?

Eliseus.

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